After following "Li Yuanba" around for a while, Zheng Tan gained a lot. This experience was a great revelation for him.
It was said that "Li Yuanba" was born a stray cat, and clearly had far more experience in surviving outside than other domestic cats. It was quite adept at distinguishing the good and evil elements of various people and animals in its environment. Even when walking next to a sidewalk, it remained calm, and when encountering people with ill intent, it reacted differently.
Some people, when you make threatening or intimidating gestures, will stay away, while others become more aggressive the more you try to threaten them. This is true for humans, and even more so for a cat with an even lower status, facing even greater danger. Therefore, many animals roaming in the streets and alleys run away whenever they see humans because they can't clearly discern which humans mean well and which harbor ill will. After being harmed a few times, they develop a conditioned response to flee on sight of people.
Yet "Li Yuanba" was able to quickly choose the best way to react in a short period of time. For example, when passing by a milk tea shop, there was a couple sitting on the chair next to it. The man "meowed" a few times, swinging a string in his hand to attract the cat's attention. Cats are generally sensitive to the "meow" sound and like moving strings. But what he didn't expect was that "Li Yuanba" walked away from him instead.
At that moment, Zheng Tan was very curious because before this, other people had also called out to "Li Yuanba." Although it didn't go over, it hadn't changed its walking path. But this time, after a tug at his ear, it walked away decisively. Zheng Tan followed suit and changed his walking route too.
Not long after, Zheng Tan heard the man by the milk tea shop calling out again. He turned back and saw another cat passing by, standing on a planter, looking like a domestic cat with neat and smooth fur.
Hearing the man's call and seeing the moving string, the cat approached. The next moment, the man sprayed his milk tea, with a straw stuck in it, towards the cat. The cat dodged quickly, only getting some of its fur on the side stained with milk tea. The cat was displeased, lowering its ears, puffing up its fur, and growling. If Xiao Guo were here, he would definitely know that this was a cat's warning and that it could possibly attack or run away at any moment. In such a situation, it is best not to provoke it.
However, the cat's reaction just made the man spray even more enthusiastically. The cat, covered in milk tea, scurried away into the greenery, leaving behind the couple's laughter.
Trash!
The laughter was so irritating that Zheng Tan tugged his ear, wishing he could scratch those two faces.
Zheng Tan looked at "Li Yuanba," which had already gone far, as if it knew nothing of what had just happened.
Stepping in to help when seeing unfairness is a nonsensical idea for cats. No one is a superhero, especially when it's just a cat trying to survive. A cat's life is not valued.
Zheng Tan turned his gaze away and hurried to catch up with "Li Yuanba."
After turning a street corner, they ran into another couple. Similarly, the man made a "meowing" sound and gestured in a bid to catch the attention of the cat. Seeing that the cat in front of them was ignoring him, the man threw a small pebble at "Li Yuanba."
To Zheng Tan's surprise, "Li Yuanba" reacted completely differently this time. It lowered its ears, raised its whiskers, bared its teeth, and growled lowly.
The man seemed to shrink back, his motion to pick up another stone stiffening. His girlfriend tugged at his arm, seemingly afraid of being scratched. They dusted off their hands and quickly left.
Different people require different approaches. There's no need for constant submission. When it's time to be assertive, be assertive, and when it's unnecessary, deftly avoid conflict. This was the attitude "Li Yuanba" adopted while walking in the streets, a lifestyle different from that of other cats.
Zheng Tan had been following not far behind it, so he had a clear view of everything that had happened before. The couples in front and behind indeed showed different personalities, their momentary changes in expression allowed "Li Yuanba" to choose the most suitable approach.
But those who couldn't do what "Li Yuanba" did could only, like other stray cats, hide whenever they saw people, no matter how attractive the things they offered were. You couldn't go over, because you didn't know if, in the next moment, you would be sprayed and dirty or pelted with stones, nor did you know if your warnings were effective or would only make things worse.
They were not the golden pets of Beverly Hills; as ordinary domestic animals living in cities, they could either be content with their lot or learn more survival skills.
For a cat that couldn't stay indoors, survival was not easy. A lack of experience in the social environment was Zheng Tan's biggest challenge. Zheng Tan was used to thinking from a human's perspective, but now, he was slowly changing. He didn't know how long he would continue in this feline form, and if he could never go back, for survival, he would need to learn much more, like how to see problems from the perspective of an ordinary cat.
