Chapter 80: Becoming a Cat 1 (Later Commentary on the Holy Monk and the Beginning)

Becoming a Cat 1 (Later Commentary on the Holy Monk and the Beginning)

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Hundreds of years later, medicine across the world flourishes.

But when it comes to the top medical figures, netizens can spar for three hundred rounds, and on some forums it's common for thousands or tens of thousands of posts to argue, each voicing their own opinion.

"It's definitely Sang Ya — the black pearl of the grasslands!"

"Right! The Black Pearl is incredibly formidable; she's not only the foremost in gynecology, she's also skilled in surgery! I heard that at seventeen she went to the battlefield, could calmly wash out a soldier's intestines that fell out, then stuff them back and stitch them up… Tell me, who has that nerve?"

"Her greatest feat is that she remained unmarried her whole life for the sake of medicine!"

"Haha! Why don't you talk about Jiang Siyin? How many doctors did his medical academy train? And he invented many medicines; the affordable drugs we use today still rely on the formulas he originally researched!"

"And his son, grandson, great‑grandson… each generation studied medicine; who knows how many lives they've saved?"

"Indeed, even today, among our country's many famous doctors, those surnamed Jiang are the most numerous."

"Hey, hey, hey, just because the surname is Jiang doesn't mean they're Jiang Siyin's descendants, okay? Everyone knows Jiang Siyin either ran a library or opened an orphanage; the orphans he adopted not only took his surname but were influenced by him, and most pursued medicine."

Former netizens from the Peacock Kingdom couldn't help but jump in: "Our traditional Chinese medicine is also impressive! When it comes to poison research, no one's as skilled as our female doctors."

When it turned out to be a Peacock Kingdom netizen, it immediately drew a round of mockery.

"Peacock Kingdom, get out of the way! Doesn't anyone know your country practices son preference? Hundreds of years ago, women couldn't survive and had to hide in the forest; they studied poisons for self‑preservation."

"Exactly, your medicines clearly came from Daqing! Those drug names are Central Plains names, yet you refuse to admit it!"

The Peacock Kingdom stubbornly refused, "Nonsense, it's just a coincidence!"

"Exactly, why don't you say those drug names originated from the Peacock Kingdom?"

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Soon, netizens from both countries resumed fighting over who the ancestor of Chinese medicine is, arguing endlessly.

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"Come to think of it, I'm curious—Peacock Kingdom legends always tie into religion. I heard a new film is set to reenact the women who were buried alive, fled into the forest, met the Savior Buddha and his son, the little Buddha, were enlightened by them to learn medicine and poison arts, and eventually mustered the courage to leave the forest, winning respect as female doctors…"

"The descendants of those female doctors raised the banner of women's liberation; otherwise, women's lives in the Peacock Kingdom would be even more miserable today."

Someone immediately burst out laughing, "Hahaha, is the upstairs posting for jokes? What kind of Savior Buddha has a son?! The monks of the Peacock Kingdom are indecent, they even marry and have children."

"Exactly, the Peacock Kingdom's monks are far too indecent."

Soon after, enthusiastic netizens from Europa jumped the firewall and started posting.

"Why not talk about our country's beauty industry? It's definitely the best in the world!"

"In the past, the Marquis William's daughter was beauty‑obsessed; she heavily invested in the beauty sector, bought beauty formulas from the heretics, and it's said her descendants founded the most famous beauty company worldwide."

"Oh dear, I heard the film has been greenlit, with the Marquis William's daughter played by the national‑treasured actress Teresa, but the casting of the heretic is controversial; the William family insists an Oriental be cast, arguing that the heretic is an Oriental."

"Speaking of it, the Buddhist sutras left by the heretic are in English, yet they match exactly the moral teachings our country left behind! Yet the Church insists that these weren't brought over by the heretic, but were dropped by an Oriental traveling west."

"If you ask me, the Church really covers its ears and rings false bells; the Buddha that Western folk secretly worship at home clearly has an Oriental face!"

"What Oriental face? Some Westerners also look Oriental! In that era, Eastern and Western aesthetics were infinitely close, hardly distinguishable."

"Nonsense, the differences between East and West are indeed huge."

Just as a group of netizens resumed their usual bickering, a sudden message popped up.

"Everyone, stop arguing! The tomb of the great Jiang Siyin and his father has been discovered; the national channel is live streaming it."

