After spinning around a few times, Er Mao started seeing stars and got completely disoriented, so he had no choice but to beg for mercy, meowing repeatedly.
Mother, I know I was wrong!
Gu Lingyu gave a soft snort, thinking of her partner who was just a door away, and decided to stop while she was ahead, putting her back into the basin of water.
After being spun around until she was dizzy, Er Mao became much more obedient, lying on her back and letting her mother knead and flatten her.
Clearly, old ginger is spicier.
A note from the author:
Today marks the last day of 2021. Thank you all for your support throughout the year. In the new year, I wish everyone good health, happiness, and great wealth. And I also wish myself good luck, haha.
These past two days, the locked chapters have been driving me crazy. They were so locked I almost cried. I received dozens of locked chapter messages in just two days, so I had no motivation to write. I even considered just ending "Cat's Cub" altogether. But now I'm fully recharged!
Chapter 129
Not long after Shen Wuqiu and his family arrived home, some of their neighbors came to visit.
Mr. Shen had accumulated a considerable fortune and was quite generous, and Su Yunzhi had always maintained good relationships with these people on the surface. Before Shen Wuqiu returned to her hometown, the gossipy women in the village loved to come and chatter with Su Yunzhi; after Shen Wuqiu returned, they weren't so enthusiastic anymore; but after she had her child, they became enthusiastic again.
“These days, I’ve been wandering around your house whenever I have free time, just wondering when you’re coming back.”
"Sanyun is still worried that once you leave, you won't plan to come back."
"When we saw Aunt Wuqiu come today, we were wondering if you were coming back today. Sure enough, you were."
"..."
These women were all skilled chatters, and they walked in as if they were old friends.
Su Yunzhi was also caught off guard by this situation. She could only helplessly watch Da Mao, who was still fiddling with the lace on the sofa cushions, and forced a smile at the woman who had come to her door. Holding a rag, she hesitated, saying, "I've only been away from home for a few days, and it feels dusty everywhere. Why don't you sit outside for a while? I'll pour you some tea and some melon seeds..."
"Hey, we're old acquaintances, no need to be so polite."
"That's right, that's right."
"Now that the roads are all paved, the dust kicks up when a car goes by."
"Yes, yes, your area is much better. My house is right by the road and that's where we suffer. We can't go a day without cleaning our cabinets."
"No need for tea and melon seeds, how about we lend you a hand?"
As they talked, they rolled up their sleeves, making a gesture as if they were about to come and help.
Su Yunzhi waved her hands repeatedly, "No need, no need, it's just a small matter."
To be honest, they're just trying to be nice; they won't actually help with such a small amount of housework.
"By the way, where are Wuqiu and her husband? Haven't they come back?" One of the short, plump women, who always thought she was closest to Su Yunzhi, looked around the hall and then approached Su Yunzhi, asking in a low voice as if they were best friends.
"They're back." Unable to get rid of them, Su Yunzhi could only helplessly take out some sunflower seeds and peanuts from the cupboard with a plate of dried fruit. "The two of them are upstairs giving the baby a bath."
"Hey, young people these days are so much more particular than us, they live a more refined life." The short, plump woman said, carrying the plate of dried fruit to the coffee table for her. She seemed to only then notice Big Mao on the sofa, paused for a moment, and then waved to Big Mao, "Meow?"
Da Mao was engrossed in playing with the lace by himself. When he heard her voice, he turned around and meowed at her.
The short, plump woman was probably seeing such an adorable cat for the first time, and immediately put on an expression of being surprised by something she'd never seen before, "Oh my... this little thing isn't afraid of people at all."
In rural areas, few people keep cats. Even if you see a stray cat, it's usually ashamed to be seen and will run away as soon as it sees someone.
As she spoke, she turned back to Su Yunzhi and asked, "I only heard that you had a big white cat. Where did you get this from?"
Su Yunzhi, unsure how to respond to the sentence, interrupted, "Let me get you some chairs so you can sit outside."
