Chapter 107: The Cat Ran

That night, Jiao Ba didn't return until very late, and the two elders were brought back together with him. Compared with the radiant spirits of the morning, now the two elders' condition is poor; if they weren't usually healthy, Zheng Tan suspects they would have collapsed outright by now.

After all, no family fares well when such a thing happens. Moreover, based on the two elders' experience, they probably know very well the fate that awaits a child who falls into a trafficker's hands.

That night, many people were destined to lose sleep.

Not only insomnia, several adults kept discussing the matter through the night, and after two o'clock in the early morning, calls kept coming in to ask Jiao Ba about the situation.

Zheng Tan hadn't slept, and he listened from outside the room to their conversation, as well as the two elders' dialogue.

Previously Zheng Tan didn't understand these matters much; his experience had only involved the cat‑selling trade, but people are people, different from cats.

Since the child disappeared, the child's father put aside his work, contacted some people, issued a reward notice, and posted it widely throughout neighboring provinces and cities. The child's mother had originally been preparing to be discharged, but the shock kept her in the hospital.

Child trafficking has existed for a long time; such incidents nationwide increase each year, and some criminal gangs have become organized with clear divisions of labor, making it hard for local police alone to solve. Moreover, the information currently available is limited, leaving a group of people willing but powerless.

Still, even with few clues they must keep searching; they have contacted everyone they should, adding a channel and a hope.

At four in the morning, another call came.

He was afraid the mobile would run out of battery and become inconvenient, so Jiao Ba gave his mobile and landline numbers to a few people.

In the quiet night, the landline's ringing made the heart that had just begun to settle become tense again.

Many say that no news is good news, at least it proves the child is okay, but that notion is somewhat self‑deception; in the current situation, everyone hopes for any information. When the phone rang, regardless of age, everyone's ears perked up.

Jiao Ba answered the call, said a couple of words, and his complexion was terrible.

"What's wrong?" the old man, wearing a coat, walked over. His steps were a bit hurried, nearly tripping over the low stool on the ground.

"Nothing, I'm stepping out for a moment," Jiao Ba said, hanging up the phone.

"Nonsense!" the old man, ignoring the stool he had kicked, walked over, pointed at Jiao Ba and said, "I'm old, but I'm not stupid. I'm not senile; don't try to fool me!"

The old man's voice was somewhat loud, his emotions too intense. Losing control, Jiao Ma and the old lady also came over.

Jiao Ba signaled to Jiao Ma to go tend the child; Jiao Ma hesitated, sighed, and turned away.

"Old lady, you go rest too!" the old man said to the old lady.

The old man always believed that when trouble arises and pressure mounts, a man must take the lead; even if what's ahead is cruel, he must face it and not let a woman bear it.

The old lady also knew the old man's temper; even if there truly was something, they wouldn't speak of it now. With reddened eyes, she wiped her corners, shifted her small feet, and walked toward the bedroom.

Zheng Tan stood in the doorway; since no one was talking to him, he could eavesdrop here.

"Speak, what did they call about?" the old man, having lost his earlier momentum, leaned on the bed rail and sat down.

"A abandoned baby was found near the big bridge; they asked me to go take a look," Jiao Ba said.

The old man's hand trembled; although the words weren't complete, he understood the implication. Since the investigators there sent Jiao Ba to check, it certainly wasn't a girl infant; here, boys are still very precious, and the term "abandoned baby" is rare. Yet, being at the bridge at this time, that male infant's chance of being alive is probably low.

"Now… go right now?" the old man's voice trembled. Though not his own grandson, the family ties are good; during holidays Yaohong and his wife often send him gifts, and that little brat is also dear to him, so when such a thing happens, how could the old man not be distressed?

"It's not confirmed yet, just going to see. We haven't told Sister Hong and the others about this."

"Alright, I'll go with you." The old man didn't wait for Jiao Ba's objection, saying: "My old face still has some use."

After all, being a native, the older generation knows some people; sometimes, when the old man is present, his words are more effective than Jiao Ba's.

Jiao Ba and the old man left after four o'clock, and the others at home were still sleepless; until dawn, when Jiao Ma returned with breakfast, Jiao Yuan and Xiao Youzi sat at the table still yawning, clearly having slept poorly all night.

Zheng Tan's mood was affected too; his appetite was poor, and he unusually didn't finish his breakfast, but Jiao Ma said nothing, only sighed.

The old lady, after finishing breakfast, wanted to go for a walk, saying the house was too stuffy.

Jiao Ma was uneasy, fearing the old lady's mood might affect her health; at her age, hypertension and heart disease are common, requiring careful attention. Now the situation made the old lady look noticeably worse; a slip outside could be serious. Yet there are two children at home, so Jiao Ma must stay and watch, unable to leave.

After thinking, Jiao Ma's gaze finally settled on Zheng Tan, who was lingering at the front gate.

"Hei Tan, want to go out?" Jiao Ma asked.

Zheng Tan flicked his tail, jumped to pull the door latch, looked at the opened door, stepped to the doorway, then turned to look at Jiao Ma, his intention clear.

"Whoa, it really can open doors!" the old lady, whose attention was rarely diverted, exclaimed.

"Yes, at home it often opens doors by itself; I have no idea how it does it," Jiao Ma said.

