Solstice Secrets

In April, the sun is just right.

I lay down and dozed off under the Xifu crabapple tree in the corner of the garden. As soon as I opened my eyes, I could see the pink and white flowers swaying in the warm breeze.

The most beautiful scenery in spring is the blooming flowers.No wonder there is such a poem saying that you are a tree blooming like a tree...

Alas, inadvertently and artistically.Probably because I am getting older, and I will always think of the past, good, bad, happy, and painful.This verse was read to me by my former master.She always said that only by tasting all the ups and downs can you know the true taste of life.

Perhaps, this sentence is also applicable to a cat.

Unlike the impostor in the small sample, my master is from a real family.During the Qianlong period, her family ancestor had a second place in the list, and later became an official of the third rank.When it was first liberated, there was still a big house in my hometown, and there was a dark wooden plaque hanging on the gate, with the words "Xue Fu" written on it.I once saw this old photo in the owner's photo album, black and white pattern, it looks very old.She said that the photos were also handed down by the elders in her family, and the house is no longer there.

My master was born in the countryside, and came to this city to go to school from the countryside when he was more than ten years old. Later, he stayed here to work, married and started a business here, and sent away his lover who had been with him for half his life here.She often said that I came to her when she thought all her relatives had left her.

I don't remember things so clearly when I was a child.All I know is that she always hugs me, talks to me very gently, cooks delicious food for me, and spends a lot of time playing with me.In the later years, I met many, many people, but I always think she is the most gentle and patient person I have ever met.

At that time, I thought we would always live together.

My master was retired by then, but her situation was different from her peers.Her colleagues and friends occasionally get together to discuss topics such as sons, daughters, or grandchildren. She has no family or children, and gradually, she no longer participates in such occasions.Later, her friend introduced her to a job as a shopkeeper in a bookstore. The work is not tiring, and she only needs to tidy up the bookshelves every day, and collect money by the way.The bookstore is very close to the school, and young people often go in and out of the store, sometimes chatting with my owner.I think she laughed a lot more after working in the bookstore than before.It made me feel happy too.

Sometimes she would take me to the bookstore together, and I would lie on the window sill of the bookstore and bask in the sun while she was working.The sun is very warm, the air is filled with a faint fragrance of ink, and my master is beside me.

It was the happiest time of my life.

The bookstore opens at ten o'clock every morning and closes later at night.Sometimes it will be delayed until ninety o'clock.Because there is a middle school near the bookstore, those students often come to find some materials or test papers during evening self-study.My master won't close and lock the door until they're all gone.Then take me back to our own home through a small half of the city.

That road is far from the main road, and there are some people walking in summer, but there are very few pedestrians at night in winter.When the weather is bad, my master always takes this shortcut when he is rushing to take me home.The owner of the bookstore, a middle-aged woman, once advised her to close early and not to take that road when returning home.But she felt that those children came here to buy test papers in the cold, and if they saw that the bookstore was closed, wouldn't they come in vain?As for the issue of taking shortcuts, she said that she was an old woman and didn't have any valuables on her body, so even if there was a robbery, she would not choose her to start.

The bookstore owner always said, "Oh, that's not what it said. It's always safer to go home early."

My master did not take this advice to heart. In her opinion, the city where she had lived half her life was still very trustworthy.But how did that sentence say, if you walk a lot at night, you will always meet ghosts.Later I realized that meeting ghosts is not the worst thing to do.What is more terrifying than this is that what we meet is not a ghost.

That night was no different from any previous night. The last group of children said goodbye to my master and walked out of the bookstore together.My master put me in the coat pocket, put my backpack on my back, turned off the lights, closed the door, and locked the outermost security door.

I poked my head out of the pocket of the master's coat and saw the street lamp opposite the bookstore cast a dim yellow light on the road, and the narrow street looked quiet and deserted.Occasionally, a few pedestrians passed by there, all in a hurry.A gust of cold wind blew by, and a cluster of small thread ends beside her pocket floated up and brushed past my nose, itching.

I know this coat of hers is quite old, although it looks decent, but if you look closely, places like the cuffs and pockets have been frayed, and the interlining in the pockets has also been replaced by herself. A strong thick cotton cloth.The original silky lining had already been torn and could no longer be used.I think she should get a nice new coat, like the bright, crisp navy blue coat the bookstore owner wears, or the thick, plush coat with the fur collar of the neighbor's aunt.But she always murmured to herself, saying that the fish are so expensive now, and she must ensure that I have fish to eat every day, so I can't just spend money casually.

Later, when I talked about this with Ling Dongzhi, Ling Dongzhi said with red eyes, it was because my master regarded me as the treasure in his heart, and he would rather live a harder life than me being wronged.He touched my ear and said, "Xiaohui, I told you not to run around, just stay with me obediently. If your master knows that you are wandering outside, sleeping in a sewer well, fighting with dogs and getting injured, She also rummages through the trash can to find something to eat, she will definitely cry."

Cough, cough, how to say and talk and pull away.

When I poked my head out of her pocket that night, it was just a pity that I wasn't of her kind.If I were a human being and could work and earn money with my own hands, I would definitely buy her the most beautiful and warmest new coat in the world.

My master locked the door, reached into his pocket and rubbed my head, murmured: "Little Hui, don't just stick your head out, the wind is so cold."

In fact, I don't feel cold, because her hands are warm on my back.But I still licked her fingers and shrank them in my pocket honestly.Then I fell asleep.Sleeping in her pocket, I always feel very at ease, so I sleep extra deeply.

I didn't wake up in the first place.

This is my fault.

