The residential complex was mostly planted with Small Ye Rong trees, which were still lush in the winter, though the leaves of the fruit trees had long since fallen completely. Zhou Li spotted a newly emerged flower bud on the branch of a peach tree.
Everything in sight was very familiar.
This even included the stray cats scurrying around on the ground; Zhou Li remembered what many of them looked like.
Zhu Shuang had even given them names.
But Zhu Shuang wasn't the only one who had named them; by his count, each cat probably had at least seven or eight names.
At that moment, Zhou Li was dragging a suitcase, carrying a backpack, and also holding a purely decorative cat litter pan in his other hand. Tuanzi, very sensibly, didn't ask to be carried and trotted happily by his side, her small steps quick and light.
Huai Xu, on the other hand, bounced ahead empty-handed.
"The Great Devil King is back!"
"Where are those two little demons?"
Half a furry head poked out of a tree hole and then quickly retracted.
THUMP!
Huai Xu appeared beside the tree hole, peeking inside. "Why are you still hiding from me? We haven't seen each other for so long, don't you miss us? Ah, your attitude really wounds this Great Devil King's heart! And to think I even brought you local specialties!"
Lao Hui's voice drifted faintly from the tree hole, "It's too cold in winter, and there's not much to eat. I don't feel like going out…"
"What's that rat doing hiding in there?"
"Shh, he's been sleeping a lot recently."
"That's nice." Huai Xu sounded somewhat envious. "If only I could also sleep for a long, long time."
"The human kid is back too," Lao Hui said, looking at Zhou Li.
"Is everything still okay?" Zhou Li glanced at the old ladies sitting in the distance. They were chatting and ready to scramble for cardboard boxes in the trash can. He then took out his phone and pretended to speak into it.
"Everything's fine."
"That's good. We brought some fruit from Xishuangbanna for you; it's in the suitcase. I'll have Huai Xu bring it down for you later."
"Oh, how can we accept this?" Lao Hui said, rubbing his hands.
"It's only right."
Zhou Li noticed that Lao Hui seemed to have lost some weight.
When no one else was around, he peeked into the tree hole and could faintly make out Xiao Yuan, who was fast asleep. Perhaps Xiao Yuan had been too round before, so I can't tell right away if he's lost weight, Zhou Li thought.
Indeed, food was scarce in winter. Even the people who fed the stray cats were fewer, so the cats generally looked listless.
Suddenly, Tuanzi pressed close to Zhou Li's legs, tugging at his pants with her paw. "Zhou Li, there are so many stray cats here! The way they're looking at Lord Dumpling is a bit scary."
"It's okay."
Just then, a few children ran past. Zhou Li didn't dare let them see him talking into the tree hole. These kids are terrifying; their mischief level is probably only one-tenth of what Brother Nan's was when she was little!
"I should head back now."
"Take care. No need to see us out."
"Alright."
Zhou Li pulled his suitcase towards one of the apartment buildings.
He went upstairs. As soon as he knocked on the door, he heard quick footsteps from inside.
CLICK. The door opened.
Aunt Jiang appeared before him, wreathed in smiles, with Old Zhou slowly trailing behind her.
"Are you hungry? We're waiting for you for lunch!"
"Not yet."
"It's almost one o'clock and you're still not hungry?"
"I ate a lot this morning."
"What did you eat?"
As Aunt Jiang asked, she took the backpack from his hand. Meanwhile, Zhu Shuang also came out of his room. With so many people looking at him, Zhou Li felt like a national treasure.
While Zhou Li was changing his shoes, Aunt Jiang glanced out the door, but she was destined not to see Huai Xu.
"Did Xiao Nan come back with you?"
"...Yes."
"Why didn't you invite her up to sit for a while?" Aunt Jiang said, somewhat reproachfully. "You should have invited her in. It's already noon, and you came all this way back together. The least you could do is ask her to stay for lunch."
"Her parents are probably anxious for her too."
"That's true."
Aunt Jiang smiled, then turned and called out to Old Zhou and Zhu Shuang, "What are you two standing there for? Hurry up and dish out the rice!"
After the two of them rushed to the kitchen, she tentatively said to Zhou Li, "How about this: in a couple of days, let's invite her over for a casual meal? Our family doesn't really visit relatives much during the New Year anyway. Inviting a classmate over would liven things up a bit."
Zhou Li finished putting on his shoes and remained silent.
A look of disappointment crossed Aunt Jiang's face.
The dining table was already laden with a rich array of dishes, their appetizing aroma filling the entire house and creating a warm, cozy atmosphere.
Tuanzi wasn't shy at all. She ran to Zhou Li's feet, leaped onto his lap, and began to paw at the edge of the table, trying to look at the food. Her antics firmly captured the attention of both Zhu Shuang and Aunt Jiang.
"This cat sure is bold!" Aunt Jiang remarked.
