Chapter 59: Like a Mother Hen Protecting Her Chicks

The black cat stood in the center of the warehouse, its tail held high, golden eyes scanning the stunned villagers around it. It elegantly shook its fur, seemingly waiting for everyone's praise.

"This cat is truly miraculous!" Zhang Dashan spoke up first. "In all my years, I've never seen such a formidable cat."

The other villagers chimed in as well. "Indeed, indeed! So many rats, and it took care of them in the blink of an eye."

"Look at that, neatly lined up over there, just like they're doing military drill."

Hearing these compliments, the black cat grew even more smug. It trotted gracefully to Li Xiangyang's feet, rubbed its head against his trouser leg, and let out a pleased purr from deep within its throat.

Li Xiangyang understood what it meant. "Alright, alright, I'll buy you some fish when we get home."

Before his voice had even faded, the black cat leaped toward his ankles, its front paws resting on his trousers, signaling that it wanted to be picked up.

Li Xiangyang looked down at its paws, stained with dust and rat fur, and took a step back. "No, no, you're covered in dust. I wouldn't dare pick you up right now."

The black cat paused, a flicker of displeasure crossing its eyes. It withdrew its front paws and swished its tail in dissatisfaction.

"Little Princess," Li Xiangyang hurriedly explained, "just look at how hard you've been working. You're covered in dirt from head to toe. We need to wash your paws clean first."

The black cat gave a soft meow, as if saying, "Very well, then."

Seeing this, Zhang Dashan quickly said, "Li Xiangyang, hurry up and take the cat to clean up. Leave things here to us; we'll make sure the warehouse is swept spotless."

Li Xiangyang nodded and walked toward home, with the black cat trailing closely at his heels.

Back at the house, Mother Li had already heated a basin of warm water. Knowing that her son had taken the black cat out to catch rats, she knew it would need cleaning.

"Come here, Little Princess," Li Xiangyang squatted down. "We're just washing your paws. It's far too cold today to give you a full bath."

The black cat proved to be quite reasonable, obediently extending one front paw for Li Xiangyang to wipe gently. The warm water and his gentle movements made it narrow its eyes in comfort.

"Brother," Li Xiaohua asked suddenly from the sidelines, "does the Little Princess like you the most?"

Wiping the cat's paws, Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Of course she does, acts just like a little ancestor. See? Even after catching rats, I still have to buy her fish."

Hearing this, the black cat proudly swished its tail, as though declaring, "Naturally."

Early the next morning, Li Xiangyang prepared to go to the county town to visit the elderly Party branch secretary.

"Son, here is ten yuan I've saved up," Mother Li said, drawing several wrinkled bills from her sewing kit. "Take this and buy some nutritional supplements for the old secretary."

"No need, Mother, you keep this money..."

"Take it!" Mother Li forcefully shoved the bills into Li Xiangyang's hand. "Didn't you give all your money away for the hospital deposit yesterday? Take this to handle any emergencies."

"Exactly," Li Xiaohua chimed in, "Brother, you even promised to buy fish for the Little Princess."

At the mention of the word "fish," the black cat, which had been basking in the sun on the heated brick bed, immediately perked up its ears, its golden eyes fixing a piercing gaze on Li Xiangyang.

Li Xiangyang smiled helplessly. "Well, looks like I have no choice."

He ruffled the black cat's head. "Wait here, I'll definitely bring back fresh fish for you."

The black cat narrowed its eyes in satisfaction and settled back onto the warm brick bed.

Arriving in the county town, Li Xiangyang headed straight for the pharmacy.

"Greetings, Shopkeeper," Li Xiangyang said as he entered, greeting the elderly man behind the counter.

The pharmacy was filled with the rich aroma of traditional Chinese medicine, with various herbs neatly organized in rows of wooden cabinets.

Behind the counter, the elderly man was flipping through a thick medical manuscript. Hearing the voice, he looked up and adjusted his reading glasses with wrinkled hands.

"Young man, what medicine are you looking for?" the old man asked kindly, putting down the manuscript.

"Elder, I've come to buy some nutritional supplements," Li Xiangyang said. "Our village secretary has heart disease and was just admitted to the county hospital yesterday."

"Ah," the old man stroked his graying beard. "That requires careful thought. Is he still hospitalized or has he been discharged?"

"Still in the hospital."

"In the hospital, you say... Ginseng is too precious and isn't needed just yet. Red wolfberries nourish the blood and calm the heart, longan fruit fortifies the vital energy and soothes the mind... All of these can be steeped in water. Let's see what you might prefer."

"What are the prices?"

"Red wolfberries are forty-two wen per tael, longan is thirty-five wen per tael, red dates are eighteen wen per tael, and jujube-skin tea is twenty wen per tael. These are all this year's fresh stock."

Li Xiangyang calculated in his mind. "Then give me one tael of red wolfberries, two taels of longan, four taels of red dates, and one tael of jujube-skin tea."

The old man scooped the herbs onto the scale pan, saying, "Coming right up. All of these together come to one yuan and sixty-four fen. These are wonderful restorative items; steep them in warm water and drink slowly, not too much at once."

Li Xiangyang pulled out the money from his pocket and handed it over. "You're entirely right, Elder. When I get to the hospital later, I'll be sure to pass along these instructions."

The old man neatly wrapped each item in oil paper, then combined them all in a larger sheet of oil paper, securing the package carefully with hemp twine.

Stepping out of the pharmacy, Li Xiangyang carried the supplements toward the hospital ward, only to hear voices raised in an argument from within.

"Father, won't you just come back with us to live in the city?" a woman in her forties was pleading with the elderly secretary. "Our place is spacious, and you can have whatever you want to eat."

"I'm not going!" Despite lying in a hospital bed, the old secretary's tone was resolute. "I've spent my entire life in the village, and I'm not going anywhere."

"Grandfather..." A young woman of seventeen or eighteen stood beside the woman, looking hesitant to speak.

Clearly, this was the old secretary's daughter and granddaughter coming to visit him.

At that moment, Dr. Qian was standing awkwardly to the side. Catching sight of Li Xiangyang, he hurriedly gave a cough.

Hearing Dr. Qian's cough, the others finally noticed his presence.

"Xiangyang is here," the old secretary beckoned with a smile. "Come, let me introduce you. This is my daughter, Yulan, and this is my granddaughter, Chu Qingxuan. You and Qingxuan are about the same age, so you should get acquainted."

On such a bitter winter day, a young man had traveled through wind and dust to visit the sick, and just yesterday, he had even paid the old man's medical deposit out of his own pocket.

Logically speaking, Zhang Yulan knew she ought to express sincere gratitude and not put on a cold face.

Yet this young man happened to possess a dangerously handsome face that made people uneasy, and as for her own father...

"Father!" Zhang Yulan stamped her foot in agitation. "What kind of talk is this? Qingxuan is still young, what time does she have for..."

"Who said anything about making them do anything?" the old secretary stubbornly insisted. "I'm just talking about them getting acquainted."

Zhang Yulan felt a silent alarm go off in her head.

She knew her father all too well; the old man was just that way, worrying about village affairs his whole life, and now he had evidently set his sights on this young man.

If that happened, her own daughter would be in danger!

In her youth, she had fought hard to escape the countryside, and her husband had done well for himself, now serving as the director of the forestry bureau. Life was just getting comfortable, and she would never allow her daughter to be dragged back down.

She quickly stepped in front of her daughter, and though her manners were refined, her posture was entirely that of a mother hen shielding her chicks.