The door lock was gleaming; it was obvious it had been replaced.
Liu Zhi put the old key back in his pocket, picked up the doormat and turned it upside down a couple of times, and the new key fell out.
She and Meng Yang shared this level of understanding.
The door opened, and a fluffy head popped out from beside the shoe cabinet.
"Meow~"
Liu Zhi closed the door and squatted down to look at it.
That's good, it's a milk ball.
The little ball wasn't afraid of strangers; when Liu Zhi came to touch it, it didn't flinch.
Meng Yang must have given Naituan a bath yesterday. Naituan's white paws are clean, and the soles of her feet are pink and tender.
"Milkball," Liu Zhi called it.
"Meow~" the milk ball responded.
Liu Zhi had never owned a cat before, so she was very careful when holding one.
The cat's belly was fluffy, and it felt wonderful to hold in my hands. Liu Zhi, worried that her hands would get too cold, used her hat, which she kept on the shoe cabinet, to support the kitten.
The scene in the living room was quite spectacular.
Meng Yang has already prepared a series of daily necessities for Naituan, including a cat bed, cat tree, and litter box.
The once empty living room was now crammed full.
There were three or four bags of cat food piled up next to the sofa, the size of which looked like it could feed the kitten from three months old until it was three years old.
Liu Zhi put the kitten into the cat's bed and peeled off the note stuck to the refrigerator.
"Remember to feed the baby. I already fed him this morning, so you can feed him again at noon. Also, remember to give him the goat milk on the table once, 30 milliliters is enough."
While Liu Zhi was reading the note, the little dumpling walked from its nest to Liu Zhi's feet.
Liu Zhi picked her up and sat her on the sofa.
Liu Zhi looked at the baby on her lap, who was lying on her lap looking at her.
They stared at each other, wide-eyed.
...
Milkball was just the beginning of Meng's journey of picking up cats.
That evening, on his way home from get off work, Meng Yang picked up another tabby cat.
Liu Zhi, wearing an apron and with her hands on her hips, stood at the door and stood there in a tense standoff with Meng Yang for a while.
Meng Yang held the cat up and looked up at her.
That look in his eyes...
Liu Zhi sighed and silently stepped aside.
The tabby cat wasn't the end of Meng Yang's cat-picking adventures.
The next day, exhausted from running around, Liu Zhi opened the door to find three little heads peeking out from under the shoe cabinet, their eyes sparkling.
From childhood to adulthood, everything is neat and tidy.
--------------------
Author's Note:
Meng Yang: "Let me out, I can still pick it up!!!" (Struggling desperately)
Chapter 15 Gentle
These past few days, whenever Liu Zhi comes home and stands at the door turning the key, she feels a thrill of opening a box.
Opening a door is like opening a box; you never know what kind of cat is hiding behind it.
Liu Zhi slowly approached the three little cuties.
The tabby cat was very wary. When it saw Liu Zhi squat down, it immediately jumped far away, while the little cat nuzzled against Liu Zhi's palm.
Liu Zhi couldn't tell what kind of animal the new little cutie was. It was very timid; whenever Liu Zhi approached, it would just shrink back.
This cat is disfigured.
Its face looked like it had been hit, with severe external injuries, and one eye was swollen and completely unable to open.
Liu Zhi moved closer, wanting to stroke its back. It limped and shrank back to the innermost part.
"It's shy, don't touch it yet," Meng Yang said to Liu Zhi as he came out of the living room and stood by the wine cabinet.
"What's its name?" Liu Zhi looked up at Meng Yang.
"Princess." Meng Yang approached, bent down, and waved to the princess.
Every time Meng Yang brings a cat home, he takes it to the vet for a check-up. He vaccinates the cats that haven't been vaccinated yet and treats the sick ones first.
The day she took the kitten away, she left the box and towel where she left it, hoping that the homeless stray pet could find shelter from the cold.
That day she went back to check and found a gray cat huddled inside the box.
Mengyang stood in the cold wind and called out for several minutes before it finally showed its face.
