Chapter 12: Food For Cats
Translator: 9inetales
Sponsor(s): n/a
“What happens if this ID problem can’t be solved?” Jiang He retraced her memory to where the crumpled paper was disposed of and handed it to Xu Qing.
“You’ll become a black house; unable to partake in simple societal conveniences.” Xu Qing gave a curt reply.
Jiang He’s continued stare prompted a further explanation, “To summarize, without an ID card, you’ll hardly be able to enjoy any rights. Just like back in your time, food, clothing, housing, and transportation all require money. To earn money, you’ll need a job, but except for a few factory and grunt work, proper jobs require ID cards. This is the first obstacle; without a job, you can’t support yourself.”
“Secondly, one of the most pressing issues you would face is a place to call home. You wouldn’t be able to buy or rent a house, not even a hotel...or inn? Yeah, whether it’s an inn or anything like that, you need an ID card.”
“Then comes the matter of transportation. On foot, you won’t be able to get far and horses aren't available here. To travel, you’d need to take a high-speed train or long-distance bus, which again, requires an ID card.”
“Your safety would be compromised as well. If there is a dispute, you won’t be able to pursue the issue. Forget it, it’s kinda complicated. Anyway, all you need to know is that the officials won’t accept your complaints without proper identification.”
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The latter half of Xu Qing’s words didn’t stir Jiang He too much. At least for now, she only focused on living and making money.
“So what you’re saying is...if I can find a way to make money and find a place to live, the identification isn’t too important?”
“Things aren’t so simple. There are other things you can’t do,” Xu Qing shook his head, “All things, both big and small: mobile phones, internet accounts, bank cards...even major events such as marriage, having children, and registering those children, all require some form of identification. I’ve barely scraped the surface; it’s a long list. You can forget about leading a decent life without an ID.”
Well...if she wants to live just to live, it might not be too much of a hindrance. It doesn’t require much to be a carefree tramp. She could become a Sanhe God[1].
But if she wants to get acquainted with the world and maybe even find a way to return, an ID card is a must.
“Ugh, why didn’t you come twenty years earlier…? Now the difficulty of account registration has bumped from simple to hell mode.” Xu Qing dragged the corners of his lips with his hand. He went to the bedroom to get his computer and browsed over some low-radar residencies.
The current household registration system had been built and perfected for over a few decades now. There were hardly any loopholes so fabricating a legal identity for someone who literally emerged out of thin air was a difficult task.
“Or do you want to try your luck and ask the government for help? Maybe you’ll get good treatment, or maybe you’ll lose your freedom,” Xu Qing threw out a casual suggestion, “After all, your situation is too shocking and unique. If my guesses are correct, the possibility of good treatment is relatively high. But as I mentioned before, this decision meanders both ways— it may be a blessing or a curse.”
“You want to hand me over to the government?”
“No! It’s just...forget it. Go study first. You still have a lot of history to catch up on. After you gain a basic understanding of the modern world, you can start formulating your own decisions.”
Jiang He pursed her lips, “...is it troublesome for me to stay here?”
“It’s okay as long as you don’t resort to violence. Actually, that would be fantastic.”
By the side, the chubby cat waddled over before hopping onto the table with great effort. It huffed while slapping Xu Qing’s arm with its bushy tail, meowing pitifully.
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“Eh, Winter Melon. I forgot to feed you.”
He stroked the cat’s pudgy figure before picking him up. They went over to the corner where Xu Qing proceeded to pour a substantial amount of cat food into the empty bowl.
“It’s okay. You can return to your room and study.”
“En.”
Jiang He didn’t say much. She looked at the two for a short while before heading to her room.
...
The moon shone brighter than ever.
It was 10 o’clock in the night by the time Xu Qing shut down the computer. He yawned and stretched tiredly while reflecting on his browsing session. As usual, there was little to gain.
He relaxed into the comfort of the sofa while contemplating. Soon after, he picked up the phone from the table and rummaged through his WeChat. His finger briefly lingered over a contact before choosing to send a message.
It was his best friend, Qin Hao, now a respectable police officer.
I don’t know if his internship is over yet…
Qin Hao responded quickly to the message, sparking a short but pleasant conversation between the two. Xu Qing didn’t ask for a favor directly. Instead, he strung together a meetup on the weekend.
I have to tread with caution. Hopefully, it’s within the system to grant me this one favor...
Now that his plans were finalized, Xu Qing went to the bathroom to take a shower. Halfway through stripping, he remembered that a member of the opposite sex was also living in the house. How embarrassing it would be if he was caught scampering out of the bathroom naked and without a change of clothes.
He flung the shirt back over his head and went to the bedroom to retrieve his pajamas. When he passed by Jiang He’s door, he hesitated whether to call her for a bath or not.
Meh, missing a day isn’t that big of a deal. She only went out once anyway.
After the refreshing shower, Xu Qing refilled Winter Melon’s water bowl, turned off the lights, and readied himself for bed.
After a while.
The door to Jiang He’s room opened with a soft creak. After a few peeks, a stealthy figure holding some clothes darted sneakily into the bathroom.
...
The next few days were uneventful. During the day, Jiang He studied the two books with focused efforts, and in the evening, she followed Xu Qing for a walk outside. She learned and experienced new and eye-opening things at every street corner. At the end, they would settle at a small restaurant for a meal.
In the blink of an eye, Saturday arrived. On that day, the additional computer part Xu Qing needed to complete his keyboard arrived. He tethered the cable between the computer and the keyboard and tested it. Not only could it recognize traditional characters, but the voice recognition function was quite dependable. With this newfound technology in hand, he spared no effort in teaching Jiang He the wonders of computers.
Over the past few days, he hadn’t been idle. Plenty of educational material was downloaded onto the device, ready to batter and remold her brain in her free time.
“What is that?” Jiang He looked at the bag of cat food in Xu Qing’s hand. She was a little tired from watching the educational video on the computer and was quick to shift her attention.
She saw him feed the cat several times but the small grains he poured out didn’t look appetizing at all.
“It’s cat food.” Xu Qing replied.
“Cat food?”
“Yes, it’s specifically for cats.”
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“You grow grains for the cats?” Jiang He gave the tubby cat and its food an inquisitive glance.
“...”
Xu Qing waved his hand, “It’s not what you think. It was made, not planted. I’m sure its creation had little to do with growing.”
Tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk~
As he was talking, crisp knocks rung at the door. Jiang He wasn’t as alert and defensive as before so she showed no major reactions. Xu Qing took the food from the delivery guy, thanked him, and closed the door.
“I have something tonight. I’ll be seeing a friend to inquire about your identity. Make sure to stay inside and behave properly,” Xu Qing put the packaged food on the table, “Just wait. Later, I’ll teach you how to use the computer to contact me over thousands of miles. Remember not to run around outside.”
“Understood.”
Jiang He nodded while dipping a hand into the packaging. She took out a hamburger and stuffed her mouth. The new foods were strange to her but her tastebuds didn’t seem to mind.
Compared to this, cat food looks dull. Why can’t cat food be prepared like this? To cater food specifically for cats...is this the wealth of a young lord?
“Ah, don’t eat too much. This kind of food is unhealthy and can make you fat.”
“...”
Jiang He’s spirited chewing suddenly ceased.
The burger seemed to have lost its bewitching fragrance.
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