Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 431 Reunion with Wei Li
After playing around for a while, the children waited for their father to come home from get off work, then said goodbye to Lin Ge and left with their gifts.

Nie Guoqiang was the only one who had to work overtime tonight, so Nie Zhuangzhuang would have to go home by himself. After thinking about it, Lin Ge asked Nie Zhuangzhuang to carry the second sword, intending to deliver it to Luo Jue on the way, and also to protect Nie Zhuangzhuang safely on his way home.

As for Xie Tailong's gift, well, Lingo has other plans.

"Behold my dual-wielding style!"

The way the fat kid wildly swung his twin swords made Lin Ge's heart ache. "Don't break them, you idiot! If the swords break, you're finished, you know?"

"Mimi, how about I have this one too?"

Nie Zhuangzhuang was having more and more fun, feeling that the look of wielding two swords suited him perfectly. Didn't he see everyone passing by staring in his direction? They were definitely attracted by his handsome, dashing, and valiant appearance!

"Pah! They're afraid you'll hit them with your wild swings!"

Lin Ge glared at Fatty Nie with disdain. The only change in you after the New Year is that you seem to have gotten even fatter, you idiot!

"Hmph! Stingy!"

Lin Ge's silent refusal was within Nie Zhuangzhuang's expectations, and he quickly turned back to playing, putting his frustration behind him.

He was a kind-hearted man, and negative emotions rarely lingered on him. Apart from occasionally secretly poking Lin Ge's tail with the tip of his sword, he never mentioned asking for the sword again. Lin Ge, annoyed by his poking, turned around, climbed onto Nie Zhuangzhuang's backpack from behind, jumped onto his head, and started pulling his hair. He just laughed and held Lin Ge to keep him from falling.

Hmm, this kid is really heavy! Besides him, there's probably no other child who could support Ling Ge's weight.

Following the lights, the man and cat foolishly made their way to the entrance of the residential complex. Nie Zhuangzhuang greeted the security guard familiarly, only to notice that the guard's eyes were fixed on the other side of the road. There was a dozen or so people gathered together there, and he wondered what had happened.

Lin Ge didn't pay much attention at first, after all, it was the time when the elderly people were doing square dancing. But just as he was urging Nie Zhuangzhuang to go in quickly, he suddenly heard words like "little girl" and "disabled" in his ears.

Hearing another strange sobbing sound, Lin Ge stopped in his tracks.

Nie Zhuangzhuang glanced at Lin Ge, then at the security guard in the security room who was curiously watching the commotion outside, and pointed across the street, saying, "Mimi, shall we go take a look?"

Lin Ge nodded solemnly and took the lead onto the sidewalk.

A car sped by without seeing the little cat on the sidewalk, but luckily Nie Zhuangzhuang ran over and made him brake in time. Only then did the driver notice the white figure walking ahead of the chubby boy. He swallowed the words he was about to say and obediently drove away.

Then, after crossing the street, Lin Ge squeezed past several middle-aged women dressed for square dancing and, sure enough, found a familiar face in the center of the crowd.

It was a girl sitting in a wheelchair, looking disheveled and sobbing with her head down. She seemed to have just fallen; her clothes were dirty and had some scrapes. A kind older woman was kneeling in front of her, taking her hands and wiping her wounds.

"Wei Li, what brings you here all of a sudden?"

Lin Ge recognized the little girl, but he didn't expect her to come to the jurisdiction of Zhanghe Police Station. And why was there no one escorting her when she was clearly a disabled girl? Lin Ge looked around, but he didn't see her father or her grandmother.

"It won't hurt! Just bear with it, it'll be clean in a minute."

The kind-hearted woman patiently comforted Wei Li while carefully wiping the dust and pebbles from his hands. But the gentler she was, the harder Wei Li cried, fueling the gossip among those around them.

"Young lady, where do you live? Shall I take you home?"

After wiping both hands clean, the woman stood up with some difficulty and came behind Wei Li to grasp the handles of the wheelchair.

"..."

However, Wei Li just shook his head and remained silent except for crying.

"What happened?"

