Chapter 139 – A Cat Owner’s Envy
The discussion with Mo Xiaojuan became the second incident that Yang Yi hid from Mo Fei.
Well, anyway, more debts wouldn’t pressure the body1Refers to having enough mental preparation to face difficulties, or holding an indifferent attitude towards seemingly difficult things, usually used for self-deprecating or ridicule. It is a metaphor of having no scruples and doing anything. Or being thick-skinned.. Not telling one thing is hiding it, and not telling two things is still hiding it2I couldn’t think of a better way to word this. This means it doesn’t matter if he is hiding one thing or two things from her. Either way, he still hiding things from her.. As long as he wasn’t doing things that would wrong Mo Fei and violates his conscience, Yang Yi could still face it calmly.
In this matter, Yang Yi didn’t have to worry too much. He basically left it to Mo Xiaojuan to operate, and he only needed to provide the money.
Professional things were left to professional people. Yang Yi liked this style.
But there were some things that Yang Yi has to do even if he wasn’t professional at it. Such as building nests and climbing frames for the new kittens at home…
Because there were three kittens, the cat climbing frame Yang Yi picked was relatively big. It looked like a building in Monument Valley. But before it was assembled, it was pieces of cardboard with twine wrapped around them and pieces of flannelette.
What Yang Yi needed to do was to assemble it in a corner of the living room for the masters3For cat lovers or owners, the cat is referred as master, while the owner is cat slave and another term is “Poop shoveling officer” which is an internet buzzword. Cat lovers compare themselves to a poop shoveling officer, expressing a humorous atmosphere. This is actually the term used in the title of the chapter and in the whole chapter. So, when you see “owner” or “cat owner”, the original term used was “Poop shoveling officer”.to play!
“It doesn’t make sense! How can cats enjoys such a luxurious treatment!” Yang Yi sighed secretly as he tied up the soft flannelette hammock.
There were three of these hammocks on the cat climbing frame. Some were tied to the lower part, and some were tied to the higher part, but they were all swaying like a swing.
Yang Yi thought that if he also became a cat, like Zheng Tan, sleeping in a hammock with his paws tucked under his stomach and his eyes narrowed, it would be very comfortable!
On the cat climbing frame, there were small rooms similar to those on the Great Wall, with openings on both sides, and placed at the middle part. It was said that cats like to crawl into such small dark rooms, and the smaller they are, the more they love to crawl into it.
At the top, there were also platform for cats to jump onto, and in winter, cat nests made of flannelette could be installed on it, so that they can jump to it, and then sit comfortably, looking down at the shoveling officers with an overlooking attitude…4What the cat climbing frame might look like but a bit bigger with three hammocks and without the circle thingy. HERE.
However, even though Yang Yi was secretly muttering about the good lives of these cats, he still welcomed them in his heart because Mo Fei and Xixi were very happy!
“Meow meow~”
“Meow meow~”
Two strange meows, one big and one small, came one after another, but it wasn’t the kittens meowing, but Mo Fei and Xixi teasing the kittens in the corrugated box.
“Mama, can I hold the kittens?” Xixi’s two big eyes seemed to be shining with little stars. She has been watching the kittens with joy.
“Yes!” Mo Fei gently separated the kittens that were huddled together and lifted out her favorite one.
When the remaining two kittens saw their companion being picked up, they raised their heads and meowed. It was unknown whether they were calling and worrying about their companion, or envious of the treatment of their companions. They also wanted to be picked up and touched by their owner.
Xixi stood up nervously. Although she had been looking forward to holding the kitten, when it came to actually doing it, the little girl was a little scared and a little nervous.
“I’m afraid.” Xixi felt anxious and wanted to cry. She stamped her foot and said to her mother.
“Don’t be afraid, the kitten is very docile. Come, sit down first.” Mo Fei smiled and guided the little girl. “Hold her armpit with your hands like this.”
Xixi obediently did so. Although the little girl was so nervous and stiff when the kitten was handed over by her mother, she was delighted when the kitten sat obediently in her arms and flexibly turned her head to look at her.
“Mama, look, she’s not afraid!” Xixi said happily, of course, she still dared not move at all.
