When Shi Xinyu and her grandma returned, the nearby neighbors had already called the police, and the area was quite chaotic.
Grandma, fearing something had happened—these neighbors had been close friends for over a decade, with deep affection—stepped forward anxiously and asked, “What’s going on?”
A neighbor cursed, “This whole block has been robbed. Which animal took advantage of people visiting graves and—”
Shi Xinyu was in no mood to listen to what the neighbor would say next. She rushed home, her hand trembling slightly as she opened the door.
She saw shattered glass on the floor and drops of fresh blood.
Ying Miaomiao was settled by Grandma on the sofa covered with the green slipcover. Grandma had noticed a few days ago that the little cat really liked that sofa.
7 o’clock in the evening.
Her back leg was still faintly throbbing, but it was much better compared to when they first arrived.
Shi Xinyu hurriedly pushed open the door. Ying Miaomiao stretched her neck to look at her.
Shi Xinyu, whose usually meticulously styled long hair was draped over her shoulders, had it tied up, with a few strands loose, looking somewhat messy. There were small droplets of water on her forehead and hair, suggesting it might be raining outside.
Seeing the little cat lying on the sofa, her fur disheveled, and her back leg stiff from pain and (not daring) to move, Shi Xinyu’s heart suddenly leaped.
She quickly walked towards the sofa, her pale fingertips hovering over Ying Miaomiao but not daring to touch her.
Her eyes were slightly red.
Ying Miaomiao took the initiative to nudge her head against Shi Xinyu’s fingertips, seemingly sensing her hesitation, and let out an appeasing meow.
“Meow.”
Don’t be afraid.
Shi Xinyu soothingly stroked Ying Miaomiao’s head, the red tinge in the corners of her eyes intensifying. She opened her mouth, her voice somewhat hoarse: “Miaomiao, I’m sorry.”
Ying Miaomiao rubbed against her hesitant fingertips and gently nipped them, not even leaving a mark. “Meow-ao.”
It’s okay, I’m very forgiving.
Shi Xinyu stood up and happened to meet her grandma’s gaze beside her. She opened her mouth, but Grandma spoke first: “You should take Miaomiao to get her leg checked quickly. There’s a veterinary station near the farm. Pet hospitals are probably closed now.”
She nodded, packed a few simple things, brought a power bank, and carefully placed Ying Miaomiao, along with the green sofa slipcover, into the pet carrier.
The top of the carrier was opened. The floating, soft weightlessness felt very much like swinging on a swing set as a child. Ying Miaomiao suddenly felt a little emotional; it had been so long since she had been to a park.
As she was safely placed in the car, Ying Miaomiao felt sleepy. But when Shi Xinyu saw the little cat’s head nodding, she suddenly became nervous.
She recalled the dried bloodstains when she was cleaning up the glass shards.
She hesitated for a moment but decided to wake Ying Miaomiao.
“Miaomiao, you can’t sleep. Wait until we get to the vet station to sleep, be a good girl.”
Her voice was as gentle as coaxing a child.
Half-asleep, Ying Miaomiao was suddenly shaken awake by Shi Xinyu. She was a little bewildered and looked at Shi Xinyu in shock, silently protesting.
The town was small. The distance from Shi Xinyu’s house to the farm was not far. Even though her driving speed was not fast, they reached the veterinary station smoothly in about fifteen minutes.
After parking the car, Ying Miaomiao could smell all sorts of complex odors from afar—pigs, cattle, sheep, and other livestock, everything was there.
At the door, her heart was pounding. Is this place only for treating livestock?
Shi Xinyu also hesitated for a moment but still walked into the vet station.
The night was dark. The stars and moon were obscured by thick clouds, showing no light.
But a white incandescent lamp was constantly lit inside the vet station.
It was a bit noisy. As soon as Shi Xinyu entered, she was surrounded by loud dog barking. Her sharp eyes immediately spotted a piece of paper with a printed phone number stuck under the incandescent lamp.
In the dark, the animals’ eyes were glowing green. Ying Miaomiao even saw a small calico dog with all four limbs tied to a stand, getting an IV drip, but still barking fiercely at them.
The little dog’s barking was high-pitched and excited. Although it was barking, it showed no intention of guarding the place.
“Come play with me!
Let me go!
Who are you!
Can I go out and play with you!”
The little calico dog was so talkative that Ying Miaomiao’s head began to hurt.
Shi Xinyu’s phone call also connected.
However, the continuous barking of dogs completely drowned out her voice. But the person on the other end understood her intention, only asking if the location was the vet station before hanging up decisively.
During the wait, Ying Miaomiao felt like she was suffering inhuman torture from the little calico dog in her ear while simultaneously fighting against sleepiness.
As soon as her head drooped slightly, Shi Xinyu would immediately shake her awake.
Ying Miaomiao called this “owl torture” (a reference to a method of keeping a hawk awake).
Fortunately, the vet was not slow. She arrived at the station on a small motorcycle. The originally noisy dogs instantly quieted down, turning into whines and soft pleas for attention.
The vet checked the animals’ conditions. Ying Miaomiao looked around and found that dogs accounted for the majority, with a few cats, and a single quiet pig.
Seeing the vet return, the pig lifted an eyelid to look at her, then closed it again.
From the pig’s expression, Ying Miaomiao seemed to detect a hint of disdain, but the pig was too lazy to scold the little dogs.
Ying Miaomiao thought, This is truly a lazy pig.
“How is the little cat?”
Shi Xinyu shook her head. She placed the carrier under the incandescent lamp for the vet to check the situation.
