No One Loves Me (GL) - Chapter 8

The next morning, the sky was clear.

Xin Geling woke up and planned to take the three bundles of cardboard to the recycling center to sell.

Before she carried them downstairs, Lin Huilan stopped her and pulled out a spring scale the size of her palm from a corner. “Let’s weigh them first.”

Xin Geling saw her mother’s frail body standing in front of the cardboard with her legs apart. She expertly hooked the spring scale onto the bundle’s rope and tried to lift it to weigh it. In that moment, Xin Geling’s heart was hit by a powerful impact.

“Mom, let me do it,” Xin Geling said, taking the spring scale from her mother’s hand. She lifted the first bundle. “Thirty…thirty-three pounds.”

Lin Huilan took out an old calculator and typed in “33.” When her daughter told her the second number, she continued to type.

“33 plus 29 plus 35, that’s 97 pounds in total,” Lin Huilan said. She took a piece of paper and a pen to write down the number and also wrote it on the corresponding bundles.

Xin Geling moved the bundles downstairs one by one.

In the apartment complex, Lin Huilan had pulled a blue foldable flat dolly from somewhere and told Xin Geling to put the cardboard on it to make it easier to pull.

“I’ll pull it,” Xin Geling said after all the cardboard was on the dolly. She pulled the dolly out of the complex.

Lin Huilan couldn’t let her do all the work alone, so she walked behind her, steadying the tall bundles. In the past, she wouldn’t have been able to pull this much by herself and would have made multiple trips.

“I’ll hold it from behind. Be careful, Geling.”

“I will,” Xin Geling said.

On the Lingzhang street that morning, a damp smell lingered in the air after the rain.

The dolly’s wheels rolled over the smooth concrete road. On both sides of the street, the trees were lined up, their leaves covered in a thin layer of dewdrops. Some of the drops, unable to bear the weight, fell, while others evaporated into the morning sunlight.

When they arrived at the recycling center, the person in charge weighed the bundles very roughly. He just looked at them and said, “90 pounds.”

Lin Huilan immediately got angry. “What do you mean, 90 pounds? It’s 97!”

Xin Geling also stared at the man with a cold gaze. “That’s 7 pounds less.”

The man looked at the mother and daughter, then at the tall and intimidating-looking Xin Geling. “Fine, fine. I’ll give you 97 pounds.”

Cardboard was 60 cents a pound, so they made 58.2 yuan.

After they got the money, the mother and daughter pulled the empty dolly back home.

On the way, Xin Geling held the dolly with one hand and wrapped her other arm around Lin Huilan’s frail shoulders. “Mom, as long as I’m around, I won’t let anyone bully you again.”

Lin Huilan pulled on her arm on her shoulder, feeling comforted. “Okay. I know my daughter will be successful in the future.”

“Mom, are we running low on money?” Xin Geling asked, thinking about how her salary from the pet grooming shop wouldn’t come until the end of the month. The money wouldn’t be able to solve their immediate problems. It was no wonder her mother had to collect cardboard.

“We still have a thousand or two,” Lin Huilan said. “Do you need it for something?”

“No,” Xin Geling said. “I was just thinking that I don’t get paid until the end of the month, and I’ve been eating and living at home, which is a lot of money.”

Lin Huilan comforted her. “You don’t have to worry. I won’t let you go hungry.”

Xin Geling rubbed her shoulder and smiled. “Mom, I’ll go with you to collect cardboard after work.”

Lin Huilan immediately refused. “No, you just go to work. I’m just bored and have nothing to do.”

Xin Geling neither argued nor agreed. She knew her mother was trying to protect her and didn’t want her daughter to do such rough and dirty work.

But she had overlooked the fact that no child could stand by and watch their mother collect cardboard and remain unaffected.

After they got home and put the dolly away, it was still early. Xin Geling went for a run, and after her run, she had breakfast before going to work.

But she didn’t expect to find a small kitten abandoned in a cardboard box at the front door of the pet grooming shop.

The kitten was in a box right in the middle of the doorway, meowing.

Xin Geling looked around to see who had left it, but she couldn’t see anyone. She didn’t know if someone had abandoned it or if they had just temporarily put it there.

She opened the door and turned on all the lights. She immediately messaged her boss to tell him there was a kitten at the door that seemed to have been abandoned.

The boss told her to leave it there for a while, just in case someone had just put it there temporarily. If no one came back for it after some time, it was most likely abandoned.

