I Can Talk to Cats C19

Chapter 19: Preparations for the New Shop (Part Two)

Translated by Lime

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Recap: Cheng Fengyang and Lin Lan discuss plans for the cat cafe and we meet more of the Cheng family. Xu Xiangfei tells the Lin’s that his colleague has an Abyssinian cat that she is looking to rehome.

In this chapter: We meet his colleague’s cat!

I skimmed the next few chapters and there is no mention of the new cat’s sex. I will be using female pronouns to make sentences flow easier and because Lin Lan hasn’t found many female cats yet.

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“I recommended your family to my colleague. I told her about your Ragdoll and Persian cats that are notorious for being problematic and how meticulously your family cared for them. The delicate Abyssinian cat would definitely not be a problem. Is it convenient for you to take it in?”

Convenient!

Very convenient!

The price of a purebred Abyssinian cat would not lose to that of a Ragdoll. It originated from Ethiopia and its slender physique resembled the Siamese cat’s, however, it was a bit plumper than the Siamese. It was known as one of the oldest domesticated cats.

An Abyssinian cat was considered to be part of the shorthaired nobility. Its bearing was composed and dignified, as well as graceful. Due to its long legs, it was nicknamed the ballet cat.

“When can we go pick it up? Where are we supposed to go? I can go to her house to personally pick it up!… Even though I want to say these words and readily accept her offer, becoming pregnant and raising a cat has no correlation.” Lin Lan was standing in her new apartment while all her cats were acting cute around her, speaking to Xu Xiangfei. Her eyebrows wrinkled: “A cat poses absolutely no harm to a pregnant woman. What day and age are we living in for there to be people that still think this way?”

“Telling me this is useless. In fact, my colleague has already explained this to her mother in law many times, but some elders…you know what I mean.” Xu Xiangfei gestured to his head with his finger, “They are stubborn and only believe what they want to believe. If you tell them a thousand times that in order for a human to contract toxoplasmosis from a cat, they have to eat a fresh lump to be afflicted with the disease, they would only shake their head and say that I’m not listening to them. Because of this situation, my colleague has become exhausted, but since she can’t convince the old woman, she has to send the cat away, at least to a good family.”

_{(T/N: Toxoplasmosis in cats is caused by a parasite that multiplies in a cat’s body by laying eggs. The eggs will be pooped out by the cat for a couple weeks. The “fresh lump” is referring to cat feces.)}

Lin Lan and Xu Xiangfei scheduled a day on the weekend to pick up the cat at his colleague’s house.

A household that was able to raise this cat was most likely well off, and as expected, Xu Xiangfei brought her to an upscale community in the heart of Xi City. After receiving the permission from the owner to enter, the two quickly arrived at her house.

The person who opened the door was the owner of the cat. She was a heavily pregnant, young, married woman and her surname was Yao.

The woman’s complexion was awful, most likely due to her sending off her cat. With her well-mannered upbringing and by exerting effort, she forced a smile: “Come, please enter.”

Immediately upon entering the living room, Lin Lan noticed a cat carrier, cat food, a cat bed and cat toys, along with numerous other items for cats. The brand and style were luxurious and it was evident that the owner cared for her cat.

The kitty was already inside the cat carrier along with its bed. Her enormous almond-shaped eyes seemed to be embedded on her tiny head. Lin Lan could vaguely see her slender body and the reddish-brown fur.

“It’s name is Pudding and this year, she will be two years old.” Mrs. Yao handed over the cat to Lin Lan and unrelentlessly reminded her, “Pudding’s favorite brand of cat food is Baili and although she will sometimes eat other snacks, her favorite snack is dried cod. Her temperament is calm and she is delicate. Pudding loves to sleep on the sofa or snuggle into your arms. She likes to play with the electronic mouse toy and the piggy toy. Usually, she loves to lay on a mat… I have prepared all of these items; I restocked the cat food and her snacks last month, it’s enough for Pudding to eat for half a year… The cat bed and toys are her favorite, please bring them back with her, so when she arrives at her new home…she…” 

The more she spoke, the redder Mrs. Yao’s eyes became. Her voice cracked due to her overwhelming emotions and she was not able to finish her last sentence.

Prior to this, the reddish-brown cat inside the bag was quiet, but all of a sudden, it was unable to sit still. Facing the small window of the carrier, it meowed at its owner.

“Miaow—” (Mom, don’t be sad.)

It was common knowledge that an Abyssinian cat’s vocalization was pleasant to hear. Her lovely voice was like a small, ringing bell.

Mrs. Yao’s tears began to fall.

“Pudding!” After being together for around two years and although she didn’t understand cat language, Mrs. Yao was able to decipher what the cat meant. She cried out: “Wu…! Pudding! Pudding!”

She hugged the cat carrier close to herself. The flimsy material of the cat carrier separated Pudding’s head from her while teardrops rolled down her face.

Watching this, Lin Lan and Xu Xiangfei were both emotional. 

