Chapter 694: The Chinese Zodiac
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Making a donation to the Matthew Davis Cancer Research Foundation in Kathy’s name was a refreshing experience, but it was only a small episode of daily life. It was soon forgotten by Zhang Zian and had been moved to the corner of his memory.
Life had to continue. He had the same usual start to his daily business and work schedule: He woke up, practiced his boxing, and cleaned the shop.
Lu Yiyun came to work with Jasmine on her back and the graphic tablet in her arms.
Before long, Wang Qian and Li Kun, who had not been seen for days, showed up in the shop wearing new clothes and carrying local produce in their hands, looking merry and festive.
“Come and taste it, everyone. We brought this from home––it’s homemade and absolutely clean.” They shared their local snacks with Zhang Zian and Lu Yiyun. Most of them were smoked or dried fish and meat, while the others were fish and meat prepared in unknown ways. They tasted good; the rustic cooking of the countryside gave them a special flavor.
Zhang Zian was more concerned with another question: “How much red packet money did you get for the New Year?”
They started counting with their fingers.
“I got 3400 RMB.”
“Haha, I got 3800 RMB––almost enough for a new phone. Too bad that I can’t afford an iPhone.”
“That much?” Zhang Zian leaned himself against the broomstick, his face full of envy.
Wang Qian sighed. “We got more this year than last year. One reason is that our relatives gave us more money after knowing that we won the Merit Student award. Another reason is that we are graduating from University this year, and we won’t get red packet money anymore. This is our last supper.” She said this with regret.
Zhang Zian thought about it, then proposed a bad idea. “How about delaying the graduation?”
Wang Qian and Li Kun said, “Master, please don’t be a jinx. Especially not during the Chinese New Year…”
Lu Yiyun was envious as well. She didn’t say anything, though; she just ate the snacks in her hand in silence.
“Right. The two of you go to the food market first and get two fresh Crucian Carps,” Zhang Zian instructed them.
“Oh, did the cats in the shop give birth to kittens? We saw the message in the public account but couldn’t do anything to help you back then…”
They understood what he was saying right away. “We either smoke or preserve the fish in our hometown. We don’t have fresh fish.”
“Cut the nonsense and hurry up. Come back quickly. I’m waiting to make the soup.”
Zhang Zian sent them out while he cleaned the shop himself. He asked Lu Yiyun to clean up the branch store next door.
As the New Year’s holidays came to an end, the shops on Zhonghua Road reopened for business one after another. The peddlers at the food market also restarted their business, and Wang Qian and Li Kun could buy fish there every day again. Zhang Zian no longer needed Snowy to send the fish over.
Unlike the usual days, Fina wasn’t dozing off on the cat tree. It stared at the pedestrians outside curiously and asked, “What’s happening in this country today? Why do all the pedestrians look as if their mothers have passed away?”
“Something big is happening,” Zhang Zian answered while sweeping the floor. “As the Spring Festival break is over, people have to go back to work. Soon, the students will go back to school.”
“Pooh!” Fina said. “Should the servants of our godly kingdom have such a lazy and sloppy attitude? I’m sending all of them to build the pyramid!”
“All right, all right. We’ll surely build a big and solid pyramid, which will never fall down in tens of thousands of years,” Zhang Zian responded half-heartedly while telling himself that he shouldn’t be too serious about it.
“That’s the way it should be. There are a lot of people in this country, anyway.” Fina yawned with satisfaction, then asked as if it suddenly remembered something. “Oh, right. These days the TV has been talking about ‘out with the old, in with the new’ and ‘restless chickens and dogs,’ etc. What do they mean?”
“‘Restless chickens and dogs?’ I believe you mean ‘dogs come after chickens!’ Don’t misuse the expressions…” Zhang Zian explained, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “This is the Chinese Zodiac, in which the dog comes after the chicken, and the pig comes after the dog. It makes a full circle every 12 years.”
“Oh, is that so?” Fina thought about it, and then asked seriously, “Where is cat, then? Before the chicken?”
“Well…” Zhang Zian didn’t know how to respond. There was not a cat in the Chinese Zodiac, which was known among all Chinese people. How could he explain this to this cat who was feeling so great about itself?
He looked at Old Time Tea for help, but Old Time Tea lowered the rim of its bamboo hat to focus on the TV.
Famous was lying next to the reclining chair. It didn’t fall asleep, but it kept its eyes tightly closed as if it was playing dead. It was determined not to get involved in this.
Fina observed the faces around it. Then its expression turned serious immediately.
Zhang Zian used some quick wits and tried to muddle through this. “After the pig comes the mouse, after the mouse comes the cow, after the cow comes the feline… family.”
The word “feline” was loud, while the word “family” was quiet.
Tiger is part of the feline family, right?
Zhang Zian’s smart scheme didn’t escape Fina’s ears, however.
“Feline family? What is a feline family?” Fina stared at him coldly. “I’m ordering you to tell me the truth. If I ever find out again from Pi’s novel that you are fooling me, well…”
The “well” was pronounced in such a long and meaningful way that it made Zhang Zian shudder. He felt that it was a mistake to encourage Pi to write a novel.
“Meow, meow, meow! Your Majesty, this man is making up stories again!”
Snowy Lionet would certainly jump out in such an occasion. It licked its paws and stared at Zhang Zian’s pants with an evil intention. “Your Majesty, he’s fooling you. There isn’t a cat in the Chinese Zodiac. The so-called ‘feline family’ is actually a tiger!”
“Tiger?” Fina was more astonished than angry. “There is no ‘cat’ in the Chinese Zodiac? Tell me, then––which 12 animals are in the Chinese Zodiac?”
“Meow, meow, meow! Let me think. There should be the mouse, cow, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, lamb, monkey, chicken, dog… and him!” Snowy Lionet pointed at Zhang Zian.
“You are the pig!” Zhang Zian was unwilling to take the insult.
Snowy Lionet waved its paws to demonstrate power. “Pooh, pooh, pooh! Calling you a pig is a compliment. Pigs are better than you––a lying, foul man!”
“Even mice are included? And the dragon––the non-existent animal––has joined the party? But our mighty Mytha is not there!” Fina said in anger. “What’s wrong with this world? Whoever made up this Chinese Zodiac should be sent away to build the pyramid!”
“When the Chinese Zodiac was being made, your Mytha had not yet been brought into China. After you finally arrived, it was already late and the Zodiac had already been made…” Zhang Zian answered in honesty. “Mice were infesting things everywhere and were damaging everything. They didn’t have any natural predators, so people feared them. If they had cats back then, mice would have been out of the picture.”
“It’s not too late to make amends,” Fina said with self-righteousness. “I have made a decision. Starting the next year of the mouse, everyone born in that year will take the cat as their Zodiac sign! Or it’s okay to change all Zodiac signs into cats, such as Siamese cats, British Shorthair, Ragdoll…they will take turns. Of course, Egyptian Mau must be put first!”
Zhang Zian was speechless and pondered. Luckily, ancient Egypt didn’t rule the world. Otherwise, my Zodiac sign will be Devon Rex…