197: Chapter 197 The Cat's Apprentice

After the cat set the rules, even more people came to see it. Some brought dried fish, some mimicked cat meows, and some squatted to watch. The cat responded to these three types of people differently—with a smile, by playing, or by rubbing against them. It ignored everyone else entirely. But that day, a strange cat arrived. It was white and thin, walking in from the alley entrance to squat under the Old Locust Tree, watching Lin Fengs Cat. The two cats stared at each other for a long time. Lin Fengs Cat stood up, walked over to the White Cat, sniffed it, and then let out three "he—he—he" sounds at it. The White Cat was stunned for a moment, then opened its mouth and let out a single "he—". The sound was very short, as if testing the waters. Lin Fengs Cat laughed again, this time longer: "He—he—he—". The White Cat followed suit, letting out a halting "he—he—". The two cats laughed at each other for a while before the White Cat suddenly turned and ran away. Lin Fengs Cat didn't chase it, squatting back down beside the phone, its tail covering the screen as it closed its eyes.

Margaret came out of the Restaurant and smiled when she saw this scene. "Is it teaching other cats to laugh?" Lin Feng said, "Maybe. But it hasn't succeeded yet. The White Cat only learned half of it." Margaret squatted down and looked at the cat. "Will it teach other cats?" Lin Feng thought for a moment. "It doesn't teach. It just laughs. When other cats hear it, they can learn if they want to, or not." He reached out and stroked the cat's head; the cat didn't open its eyes, but a "he" sound came from its throat. Margaret stroked it too, and the cat let out another "he". She laughed. "It laughs for anyone, as long as they pet it," Lin Feng said. "Mhm. Petting it belongs to the group of people who squat to watch it. Squatting to watch means understanding it. If you understand it, it rubs against you. If you pet it, it laughs."

In the afternoon, the White Cat returned. This time it brought a larger black cat, and the two cats squatted under the Old Locust Tree, watching Lin Fengs Cat. Lin Fengs Cat opened its eyes, glanced at them, and closed them again. The White Cat mimicked a "he—", and the black cat followed with a "he—". Lin Fengs Cat stood up, walked in front of them, and laughed four times: "He—he—he—he". The White Cat and the black cat followed suit; the White Cat managed three laughs, and the black cat managed two. After finishing, the three cats squatted in a row, watching the red dot on the wall. Lin Feng squatted nearby, watching the three cats. He felt that Lin Fengs Cat wasn't their teacher, but their role model. It laughed, and they followed. It didn't teach; they learned on their own. He thought of the happiness toolboxes he had made—he didn't teach people how to laugh, he only made tools. When people used the tools, they learned to laugh on their own. The cat was the same; it didn't teach other cats how to laugh, it just laughed itself. When other cats heard it, they learned on their own.

When Old Zhou came to deliver the mail, he was stunned to see three cats squatted under the Old Locust Tree. "Are you raising all of these?" Lin Feng said, "I'm not raising them. They came on their own. Lin Fengs Cat is teaching them to laugh." Old Zhou squatted down and looked at the three cats. Seeing a stranger, the White Cat and the black cat ran away. Lin Fengs Cat didn't run; it glanced at Old Zhou and closed its eyes again. Old Zhou pulled a letter out of his bag and handed it to Lin Feng. "Yours." Lin Feng opened it; inside was only a single sheet of paper with a single line of text: "Lin Feng, can the cat's apprentices laugh?" There was no signature. Lin Feng folded the letter and put it in his pocket. He looked at Old Zhou. "They can. But they haven't learned it fully. The White Cat can do three sounds, and the black cat can do two." Old Zhou laughed. "Then how many can your cat do?" Lin Feng said, "As many as it wants. If it's happy, it laughs more. If it's not, it doesn't laugh." Old Zhou stood up and brushed off his pants. "I'm heading back. Keep an eye on them." He hopped on his bike, the chain clinking as he rode away.

At dusk, the White Cat and the black cat returned. This time they brought a third cat, a Yellow Cat that was chubby and walked very slowly. The three cats squatted under the Old Locust Tree, looking up at Lin Fengs Cat. Lin Fengs Cat squatted on the phone, its tail covering the screen and its eyes closed. The Yellow Cat mimicked a "he—", its voice very soft, as if it hadn't fully woken up. The White Cat and the black cat followed suit, the cats' cries rising and falling like they were practicing a chorus. Lin Fengs Cat opened its eyes, stood up, walked in front of them, and laughed five times: "He—he—he—he—he". After the five laughs, it walked back and continued squatting on the phone. The White Cat learned three, the black cat learned two, and the Yellow Cat learned one. They squatted in a row, watching the red dot on the wall, the tips of their tails twitching gently. Lin Feng squatted nearby, watching these four cats. He felt that the happiness in Xinfeng Town had increased again—not because there were more people, but because there were more cats. The cats laughed, the people heard and followed suit. The people laughed, and the cats continued laughing. Laughing back and forth, one couldn't tell who had started it.

In the evening, Lin Feng sat on the steps in front of the Restaurant. He wasn't squatting, but sitting. Margaret came out carrying a plate of mushrooms and sat beside him. The two of them sat there, watching the sky. The stars lit up one by one, just like yesterday. The cat walked over from under the Old Locust Tree—only Lin Fengs Cat; the White Cat, black cat, and Yellow Cat had all left. It walked to their feet, squatted down, and looked up at the stars. It watched for a long time, then closed its eyes, curled into a ball, and began to purr. Amidst the purring were faint "he-he-he" sounds, like it was talking in its sleep. Margaret looked at the cat. "It taught apprentices today," Lin Feng said. "It didn't teach. It just laughed. The other cats learned on their own." Margaret asked, "Then what is it to them?" Lin Feng thought for a moment. "A friend. A laughing friend. It laughs, and they follow. When you laugh together a lot, you're friends." The wind blew over, carrying the fine fragments of cat fur, the lingering echoes of laughter, the aroma of coffee, and the light sweetness of mushrooms. Lin Feng closed his eyes and sniffed. He opened his eyes, stood up, and brushed off his pants. "I'm going to sleep." Margaret stood up as well. "Will other cats come tomorrow?" Lin Feng said, "They will. Laughter is contagious. Once it spreads, it can't be stopped." He turned and walked into the Restaurant, with Margaret following behind him. The door closed, and the lights went out. The cat jumped down from the steps, walked back under the Old Locust Tree, and squatted beside the phone, its tail covering the screen. It didn't laugh; it just squatted there. The moon emerged from behind the clouds, casting the cat's shadow on the ground, round like a ball of yarn. The wind blew, and the shadow swayed, but it did not break. Lin Feng stood inside the Restaurant, looking out the window. He saw the cat's shadow, the phone's shadow, and the shadow of a friend. He watched for a long time, then drew the curtains and went to sleep.

[Chapter 197 End]