Chapter 270

Because of the kitten matter, Feng Bai Jin and the other two got to know Jiao Ba much better, losing the initial formal landlord-tenant interaction.

The kitten's name was given by Feng Bai Jin, because the kitten always liked to put that tiger toy in its nest, and without it would keep crying, so Feng Bai Jin directly named it Hu Zi.

The name Hu Zi is used as a nickname by some people; in Jiao Ba's hometown, many people have that nickname, and some pets, especially dogs, are also called that. Aunt Li and that uncle are quite satisfied with the name; the little guy is sturdy and healthy, being small now doesn't mean he'll stay small later.

When Zheng Tan went to look at the kitten, those two uncles and aunts were standing nearby watching the kitten play.

"The people at the pet hospital told me while checking Hu Zi that this little guy will surely grow tall and strong!" Aunt Li said happily.

"That's just them comforting you; it's such a tiny kitten, nobody knows what its parents look like, who knows how it'll turn out." The uncle scoffed, but Zheng Tan saw that when the uncle spoke, his eyes looking at the kitten held a smile, obviously he liked it too, even though he always said he preferred dogs.

The kitten's condition has clearly improved a lot these days, it's fluffing up its fur and is very spirited.

Zheng Tan watched for a while and then left.

When this kitten grows up, it'll probably be another restless one—just think of that leopard-pattern cat and you know its genes are good; moreover, Zheng Tan suspects that leopard-pattern cat was likely impregnated in the cat-fighting arena, and if it inherits that fierce, combative nature…

Will this place still be peaceful when it grows up?

A 3-month-old cat equals a human 5 or 6 years old; 1 year equals human 13 to 15 years; 2 years equals human 24 years. Generally, a cat's puberty is from one to two years old, so in just a year this little guy will have grown up.

Taking Peanut Candy as a reference, when that guy grows up and goes out to stake a territory and pick a fight, who knows what will happen when the two of them meet.

Thinking about it gives me a headache.

After leaving that villa, Zheng Tan didn't immediately leave the area; instead, he went to the lakeside and walked around the road.

A fish in the lake leapt out of the water. Then with a glug it fell back down.

Zheng Tan was enjoying the lakeside scenery when he suddenly heard several cat calls from the roadside greenery—those were the sounds made during a fight.

He stared over there for a moment, then—whoosh—two cats came running out of the greenery one after another. The cat in front was a bit sturdier, while the one behind… Zheng Tan recognized it.

Isn't this the three-legged tortoiseshell cat raised by Er Mao's great-aunt?!

Zheng Tan had previously heard from Er Mao that his great-aunt lived in a house near the lake, but Zheng Tan never knew exactly which lake. When he first came to this area, he had also wondered whether that old lady lived here, but he didn't look into it closely; now it turns out she really does live here.

The great-aunt's three-legged tortoiseshell cat may have lost a leg, but Zheng Tan knows this guy is very tough—he can catch even big, fat rats—and now it's proven that he not only catches rats but also holds his own in a fight; haven't you seen the sturdy, healthy cat in front being chased and beaten by him?

The tortoiseshell cat also seemed to recognize Zheng Tan, glancing his way with no other extra action; after the cat that had been chasing and fighting ran off, it didn't pursue further, didn't pay Zheng Tan any mind, and turned to walk elsewhere.

Zheng Tan followed after it, the tortoiseshell cat should be heading home, and he also took the opportunity to see exactly where Er Mao's great-aunt lived; once he figured it out, future strolls around here would just loop around.

The tortoiseshell cat walked slowly, and its gait was clearly different from that of a fully limbed cat, but when it ran you couldn't necessarily tell, so Zheng Tan didn't dare underestimate it.

The place where Er Mao's great-aunt lives is a bit farther from where Feng Bai Jin and the others live; it's also a two-story villa, slightly smaller than Feng Bai Jin's place but with a larger yard. Zheng Tan watched the cat hop over the fence and then peeked into the yard.

In the yard sat a wheelchair, and on it was that old lady.

"Yo, Hei Tan, what a rare guest!" said the old lady in the wheelchair, squinting her eyes, seeming pleased by Zheng Tan's arrival.

Zheng Tan didn't expect that just showing his head would be noticed by the old lady; he really hadn't planned to go in and greet her to make his presence known, he just wanted to confirm whether she lived here, and he didn't expect her observational skills to be so sharp.

After going inside, the tortoiseshell cat jumped into the old lady's lap, found a comfortable position, lay down with eyes closed, appearing indifferent to everything around.

Seeing Zheng Tan not come in, the person in the wheelchair waved at him again, saying, "Hei Tan, come over, let's have a chat."

Zheng Tan hesitated a bit; he always felt the old lady was strange and unfathomable, not knowing what she was thinking. But even considering Jiao Ba and Er Mao's sake, she probably wouldn't do anything to him, especially since she's in a wheelchair.

After hopping over the fence, Zheng Tan stopped three meters away from the wheelchair, looking at the old lady in it. Meeting her smiling, wrinkled face, Zheng Tan always felt a bit uneasy.

Hei Tan, have you been doing alright lately?

Zheng Tan didn't answer, nor could he; he just looked at the old lady, waiting for her next words.

As a cat, isn't it hard? the old lady said, still wearing that smiling, wrinkled face as she looked at Zheng Tan.

And Zheng Tan now felt a chill down his spine—what had this old lady seen?!

