Reborn Cat Sheriff

Chapter 602 Family Doesn't Need Heroes

“I felt as if I saw my father’s final moments, and I personally experienced and understood his thoughts in his final moments. I felt that I could empathize with him.”

Holding the little girl's hand, Xie Lili calmed the child's fear with her composure and courage, trying her best to help her get rid of panic and regain her calm. She wore a smile that Li Siyu admired.

Only Lin Ge was puzzled. At that time, Xie Lili seemed to have gone mad, and she didn't seem to have any thoughts about the final moment.

Xie Lili suddenly smiled mischievously.

"At that time, I didn't have time to think about anything else! I was only focused on protecting this classmate from any harm, and I didn't consider anything else, including my own life or death! I think... my dad was the same way at that time, right? As a policeman, in the blink of an eye, how can you have time to think about so much? Just do your duty, and you can worry about other things later. That's all."

"I thought...you would say that your uncle was thinking of his daughter at that time..."

Li Siyu gave an awkward smile.

"Unfortunately, not at all!"

Xie Lili showed no regret whatsoever, nonchalantly spreading her hands and shaking her head, saying, "At that moment, I didn't think about my father at all; I was only focused on protecting her. Luckily, Mimi arrived in time. Afterwards, I could slowly reflect on it, slowly feel the emotions, and slowly understand my father. At that moment, there really wasn't any of that messy, selfless thinking, or any idea of ​​learning from my father. I simply felt that I should do it! After all..."

"This is the duty of the police!"

Li Siyu and Xie Lili said it in unison, then smiled at each other.

"To be honest, it's pretty boring, right? There are no flashbacks, no explosive moments, and it's not even Mimi who helps you that causes a major incident! Such a bland story would never be a good movie to attract viewers' empathy if it were in a TV series or novel."

Xie Lili seems to have come to terms with this incident, and her mood has improved a lot.

She led the little girl toward the school gate, then turned to Li Siyu and said, “But I think this is normal. Police officers are human too. How can they always convince themselves to risk their lives? How can they not be afraid of death? It’s just that a police officer’s sense of responsibility is so ingrained that it’s a conditioned reflex, nothing more! To be honest, I feel this reason is more real! Li Siyu, you may not know, but what I hate most is when people say my father is a hero! Does being a hero mean you have to sacrifice yourself? Or does it mean you become a hero because you sacrifice yourself? Bullshit! He’s not a hero at all, and he doesn’t need to be one! He’s just an ordinary middle-aged man, an ordinary police officer; he just happened to encounter a slightly unusual case, and then he collapsed on duty, that’s all! This kind of ordinariness is what my dad is like!”

"Ordinary?"

Li Siyu was a little stunned.

However, as a police officer, Li Siyu understood Xie Lili's meaning. Her father sacrificed himself because of his identity as a police officer, not because he was a hero. These two things may seem similar, but they are completely different in nature.

"Selfless dedication" is a positive term, but it also implies irresponsibility towards family and loved ones. Falling on duty, however, is simply an accidental death of a police officer on the job—nothing more.

Sheri doesn't like her father becoming someone who abandons his daughter to become a hero, but she is willing to understand what he sacrifices for his work, even his life.

Although this statement is a bit convoluted and confusing.

But what Xie Lili wanted to express was just one point: a selfish father who is portrayed as someone who actively faces death is very annoying; a father who dies unexpectedly at work, although helpless, is understandable and more real.

Very realistic.

Just now, Xie Lili almost encountered such an accident and helplessness, so she understood and accepted the regret of her father's death.

Police officers don't need to sacrifice themselves voluntarily. At that time, my father just didn't realize what was happening; there was nothing he could do.

"So...did we misdirect our comforting words to Shirley? I told her her father was a great hero! But unexpectedly, Shirley felt she didn't need a hero father. Tsk!"

Upon learning the situation, Zhang Yong pursed his lips in regret and helplessness.

