Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

The black cat stood in the center of the warehouse, its tail held high, its golden eyes scanning the stunned villagers around it. It elegantly shook its fur, seemingly awaiting their praise.

"This cat is amazing!" Zhang Dashan exclaimed first. "In all my years, I've never seen such a remarkable cat."

Other villagers chimed in, "Yes, yes, so many rats, they'll be dealt with in no time."

"Look, they're stacked up so neatly, it's like they're in military training."

Hearing these praises, the black cat became even more smug. It nimbly walked to Li Xiangyang's feet, rubbed its head against his trouser leg, and purred happily.

Li Xiangyang understood what it meant: "Okay, okay, I'll buy you fish to eat when we get home."

Before he could finish speaking, the black cat had already leaped to his feet, placing its front paws on his trouser leg, indicating that it wanted him to pick it up.

Li Xiangyang looked down at the dust and mouse fur covering its paws and took a step back: "No, no, no, you're covered in dust, I can't hug you."

The black cat paused for a moment, a hint of displeasure flashing in its eyes. It retracted its front paws and flicked its tail a few times in dissatisfaction.

“Little princess,” Li Xiangyang quickly explained, “Look how busy you’ve been, you’re covered in dirt. We need to wash your paws clean first.”

The black cat meowed softly, as if to say, "Alright then."

Seeing this, Zhang Dashan quickly said, "Li Xiangyang, go take the cat to wash it. Leave this to us; we'll make sure the warehouse is spotless."

Li Xiangyang nodded and walked towards home, with the black cat following closely behind him.

Back home, Li's mother had already prepared a basin of warm water. She knew her son had taken the black cat to catch mice and would definitely need to wash up.

“Come here, little princess,” Li Xiangyang squatted down, “just wash your paws. It’s too cold to wash your whole body.”

The black cat was quite understanding, obediently extending one front paw for Li Xiangyang to gently wipe it. The warm water and Li Xiangyang's gentle movements made it comfortably squint its eyes.

"Brother," Li Xiaohua, who was watching from the side, suddenly asked, "Does the little princess really like you?"

As Li Xiangyang wiped the black cat's paws, he chuckled, "You bet! It's like a little emperor. After catching the mouse, I still have to buy it fish to eat."

Upon hearing this, the black cat smugly flicked its tail, as if to say, "Of course."

The next morning, Li Xiangyang prepared to go to the county town to visit the old Party Secretary.

"Son, this is ten yuan I've saved," Li's mother said, pulling a few crumpled bills from her sewing kit. "Take this and buy some tonics for the old Party Secretary."

"No need, Mother, you keep the money..."

"Take it!" Li's mother shoved the money into Li Xiangyang's hand without further ado. "Didn't you pay all the money for the hospital fees yesterday? Take this money for emergencies."

“Exactly,” Li Xiaohua chimed in, “Brother, you promised to buy fish for the little princess.”

Upon hearing the word "fish," the black cat, which had been sunbathing on the kang (a heated brick bed), immediately perked up its ears, its golden eyes fixed intently on Li Xiangyang.

Li Xiangyang smiled helplessly: "Well, it seems we have no choice but to buy it."

He ruffled the black cat's hair: "Wait, I'll definitely bring you back fresh fish."

The black cat squinted its eyes contentedly and lay back down on the warm kang (heated brick bed).

Upon arriving in the county town, Li Xiangyang went straight to the pharmacy.

"Hello, shopkeeper." Li Xiangyang walked into the pharmacy and greeted the old man behind the counter.

The pharmacy was filled with the strong aroma of Chinese medicine, and various medicinal herbs were neatly arranged in rows of wooden cabinets.

The old man behind the counter was looking through a thick prescription book. Hearing the sound, he looked up and pushed up his reading glasses with his wrinkled hands.

"Young man, what medicine do you want?" the old man asked kindly, putting down the prescription.

“Sir, I’m here to buy some health supplements,” Li Xiangyang said. “Our village secretary has a heart condition and was just admitted to the county hospital yesterday.”

“Oh,” the old man stroked his white beard, “then we need to find out whether they’re currently hospitalized or discharged.”

"Still hospitalized."

"Hospitalization? Ginseng is too expensive, we don't need it right now. Red goji berries nourish the blood and heart, longan replenishes qi and calms the mind... these can all be steeped in water to make tea. What would you like to order?"

"What are the prices?"

"Red goji berries are 4.5 yuan per ounce, longan is 3.5 yuan per ounce, red dates are 1.8 yuan per ounce, and date peel tea is 2.0 yuan per ounce. All are this year's new stock."

Li Xiangyang considered for a moment: "Then give me one ounce of red goji berries, two ounces of longan, four ounces of red dates, and one ounce of date peel tea."

As the old man placed the medicinal herbs into the scale, he said, "Alright, these will come to 1.64 yuan. These are all good for nourishing the body; steep them in warm water and drink them slowly, not too much at once."

Li Xiangyang took out some money from his pocket and handed it over: "The old man is right. I'll make sure to explain everything clearly when I get to the hospital."

The old man deftly wrapped each item in oiled paper, then took a large sheet of oiled paper and wrapped them together, carefully tying them with hemp rope.

As Li Xiangyang walked from the pharmacy toward the ward carrying the supplements, he heard arguing coming from inside.

"Dad, why don't you come back to the city with us?" a woman in her forties was trying to persuade the old Party Secretary. "Our house is spacious, and you can have whatever you want to eat."

"I'm not going!" The old Party Secretary, though lying in his hospital bed, spoke with unwavering resolve. "I've spent my whole life in the village; I'm not going anywhere else."

“Grandpa…” A girl of about seventeen or eighteen stood beside the woman, hesitant to speak.

It was clear that the old Party Secretary's daughter and granddaughter had come to visit him.

At this moment, Dr. Qian was standing awkwardly to the side. When he saw Li Xiangyang, he quickly coughed.

Only after hearing Dr. Qian cough did the group notice him.

"Xiangyang's here," the old Party Secretary said with a smile and a wave. "Come, let me introduce you. This is my daughter, Yulan, and this is my granddaughter, Chu Qingxuan. You and Qingxuan are about the same age, so it's a good opportunity for you to get to know each other."

In this freezing weather, this young man came all this way to visit my father, who had to pay for his medical expenses yesterday.

Logically speaking, Zhang Yulan should know that she should properly thank the person and not put on a show of disrespect.

However, this young man happened to have a handsome face that made people uneasy, and his own father...

"Father!" Zhang Yulan stamped her feet anxiously, "What are you saying! Qingxuan is still young, how could she have time..."

"Who said they were told to do anything?" the old Party Secretary retorted stubbornly. "It's just about getting to know each other."

Zhang Yulan inwardly cried out in alarm.

She knew her father too well; that's just how the old man was—he'd spent his whole life worrying about the village, and now he probably had his eye on this young man.

Wouldn't that put my own daughter in danger?

She had finally escaped the countryside when she was young, and her husband was also successful; he is now the director of the Forestry Bureau, and life is just right. She absolutely cannot let her daughter fall back into that trap.

She quickly stepped in front of her daughter, her demeanor elegant, but her posture resembled that of a mother hen protecting her chicks.