460 Knitting Wool Ball (1/2)
Chapter 460: Knitting Wool Ball
Translator: Nyoi-Bo StudioEditor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
While Zhang Zian and Wu Mingzhen were talking, some customers came up to them, wanting to know more about The Classic of Cats Appreciation. They wished for the two men to help them pick some smart cats based on the book.
Wu Mingzhen knew that Zhang Zian didn't want to show off his knowledge, so he cleared his throat and clarified seriously, ”The Classic of Cats Appreciation talked of a history where people chose cats based on two things: having a strong, healthy body and the ability to catch mice. Nowadays, no one buys cats to catch mice, so the standard in The Classic of Cats Appreciation does not apply to our needs anymore. You can read it as a reference, but it is not necessary to take it as a guide. If you want to have a nice cat, you'd better find a cat professor who knows well about the west pet scientific system, like Manager Zhang.”
Some customers were not here for cats, those who wanted to buy dogs asked curiously, ”Excuse me, you've talked about The Classic of Cats Appreciation, does there happen to be a book like The Classic of Dogs Appreciation or something?”
Wu Mingzhen replied immediately, ”There is, but the ancient people kept dogs mainly for guarding their houses and hunting, so The Classic of Dogs Appreciatio doesn't apply to our lives. They believed that dogs born in winter were the best as there was a saying 'dogs born in winter are the smartest,' which was opposite from cats. It may have been because cats were considered Yin, while dogs were Yang. It is written in the literary sketchbooks of Tang Dynasty, You Yang Za Zu, that cats' noses are always cold except for on Summer Solstice so they belong to Yin. However, I've never touched a cat's nose on Summer Solstice, and the last time I touched my cat, it scratched me so I don't know if this is true.”
His words made people laugh. No matter how meek a cat may seem, it's dangerous to bother it when it wants time alone.
Wu Mingzhen wanted to test Zhang Zian, but it turned out the joke was on him. Not only did Zhang Zian know about the origins of Calotes Versicolor, but he also told them about its unusual name, ”cat's ginseng.” Even Wu Mingzhen had not heard of that before.
This time he aimed to save face, so he changed the topic and asked Zhang Zian again, smiling, ”Just now we were talking about Yin and Yang. Do you know anything about the Five Elements?”
Zhang Zian tried his best to keep calm and cleared his throat, recalling all the things he knew about the Five Elements, except that he had never read anything on it before, so how would he know?
When he was thinking of words to say, Old Time Tea helped him again and laughed. ”Zian, don't panic, let me tell you.”
Zhang Zian retold what Old Time Tea told him. ”According to Wu Xing Zuan Yi, cats belong to the Fire element. They like to play, but hate the rain and getting wet, and they are also easy to scare. Cats and tigers are originally from Yinm and cats belong to the Fire Element, that's why they are active at night. Cats are regarded in the Fire Element and, while Water and Fire are natural enemies, they are afraid of water and being wet so they hate to shower.”
The crowd suddenly understood and got a feeling that ”listening to you saves me reading for 10 years.”
Cats were considered the Yin in Yin and Yang, and the Fire in the Five Elements, so they hated to take showers and liked doing activities at night. Wu Mingzhen could tell that Zhang Zian was being humble before and deliberately tried to hide his knowledge about The Classic of Cats Appreciation. However, he just came off as stupid.
After the support of Old Time Tea, Zhang Zian was pretty confident and felt like he was the king of the world. Before he could laugh out loud, the lady with glasses came up to him and apologized, ”I'm sorry manager, I shouldn't have been rude before. I still want to buy cats here.”
She and her boyfriend visited several pet shops and homes that were recommended online. All of them bragged about their pets and wanted to persuade her to buy a cat 1 or 2 months old, saying that bigger cats were either unhealthy or not good looking. Those words from one single shop didn't bother her, but two other shops said the same thing so she had been brainwashed. It wasn't until now that she finally understood that sellers say things for their own benefits. Those pet shops and pet homes were real cheaters.
She and her boyfriend didn't know about Yin and Yang or the Five Elements, but they thought it was really something. After hearing Zhang Zian speak from his real knowledge of cats, she knew the other store managers couldn't be as good as this one. After giving it a second thought, she apologized to Zhang Zian and decided to buy a cat at the store.
She believed in supernatural things. She was a fan of astrology and the divine, liked playing Bi Xian (pen deity) and Die Xian (dish deity.) She already decided to buy cats here after she heard about the fact that cats born after the lunar calander's July 14th could protect their owners and houses, as cats sold in the other shops were all around 1 or 2 months old.
Of course Zhang Zian forgave her and replied, ”Ignorance is not to blame. Just pick a cat you fancy.”
”Thank you. Which cat was born before July 14th?” She asked. She did not want to apologize, but she did it so Zhang Zian would choose a cat for her.
”What kind do you want?” Zhang Zian asked back.