The Cub Comes from Planet Meow 11p3

Chapter 11: Meow p3

Grandpa Sun was from Province B, born there, raised there, and rooted there.

No one expected such a terrifying earthquake to happen in Province B that year. Everything in sight fell apart, like the end of the world. Many corpses were buried forever underneath. Anyone who survived that earthquake would uncontrollably feel chilled and palpitate when recalling that memory.

He was extremely fortunate that his daughter went to the neighboring Province A for development after graduation, met her beloved partner there, and settled down in Province A. His wife also went to his daughter’s place that year to help take care of their grandchild, avoiding the fierce natural disaster of that year.

But because he couldn’t bear to leave the fields in his hometown and wasn’t used to living in a big city, he stubbornly stayed behind.

There were inevitably mice in the countryside, always making thumping noises at night and stealing grain. So he caught a kitten from the village entrance whose mother had disappeared right after weaning.

A rural cat could survive on leftover food and help him catch mice, which was good.

The cat lived up to expectations and really caught quite a few mice for him.

He originally thought it was a beautiful Dragon Li cat (Chinese Li Hua), but when his daughter came back for the New Year and looked at it, she said it was a Jianzhou cat, known for strong hunting abilities and loyalty to its owner.

Its hunting ability was indeed strong, but he didn’t feel the loyalty. Cats weren’t like dogs; they were always much colder, too independent, and not close to people. Especially free-range cats in the countryside, their hearts were wild. The mountain was right behind the house, and the cat often ran up there and didn’t come back for days.

Later, for some reason, one of the cat’s hind legs got injured and became a bit lame, so it didn’t go out for strolls much anymore, nor did it catch many mice. It slept obediently at home every night.

He didn’t despise it; after all, it had accompanied him for so long, and feelings had inevitably developed. He continued to give it food and water every day and even learned from city people to make a cat nest for it using old clothes.

His daughter asked him what the kitten’s name was, which stumped him.

As a rough man, why would he name a cat? Every time he addressed it, he just used the single word “Cat.”

Later, after the New Year, his daughter and her family went back. He remembered this matter, saw a small bell on the table, tied it around the kitten’s neck with a string, and named it “Bell.”

Later, when his daughter found out about this, she said wearing a bell was bad for the cat’s health and the sound might affect the cat’s hearing. So he took out the small metal ball inside the bell. Without the clapper, it wouldn’t make any sound.

The cat was smart and quickly adapted to its new name. Occasionally, it would raise its paw to touch the bell hanging around its neck but didn’t pull it off.

With the bell around its neck and a name, it was a true domestic cat.

Unlike the previous “employment relationship,” it could get Grandpa’s care and a sheltering home without catching mice.

The earthquake happened during the autumn harvest. It was exceptionally busy during the day, and he slept exceptionally soundly at night—too tired, he fell asleep almost as soon as he hit the bed.

In the middle of the night, he felt a furry lump jump onto the bed, meowing while bumping him with its body.

He woke up groggily and was subconsciously a bit angry.

After all, in the countryside, cats ran everywhere every day and inevitably got dusty. He didn’t allow Bell on the bed.

Bell often sat on the wooden bench and the rocking chair his daughter and son-in-law bought for him, but rarely got on the bed. It only happened in winter, probably because it was too cold in winter and warm under the covers.

Recently, autumn had begun to cool down slowly, probably for this reason.

Being woken up in the middle of the night naturally made him grumpy. That night, his head felt exceptionally dizzy. Subconsciously, he reached out and pushed the cat off. Later, he realized it might have been because the earthquake was shaking violently, and he hadn’t reacted yet.

After being pushed off, the cat quickly jumped back onto the bed, continuing to meow and bump him with its body.

He finally realized something was wrong.

Everything around him was shaking violently and abnormally.

He rushed out of bed, but it was too late.

He and the cat were buried under the ruins together.

He was relatively lucky. Although pinned underneath, he didn’t suffer fatal injuries.

He heard a little kitten’s whimper in the darkness beside him, accompanied by the sound of the bell slightly hitting the ruins.

He tried calling it: “Bell?”

The kitten responded with a weak sound: “Meow.”

The cat’s condition was a bit bad.

His heart beat wildly, finally realizing—Bell was reminding him to run away just now.

Animals are much more sensitive to such natural disasters than humans.

If not to save him, Bell would have run out long ago. Although it had a lame leg, it was still very agile.

He didn’t know how to describe his feelings at that time.

