The Pei household was in chaos. All the men had gone out searching, leaving only Grandma Pei and a sobbing Sun Limei behind.
At that moment, the little cat on the sofa bristled all over, its tail slightly raised, letting out a soft “wuu wuu” as it stared at Su Jin.
It was the first time she had seen it act like this.
Su Jin’s heart skipped a beat. She went over, scooped the cat into her arms, and stroked its fur. “Tuan Tuan, do you know something? Can you help us find them?”
The black cat meowed, its voice unusually soft and urgent. It sniffed her body, then fixed its eyes toward the direction of the front door.
Su Jin seemed to understand. This cat was intelligent, and all the Lingquan water she had given it wasn’t wasted.
She took a deep breath and looked at Grandma Pei. “Grandma, could you give me one of the children’s clothes? I want Tuan Tuan to smell it and see if it can help us.”
Her words instantly drew Sun Limei’s ire. She sprang up from the sofa, bloodshot eyes glaring at Su Jin, yelling, “A cat isn’t a dog! What could it possibly smell? What use is that beast? It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t come today, none of this would have happened. My poor sons… who knows where they’re suffering! It’s all your fault—you just had to come here! You jinx…”
Grandma Pei interrupted, her voice firm. “Enough! Eldest daughter-in-law, I know you’re upset, but what does this have to do with Xiao Jin? Now is not the time for tantrums or yelling. This is the critical time for finding the children. Whether human or animal, if there’s even the slightest chance, we must seize it.”
She got up and went to the first-floor room to retrieve two pieces of the children’s clothing.
The little black cat, sensing Sun Limei’s harsh words, raised its tail and glared at her.
Su Jin understood the cat was angry and soothed it with gentle strokes. She kept her composure, though her heart was racing—she wasn’t sure if her understanding was correct, or if the cat could really help.
Seconds ticked by. Grandma Pei returned with two long-sleeved shirts. “These are what the children changed out of last night.”
Su Jin inhaled deeply. Her hands trembled slightly as she brought the clothes to Tuan Tuan’s nose. In a soft, coaxing voice, she said, “Tuan Tuan, smell these. Remember their scent and help us find the children, okay? When they’re safe, I’ll give you a reward.”
At the mention of a reward, Tuan Tuan’s eyes lit up. It lowered its head, sniffing both pieces carefully.
After a while, it meowed softly and pawed at Su Jin’s wrist. Then it dashed out, occasionally glancing back.
Su Jin’s eyes brightened with excitement. “Grandma, it really seems to—”
“Follow it, quickly!”
Inside the house, it was just the three of them. Su Jin, unfamiliar with the place, led the way, while Grandma Pei, worried for her great-grandchildren, followed.
Sun Limei, though skeptical of the cat’s abilities, couldn’t bear to stay in the empty house. She stomped and went along, muttering, “What could a black cat possibly know? If anyone sees this, we’ll be laughed at.”
They followed the black cat quickly.
A short, plump man in his forties approached, asking Grandma Pei, “Sister-in-law, what’s going on? Everyone’s in such a panic. I saw the commander assembled quite a few people for inspection.”
Grandma Pei, focused on her great-grandchildren, didn’t bother with pleasantries. “Chief Gao, we’re looking for the two children. We don’t have time to chat.”
As the three moved forward, the black cat suddenly turned back and darted toward Su Jin. She caught it, and its fur bristled as it hissed at Chief Gao.
Su Jin, stroking the cat, said, “It’s a bit afraid of strangers. Let’s go.”
She held the cat and continued forward. Once they were out of sight of Chief Gao, the cat relaxed.
“Quick, Tuan Tuan, lead the way,” she murmured, rubbing its head.
Pei Yucheng, busy assigning tasks to his subordinates, saw his grandmother, mother, and Su Jin following the cat. His brows furrowed, eyes scanning the tense faces around him. “Be thorough. Focus on places rarely visited. Dismissed.”
He then hurried after them. “Grandma, what are you doing? Go back and wait!” His voice carried unquestionable authority.
Su Jin quickly explained, “Pei Yucheng, Tuan Tuan seems to know something. It’s leading us this way.”
Pei Yucheng glanced at the black cat on the ground, frowning. “Nonsense.”
Tuan Tuan meowed and dashed ahead.
Su Jin followed closely, Grandma Pei behind her, and Sun Limei with her youngest son, Pei Yucheng, trailing.
Finally, Tuan Tuan led them around to the back of the military district staff cafeteria.
Here were discarded tables and chairs, along with some spare vegetable crates.
A pungent mixture of leftover food and sawdust filled the air. Su Jin frowned, holding her index finger under her nose to block the smell.
At that moment, Tuan Tuan bristled again, hissing sharply at a gap between the wooden planks.
Pei Yucheng’s face changed. He rushed forward, noticing the plank had been moved. Peering through the gap, he faintly made out what looked like a child. His eyes widened, and without hesitation, he lifted the heavy plank by hand.
A mix of earth and mildew smells hit them. Su Jin, covering her nose and mouth, felt slightly nauseated.
Pei Yucheng pulled out his flashlight and shone it inside. It was a winter storage cellar for vegetables.
Seeing the two children lying there, he immediately crawled in. The other three, steps tense, leaned in to look, only seeing his back.
Sun Limei, unable to complain about Su Jin now, clasped her hands and whispered, “Heaven, please protect them… please…”