“Mrs. Yao, if you are very attached to her, you can retrieve Pudding after you give birth to your child.” Lin Lan blurted out.

Mrs. Yao, who refused to let go of the bag, raised her head, in her eyes a glimmer of hope.

“You can think of it like this: it is inconvenient for you to raise Pudding right now, so you can temporarily leave her at my place.” Lin Lan smiled at her and continued, “Xu Xiangfei has probably told you. I am opening a cat cafe soon and one of the services we offer is a daycare for our customers’ pets. Once you give birth and your body recovers, you can pick a suitable day to visit my shop and pay me a fee for the service. Then, you can bring Pudding home. What do you think of this idea?”

Mrs. Yao’s miserable expression became one of relief and joy and exclaimed, “I agree…” 

“No way! After this cat is sent away, it is not allowed to come back!” An old woman’s loud voice interrupted her. The exact time the sixty year old lady appeared in the living room was unknown. Angrily, she faced the younger woman: “This cat can not come back, I’ve told you this many times! These cats and dogs especially love to shed fur. What if the child accidentally breathes it into their nostrils? You need to be a responsible mother!”

“That’s not true… elder, the hair of cats and dogs are coarse and long. It’s impossible for the baby to breathe in the hair…” Xu Xiangfei weakly replied and was directly countered by the old lady.  

“If I say that it can be breathed inside, it can be breathed inside! No matter what, anything that would potentially harm my grandson is not allowed here! Cats are not allowed, dogs are not allowed, nothing is allowed!”

Xu Xiangfei recoiled and retreated several steps. He had been defeated by the imposing manner that the old lady had cultivated in her village since she was young. 

_{(T/N: This is playing to the “stereotype” that people from rural areas are rough or talk “crudely”.)}

“Mom!” As Mrs. Yao listened, her heart sank: “How can you do this to me?!”

“What about it! I’m doing this for your child! If something happens to him because of this cat, would you even be able to regret it?!” The old lady’s eyes were round in fury, “If I say that you can’t own a pet, then you cannot own a pet! In the future, if you dare to bring it home, I will drive to a distant location to throw it in a random place!”

The tense atmosphere inside the living room was almost tangible. The pregnant woman was on the verge of collapsing and her fingers that gripped the cat carrier were stark white.

The stubborn old lady sensed her daughter in law’s unstable mood and stopped arguing with her. Rather, her expression changed to one that was gentle and she adopted the voice of an experienced elder to sigh, “Daughter in law, I know that you don’t want to give the cat away and you don’t like me saying all this. In the end, I’m doing this for you.”

She glanced at the cat carrier and the look in her eyes told Lin Lan that the old lady did not tolerate the cat in the slightest. Then, she looked towards her daughter in law in a magnanimous manner again.

“Think about it. After you give birth, will you have the same energy and time to take care of this cat? Before the child, you were able to wake up early when the sky was pitch black and make it food and snacks. During a vacation or holiday, you would groom its fur and tease it with toys. If it fell sick, you would accompany it to the veterinarian. When you have a baby, would you be able to do the same? This is like having two children, additionally, you wouldn’t have any free time.” 

Mrs. Yao opened her mouth but was unable to speak, because… 

“Daughter in law, you promised me before the wedding that after you give birth, you wouldn’t resign from your job to become a housewife. Only then did I promise to take care of him. When you come home from work, it’s not like you will ignore your child. I definitely will not help you with your cat. Do you think that you have the energy to take care of everything? Will you work and raise a cat and take care of a baby all at the same time? This cat is extremely delicate and without meticulous care, it would easily fall ill.”

Mrs. Yao was completely silent and lowered her head. Little by little, she slowly stretched out her hand towards Lin Lan.

Although her actions were hesitant, she clearly made a decision.

Lin Lan silently accepted the cat carrier and held it steadily in her hands. Mrs. Yao briefly glanced at the cat carrier before suddenly covering her face with both hands and rushing into another room.

She was guilty and wanted to escape.

Lin Lan did not say anything and with Xu Xiangfei, brought all of the items for the cat and stowed them into the trunk of his car. They drove back to her apartment to unload them.

The next day, inside Lin Lan’s apartment.

“Actually, I had no clue what to say. The old lady had good points at the end of their argument. Mrs. Yao didn’t want to resign from her work and couldn’t pick the wrong choice. She was faced with two options and couldn’t choose both.” Lin Lan sat on a couch in her apartment and recounted the events to Cheng Fengyang who had brought over a finished design. Her voice was somewhat downcast, “She wronged the poor kitty.”

While she spoke, her line of sight rested on the cat carrier in the corner. This Abyssinian cat had been living in her house for almost a day. It didn’t make a single sound despite the countless times she called out its name or teased her with toys. Luckily, it ate and drank normally, meaning that it was depressed, but it had not reached a dire plight.

