Although you are very beautiful, I really can’t eat you.
Little Ding Dang’s face had become rounder. Yu Jinnian had tried several times to put it on a diet, feeding it only once a day with a few pieces of dried shrimp, soaking them in hot water to bring out the fishy smell, and mixing them with thin rice cakes. After two or three days of this strict diet, Little Ding Dang did lose some weight but appeared listless every day, looking particularly depressed as if it had been abandoned. It often deliberately hid, forcing Yu Jinnian to search for it.
Yu Jinnian would call it “Little Ding Dang” one day, “Fat Yellow” the next, and other strange names like “Doraemon.”
Ji Hong was astonished to see someone give so many names to a single cat.
One night, Little Ding Dang, who had been missing for several days, wailed under the window. Yu Jinnian had just brought Ji Hong a bowl of calming medicinal soup before bedtime. This soup, made with dried lotus seeds, jujube seeds, and longan flesh, was slowly boiled and consumed to nourish the heart and spleen, and aid in sleep. He placed the soup bowl in Ji Hong’s hands, heard Little Ding Dang’s pitiful cries, and quickly opened the window to let it in.
The cat’s tail had been bitten bald by other fierce cats, turning it into an ugly cat.
Yu Jinnian held it tenderly, saying, “Look at how fierce it used to be. Now it can’t even fight other people’s cats! What’s the point of dieting? I can still afford a little fish and shrimp for it!”
Ji Hong, sitting on the bed, slowly drank the medicinal soup, then took the rinse water Yu Jinnian handed him to clean his mouth. He nonchalantly nudged the cat to the foot of the bed, thinking that it probably couldn’t fight other cats because it was too fat.
Because it couldn’t sleep beside Yu Jinnian, Fat Ding Dang angrily “meowed” and bit Ji Hong’s toe through the quilt.
The bite was neither painful nor itchy. Ji Hong gently kicked, causing the fat cat to roll on the bed, exposing the white fur on its belly. It struggled to turn over, and by the time it did, Ji Hong had already taken Yu Jinnian’s hand, pulled up the quilt, and ignored it.
“Alright, can’t you two get along?” Yu Jinnian said with a wry smile. He used his foot to push Little Ding Dang away and held Ji Hong’s hand, pretending to be angry. “If anyone makes more trouble, I’ll kick them off the bed!”
Little Ding Dang: “Meow?”
Ji Hong said nothing, using the opportunity to cover Yu Jinnian with the quilt, patted his shoulder, and closed his eyes, saying, “Alright, sleep.”
…
Perhaps it was the medicinal soup that worked, but the next morning, Ji Hong woke up groggily to find both the boy and the cat gone. The yard was filled with the faint smell of mutton.
Now, in the deep, lonely autumn, the sun rose later, and the sky was still dim and hazy.
He got out of bed, single-handedly combing his hair, and heard faint singing from the direction of the kitchen, occasionally mixed with uneven cat meows. The song, which he had never heard before, was exceptionally cheerful, making the cold, silent morning lively and vibrant.
Ji Hong opened the door and saw Qing Huan, who had risen early. She was leaning on a cane, walking back and forth along the wall. The boy called this rehabilitation. At first, Qing Huan fell daily, bruising herself. But she was very determined, and in recent days she had improved significantly, no longer needing support and able to walk on her own.
To avoid being recognized, Qing Huan had been wearing a veil when entering and exiting the noodle shop. Seeing Ji Hong now, she slowly bowed, saying, “Good morning, Mr. Ji.”
Ji Hong nodded slightly. There was only one good singer in the noodle shop, Qing Huan, and she had gained fame with her melodious voice at the Yicui Pavilion. Seeing her here, he assumed the song was taught by her, so he asked, “What song is this?”
Qing Huan was momentarily stunned, then smiled, “It’s Young Master Nian singing with Sui Sui. I don’t know either.”
