Chapter 307: – Old Friends

Zheng Tan hates dealing with kids his age the most. You can't reason with them; even if you try, you can't get through. If you don't go along with them or retaliate a little, they'll cry at you and call their parents. Compared with that, Zheng Tan thinks Zhuo Xiao Mao is easier to handle.

Although he finds it troublesome, Zheng Tan isn't the type to sit and wait to be hit. When the little brat stuck his hand into the bag, Zheng Tan was ready to be thrown at, and sure enough, a round object was tossed his way, quite accurately; it seems the kid has played with this a lot.

Zheng Tan raised his hand and slapped the small round ball that was about to hit his head back, then looked toward the child a short distance away.

The tossed ball was deflected, and the child not only didn't cry but his eyes lit up, becoming more spirited; he reached into the bag again and threw another ball.

After deflecting three balls in a row, Zheng Tan no longer wanted to play with the little brat. Jiao Ma, with the two children, watched Zheng Tan bat the balls; they had originally intended to stop the child's actions, but seeing the balls were soft, harmless, and their own cat was playing happily, they didn't intervene. Now, seeing their cat completely uninterested while the child was still eager, Jiao Ma feared the child might approach and bother the cat, so she rose from the stone bench to talk to the child.

Before Jiao Ma could walk over, someone called the child's name from that side, apparently the child's parent.

A couple walked over; the woman pulled the child who was stepping toward Zheng Tan's side, and the man glanced at Zheng Tan. After a pause, his gaze swept to Jiao Ma's group, looking a bit puzzled and uncertain, and he asked, "Are you from Professor Jiao's family?"

Jiao Ma gave the person a quick look; he was somewhat unfamiliar, and even if she had seen him before, she had no clear memory, but he seemed easygoing, so she politely smiled and replied.

Upon hearing that, the person realized he hadn't mistaken them, and his smile deepened. "So it's you!"

Zheng Tan had already thought the person looked familiar. He just couldn't place him until, hearing the self‑introduction to Jiao Ma, he recalled meeting a man named Zheng Xuan during a New Year visit to Father Jiao's hometown; that man had given Father Jiao a business card. Zheng Tan's impression of him came from two things: the man works in Nan Cheng, and he shares Zheng's surname—what a coincidence.

Zheng Xuan came to Nanhua City today with his wife and children to attend a relative's wedding banquet. He didn't expect to run into members of the Jiao family. He returns to his hometown each year for ancestral rites, but apart from that one encounter with the Jiao family, his subsequent New Year trips have been brief, without bringing elders or children. Still, he's heard of the Jiao family, since Professor Jiao is highly praised by many local elders. In the minds of more traditional elders, a university professor holds higher status than a merchant, so whenever notable people from nearby villages are mentioned, Zheng Xuan hears stories about Professor Jiao, though they've never met. He has a good memory for people; even if he can't recall exactly what Jiao family members look like, he remembers the distinctive black cat that always stays with them—a reason his own child, after returning to Nan Cheng, especially liked playing with cats, thanks to the impression left by that black cat.

From Jiao Ma he learned that Professor Jiao was also nearby, so Zheng Xuan decided to stay here for a while until the professor returned, so they could chat—after all, they're fellow townsfolk. Meeting a fellow townsfolk in Nanhua City isn't hard, but encountering one with some social standing is less common.

Since they were acquaintances and fellow townsfolk, Zheng Xuan invited his wife and children to come over and sit for a while.

Zheng Xuan's son, who had just thrown the ball at Zheng Tan, kept his eyes fixed on Zheng Tan, as if constantly wanting to take a ball out of the bag to play with him. Zheng Tan ignored him, not even glancing at the little brat; with Jiao Ma, Jiao Yuan, and Xiao Youzi here, he wasn't afraid the child would throw anything at him.

After a short while, Father Jiao's group also came over chatting. Zheng Tan didn't expect that Yuan Zhiyi also knew Zheng Xuan; upon meeting, they greeted each other as "Director Yuan" and "Director Zheng." Learning that Zheng Xuan and Father Jiao are fellow townsfolk delighted Yuan Zhiyi; with that connection, he sensed no intention to distance themselves, and the deal that fell through last week might still have room for negotiation.

Yuan Zhiyi glanced again at the black cat perched by the riverbank watching the night view; Zheng Xuan had just said they intended to go straight back, but when he turned around he found his own child had run off, and discovered the child was playing with the Jiao family's cat, which made him recognize the Jiao family.

Thinking that, Yuan Zhiyi mused, "Sure enough, a lucky star."

So, when Yuan Zhiyi got excited, he started shaking; his intermittent amnesia made him forget Zheng Tan's name, and when introducing Zheng Tan to the former university classmates standing nearby, he said, "This is Mingsheng Jia Zhaocai."

That made several of Father Jiao's university classmates think Zheng Tan's name was "Zhaocai," and they said the name sounded down‑to‑earth. Compared with the various Westernized pet names around, "Zhaocai" indeed sounded more local, but after Father Jiao explained, they learned Zheng Tan's real cat name; the two glanced at Zheng Tan and said, "Oh, Hei Tan is even more down‑to‑earth."

Knowing that Father Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi would stay in Nanhua City for a while, those two university classmates weren't in a hurry; they planned to invite a few classmates working here to get together later. After they left, Yuan Zhiyi began discussing the deal that hadn't gone through with Zheng Xuan; conveniently, Father Jiao was also here, and his company had a branch, so he could offer additional advice.