Nie Zhuangzhuang finally managed to squeeze in from another direction, glanced at Mimi with a serious expression in the crowd, and then asked the people around him with curiosity and generosity.

"This little girl was walking around outside in her wheelchair by herself, but she didn't expect the accessible steps here to be a bit steep. When she went up, the wheelchair tipped over. The little girl fell to the ground and couldn't get up for a long time. It was this older woman who helped her up. Sigh! How can you let such a little girl walk on the road by herself? Not to mention the steps, those haphazardly parked cars on the accessible ramp are such a big problem for her!"

The passerby was the owner of a nearby shop, and he witnessed the whole thing. At that moment, he felt sorry for the poor disabled girl, but also inwardly resented her irresponsible parents.

"Oh."

Nie Zhuangzhuang nodded, somewhat puzzled as to why this would make Mimi angry.

"Little girl, don't be afraid! Grandma isn't a bad person. How about I take you home? Or if you're really scared, I can call a policeman to come and have them protect you on your way home, okay?"

The older woman remained very patient, and her face showed only heartache as she looked at Wei Li.

"I...I have no home anymore!"

Wei Li choked up, and after a long while, she lowered her head and spoke. Her voice was very soft, but it stunned everyone around her, including Lin Ge, and both sides fell silent.

"Wei Li, what happened? Where's her father? Where's her grandmother?"

Lin Ge's ominous premonition grew stronger.

"what happened?"

The kind-hearted woman pursed her lips, then squatted down in front of Wei Li again. "Don't be afraid, tell Grandma, and Grandma will help you figure something out! If your family is treating you badly, we'll go to the neighborhood committee and the police station right now!"

"The house... is on fire... Dad is injured and in the hospital... Grandma is sick too, and she asked me to come out and buy medicine. It's all my fault... I'm such a jinx! I clearly... I clearly remembered to turn off the stove! Waaah..."

As he spoke, Wei Li began to sob again, tears streaming down his face.

"..."

The people present fell silent once again.

Although the specifics of what happened are unknown, the little girl's fragmented words reveal the devastating impact of fire. Her father was burned and hospitalized, indicating a serious condition. Her grandmother was also ill, forcing a disabled child to go out late at night to buy medicine.
Sigh! Let's put aside the jinx for now, but at least we can understand how pitiful this child is! A little girl, a little carelessness, and such a big thing happened...

"No way? Could it be what Nie Guoqiang said during the day..."

Lin Ge's expression suddenly changed, and he immediately thought of what Nie Guoqiang had said in the car when they first returned to Zhangzhou.

A fire broke out near Baimiao, caused by a kettle boiling dry after the stove was left on, which then ignited a piece of origami packaging near the stove, leading to the fire. Although firefighters arrived promptly, the victim's home was almost completely destroyed. The male homeowner suffered severe burns and remains in the ICU in critical condition.

"Could this be... referring to Wei Li's family? No way! How could it be such a coincidence! They've already had enough going on, why does misfortune have to keep piling on?"

Lin Ge gritted his teeth.

Despite the older woman's repeated questioning, Wei Li still refused to say where she lived or where she was going. Seeing her like this, Lin Ge couldn't help but quickly slip out of the crowd.

"Ouch!"

He roared, instantly silencing all the noisy discussions. Even Wei Li, who was sobbing, was startled by the strange sound. He looked up in surprise and saw a cat with fierce eyes emerging from the crowd.

"You are……"

Wei Li vaguely recognized Lin Ge, but the fur on Lin Ge's body looked rather unsightly at the moment, so she was hesitant to confirm it.

"Did something really happen that big?"

Lin Ge approached Wei Li and stared intently at the girl's disheveled face.

The thought of this child, who had once been in contact with him, who was kind and sensible and could always be sunny in adversity, now turning out like this, made him feel terrible.

Even a ruined house is worth a fortune! That house is probably the only valuable asset the Wei family has, right? But the only person in the family who could earn money has collapsed. What will become of this child's future? "Mimi?"

Wei Li finally confirmed that this cat was the same clever cat that had stayed overnight at her house and helped catch mice.

"Ow!"

