Lin Gantang did not open it because she received a call from Gu Hejun. He said he had rescued a litter of stray kittens nearby and asked if she could put them in the bookstore for adoption.
Lin Gantang went to the door to wait for him.
The early spring night was slightly cold. Lin Gantang had left in a hurry and was not wearing much to shield her from the cold. The wind blew, and her face and hands were cold.
Gu Hejun put the kittens in a cardboard box and handed it to her. "The kittens probably haven't eaten in a while. Their mother was a stray cat living nearby, but I don't know where she went. I don't have cats at home, so I have nothing to feed them with.
Lin Gantang accepted the box.
There were five kittens curled up in it. Three were white, and the other two were yellow and white. They trembled in hunger, their eyes opening and pleading.
"I'll get them something to eat," Lin Gantang said.
