Chapter 28: Meow (Part 2)
Grandpa Jiang returned with many small gifts.
Because he wrote calligraphy for free and wrote so beautifully, many people felt bad and gave him some small gifts they carried with them.
Anyway, Grandpa was a nice person without any taboos, so he politely accepted whatever was given to him.
Among them, there were freebies of their favorite CPs, small snacks, and…
Jiang Yuanyuan had to bring a big bag to fit everything.
Before leaving, his granddaughter said to him, “This exhibition is too small. Grandpa, next time I’ll take you to a bigger one. More people will like your calligraphy.”
Grandpa Jiang: “…”
He was afraid he couldn’t handle that blessing.
Grandpa Jiang hid in his old comrade-in-arms’ house again, daring not to run around with his granddaughter anymore.
Jiang Yuanyuan sent him off in a ride-share destined for Grandpa Chen’s house, captioning his fleeing figure: The city is full of tricks; he wants to go back to the countryside.
There were some blank couplet papers on the table at Grandpa Chen’s house. Seeing Grandpa Jiang return, he greeted him, “Old Jiang, you came just in time. Help write a pair of couplets for this year. I’ll paste them up at home.”
Grandpa Jiang had excellent calligraphy skills, and the couplets at his home were all written by him personally.
Having written for so long at the comic convention, Grandpa Jiang’s hands trembled a bit hearing this. He murmured, “…In a few days.”
Grandpa Jiang went straight back to the guest room and stared blankly at the big bag in his hand.
Homosexuality was not only not ostracized or spat upon, but actually became a culture and hobby.
He couldn’t quite understand it, but he could feel the sincerity of those children.
Grandpa Jiang took out a leather wallet from the inner pocket of his coat. Opening it, one could see Grandma Jiang’s photo.
But almost no one knew that behind Grandma Jiang’s photo, there was a family portrait.
It was a photo of him with his parents and siblings.
One person was missing from the photo. He carefully drew his outline with a brush. Unfortunately, although his calligraphy was excellent, his drawing skills weren’t very good. He could only draw simple ink wash animals and plants, not people.
That person was his most respected eldest brother.
He had almost forgotten his appearance.
He only remembered that when he was young and playful, he almost drowned in the water. It was his eldest brother who risked his life to save him. Because of this, one of his legs became slightly disabled, so he couldn’t join the army. He stayed at home to help and learned a craft, playing the suona with a master. At that time, suona players were hired for funerals, and the income was quite good.
The eldest brother was like a father, treating his younger siblings extremely well.
Especially him, who was given a second life.
When he was sick with a fever, his eldest brother carried him on his back to see a doctor in the middle of the night; he liked writing, so his eldest brother spent most of his savings to support his education; when he was bullied outside, his eldest brother was the first to stand up for him…
His eldest brother liked cats and often fed stray cats in the village. There were always many meowing figures in the courtyard at home.
When he had nothing to do, he would observe and draw these cats. Seeing this, his eldest brother not only praised him but also pasted his drawings on the head of the bed, saying he had talent. When he earned more money, he would send him to learn painting.
Later, his eldest brother got together with a man.
It was said that the two met at a funeral. Perhaps this beginning had already determined the tragic ending.
He was still young and ignorant at that time, not even knowing what liking meant. But he rarely disagreed with his eldest brother. Although a man being with a man was incomprehensible, that was his most revered eldest brother. Even if he couldn’t understand, he couldn’t point fingers at him.
But others were different.
In that era, homosexuality was a complete anomaly, something to be poked in the spine for.
No one hired his eldest brother to play the suona anymore. He lost his job and could only help with farming and work at home. Fortunately, the family didn’t despise him, only hiding him and persuading him to turn back.
Without a source of income, his eldest brother couldn’t save money to send him to learn painting anymore. He was very sensible and said it didn’t matter; he liked writing more.
His eldest brother smiled and patted his head, saying nothing more, just staring at the cats he drew on the wall for a long time.