Lin Ge looked up and exclaimed, confirming Wei Li's guess.

"Little girl, is this your cat?"

The kind-hearted woman had just been startled by Lin Ge, but now, after hearing Wei Li's words, she looked at Wei Li and then at the cat across the way, wondering what kind of situation this child's family was in.

"actually……"

Wei Li didn't know what to say, but at least one thing was certain: there was finally someone she recognized present. Whether it was a person or a cat, having someone she knew would give her a greater sense of security.

"Mimi is a police cat at Zhanghe Police Station!"

Nie Zhuangzhuang couldn't help but shout. Having heard so much about what had happened, he knew that Mimi was about to step in and help.

"Zhanghe Police Station...police cat?"

"Oh! That cat? I've heard of it!"

"So that's what it is!"

"How ugly!"

The crowd discussed amongst themselves and then suddenly realized what was happening, but Wei Li remained astonished.

She hadn't expected the cat in front of her to have such a big background, so when she looked at Lin Ge again, she suddenly didn't know what to say.

Seeking help? Or feeling ashamed?
“My dad is also a policeman at Zhanghe Police Station! Leave this to Mimi and me! Uncles, aunts, grandpas, and grandmas, you all go ahead with your work! This classmate, shall I take you home? Or if you want to go somewhere, I'll push you there in my stroller?”

Nie Zhuangzhuang is quite outgoing with people his own age. Or perhaps he has the same sense of responsibility as Nie Guoqiang; seeing Wei Li feeling uncomfortable being surrounded by her grandparents, he took it upon himself to help her out.

Wei Li didn't recognize Nie Zhuangzhuang, so he turned to look at Lin Ge.

Lin Ge nodded slowly, indicating that the chubby boy was still trustworthy. It's just that he dared not go home now; he wondered if the boy would get a beating with bamboo shoots and pork that night.

"I...I need to go to Jianmin Pharmacy over there, and then go back to the place I rent, which is next to the city center hospital."

Wei Li spoke in a low voice.

“You walked all the way from the Central Hospital, that’s quite a distance. By the way, aren’t there any pharmacies near the hospital? It must have been so tiring for you to walk so far in a wheelchair.”

Nie Zhuangzhuang spoke casually, then took the handle from the back of the wheelchair and helped Wei Li change direction. Those around them, seeing this, smiled kindly and made way, clearing a wide path for the wheelchair to pass.

"Grandma said that the medicines at Jianmin Pharmacy are a little cheaper than those at other pharmacies. Since we don't have any income right now, we have to be careful with the money we can save."

With her hands on her lap, Wei Li appeared quite reserved. But since Nie Zhuangzhuang looked kind and chubby, and Lin Ge was with her, she obediently spoke up and stopped remaining silent.

"Oh!"

Nie Zhuangzhuang didn't know how to coax a girl, nor did he know what to say in this situation. He was usually directed by Zhang Yining and Hu Miao, and had very little experience in communicating with girls.

Wei Li, already feeling inferior, remained even more silent. The two walked forward in silence. After a while, Wei Li beckoned to Lin Ge, indicating that it could sit on his lap.

Lin Ge originally wanted to refuse, but seeing Wei Li's pitiful appearance, he knew that she really needed some comfort, so without waiting for Nie Zhuangzhuang to stop the car, he took a running start and jumped onto Wei Li, then squeezed next to her in the wheelchair.

Wei Li didn't mind, and just quietly stroked Lin Ge's head while looking ahead.

Soon, Nie Zhuangzhuang pushed Wei Li to the entrance of Jianmin Pharmacy on the second street. This was an old pharmacy, and its signboard and facilities were not as shiny as those of modern chain pharmacies. But it was precisely because it was a privately owned pharmacy that it had less financial burden in terms of profit and was willing to provide convenience to acquaintances in the surrounding area.

To be honest, a box of medicine might only be a dollar or a few cents cheaper, but for Weili, it's worth the trouble.

"Why don't you wait here with Mimi, and I'll go in and buy it for you?"