The short, plump woman quickly put down her things. "Alright, we'll do it ourselves. You just go about your business."
After saying that, she meowed at Da Mao a few more times.
Da Mao tilted his head and looked her over, not knowing what she was trying to say, so he ignored her and continued fiddling with the lace trim.
The short, plump woman became increasingly fascinated by the sight and itched to reach out and grab it, but just as she stretched out her hand, it was knocked away by a flying cat.
"Ouch..." The short, plump woman was startled.
"Meow~" Simao stood in front of his older sister and bared his teeth at her.
The short, plump woman was completely baffled—where did this little kitten come from?
"Oh dear, did I scare you?" Zhao Jiujiu followed behind, having watched the little chubby orange fly out of her hands.
Earlier, when Simao wanted to drink the water in the cup, she took her to the kitchen to get water. But the little foodie cat didn't actually want to drink water; she was just greedy and wanted to lick anything she saw.
Zhao Jiujiu didn't share Shen Wuqiu's concerns as a mother. In her opinion, chubby babies are so cute, and the more they eat, the cuter they are. She could spoil them as much as she wanted.
So, since Simao wouldn't drink water, she simply made him a bowl of milk. She had just finished cleaning up and was about to come out to feed him when Simao suddenly flew out of her arms with a thud.
The short, plump woman covered her hand, secretly glancing at it. It was only a little red. She shook her head indifferently and looked at Simao, "He doesn't look very big, but he's got some energy."
Zhao Jiujiu smiled, walked over and patted Simao, "Quickly apologize to him, you little chubby."
Simao hummed a few times, expressing her dissatisfaction with how she was addressed.
"Oh my, is this cat some kind of spirit? It feels like it's talking to you!"
Zhao Jiujiu didn't respond, but carried them, one in each arm, to the small table that had been specially prepared for them.
As soon as Si Mao saw the milk in the bowl, he immediately started licking it.
The short, plump woman also came over as if watching a spectacle, asking, "What are they eating?"
"Goat milk." Zhao Jiujiu made no attempt to hide the fact that they were spoiling the kittens.
"My goodness, no wonder your cat is smarter than other people's." The other women also gathered around.
"Hey, that's why it's true that comparing yourself to others is just awful."
The short, plump woman looked at the two kittens and felt an irresistible itch in her heart. "Oh my, they look so rare. It's a pity we don't have the means, otherwise I would really like to have one too."
Zhao Jiujiu glanced at her.
The short, plump woman noticed and immediately smiled at her, saying, "Aunt Wuqiu, I think you like it quite a bit too."
Zhao Jiujiu raised an eyebrow. "Of course."
The short, plump woman chuckled again, then looked at Su Yunzhi. "I think these kittens are still very young. Are they a month old yet? But you have a lot of kids. Cats are such creatures, they can jump around so fast and their claws are so sharp. You'd better be careful."
Su Yunzhi glanced at Zhao Jiujiu before nodding, "She's a month old. We've been taking precautions."
"Sigh, it's only because you Wuqiu like these furry balls that I wouldn't recommend keeping them if you had so many kids at home."
Su Yunzhi frowned, feeling a little displeased. She looked at her and said, "We all like them quite a bit, and these kittens are well-behaved."
The short, plump woman scoffed, as if deliberately speaking to Zhao Jiujiu, "I know you too well. You must be saying this because you like Wuqiu..."
Su Yunzhi felt somewhat embarrassed by what she said and regretted her previous biased criticisms.
The short, plump woman didn't notice the change in her expression and thought she had done a good deed for her in front of Zhao Jiujiu. She continued to talk loudly, "This kitten can be weaned after a month. How about I raise one for you? I can't guarantee it will have goat milk every meal, but it will definitely have plenty of meat."
Zhao Jiujiu had long been annoyed by her high-handed manner and her attitude of not treating herself as an outsider. Upon hearing this, she snorted coldly, "Don't say that. Our little ones are precious. Don't you know what kind of family we are?"