Everyone discussed and slandered them openly and secretly. Suddenly one day, several of the cats his eldest brother raised died. They were deliberately killed by someone, saying it was to get rid of bad luck. His brother could only hurriedly send the remaining cats far away, never to find their way back.
Their family began to receive frequent cold looks, and he and his other siblings were also ostracized by their peers.
Someone even blatantly told his eldest brother and that man to die, calling them dirty things right to their faces.
Later, they really died.
It was suicide.
Before dying, his eldest brother’s mental state was already very bad, his figure thin like a skeleton. The man with his eldest brother wasn’t any better.
They finally couldn’t withstand the spit and gossip anymore.
They jumped into the river to commit suicide.
Maybe because someone said water was the cleanest and could wash away all filth, saying they were disgusting and should drown in water.
After they died, the river was despised, and rituals were performed for a long time.
He stood blankly by the river, hearing incomprehensible ritual chants in his ears, hot tears in his eyes.
This river was the very one his eldest brother saved him from back then.
His eldest brother saved him, but drowned here himself.
After his eldest brother died, he fell seriously ill.
After recovering, the family took the opportunity of a job transfer to move the following year, leaving that place. Later, no one dared to mention his eldest brother again.
After an unknown number of years, photo studios became popular. His younger sister suggested taking a family portrait as a memento, so this photo came into being.
Although no one mentioned it, everyone tacitly left a space for the eldest brother.
He touched the outline of his eldest brother he drew on the photo.
Because of that dark experience, he had never been able to accept his grandson being with a man.
He was afraid, afraid they would repeat the same mistakes. He didn’t want the white-haired to send off the black-haired.
But perhaps, this era was really different from theirs.
…
“She said Grandpa’s state is okay.” Jiang Suifeng handed his phone screen to Jing Zhi.
Jing Zhi reached out and took the phone.
The phone carried Jiang Suifeng’s body temperature, slightly warm.
On the screen was the profile of Grandpa Jiang writing with a brush. Although only a corner of the characters under his hand was revealed, the vigorous brushstrokes were visible. No wonder so many people liked it.
His expression was focused and serious. Anyone who didn’t know would think he was writing some masterpiece, but the fact was pairs of BL CP names or related sentences.
Staring at the screen, Jing Zhi was at a loss for words.
Inexplicably felt like… an illusion of elderly abuse.
However, Jiang Yuanyuan had always been impulsive and vigorous, so it wasn’t too surprising she could do such a thing.
He wondered if Grandpa Jiang’s mindset would change under such stimulation.
Jiang Suifeng’s hand suddenly grasped his.
Jing Zhi looked up subconsciously, meeting his gaze.
“Little Jing, let’s wait for Grandpa to contact me. I feel there should be good progress this time.”
Jiang Suifeng’s palm was very warm, completely wrapping his hand chilled by the cold wind. His words were like warm syrup pouring straight into his heart.
“Grandpa is actually a very good person. If not for me, he would like you, and he would like Mimi too.”
“That text message… based on my understanding of him, if he really thinks it through, he will apologize to you personally.”
Jing Zhi didn’t break free from Jiang Suifeng’s hand, nor did he speak.
His gaze fell back on the phone screen.
He had actually interacted with Grandpa Jiang and could feel he was a very good person.
When Grandma Jiang came to City A for treatment, Grandpa Jiang accompanied her. At that time, his identity was still Jiang Suifeng’s university roommate. Being a local of City A and familiar with the city, he helped out a bit. Grandpa Jiang and his family even treated him to a meal and chatted happily with him.
His grandparents treated him badly since childhood, and his maternal grandparents passed away early. That was one of the few times he felt care from the grandparent generation.
So, he wasn’t actually that angry with Grandpa Jiang.
People do wrong things in the heat of the moment when they have no way out.
He didn’t need Grandpa Jiang to apologize to him, as long as he could accept his relationship with Jiang Suifeng.
“There’s something I forgot to ask you.” Jing Zhi spoke abruptly.
“Hmm?” Jiang Suifeng raised his other hand and completely wrapped Jing Zhi’s hand.
