Chapter 419: The Big Cat's Test

Zheng Tan noticed that over the past two days, that big cat seemed a bit off, or perhaps it had always been like this?

In short, aside from the first day he arrived here, Zheng Tan felt that over the following days, the big cat's gaze at him was strange; every time he turned to look, the cat never looked away, instead meeting his eyes head‑on, showing no fear of direct eye contact.

Something's off.

Very off.

Although Er Mao and the others might think the big cat is merely curious about Zheng Tan, this "half‑similar" creature, Zheng Tan doesn't see it that way. Perhaps the cats around here aren't as bold as Zheng Tan; Lin Shu said that in this area, the big cat is the tyrant, and the surrounding cats and even some pet dogs, whether domesticated or wild, never dare to confront it head‑on—some flee at the sight of it—while only Zheng Tan shows no fear or indifference toward the big cat, bluntly put, as if he doesn't even notice it.

Zheng Tan isn't truly ignoring it; he simply tends to view things from a human perspective, and toward this special cat, aside from the initial novelty, he feels nothing else.

Er Mao and the others, as well as Master Old Man, surely hope Zheng Tan and the big cat get along well, but in Zheng Tan's view, both are male; not fighting over territory with bared claws is already a good sign—why demand more? Must we really expect cats to unite and help each other like little children?

But…

Zheng Tan glanced diagonally forward; the big cat was lying on a chair, looking at him, still with that gaze that made Zheng Tan feel it was scheming.

Zheng Tan had endured these days just waiting for the cat to act; if, as he suspected, the big cat truly had some motive, it should show corresponding behavior.

For a cat to achieve its goal with prey, its patience can be surprisingly good.

Over four consecutive days, the big cat maintained its earlier attitude, staring at Zheng Tan without taking any other action.

Turning his head, Zheng Tan continued to stare at Er Yuan and Wei Xiao Pangzi, who were sitting at the low table drawing, but his mind was working; judging from the big cat's earlier gaze, action should come soon.

Sure enough. After about half an hour, the big cat lying on the wooden chair jumped down, walked to Zheng Tan's side, and, like him, crouched there to watch Er Yuan and Wei Xiao Pangzi draw.

There was the earlier grudge over "pants‑pulling." Seeing the big cat approach, Wei Xiao Pangzi immediately stood up, holding his pants and stepping several paces back, eyeing the cat warily. Er Yuan glanced at the big cat, then at Wei Xiao Pangzi, didn't move, but also stopped drawing.

Zheng Tan glanced sideways at the big cat; the creature seemed oblivious to the two children's guard, looked at the paper on the low table—showed no interest—then turned to Zheng Tan and raised a paw to swipe at him.

Slapping, which seems effeminate when done by a person, is as ordinary for a cat as licking its paws; you can't expect a cat to punch with a clenched fist. Moreover, cats have several different ways to slap—whether the paw is retracted or extended, how far, at what angle—all vary depending on the situation.

Just like now, the big cat meant no hostility toward Zheng Tan; it was merely joking or testing, giving him a light swipe with the paw retracted, the force not strong.

Since Zheng Tan sensed no malice from the big cat, he didn't dodge; after taking the blow to his head, he didn't strike back right away but stared at the cat, carefully assessing this feline that Er Mao and Wei Leng considered extremely clever and odd.

Indeed, it seemed to be nothing more than a test.

Zheng Tan took the blow from the big cat without immediately retaliating, but Er Yuan and Wei Xiao Pangzi are still young—one nearly three, the other three and a half—lacking the ability to judge; seeing the big cat slap Zheng Tan, they thought he was being bullied.

Wei Xiao Pangzi remembered his father telling him to report if the big cat and Zheng Tan fought; so he grabbed his pants and rolled out of the courtyard, shouting as he ran, "Dad, Dad! Shan Shu and Hei Ge are fighting!!"

Meanwhile, Er Yuan, still in his original spot, saw Zheng Tan get hit, grabbed his drawing pen, and swung it at the big cat; to Er Yuan, Hei Ge is naturally closer than Shan Shu, so if Hei Ge is being bullied, it must be Shan Shu's fault, and therefore he must protect him.

His form was decent, but Er Yuan's short arms meant little force, and striking the big cat's body didn't hurt much.

Zheng Tan's heart warmed instantly—Er Yuan, what a good kid!

After taking Er Yuan's swipe, the big cat twitched the two tufts of fur above its ears, looked at Er Yuan, then lifted a paw, placed it on the sketchbook on the low table, and shoved it aside, sending the sketchbook flying to the floor.

This time, Zheng Tan gave the big cat a slap. He didn't use much force, didn't spread his claws, and the strength of his strike was about the same as the big cat's earlier swipe.

Er Yuan had just pouted because his sketchbook was flipped, but seeing Zheng Tan slap the big cat, he stopped pouting at once.

Outside the courtyard, the people startled by Wei Xiao Pangzi's shout also came running.