This time Zheng Xuan's tone was more easygoing, unlike the overly formal, businesslike manner he used with Yuan Zhiyi before; he made it clear that "this matter is negotiable." That surprised Father Jiao, since with most merchants he keeps friendship separate from business.

Today Zheng Xuan adopted this attitude just to get acquainted with Father Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi.

Zheng Xuan, though of humble origins, has built a capable fortune; the first time he met members of the Jiao family, he held a senior position working for others, later went solo as a boss, with his company in Nan Cheng, which has run quite well over two years. Otherwise Yuan Zhiyi wouldn't have approached him. He also has his own way of dealing with people.

"I'm heading back to Nan Cheng tomorrow; I can't leave the company. How about when Professor Jiao and Director Yuan are in Nan Cheng, we all have a meal together?" Zheng Xuan said.

"Sure, we'll go to Nan Cheng next week, but we don't know if Director Zheng will be free then," Yuan Zhiyi replied with a smile.

"Even if you're busy, make time; I'll be waiting for you in Nan Cheng."

Zheng Xuan's phone rang, and he stopped chatting with Father Jiao. After saying his goodbyes, he took the phone to make a call and also ushered his wife and children to leave.

Zheng Tan kept his ears perked up whenever they mentioned Nan Cheng. When Zheng Xuan talked about where his company was located, Zheng Tan was familiar with the area—full of commercial office towers. He had often gone there before, since his own father's company was also in that district.

Thus, Zheng Tan decided that when the time came he would shamelessly follow Father Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi there. Jiao Ma and the two children wouldn't stay long in that area.

He spent a few days playing around Nanhua City. Zheng Tan's play was distracted; Jiao Ma thought he was suffering from acclimatization, not realizing Zheng Tan was already very familiar with the place. Although he used to live in Nan Cheng, he often visited Nanhua City, so adaptation was no issue; he just kept thinking about going back to Nan Cheng.

Finally, the departure day arrived; the night before, Zheng Tan was excited and couldn't sleep, and he stayed awake on the bus, watching the familiar scenery outside the window.

The previous time Zheng Tan arrived in Nan Cheng as a cat, he was a stray, secretly hitching a ride on a pickup, slipping off unnoticed, avoiding daylight, rolling around dirty with nowhere decent to bathe; he took a cold‑water bath in a fish‑pond of a residential complex. At that time he didn't have an "ID," and he even snatched a noble, elegant Persian cat's name tag and wore it himself.

Recalling that wandering life, it was truly cautious and constantly on edge; the experiences and sightings at those cat meat shops terrified him, and back then Zheng Tan was almost cut up for stew.

Now, Zheng Tan appears openly and honorably in this city.

Looking at Nan Cheng's streetscape, Zheng Tan suddenly wanted to shout loudly, "I'm back!"

Unfortunately, he couldn't.

In Nan Cheng they could only stay in a hotel, and Zheng Tan resumed his days of hiding in a backpack, though he only had to hide twice a day.

On the second day after arriving in Nan Cheng, Jiao Ma took the two children to meet a classmate she had already contacted to catch up, inviting Zheng Tan to join. Zheng Tan turned his head away, refusing to go, ignoring Jiao Ma's words, and stayed in Yuan Zhiyi's car without moving. Father Jiao's car might be taken by Jiao Ma, but Yuan Zhiyi would definitely drive to Zheng Xuan's company, so Zheng Tan settled into Yuan Zhiyi's car.

"Well, if it doesn't want to go, that's fine; later it can come with us for a big meal. Nan Cheng isn't so lacking that there's no restaurant that allows pets," Yuan Zhiyi said indifferently, and he was actually quite pleased with the situation, indicating that today might bring good luck.

Jiao Ma couldn't do anything, and Father Jiao said nothing, so they left Zheng Tan to fend for himself.

Zheng Xuan had no objections to Father Jiao bringing Zheng Tan along. After the three finished their talk, it was time to eat. Glancing at his watch, Zheng Xuan said to Father Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi, "Today I'll take you to a great place; the dishes there will make you linger. Oh, they also allow pets, as long as you keep them under control."

Zheng Xuan led Father Jiao and the others not to a five‑star hotel or upscale Western restaurant, but to a restaurant with a somewhat rustic architectural style. His car led the way, parking them at the parking spot.

"Guqin She?" Yuan Zhiyi pointed to the three characters above the door and asked Father Jiao, "I'm not mistaken, am I?"

"That's right, it's Guqin She," Father Jiao replied.

Zheng Xuan smiled, "Many people hear 'Guqin She' and think it's a place to learn the guqin, and the building's style reinforces that impression, so first‑time visitors often get it wrong. In fact, it's just a restaurant. As for the name, 'Guqin' is actually the owner's daughter's name. I heard her ancestors were imperial chefs and have a family secret recipe. Anyway, I think their stir‑fried baby bok choy is better than anywhere else; after tasting it, other places just don't have the same flavor. It's often fully booked, requiring reservations days in advance, but I know the owner, so he saved me a seat."

Zheng Xuan led Father Jiao and Yuan Zhiyi inside, recommending the cuisine along the way.

Zheng Tan sat in his backpack, thinking, "Guqin She"—the name evokes a different impression. (To be continued...)

ps: A few readers asked me privately whether the story is about to end; I want to say it's still some time away. Many plot holes remain unfilled; Xiao Zhuo hasn't returned, Hei Tan hasn't met Da Shan (Da Shan is the "cat" raised by Wei Leng and Er Mao)……