The Abyssinian cat is a highly intelligent breed, generally gentle in temperament and skilled at using affectionate gestures to coax their owners into fulfilling their desires, while also being very loyal.
After being given away by its owner, Pudding, the two-year-old kitten, had been listless. Even when other cats cast curious glances through the cage or tentatively sniffed at the new arrival, Pudding paid them no mind.
Lin Lan let it mope for two days. On the morning of the third day, she picked it up and gave its whole body a thorough brushing with a silicone brush that doubled as a massager. The slender, petite cat with large ears immediately began purring out of habit.
No cat can resist the pleasure of being brushed, especially a pampered pet accustomed to human attention.
"Still missing your mom?" Seeing that Pudding didn't reject her and was lying comfortably on her lap, Lin Lan softened her tone to ask.
Whether cats or dogs, in the moment they don't understand human language, they rely on tone to gauge the other's emotions. Lin Lan's gentle tone made Pudding, who had been there for two days and was barely familiar with the surroundings, feel very relaxed.
Hearing her mention its previous owner, Pudding let out a soft meow: "Meow—" (I miss her, but I know Mom doesn't want me anymore, and I can't go home.)
Lin Lan fell silent for a moment. Given Ms. Yao's words and demeanor that day, this clever cat had probably sensed it already, or perhaps it had noticed signs even earlier.
"Meow..." (I knew it. Ever since Mom and I moved into that house, the older human never liked me. She always looked at me with eyes that seemed ready to chase me out at any moment. Mom would always fiercely stand in front of me and argue with that person. But I knew Mom couldn't win against her.)
Small animals are most sensitive to emotions. From the cat's words, Lin Lan gleaned more hidden details she hadn't known before.
Recalling the old lady's words to Ms. Yao, she kept emphasizing how meticulously her daughter-in-law cared for the cat. Essentially, the old lady wasn't really upset about her daughter-in-law keeping a cat; she loathed the amount of money spent on it. But since the money was earned by the daughter-in-law herself, she couldn't openly criticize it. This time, she used the excuse of pregnancy being incompatible with pets to make a big scene.
Furthermore, the male member of that household, who never showed up, probably shared the same view as the old lady. So he simply avoided the situation, letting all the blame and firepower concentrate on the old lady, as if that would keep him spotless.
This is also why in families with conflicts, mothers-in-law often bear the worst reputations, while husbands and fathers-in-law receive relatively less criticism. In fact, such men benefit the most from mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts.
Lin Lan felt a wave of inexplicable disgust, but her heart ached even more for the kitten and its owner. Ms. Yao probably never imagined the family she married into would be like this.
But she couldn't say any of this to Pudding. Instead, she softened her voice further and gently stroked the kitten's head.
"She didn't really want to give you up; she just had no other choice. Sending you to me was only to ensure you could have a better life. Pudding, from now on, you'll have a new home and many companions."
Pudding docilely allowed its new owner to pet it. This was a magical owner who could understand its speech and make itself understood, and who was also very gentle. So, even in this new, unfamiliar environment, it wasn't overly anxious and was gradually accepting its new circumstances.
"Meow..." (I know. Kittens always leave their mom when they grow up. Lan Lan, I'll stay here and won't run away.)
What an exceptionally well-behaved and clever little cat, Lin Lan thought to herself. She picked it up from her lap and placed it on the floor. "Well then, Pudding, welcome to your new home. Would you prefer to go back into the cage first and observe the new companions from a distance, or would you like to interact with them and play together?"
This cat's situation was special, and its temperament was good, so Lin Lan decided against the usual one-week isolation period. She directly asked for its opinion on joining the group.
"I can guarantee they absolutely won't bully you."
The petite, golden-red kitten looked up at her, its slender tail with a black tip swishing as if in thought. Then it meowed again: "Meow..." (Lan Lan, you'll protect me, right?)
"Yes," Lin Lan nodded. "I promised your mom I'd take good care of you."
With that promise, the Abyssinian cat was completely reassured. It trotted off towards the cat rest area, separated only by a low fence.
So far, there were already twelve cats in the house.
Apart from the house cat Snowflake, the rest, from the black cat family to the adopted purebred pets, were all tea house employees. While caring for them, Lin Lan was also teaching them the "Eighteen Ways to Be Adorable" and little tricks for dealing with various customers.
