Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Sun Xiaomeng drove away, and Little Celery trotted off to go to school.

  Zhang Zian finished the second-time broadcast gymnastics, feeling pretty good.

  “What kind of martial arts are you practicing?” Old Time Tea looked away from the TV, and curiously asked. “I snuck a few glances just now and found that this martial arts was unusual, with no rules at all, but it can neither attack the enemy nor keep self-defense. What is the purpose in practicing that?”


  Zhang Zian responded that the question was a good one, just like the General Administration of Sports getting all those complaints.

  “Master Old Time Tea, it is a type of aerobic daily exercise. If you compare it with the martial arts, then you look down upon martial arts… although martial arts have been declining all these years. Why do I practice it then? Because I don’t have other exercises to do. Moving is better than doing nothing. Life is about moving.”


  Old Time Tea nodded without any additional comment.

  Zhang Zian was trying to decide whether it would be better to change to the eighth set of broadcast gymnastics tomorrow, or to just change to Tai Chi.

  Was it too early for him to do Tai Chi? He didn’t want to attract all the seniors who do morning exercises. He didn’t want to make the area in front of his store a place for public square dancing.

  “Master Old Time Tea, did you watch TV all night long yesterday? You have to pay attention to your rest!”


  At midnight, when Zhang Zian went to bathroom, he vaguely heard some television noise downstairs. At first he thought there was a ghost, but later he realized that Old Time Tea was not sleeping yet.

  Old Time Tea suddenly seemed a bit embarrassed. “I am getting older so I do not want to sleep… My little friend, the TV, is really interesting. They can perform all night long, which makes me energized the whole time and not wanting to go to bed”


  Zhang Zian responded, “Will it be a long road to educate the public about science?

  Old Time Tea, you can watch TV anytime you want. It will not go anywhere. You don’t have to watch it at night. There are so many TV programs, good or bad, that you could never finish them. Please take care of the most important thing first, your health.” He advised, “If the TV has already made you so obsessed, what if later on you learn how to use the internet? I’ll have to send you for medical treatment at Dr. Yang’s place!”


  Old Time Tea was pleased to say, “I understand what you are saying, but everything on this TV is so decadently shocking to me, I get so excited and I’m not able to sleep. But you are correct; I will pay attention from now on.”


  Both were cats and both did not understand modern information. What a huge difference between them!

  Fina would eat when it was hungry, drink when it was thirsty, sleep when it was tired and still would have an arrogant face all day long. When it had nothing to do, it would just count a few coins or play with the diamond ring. All day long, Fina complained that the money was not enough and the diamond was too small…


  Looking at Old Time Tea, it was well mannered, worried about the country and the world, had big dreams, studied diligently and did a self-evaluation every day. It was simply a role model among all cats…


  The differences were too obvious! But surprisingly, Fina was also identified as an epic/legendary cat, whereas Old Time Tea was only at premium level. Something must be wrong with the game designer, right? Even Zhang Zian would like to fight for Old Time Tea!

  Especially now, Old Time Tea was actually watching the morning news from the news channel. Zhang Zian considered the lengthy reports on national public servant meetings a lullaby, yet Old Time Tea was still so excited to watch them!

  “Old Time Tea, do you think this is interesting? Do you want to change the channel? After accompanying Old Time Tea in watching TV for a while, Zhang Zian’s eyelids were twitching, so he tried to change the topic quickly.

  “Interesting!” Old Time Tea straightened her back, not looking old at all. “The country is prosperous and the people live in peace. I am so happy to see that! The arrogant people from Dongyang and Lao Maozi made this country miserable to live in! If they knew it would be like this now, they wouldn’t have done that. The poor people in this country were living in tears and loneliness!”


  Zhang Zian looked at the bragging news announcer on the TV, feeling dumbfounded.

  He had intended to tell Old Time Tea that, in fact, the domestic situation was not as good as she thought, and foreign countries were not that bad, but he didn’t.

  The word “Guotai Min’an” was only a meaningless four-character idiom for modern people which meant “the country is prosperous and the people live in peace”, but it may have been Old Time Tea’s lifetime dream, even if it was not 100% a true dream.

  After all, Old Time Tea was a benevolent cat.

  As for Galaxy, whether it was money or treasure, a nation or country, even the world, the planet, or the universe, everything was just as transient as a fleeting cloud.

  “Zian, let’s play hide-and-seek?” Galaxy jumped in front of him and asked, full of hope.

  “When do you not want to play? Anyways, you are always free,” Zhang Zian said lightly.

  At least this moment was extremely real and it was enough.

  Fina was free and easy; in fact, it was pretty good too. But was Fina really as free and easy as it seemed?

  …


  Zhang Zian was repeatedly defeated in the game of hide-and-seek, and was about to try to prepare to fight back, but the cat bell hanging on the glass door rang several times.

  “Is Mr. Manager there?”


  Is there a guest coming? Shouting for “Mr. Manager”, was that Miss Snowy the anchorwoman?

  Zhang Zian went downstairs after telling Galaxy to stop the game.

  The person at the door was not Xiao Xue, but another girl that looked familiar.

  The girl was wearing a pair of glasses that covered most of her face. She had long bangs that covered her eyebrows, and she was wearing a large baseball shirt with the hood on.

  Zhang Zian had an impression that she was the first girl that had come to the store to get a cat bath. On that day, neighbor Aunt Liu was there too, but they almost had an argument. Aunt Liu’s American Shorthair was still on the second floor.

  Lu Yiyun had a great impression of Zhang Zian. One reason was because he recently appeared in Snowy’s live show, and the second was because she was a homebody; her social circle ran between the vegetable market and her rental apartment. It was considered very far for her to travel last time when she brought Jasmine here for a bath.

  Today, Lu Yiyun didn’t come with Jasmine; her hands were empty.

  “Were you the guest who came here for the cat bath services?” Zhang Zian tried to confirm.

  Lu Yiyun stood at the door, nodding.

  “Come in.”


  She walked like a kitten who had done something wrong. Once she saw through her huge glasses that no one was there, she became relaxed.

  “You are not coming to have a cat bath, right?” Zhang Zian laughed. “What can I help you with?”


  Lu Yiyun’s disturbed fingers intertwined, and hesitantly she said, “I … I want to apply for a membership card…”


  “The first one wanting to become a member!” Zhang Zian was so excited that his nose was almost blowing bubbles!