The Fading Away of Our Youth (So Young) Vol 2 Chapter 9.1

Chapter 9, 1/2

Zheng Wei turned to Ruan Ruan and said, “Why do women reach a certain period of time where they especially want to get married? Because as they age, they become more and more afraid of being alone. All of the friends by my side married one by one. You got married, He Lu Ya got married, Zhuo Mei got married, even Li Wei Juan got married. The small migrant worker and I are the only ones left, but she moved too far away, and I don’t know if she’ll ever come back (I think she means Xiao Bei, another one of her roommates). Before, I at least had Wei Shao Yi to argue with, but now she has been taken away by He Yi. You all left, and I’m the only person left behind, just like Zhang Ai Ling. Even after she had died for a few days, no one knew.”

Every time she pretended to maturely complain about these things, Ruan Ruan would stifle her smile and not answer. Zheng Wei spoke again, “I really want a companion. It doesn’t have to be a man, anyone will do. A woman, a child, even a ghost would be good, it only needs to be able to talk to me.”

Not long after than, Ruan Ruan gave her her “companion”.

It was a stray cat. Ruan Ruan said she saw it lingering near her neighborhood for a few days now, battered, sleeping outside and very pitiful. Plus, it was not afraid of humans, so why not give it to Zheng Wei. She did say that she only wanted a companion, and anything would do.

“Cats are very cute, considerate and charming,” Ruan Ruan said. But when she opened the cage, all of Zheng Wei’s expectations fell. It was not only a cat, but “small” and “cute” could not be further from describing the cat in front of her eyes in the cage. It was an indescribable sight, it’s face looked fat, it’s body bloated and obese, and it’s eyes were uncannily treacherous.

Zheng Wei could not bear it any longer, “You can really choose well. My companion is to be this ugly cat?”

The cat seemed to understand her disdain, and it screamed out. That terrible, appalling sound furthered her determination to reject. “I was only saying it that day (not in a sincere, serious way), if you want me to talk to it (if you would rather I use him, comment below), I would rather speak to myself.”

Ruan Ruan lightly coughed and said, “People’s appearances are a part of them, but its appearance is probably mostly due to spending so much time outside. Just think of it as doing a good deed, I think that if he (I’ve decided to use he, saying it seems cruel) continues on like thinks, when winter comes, he might even freeze to death.”

Zheng Wei retracted her hands behind her back, saying, “Then why aren’t you compa.s.sionate enough to accept him.”

“It’s not like you don’t know about my house’s clean freak, if I really kept a cat in the house, I’m already fixing everything all day; I’m afraid even my time for sleeping would be gone [if I kept the cat].” She saw that Zheng Wei’s face was still unwilling, she added another sentence on. “Besides, I want a child now.”

Hearing this, Zheng Wei’s eyes lit up and she said, “Ruan Ruan, you did it again/you’re having another one (the words in chinese here are pretty ambiguous and can be interpreted either way)?” She suddenly realized her use of “again” was wrong, and she forced a laugh at her slip of the tongue.

Ruan Ruan didn’t speak and only bitterly laughed, saying, “No, I’m not pregnant yet, I just wish I had a child. But, I’ve already  been married for almost a year, and we haven’t really used any birth control, yet there hasn’t been any news yet.”

Zheng Wei knew what her (Ruan Ruan’s) heart was fearing. So, she comfortingly said, “It won’t be like that, many people go through that also become normal moms, its only temporary. You and Doctor Wu should keep trying, you will definitely have one. Come to think of it, is it him who is eager to have children?”

Doctor Wu was not young, so his desire to continue his bloodline was a normal request (aka, have children, keep his family growing), it’s no wonder that Ruan Ruan was in such a hurry.

Unexpectedly, Ruan Ruan shook her head and said, “He is actually indifferent. In the past, I asked him whether he likes children, and he said that he had no special desire for children, but if we had any, he would definitely want him/her.”

“Then you don’t have to worry, you’re so young, do you not want to enjoy your two person world for longer?” (Two person world refers to Ruan Ruan and Doctor Wu’s married life, without children [to bother them/take up their time])

“Our two person world?” Ruan Ruan laughed and said, “His world mainly takes place on the operating table. That’s why I want to have my own child, that is a justified thing in this world, someone who is born loving me.”