Xin Geling had no choice but to change the water and food for the boarded cats. After she was done, no one had come to get the kitten, so she messaged her boss again to let him know it was still there.

Boss: Someone probably left it here for us to take in.

Xin Geling: Does this happen often?

Boss: Sometimes. It happens at the vet hospital, too. People often leave kittens there.

Xin Geling: What should we do?

Boss: Give it some food for now. I’ll ask around in my friends’ circles to see if anyone wants to adopt it.

Xin Geling felt a rush of emotions. She crouched down and picked up the tiny kitten. It was so small she could hold it in one hand. She filled a 5ml bottle with goat milk powder and fed it slowly.

The kitten was a pure black cat with all black fur. Its tail was short and tiny, sticking up like an antenna.

Judging by its age, it was probably only a week or two old. Its fur was fluffy but sparse, unlike the thick fur of a cat a few months old.

It was also very clean, with no eye or nose discharge, ringworm, or other issues. Its round eyes were clear and bright against its black fur.

Before she fed it, it had been meowing nonstop, but after it started drinking the milk, all that was left was a slurping sound.

The boarded cats in the display cabinet were attracted by the kitten’s meowing and all looked at the tiny kitten in Xin Geling’s hand.

Xin Geling suddenly remembered that Xie Zhitang had said she wanted to adopt a cat yesterday. She wondered if she would like this one.

Should she ask her?

Xin Geling took out her phone and took a few pictures of the kitten that was now on her lap, drinking the milk. She was about to send them to her when Xie Zhitang called.

Xin Geling answered. “Hello?”

“Sister, I was calling to ask if your shop has the cat food Tangyuan eats. My colleague said she’s run out. If you have it, she’ll buy two bags.”

“The Royal Canin one?” Xin Geling stood up and went to the shelf. When she saw the reddish-pink packaging, she said, “Yes, we do.”

Just then, the little kitten started meowing again.

“Sister, why do I hear a kitten meowing?” Xie Zhitang asked.

Xin Geling told her the whole story. “Someone left a box at the door this morning with a little kitten inside.”

“Was it abandoned?” Xie Zhitang asked.

“I think so.”

“What kind of cat is it?” Xie Zhitang asked.

Xin Geling thought for a moment. “It’s a little black cat. Its whole body is black.”

“Really? That’s a rare color. Can I see it?” Xie Zhitang asked.

“Of course. I’ll send you a picture in a bit.”

“What does your boss plan to do with the kitten?” Xie Zhitang asked.

“My boss is looking for someone to adopt it.”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. Xin Geling thought she wasn’t interested in adopting a black cat and was about to bring the conversation back to the cat food.

Then, Xie Zhitang suddenly asked, “Sister, can I adopt it?”

Xin Geling didn’t know what to feel. Xie Zhitang’s proposal to adopt the cat smoothly confirmed her previous assumption.

But Xie Zhitang’s willingness to help made her happy, and she subconsciously ignored the subtle smoothness of the situation.

“Of course. I’ll tell my boss.”

Xin Geling messaged her boss to tell him that someone wanted to adopt the kitten and sent Xie Zhitang pictures of it.

“Sister, it’s so cute,” Xie Zhitang said, sitting in her office, looking at the pictures of the kitten on her phone and talking to Xin Geling in a gentle voice.

On her computer screen, a chat window was open, showing a message from her to a person she had just transferred money to.

The person’s last message was, “Thanks, sis. I’ll find you again if I need anything.”

Xin Geling was completely unaware. She listened to Xie Zhitang’s gentle and pleasant voice on the phone. “He is very cute,” she laughed softly.

Xie Zhitang thought for a moment. “Okay, Sister, I’ll come see the kitten after work today and buy two bags of cat food.”

“Alright,” Xin Geling said.

After hanging up, Xin Geling continued to feed the kitten. After it was full, she put it in the display cabinet with the other boarded cats.

The day’s work had begun.

At 5 p.m., another person came in to get their cat groomed. They wanted a full deep groom and for her to deliver the cat to a nearby apartment building after it was done.

After grooming six cats that day, Xin Geling put on her gloves again without any complaints and began to bathe the British Shorthair, which was as round as a piglet. She trimmed its nails, shaved its fur, and dewormed it.

After blow-drying it, she put it in a carrier and took it out to deliver it to the address.

Xin Geling walked down the street with the carrier. Vendors were starting to set up their stalls.