Moved, regretful, heartbroken…

Suddenly, his daughter’s description of the Jianzhou cat popped into his mind: “Loyal to its owner.”

At that time, he didn’t think much of those words. Now, he just wanted to slap his past self.

The autumn night had started to get cool. He had just rushed out of bed wearing only thin innerwear. Although not fatally injured, he was inevitably hurt. Pain and cold intertwined, and the energy in his body was draining bit by bit.

So cold. So painful.

In the dead silence, not knowing when rescue would arrive, if it would arrive, or if they could be found smoothly, every minute and second was torture.

Maybe because of the pain, the cat not far away would move from time to time, causing the beadless bell around its neck to collide with the ruins, making a sound.

“Ding, ding-a-ling, ding…”

Reminding him to stay awake and persist in waiting for rescue.

Occasionally he would call the cat’s name, and the bell sound would respond quickly.

Cats don’t understand human language, only their own names.

The cat might not have the strength to call out anymore, so it could only respond to him by moving its body slightly to make the bell around its neck hit something.

That bell, which had its clapper removed, emitted a sound that struck the soul at this moment.

The panic and fear brought by this earthquake were temporarily suppressed.

As long as he heard the bell ringing from time to time, he could calm down and have the courage to face everything.

Who knows how much time passed. Gradually, the frequency of the bell ringing became lower and lower.

His consciousness also became more and more blurred.

Until, he tried calling with a hoarse voice: “Bell?”

No more response.

Bell was dead.

There would be no more bell sounds.

He couldn’t hold on much longer either.

He closed his eyes, thinking: Being buried with his cat isn’t too bad.

In the next life, he must treat Bell much, much better. Treat it like city people treat pet cats, keep it clean, and allow it to sleep on the bed every day.

Thinking and thinking, the voice of the rescue team suddenly sounded above the ruins.

He didn’t die; he was rescued.

The moment he saw the light of day again, his tears rolled down instantly. “Bell… my cat… Bell is down there…”

He was injured and weak, sent to the rescue point immediately. Human resources were scarce, and they couldn’t spend time and energy digging out a dead cat for him.

It was a long time later that, with the help of his family, he dug out Bell’s body from under the ruins.

Because of the earthquake, one of his legs was also injured and became a bit lame.

He buried Bell on the mountain where it used to stroll often. His daughter took him to live in Province A, but every year, without fail, he returned to Province B, limping up the mountain to visit it.

Sometimes in a trance, he seemed to hear a crisp jingling sound, very far away.

It was the sound that made him feel most at ease in this world.

…

[Bell’s Wish Completed]

Planet Meow, in front of the big cloud TV.

Bell, the Jianzhou cat, raised its paw and batted the bell around its neck. The bell emitted a crisp and pleasant sound.

This was Planet Meow; wearing a bell wouldn’t affect a cat’s body.

When the Cat God brought it from under the cold ruins to Planet Meow, it repaired the bell around its neck.

It liked the sound of the bell.

At the last moment of its life, it accompanied it, and accompanied its Grandpa.

Sheriff the Tuxedo Cat curled its tail and touched Bell’s tail.

It was a brave kitten, just like itself.

…

“Because this kind of situation has never happened before, I didn’t think for a moment that the sound of a bell could soothe my father. Thanks to this little friend, really, thank you so much,” the old man’s daughter said.

Jing Mimi leaned into Papa’s arms a bit shyly.

He was just helping a kitten fulfill its wish.

Only by helping kittens fulfill their wishes could he return to Papa’s side and stay here. There was no need to thank him.

The story ended. Jing Zhi carried Jing Mimi into the ward to look at Grandpa.

Grandpa was still staring at the bell in his hand in a daze, but he had normal feedback responses to the outside world.

In the ward, they saw many sticky notes with writing on them.

Jing Mimi asked curiously, “Papa, what are these?”

Seeing this, the old man’s daughter answered, “My father is getting old. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s this year. His memory is bad. Several times he suddenly forgot even my mom. They loved each other for so many years, yet he couldn’t remember my mom’s name… This disease is too terrible. So I wrote some important things and names on sticky notes, hoping it would help his memory.”

On the sticky notes, there were many people’s names, and also a cat’s name: Bell.

Jing Mimi nodded thoughtfully.

He suddenly had an idea.

He wanted to write Big Papa and Little Papa’s names together on many small cards, letting him see them every day to remind them to get back together.

But here came the problem—he couldn’t write.

Mimi was an illiterate kitten.

***

Author’s Note:

Illiterate kitten working hard to study for college!