Chapter 675: Leaving the Mountains
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Meow! Meow! Meow!" The mother in the delivery room next door came in through the baby monitor.
Famous was very tired, both physically and mentally. It woke up when Zhang Zian left in the middle of the night, and it had planned to wait for him, but after a while, it fell asleep.
Famous felt like it had just shut its eyes when Galaxy started making noises. "Meow! Meow!"
"Galaxy, they're meowing because they're in labor. Why are you meowing?"
"Famous, are you talking in your sleep? It's time to wake up, we need to get going as soon as possible. It's getting late."
Famous opened its eyes, confused. It was the middle of the night, where did they have to be? Next door to help with the delivery? It was a dog, how could it help a cat in labor?
The sun rose from the east, and since it was blocked by the mountains, the sunlight hadn't yet to made its way into the valley.
It looked like it rained last night, as the green striped stones at the entrance of the temple were wet.
Old Time Tea smiled at Famous from its seat on the praying mat.
Famous stood up and yawned. It was very hard for it to get a normal night's sleep, it always lingered between the real world and the imaginary world.
"There's some braised meat and roasted potatoes over there, we'll leave once you've eaten." Old Time Tea pointed at the incense altar. "I overheard the Wu's servants talking, and it seems like the bridal accompaniment for the Wu's daughter is setting off today. If we're late, there might be unnecessary trouble."
"Old Time Tea, have you eaten?" Famous asked.
"Yes," Old Time Tea answered.
Famous never rejected food, and finished the meat and potato in just a few bites. It licked its lips and let out a huge burp.
Galaxy could be heard from outside the temple. Famous looked towards the sound to see Galaxy pounce towards a yellow butterfly. The butterfly's wings might've been wet because it was flying slow and awkwardly before Galaxy caught it in its paws. Galaxy didn't harm the butterfly, it just carefully examined it before letting it go.
"Famous, check if there's anything we left in the temple. Once we leave for Binhai Town, we won't be coming back, so we should bring anything that might be useful," Old Time Tea reminded Famous.
The trip to Binhai Town wasn't a short one, and since they'd be walking the whole way, the probability of them returning was very low. Even if they did return, it'd be like three years from now.
What would Famous need to bring? Old Time Tea was actually just reminding it that they might never see the Temple for the Righteous Cat and Chivalrous Dog again.
Famous stepped outside and looked at the temple that had sheltered them for more than half a year.
The temple's plaque had lost its shine after a few months of exposure to rain and wind. The sun rose higher and lit up the tiles that were at the tip of the temple. There were budding sprouts in the tiny slits between the tiles.
Now that they were about to leave the temple, they couldn't help but feel heartache.
Would anyone come to take care of the temple? To light incense and pray? Most importantly, would anyone remember that a dog and cat used to live in the temple?
Famous wanted people to remember it, if only in its Imagined Landscape.
A few moments later, Famous turned away and said, "Okay, let's go. I have nothing more to bring with me."
Yes, this was Famous' Imagined Landscape, but everything here was Old Time Tea's memories. As long as Famous didn't lose its memory, the Temple for the Righteous Cat and Chivalrous Dog will remain forever.
Old Time Tea smiled and looked up at the sky. "Great, let's go."
"Galaxy! Stop playing, it's time for us to go," Famous shouted.
"Meow! Meow!"
Galaxy pounced at another butterfly. The butterfly was very sly, it didn't just avoid getting caught, it flew circles around Galaxy. Galaxy looked at Famous and the butterfly landed on the side of Galaxy's forehead.
Famous waved Galaxy over before it went off with Old Time Tea.
"Meow!"
Galaxy hesitated, it wanted to look for the butterfly, but couldn't find it. Galaxy moved on and chased after Famous and Old Time Tea.
There was a small path that went through the mountains and reached Foshan.
On the road, the animals attracted quite a number of looks. Some people recognized Old Time Tea and Famous as the Righteous Cat and Chivalrous Dog, and, out of respect, moved aside to make a path for them. However, there were people who didn't recognize them and wanted to make them into stew. Those people suffered.
As they got closer to Foshan, the road started to get more packed. Vendors shouted to attract customers, rickshaw riders pulled their empty rickshaws, and cars drove past.
Pi Li Pa La! Dong!
All of a sudden, a firework exploded up ahead, the noise was deafening. Remains of the firework littered the floor, and there was a strong smell of smoke in the air. It reminded Famous of New Year's in the real world.
Many people blocked the pathway, nothing could get through. Even some vendors stopped, without a care for their business.
Famous and Old Time Tea exchanged glances, and paused at the side of the road.
"Who's setting off fireworks so early in the morning?"
"Woah! What a glamorous display! What's going on?"
Some people were as puzzled as they were, and asked around for information.
"You don't know?" some person asked, boasting. "The Wu's are marrying off their daughter, and used fireworks to open the path for the bridal accompaniment. They'll be coming out soon."
"Which Wu family?"
"What other Wu family is there in Foshan? It's Wu Mancheng, Minister Wu's family!"