Before the milk tea shop's lease fully expired, Lin Lan's father, Lin Youyu, had already obtained all the necessary permits for the cat tea house. The very next day after Shopkeeper Xiao Zhang moved out, the merging and renovation of the two shop spaces began immediately.
Incidentally, the renovation construction team was introduced by Cheng Fengyang, said to be a highly reputable crew in the industry. Oh, and the selection of renovation materials and where to buy them were also arranged and delivered with Cheng Fengyang's help.
Under the pretext of checking the progress and observing the renovation quality, Cheng Fengyang started visiting the Lin family frequently. The noisy clanging from the construction site didn't hinder him from meeting Lin Lan at all. The two would discuss the construction plans, agreeing that if anything seemed off, they could immediately ask the workers to make changes on the spot.
Lin Lan had no objections to this. Since discovering that Cheng Fengyang's aesthetic tastes were very similar to her own, she was very happy to chat and talk with him. They had already become good friends.
Sometimes, even without discussing the renovation, they would talk about their respective pets at home—or, more accurately, brag about how sensible and clever their furry children were.
"Cheng Fengyang, let me tell you, my Snowflake, she... and my Blue Treasure... my Mo Mo..."
"My Star is like that too, Lin Lan, let me tell you... blah blah blah..."
In the small convenience store just one shop away, the older Lins had long noticed their daughter often chatting and getting close with a young man. Their daughter seemed focused on opening her shop and hadn't realized anything yet, but as bystanders, the old couple could see the situation clearly.
"That rascal has his eye on our Lan Lan!" Lin Youyu said this with a displeased expression.
"Tell me something I don't know, I figured it out ages ago!" Wang Xiuzhi shot her husband a glance, then also peeked over. "Look at Lan Lan, still acting silly and completely unaware."
The appearance of this young man was known to the old Lin family. It was said he came to express thanks and return a favor because Lin Lan had previously helped a relative of his family by returning a lost wallet. However, as an excellent and experienced designer in the industry, providing free interior design consultation was already more than generous. Yet, beyond that, he went on to help source materials, introduce construction teams, and even came by every few days to check on the progress. His enthusiasm was a bit over the top.
Faced with a young man so clearly courting their daughter, the couple's reactions differed.
"I think it's fine. If Lan Lan ends up with him, I wouldn't object." As the biological mother, she had naturally made inquiries about this young man who was interested in her daughter, learning all about his job and family. Remembering this was the old Cheng family from across the way—the ones who had gotten ahead with four compensation apartments from a demolition—Wang Xiuzhi nudged her husband beside her with a teasing elbow. "Well, look at that. The lucky Cheng family you've been envying and resenting for fifteen years might very well be won over by your daughter."
Lin Youyu was not pleased and even shot his wife a dissatisfied glance. "Who cares about their four apartments! They already gave one away when their daughter got married. Now they only have a small villa across the street and a large commercial property downtown left. Nothing to boast about." This completely contradicted his previous tune.
But it wasn't just the property; Old Man Cheng and his son both had jobs with decent salaries. Wang Xiuzhi only muttered this to herself, not wanting to provoke her husband who was currently in a rather petty mood.
Unaware of her parents' private conversation, Lin Lan was still busy with the renovation. The construction crew was diligent and responsible, and Lin Lan was not stingy either. Not only did she provide a meal each noon, treating them to a restaurant meal at the neighboring snack bar with a standard of four dishes and a soup, both meat and vegetable, ensuring ample sustenance, but she also delivered thirst-quenching fruit tea during breaks to replenish their fluids and energy—ah, this was thanks to Shopkeeper Xiao Zhang, who had sold Lin Lan the leftover unsold ingredients before leaving, which now came in handy.
The workers received their full wages, and during the job, they ate and drank well. Without the employer needing to say much, they naturally put extra care into their work, striving for perfection. After all, when you've eaten someone's food and taken their money, you feel obliged, especially when you've done both.
This led to the renovation, originally planned to take a month and a half, being completed ten days ahead of schedule.
The day after the shop's completion, the western part of the city welcomed its first light snow of winter. Looking back, it had already been over three months since Lin Lan returned to her hometown.
Looking at the calendar showing December, Lin Lan sat at home, turned towards the clowder of cats behind her, and smiled. "Just wait a little longer, let the shop air out. How about we open for business on New Year's Day?"
In the living room, the group of cats, comfortably lying on the specially purchased heated floor mats Lin Lan had gotten for them, responded to her with a chorus of various meows.