However, he only hoped that Shirley could be proud of her father, without considering whether his daughter would accept his 'selfishness'.

If there hadn't been so much exaggerated and frequent 'encouragement' back then, perhaps Xie Lili wouldn't have fallen into such a downward spiral all these years. The pain of her unexpected sacrifice might have been quickly accepted and gradually subsided, allowing her to embrace a new life.

“It’s not your fault! None of us expected Xie Lili to be so sensitive back then. We overlooked her single-parent family background and the pain of becoming an orphan; she questioned the police profession because of her father’s sacrifice, and it was our encouragement to inherit her father’s badge number that led to her confusion over the past few years. I, as her instructor, failed to do a good job in all of this! I should have cared for her more if I had known.”

Zheng Mingxing was also deeply moved.

If he had known that Xie Lili's inner conflict was like this, he would have found a way to help her resolve it long ago, instead of letting her figure it out on her own at this point.

However... it's not all bad! Fortunately, nothing too serious happened this time, and the Zhanghe Police Station has gained another brave and outstanding police officer who is willing to sacrifice himself to protect the people and can be entrusted with heavy responsibilities.

"Besides, you hadn't returned to Zhang City yet, and you weren't an instructor back then; what does Xie Lili's inner conflict have to do with you?"

Nie Guoqiang waved his hand, signaling Zheng Mingxing not to overthink things.

"Hehe... I don't need any comforting! But after this incident, I've realized my shortcomings as an instructor. Indeed, there's no end to learning, and I need to supplement my professional knowledge as an instructor."

Zheng Mingxing laughed nonchalantly, showing no signs of being discouraged by Xie Lili's situation. In fact, recognizing his shortcomings was a good thing, as he seemed much more energetic at that moment.

The two-day middle school entrance exams ended quickly.

Leaving aside the various matters concerning each examinee and their families, those who did well and those who did poorly each had their own joys and sorrows, and their own destinies.

The little girl saved by Xie Lili was brought to the police station by her parents after her exams to present them with a banner of appreciation. It turned out her parents worked very hard and couldn't get time off that day, which led to the near-accident because she was unaccompanied. After hearing the news of their daughter's near-death experience, the couple were both anxious and relieved. They couldn't even imagine what might have happened if Xie Lili hadn't intervened; their daughter might have encountered a drunkard.

As soon as the exam was over, the couple brought their daughter to the police station to thank their benefactor. When they saw Xie Lili, she even knelt down with a thud, which startled her so much that she almost ran away.

"Thank you so much!

The little girl's mother held Xie Lili's hand tightly, and after being helped up, she thanked her profusely, saying, "You not only saved Yuanyuan, but also went to great lengths to comfort her and tell her not to let it affect her exams. You are truly amazing and so considerate. I can't even imagine how scared she must have been at that time, and I can't even imagine what kind of results she could have achieved in her exams without your comfort and encouragement. Although my Yuanyuan is sensible, she is still just a child, isn't she? The high school entrance exam is a watershed moment in her life. What if she fails it? My family has no money, no skills, no connections; our child's future depends on her studies. If she fails, her life will be over!"

"Yes! Thank you so much! Officer, you're like a second parent to Yuanyuan!"

The little girl's father thanked her repeatedly, his sincere and relieved expression leaving Xie Lili quite bewildered.

Helpless, she could only turn to Zheng Mingxing for help.

This was the first time in her life—or rather, in her life at eighteen—that she had received such a grand gesture and such gratitude. Although she hadn't thought much of it at the time, simply offering guidance to the young girl based on her own experience, it seemed…

"Sincerity is the best approach! Being an excellent police officer is very simple: just do what you believe is right."

Zheng Mingxing smiled happily, very satisfied with Xie Lili's progress. As someone who was once a burden that everyone in the police station disliked, she, like Qian Wei, had broken free of her shell and been reborn.

"Come on, smile! This is an honor you've earned."