“Of course, she likes you very much!” Mo Fei said with a smile.
Next, Mo Fei taught Xixi how to pet a cat.
“You put one hand around her stomach, and then with your free right hand, scratch her head, especially behind his ears, and here, under her neck.” Mo Fei said with a smile, “Look, she likes it when you pet her like that!”
Xixi gently scratched the kitten’s ear with her little finger, and the kitten narrowed her eyes with comfort.
“How do you know she likes it?” Xixi asked somewhat puzzled.
“You see, her tail has stood up and is still swinging gently, which shows that she is very happy, and then she acts like a spoiled child with you.” Mo Fei said with a smile. (note 1).
The mother and daughter played with the kitten for a while, but Xixi could not hold the kitten for long, so she gave the kitten to her mother, and teased the other two kittens by herself.
But at this time, Mo Fei suddenly remembered something. She smiled and shouted to Yang Yi’s direction: “Yang Yi, come here for a moment!”
Maybe Mo Fei was afraid to frighten the kittens and didn’t yell very loudly, or maybe on Yang Yi’s side, where the TV was on, was so noisy that he didn’t hear it. Yang Yi was busy assembling cat climbing frame and didn’t move.
“Xixi, go and call your Papa!” Mo Fei held the kitten and beckoned to her daughter.
Xixi reluctantly moved her eyes away from the kitten. She tottered over, imitated her mother’s call and shouted: “Yang Yi, come here for a moment!”
Listening to her daughter’s call, Mo Fei giggled, smiling like a flower.
Yang Yi was called over by his daughter, confused. He walked over and said, “Xixi, Papa told you to remember, every time you play with the kittens, you have to wash your hands and clean them with soap.”
Mo Fei patted the place beside her and asked Yang Yi to sit down.
Actually, sitting on the floor directly was a little dirty…
But Yang Yi still sat down. When Xixi saw this, she hurriedly squeezed between her father and mother and sat down next to them, forcing Yang Yi to scoot over to the side and make room for her. Otherwise the little girl would be squashed.
“There are three kittens here!” Mo Fei said with a smile, “Xixi, me, and you, three people, will each name a cat they like, okay?”
“Okay, okay!” Xixi raised her hand excitedly. She pointed to the smallest one in the cardboard box and said, “I like her best. I’m going to call her Xiao Guai5or Little Obedient/Well-behaved. Xiao = Little; Guai = Obedient or Well-Behaved..”
Just now she held the biggest one, but she still felt that she didn’t like her. The smallest one felt the best, and she was the most docile under Xixi’s hand. She laid obediently for the little girl to touch.
Such a well-behaved kitten should be called Xiao Guai!
Mo Fei nodded. She stroked the fur of the kitten in her arms and said excitedly, “Then I’m going to name this one Xiao Hui6or Little Gray., because her fur is gray-blue.”
Uh, why not call her Xiao Huilan7Little Gray-Blue.…
Or, Da Huilan8Big Gray-Blue.? Because she is the biggest of the three kittens!
Yang Yi secretly criticized Mo Fei’s naming standard, but he didn’t have time to think about it. Mo Fei was urging him to name the remaining kitten!
Xixi also looked at her father with wide eyes. She was very curious as to what name would her father give to the kitten.
Yang Yi didn’t really want to think of a name for the kitten, but he couldn’t resist9拗不过 – can’t persuade; unable to make somebody change their mind; unable to resist somebody. If you don’t like the word resist. Here is the other meaning of it.Mo Fei, and this was a “big event” for the whole family. Yang Yi couldn’t excuse himself out of it.
He has to seriously think about what name to give to the kitten.
Yang Yi picked up the remaining kitten, and he also tried to touch her. The kitten’s fur was actually very soft. Watching her opened her pink mouth and called out to him, Yang Yi was surprised to find that he actually liked this feeling.
Kittens or whatever are the cutest!
So, what’s a good name for her?
(Note 1 – Cats are different from dogs. When cats swing their tail sharply, it means that they are very anxious. A small swing indicates that they interested in something. If they raise their tail to their owner, they trust their owner and then acts like a spoiled child.) (TN: Note from author)
TN: If you like my translations support me in ko-fi: Here.
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