Zheng Wei didn’t know what to say, and only took the cat cage and said, “Since you want a child, I will temporarily take care of him (it’s the cat, I’m a.s.suming its a him). I alone don’t know where my next meal is coming from, I hope he won’t starve. Don’t worry too much, sometimes it’s just you scaring yourself, having a child is based on fate, it will come in its own time.”

Ruan Ruan laughed at her saying, “You really have grown, comforting other people in waves (like with pauses between), really dignified, and actually sounding pretty enjoyable.”

“That is true.” Zheng Wei gave some suns.h.i.+ne (positive [reaction]) and then said brilliantly, “I only have to use some sweet words (like empty flattery), who wouldn’t obediently follow me?”

“Does that also include the current Chen Xiao Zheng?” Ruan Ruan said cautiously (as if testing out the topic).

Zheng Wei’s face immediately cooled and she said, “I rarely speak to him.”

After sending Ruan Ruan off, she carried that fat cat up the stairs single-handedly. He was really quite heavy, such a fat stray cat, this was her first time seeing this. When she returned home, the fat cat immediately scanned to surroundings with its eyes right after she opened the cage. Then, he strolled out, not fast but now slow either, and inspected everywhere in the area, walking, looking and sniffing around. He seemed to be satisfied with this new person’s territory, and laid down in the corner and turning around in a circle.

Ruan Ruan had told Zheng Wei that she had already brought him to get immunizations, and although seeing him on the ground could not be described as cute, it was quite interesting. So she walked over and petted his head, and seeing there was no resistance, she lifted his ears and said, “In the future you will be staying with me.” When she began rubbing his tummy, his patience was finally at an end, and he lifted his claw and scratched Zheng Wei. At the pain, Zheng Wei immediately retracted her hand, and on her hand, there was a scar (cut filled with blood). She was so shocked that she could not attend to punis.h.i.+ng him and hurriedly placed her hand underneath the running faucet. After, she wiped it with an alcohol wipe but she still wasn’t at ease, her youth wouldn’t be killed (ended) because of this cat, right? The more she thought about it the more frightened she became, so she picked up her keys and rushed out the door to get a rabies vaccination. In the end, she still wasn’t satisfied, so she put that cat worthy of death back into his cage. She needed to first bring him to the veterinarian’s office for a check up to see if this cat had any scary viruses or diseases.

On the road home from the veternarian’s office, she dispiritedly carried the unimaginably heavy “Shu Bao”. This was the new name she have given the fat cat, and other than that, she also brought home the cat food for losing fat the vet had reccomended her. The vet had said that this cat was a purebred Chinese lucky cat, purebred lucky cat for short. He was very healthy, about two years old, has already been spayed, and is a eunuch. He already has all the required immunizations, so it is estimated that he is not a stray but was abandoned or lost. If you had to name one of his problems, it was that he had excess nourishment, and was overweight so this was very likely to bring him coronary heart disease. He (the vet) advised Zheng Wei, who had just become his owner today, to bring him out to exercise more often and to try to have him eat less high calorie foods. In regards to the cut on her hand, after disinfecting it it would be okay, there was no need to worry.

From that day onwards, Shu Bao officially invaded her life. He was very lazy, and would lie on the ground for most of the time. He liked to eat, but was very picky, and he refused to swallow any food other that royal cat grain. It had to be a new, fresh package every day, and he also didn’t like people talking to him loudly. He was willing to let people rub his belly gently, and after becoming a bit more familiar, he began to rub up against Zheng Wei’s legs. But, he would not let anyone pick him up (hug or hold him) and after being against Zheng Wei for any time longer than a minute, he would desperately try to leave. Everyone else said that cats were graceful and mysterious small animals, but Zheng Wei thought that Shu Bao absolutely/completely did not possess these characteristics. His eyes were squished very small by his meat (fat?) and extremely thin and deceitful. Even though he was fat, he was not even a little bit honest, instead leaking out the cunningness of an entire small city.Whenever Zheng Wei wasn’t paying attention, he loved to sneak up behind her back and swat at her before running off. When she chased after him he would craftily withdraw into the corner. When she fed him, if she had two fresh packages in her hand, he would definitely not like the package not put into his bowl, and would look at the unopened package in her hand and would yowl at it, a typical villain’s heart. He was especially fond of fighting, and feverishly liked to bully the sausage dog from the unit next door, but if he saw the hybrid wolf dog from upstairs he would immediately flee with his tail between his legs. On the surface, he appeared to greatly care about his health; if the cat litter had not been changed for two days, he would rather hold it in than go in and do his business, but he also hated bathes. All kinds of indications, Zheng Wei summed it all up on the bleak hearts of an eunuch. She was a careless person in life, as long as she could still live on, she didn’t have to pay attention to anything. Therefore, the person and the cat slowly got used to each other, and they could be considered to be getting along harmoniously. Sometimes, Shu Bao would be especially unhappy because Zheng Wei had a dinner party or had to work overtime late into the night. He would scatter the cat litter all over and knock over his water bowl. Zheng Wei felt very sorry for he was also afraid of being alone, so from there on after, unless she absolutely had to  [stay], she would try to rush home early to be with him. His ugliness was not important anymore, even his fatness and his treacherousness was accepted. Since he was coincidentally by her side, they might as well depend on each other.