The old lady assumed it was just the kind of door opened by pulling the latch from inside, not considering using a key. Moreover, many cats can open doors, and indeed one household nearby kept a cat that pulls door latches, so she didn't find Zheng Tan particularly strange.

"Mom, let Hei Tan accompany you outside, and give it a chance to stretch its legs; when Chu Hua was around it often roamed the school, so this time being cooped up must have made it restless," Jiao Ma said.

Listening to Jiao Ma, the old lady nodded, "The cat won't run away, will it? Should we leash it?"

"No need, Hei Tan is very obedient," Jiao Ma quickly replied. She really couldn't bring herself to put a leash on her cat.

Zheng Tan listened to Jiao Ma and the old lady, pretending to be very well‑behaved. He truly wanted to get some fresh air; the night's atmosphere was too heavy, oppressive and uncomfortable, so a walk would be good.

Seeing the old lady leave, Zheng Tan followed, walking beside her, not straying far, keeping a pace similar to hers.

Jiao Ma stood at the doorway for a while, and only after the old lady and Zheng Tan had walked away did she return inside and close the door.

Zheng Tan, while following the old lady, also paid attention to the surrounding scenery and routes. He had been here for two days and hadn't properly observed the terrain. The area around is a residential private‑housing zone. Walking a little over a hundred meters forward, he reached the alley exit; outside was the street, where it was a bit livelier.

Though this district isn't the city center, the surroundings already show signs of new development: old factory buildings have been demolished, a commercial tower is planned, and some sites have been fenced off, likely beginning construction.

When the old lady stepped out of the alley, she suddenly remembered the cat following her, glanced aside, and saw the black cat from her son's home staying close, not running elsewhere, unfazed by barking dogs, which pleased her. No wonder her son's family pampered the cat; it truly is obedient.

After leaving the alley, the old lady planned to walk along the street for a while before returning. Zheng Tan didn't mind; following her, he wouldn't get lost.

While walking, they passed a small shop; the old lady went in to buy some fruit candy to bring back for Jiao Yuan and them.

"Are you taking the cat out for a walk?" the shopkeeper asked curiously, looking at the black cat by the old lady's feet.

The old lady forced a smile, "Yes, it's from my son's home, accompanying me for a walk."

The shopkeeper said no more, handed the weighed candy to the old lady, and gave change.

Carrying the fruit candy, the old lady led Zheng Tan back.

Zheng Tan was about to follow and leave when he suddenly saw a familiar figure.

A small three‑wheeled rickshaw slowly drove down the street and stopped by the roadside; the driver got out and walked to the shop to buy cigarettes.

Vehicles like this passenger rickshaw can be seen in many parts of the city; compared to taxis they are much cheaper, and many people choose them to save money.

Zheng Tan glanced at the driver; he wasn't wearing sunglasses and his clothes were different, yet Zheng Tan felt this person resembled the motorcyclist from yesterday, purely on instinct.

"Hei Tan, go back, return," the old lady called when the cat stopped and didn't follow.

Zheng Tan turned his head to look at the old lady, then continued staring at the tricycle driver who had just bought cigarettes and was walking back, his gaze settling on the driver's gloves—black leather gloves, much like those worn by the motorcycle rider yesterday. When that person stepped onto the tricycle, he shrugged his shoulders, and Zheng Tan became more certain. The motorcycle rider yesterday had also shrugged his shoulders broadly before starting the bike; Zheng Tan guessed it was a personal habit, anyway he had never seen Wei Leng shrug when riding a motorcycle.

The old lady saw Zheng Tan ignoring her, called out twice more, then discovered the cat had simply run off.

"Hei Tan! Come back, hurry back!!" the old lady exclaimed, now panicked, knowing her son's family treasured this cat; if it were lost, the two kids would surely cry when they got home.

Wasn't it said this cat doesn't run around randomly? What's going on now?!

Unfortunately, the old lady's legs weren't strong; she jogged two steps, then stopped to pant, still holding a bag of things in her hand.

The shopkeeper sat inside the stall, watching the black cat ignore the old lady's calls and run farther away; he shook his head and muttered, "It's better to take a dog out for a walk—cats won't obediently follow you."

Zheng Tan kept running forward; the tricycle had already started moving, but due to construction ahead, the road had some small pebbles, so the tricycle's speed wasn't fast when it passed over them.

When the vehicle turned, Zheng Tan jumped in through the open window.

The driver only felt the vehicle jolt a bit, looked in the rearview mirror, saw nothing abnormal, blamed it on the road's pebbles, muttered "Damn road surface," and continued driving the tricycle away.

Because there were many construction sites nearby, the area was cordoned off, also obstructing some people's sight; plus the tricycle happened to be turning at that moment, so no one else saw Zheng Tan jump into the tricycle.

Zheng Tan also worried that other passengers might board midway; even if he hid under the seat, a passenger glancing down would spot him. Fortunately, the driver seemed not intending to pick up passengers, driving on continuously.

Zheng Tan peered out from a gap in the curtain; the road ahead was somewhat remote, the surroundings appeared planned, with many old buildings marked with a large "demolish" character, though construction had not yet begun.

After the vehicle had traveled a stretch, Zheng Tan suddenly thought, what if I got the wrong person—how would I get back?!

I don't know the way! (To be continued...)