I vaguely heard someone talking.In addition to my master, there were several strangers' voices, one of them had a slightly raised ending, and said with an indescribably frivolous and arrogant smile: "You see, it's not easy to go back empty-handed when we go out. Come on, old lady, just give us the bag."

Then my master touched me in my pocket, as if to make sure I was still there.Then I heard her trembling voice say to those people: "I'm just a retired old lady, what kind of money can I have. You go, I'll pretend I haven't seen you."

How come money is mentioned, I immediately became alert.As soon as I moved, I was held down by the master's big hand.She pressed me so hard, as if she was afraid that I would make a fuss, and my neck hurt from her.This is something that has never happened before.So I dare not move again.

Just such a mistake, I didn't hear what they said.When I finally reacted, my master had already let go of the hand that was holding me.When I jumped out of my pocket, the first thing I saw was a young man with yellow hair. He was pulling something from my master with a fierce look on his face.Behind him were a few men who couldn't see their faces clearly, muttering something, as if they were watching the fun.

A strange smell filled the air.

Before I could react, all the hairs on my body stood on end.An anxious feeling rose in my heart, as if a violent and ferocious beast was slowly waking up in my heart.

The young man with yellow hair raised his foot and kicked over, "Damn old woman!"

I jumped onto her shoulders along the owner's scarf, and I felt as if something was stuck to my paws, and they were wet.But I didn't care to look, because she staggered back two steps, and sat on the ground as if tripped by something.She raised a hand as if to hug me, then fell to the ground as if she had no strength left.

The yellow-haired man raised his foot to kick my master, and I sprinted along his legs and onto his shoulders.The sharp claws pierced his skin, tearing from the corner of the eye all the way down to the chin.The bright red liquid splashed out, and the fierce beast in my heart seemed to be appeased for a short time, and then it screamed more ferociously.

Huang Mao let out a miserable scream.

The voice seemed to make everyone behind him panic. A big man scolded: "If you haven't seen the world, you haven't seen the world. I specially picked an old lady for you to practice. You can practice this virtue... ... Hurry up and look through her bag!"

I don't understand what practicing hands is, but I understand that they want to snatch my master's bag.So I ran up quickly along the arm of the young man who wanted to snatch the bag, and scratched his neck with one paw.Before he could react, he jumped up from his shoulders, jumped onto the head of the person behind him and scratched wildly.

"Damn it, dead cat! It's scratching me to death!" The man grabbed my tail with his struggling hand, and I jumped out suddenly, a sharp pain came from the tail.

My eyes went dark, and I screamed heart-piercingly.

By the time I regained my sanity, they had already run away.On the dark side street, only my master lay there quietly.I resisted the pain and crawled crookedly towards her, carefully licking her face.

"Meow~"

She didn't move, didn't even open her eyes to look at me.

No one passed by, only me screaming frantically in the side street.I've never hated myself for being a cat more than I did in that moment.

In the end, I climbed to the nearby residential building and scratched the glass desperately, causing the owner of that house to open the window to beat me. Only then did I find the person lying on the road.I heard the pudgy man stumbling and running to call the police.But when the police and ambulance arrived, my master had no heartbeat.

I know, she is dead.

The person who cared about me the most in this world just disappeared.I lay on top of her and refused to leave. The little policeman who dealt with the accident coaxed me a few words, and finally got impatient, pinched my neck and yelled: "Cats are not allowed to touch dead bodies, do you understand that? Damn it! Do you want her to die in peace?"

I don't know what it means to die without peace.But I know that those who killed her have not been caught by the police.I remember what they looked like, and even the strange smell on that yellow hair.

I ran out of the hospital and spent three months hanging around there.The wound on the tail became infected, hurt for a long time, and later scabbed over.When it finally started to hurt, I found where the bad guys were hiding.

It took me a lot of effort to find the policeman who told me he was dead. I walked halfway across the city with his pant legs in his mouth, and he refused to let go no matter whether he scolded me or kicked me.Later, he was annoyed by me, and followed me to the dilapidated living area in a compromised manner.I ambushed there with him for most of the day, and as long as he wanted to leave, I would hold his trouser legs in my mouth to prevent him from leaving.Then the yellow hair appeared, and I pounced on him, scratched his face, and bit off half of his ear.

The police took him to the police station, and later...

Later, the little police found me in the street garden opposite the community.At that time, I was lying on the rockery to bask in the sun.From this direction I can see my original home.

I don't know where to go other than here.

The little policeman brought me a box of canned cat food.Canned cat food tastes weird, and it's absolutely unpalatable compared to the fish my master cooks for me.But I ate it up anyway, because I already know how difficult it is for a cat without an owner to take care of it.

The little policeman looked at me with emotion and said: "I have been a policeman for several years, and I have never seen a cat as smart as you. If it weren't for you, it might not be easy to catch those bad guys."

I licked the corner of my mouth, thinking that even if I caught it, it would be of no use.The person who cooked me fish and hugged me in the cold will never come back.Besides her, who else in this world would not even be willing to buy a new overcoat, just to save the money to buy fish for me every day?

The little policeman asked again: "Why don't you come with me. My salary is not high, and I probably can't give you canned cat food every day. But you can live with me."

I'm not interested in this offer.Who knows where he lives?If I lived far away, wouldn't I be able to come back and visit my home every day?

The little policeman said regretfully: "If you have nothing to eat, come to me. Don't forget."

I knew I wouldn't go to him.Because when I saw him, I couldn't help but think of that bloody night, of what I had gained and lost, and how powerless I was.

The little policeman walked a few steps and turned back, reached out and touched my head and said softly: "Cat, everything will be fine. You will live a long time, and you will meet someone who cares about you and takes care of you, like Love you as much as your former master."

"It will all come true."

"Believe me."