Seeing the scene in the courtyard, Er Mao and Wei Leng immediately relaxed; it didn't look like a real fight, probably just Wei Xiao Pangzi's misunderstanding.

Er Yuan had already picked up his sketchbook; seeing Er Mao approach, he toddled over to tattle.

"Dad, Shan Shu is bad!"

Listening to Er Yuan recount what had just happened, although his expressive ability is limited, the others could still roughly guess what had occurred here.

"Be good, Er Yuan; Shan Shu and Hei Ge are just playing." Er Mao explained.

"Really?" Er Yuan wondered.

"Of course it's true—look, Shan Shu and Hei Ge aren't angry, are they? This is how cats show friendliness!" Er Mao said.

Zheng Tan: "……" Friendly my ass!

In the afternoon, the three children were taken indoors to nap, while Er Mao and the others went out for a stroll, revisiting familiar places to recall old memories and visiting a few households they hadn't managed to see yesterday—people they had known when they first lived here. Upon hearing Er Mao and Wei Leng's arrival, many folks brought out food and drink, and Er Mao's group naturally expressed their goodwill. Maintaining relations is mutual, not something one side can sustain alone; besides, the old master will be staying here a long time, and keeping good ties with the neighbors also helps him. Though the villagers may not be able to do much for the old master, they can still look after him a bit, so he won't feel too lonely.

In the courtyard, Zheng Tan dozed on a chair in the shade. Compared to being indoors, he preferred this outdoor setting that brought him closer to nature.

Probably because he now has a cat's body, he also picked up some feline habits. A cat spends most of its day sleeping, though this sleep isn't the deep, dead‑to‑the‑world kind; often it simply lies still, eyes closed, appearing unwilling to interact with the outside world—yet its ears stay perked, constantly monitoring the surroundings.

His ears twitched. Zheng Tan opened his eyes; the approaching figure was still the big cat.

Usually at this time of day, the big cat would nap hidden in a leafy tree around the compound, hard to spot unless you looked closely—otherwise Zheng Tan wouldn't be resting in the courtyard—but now, the cat that ought to be perched in a tree outside had come straight to Zheng Tan.

This time the big cat didn't raise its paw; after glancing at Zheng Tan, it walked toward the gate, took two steps, looked back at Zheng Tan, and let out a soft call.

"Is it asking me to follow?" Zheng Tan wondered.

Curious about the big cat's intent, Zheng Tan, now idle, stretched and jumped down from the chair.

Seeing Zheng Tan follow, the big cat continued onward.

Zheng Tan followed the big cat out of the courtyard, going farther and farther. He glanced back at the courtyard, now almost out of sight, paused, then looked toward the big cat.

The big cat noticed Zheng Tan wasn't following, stopped and waited, seeming dissatisfied with his sudden halt.

What the heck does this guy want?

After a brief hesitation, Zheng Tan kept up. Er Mao could locate Zheng Tan via the cat tag, so even if the big cat lost him in the wild woods, there'd be no need to worry. Moreover, Zheng Tan wanted to see farther afield, so he continued to follow the big cat.

The big cat led Zheng Tan away from the familiar low hill, out of the village where households were scattered, into the wild forest—there was no path; at first there were traces of human activity, but the farther they went, the rarer human presence became, while signs of small wild animals grew more common.

Zheng Tan followed the big cat, staying alert to his surroundings.

The big cat's wilderness survival skills were strong; though its steps seemed light, it constantly monitored the surroundings.

Zheng Tan had picked up quite a bit of experience, but he didn't do much—just tagging along, not like the big cat, who might be teasing rabbits or rummaging through bird nests.

Seeing the big cat's demeanor, Zheng Tan understood why so many ecologists and ornithologists dislike cats. In places where cats originally didn't exist, adding just one can pose a serious threat—especially one this size.

As natural hunters, cats won't stop moving just because they're not hungry; after eating their fill, if they encounter prey they'll still play with it, and they won't bother you with concerns about ecosystems, food chains, or invasive species—they simply act on their own nature.

The big cat ate a small bird Zheng Tan couldn't name, broke two bird eggs, and after a while, on the way back, caught a rabbit; its wilderness survival skills and knowledge of the area let it reliably find prey and dispatch it easily.

Zheng Tan followed the big cat out on a loop and then returned, his mind turning over thoughts.

Master Old Man hadn't said much about the big cat's outings; Zheng Tan only knew that the cat went into the wild once or twice a week, and since the master had no intention of confining it at home, and the cat always returned on schedule, the master had grown accustomed to it and now wasn't overly worried.

This big cat is very smart; having lived beside the old master for twenty years, with the master raising it like a child for two decades, it has learned a lot—more refined than ordinary cats, as Er Mao and the others' words have shown, and Zheng Tan can feel it. That's precisely why he wonders what the big cat is really up to.

Zheng Tan felt that this afternoon's outing also seemed like a test by the mountain, and he did not think the mountain was merely fulfilling the hospitality of a host by taking him out for a stroll in the wilderness.

It was the second test. (To be continued..)