Ji Hong, puzzled, turned towards the kitchen. As he approached, the aroma of noodles and meat mingled with the lively song, and cheerful laughter echoed, though the song’s lyrics were odd. Knowing the cat and Sui Sui didn’t like him, he stood outside, quietly listening.
Inside, the boy hummed lightly, while Sui Sui sang as she peeled onions.
“If I had a fairy wand, I’d change big, small, and beautiful. I’d want a house full of comics, chocolates, and toys! If I had a robotic cat, I’d call it Ding Dang…”
“Ding Dang would grant all my wishes!”
“Meow!”
After singing, Sui Sui asked, “Big brother Nian, what is a fairy wand?”
Yu Jinnian kneaded the dough, unsure of how to explain, and had to make something up, “It’s a magical tool that little fairies in the sky use, similar to the vase that Guanyin Bodhisattva holds.”
Sui Sui asked again, “Then what are comics?”
“Comics…” Yu Jinnian closed his eyes and continued his nonsense, “They’re storybooks with lots of little characters drawn in them.”
“And what is chocolate?”
“I… I don’t know either, probably some kind of snack…” Yu Jinnian was really running out of ideas. He tore off a piece of dough, shaped it into a rabbit, and handed it to the little girl, coaxing her, “Good Sui Sui, go out and play. Big brother Nian needs to make breakfast now.”
Sui Sui pouted, “But I haven’t asked what a robo—”
Before she could finish, Yu Jinnian had already placed Little Ding Dang, who was waiting to be fed, into her arms, “Go play with Little Ding Dang.”
Holding the innocent-looking cat, Sui Sui reluctantly ran out. Yu Jinnian breathed a sigh of relief, but then heard someone laughing behind him. A deep voice asked, “What is a robotic cat?”
Yu Jinnian jumped in surprise and then relaxed, patting his chest, “Ah Hong, you scared me so early in the morning! Wait a moment, we’re having yam and mutton noodles for breakfast, I’ll call you when it’s ready.”
The noodles were made from yam paste, bean flour, and eggs, while the soup was a broth of scallions, ginger, and mutton. Today was cold, and this noodle dish could replenish energy and warm the body. As he kneaded the dough, Yu Jinnian narrated these trivial details to Ji Hong, not noticing if he was actually listening.
Ji Hong walked in and helped wipe the flour from Yu Jinnian’s face. The cool breeze outside contrasted with the heat waves in the kitchen. The flour, mixed with the boy’s sweat, didn’t come off easily and smeared across his healthy, slightly red skin, making it more noticeable.
“…Is there something dirty? I can do it myself.” Yu Jinnian paused and raised his hand, only to have it stopped by Ji Hong, who wouldn’t let him do it. He looked into Ji Hong’s dark eyes.
“Hmm?” Ji Hong cupped his face with one hand, his thumb brushing his cheek, and leaned in slightly, asking in a low voice, “You still haven’t told me, what is a robotic cat?”
His gentle tone was hard to resist, like countless feathers tickling one’s heart. Yu Jinnian’s breath caught, his whole body affected, his heart pounding for some reason. He glanced around nervously and said, “It’s a legend from my hometown, probably a divine cat that can grant any wish if you have it…”
Ji Hong released his grip slightly, understanding, “You named that fat cat Little Ding Dang because the divine cat is also called that?”
Yu Jinnian thought, it really wasn’t that complicated, it was just a random name because it looked similar.
Ji Hong suddenly tousled Yu Jinnian’s hair. Annoyed, Yu Jinnian was about to glare back when Ji Hong, who had bent down unnoticed, brushed his earlobe with his lips. The cool, soft touch felt like a piece of dough.
“You don’t need a divine cat. I can fulfill any of your wishes.” Ji Hong whispered, “Do you want that?”
His words were so tempting, reminding Yu Jinnian of stories he had read—beautiful female demons wandering in ancient temples, seducing passersby in various ways, fulfilling their desires, and then consuming their souls, continuing their search for the next victim.