In late September, the manager’s office at Er Fen had two unexpected visitors. The visit of these two made Zhou Qu, who had been inspecting the company, to rush back after receiving a phone call. That day, Zheng Wei had left to do some work, and she returned just in time to catch up with Zhou Qu escorting the visitors to the door (inside).

She heard Zhou Qu say, “Deputy Lin must give us face (keep their reputation good), allow us an opportunity to invite you in to eat a simple meal. You don’t personally come very often, and I wasn’t aware it in advance, which resulted in letting you wait [for me], [we really are] truly too apologetic.”

The young inspector in the prime time of his life laughed and said, “Your Zhong Jian’s Er Fen is our administrative office’s largest company, according to reason we should normally be strengthening the communication and exchanges between us. Normally, it has always been our anti corruption office’s Bureau Chief Liang who is in charge of relations between us. His work is very precise, and I typically have too much work, so it was only till now I was able to come and visit you for the first time. I won’t be having a meal, [but] any work in the future regarding to Manager Zhou, I hope you will be understanding and supportive.”

Zhou Qu repeatedly said, “The words Deputy Lin is saying make you sound like an outsider, our Er Fen has always operated legally, and has always been very willing to accommodate the police/inspectors. It’s only that normally, we aren’t able to invite you two, so if you don’t stay behind to eat an evening meal, my heart will really be extremely regretful.”

The other slightly older Prosecutor Zheng Wei had seen a few times before, his last name was Liang, he was a subordinate of the city prosecutor’s office, a.s.sistant bureau chief in the district. Typically, the work with Er Fen was usually done directly by him. Usually a.s.sistant Bureau Chief Liang wouldn’t decline the invitation made by the few leaders, but this time, seeing that his superior had gracefully declined, he also went with the flow and said to Zhou Qu, “Manager Zhou, it’s not that we don’t receive your feelings, it’s just that Deputy Lin’s work is just busier. Why not next time, next time there’s a chance to get together [and have a meal]. (Just a clarification, Lin’s position is higher than Liang’s, translating these positions is getting me mixed up, haha)

Zheng Wei stood at the opening of the elevator, not retreating, but not directly leaving either. She saw that Zhou Qu’s att.i.tude and manners towards Deputy Lin looked polite but was actually alienated and expressing some worry. So she took the initiative to say, “Deputy Lin, Officer Lin, it’s almost time to leave work. Even if your work is very busy, you can’t delay eating a meal. Your body is still the advantage of the revolution (aka, your body is needed for all your work, its the most important). We are sincerely asking you to stay, if you aren’t willing to do us the honor, on the contrary, it will look like Er Fen cannot receive guests in a satisfactory manner.”

Deputy Lin took one look at her, pretending to ignore the fleeting flicker of discomfort. He laughed and turned to Zhou Qu and said, “This must be your secretary, Manager Zhou.”

Zhou Qu nodded, and introduced, “Yes, this is my Secretary Xiao Zheng, little girl, she works pretty good.”(again, her name is not Xiao Zheng, it’s just an addition to people’s names by older friends and acquaintances, kinda like “ah ___(name)” and “___’er” if you know those)

Deputy Lin laughed and said, “You don’t need to introduce her, this young woman and I have lots of relations.h.i.+ps (as in, they know each other well). We’re not only from the same hometown, our parents [also] work in the same unit. It can be said that I watched her grow up. I kept hearing that she worked at Er Fen, but this is still the first time I have met her at the company. Isn’t that right, Zheng Wei.”

Zheng Wei only nodded.