Chapter 3: The Homeless Man and the Cat
A new day dawned. Lin Xia got up and steamed the buns he’d made the previous day. Once the buns were ready, he went to the bedroom to wake up the white furball.
“Aowu~~~” Good morning, Papa. The white furball’s eyes were blurry, its head nodding slightly. Still sleepy, it listlessly leaned its head against Lin Xia’s shoulder, looking especially docile.
“Papa’s little lazy cat needs to brush its teeth and wash its face,” Lin Xia said, carrying the white furball to the bathroom.
“Aowu!” Papa, An’an’s awake! The white furball fully woke up once Lin Xia placed it on the sink.
Lin Xia used a children’s toothbrush to brush the white furball’s teeth and then used a towel to wipe its face. After the white furball finished washing up, Lin Xia carried it to the dining table for breakfast.
“Aowu!” Such fragrant buns! The prospect of delicious buns made the white furball’s tail wag excitedly.
“Sit properly,” Lin Xia said, smiling.
“Aowu~” Okay, Papa. The white furball obediently sat down, its tail tucked in, waiting for Lin Xia to feed it buns.
“Eat slowly, don’t choke,” Lin Xia placed the white furball’s favorite cabbage and pork buns and corn and pork buns in front of it. The white furball took a large bite.
The skin was thin, the filling plentiful, and the aroma lingered in its mouth!
“Aowu!” Delicious!
After a delightful breakfast, Lin Xia bagged the remaining buns to take to the shop for his part-time employees.
Lin Xia took the white furball to the shop. It wasn’t yet open, so Lin Xia refilled the water and fed the animals, preparing necessary supplies for potential treatments.
“Lin Ge, I’m here! Any breakfast for me?” A young, energetic boy pushed open the door.
“Yes, it’s in the warmer,” Lin Xia replied with a smile. This was Wang Ziyu, a university student from a nearby school who worked part-time at the shop.
“I love you, Lin Ge!” Wang Ziyu excitedly rushed to the warmer. He opened it and exclaimed, “Wow! Buns! Today is such a lucky day!”
Wang Ziyu happily ate the buns, letting out a satisfied burp before washing his hands and starting work.
He efficiently organized the shelves and cleaned up the animals’ waste—very diligent!
I must be diligent, so I can stay and eat Lin Ge’s homemade food! – Wang Ziyu’s life motto.
Wang Ziyu’s part-time job at the pet shop was a coincidence. He had once rescued a stray cat but couldn’t keep it at school. Unsure what to do, he saw the Story Pet Shop, which surprisingly took in stray animals for free. So, Wang Ziyu brought the cat there, but he was worried; such kindness seemed too good to be true. Lin Xia happened to be hiring, so Wang Ziyu applied to investigate.
Later, he tasted Lin Xia’s cooking and was hopelessly addicted. To eat Lin Xia’s cooking, he was willing to dedicate his heart and soul to the shop!
A foodie’s descent into decadence!
Usually, the pet shop was quiet in the mornings. Lin Xia finished his tasks and sat on the sofa reading a magazine.
But today was different. Before he finished an article, someone pushed open the door.
Lin Xia looked up and saw a young homeless man.
“Help… cat…” the homeless man stammered, holding up a kitten.
The kitten was covered in blood, severely injured, listless, its tightly closed eyes trembling slightly, emitting weak meows.
“Give it to me.” Seeing this, Lin Xia immediately put down his magazine, stood up, put on gloves, and carefully took the kitten from the homeless man’s hands, carrying it to the surgery room.
Seeing the kitten taken into a room, the homeless man nervously tried to follow. Wang Ziyu quickly stopped him. “Lin Ge is treating the cat; you can’t disturb him.”
“Okay…” The homeless man understood and stood at the door, constantly glancing inside, though he could see nothing.
“Would you like some water?” Following the principle of putting customers first, Wang Ziyu offered, even though this customer was filthy. He treated him like anyone else, as Lin Xia had instructed. He’d even served a man who looked like a ruthless gang leader, but that man had a surprisingly soft heart. However, Wang Ziyu was inexperienced back then. He thought the man was there to cause trouble and was so scared his legs went weak. Lin Xia had teased him for it.
“No… need… thank… you…” The homeless man’s eyes lit up, looking adorable like a small hamster, when Wang Ziyu spoke to him. However, he still shook his head, refusing. The people here hadn’t kicked him out, which was already kindness; how could he ask for more?
“Okay, if you need anything, just look for me. I’ll be at the counter,” Wang Ziyu pointed to the reception area.
“Okay…” The homeless man replied, turning back to the surgery room.
Meanwhile, Lin Xia carefully examined the kitten in the surgery room.
The kitten was about three months old, still a young cat. It had many wounds, apparently inflicted by a sharp object.
Lin Xia tried to lift the kitten’s legs one by one. When he touched one front leg, the kitten let out a sharp cry of pain. Upon closer examination, Lin Xia discovered a fracture.
“I can’t believe someone would hurt a kitten so cruelly.” Lin Xia felt immense pity. As he cleaned and bandaged the kitten’s wounds, the kitten looked at him with tearful eyes.
“Don’t be afraid, I’ll be gentle,” Lin Xia comforted the kitten, though it couldn’t understand. He soothingly stroked its head, and the kitten obediently lowered its head.
Half an hour later, Lin Xia emerged with the sleeping kitten, its fractured leg splinted.
The homeless man rushed forward to take the kitten.
“Not yet. The kitten is injured and needs rest. It shouldn’t be moved, meaning it should remain lying down,” Lin Xia explained, seeing his urgency.
“Okay…” The homeless man didn’t fully understand, but he sensed Lin Xia was doing what was best for the kitten, so he withdrew his hand.
“Now, I’ll take the kitten to the ward upstairs. It will stay here for a while until it recovers. Is that alright?” Lin Xia patiently asked. Even if the homeless man seemed a bit odd, bringing the cat here meant he was its owner.
“Okay…” The homeless man replied, understanding only “kitten,” “stay here,” and “recovered.”
“Have you eaten breakfast?” Before Lin Xia finished, the homeless man seemed to remember something, slapping his forehead in dismay before running off like the wind.
Author’s Note: ^3^