cat charm

Chapter 1

cat charm

Reply [2]: Relatives of my first and second aunts

That evening, while we were having dinner, my mom suddenly said, "You haven't visited your second aunt in a long time. She even called today to ask how you are doing."

"Oh." I said casually, while engrossed in reading the newspaper. "Okay, I'll go see her when I have time."

Don't wait any longer, just go this weekend! Your uncle has been asking about you several times. When you were little, you lived in their house and always had the best food and clothes. They treated you like their own daughter. Now they don't visit you for months at a time. How am I supposed to explain this to you?

I'm busy! I looked up, made a fake crying face, and continued reading the newspaper.

You're busy?! Everyone knows you don't even have a fixed workplace. Who would believe you're so busy you don't even have time to visit someone?

I covered my head with a newspaper and slowly slipped away from the dining table to return to my computer and continue typing. But I didn't take my mother's words to heart and secretly made up my mind: I must buy some supplements and fruits tomorrow morning and go to my aunt's house.

My second aunt's house is located on one of the city's most culturally vibrant streets. The quiet government compound is like a peaceful and beautiful paradise. I had the taxi stop outside the gate and strolled in. When I was little, my parents were both very busy, so I stayed with my second aunt, which caused them quite a bit of trouble. Passing by the kindergarten outside the government building, I saw the old swing still swaying, and my heart warmed. When I was little, my second aunt's husband and cousin often played on that swing with me. I would laugh and shout, "Second Uncle, higher! Higher!" I called my second aunt's husband "Second Dad" because, supposedly, I had a very unclear speech when I was little. Words like "uncle" were so difficult for me to pronounce, I would struggle to say them even with my bottom sticking out. My parents invented this nickname to save me the trouble.

After passing a few apartment buildings, I arrived at my second aunt's house. I hadn't been here many times since they moved to the new building. I hesitated a little before entering the building and looked around for any signs to confirm my location.

Just as I turned around, I suddenly saw a large tabby cat sitting on the roof of the bicycle shed in front of the building, as if it were sunbathing, with its eyes squinting and its two front paws curled up under its body. I remembered Liang Shiqiu's description of it as "like an old monk in meditation".

"Mimi~~~Mimi~~~~ Come down, come down, play with me!" I called to it, jumping up and down, but it just glanced at me with a dignified air and didn't move. My two meows did manage to call my second aunt out of the third-floor window, who yelled at me, "Xiao Juan! Aren't you coming up here!"

I scratched my head sheepishly and hurried upstairs. My aunt was already waiting at the door, taking the things I was carrying and dusting me off with a duster. Then she tossed a pair of pretty plastic slippers at my feet: "Here! Your cousin bought these especially for you!"

My heart ached, and I almost burst into tears. My aunt's family truly treats me like their own daughter; otherwise, they wouldn't have gone out of their way to buy me a pair of slippers.

After changing my shoes and going inside, I found my second uncle sitting on the sofa in the living room, with a strange man of about forty years old sitting opposite him. I glanced at him curiously and whispered to my second aunt: "Are there guests?"

"Your second uncle's relative, you should call him—what should you call him? Call him Big Brother, right?" Second Aunt introduced calmly.

"Call me Big Brother, calling me Big Brother is fine!" The man sat up from the sofa, bowing and scraping to me. I glanced at him, and for some reason, I felt a bit disgusted, so I didn't say anything more, called him Big Brother, and sat down next to my second uncle.

My second uncle isn't a local. His hometown is in a suburban county of Shanghai. He joined the army at sixteen and left his hometown, eventually settling in Beijing. The only people I know who still live in Shanghai are his older brother and his brother's adopted son. The others aren't direct relatives, and they rarely keep in touch. Perhaps this "elder brother" is just in Beijing on a business trip and asked my second uncle to do something for him?

After sitting for a while, I noticed that the "big brother" didn't seem to have anything to say, and was just sitting there listening to my aunt, uncle, and I ramble on. I felt a little sorry for him, so I casually asked, "Are you in Beijing for a meeting?"

His expression turned slightly embarrassed, but he immediately nodded and bowed, saying, "Ah, yes, a meeting, a short meeting."

His aunt and uncle, both very kind-hearted intellectuals, added, "Brother Songming brought you some pine nut candy; go try it later!"

I stood up and walked towards the kitchen, saying loudly, "Hehe, I'll cook for you guys tonight! I've learned several new signature dishes!"

"No, no!" Auntie rushed towards the kitchen, saying as she ran, "Your mother told me that last time she said she was going to make boiled fish, and she ruined all the chili peppers in the house. The kitchen was so smoky that no one could go in for three days! Don't come and ruin our kitchen!"

I stood in the kitchen with an embarrassed smile, and sure enough, I didn't dare to touch anything.

My aunt opened the refrigerator and took out the vegetables. I took them from her and helped her wash them while asking, "So, 'Big Brother,' will you be having dinner with us too?"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [3]: My second aunt only showed a little displeasure at this point, saying, "It's not just about eating, we also need to stay."

