Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Betting on stones was a unpredictable act. It consisted of purchasing uncut jadeite stones in the hopes of finding a dazzling jadeite within. It could turn people into millionaires overnight or it could make them bankrupt.
On the other hand, gambling on cats was ordinary. It consisted of purchasing cats when they’re still very young, knowing nothing of their condition, and hoping for the kitten to grow up into a show quality cat.
Very few pet shops put newborn kittens up for sale, unless they decided to stop operating.
The Abyssinian Cats that Kathy left were of an excellent pedigree. Kathy didn’t have the intention of winning competitions in a short time, she didn’t care for any possible profits. If nothing unexpected happened, the kittens had a very high chance of growing up to be show quality cats, especially since Abyssinian Cats don’t have complicated fur patterns.
Tang Yuyun carefully observed all the kittens in front of her, they all had a similar fur color. Tang Yuyun thought they were all adorable, so adorable that her determination to raise only one cat wavered.
As the mother stood up, the few kittens lost the warmth, and they sniffed around as they squirmed in the nesting area, crying out for their mother.
One of the kittens, with an adventurous instinct in it’s blood, stretched out one of its short legs and slowly climbed to the edge of the cardboard box that was used as the nesting area. It had black patches on its forehead that were darker than the its body, proof of its Egyptian Mau genes.
It wasn’t the biggest among its siblings, its voice wasn’t the loudest, and compared to the bigger kitten that the mother favored, it didn’t stand out.
Maybe it was due to the lack of parental concern, but it was curious about the world.
It crawled in Tang Yuyun’s direction, which made her heart skip a beat.
She thought to herself, Could it be that the kitten had caught my scent? Does it like my scent?
Tang Yuyun didn’t like picking leftovers, but this time, it seemed she wasn’t the one doing the picking.
The kitten continued crawling, making noise as it stepped on the old newspaper that was in the cardboard box. The mother continued to watch Tang Yuyun cautiously, but it had noticed its restless child and called out to it.
“That’s what Abyssinian Cats sound like?” she asked. “It seems different than other cats.”
“Yes, listen to it carefully.” Zhang Zian nodded.
The sounds of an adult Abyssinian Cat was different than other cats, they didn’t meow. It was more like “aowu” and sometimes, depending on their mood, they sounded like they said “ge.”
The cries were quite peculiar, and it allowed people to differentiate them from other cats.
The adventurous kitten turned a deaf ear to its mother’s warning and continued to crawl out of the nesting area. The edge of cardboard box was 10 centimeters away from the floor, and although jumping down wouldn’t injure the kitten, it’d be easy for the kitten to get sick since the floor was very cold.
Tang Yuyun was worried that it might fall, so she stretched out her hand, intending to catch it.
The mother didn’t give her the chance. It hopped to the side, caught the kitten in its mouth, and brought it back to the nesting area.
However, the kitten was a wanderer, it didn’t want to live its life in a safe quiet box. After being caught, it persistently crawled towards the outside of the nesting area.
Tang Yuyun had done a lot of research to to avoid being scammed, but after she came here, she realized that all the theoretical stuff wasn’t useful. Tang Yuyun felt a connection with the adventurous kitten, she didn’t want to place any standards on the kitten.
“I want that kitten.” She pointed at the adventurous kitten. “Can I reserve this one?”
“Of course.” Zhang Zian was surprised, he thought that she’d pick the biggest kitten as it had potential to grow up to be a quality show cat. The kitten she chose was, in all aspects, average.
“You can choose that kitten, but it’s still unable to leave its mother and it’s too small for vaccinations. You’ll have to wait three months, is that okay? Zian asked.
“Okay.” She nodded in relief. “I’ve already waited this long, I can wait another three months. Can I visit the kitten in those three months?”
“Sure. Leave your Wechat information, and I’ll have my staff to send you pictures of its daily growth.” Zhang Zian stood up. “Come with me to sign the contract for the reservation.”
Reluctant to leave the kitten, Tang Yuyun took one last look before she followed Zhang Zian.
Zhang Zian handed Tang Yuyun her coat and told her to dispose of her gloves, mask and shoe covers, then said, “The kitten’s quality is still unknown, but let’s discuss price.”
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