Seeing the steps at the entrance of the pharmacy, Nie Zhuangzhuang scratched his head. He could lift the wheelchair and carry the female classmate inside, but wouldn't that be a bit reckless?

Wei Li thought back to how anxious and troubled he had been at the pharmacy entrance the day before yesterday. It was only after more than ten minutes that the clerk inside noticed the situation outside and came over to inquire that he was able to buy the medicine. He then looked up at Nie Zhuangzhuang, lowered his head, and nodded twice.

"This child... you can no longer see the cheerfulness and smile he had that day."

Lin Ge felt a pang of heartache watching this, yet he didn't know what a cat like his could do to help. The disaster had already happened, and nothing could be changed. Now, besides hoping that Wei Li's future would be better, he didn't know what else he could do.

"My name is Wei Li. Here's the money. The medicine I want is nifedipine controlled-release tablets, not extended-release tablets. Um... there's another blood sugar-lowering medicine called metformin extended-release. And I also need a box of Bactroban. Thank you. What's your name?"

Wei Li finally remembered to ask Nie Zhuangzhuang's name.

However, Lin Ge sensed from Wei Li's words that the old lady of the Wei family wasn't doing well either. A blood pressure medication, a blood sugar medication, and a burn treatment—were all of these medications for the old lady to take by herself?

So, besides Wei Li's father being severely burned, Wei Li's grandmother was also burned? Perhaps her condition isn't even minor, but because of money, she can only try to treat it herself and slowly let it heal...

Lin Ge's body trembled slightly, and Nie Zhuangzhuang shuddered even more. He quickly tried to memorize the names of the medicines before rushing into the pharmacy.

The scene fell silent. Wei Li looked down at Lin Ge, and Lin Ge looked up at the truly pitiful girl, who had suffered so many misfortunes. Their eyes met, and the cat-like look in Wei Li's eyes instantly brought tears to his eyes again.

She didn't want that kind of pity!
But what could she do in reality? Grandma was in terrible pain and worried about Dad, so she spent all day in the house cursing. She cursed Mom, and she cursed her too!

Yes, it was definitely her fault. Why did she forget Grandma's instructions to turn off the stove? Grandma was folding cardboard boxes in the kitchen to save electricity by turning on one less light; she wasn't feeling well that day, so there was no other way. But she's so old and couldn't even do this simple thing right, so she deserved to be scolded, right?

If it weren't for her grandmother needing her, and if her father wasn't still in the hospital unconscious, Wei Lizhen felt she should die so as not to cause trouble for her family.

"If you dare to have any wild thoughts, I'll throw you off your wheelchair!"

Lin Ge glared fiercely at Wei Li. The little girl's eyes reminded him of Lin Jia. That child had the same empty eyes during that time of despair. But after being rescued by him, she had become more and more lively.

"Mimi, what should I do?"

Wei Li pursed his lips, ultimately not daring to seriously consider the idea of ​​suicide.

Years of disability have given her a perseverance and strength that are completely different from Lin Jia's; no matter how much depression and sadness she feels, she will firmly put it behind her and not allow it to surface.

"Study hard and strive for success, that's what you should be doing! As for your current difficulties, ask for help when you need it, and actively seek help from the community and the government! In today's society, no one is really forced into a helpless situation!"

Lin Ge glared at Wei Li again, annoyed. How could he lose hope over something so trivial?
While the country cannot make everyone rich, it can still provide a lot of help to ensure the survival of those of you in need.

It's not just the government; society as a whole also provides a lot of support within its capabilities. While the quality of these various donation channels varies, they at least demonstrate that the public's compassion exists and is genuine, and that it can help many people!
"I'll help you out since we've known each other for a while! But you don't need to worry about any of this. You should go back to school and study hard, don't let outside things ruin your status as a top student, you idiot!"

Lin Ge yawned and then glared fiercely at Wei Li.

Little girl, it's not time to be so dramatic yet! I didn't give up even when I went from being a human to a cat, and you think your little problem is worth dying for, worth giving up your future for?
Nonsence!

Lin Ge sneezed dismissively, just in time to see Nie Zhuangzhuang emerge from the pharmacy with a flushed face.

(End of this chapter)