"Stay? Stay at our place?" I was a little surprised. "Isn't he here for a meeting? Doesn't his company reimburse his travel expenses?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down." Second Aunt stood up, closed the kitchen door, then turned back and lowered her voice, saying, "I heard that this Songming wasn't a good person in Shanghai. He didn't have any proper job when he was young and just messed around. Later, I don't know how he got a job at the neighborhood committee, but now he says he's quitting. He told your second uncle that he wants to come to Beijing to find a job and wants to stay at our house temporarily."

"Like him?" I glanced outside, clicked my tongue twice, and said nothing.

That evening, I didn't leave my aunt's house until long after dinner. My cousin didn't come home from get off work and chatted with me for a long time. Then he insisted on driving me home himself. I refused, pushed him back into the house, slammed the door shut, and ran downstairs.

The early summer night was quite cool. As soon as I stepped out of my building, I felt the fresh air. I took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a pair of bright, sparkling eyes in mid-air not far from me. I was so startled that I jumped back a step before regaining my composure and looking again. It turned out to be the same big tabby cat I had seen that afternoon, sitting upright on the bicycle shed, staring intently at me.

"Mimi, it's you again! Come down, come down and play with me!" I called softly. It didn't move, but I felt something moving behind me, its footsteps very light.

This building was located at the far east end of the compound. Because it was a high-ranking cadre building, not many people lived there. Around nine o'clock at night, there was no one downstairs, only the light from the streetlights.

I didn't believe there could be a robber or thug so close to the building, so I turned around to see who was walking around. To my surprise, it was another cat behind me. It stood in the shadows, only its eyes glowing, so I couldn't make out its features.

I simply squatted down and started meowing at the cat in the shadows again: Come here, come here, good kitty!

From somewhere in the corner, a faint "meow" came. But it didn't come from the cat's shadow opposite me, nor from the cat monk on the roof.

I can't say which direction it came from, maybe from behind the row of thick poplar trees by the roadside?

"Why are there so many stray cats here?" I muttered to myself, stood up, stopped playing, and walked outside.

As I walked out of the compound gate, I was still thinking: I never realized that my aunt's house had so many stray cats before.

Second rescue of stray cats

Countless of my friends love animals and have cats or dogs as pets; but Wei is the only truly fervent animal rights activist. It's said she once traveled the Qinghai-Tibet Highway twice in search of Tibetan antelopes, and she has helped countless stray cats and dogs. So, when I happened to meet her online the next day, I told her that there were many stray cats outside my aunt's house. She seemed very anxious and told me a lot, basically saying that it was a serious time of the epidemic, and many uninformed people considered cats to be a source of infection, especially since many stray cats and dogs had already been killed. She stressed that we couldn't let our guard down and had to quickly move the stray cats to a safe place.

I said, "Well, I don't know how to catch cats either. What if I get scratched while trying to catch them? What if they run away in fright and I can't catch them?"

When Wei realized that talking to me for so long was like casting pearls before swine, she became furious and shouted, "Idiot!!" Then she asked me where my second aunt's house was, intending to take matters into her own hands.

I consider myself a conscientious member of society, so I decided to go with her. We agreed to meet outside my aunt's courtyard, and then catch cats along the way, from the west side of the courtyard all the way to the east side.

When Wei arrived, she was carrying a carrier and a travel bag on her back, filled with various treats and cat toys—fully prepared. I've always respected anyone dedicated to doing their best in something, so I didn't tease her about her preparations. We walked through the compound together, but didn't see a single cat.

"Hey, are you seeing things? Did you really see at least three stray cats yesterday?" Wei Xiao asked, annoyed, after finally standing downstairs at her aunt's empty house.

"Maybe they only come out at night?" I tried to justify myself.

Since we were already there, I decided to take Wei to my second aunt's house for a meal first. My second aunt had met Wei before and liked this quirky young woman very much. She had even considered introducing her to my cousin as a girlfriend, but unfortunately, while Wei's eyes would light up when she saw puppies and kittens on the street, she remained unmoved when she saw my handsome cousin, so the relationship didn't work out.

The man named Songming was at home again, sitting at the small kitchen table, lost in thought, with a bowl of lentils in front of him.

We shouted and yelled as we put down all our things. My aunt couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing again? Catching cats in this sweltering heat?"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [4]: "Yes, Auntie, the situation of stray cats is too bad now. If we don't catch them quickly and put them in a safe place, I'm afraid they will be beaten to death in a few days!" Wei answered seriously, while I picked up a bottle of Coke and chugged it down.

A loud noise suddenly came from the kitchen, drawing everyone's attention. They saw Song Ming picking up the beans scattered all over the floor; he had knocked over the bowl of beans.

Wei ignored me and continued to instill common sense about rescuing small animals in her second aunt. I glanced at Songming, though his expression was strange, but he was very focused, listening to Wei talk about stray cats.

"Are there many cats around here?" he finally asked me, his voice trembling, as his aunt led Wei to the bathroom to wash her face.

"Huh? There weren't many before. But I saw several when I came yesterday!" I said, while watching his expression. Although he was trying his best to hide it, I could still see the fear in his eyes.