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The whole world—whether they study medicine or not—is curious, because this figure can be called the unsurpassable number one in medical history.

An hour later, the netizens drifted back.

The online space stayed quiet for a full three minutes, then comments erupted like a wellspring, with dozens, even hundreds, popping up each time it refreshed.

"Jiang the great left many medical texts as burial goods, further proving the excellence of our country's Chinese medicine! Of course, that's not the point..."

"Right, the point is his father turned out to be a monk!"

"Can you believe it? Jiang the great's father is a monk!"

"A monk isn't surprising, but the issue is, he was the master of the grassland black pearl Sang Ya, the mentor who awakened Jiang Siyin's medicine, and even the Savior Buddha of the Peacock Kingdom… My god, Jiang the great even once held the title of little Buddha in that country."

"Moreover, he was the heretic who almost destroyed the Church back then!"

"He also sparked a war that led the European nations to unite and curb the Church's power, lifting a great burden off the common people's heads!"

"The English Buddhist sutras left by Europe were actually written by him!"

"The Buddha statues worshipped by the locals there bear his face!"

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Netizens spoke passionately, as excited as if it were New Year.

One person couldn't help but say, "By the way, aren't the Peacock Kingdom and Europa planning a film? I'm curious about their casting now…"

"Ahahaha, now we know, the Savior Buddha and the little Buddha will definitely be cast with Oriental actors, and the heretic can only be an Oriental too!"

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"Hehehe… I think our country's entertainment industry will soon produce a flood of TV dramas and movies centered on Jiang Da Lao and his father." A particularly sentimental netizen said, "I am moved by the deep love of Jiang the great's monk father; his wife died, so he retreated into monastic life, his son was abducted, yet he remained faithful to the Buddha and his son, cultivating Buddhism with one hand while holding his son's hand, accompanying him as he grew up."

"The monk father, for his son, faced war twice, each time risking his life in the flames to rescue his son."

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"Today is another day of envying other people's fathers."

………………

In a world where one is both father and mother, even when the son's hair turns white, he still clings sticky‑sweetly to his old father, truly a grown‑up baby.

Back in the system space, Jiang He lay there, expressing that his heart was exhausted; he didn't want to be human anymore.

System: "Don't want to be human? Then what do you want to be?"

Jiang He couldn't help feeling envy, jealousy, and hatred toward the system.

In the previous world, it was a parrot, didn't need to worry about its image, ate like a pig, and got so fat it couldn't fly!

If it were an ordinary bird, it would be ashamed to death; but it doesn't have that problem, because whenever it has something to do, it summons an army of animals to help, so it never needs to fly.

Jiang He said he also wanted a life of winning while lying down!

The system's black bean eyes showed a helpless look; it knew the host had great ambitions and would eventually covet its identity.

However, the host still needed to be appeased, so it suggested, "Then you come be the parrot?"

Indeed, some task-takers are animals; there is a heavenly dog from the cultivation world that has become a great power, and the tasks done by that heavenly dog big shot are basically related to its own kind; it's said that it recently came back after serving as a drug-detection dog, earning a lot of merit, which it has envied for a long time.

If the host is willing to be a small cat or dog, this system wouldn't necessarily reject it; of course, the premise is that merit and points cannot be lacking!

Jiang He thought for a moment and said, "If it's a parrot, getting too fat would definitely prevent flight; better to be a cat, and good thing the three-colored cat shell you used before is still here."

The system couldn't help but give a dead-fish look; since you know getting too fat prevents flight, why complain that I eat too much?

As it turns out, you also know that losing weight is a hard thing.

At that moment, it heard the host say, "Ah, right, since I'm becoming a cat, I want to make and store more cat food."

System: "……"

The system didn't want to speak; sometimes the host being too all-powerful isn't good, even making cat food themselves, firmly refusing to give the system mall a chance to shear wool.

While Jiang He was busy making cat food, the system lay there searching for tasks.

Soon, it selected a suitable task, "Host, there happens to be a task here that's perfect for you."

It sighed in its heart, its dog host, as a mere system, could do nothing but indulge it.

Jiang He asked without lifting his head, "What task?"

"There is a wisher who wants to be reborn, but the era she would be reborn in is tumultuous, likely causing the task to fail, so no task-taker wants to take this task."