“When did you determine that Mimi is the kitten?”
Because from the very beginning, he just wanted Jiang Suifeng to meet Mimi. Believe it or not, he wouldn’t force him to believe.
Later, at some point, Jiang Suifeng tacitly accepted that Mimi was their kitten.
Actually, it could be seen from many details, but he was still curious about when Jiang Suifeng became completely sure.
“Let me think…” Jiang Suifeng pretended to recall. “The day I touched your butt.”
Jing Zhi: “…”
Jing Zhi rolled his eyes at him, pulled his hand back, and threw the phone back into his arms.
Seeing signs of Jing Zhi bristling, Jiang Suifeng immediately became serious and wrapped his hand again.
“At that time, you left to inquire about Mimi’s discharge matters. I had nothing to do, so I ‘rolled him into a burrito’ with the quilt, the burrito game I used to play with Mimi often. He lay down without any hint from me, looking at me with especially bright eyes. After I rolled him up, he laughed very happily and called me Papa. At that moment, I hallucinated the ‘meow meow’ sounds of a happy kitten being rolled up.”
“Adding the previous events and your unwavering belief in him, I completely believed it.”
“Could it be that I ‘rolled him into a burrito’ before?” Jing Zhi found a loophole.
Jiang Suifeng hummed, “Can’t rule out that possibility, but it’s unlikely. If you insist, there is another way to verify it again.”
“What?”
“Let’s go,” Jiang Suifeng pulled him up. “Find our cub.”
…
Little Papa said he had something to deal with, so Jing Mimi obediently stayed in the dormitory, drawing with Brother Qiuqiu and the auntie.
Or rather, the auntie was teaching him to draw, while Brother Qiuqiu sat in the corner, not letting others see his drawing paper, mysteriously drawing something unknown.
Before leaving, the auntie took a photo of him and Brother Qiuqiu with a novel camera called “Polaroid.” The photo was originally blank, but soon the image slowly appeared, very magical, like the Cat God’s magic.
He put the photo away carefully, to look at when he missed Brother Qiuqiu.
The auntie also said that when Papa completed his adoption procedures, he and Brother Qiuqiu could go to the same kindergarten, so they could meet often again.
School!
Jing Mimi looked forward to it even more.
Just as Wang Qiuqiu put on his small schoolbag and was about to be taken away by his parents, he suddenly mysteriously held Jing Mimi’s small hand and took him to an empty small room.
He didn’t let anyone follow, obviously having secrets to tell.
Watching the two cute little figures, Wang’s mother smiled and sighed, “The two children have such a good relationship.”
Wang’s father also said, “It’s a pity they couldn’t become a family.”
Wang’s mother: “It’s okay, just visit each other more in the future.”
Closing the door of the small room, under Jing Mimi’s puzzled gaze, Wang Qiuqiu took out a folded drawing paper from his pocket, handed it to him, and said, “Mimi, this is a gift for you.”
He planned to explain to Mimi after he finished reading the content on the drawing paper. In case Mimi’s reaction was too big, he might not dare to confess his identity as a puppy.
Jing Mimi couldn’t wait to unfold the drawing paper.
He knew Brother Qiuqiu liked drawing, but this was the first time he received a drawing from Brother Qiuqiu.
Seeing the pattern on the drawing paper clearly, Jing Mimi’s eyes lit up instantly.
On the paper was a Scottish Fold kitten and…
Jing Mimi looked up in surprise: “Brother Qiuqiu, how did you know I like Siamese cats the most!”
Wang Qiuqiu: “?!”
Wang Qiuqiu’s brain suddenly crashed.
…What Siamese cat? Didn’t he draw a Scottish Fold kitten and a German Shepherd dog?
Jing Mimi flattened the drawing paper in his hand, his small hand lovingly stroking the “Siamese cat” next to the Scottish Fold kitten.
So chibi, so cute!
***
Author’s Note:
A little puppy who drew his true form too chibi and was mistaken for a Siamese cat.