Wang Xiuzhi and Grandma Lin, who happened to be home, found this quite remarkable.
"Being trained by Lan Lan in the new house for a while really made a difference," Wang Xiuzhi remarked, surprised the kittens could be so obedient. "I was originally worried that without air conditioning over there, moving them back here would make them run all over the place. I never expected that when Lan Lan told them to stay on these heating pads, they'd actually listen and not move around."
"Probably because they're afraid of the cold," Grandma Lin said, watching the dozen or so cats all sitting there with their paws tucked in, like steamed buns placed on the kitchen counter during New Year's in the village—white rice flour buns, black rice flour buns, cornmeal buns, all adorable. "That new place has no lived-in warmth and no heating. This old house is definitely warmer."
"Coming for warmth is just one reason," Lin Lan explained. "The important thing is I want the kittens to get used to an environment with more people. Once the tea house opens, there will be many strangers. They need to build up their courage."
"If they don't run around, letting them stay like this isn't a problem," Wang Xiuzhi nodded, granting special permission. Knowing full well the cats couldn't understand, she still pointed at these "steamed buns" and said, "Let me tell you, if you need to do your business, you go to the bathroom. If I catch a whiff of that smell in the house, you're in for a spanking! Understand?"
Though she was speaking to the cats, the Empress Dowager's sharp glance was directed at Lin Lan.
Her daughter immediately panicked and quickly prompted the cats to chorus their understanding: "Did you hear that? If you need to go, you must do it in the bathroom. Those who don't listen won't get any dried fish snacks. Those who do listen, hurry up and answer Grandma!"
Instantly, another wave of meows rose and fell. Some of the cleverer cats had already stood up and started rubbing against Wang Xiuzhi's pants legs, acting cute.
The kittens had figured it out: the person at the top of the food chain in this house wasn't Lan Lan, but this Grandma. They needed to curry favor.
Wang Xiuzhi was both amused and exasperated by the cats' rubbing, making Grandma Lin laugh. The old lady accidentally flung the lid of the hand cream she was holding, and it rolled away, disappearing under a low cabinet.
The gap was too narrow for a human hand to reach. The old lady exclaimed and was about to find a suitable tool to retrieve it when Lin Lan stopped her.
"Grandma, don't move. I'll get it," Lin Lan said, but her eyes turned to the kittens on the heated mats. "Little Mo Yi, help me get the lid out."
Upon receiving the command, a little black cat immediately ran out, slipped under the cabinet, and in a couple of swipes pushed the hand cream lid out. As Lin Lan bent down to pick up the lid, she also gathered the little black cat into the crook of her arm, turning to her stunned mother and grandmother with a triumphant smile.
"So? Are the cats I raise useful or what?"
The little black cats were already nine months old. By the time the Cat Tea House opened on New Year's Day, they would be nearly one year old—proper adult cats. Their size had increased compared to when they first arrived at the Lin household. This wasn't just true for the black cats; as a large breed, the Ragdoll was even more so. The six-month-old Sapphire was almost unrecognizable compared to three months ago, not only larger in size but also with fuller, fluffier fur—clearly a beautiful and very pet-able kitten.
Just as Lin Lan was feeling proud of her cat-raising achievements, the other two women in the room, having recovered from their surprise, also burst out laughing.
"Useful! Very useful!" Grandma Lin was already laughing so hard she slapped her thigh. "Lan Lan, how did you raise them? These kittens are so smart they're practically magical!"
Lin Lan lifted her chin even higher. "This is nothing. Wait until I officially open on New Year's Day. There will be even more surprises to come!"
Everyone in the Lin family, including Lin Lan, thought December would pass by in this busy yet uneventful manner, simply waiting for the New Year's Day opening. However, the following twenty-some days proved otherwise.
With that first snowfall came the full arrival of winter, and with it, the most severe trial for the stray cats.
Lin Lan wasn't worried about Boss Cat's group suffering losses this year. She delivered supplies every few days and had noticed the number of cats following it was growing larger and larger.
"Meow...wao wao wao...meow meow meow..." (That's because...munch munch...many cats around know...munch munch...that the Cat Boss has a two-legged behind it supporting it...it gets food sent by the two-legged...munch munch...so to survive the winter...we all came to follow it.)
This was a stray cat answering her questions between mouthfuls of canned food. After listening to its fragmented reply, Lin Lan couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth.
