Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

Zhuang Xing had no idea which tabby cat Shoumu was flirting with.

Although he ostensibly kept pandas, panda spirits were not pets for display. To be precise, Zhuang Xing was their boss, and they were his employees.

The panda was responsible for washing dishes, cleaning pots, planting vegetables, and watering the plants at his place. Although he didn't pay him a salary, he provided food and lodging. The relationship between them was one of employment rather than master and servant.

If you bought a kitten and then castrated it to become a father-in-law, keeping it at home as an ornamental animal, no one could say anything. But Zhuang Xing would never send a panda to the palace; that would be too immoral.

Thinking about it carefully, it's not surprising that a red panda and a tabby cat are together. At least they both have fur, both have the word "cat" in their names, and both walk on four legs.

Zhuang Xing had heard plenty of stories about humans and snakes, humans and ghosts, humans and foxes, and so on. If Shou Mu really managed to catch a little female cat as his wife, Zhuang Xing felt he should offer his blessings. Who knows, the kitten might even move into his house someday.

He shouldn't meddle in the panda spirit's private affairs. He's not Fahai, who came down to earth to humiliate people and break up the love between snakes and humans.

He felt that Shoumu was the leader of the pandas, so he shouldn't have to worry about him too much. The most urgent thing was to vacate the house.

He pushed open the door and went inside. The room was exactly the same as when he left. It was clear that the panda had bean soup rice for lunch today. The soybeans were stewed until they were very soft and then poured into a bowl with white rice. This was a very common way of eating. There was still half a bean soup and a bowl of cooked rice left on the table.

During the days when Zhuang Xing was away, it was Uncle Wei who fed the pandas. Uncle Wei didn't like anything fancy. Although the bean soup rice was simple to make, it tasted really good.

Tonight, let's just reheat this bean soup and rice, and bake a batch of flatbread. He just got back and didn't have time to prepare the ingredients. Let's rest for a few days before making a big meal.

He pulled out a stool and let Yan Huai'an sit at the stone table before going to the kitchen.

She had planned to boil a kettle of water first to keep the heroine from getting thirsty, but when she went inside, she found that the water in the water tank was almost empty, and there wasn't much rice or flour left on the cupboard either.

There were quite a few people having dinner that evening. Yunling would be coming later, making it three people including Yan Huai'an. She hadn't seen Uncle Wei since she came back. Knowing he was back, Uncle Wei, who missed his daughter dearly, probably wanted to come back and talk to Xiao'an. So there were four people plus five pandas, and a little female cat that Shoumu might take home.

With so many mouths to feed, this little bit of rice and flour is just enough. We'll make do today, but we'll have to go out and buy more tomorrow. Besides buying bedding, we also need to fetch water and buy grain. We don't have much firewood left, and there's still some time before mealtime, so we might as well finish all the work at once to avoid having to make several trips tomorrow.

The female knight-errant shouldn't be involved in such hard labor. She's barely settled into her room, and it would be incredibly impolite for her to be ordered around by the master.

A few days ago, he asked the female warrior to go to the kitchen with him, which he called "experiencing life." But chopping wood and fetching water is no longer "experiencing life"; it's "free labor."

Inside the main room, the female warrior was still petting the little panda; she probably didn't want to interrupt this rare moment of happiness.

So Zhuang Xing called on his third and fourth brothers to help him, leaving his fifth and second brothers in the house to keep the female knight company and relieve her boredom. Then he took the water bucket, tied the straw rope for carrying firewood, and went out.

As for chopping firewood, the back of this house leads to the mountain behind it, and he chopped a lot of firewood in no time, enough to last for a month.

Since returning from Hundred Flowers Valley, he no longer cuts down living trees when chopping firewood; he only looks for dead trees or prunes the withered branches and leaves of older trees.

He only cuts off the short branches on the main trunk of the tree, without pruning the long branches, so as not to reduce the area covered by the canopy. This is a horticultural technique. In this way, the trees that have been pruned can even grow taller and stronger than before.

While he was chopping wood, the two pandas helped him pick up the firewood and pile it up like building blocks. They also used their mouths to hold the straw ropes and climbed up and down to tie the firewood up securely.

The panda was quick and efficient; he finished chopping the firewood and bundled it up just in time.