Patting Xie Lili on the shoulder, Zheng Mingxing gave the center position to the somewhat bewildered girl, and then politely asked Yuanyuan's parents to stand next to Xie Lili, while he himself stood on the outermost edge.

"Cheese!" A cheer was heard, and Xie Lili's bewildered yet excited smile was captured.

The bright red banner was very beautiful. Xie Lili hung it on the wall in her office. When she looked up during breaks from work, she would laugh to herself.

Hehe, that feels so good!
"Look how happy you are!"

Li Rong glared at Xie Lili jealously. This girl has been grinning like an idiot for three days now. Why doesn't she hurry up and return to normal?
"This is the first time someone has thanked me like this; it feels like a dream."

Xie Lili cupped her face and giggled, then spun her chair to Li Rong's desk. "Sister Li, do you think I can still switch to fieldwork? Do Sun Chang and Li Siyu get thanked by others every day? I'm so envious just thinking about it."

"With your skinny arms and legs, you almost got crushed to death by a drunkard, and you're going to do fieldwork?"

Li Rong looked at Xie Lili with disdain and said helplessly, "You just focus on writing official documents and stop thinking about those other nonsense things. I finally got a stable job in an office, sheltered from the wind and rain, and now I want to be like you were when you first came here?"

"What are you saying? I'm not the same person I used to be, okay?"

Xie Lili straightened her face, looked up at the banner on the wall again, and said unwillingly, "I still think that doing field work is more like being a police officer. What's the difference between sitting in an office all day and being a regular company clerk?"

"The difference is that if you keep dawdling, believe me, Lao Nie will come looking for trouble with you later! It's clearly a case you experienced yourself, why does it take you this long to write about it? You've been writing this article for three days, whose time are you wasting?"

"Oh, I'll write it in a bit! Writing this kind of thing is a piece of cake for me, just let me indulge myself for another half day!"

Xie Lili gave Li Rong a couple of coquettish laughs, then returned to her desk and slowly resumed her work. She gave up on the field assignment herself, after all, Nie Guoqiang's expression was too intimidating.

And to be honest, the fright I experienced that day is still quite terrifying when I think back on it. Although the banner was beautiful and the recipient's gratitude was touching, I sometimes think that if it weren't for Mimi, I might already be in the hospital or even following in my father's footsteps.
Never mind! I'm already very satisfied with this banner; Li Rong and Chu Ting don't even have one!

Sherily quickly convinced herself.

On the other side, the seven little ones turned one month old.

After nearly a month of tireless 'tutelage' from Anxi, the seven little ones were finally trained. They could now respond to and react to the sounds of the musical notes Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti. By the time Sun Chang and Jiang Yiyi belatedly realized and tried to correct them after get off work, it was already too late. Their ideas of rainbow colors and the names Da Bao to Qi Bao were no longer enough to elicit a proper identity response from the seven little ones.

Seeing Anxi's smug expression as she called out to the seven little ones, Sun Chang and Jiang Yiyi exchanged a glance and then gave the naughty girl a good beating.

"Dodo! Dodo, come here!"

Anxi didn't care about getting beaten up at all. She held a cat treat and lured the leader of the seven little ones from a distance. The little white-furred creature was already running quite smoothly. It followed the scent to Anxi's side and fell headfirst in front of her shoes.

"hateful!"

Jiang Yiyi was at her wits' end with this shameless man, and knowing Anxi's condition, she also felt sorry for the child, so she had no choice but to accept her fate.

Back in the front office area, she glared fiercely at Nie Guoqiang. If it weren't for this bastard assigning her so many tasks these past few days, how could that brat Anxi have managed to slip through the cracks?
Damn it! Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti sounds awful!

"I think it's fine! The main thing is that they can accept the name and know who they're being called, and that's enough!"

As a cat owner, Li Siyu quickly accepted reality. After all, she had far too many cats to care for; the number of cats coming and going between the cattery and the yard every day was countless. In addition, she and Li Yiduo had a large group of cats in their villa, so Li Siyu didn't feel the same level of importance on the seven little guys as other women. To put it bluntly, the cutest kittens were all in the villa, making Li Siyu's life as a cat slave happier than most.