There were stalls selling fried noodles, fried rice, stinky tofu, spicy fried potatoes, grilled sausage, chicken collarbones (buy a half-pound, get one free), boneless chicken feet, and homemade mochi.

There was even a vendor with a cart selling fresh drinks, openly competing with the several boba shops just a few feet away.

But the boba shops were also crowded, with music and air conditioning. The employees were constantly making drinks, and delivery drivers in blue and yellow uniforms were darting in and out.

A few steps away, there were vendors selling fruit. Some had oranges piled up in a pyramid shape on the ground. Others had set up small tables with baskets of mulberries, strawberries, and bayberries, with price tags hanging beside them.

Some had driven three-wheeled carts filled with durian, attracting many people to stop and pick one.

The street was lively and noisy, with a lot of foot traffic.

Xin Geling walked through the street and arrived at an apartment building. She went into the elevator and delivered the cat to the customer according to the apartment number.

She walked back the same way. As soon as she got back to the shop, she saw the girl who had given her a cake yesterday.

“Hello, can I help you with anything?” Xin Geling asked.

The girl nudged her friend. “I’m here to buy a can of cat food.”

Xin Geling led her to the shelf. “What kind of can do you want? A main meal or a treat?”

The girl stood up straight, holding a bag in front of her. “A…a treat.”

Her friend was not as reserved. She went directly to Xin Geling’s other side, turned, and looked at Xin Geling. To avoid awkwardness, she picked up a can of cat food. The can weighed 85 grams. She asked seriously, “How much is this can?”

“It’s ZIWI Peak,” Xin Geling said. “One can is 35 yuan.”

When the girl’s friend heard the price, her eyes almost popped out. “What kind of cat food is that expensive?”

“This brand is a little more expensive because it’s a pet food brand from New Zealand,” Xin Geling explained. “The production, manufacturing, and packaging are all done in the country of origin, and there’s also food supervision and customs fees, so the price is higher. But this is a main meal, not a treat. You can look at the other cans.”

The girl’s friend put the can back reluctantly. “Okay.”

The girl behind Xin Geling shot a look at her friend, telling her not to make a fuss.

The girl then spoke. “I want to look at this one.”

Xin Geling turned around, followed her finger, and picked up a pouch of Fussie Cat puree. “This one?”

The girl shyly nodded. “Yes. Is this a treat? I don’t give Kele treats very often because I’m afraid it’ll make him picky.”

“It’s fine to give it to him occasionally as a reward,” Xin Geling said. “Fussie Cat is a treat. A whole bag is 20 yuan, and one pouch is 5 yuan.”

“Then I’ll buy a whole bag.”

“What flavor?” Xin Geling asked.

The girl glanced at her. “What flavors do you have?”

“Chicken and cream, seafood and cream, chicken and cheese, tuna and caviar, chicken and cranberry, beef and matsutake, tuna and shrimp, chicken and goat milk, and tuna and cod.”

“Then I’ll get the beef and matsutake,” the girl said.

“Okay. I’ll get it ready for you.” Xin Geling took it to the front counter to put it in a bag. She typed the amount into the computer and had the girl scan the QR code to pay.

The girls were about to leave, so her friend quickly tried to find another topic of conversation. She saw the little black cat and stopped to look at it. “Is this little black cat yours?”

Xin Geling looked up. “No, someone left it at the door.”

The girl beside her realized it was abandoned. “Have you found anyone to adopt it?”

“Do you want to adopt it?” Xin Geling asked.

“Yes. I was thinking of getting a second cat.”

Xin Geling looked at her apologetically. “Someone has already adopted it.”

The girl looked disappointed. “Oh. Okay.”

Her friend then suggested, “Then can we add you on WeChat? If you have any more kittens that need to be adopted, you can ask us.”

Xin Geling thought they were genuinely interested in adopting cats. “You can add our boss’s WeChat. He posts about adoptions in his circle of friends.”

The girl: “…”

The girl’s friend: “…”

The girl’s friend tried one last time. “You don’t post about adoptions on your WeChat?”

Xin Geling shook her head. “No. I don’t have many people on my WeChat, so it wouldn’t be very useful.”

The girls were speechless. The girl had no choice but to add the boss’s WeChat. She and her friend left, disappointed.

As soon as they walked out, they saw Xie Zhitang. Xie Zhitang looked at their familiar faces as they passed her and then looked at the tall, slender figure in the shop.