Yu Jinnian looked at Ji Hong and said, “If I say yes, will your next sentence be—what price are you willing to pay? Hmm, although you’re very beautiful, I really can’t eat you.”
“I think you’re quite delicious.” Ji Hong laughed, his smile truly radiant.
“You haven’t eaten me, how do you know I’m delicious?” Yu Jinnian openly stared at him, momentarily forgetting what he was going to say, thinking only, how could he be so good-looking. Ji Hong, feeling lucky, stepped closer, Yu Jinnian stepped back. Ji Hong advanced again, Yu Jinnian retreated again, and before long, Yu Jinnian’s back was against the rough adobe wall.
“Can I have a taste?” Ji Hong bent down and whispered in his ear.
Yu Jinnian was overwhelmed by Ji Hong’s imposing presence, feeling a ticklish sensation from his words near his ear. He could only respond slowly, “How to taste…”
“Like this.” Ji Hong’s eyes curved slightly as he held Yu Jinnian’s hand, squeezing his soft palm. He leaned his head closer, feeling the warm breath on his face. Whether the boy was stunned or something else, he didn’t react for a long time, just blinking and pressing his lips together, seemingly frozen, allowing Ji Hong to inch closer.
“Blub blub…”
A bubbling sound came from the kitchen; the mutton soup was boiling. Ji Hong paused instinctively. At this moment, there was only a finger’s width between their lips. As he intended to proceed, Yu Jinnian seemed to snap out of it and mumbled, “The… the soup… it’s boiling…”
Ji Hong didn’t move, merely lifting his eyes, speaking softly, “Yes, it’s boiling.”
It felt as if a hand was patting Yu Jinnian’s heart chaotically. He looked down, swallowing a few times, and said, “It’s time to add the noodles.”
Ji Hong replied, “Is that so?”
“Yes…” After a round of aimless conversation, Yu Jinnian mumbled something unclear, glanced quickly at Ji Hong, then bent his legs and slipped out from beside Ji Hong. Without looking back, he swiftly cut the prepared dough into noodles and added them to the boiling mutton soup.
Ji Hong turned around, still leaning against the wall, watching the flustered boy’s back with great interest. After a while, he walked over, took a stack of bowls from the cabinet, and handed them over.
Yu Jinnian reached out to take them but, as if afraid of being scalded, quickly said, “Put them here.”
Ji Hong chuckled lightly and obediently placed the bowls on the stove.
At this moment, Qing Huan called from outside, “Brother Nian, a guest is looking for you.”
“Coming!” Yu Jinnian, as if finally seeing a savior, happily ran towards the front.
As they walked, Qing Huan whispered to him, “That guest is strange. He brought a lot of fish, saying they’re for you, Brother Nian.”
“Okay, I’ll go take a look.” Yu Jinnian nodded.
Lifting the curtain, he saw two or three large fish baskets in the front hall, seemingly just caught from the water, still dripping. Occasionally, a fish tail would jump out. A sturdy man bent down, picking up a fish that had just jumped out and throwing it back into the basket.
Yu Jinnian followed the fish, looked up at the man in confusion, and said, “Brother Qian?”
It was Qian Da, the fisherman who had sold crabs to Yu Jinnian and later rescued a disfigured girl from the river.
Qian Da saw him and, looking around like a thief dividing spoils, quickly pulled Yu Jinnian to a secluded spot, saying with a worried face, “Brother Nian, this might be a bit sudden… I want to ask you to see a patient.”
Yu Jinnian thought, why all the secrecy for a medical visit?
Qian Da leaned closer, his face turning red, and said, “It’s a woman’s illness, hard for me to explain.”
Yu Jinnian realized, “Is it that—”
“Shh!” Qian Da looked around again and whispered, “There’s a lot more to this story, hard to explain. So I want to ask you to go out of town. I’ve settled her in a wooden house on Hatter Mountain, left by my ancestors.”