CHAPTER 99: 99 CATS AND DOGS

In the afternoon, we ate chilled houttuynia cordata. Iron Egg is still young and cannot handle the taste, but Xiao Mi loves it.

Had it not been for Second Aunt holding her back, not daring to let her eat too much, she would have prepared to add another bowl of rice.

Speaking of home, now occasionally, we would buy some refined rice and flour, and the food is not as coarse as last year.

And all this is thanks to the family’s wheat this year, which has grown exceptionally well!

The better the crops grow, the lighter the burden on the shoulders. Jiang Hu and Second Aunt’s thinking evolved from just wanting to fill the stomach to having a slightly better life as conditions allowed.

Sumptuous meals of fish and meat every time are not feasible, and they’re reluctant about it, but occasionally eating a refined rice meal and having an egg daily is still possible.

Speaking of eggs, it’s hard not to mention how Er Ni was heartbroken twice this year–once shortly after New Year when two chicks were lost and recently when two little wild chicks were gone.

Xiao Mi felt guilty, but dared not say anything, only adding more chocolate and liquor-filled ones to the secret gift prepared for her Second Sister!

Moreover, it would be a few years later, when she grew up some more and could stroll around town alone, before daring to bring it out.

After eating, Xiao Mi yawned and returned to the room intending to rest, still wondering why it felt like something was missing.

"Woof woof~" A small black dog rushed in from outside.

Xiao Mi quickly turned around: "Little Black!"

The small black dog, only reaching her knee height, fluffy and round, covered in grass bits, directly charged into Xiao Mi’s arms.

"Little Black, where did you go? Why are you just returning now?" Xiao Mi cheerfully embraced Little Black, not forgetting to brush away the grass bits to make it cleaner.

Little Black also stuck close to Xiao Mi, constantly rubbing against her in her arms and wagging its tail vigorously, making ’woo woo’ sounds, as if both pleading and reporting its doings to its little owner.

"Looking at this, it’s surely been to the back mountains. This little one just has such a love for running around."

Second Aunt feigned a sigh: "Exactly like you, Xiao Mi."

Of course, since Xiao Mi could walk, she’s been pushing a little chair around, darting around the house, and now, grown up a bit, is rarely home apart from sleeping and eating.

Xiao Mi giggled twice, somewhat suspecting that it was because of her, as someone once said, when a dog is brought home, its character will resemble whoever first welcomed it.

The day Dad brought Little Black home, she was the first to hold it.

"Little Black, let’s eat." Xiao Mi clasped Little Black’s neck, leading it to under the eaves outside the kitchen.

Two bowls, one for food and one for water, both belonging to Little Black.

Little Black’s food is simple, leftover meals and dishes from lunch, it eats what they eat, though occasionally, Xiao Mi secretly complements its meals with dog food, milk powder, or canned dog food.

Don’t ask why Xiao Mi has such supplies; they’re trivial matters to her. Anything publicly sold in her previous life is present in her space, apart from those unsellable ones like xxxx.

Not just those for dogs; she could conjure appropriate food for cats, snakes, birds, etc.

Luckily, dogs can’t talk, so Xiao Mi isn’t worried about being exposed.

While Little Black ate, Xiao Mi added Spiritual Spring water to the nearby water bowl and petted Little Black’s head before returning indoors to nap.

Second Aunt already started sewing under the eaves, working on shoe soles. Xiao Mi sat down beside her, asking: "Mom, when is the kitten coming home?"

Little Black was just brought home last month, Dad mentioned that before New Year, Shopkeeper Liu knew a big wolfdog was pregnant, asking Dad to wait a while. This wait lasted until February when the pup was full moon, and then it was brought home.

However, Xiao Mi is still longing for a kitten at home.

"The kitten, well, wait a bit longer; your dad says he’ll sun-dry some small fish first to bring it home in a few days."

Xiao Mi isn’t too sleepy, simply propping her chin, watching Mom sew: "Why sun-dry small fish first, can’t it just be brought home directly?"

In her space, there are plenty of fish; initially just a few, kept in a large tank, but as small fish multiplied, she created a big pond on vacant land to raise fish.

Currently, not only carp but also grass carp, koi, and silver carp are present–all secretly placed in space when Dad brought fish home to the water vat. Besides fish, there are eels too.

Nonetheless, not wanting to attract suspicion, Xiao Mi dared not raise too many, so over time, she only kept a few of each kind.

Second Aunt laughed, explaining: "One can’t just bring a cat home; good food must be prepared first, only if the cat willingly follows us home will it work."

Xiao Mi didn’t fully comprehend but knew cats occupy a certain consideration in elders’ hearts, so she didn’t probe any further, diverting her attention to Dad.

Her Dad returned late in the morning and disappeared after eating, leaving them unsure of his whereabouts.

Then Second Aunt said Jiang Hu went to set traps for fish.

There’s hardly ever a shortage of fish at home, a large stone jar by the yard has been holding fish from last year till now, feeding not just the family but occasionally sent to the restaurant too.

Jiang Hu discovered the fresher fish tastes better after being nurtured for a while.

Currently, the jar contains eels akin to the fish. The eels caught are kept for several days in the vat before selling them to the restaurant.

This arrangement raises the price of their eels slightly above others.

This morning, the big eel caught by Da Wa was individually kept in a bucket using water from the kitchen vat.

Being too large, Jiang Hu fears putting it in the outside jar where it might consume the smaller fish.

For this big eel, Jiang Hu and Second Aunt decided not to sell it, instead nurturing it for a few days before stewing it and sharing half with Liu Yang’s family.

Given it was caught on Liu Yang’s land, even if they wouldn’t say anything, acknowledging the gesture is necessary.

Such a big eel might sell for a silver or two, yet Jiang Hu and Second Aunt surprisingly afford to eat it.

Soon, upon Jiang Hu’s return from setting traps, he began fishing small fish from the stone jar to make dried small fish.

The sun is good today, and the prepared small fish, with no salt or seasonings, are strung up with a line and hung in the yard to dry halfway by afternoon, ready to be roasted during meal preparation, and then stored.

All of this is in preparation for bringing home a kitten.

Xiao Mi already started anticipating when cute, adorable cats can be brought home.