Tasks like this, where the wisher themselves wishes for rebirth, also exist; task-takers will come to their side and help them.

However, wishers are not like those tempered task-takers; even after rebirth they may not gain wisdom and still cannot change their fate. If task-takers go to help them, failure will deduct points, and if the wisher chooses to go on a killing spree during the task—well, all causality falls on the task-taker.

Therefore, such tasks that harm others and bring no benefit to oneself usually have no task-takers willing to take them.

Jiang He thought for a moment and said, "Let me first take a look at the wisher."

He needed to see if this wisher who wanted to be reborn was a capable person; if just a useless sack, it wouldn't be worth it. Soon, a girl covered in blood, her body tattered and torn like a rag doll, appeared in the system space.

She looked very dazed.

When she saw Jiang He standing there, she instantly felt a bit embarrassed.

"Oh dear, sorry."

The blood-covered girl hurriedly shoved the intestines that had fallen on the ground back into her belly, which had a big hole, causing the living room of the system space to look like a slaughterhouse.

"This, my deathly appearance isn't very pretty, and I haven't learned how to repair my soul body yet." The girl's face showed an embarrassed smile as she pulled down her tattered clothes to cover the big hole in her belly.

Jiang He didn't mind, his gaze very gentle: "It's fine…… the merit golden light on your body comes from the nation's fortune; I didn't expect to be receiving a national hero today."

The girl hurriedly waved her hands, "I don't deserve to be called a hero; I just don't want the country to perish, and want to do more of what I can."

Under Jiang He's guidance, the girl who had finally returned to her normal pre-death state had determined brows and eyes, and her all-white nurse uniform made her appear gentle and moving.

She said, "I died for my faith, and I have no regrets in my heart!"

"But I can't put my mind at ease about my mother and sister……"

Da Ya came to her senses, took the cold sweet potato from San Ya's hand, brought it over, and heated it again by the fire.

Finally, Er Ya washed her handkerchief twice, and finally managed to wipe her sister's little hand clean and dry, feeling soft and cute to the touch.

These wealthy people also have the same worry; if they fail to bear a son, they will be blamed by the world.

San Ya lifted her face, closed her eyes, felt the moisture on her face, and the little girl softly asked, "Is San Ya's face clean now? Am I not a little flower cat?"

Some people's constitution is just masochistic, especially those who have been PUA-ed; they may even regard being abused as a form of love, whether it moves others is unknown, but it definitely moves themselves.

But Grandma wouldn't let her in; she really wanted to go see how her mother was……

San Ya sat beside her two sisters, softly saying, "Big sister, second sister, I miss mother."

Someone nearby immediately said, "Shh, keep your voice down, don't let the Luo family hear!"

Before the words were finished, Luo Lao Tai Tai swung a slap over, her face fierce, she shouted sternly, "Your mother definitely gave birth to a son! Only a son!"

After a while, the topic finally turned back.

"No wonder several households in Parasol Tree Alley have started renovating their houses; it turns out someone is moving in."

As long as there is a son, the mother-in-law and husband will treat her well.

San Ya says: "Elder sister, second sister, San Ya wants to eat together with mother."

Although called an old lady, she is actually not old, just in her early forties, only with triangular eyes, high cheekbones, a harsh-looking face, making her appear relatively old.

Actually, she's just too lazy to hit.

Most tables have no side dishes, only a plate of peanuts and boiled edamame, yet this does not stop the men in front of the tables from commenting on world affairs, as if they were important figures, boasting about their knowledge.

Er Ya's fingers poked, soft and tender, like tofu, and it's still better to touch when clean and dry.

"Is the water boiled?" Luo Lao Tai Tai saw the three granddaughters sitting there like logs, muttering, "You few money-losers, you can't even boil water properly."

At that moment, the girl felt a warm big hand gently pat her head, a gentle voice sounded: "Don't worry, I'll take over your task!" Despite so much resentment, even though she was killed to death, the girl's heart remained pure.

Wait until she gives birth to a son, her husband slightly changes his mind, willing to return home to guard their little family, just as when they first got married.

Everyone says young ladies love to be pretty, but the whole courtyard was changed to dark colors that boys like, not a trace of pink could be found, even their rooms were changed to dark blue, for fear that they wouldn't be devout enough and the younger brother wouldn't come.