“Our house was broken into by a thief. Miaomiao must have been hurt by him. When I got home, Miaomiao was outside, but there was blood on the ground, and her leg was also injured.”
The vet checked Ying Miaomiao’s condition while asking, “Whose blood is it?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m afraid it’s Miaomiao’s. Doctor, do you think she might have internal injuries?”
Ying Miaomiao rarely saw Shi Xinyu speak so cautiously. But one thing she really wanted to clarify was that the bloodstains belonged to the thief.
She secretly muttered to herself, No wonder Shi Xinyu didn’t dare to let her sleep the whole way; lack of common sense harms people.
However, a warmth passed through Ying Miaomiao’s heart. The kind and generous little cat decided to forgive Shi Xinyu’s “owl torture.”
The vet also smiled. She held up one of Ying Miaomiao’s paws. “Look.”
Dried bloodstains were stuck to the paw. Ying Miaomiao was speechless. Why didn’t I notice there was blood on my paw? Human blood is the dirtiest!
She was genuinely afraid the person had an infectious disease.
Shi Xinyu looked closely, and after confirming it wasn’t Ying Miaomiao’s blood, she breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Miaomiao, you scared your sister to death. I thought you had internal injuries.”
The vet pressed Ying Miaomiao’s leg again. Seeing no special reaction from Ying Miaomiao, only a slight withdrawal when pressed, she generally had an idea.
“The bones are fine; it’s just some superficial tissue damage. If you’re still worried, you can feed her more nutritious food to supplement her diet.
“However, to rule out other issues, you can observe her closely for a while. It’s best not to let the cat engage in strenuous activity. Let her rest for a period.”
Shi Xinyu nodded repeatedly in agreement. She asked, “Thank you. How much is the fee?”
The vet waved her hand dismissively. “It’s nothing serious. She didn’t need any medication, just a check-up.”
But then she changed the subject, her eyes crinkling in a smile, “However, you might want to learn about our donation program here. Most of the cats, dogs, and pigs here are rescues. The fund flow is fully transparent and used for animal rescue.”
Shi Xinyu slightly inclined her head. She asked the vet for contact information. “I will consider it. Why don’t we exchange contact info to discuss the details?”
At the vet station, Shi Xinyu also asked for some wet wipes and meticulously cleaned Ying Miaomiao’s paws. Ying Miaomiao was very cooperative. She had disliked those bloodstains for a long time and found the idea of licking them clean like a cat unacceptable.
Only when she saw her paws become snow-white again did she completely relax. As they left, Ying Miaomiao looked through the rear-view mirror as the vet station’s incandescent light gradually shrunk until it disappeared.
Ying Miaomiao understood the vet’s approach to seeking donations. In college, when she had the ability, she also organized fundraising.
But what Ying Miaomiao didn’t know was that at that time, besides her good reputation in the cat world, she had a terrifying street name: “The Expert in Testicle Removal.” (a humorous euphemism for being an expert at getting male cats neutered/fixed).
When Shi Xinyu returned home, it was nearly 9:30 PM.
Grandma had left a light on by the door.
Ying Miaomiao had already fallen asleep swaying in the car. Shi Xinyu finally wasn’t as worried about letting her sleep as she was on the way there. Looking at the little cat’s tranquil sleeping face.
Shi Xinyu’s lips unconsciously curled into a smile.
“What a conscientious ‘police chief.'”
The next day.
When Ying Miaomiao woke up, she was sleeping soundly on the soft sofa slipcover.
She had been moved into the room by Shi Xinyu last night, but Shi Xinyu, reluctant to disturb the little cat’s sleep, brought the carrier with her.
Outside, the sky was bright, and the faint sound of a rooster crowing could be heard.
Shi Xinyu was no longer in bed. Her bedding was neatly arranged, the window was slightly open, and the white sheer curtain was billowing in the breeze, letting in a few wisps of wind.
Ying Miaomiao was still limping slightly. However, after hearing the vet say her injury wasn’t serious yesterday, she also let loose and didn’t pay much attention to it.
She stood at the stairs on the second floor and looked down. Grandma and Shi Xinyu were both awake. The time was approximately 7:00 AM.
Shi Xinyu was coming out of the kitchen, holding her bowl, when she saw a pair of round eyes looking at her from the second floor. She was a little surprised, put down the bowl, and hurried upstairs.
Ying Miaomiao lay still, watching as Shi Xinyu picked her up. “Why are you running around when you’re hurt? Sister will worry.”
With that, she carried Ying Miaomiao toward the room.
…
Shi Xinyu’s vacation had only two days left.
During these remaining two days, Ying Miaomiao enjoyed imperial treatment at Grandma’s house.
She thought that even Jiang Shaonjia of the Jiang Dynasty didn’t have as good a treatment as her.
Food was ready right by her mouth when she woke up, and Shi Xinyu walked for her.
She also occasionally heard Grandma’s praise.
Grandma said that after the police were called that day, the thief was identified within just one day, and the thief had a cat scratch mark on his face. The neighbors all said that if it hadn’t been for that cat, more homes probably would have been robbed.
Ying Miaomiao was praised so much that the invisible “red scarf” on her chest became even redder (a reference to the Red Scarf worn by Young Pioneers in China, symbolizing honor).
But now Shi Xinyu finally knew where the bloodstains on Ying Miaomiao’s paws had come from that day.
Therefore, on the day of departure, Ying Miaomiao was a little reluctant to leave.
As they left, Grandma filled Shi Xinyu’s trunk with local specialties. Although the drive was only about half an hour, there is a kind of concern called “Grandma’s concern.”