Chapter 73: Exploration Cat

All day long, the villagers were busy washing.

First, they washed themselves, then their clothes.

Using the fragrant soap infused with wild chrysanthemums, they felt much cleaner compared to using soap pods. This only made them more intolerant of the dirty clothes they had been wearing for nearly a month.

It wasn’t just clothes—bedding and mats also needed a thorough cleaning.

The forest was strung with ropes everywhere, and freshly washed clothes hung on them. Sunlight slanted through the trees, gradually drying the fabric.

Lying freely on the top bunk, Yan Yu stretched out her little feet, swinging them back and forth as if playing a game with the sunlight. She was thoroughly enjoying herself.

With a swift movement, she flipped over, turning her head to the side while stretching her limbs outward.

She had been sunbathing on her front for too long—time to switch sides.

When Li Xuemei climbed up and saw her daughter lying there like a sprawled-out pancake, her hands itched, and she gave her a light pat.

Without turning her head, Yan Yu whined, “Moooom—”

The second slap didn’t land. Instead, Li Xuemei started massaging her, kneading and rubbing her daughter’s back and calves.

She paid special attention to the little legs. The villagers had been talking, and from what she overheard, it seemed her daughter’s small body was already seven years old.

But given her height… it was impossible not to worry.

Yan Yu hummed as her mother massaged her, sounding like a little pig.

“You’re just like a piglet.” Li Xuemei’s eyes were full of affection, her lips curling into a gentle smile.

“Piggy mama, oink oink oink! Piggy baby has taken six baths in two days, oink oink! My skin is almost rubbed off, oink oink oink!”

As a little baby, she was exhausted from all the bathing.

Yan Yu wanted to voice her dissatisfaction.

Li Xuemei teased, “Well, at least you’ve gone from a dirty little piglet to a fragrant one.”

Yan Yu snorted twice but didn’t argue.

“Mom, when are we going to plant the trees?” She was still thinking about replanting.

Li Xuemei replied, “No rush. We’ll do it at night when no one’s around.” Otherwise, the villagers might start wondering what they were up to.

“Your dad and Sanbao went out looking—not just for tree branches we can use for cuttings, but also for a good spot. We don’t want to plant them somewhere they won’t survive.”

“When’s our cat going to be officially in place? It’s already performed four times. Is it really going for the full seven entries and exits…” Yan Yu rolled over, eager to pet the cat and test its exploration abilities.

Just as she was talking, their cat arrived again!

Li Xuemei, both amused and exasperated, went down to wait as the cat dragged itself over with its injured leg.

That’s right—the cat’s injuries had escalated.

Previously, it could still put weight on its paw, but now it seemed completely numb, dragging limply behind.

She tried to approach, and the cat didn’t shy away.

Taking this as a good sign, she used a cloth strip to tie the small, peeled twig she had prepared to its leg.

Then she took a small fish—gifted by the villagers—held it out to the cat, and gently stroked its head.

The cat flinched slightly at first, but in the end, it allowed the touch, its small ears twitching slightly backward.

It let out a low meow, then took the fish in its mouth and left.

One could say this grand performance between human and cat was executed with meticulous attention to detail.

For instance, Yan Yu had insisted on using a peeled twig, and the cat had skillfully played hard to get before finally allowing itself to be touched.

Meanwhile, Yan Lao’er had cut many branches and temporarily stuck them in the forest, watering them to keep them alive.

Then, leading his ox to the stream, he let Sanbao drink while he dug for worms with a small wooden stick.

He had to make arrangements for egg-laying tomorrow morning, so he wanted to give the hens some good food in advance.

When Yan Lao’er returned, he happened to catch the cat’s sixth performance.

A cat and a snake suddenly tumbled out of the grass, giving him a shock.

When he looked closer, his expression turned strange.

At first glance, it seemed like a fierce battle—indeed, the snake was highly aggressive, attacking relentlessly. But the cat’s behavior was… off.

If he hadn’t known the truth, he might have been fooled by this scheming feline.

The cat didn’t dodge when struck by the snake. Instead, it collapsed limply, letting out an exaggerated, pitiful wail.

Seizing the upper hand, the snake coiled around the cat—but in a flash, the cat slipped out and retaliated with a fierce swipe.

After a prolonged standoff, the snake finally decided to retreat.

But the cat wouldn’t let it go—chasing, scratching, and biting until it finally emerged victorious.

Exhausted, it panted with its little tongue sticking out.

Yan Lao’er walked over, picked up the cat, gathered the fallen twigs, and fixed them back in place before heading home with the cat in his arms.

He told his brother, “Big Brother, this cat is injured. I want to keep it for a while.”

Yan Huaiwen had long noticed this persistent mountain cat making repeated appearances.

“Wild animals are hard to tame. Once it heals, let it go.” His words implied permission but also caution. “And be careful—it might bite someone.”

Yan Huaiwen was practical. Wild animals from the mountains couldn’t be domesticated. They had water and fish here, but after a few days of recovery, the mountain cat would likely leave on its own. Unlike house-raised cats and dogs, it wouldn’t just stick around forever.

Yan Lao’er handed the cat to his daughter before going off to take a long, refreshing bath.

Having long hair was a hassle—it took him ages to properly wash his flowing locks.

Bathing took time, and drying it took even longer.

He knew he had to get used to it, so he declined his wife’s help and started learning how to manage it himself.

Meanwhile, Yan Yu looked very serious as she questioned the cat.

“You’ve been wandering outside all day. Did you pick up any bugs?”

The cat shook its head adorably.

Yan Yu was pleased. “Then come over and let me pet you.”

Dragging its injured leg, the cat obediently lay down in front of her.

She ran her little hands from head to tail, feeling utterly satisfied. Then, she reached out and pulled the cat closer.

But she underestimated her own strength—it barely budged.

Seeing this, the cat cooperatively rolled onto its back, exposing its soft belly to its lower-tier owner.

Yan Yu let out a laugh that sounded like a goose honking.

She pulled out her notebook and charcoal pencil.

Then she asked the cat, “Can you find water sources?”

The cat nodded.

“Animals and plants too?”

Another nod.

Yan Yu pondered for a moment, then asked softly, “Is your exploration range limited to the surface? What about underground?”

The cat tapped the ground with its paw, then nodded again.

“Oh! So you can find things underground too.” She scribbled down notes, then asked, “If I tell you a name, can you go out and find it for me?”

The cat tilted its head, seemingly thinking about how to answer.

Then, it glanced around, making sure no one was watching, before leaping down.

It grabbed a stalk of mugwort from the pile the villagers had brought for soap trades, then swiftly hopped back onto the top bunk, placing the mugwort in front of Yan Yu.

It meowed softly and rubbed its face—especially its eyes—against the plant.

Yan Yu immediately understood.

“You mean… you have to see—no, recognize something first before you can find it, right?”

The cat let out a soft meow and nodded.

Yan Yu carefully noted this down, murmuring to herself, “Makes sense. Every world has differences. Looks like I need to update your database before you can go to work.”

Realizing the massive workload ahead, she shut her notebook.

Swiftly climbing down, she called to the cat, “Come on down, no one’s around right now.”