Solstice Secrets

When Tangdou opened his eyes, it was already dark.The dim light of the street lamps filtered through the thick undergrowth overhead, casting dappled light on the grass.

Jelly Bean stretched out on the lawn.As soon as the arms and legs were stretched, a tingling sensation was immediately felt from the side of the waist and hind legs.Tangdou let out a meow, and quickly retracted the stretched arms and legs.Carefully move the joints of the limbs.

"Meow~"

No one answered it.It was already late at night, and the surroundings were very quiet.Other than its faint sound, there are only the rustling sounds of the little bugs in the grass.There are no familiar sounds at home: the sound of the owner walking around in soft-soled slippers, the yelling of Uncle Brown Tang, the soft voices of parents... Tangdou feels that he is beginning to feel scared.

It was basking in the sun on the steps under the eaves, but why did it come here?

Tangdou blinked and blinked his big eyes, trying to recall what happened to him this afternoon, as if the kid who planted small tomatoes in the garden came again.He ran around in the garden, and asked his mother to wash a large plate of small red tomatoes to feed it. Jelly beans were not interested in such tasteless things, so the child took the small tomatoes again. Go tease Uncle Brown Sugar.Later, the little boy named Bao Bao moved a car from the house that was bigger than the flower pot under the steps.He also held a small black box in his hand.His little hand pressed the box back and forth, and the car ran around the yard beeping, and sometimes bumped into the railing of the garden.

The big cats and kittens in the family are all very curious about this car that can run around by itself without being driven by anyone, especially the three kittens, who jump up and down around the car.Later, the baby took the kittens to sit in the car one by one, and he directed the car to go back and forth in the yard.

This is a very popular game.Doudou also consciously waited in line to get on the bus to play.Later, it was Tangdou's turn. When he was carried into the car by the baby, his little heart was pounding with excitement.

"Don't be afraid, the cat is good," the baby touched its head with its fleshy paws, "I'll drive slowly."

The car circled the yard, and when it reached the front yard, it happened to catch up with the owner of the house.The courtyard door was opened, and the car was coming in along the wide passage in front of the door.The baby was probably looking at the taxi coming in, and when he didn't pay attention to his own car, he drove out along the open door.

This is the first time Tangdou has left this big yard.Although it used to look out through the vines wrapped around the railing, its mother reminded it that there are many bad people outside and they will hurt them.So although jelly bean is a little curious about the outside world, it has been obediently staying in the yard.

But before Tangdou could carefully look at the world outside the yard, the car it was riding in lost control and drove crookedly out of the road paved with bluestone slabs, and rushed towards the bushes on the side of the road.Jelly Bean's eyes widened, and before it could think of a way to deal with it, the car bumped up on the cobblestone path by the side of the road, and then plunged into the bushes.The jelly beans were thrown out by the overturned car. By coincidence, they passed through the gap in the bushes, fell on the slope behind the bushes, and then rolled along the slope into the ditch at the bottom of the slope.

The ditch is not big, but for a cat like Tangdou, it is like a big river.Jelly Bean was pushed forward by the current in a dizzy state, hitting the shore from time to time, but each time it was washed away by the current before it could grab hold of the rocks on the shore.So, when it was finally washed ashore by the current, before it could shake off the water droplets on its body, it lay down on the lawn exhausted and fell asleep.

It was already dark when he woke up.The lawn, the street lamps, the trimmed bushes all looked alike in the night.But behind the bushes is not its home.

Jelly Bean got lost.

Jelly Bean licked his paw, thinking of the big fish he ate for lunch.The owner picks out the stewed fragrant fish, mixes it with rice and chopped vegetables, just smelling it makes people drool.It's a pity that at that time, it was so busy grabbing wool balls from red beans that it didn't have a good meal.It's too late to regret now.

The hungry jelly bean children climbed up the sloping lawn until the moon rose above their heads before they climbed out of the bushes.Outside the grove is a wide road, and across the road is a linear park, and the jelly beans can't be seen any farther away.But he heard the sound of running water, and he suspected that there was a greater river behind those gardens with beautiful flowers opposite.

It has to be said that Tangdou's guess is still well-founded.It's just that there is no river behind the strip park, but the famous clear water lake in the southern district.Behind the dense bush behind Tangdou is the outer railing of Yujingyuan Community.If it gets in through the railing and runs in the right direction for a quarter of an hour, it can get home.

It's a pity that Tangdou doesn't know anything about it.It lay on the spot and looked around for a while in a daze, chose a direction that looked brighter, and trotted past.

After Tangdou foolishly ran along the road for a while, he realized that this direction also had no impression in its memory.This is where it has never been, not its way home.Jelly Bean stopped panting heavily.It stretched out its hand to press its rumbling stomach, and meowed pitifully at the street lamp above its head.