Without hesitation, she grabbed the box and rushed to the nearest pet hospital.
The veterinarian gave Gege a simple cleaning, revealing its original fur color.
Gege is likely a mix of a Ragdoll and other cat breeds. Her body is pure white, and you can still vaguely see lynx markings on her face.
The veterinarian provided appropriate treatment and checked for infectious diseases and developmental status.
Gege was likely abandoned by its original owner because of a leg injury. It spent a long time as a stray and, due to malnutrition, never grew to the size of a one-year-old kitten. Fortunately, Gege had no infectious diseases.
Meng Yang listened to the veterinarian's explanation, while Gege looked at them timidly.
Finally, Meng Yang took it home.
Ragdoll cats are also known as princess cats. Meng Yang had a cat named Princess when he was a child.
Meng Yang felt that every cat was unique. After thinking for a moment, she named it Gege.
...
Hearing Meng Yang's call, Gege slowly poked her head out, but still dared not approach.
Meng Yang moved closer, picked it up, and stroked its fur. Gege nestled in Meng Yang's arms, not daring to make any affectionate gestures.
The little dumpling clung to Liu Zhi's trouser leg, wanting a hug too.
Liu Zhi picked up its two short legs and walked to the sofa.
The tabby cat was quite close to the kittens and jumped onto the sofa after them.
"And this one, what's its name?" Liu Zhi tentatively stroked the tabby cat's head.
“Pear blossoms, the pear blossoms of the poem ‘Suddenly, like a spring breeze overnight, thousands of pear trees bloom.’” Meng Yang approached, carrying Gege in his arms.
"Milk Ball, Princess, Pear Blossom," Liu Zhi called out each name in turn and stroked them one by one.
"How many more are you planning to bring back?" Liu Zhi asked Meng Yang, rubbing the baby's belly.
“The living room is already full,” Meng Yang said thoughtfully. “It seems there’s no room for them to live.”
"If you bring every single one you see home, you won't have enough room even if you move the sofa and everything else," Liu Zhi said.
“It’s okay, I can take you to my parents’ house, there’s plenty of space there.” Meng Yang was about to sit down next to Liu Zhi when Lihua squeezed between them.
Meng Yang hugged Li Hua into his arms, holding a cat in each hand, looking every bit the winner in life.
"There are so many stray cats, how can we possibly save them all?" Liu Zhi lowered her eyes as she watched the little cat rubbing against her clothes.
"We'll save as many as we can."
Meng Yang moved closer to Liu Zhi, freeing one hand to knead her breasts.
Liu Zhi was silent for a moment, then said with great distress, "You can also call the rescue station."
Meng Yang paused, speechless.
"That's right."
"Based on your rescue model, you might have to quit your job soon and go home to open a rescue station," Liu Zhi joked.
“We could also open a cat café, so they can earn money to support themselves when necessary.” Meng Yang hugged the furry child tightly. “If possible, could you also take care of the mother? She doesn’t want to go to work.”
Pear Blossom meowed, which was taken as an agreement.
Meng Yang has a naturally gentle temperament; whatever she says gives off a sense of warmth. This gentleness is amplified when she's with small animals.
This is a gentleness that runs deep in one's bones.
Liu Zhi turned her head to watch Meng Yang tease the cat, her soft hair falling beside her ears, her smile bright and warm.
Her heart felt like it was being soaked in warm water, the warmth spreading to her limbs.
Meng Yang came to her senses and found Liu Zhi looking at her.
"Aren't you going to rest?" Meng Yang asked, tilting his head.
"Okay," Liu Zhi said, "I'll go in a bit."
"Want to pet a furry friend?" Meng Yang said with a smile.
Liu Zhi hummed in agreement.
"Want to come to the old man's place this afternoon?"
"Together."
"Then you should go and rest!" Meng Yang put down the two furry kids and nudged Liu Zhi's shoulders with both hands.
The little ball of milk clung to Liu Zhi. As soon as Liu Zhi put it down, it toddled after her.
Liu Zhi simply carried it back to her room.