“Well, Mrs. Yao accomplished her goal, right? She entrusted her precious cat to a caring family which is much better than abandoning it.” Cheng Fengyang replied with his own take on the situation, “Raising a pet and raising a child are both not easy. In order for my dog Star to be clean and tidy, as well as intelligent and healthy, quite a bit of money and effort was spent, let alone raising an actual child. With a child, almost everything is inconvenient. The period of time after my sister gave birth to Li Mengmeng, she was anxious and panicking and was about to collapse. If she had another cat or dog to take care of during this time, she would have gone insane.”

“Humph! In the end, it is the husband’s family that is in the wrong!” Lin Lan thought of another detail and said, unsatisfied, “Mrs. Yao had to give away her cat because of her husband’s mother who disliked it. No one wanted to help her take care of a small cat and that old lady even devised a plan to throw the cat away. To guarantee the cat’s safety, her singular option was to rehome it. When I went over, the only person who was opposing the cat was that old lady. It was like the husband was dead; he did not appear at all! If I get married, and if my husband’s family dares to treat me like this and demand that I give my cats away if I get pregnant, I will certainly taste regret.”

Lin Lan’s face twisted into a sneer after she finished speaking. If Uncle Yu or that international student was present, they would immediately recall that same face when she was exposing the cheater inside the Rolls-Royce.

Uh oh, once she became mad, her true colors would show!

Returning to her senses, Lin Lan quickly changed her expression and coughed awkwardly, recollecting herself: “About that, I was joking…” 

“You’re completely right, that’s exactly what should happen!” Cheng Fengyang slapped his thigh in approval. His face appeared to be furious as he sided with her, “Raising a cat or a dog has nothing to do with the pregnancy of a woman. Why are they sending her furry child away because of their own ignorance? I would be the first one to object! That husband has no sense of responsibility, even I’m furious after hearing about this! Most likely, his wife’s salary isn’t low, and on top of that she has to birth children for him. Both of them are supporting this family; he is not the only one paying for everything. At the very least, he could help settle the problem of raising a pet. There’s no point going home! What is this sh*t!”

_{(T/N: China still has traditional roles of what a man/woman should do in a marriage (e.g. man works, woman gives birth/stays home). It has gotten way better as these roles are not as prominent as in the past, but it is kinda part of the culture depending on your family and where you live exactly.)}

Cheng Fengyang voiced his true thoughts. He imagined himself in the situation: if he married a wife and if she, along with her family, urged him to give away Star and provided stupid reasons to force him into a corner, he would absolutely be livid.

This would never happen, in the future, he must marry someone whose whole family liked pets!

Just as this thought flashed through his mind, he was distracted by Lin Lan and the large group of cats behind her. Across from him, Lin Lan also happened to be distracted at this time. Her eyes gleamed at his unexpected response and her heart raced.

“Ah, uh… Let’s continue discussing the design blueprint. This is a rough draft so if there is anything you are unsatisfied with, tell me.”

“Uh…en, okay. I’ll inspect it!”

The two who had been awkwardly silent a moment ago began to use the design as an excuse to break the silence.

Holding Cheng Fengyang’s draft, Lin Lan was surprised. After receiving her requests, he had somehow combined them all. Not only that, but he had also used ideas of his own that were in line with her taste. Cheng Fengyang specifically majored in interior design so his draft was naturally better than her scattered ideas.

“Excellent! It’s way better than what I thought of by myself!” Lin Lan did not conceal her incompetence in the least. She pointed to an elaborate design on the paper and was ecstatic: “Here, here, and here, I was originally thinking of using wallpaper. In this corner, the combination of a table with warm-colored sides and a round stool cannot be beaten! Before, when I first saw the corner, I envisioned a vague image of a concept. It’s the same as this design! I’ve never discussed these exact thoughts with you, so how are you able to think at this level! Cheng Fengyang, you’re awesome!”

Lin Lan felt elated as Cheng Fengyang had surprised her. Some of the details she hadn’t even thought of, much less requested, and the interior designer had thought a step further. This step involved one’s personal aesthetics and tastes. After completing the design, it may not satisfy another person, and instead may have the adverse effect of the client considering it worthless. Many designers in various fields were used to this sort of scenario.

However, when faced with Lin Lan, no matter how he viewed her, it was undeniable that their tastes were a perfect match. Friends who had almost identical ways of thinking were rare, not to mention that she was a client.

Cheng Fengyang was delighted from the bottom of his heart.

「She likes your design, meaning that you both have similar aesthetics.」

Cheng Xingyu’s words unexpectedly passed through his head.

He glanced at Lin Lan, who was diligently examining the design. Cheng Fengyang’s vague feelings that he was reluctant to admit earlier suddenly became clear.

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Hehe, Cheng Fengyang realizes his feelings 🙂 We get to see more interactions with the new cat next chapter!

Sorry for the delay again, 2020 has been a rough year and I’m pretty stressed mentally. For now, I am only releasing 1 chapter per week until I can get my life in order. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Just a reminder to check on your friends and those that u care about ❤

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