"She seems to look a bit different from before," Zhu Shuang mused. "She used to look like a British Shorthair mix, but now she resembles an American Shorthair mix."
"Perhaps she's a mix of British Shorthair and American Shorthair," Zhou Li said.
"Oh, that makes sense."
"I've spoiled her," Zhou Li said, seeing Tuanzi pawing at the table and meowing. He explained, "She normally eats on the table. She won't touch the other dishes, only the food in her own bowl. If there's something she wants, she'll direct me to get it for her."
"Then let her eat on the table. It's big enough; it's not like we'll fill it up anyway," Aunt Jiang said, her eyes crinkling into a smile.
"Otherwise, the poor thing would look quite pitiful," Zhu Shuang added.
"Alright."
So Zhou Li placed Tuanzi's food bowl on the table, moving some dishes to make space for her. He continued, "She almost never eats cat food. If I give it to her, she won't eat it. Apart from canned beef and dried fish, she eats the same things we do."
"Eating like that could easily make her sick…" Zhu Shuang said weakly.
"As long as she's happy," Zhou Li replied.
"Oh…"
"The local cats back in our old hometown were the same. They ate whatever people ate, and they always grew up glossy and sleek." Old Zhou chimed in. Then, gesturing towards Zhou Li with his chopsticks, he asked with the distinct air of a company executive, "Where's your car parked?"
"Brother Nan drove it back."
"I see~~"
Old Zhou nodded and clicked his tongue. I originally thought this boy was a lost cause, he mused. But now it seems the saying 'the student surpasses the master' really holds true. When I was young, even though I fooled around with quite a few girls, it was all just messing about, and I was dirt poor. Pooling money with a girl to buy a car? That was something I wouldn't have even dared to dream of!
Across the table, Zhu Shuang couldn't help but feel a surge of respect. From my perspective, being financially independent and earning enough to buy a car is already incredibly impressive, he thought. But that's nothing compared to winning over Brother Nan! At our school, Brother Nan's name is legendary. Sometimes, her name carries more weight than the dean of students'. She's not just everyone's idol; she's also widely acknowledged as the 'Big Sis.' I never imagined my own brother could actually woo her. It's like something out of a novel!
「After the meal.」
Zhou Li and Zhu Shuang went to wash the dishes.
Old Zhou settled leisurely onto the sofa. He arranged his tea set on the coffee table and took out his treasured Dian Hong tea and goji berries. He planned to brew a cup of nourishing red tea once his meal had digested a bit. He couldn't drink it immediately after eating, as drinking tea right before or after meals could lead to trace mineral deficiencies.
The television was broadcasting the news, and he watched it intently.
Old Zhou had also given himself a break for the past couple of days, spending all his time at home acting like the patriarch. Of course, this was mainly sustained by self-deception: As long as I firmly believe I'm the Head of the Family, then I am. If Aunt Jiang orders me to do something, I'll just do it. Then, once it's done, I'll turn around and forget all about it. I, Old Zhou, am still the Head of the Family!
Seeing Zhou Li and Zhu Shuang emerge from the kitchen, he coughed twice to get their attention. "This pandemic is getting more serious by the day. It's best if you two avoid crowded places during the New Year holiday."
"Is it that serious?" Zhou Li asked.
"It's probably alright…" Zhu Shuang said.
"I have a business acquaintance in Jiang City," Old Zhou said leisurely. "He told me Jiang City is practically under lockdown. They might try to keep it quiet for the next few days before the New Year, but you'll see in a couple of days."
"A lockdown?" Zhou Li was somewhat startled.
"Really? Is that true?" Zhu Shuang also exclaimed in surprise.
"It's inevitable," Old Zhou said calmly. "But Yan City is small, so it probably won't get too bad here. You have to have faith in the country. It's just as well we don't have many relatives to visit. Still, you two should avoid crowded places for the time being and try to go out less."
"I see."
Zhou Li nodded thoughtfully. Old Zhou's perspective is quite broad, much broader than mine, at least, he thought. I trust his information and judgment.
However, I'm planning to visit Zheng Zhilan tomorrow, Zhou Li decided. Today is the 27th of the twelfth lunar month. I'll stay for two days, the 28th and 29th, and come back early on New Year's Eve. Our family doesn't really have many relatives to visit anyway, so I'll just be back for the reunion dinner. I'm not going to change my plans. Zheng Zhilan's place isn't crowded.
Zhou Li even found himself thinking, If, one day, a virus outbreak similar to a biohazard were to occur, the Yin Yang Temple—guarded by an Evil God and like a sanctuary isolated from the world—would surely become one of the safest places on Earth. It would be even better to bring Brother Nan there too. Her maternal grandmother's house is very close to the Yin Yang Temple, and it would be much more fun with her along. Zheng Zhilan can also see Brother Nan clearly. She'd most likely be very happy.