"I really envy you!"

Sun Chang hooked his arm around Li Siyu's neck.
Sun Chang glanced at the mother tortoiseshell cat and her kittens perched high on the cat tree, then at the pitiful money tree that hovered near the seven kittens but dared not approach, and then at the little tabby and snowclaw tabby causing a ruckus in the yard, and sighed deeply. In fact, it was a real ruckus; Beibei and the mischievous bird were being chased by the little tabby and the snowclaw tabby, harassed whether they hid in the trees or in the doghouse, making a complete mess of the outside world.

"How about taking us to your villa sometime? I really want to pet cats! The cats at the police station are too wild; they're not as well-behaved and cute as the pet cats over there."

“Great! I’ll invite you and Zhang Ke over sometime when you’re off! I’ll get the villa ready beforehand and cook you some local delicacies from Enshi.”

Li Siyu readily agreed with a smile.

"Is it your home if I don't refute it?"

Sun Chang winked at Li Siyu teasingly.

"You don't object to me letting you and Zhang Ke be my guests?"

Li Siyu, not to be outdone, mocked Sun Chang.

The two girls immediately burst into laughter and playful banter.

On this side, Lin Ge, unusually, did not stay in the cattery with the seven kittens.

Since Lin Ge hadn't refused the mascot job he'd previously agreed to with Huang Qi and Meimei, he would naturally do it well this time. Besides, Meimei had already spent a lot of money to have a red mascot vest custom-made, so it wouldn't be right not to give her face. Furthermore, although Huang Qi always charged for taking the cat to the police station for veterinary care, he never mentioned the fees and always came immediately upon receiving a call; Lin Ge felt obligated to do him that.

To be honest, these two people are rare friends of Lin Ge outside of the police force. Lin Ge will naturally not mess around with this relationship when it's time to maintain it.

Marriage requires blessings; what kind of behavior is it to selfishly refuse?
"Mimi, you look so festive in this outfit!"

Meimei looked at Lin Ge with a smile. Her bright red mandarin jacket gave off a newlywed vibe. Combined with her own traditional Chinese wedding attire, she exuded the air of a bride-to-be about to get married.

The only regret was that as time went by, Meimei's belly quietly began to show. This made her feel a little bulky in her dress, at least her belly was completely unhidden. However, judging from her nonchalant attitude, it was clear that the baby in her belly was more important than the wedding. She even asked the tailor to make the waist of her dress and wedding gown much looser, so that the baby in her belly would not feel restricted as much as possible.

Even so, many wedding ceremonies and lively events that had already been scheduled still had to be modified or even canceled.

Her current situation didn't allow for reckless behavior; she couldn't joke around with things like wedding night pranks or the wedding procession. Although science says the baby's condition is generally stable after three months, Meimei refused to take any risks.

"You've changed your clothes several times already, shouldn't you take a break?"

Seeing Meimei busy around, Lin Ge stopped her with some concern, suggesting that she should rest for a while and not get too tired.

"There's no other way! As time goes on, my belly will get bigger and bigger. I really won't be able to wear a wedding dress then, which would be such a shame. Besides, the wedding date has already been set and can't be changed, so everything has to be done before then. You have no idea how busy Huang Qi has been these past few days. He entrusted all the pet hospital matters to Grandpa Sun and Grandpa Li. He's been looking for hotels and sending out invitations all day long. How can I hold him back?"

Although Meimei was very tired, she still insisted on finishing her work for the day as soon as possible.

To be honest, getting married is never an easy thing, especially since the couple doesn't have many friends and really lacks help. Even if Li Siyu and Sun Chang could come over to help Meimei with some things after get off work, it would ultimately be just a drop in the ocean.

Many things can only be done by oneself.

(End of this chapter)