This cat life, Zheng Tan was not ready to give up easily.
After following "Li Yuanba" around and returning to the Pet Center, Xiao Guo and the others had just finished their work and were calling for Zheng Tan's cat name. Seeing Zheng Tan coming from the backdoor, Xiao Guo had no suspicions and thought Zheng Tan had just taken a curious walk around, completely unaware that the back door of his studio area had been turned upside down.
Back at Chuhua University and entering the East Residential Area, the clamor outside seemed to settle down, suddenly a lot quieter. The students rushing about with year-end activities or various exams seemed inexperienced in life's harsh realities. The students of this era had simpler psyches than those ten years later.
What matures a person is experience, not age. Even if these students, with no background or family wealth, go out now, they are most likely less worldly than their peers who have been battling through life for years.
Zheng Tan jumped out of Xiao Guo's car and looked up to see Ah Huang lying on the grass sunbathing, who never left the university campus. Perhaps, for Ah Huang, such a large area was enough to romp about in.
Next to it was the tethered Niu Zhuangzhuang and the Saint Bernard, Xiao Hua, napping on the grass.
In terms of size, Xiao Hua is now several times larger than Niu Zhuangzhuang, yet oddly enough, it was Niu Zhuangzhuang who was tethered, and Xiao Hua was not; it all came down to their temperaments. Niu Zhuangzhuang was friendly enough with a few animals he had known since he was a pup, but he would rush and start a fight with any other unfamiliar pet. The courtyard residents all remembered the leg of the thief who was bitten during a theft, and without tethering Zhuangzhuang, they didn't feel safe.
As for Xiao Hua, the courtyard's children often played with it, and everyone knew of Xiao Hua's gentle nature, except for its drooling habit, which left a good impression.
Seeing Zheng Tan, Ah Huang rolled over to one side and stretched languidly, giving a soft "meow."
When that sound was deep and gentle, it meant it was greeting you, welcoming you, and that it was in a good mood, acknowledging you. But when the meow was louder, it might be complaining or begging for something, such as being hungry and asking for food.
Xiao Guo followed behind Zheng Tan, heading up the stairs. It was always like this when they returned: one eager to get home, the other strolling leisurely behind.
Sometimes after shooting commercials, Xiao Guo would bring some of the pictures taken during the ads to the Jiao family, and this time was no different.
As they entered the door, Jiao Ma was cooking dinner, and Jiao Yuan, who had finished school early, sat on a small stool in the living room, while Mr. Jiao sat on the sofa, seemingly talking about something, probably teaching him about things outside of books. Little Youzi had a group activity today and was taking a drawing class, and would be back later. Aunt Ling would pick up the children and bring Little Youzi back as well, so there was no need for Mr. Jiao or Jiao Ma to go.
Seeing Zheng Tan and Xiao Guo come in, the father-son conversation was interrupted. After Xiao Guo put down his things, drank a cup of tea, chatted about today's advertisement, and took his leave, the conversation between father and son resumed.
Zheng Tan squatted on his designated chair, listening to their conversation.
Mr. Jiao was talking about the "Broken Windows Theory."
The topic had begun after Jiao Yuan returned home complaining about certain behaviors in his class, like copying homework. Today, during Chinese language class, the teacher had sternly criticized a few students for copying homework. In Jiao Yuan's opinion, this phenomenon also occurred in other subjects, so why was it that only the Chinese teacher was so serious about it? After hearing Jiao Yuan's complaints, Mr. Jiao had grabbed the opportunity to "start teaching."
The Broken Windows Theory posits that if someone smashes a building's window and it is not promptly repaired, others might be inclined, under some implicit permission, to break more windows. As a result, a numb atmosphere ensues where crime breeds.
"Behavior and environment have a strong suggestive and persuasive power on people. If the first broken window isn't fixed in time, more serious issues can occur. Likewise, your classmates might think that copying homework is an acceptable and effective time-saving method, and then continue to do so..."
Zheng Tan looked at Mr. Jiao, then at Jiao Yuan, conflicted. Why discuss such profound truths with a young child? Anyway, Zheng Tan himself had done it all from elementary school to university—copying homework, being late, fighting, extortion... Apart from a few ineffective scoldings from teachers, there were few constraints. In the end, it all seemed to be about money; if throwing money at the problem could solve it, why complicate matters?