"I don't understand, why do I have such a mother?" The girl, not yet twenty before her death, showed pain in her eyes, her voice full of confusion: "The more someone does good for her, the more she tramples them! Those who trample her instead give their all, getting slapped on the left cheek, yet still complain it's not enough, eagerly offering the right cheek..."

Pain made her consciousness dim, in her heart only one thought: "Even if I don't want this life, I will definitely bear a son for Jia Ming!"

The impression of the Luo Family of Pomegranate Flower Town is, besides wealth, just a succession of young ladies.

Seeing the elder sister bring San Ya in, Er Ya instantly felt a bit self-reproachful.

Once San Ya's hand was free, Er Ya's handkerchief immediately arrived to wash her hands.

Luo Lao Tai Tai complained all day, her scolding never ceased, cursing her daughter-in-law as a hen that lays no eggs.

"Tsk, our little town isn't that bad, but Pingjin City is a big city after all!" a fat man said proudly, "Pingjin City has trams and movie theaters, I hear there's even a dance hall... What does our little town have? Apart from the Joyful Red House being somewhat interesting, it's pretty much like a poor backwater."

The guests upstairs all poked their heads out to look. "Hey, are these people from the Luo family? But is Madame Luo about to give birth? Which pregnancy is this?"

San Ya is young and still acts coquettish; mother still has some patience with her, but she is slow‑witted and can only look at them enviously.

A voice sounded, San Ya turned her head, and saw her older sister Da Ya running over in a hurry.

Just then, Luo Lao Tai Tai stepped into the kitchen with her small feet.

"Madame Huang, hurry, my lady is about to give birth."

Luo Lao Tai Tai was about to leave when she thought of something, and she shot a knife‑sharp glance at the three frightened little maids.

Since their mother became pregnant, she has been acting strangely, insisting they call the child in her belly a brother, and even pulling out all the plants in the courtyard, fearing they would attract a daughter.

"San Ya, why did you come over here?" Ten‑year‑old Da Ya, who had become sensible, walked over and hugged her sister, "Didn't I tell you to go play with Er Ya? Come over quickly!"

"San Ya!"

The little sister has a chubby, round face that looks adorable.

But the scoundrel and slut they speak of are her parents; no matter how despicable they are, her father gave her life, her mother gave her maternal love, adding clothes when she was cold, cooking when she was hungry, saving tasty morsels for her…

Er Ya had no choice but to go to the water jar, wet the cloth, and continue wiping her sister's face.

San Ya was held by her sister, able only to turn her head to look at the birthing room, her face full of worry.

In the kitchen, seven‑year‑old Er Ya was boiling water.

As long as she gives birth to a son, her mother‑in‑law will stop nagging her all day, and her husband will settle down, no longer thinking of the fox spirits at the Joyful Red House.

The girl said: "I want to be reborn, to find an answer…"

Jiang He decided to take on this task.

San Ya was instantly frightened, tears welling in her eyes but she dared not let them fall.

The Luo family.

Luo Lao Tai Tai feared that if the three granddaughters stayed too close together, the heavy yin energy would cause her daughter‑in‑law's unborn child to become a girl.

Luo Lao Tai Tai looked down at the three granddaughters from above and said coldly, "If it's not a brother, then it must be that your hearts are insincere—keep kneeling before the ancestors until they show their spirit!"

In Luo Lao Tai Tai's view, not bearing a son is tantamount to being a hen that cannot lay eggs.

Jiang He listened quietly, finding nothing strange about it.

"Da Ya, go make your mother a bowl of noodles." Luo Lao Tai Tai ordered impatiently, "Add two extra eggs, pour in some more sesame oil, and when it's done tell me—I'll bring it over; you're not allowed to come near."

"Still, our little town is comfortable, with a few big mountains blocking the way, would‑be looters find their legs sore."

Saying this, the girl felt guilty, "Sorry, I know I'm being a bother…"

So many people saying the same thing proves that my idea is wrong.

She commanded, "No, you must now go kneel before the ancestors and beg them to bless your mother's unborn child as a brother."

Er Ya stared blankly at the dirt on her sister's face, the longer she looked the more her hands itched.

"I know many task‑takers scorn my ideas, thinking I should be decisive and ruthless—if you're heartless, we're done—but I can't be like that now, torn and anguished… because they're my family!"

