The curly-haired old lady was buying salt, speaking in a very low voice.
"Is it her? That little girl from Building Seventeen."
"It's her."
"She seems normal, not as scary as Old Wang said."
"I just touched her hand."
"What about her hand?"
"It was like ice, really scary."
Zhou Xufang touched her own hand, it was indeed quite cold, her body temperature was much lower than normal. If the curly-haired old lady's voice was a bit lower, it would have been better. Her hearing was excellent, probably about twenty times more acute than normal people. The curly-haired old lady lived next door, loved playing mahjong, and last night at midnight, the old lady got a winning hand and excitedly shouted. Even through her noise-canceling headphones, Zhou Xufang was awakened.
She parked her tricycle in the garage, didn't take the elevator, and went to the stairwell on the first floor.
She glanced outside, no one was there, and meowed.
A gray cat timidly emerged from behind the discarded furniture under the stairs, looking at her: "Meow."
It was a gray cat.
Zhou Xufang opened a can of cat food and poured some water into a bowl beside the old furniture. The gray cat softly meowed twice and ate happily.
She stroked the cat's head, and it remained still and obedient.
"Could I be a cat demon?"
She muttered to herself, and the gray cat responded with a meow.
She pursed her lips, a bit disappointed: "But I can't understand what you're saying."
"Meow~"
She then mimicked: "Meow."
The gray cat meowed again: "Meow."
It seemed unlikely, although she was like a cat, able to jump very high. But she wasn't a cat demon, nor a fish demon. After squatting for a while, she got up and headed upstairs as the kitten finished eating. The moon was out, and the streetlights glowed with a cold white hue, illuminating all the motion-sensor lights from the first to the seventh floor of Building Seventeen in seconds.
Beep.
A WeChat message arrived.
Zhou Xufang opened it. Apart from 'WeChat Pay,' 'WeChat Team,' and several public accounts, there was only one dialog box named Head of Group.
Head of Group: Jianna Film City announcement: "Wilderness" production, shooting tomorrow on the 10th, needs 10 male and 12 female extras (20-35 years old), males over 170 cm, females over 160 cm, pay is 150 yuan (finishing by 3 pm). Meet at Film City C1 subway exit at 8 am.
Head of Group: WeChat registration, first come, first served!
Zhou Xufang registered and then opened the food delivery app to order a meal.
The Jiang Family's residence was located in a suburban villa area, an independent courtyard, with a four-story antique-style building. It was imposing in appearance and was the home of Old Lady Jiang. Usually, the Jiang Family members were busy, occupied with politics and business, and were seldom there. Old Lady Jiang had set a rule that on the 1st and 15th of each month, regardless of whether they were busy, they must gather.
Old Lady Jiang had five children, and with the extended family, there were more than a dozen grandchildren, all present except for the youngest, Jiang Zhi, who had not yet shown up. It was only he who dared to be late to Old Lady Jiang's gatherings.
"Grandma."
The girl sitting beside Old Lady Jiang was from the fourth branch of the family. Her parents had died early, and she was raised by Old Lady Jiang. Her mother was the fourth daughter, the most beloved by Old Lady Jiang.
She took her mother's surname and recognized Old Lady Jiang as her grandmother. Old Lady Jiang named her Fuxi.
Jiang Fuxi said to Old Lady Jiang: "It's already eight o'clock, your stomach isn't well, drink some soup to settle it."
She had a classical appearance, with a gentle and kind nature. Old Lady Jiang always adored her, her stern face softened a bit, and she said: "Wait for Brother Zhi."
Jiang Fuxi agreed.
During the meal, the daughter-in-law of the second branch started a conversation: "Mother, have you heard about the Ming Family?"
Old Lady Jiang's second son, Jiang Weili, was in politics. He married the third daughter of the Luo patriarch, Luo Changfang, and they had a daughter, Jiang Fuli.
Old Lady Jiang was seventy-three years old. Her ancestors were officials in the capital, and the family heritage had been passed down. A lady from a prominent family, even at her age, her hair was meticulously groomed, and she wore a dark purple cheongsam, exuding sharpness and refinement.
"Which matter?"
Luo Changfang, frowning, said: "The fourth girl from the Ming Family, Brother Zhi threw her into the sea. She drank a lot of water and is still in the hospital."
This was a complaint.
The third branch was gone, leaving only Jiang Zhi, who was deeply cherished by Old Lady Jiang. The other branches were naturally envious.
Old Lady Jiang drank her tea, her expression unchanged, neither happy nor angry: "I've heard."
Throwing the girl into the sea was somewhat lacking in the grace and manners of a nobleman. Luo Changfang's face showed displeasure: "Brother Zhi went too far. It's one thing for the younger generation to play around, but to get serious—"
Old Lady Jiang interrupted: "Play around?" She put down her tea-cup lid and looked up, her eyes sharp. "Is Brother Zhi's health something that Ming Family's fourth girl can afford to play around with?"
Luo Changfang: "…"
What could she say? The old lady spoiled her little grandson excessively. No one else dared to complain further, and the two tables of people quietly waited without a sound.
"Lin," Old Lady Jiang instructed, "the project with the Ming Family, put it on hold for now."
Lin was the eldest grandson of the Jiang Family, the only son of Old Lady Jiang's eldest son. The legitimate grandchildren of the Jiang Family were few, aside from Jiang Zhi, Jiang Xiaolin was the most esteemed.
He nodded, obeying Old Lady Jiang's command.
Just then, the old butler Jiang Chuan came in: "Old Lady, the young master has arrived."
Before anyone entered, coughing was heard.
The youngest had finally arrived.
Old Lady Jiang's face lit up with a smile as she instructed the girl beside her: "Fuxi, go inside and get Brother Zhi a coat."
Jiang Fuxi got up and went inside to get the coat.
Jiang Zhi's health was poor, and the nights in late autumn were chilly. They were afraid he would catch a cold.
Old Lady Jiang asked the butler: "Is Brother Zhi's soup ready?"
Jiang Chuan replied: "It's kept warm in the kitchen."
The young master was discharged from the hospital today. The nourishing soup had been simmering since noon. In the Jiang Family, only he received such treatment.
Old Lady Jiang smiled: "Bring it quickly."
"Yes."
"Grandma."
At the door, Jiang Zhi walked in slowly, breathing lightly, occasionally unable to suppress a cough.
Old Lady Jiang immediately stood up with her cane: "Brother Zhi, come sit by Grandma."
Two tables of Jiang Family members, all stood up now. No matter how displeased, they had to pamper this delicate young master.
The youngest son of the Jiang Family, he was the apple of the old lady's eye, her precious treasure, pampered beyond measure.
Jiang Zhi was thus made into a little ancestor.
The next day, it was gray.
Little Ancestor Jiang caused trouble on the set again, throwing the script in his hand, and said in a light tone, "Stop."