While Zheng Tan was tense all over, the old lady in the wheelchair slowly shifted her gaze and said in a steady tone, "Have you heard a story? There was an old Zen monk taking an evening stroll in the monastery when he saw a chair placed by the wall; he realized someone must have broken the rules and climbed over the wall. But he didn't make a fuss; instead, he walked to the wall, moved the chair aside, and squatted where the chair had been. Not long after, a young monk climbed over the wall, and in the darkness stepped on the old monk's back and jumped into the courtyard. When his feet touched the ground, he realized what he had stepped on wasn't a chair but his own master. The young monk panicked, thinking the old monk would scold or punish him, but to his surprise, the old monk didn't yell or punish him, merely saying in a calm voice, 'The night is deep and the air cool; quickly put on another layer.'"

Coincidentally, Zheng Tan had heard this story before; when Jiao Ma was reading an education book, she discussed it with Jiao Ba, and they called this kind of approach Taiji-style education—like Taiji, dissolving problems into invisibility, silence speaking louder than words, hearing thunder in silence. The master's calm composure yet sends shockwaves through the disciple's heart. Moving from "exposure" to "self-initiation," from "rule by others" to "self-governance," it lets those who err discover and correct their mistakes with dignity.

Just!

In this situation, Zheng Tan always felt the old lady's words carried another deeper meaning.

"How rare it is to be blissfully ignorant!"

After saying that last sentence, the old lady closed her eyes; she seemed unwilling to speak further, preparing to rest.

Upon hearing those last words and connecting them to the earlier story, Zheng Tan's heart gave a sudden jump.

In different historical contexts, the meaning behind the phrase "how rare it is to be blissfully ignorant" varies—some use it to mock, some for self-cultivation, and the old lady's remark clearly points out one thing: some people are actually aware; even if you pretend, you're only pretending for others to see.

Zheng Tan is not just a qualified cat; even now he hasn't quite grasped that balance, and if he's not careful he'll display details far beyond those of ordinary cats—like recognizing characters, making phone calls, reading maps, and so on—and more than one person knows he has these abilities: Jiao Ba, Xiao Youzi, Er Mao, Fang Shaokang, Wei Leng, and so on.

In terms of intelligence, Zheng Tan is far behind many people around him; his thinking is a bit slow, and some things only click for him after the fact, whereas many people around him may have long since sensed something off, or perhaps have already pondered in directions that seem bizarre to others yet close to the truth—yet everyone just goes about their days peacefully, knowing what's right and sticking to what's dark.

For some people, like Long Qi and his gang, as long as Zheng Tan poses no threat to them, who cares whether he's a god or a demon?

Zheng Tan once heard a philosophy student say while taking a stroll: Life is an art, but in reality people often overlook its artistry, always wanting to understand everything, not tolerating even a speck of sand in their eyes, appearing smarter than anyone, yet many times their actions end up contrary to their wishes; one cannot be smart about everything and nitpick every detail, or else one becomes exhausted and even suffers losses, but neither can one be clueless about everything—if you know nothing about anything and shirk responsibility, that's genuine cluelessness. Zheng Tan thinks philosophers are just a bunch of open-minded nutcases, constantly thinking about what others think and what they cannot think. But he has to admit, what they say actually makes sense.

In short, this is a matter of "proper measure," and Jiao Ba and the others have handled this measure quite well.

There are far more smart people in the world than people imagine.

There are also many strange people and strange events in this world; this era is not everywhere filled with that kind of scientific madman, while those who exploit the state under the guise of scientific research are everywhere. Moreover, Zheng Tan still has many people covering for him; Zheng Tan previously didn't pay much attention, but upon careful reflection his loopholes are really many, yet he has remained safe and sound until now and can still freely run outside every day.

Thinking this way, Zheng Tan feels life is still full of sunshine, and he is not alone in his struggle.

Taking a deep breath, when Zheng Tan lifted his head, he discovered that the old lady had left at some point, and the courtyard only had Zheng Tan himself.

Leaving the old lady's courtyard, Zheng Tan walked along the lakeside cement road, heading back to Chu Hua Da Xue with light steps.

A fish leapt up on the lake surface, fell back down and disappeared, and the ripples gradually calmed.

After returning to Chu Hua Da Xue, Zheng Tan saw that it was still early, with some time left before lunch, so he decided to go to the kindergarten area to have a look, to see what that troublemaker Zhuo Xiao Mao was up to.

Yes, Zhuo Xiao Mao, who is now 2.42 years old, has entered kindergarten.

2.42 years old comes from Zhuo Xiao Mao's self-introduction at the start of school—I am Zhuo Yang, my nickname is Zhuo Xiao Mao, I also have an English name, called zhuoxiaocat, I am 2.42 years old……

When Zheng Tan arrived at the kindergarten, the little children were playing with toys and slides, while Zhuo Xiao Mao stood nearby holding a block and arranging it, and a stranger in his twenties stood beside him.

When Zheng Tan arrived at the kindergarten, the little children were playing with toys and slides, while Zhuo Xiao Mao was beside them holding a block and arranging it, and a stranger in his twenties stood next to him.

However, the moment Zhuo Xiao Mao's eyes narrowed, Zheng Tan knew he was thinking up some nasty idea again; given Zheng Tan's understanding of this little brat, the guy who was speaking pleasantly with Zhuo Xiao Mao was about to suffer misfortune. (to be continued..)

ps: (5.28) I originally planned to take advantage of the holiday to post extra chapters, but these past two days I've had dinner engagements, and I still have to go out tomorrow morning, so for these two days I'll just guarantee one chapter as a minimum. However, as promised, I'll finish repaying the debt before the World Cup.

ps: Wishing everyone a happy Children's Day!