After leaving the firewood where it was, he went to the nearest stream to fetch water. In less than half an hour, he had filled the water tank and piled the firewood in the corner.

Then, he went to his study to get some money, intending to go out and buy bedding.

But as soon as he stepped out of the study, he saw Shouyong looking at Zhuang Xing with a pitiful expression.

It hugged Zhuang Xing's leg, looking pitiful and seeking comfort.

Zhuang Xing picked up the little one and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It hurts..." Shouyong said.

"Does it hurt? Are you hurt somewhere?" Zhuang Xing asked with concern, stroking Shouyong's head.

"It hurts when I touch it..." Shouyong said, feeling wronged.

Okay, now that the little guy has said that, Zhuang Xing understands.

It seems that the heroine was having a great time petting the panda for the first time and lost control of her strength. Half an hour has passed, which is now an hour and sixty minutes. It is estimated that the little panda has been touched all over by the heroine.

Shouyong never expected that the woman in front of him would be so ferocious, like a wolf or a tiger. In the past, he only needed to act cute for a few minutes and the older brothers and sisters around him would happily let him go. But someone was able to touch him all over for an hour without stopping.

If we compare hand techniques to massage, then Zhuang Xing's techniques are those of a skilled massage master. The older brothers and sisters outside, although they don't massage the key acupoints, don't use force or get entangled, and maintain a safe distance.

Yan Huai'an was like a ruthless person who could only use force to break your legs into a split. If he kept touching you like that, Shouyong felt like he was being rubbed bald, so he had no choice but to come to Zhuang Xing to soothe his wounded heart and young body.

Zhuang Xing carried Shouyong to the main room. Yan Huai'an, who had lost Shouyong, seemed to have set her sights on another panda. Her eyes were like those of a hunting eagle. The second panda, who was lying there, suddenly shuddered, its ears perked up, and it looked around.

Seeing this, Zhuang Xing thought to himself that it wasn't good to let the female knight keep petting the panda; he also had to consider the panda's feelings.

It's a good time to go out and buy bedding; let the heroine choose a set herself.

"Sister Yan," Zhuang Xing called out, "It's getting cold, and without a mattress at night, it's easy to catch a cold. Sister, let's go pick out a suitable mattress together."

Yan Huai'an looked away with a hint of regret and replied, "Mm."

The second brother, who was hunched over, scratched his head, seemingly taking his earlier sense of danger as an illusion, and lay back down, his eyes comfortably squinting.

Zhuang Xing led Yan Huai'an out, so there was no need to go down the mountain. There were tailors in the temple. Earlier this year, he had already replaced his quilt with one made by the tailor.

If a disciple grows older and wants to change into a larger Taoist robe, he can go to a tailor shop to exchange it.

As for rice and flour, you can just go to the canteen and ask the kitchen staff to buy some. Most basic daily necessities can be bought inside Xuanqing Temple.

The two headed straight for the tailor shop. After walking for a short while, he saw the female knight staring intently at a certain spot.

Zhuang Xing followed the heroine's gaze and saw a large, furry tail with black rings swaying on the old stone wall. Next to the tail, a lazy tabby cat was lying in the sun. The tail's owner was holding a small dried fish and brought it to the tabby cat. The tabby cat picked up the dried fish and swallowed it in two or three bites, and even licked the fur of the creature that brought it.

Chapter 250 Cat and Panda

The sunlight shone on the tabby cat's brown and black stripes. The tabby cat's stripes are similar to tiger stripes, but the color is darker. They are good at catching mice. Their bodies have beautiful curves, and they can easily jump from the ground to the wall and then to the eaves. Corners that are difficult for humans to reach are mostly easy for them. A small hole is enough for them to slip through.

However, that little cat was quite small compared to the size of the red panda.

The tabby cat was only half the size of the panda, and the two standing together looked quite out of place. But surprisingly, they got along quite well.

They lay together on the earthen wall, the panda's long tail coiling around the cat like an arm.

The cat wasn't afraid at all, seemingly treating the big tail like a toy, reaching out its little paws to grab and scratch it. Even when it caught it, it wouldn't use force, just gently biting it with its little teeth. It seemed that it had become very familiar with the panda.

There was no demonic aura about the cat; it was just an ordinary cat. Zhuang Xing couldn't see anything special about it; it was just a common tabby cat.