Thoughts aside, Zheng Tan still squatted there listening to Mr. Jiao "teaching" Jiao Yuan, and the topic had already expanded from classroom phenomena to corporate management.
"There are generally two types of environments in which a company develops. One is the hard environment, such as office conditions, mechanical equipment, road facilities, and so on. The other is the soft environment, which includes working atmosphere, corporate culture, interpersonal relationships, management style, and so on. Take your Uncle Yuanzi, for example; he pays close attention to these 'broken windows' in his company. In the hard environment, any 'broken window' that occurs is immediately fixed and remedied. In the soft environment, the impact of 'broken windows' is even greater and cannot be ignored.
Behind any significant problem is often the complex accumulation of many problems, so Uncle Yuanzi always pays close attention and takes timely measures as soon as any issues arise because those can affect the company's reputation. Reputation is like a tight spell cast upon Uncle Yuanzi's company. No matter how capable you are or how arrogant you may be, if you want to develop well, you can't ignore these 'broken windows'!
It's like your class. If it had a bad reputation, you'd feel ashamed to tell others about being a part of it, wouldn't you?"
Mr. Jiao's last statement resonated deeply with Jiao Yuan. There was a class in their grade with a particularly bad reputation. It started with stealing a student's pen and eraser, which neither the classmates nor the teacher addressed properly. Gradually, more severe theft incidents like stealing money were rumored, so everyone was on guard against students from that class. Those students felt too embarrassed to even mention their class for fear of being scorned or shunned.
"Let me give another example. The chain effect of influence can also be demonstrated from the opposite angle. For instance, your mom buys you a pair of socks with Transformers patterns, which you really like. When you wear the new socks, you'd subconsciously choose newer and cleaner shoes. And with the shoes, you'd definitely pair with suitable pants, and after choosing pants, you'd need a matching top and coat. Once fully dressed, you'd certainly avoid getting dirty, so after this whole process, your entire appearance changes."
"Oh, I get it. It's like Xiong Xiong; his mom kept telling him not to slouch, saying that he wouldn't grow tall if he did, but he didn't listen because he was already one of the tallest in the class and didn't care. But since the day he wore the new clothes his mom picked out carefully for him, he stopped slouching and paid more attention to standing straight. His mom told him when giving him the clothes that they look good when worn with a straight back and can attract girls!" Jiao Yuan said.
Zheng Tan: "..." Is this encouraging puppy love?
Hearing Jiao Yuan's words, Mr. Jiao thought for two seconds and then said, "So what you're implying is..."
"When are we buying my New Year clothes? You aren't just going to fob me off with a pair of socks, right?"
Zheng Tan: "..." Listening to this father and son talk is damn exhausting! A simple classroom phenomenon has somehow diverged into so many grand lessons and potential topics!
In this region's customs, children buy new clothes for the New Year. As for adults, it depends on each family's circumstances.
Mr. Jiao wasn't surprised by Jiao Yuan's reply and said, "What kind of clothes you can buy and how many of your demands can be met, all depend on your performance."
"Of course! If I rank in the top five of my class, can all my clothing requests be granted?"
"Yes."
"Even if I buy those avant-garde, non-mainstream clothes with studs and a tough vibe?"
"Yes. If you want to use hair mousse, we'll satisfy that wish, too."
"Great!"
Jiao Yuan, having received the answers he wanted, dragged his backpack off to his room to do homework. With the end of the term approaching and his New Year gift on the line, he was determined to give it his all.
After Jiao Yuan entered his room, Jiao Ma came out with a tray of dishes, looked at the door Jiao Yuan had closed, and said to Mr. Jiao, "Did that kid make demands again?"
"Where do you think I wouldn't know what that little brat is thinking?"
"So if he really ranks in the top five, will you let him wear those kinds of clothes?"
"No problem, just take him to where they sell toy guns, and he'll change his mind. He must choose between toys and clothes, and he'll definitely pick the former. Last year he was eyeing one, but he ended up ranking sixth and couldn't buy it."
"What if he doesn't make it into the top five?" Jiao Ma asked again.
"The top five standard is what he set for himself. He has to be responsible for what he said. If he really doesn't make it, we'll still buy him a toy gun but a smaller one. Can't let the kid think that he can get what he wants without keeping his word," Mr. Jiao said, calmly and confidently.
Zheng Tan listened anxiously on the sideline. The old ginger is indeed spicier. When will he ever escape the clutches of Mr. Jiao's Wuzhi Mountain?