She knew her husband went to the Joyful Red House every day because he felt bitter inside; unable to face the pain of not bearing a son, he sought solace in wine and women.

She understood what it would mean for the family and for her mother if she failed to bear a son; in a few years, when she goes to meet prospective matches, once she marries out, her natal family will have no brother, so she will surely be looked down upon, and when bullied by her in‑laws, no one will stand up for her.

The girl's eyes widened with surprise, and she said somewhat embarrassed, "If possible, I'd like them to live differently; even if my mother loves that man more than she loves her children, I still hope she can find happiness…"

She is the oldest and understands many things.

Their grandmother said, whenever you see a dirty place, clean it; if you see your sister's face dirty, wipe it.

Er Ya, expression dull, tossed the firewood into the stove.

"Even big cities have their troubles; the wealthy are being squeezed dry—today a troop of soldiers came demanding money, tomorrow a shipment of goods will demand supplies, and no matter how much money you have, you can't withstand this kind of exploitation."

"That makes sense; those rebel troops can't be fought off."

The Luo family is one of the most prominent in Pomegranate Flower Town, but Luo Lao Tai Tai is frugal and does not allow them to waste food.

Just then, a clamor suddenly came from outside the tavern, and a sharp voice rang out.

When the Joyful Red House was mentioned, the men drinking together exchanged lecherous glances, and the topic immediately shifted to things like Mu Dan's gorgeous beauty, the pure elegance of the peony, the loveliness of the rose…

Da Ya stroked her sister's head and couldn't help but sigh.

But she could not let it go…

The largest tavern in Pomegranate Flower Town had men in long robes in the main hall, drinking and chatting.

She muttered softly, "Mother has been crying out in pain—is she alright?"

The kitchen was stuffy; just now San Ya really couldn't sit still, so she gave her sister a roasted sweet potato to eat outside, never expecting the sister would actually go look for their mother.

Da Ya quickly agreed.

The winding river flows past a remote town in the south, like a jade belt, adding a touch of charm to the affectionate Jiangnan town.

"You eat it yourself." Da Ya said absentmindedly, "Mother is in labor with a brother."

The girl silently shed tears; those task‑takers, when they saw her, all said the scoundrel and slut should be locked up, and if they were given the task they would surely not be able to restrain themselves from punching the scoundrel and stomping the slut, causing an uproar.

Wherever a woman goes, she suffers; as a midwife, she has seen too many women who, after giving birth to a daughter, are cursed by mother‑in‑law and husband, and in extreme cases the newborn girls are not even glanced at before being drowned.

It's not for anything else, just because this girl's original intention remains unchanged.

The mountain road is rough and uneven, not a major thoroughfare, so one must travel by water—but the Shuangxi River, called a river, is hardly larger than a stream, its bed is low, even larger boats can't enter, and with only the little profit of Pomegranate Flower Town, it's simply not worth it.

Er Ya stared blankly at the old lady, "Grandma, if the little sister…"

Outside the house, five‑year‑old San Ya bit her dirty finger and peered out anxiously.

In fact she also missed her mother; these past months Mother's health has been poor, she only cared for the child in her belly and had hardly paid attention to her.

Er Ya's face instantly swelled, her mouth filled with a metallic taste, and she stood there dazed.

She rubbed her eyes, looking like she wanted to cry but couldn't; Mother hadn't played with San Ya in a long time. San Ya is still young, the youngest in the family, always accompanied by Mother, and now that Mother suddenly isn't with her, she longs for her terribly.

The midwife Huang looked at the woman in labor on the bed, and sympathy appeared in her eyes.

"Fourth son didn't come back from Peaceful Brocade City? Life there is really unsettled; I heard several wealthy people want to move to our town."

It was bustling and noisy.

She raised the roasted sweet potato in her hand; the skin was slightly charred, her fingers turned black, and with her dirty hands she scratched her face, leaving streaks of black ash on her little face.

In the birthing room, Madam Luo Xu Shi's lips were about to bleed from biting; she clutched the pillow tightly, following the midwife's instructions to exhale and inhale.

If they had money, they could take them all in, and so on.

"Fourth child, wouldn't it be another girl?"

Er Ya slowly took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the black ash off San Ya's face, but the more she wiped, the dirtier it got, and she couldn't clean it off.

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