Xin Geling saw Xie Zhitang, too. “You’re here?”

Xie Zhitang nodded. “Was that girl the one who gave you the cake yesterday?”

“You remember her?” Xin Geling asked.

“A delicate and lovely girl,” Xie Zhitang said. “How could I forget her?”

Xin Geling always felt a sense of comfort when she spoke, as if she were in a spring breeze.

Xie Zhitang asked casually, “What were they looking for just now?”

“They bought a bag of treats for their cat,” Xin Geling said.

“Was that all? You seemed to be talking for a while,” Xie Zhitang said.

Xin Geling picked up a cat wand from the table and went to the display cabinet. While playing with the kitten, she answered, “She said she wanted to adopt this kitten, and I told her someone had already adopted it.”

Xie Zhitang stood beside her, looking at the reflection of their figures in the small glass door of the display cabinet. The swaying reflection showed a beautiful harmony.

“Doesn’t she already have a cat?”

“She wants to get a second one.”

“And then what?”

“And then what?” Xin Geling turned to look at her, confused. What else could there be?

Xie Zhitang smiled faintly. “I thought she was going to ask for your WeChat.”

Xin Geling was surprised and suddenly felt like she could read minds. “She did want to add me on WeChat. She said to let her know if I had any adoption news.”

Xie Zhitang’s gaze rested on Xin Geling’s face. “Did you add her?”

“No. I told her to add my boss’s WeChat.”

Xie Zhitang’s lips curved upward. “It looks like she really wants a second cat.”

For a moment, Xin Geling thought there was a hidden meaning behind her words, but her attention was immediately drawn back to Xie Zhitang.

Xie Zhitang said, “Sister, can I hold it?”

“Of course,” Xin Geling said. She put down the cat wand and opened the glass door. The kitten immediately tried to get out, but Xin Geling quickly held it so it wouldn’t fall from a height.

“He’s so tiny,” Xie Zhitang said with a sigh, looking at the kitten in Xin Geling’s palm. It was so small it looked like it could be crushed with a squeeze.

Xin Geling transferred it to Xie Zhitang’s hands, letting her hold it.

Xie Zhitang cupped it in her hands, feeling the fluffy, soft fur squirming in her palms. The kitten pressed one of its tiny paws against her pale fingers, then its nose moved to her fingertip and sniffed.

The next second, it started sucking on her index finger.

“Sister, I think he’s hungry…” Xie Zhitang looked up at Xin Geling, a little unsure of what to do.

“Wait a moment. I’ll get some goat milk powder for him,” Xin Geling said with a light laugh. She told her to sit on the sofa. A moment later, she came back with the prepared goat milk and crouched in front of Xie Zhitang, gently touching the kitten’s mouth to let him taste it.

As expected, when the kitten tasted the milk, it changed its target. It stopped sucking on Xie Zhitang’s finger and started sucking on the bottle.

Xie Zhitang took the bottle from Xin Geling’s hand, and their hands touched unintentionally. She lowered her eyes, a hint of emotion in them. “Let me try to feed him.”

“Mhm.” Xin Geling let go, letting her experience the joy of feeding a kitten as a cat owner.

Feeding a kitten by hand was undoubtedly a delightful experience, accompanied by a strong sense of accomplishment.

Xin Geling saw Xie Zhitang’s face soften as she fed the kitten, her eyes full of affection.

“Sister, what’s his name?” Xie Zhitang suddenly looked up, and their eyes met unexpectedly.

One was sitting, the other was half-crouching.

Xin Geling looked into her gentle eyes and pursed her lips. “He doesn’t have a name yet. You can give him a new name.”

Xie Zhitang frowned in thought. “Let me think.”

Xin Geling’s eyes fell back on the kitten, watching as it held the small bottle with both paws, seriously drinking the milk. Xin Geling couldn’t help but reach over Xie Zhitang’s wrist and gently scratch the top of the kitten’s head with her thumb.

The slurping was so loud.

“How about Tangtang?” Xie Zhitang suggested.

“…” Xin Geling immediately thought of her WeChat name, but it was also possible that she just wanted to name the kitten that, since a cat was an owner’s companion.

“That’s a nice name,” Xin Geling said, having no objection to the suggestion. However, she couldn’t help but associate the kitten with Xie Zhitang.

One was as white as jade, the other was as black as ink.

It was interesting.