When the turbid air in the room was exhausted, the old man moved sideways and gave way, waving his hand. He let his cat enter the house first, then he let himself in. He slammed the door, locked it from the inside, and lifted the burglar alarm device.
Even though it was just a door away, his cat seemed to calm down a bit; it was no longer as scared as when it was waiting outside.
He had not yet decided whether he was going to leave Binhai City the next day, so he did not open his suitcase. Instead, he went inside and boiled water. He picked up a chicken feather duster and wiped the dust off the tables and chairs.
Not long after, the water was done boiling. He stood up to make tea, carrying his teacups to the desk and sitting down to rest his legs. He also carried his cat onto the table, using a wrinkled hand to stroke its long fur, then used his other hand to flip through the Zhu Xi Anthology that he had flipped through numerous times.
Knock, knock!