How to do?

Tangdou sat alone on the side of the road, and the more he sat, the more frightened he became, so he could only get up hungry and continue walking.It decided to ask someone for directions.Its father said that many cats and dogs in this area know the winter solstice, or it can ask someone.

After bypassing this belt-shaped park, the road in front of me began to narrow, and there was a strange smell in the air, and suspicious black shadows scurrying around in the dark alley from time to time.Tangdou walked forward close to the low wall of the street in a panic, and the terrible sounds of fighting and chewing in the night reminded Tangdou of those terrible monsters that would swallow kittens in the story.

A black figure flashed from the front.Its speed was so fast that Tangdou didn't have time to dodge, and was hit by it and flew straight out. It slammed and fell on the lamppost not far away, and its internal organs seemed to be smashed.Jelly Bean lay limply on the ground, with golden stars in front of his eyes.

A big paw plucked at it, and the tone of voice was quite regrettable, "It's a little guy. Is it dead?"

Tang Dou closed his eyes and twitched.

"Huh?" The big paw tentatively touched its head again, "Alive?"

Tangdou meowed weakly, indicating that he was still alive.It can feel that it is a big guy beside it, and as a cub, it has an instinctive fear of the elders.But it can't get up now, so it can only continue to lie down.

The big cat pondered for a while, then lowered its head, put the jelly beans in its mouth and quickly ran out of the side street.Tang Dou, who was originally dizzy, miraculously woke up after going through such a bumpy ride.

"Where is this?" Tangdou limply got up from the grass.It seems to be the lawn where it just climbed up the ditch, but it doesn't seem to be the same.This is the first time Tangdou has left home when he grows so big, and he can't tell where it is.

"Sunshine Garden." The voice from before said lazily, "Where is your home? Little guy. If it's not far away, I can take you back. Just treat it as compensation for knocking you unconscious."

Tangdou turned around, and immediately exclaimed in surprise, "Small...big-looking uncle!"

The yellow cat lying on the lawn squinted its eyes, with a puzzled expression, "Did you recognize the wrong cat?"

Tangdou tilted his head and looked at it, "I have a small uncle in my family who looks just like you, but not as big as you."

The yellow cat opened its eyes curiously, "Are there many cats in your house?"

Tangdou stretched out his meaty paws to count, "In addition to my brother and sister, there are Daddy, Mommy, Uncle Xiaobian, Uncle Little Gray, and a big dog named Uncle Brown Tang."

The yellow cat looked at it enviously, "Your house is so lively."

"Yeah," Tangdou leaned back in frustration, "Master cooks delicious fish and meat bibimbap for us every day. Meow~"

"Then why did you escape?"

Tangdou made a long story short, and after talking about his tragic experience, he asked the yellow cat with tears in his eyes, "My dad said that many people around here know Dongzhi, do you know him?"

"Winter solstice, Lingdong solstice," the yellow cat said back and forth twice, and murmured, "I seem to have heard someone mention this name."

Tangdou's eyes lit up, "Who is it?"

The yellow cat scratched its ears worriedly, "I forgot. How about I take you to ask Yutou before dawn."

"Who is the fish head?"

"It, it is the most fierce cat in this area. It will definitely know where Ling Dongzhi lives." A look of hesitation flashed in the yellow cat's eyes, "It usually lives in that red-roofed pavilion on the other side of the lake. Next to it. There are a few younger brothers following it. They all call it the cat king of the South District."

Tangdou blinked in confusion, why did he sound like a gangster?

Oh, it was Uncle Brown Sugar who told him the term gangster.Once, when there was no one at home, Uncle Brown Sugar took a few of his kittens to watch a TV series about gangsters fighting for territory at home.The leading leader inside is leading the younger brother, and there is a dark pattern on his arm.Uncle Brown Sugar said that thing is called a tattoo.

Tangdou wanted to ask clearly, but felt that it was inappropriate to express doubts about Yutou's identity so straightforwardly.Although it finds the yellow cat's flickering eyes disturbing when it talks about fish heads.Before it could think about why this uneasiness came from, Tangdou's stomach began to growl.

The yellow cat looked at Tangdou sympathetically, hesitated for a moment, and went into the bushes. After a while, the branches and leaves rattled, and it came out again with something in its mouth.Walking to Jelly Bean with small steps, he spit out the contents of his mouth at its feet, "Hey, it's fresh, eat it while it's hot."

Tangdou smiled gratefully at it, swallowed and moved towards it.Before seeing clearly what it brought, Tangdou smelled a faint smell of blood.

This gave Jelly Bean a bad feeling.

In the next second, Tangdou saw clearly the little black thing lying under the light, its eyes widened in horror, and all the hairs on its body stood on end in an instant.

"Mom! It's a mouse!!!"