Its fur was glossy, its body was plump, healthy and beautiful; it was probably raised by some elder in the mountains.

In Dayu, the custom of keeping cats is prevalent. As the saying goes, "The firewood by the stream is soft and the felt blanket is warm, and I stay at home with my cat." Cats are also known as li-nu. They have delicate features, can catch mice on their own, and can get rid of the rats that steal rice from the house. They can also be held in your arms and have a fluffy feel. They are the most popular pets among the people of Dayu.

Bringing a cat home is like getting married; you have to give a dowry. Of course, you don't need gold or silver treasures, but salt and fish are essential.

Many people love cats so much that quite a few people on this mountain keep cats.

Although we are different species, perhaps love can overcome all difficulties and obstacles.

Zhuang Xing offered his blessings in his heart.

He didn't want to disturb Shoumu and the little female cat's time alone, so he didn't say anything. But perhaps sensing Zhuang Xing and Yan Huai'an's gaze, Shoumu turned his head to look when the two approached the stone wall.

"Your Majesty, you're back!" Shoumu said.

"I'm back," Zhuang Xing nodded in agreement.

Shoumu looked back at the cat beside him, then at Zhuang Xing, and hesitated for a moment.

But a moment later, Shoumu jumped down from the wall and walked to Zhuangxing's side.

It seems that it chose Zhuangxing over Mao'er.

"Are they leaving already?" Zhuang Xing asked.

"Yes," Shoumu nodded.

It raised its head and wagged its tail at the tabby cat on the wall, as if saying goodbye.

"Er Ya, I'll come find you again tomorrow."

"Meow~"

The tabby cat on the wall meowed twice, then leaped lightly down from the other side and nimbly went off elsewhere.

Only after the tabby cat disappeared from sight did Shoumu reluctantly turn his gaze away.

"When did Your Majesty return?"

"I just got back."

"Where is Your Majesty going?"

"Let's go shopping."

“I will go with the king.”

"Okay," Zhuang Xing said.

He walked ahead, and Shoumu quickly followed at his feet.

Yan Huai'an kept his gaze fixed on the panda, glancing occasionally in the direction where the tabby cat had disappeared. It was unclear whether he was intrigued by gossip or thinking of something else.

Zhuang Xing was also curious. After all, it was his own pet panda. Although he sincerely wished it well, he was also afraid that the panda would suffer a loss.

That tabby cat wasn't a spirit or monster; it was just an ordinary cat. It was probably only because it coveted the panda's benefits that it got along so well with it.

To put it nicely, I only consider you a friend; to put it bluntly, I just see the red panda as a delivery guy who brings food on a regular basis, and I probably have no intention of developing any further affection for the panda.

For the time being, the two were at peace, but when that day came, the panda was too deeply in love and might hurt itself. It would be better to find out more about the situation.

"How do you know that cat?" Zhuang Xing asked.

"That's how we met," the panda said.

"Which rooftop did you meet on, or on which wall?" Zhuang Xing continued to ask.

"I forgot." The panda didn't care about these trivial details.

“If you really want to find a wife, how about I take you to another mountain another day to see if we can find someone from your clan?” Zhuang Xing said.

He genuinely had this idea. Procreation is a major family matter, and he couldn't let the five pandas go extinct in his family. He would raise more in the future, and if his family couldn't fit them all, he could give them away to others. It would also be a way to protect rare animals.

Why go looking for your own kind?

But the red panda seemed to have a different opinion. Its first reaction to Zhuang Xing's suggestion was not to be tempted, but to refute it. Deep down, it did not feel the need to find a member of its own kind to be its wife.

"Because you're a red panda," Zhuang Xing tried to persuade her, lest the panda sink deeper into despair.

"Can't a red panda like a tabby cat?" the panda retorted.

"Of course you can, but you're a red panda that's become a spirit, while that cat is just an ordinary tabby cat." Zhuang Xing analyzed the pros and cons, "Even if you persist, it's unlikely that you and it will have a future. You might see it walking with another tabby cat someday."

"But I like being with Er Ya. Does Your Majesty not want me to be with Er Ya?" The panda looked up at Zhuang Xing.

"It's not that I don't want to, it's that I'm afraid the cat will hurt your feelings," Zhuang Xing said.