"B-Big brother, are you afraid of cats?"

"Uh...no! It's a kitten, quite cute, hehe, hehe," he said in a panic.

Although I'm just an ordinary freelance writer, I've met quite a few people, and I can tell at a glance whether someone genuinely likes cats or not—I don't believe anyone would like cats so much that they're afraid of them. But this person is so hypocritical; he clearly doesn't like cats but pretends to, which annoys me, and I can't help but want to make things difficult for him.

"You like it? Have you ever raised one?" I pressed him again.

"No, no... My family is poor and has little space; there's no room for a cat."

"Then come with us to catch stray cats later!" I deliberately acted innocent to provoke him. He jumped in surprise, and almost dropped the beans he had just picked up.

"Catch, catch a cat?! How would I catch a cat? Where did you hear that I can catch cats??"

I didn't say anything more, just smiled, and thinking that I had teased him enough, I left the kitchen.

After dinner, Wei insisted that I go downstairs with her to look for the cat, so I had no choice but to put down my bowl and go with her. It was still quiet outside. I first looked at the roof of the bicycle, but there was nothing there. Then I crouched down and looked at the base of the wall and other places, but still nothing.

"Mimi mimi mimi mimi~~~~" Xiao Wei called softly.

"Aha! Here it is!" I exclaimed, pointing to the corner of the building. There were two tiny green lights peeking out; there must be a kitten hiding there.

Wei heard the sound and came over. She looked in the direction I was pointing and saw the two little eyes. I led the way and ran towards the corner, with Wei following behind me. At first, the cat was about thirty or forty paces away from us, but after about twenty paces, Wei suddenly grabbed my arm.

what?

She didn't say anything, nor did she let go; she held my wrist tightly the whole time.

The cat is there.

"Don't go over there." Wei's voice suddenly became more stern than ever before.

Huh? I turned around and looked at her in surprise.

Next, Wei, who I always remembered as full of love and boundless passion, suddenly did something I couldn't understand at all: she hurriedly took something off her neck, held it in her hand, and stretched that hand out in front of us, right in front of the cat.

What are you doing?

After about a minute, her expression softened, but then a look of sadness returned. She put down what she was holding, pulled me down to squat, and called out to the corner, "Mimi, Mimi, come here."

The cat actually listened to her and slowly walked out of the corner, striding gracefully towards us. I recognized it immediately—it was the big tabby cat I'd seen yesterday! From the ground, it looked huge, and its eyes were so expressive they seemed to speak.

Wei didn't move, just stared blankly at it. I picked up a can of cat food, opened it, and handed it to it from a distance. "Mimi, time to eat!"

Wei glanced at me, seemingly wanting to stop me, but didn't actually do anything.

The cat smelled the aroma of the canned food, walked over, and carefully sniffed the fragrant meat dish made of sardines and salmon.

A long sigh drifted through the air; I couldn't tell if it came from Wei or the cat. The sigh was faint and eerie, sending chills down one's spine.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [5]: The cat sniffed the can of food for a long time but didn't eat it. Finally, it raised its head and meowed very gently at Wei and me, as if it were thanking us. While it was looking at us, in the dim light of the street lamp, I could still see something sparkling in its eyes.

Do cats cry? I really wanted to ask Wei this strange question, but when I turned to look at Wei, I was surprised to find that there was something sparkly in her eyes as well.

The cat turned its head and slowly walked back into the dark bushes. Vivi pulled me up, packed our things, and walked out without looking back.

What's going on? What were you saying to that cat just now? I joked irritably.

Wei paused, looking at me in surprise: How did you know I could talk to cats?

I stared back at her, mouth agape: You can really talk to cats?

She smiled and said, "It's not really talking, but sometimes I feel like I can communicate with animals. This ability seems to be innate. I explain it to myself, maybe the bioelectricity of animals is more compatible with my magnetic field."

What did that big cat say to you just now?

She paused for a moment, then finally said: "That one just now wasn't a cat."

It's not a cat? What is it then? A weasel?

She stopped answering my questions and just walked quickly along the road until she reached the gate of the compound. After she hailed a taxi, she said something strange to me: "Don't bother with the cats here anymore, and don't come here often."

Third, men who fear cat revenge.

After breaking up with Wei, I returned home, completely baffled by her meaning. What did she mean by "it wasn't just a cat"? And what did she mean by "don't go to my aunt's house so often"?

I watched my cat slowly log onto the internet, and saw my MSN automatically log in, all while I pondered her intentions. She wasn't online, but other netizens who knew we went cat-catching today asked me: "Did you catch any? How many?"

"We didn't catch a single one," I replied. Then, on a whim, I asked, "Hey, do you know what Wei's wearing around her neck?"

That netizen named Guazi was very gossipy; she knew the most about everyday family matters. Asking her was indeed the right thing to do, as she quickly replied: It was a talisman she obtained when she went to Tibet.

Yes, on her second trip to Tibet, she had the good fortune to meet a local high lama who specially blessed a small ivory Buddha for her, which she has been wearing ever since.