“If you're sincerely interested, little brother, I won't even try to profit off you. Just give me five taels of silver.”
Gu Qingyun’s mouth twitched at the price. She turned around to leave, pulling Lin Xiaocao along with her. She wasn't so set on buying this kitten that she'd let this vendor treat her like a sucker.
Seeing her turn to walk away, the cat vendor quickly called out to her,
“Little brother, wait! If you think the price is unreasonable, we can haggle! Why turn around and leave right away?”
“Five qian,” Gu Qingyun stated flatly.
“Deal! I'll throw in the bamboo cage too!” The vendor grinned broadly and handed her the cage, even thoughtfully wiping it down, terrified that Gu Qingyun might change her mind.
Gu Qingyun: “...” She had miscalculated; her offer had still been too high.
Once Gu Qingyun and Lin Xiaocao walked away, the vendor happily packed up his things to head home, delighted to have finally sold his last ugly kitten.
Nearby, the middle-aged vendor selling chickens and ducks clicked his tongue in wonder at the sight.
“Old Zhang, I never thought you'd sell a tiny kitten for so many copper coins today! Tsk tsk, five hundred coppers—you sold that cat for an astronomical price!”
“You really have no conscience, cheating a kid that young.”
“Screw off, what nonsense are you talking about? My price was clearly stated,” the vendor named Old Zhang retorted, annoyed. “Do you even know what breed that cat is? A Xuan cat, the absolute finest among felines! If my family weren't so desperate for money, I wouldn't have sold it for the world.”
Seeing the poultry vendor's incredulous look, Old Zhang added:
“Don't look at me like that. Tiny as it is, it really is a Xuan cat! A good specimen of this breed can fetch over ten taels of silver. Mine was just a bit sickly, so selling it for five qian was practically giving it away!”
“Oh, I know what a Xuan cat goes for, but nobody even knows if that one will survive. I bet you tried selling it elsewhere and couldn't, and now that you've bumped into a sucker, you're secretly laughing your head off.”
Uncle Liu, the poultry vendor, wore a look that declared he had seen right through everything.
Unbothered to argue with an amateur, the cat vendor finished packing and left. If the cat had been in good health and fine condition, would he ever have sold it for five qian?
If that young fellow managed to keep the kitten alive, he'd have made a huge profit. With a cat like that around, ordinary foul spirits wouldn't dare step foot inside the house. Of course, if it was something truly formidable, then disregard that.
Having already walked far away, Gu Qingyun had no idea someone was talking about her. However, Lin Xiaocao beside her looked like she wanted to speak but hesitated. Gu Qingyun seemed to read her mind and smiled.
“Xiaocao, do you think I paid too much for this kitten?”
Seeing Lin Xiaocao nod, she continued:
“I caught sight of this kitten at first glance, and I instantly felt a connection with it. Besides, even though it looks small and skinny, it's actually a Xuan cat, which can ward off evil entities.”
Lin Xiaocao didn't understand such things, but she gathered that the cat had great utility. Besides, since Gu Qingyun hadn't spent her money, it wasn't her place to pry. She simply listened quietly and followed Gu Qingyun back.
...
“Grandma, I'm back with the tofu.”
Old Lady Zhang took the tofu and wucai from Gu Qingyun's hands. Looking at the cage in her other hand, she asked,
“This cat...”
Gu Qingyun quickly explained,
“I saw it at the market and took a liking to it right away, so I spent a few copper coins to buy it.”
Assuming her granddaughter hadn't spent much, Old Lady Zhang didn't pay it much mind. She nodded, then let out a sigh.
“Tietou from our village is dying. He isn't even two years old yet.”
The smile faded from Gu Qingyun's face.
“Grandma, what happened? I bumped into Aunt Tang and Tietou just last month, and he wasn't gravely ill then.”
Old Lady Zhang glanced outside and lowered her voice to a whisper:
“Li Tietou's family is afflicted by ill fortune. Sigh, I don't know what's going on this year, but two children in their family have already died.”
“Starting six months ago, Tietou lost a male cousin and an elder sister. Now his condition is identical to how his cousin was back then. Sigh, what a tragedy—the child is still so young.”
“Alright, feed the cat you bought yourself so it grows attached to you.”
“Got it, Grandma. I'll head to my room first to settle it in.” Gu Qingyun agreed, picking up the cage and quickly walking into the inner room.
After she left, Old Lady Zhang glanced in the direction of the Li family home and sighed. It really was an eventful and troublesome time.
Back in her room, Gu Qingyun released the kitten from the cage, sat down on the edge of the bed, and began meditating to cultivate.
As she cultivated, in the kitten's eyes, its master's body began to glow.
Thin and small as it was, the kitten moved nimbly. It clawed its way up the edge of the bed, curled up directly on Gu Qingyun's lap, and closed its eyes to rest, its tail gently swishing.
An hour passed before Gu Qingyun opened her eyes. Looking down at the kitten resting on her lap, she wondered if it was just her imagination, but its fur seemed smoother and glossier, and it didn't look as weak as when she had bought it.
She shook her head and tossed the thought aside, feeling she was overthinking things.
“Qingyun, come out and eat,” Lady Su called gently from outside.
Gu Qingyun quickly picked up the kitten, got off the bed, and called back:
“I'll be right there, Mother. Go ahead without me.”
...
At the dinner table, as Gu Qingyun was eating, her eldest aunt, Lady Zhao, suddenly spoke up.
“Mother, let me take a couple of eggs later to visit young Tietou. Ah-Tang is usually so good to our kids, so now that they're going through tough times, we should go offer some comfort.”
“No,” Old Lady Zhang flatly refused. After a moment's thought, her tone softened slightly as she added,
“Eldest daughter-in-law, it's not that I'm heartless. Little Tietou's life hangs in the balance right now. Going over won't help, and it would only force Ah-Tang to play host to us. It's inappropriate.”
“Grandma, how about sending Qingyun over to take a look? Just by standing there, whatever evil thing it is will be terrified of her,” spoke up her boisterous fourth cousin, Gu Yilei.
“Our Qingyun is a Constable after all, naturally cloaked in righteous qi! If she goes, maybe she can spot whatever is wrong.” With that, Gu Yilei winked playfully at Gu Qingyun.
Hearing this, Gu Qingyun set down her chopsticks and bowl.
“Grandma, Cousin actually has a point. Why don't I go with you to visit little Tietou?”
Hearing this, Old Lady Zhang glared at Gu Yilei before turning her gaze to Gu Qingyun.
“Going to take a look is fine, but you mustn't speak carelessly.”
Seeing that Gu Qingyun wanted to go, Lady Su suppressed her worries, lowered her eyes, and continued eating her meal quietly.
The family they were visiting this afternoon was named Li. They lived only a few courtyards away from Gu Qingyun's house, with four generations living under one roof.
Little Tietou's father's generation consisted of two brothers. His uncle's branch had three sons and two daughters, while Tietou himself had one older brother and two older sisters, making for a thriving family.
Aside from these two generations, his family still had his grandmother and great-grandmother. His great-grandfather and grandfather had passed away several years ago. Little Tietou was cute and sensible, the apple of his mother's eye.
When Gu Qingyun and Old Lady Zhang arrived at the Li residence, Tietou's aunt came out to greet them. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, showing how pained she was that someone so young as Tietou had fallen critically ill.
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