The short, plump woman was embarrassed by what she was being said and looked at Su Yunzhi.
Su Yunzhi had no intention of giving her a way out.
So she could only laugh awkwardly and say, "So Aunt Wuqiu is raising them like her own children? We really can't take on this job."
Zhao Jiujiu gave a soft hum and used a small handkerchief to wipe the milk stains off Simao's beard. Simao immediately obediently tilted his chin up to let her wipe it.
That adorable little face is just too cute.
The short, plump woman's heart melted at the sight, but remembering the cold shoulder she had received from Zhao Jiujiu, she felt a little embarrassed and didn't linger. After saying goodbye, she told the two women who had come with her to leave.
Once outside the Shen family's house, the women started gossiping again:
"Tsk, Wuqiu's aunt seems to be quite a formidable character."
"That's right, look at Su Yunzhi, isn't she usually quite capable in front of us?"
"She acts like she's all that because she has a little money. No matter how precious a cat is, can it be more precious than a human? She's talking like this cat is her own child. I think she's desperate to have a grandchild."
"But then again, she really takes good care of her kitten..."
Chapter 130
After getting rid of these uninvited gossipy women, Zhao Jiujiu was also a little annoyed with Su Yunzhi. "These people have no manners. Look at them, what were they saying just now? They weren't polite at all, acting like they were at home. Especially that short and fat one, not only was she shameless, but she also sneaked a handful of sunflower seeds into her pocket before leaving. Didn't she feel ashamed of herself?"
Upon hearing this, Su Yunzhi's expression also turned somewhat displeased. "We're all from the same village, and we visit each other frequently, so we don't have many formalities. I'm truly sorry for making you laugh."
"Su Yunzhi, who are you trying to impress with this sarcastic tone?" Zhao Jiujiu was known for her fiery temper and straightforwardness, and she hated this kind of sarcastic tone the most.
"Meow~" The atmosphere was slightly off, and the sensitive big furry cub immediately raised its head and looked at them.
At the slightest movement from her, Simao, who was diligently eating, would lick her lips and lift her large head from the bowl, looking around blankly at this one, then at that one, and meow~
"It's okay, eat your food." Zhao Jiujiu was close to the children and, seeing how sensitive the two little cuties were, quickly comforted them.
Si Mao, oblivious to everything else, was preoccupied with the remaining milk in her bowl. She bent down and licked it, but seeing that her older sister hadn't drunk any, she quickly looked up again.
Su Yunzhi noticed her little actions and couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing that there was some milk foam on her ears, she grabbed a tissue to wipe it off for her. After wiping it off, she patted her head and said, "Eat up. The weather has been nice lately. Have someone go to the reservoir to catch more fish. Grandma will make fish cakes for you then."
"Meow~" Si Mao's eyes widened, and his little face looked much more excited.
Zhao Jiujiu glanced at her and said, "Wow, you know quite a lot."
"After being a housewife for so many years, I should have some skills." Su Yunzhi replied casually, then picked up a rag to continue wiping the cabinet surface.
Zhao Jiujiu snorted and rolled up her sleeves. "Where do you put the rags?"
Su Yunzhi then glanced at her and said, "I wouldn't dare trouble you."
Zhao Jiujiu laughed in exasperation, "You're holding a grudge against me for saying a few words to you? Even Lao Le has to call me sister-in-law, so can't I, as your sister-in-law, say a few words to you?"
These words are essentially equivalent to Zhao Jiujiu making a concession.
Su Yunzhi snorted angrily on the surface, but she also knew when to back down. "I don't know who they are. We're all from the same village, we see each other all the time. What can I say? They're trying to take advantage of the kids. If you don't say anything, I definitely won't let them. As for those melon seeds and peanuts, do you think I'm that petty?"
"Oh my, you're not stingy, I'm the one who's stingy." Zhao Jiujiu pouted, and seeing Su Yunzhi smiling with her lips pursed, she couldn't help but smile herself.
A smile can erase all enmity.