When Mawei opened the kitchen door, he found a cat in the throes of a poetic existential crisis.
Little Black stood by the window, staring at the fiery morning sun, his voice dripping with melancholy. "Why do I live? Why do I die?"
"What is the meaning of a cat's existence?"
"Beneath this cute exterior, does danger lurk, or purity?"
Mawei glanced at the newspaper spread on the table and immediately guessed the cat had been reading the excerpts from Shakespeare.
"Ah! Master, you're here! Meow! I was wrong! I'll never do it again, meow!"
The moment he saw Mawei, all artistic sentiment and Shakespearean angst were banished from Little Black's mind. He rushed to Mawei's feet, wailing loudly, "Master is so cruel... you know Little Black is afraid of the dark, yet you locked me in the kitchen all night... Boohoo... I can't get over this without three dried fish, meow!"
Perhaps feeling his performance was top-tier, Little Black switched faces in a split second, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice.
"Heh..."
Mawei sneered. "Keep yelling and I'll cut your balls off."
"Meow meow meow?!"
Little Black was thunderstruck. Cut off my balls... what kind of torture is that?!
Without his balls, how could he go out and flirt with the neighborhood kitties?!
Realizing the stakes, Little Black immediately became submissive. No more yelling, no demands for dried fish. Compared to a momentary snack, he clearly valued his family jewels more.
That was the long-term plan.
Fat Orange walked past him without even a glance.
"Papa, what's for breakfast?"
Yunia climbed onto the high stool, looking expectant.
"Canned ham, green peas with buttered bread, and a glass of holy water."
Mawei opened a few cans and poured the contents onto a plate. "You must eat your vegetables. Vitamins are important. I saw you didn't eat the tomatoes last night. Being picky isn't a good habit. The nuns don't like picky children..."
Despite his lecture, when Yunia saw the green peas, she couldn't bring herself to eat them. While Mawei was reading the newspaper, she quietly pushed the peas in front of Fat Orange.
"Good kitty, help me eat this, please..."
Yunia kissed him on the head.
Fat Orange: "..."
As a carnivore, Fat Orange's menu consisted of meat and fish, occasionally some cat grass. He was worlds apart from the garbage-disposal that was Little Black.
If Mawei had asked him to eat peas, he would have scoffed and walked away. But...
Faced with Yunia's plea, the usually haughty Fat Orange...
Finally lowered his noble head.
He wolfed down the peas in three bites, then proceeded to beat up Little Black, who was busy sucking up to Mawei nearby.
Mawei saw it all.
He said nothing, but a thought crossed his mind...
Yunia, with her powers, seems like she would survive just fine without me.
After breakfast, Mawei put the dishes in the sink. Mrs. Cecil would come at 9 AM to clean and light the stove.
"Master! Master, don't go!"
Little Black trotted after Mawei. "Your beloved cat is still hungry! Meow!"
"Right, almost forgot..."
Seeing Mawei stop, Little Black's eyes lit up. "Master, you do love me! Little Black wants canned mackerel! Dried fish works too!"
With a weird smile, Mawei returned to the kitchen, opened a can of mackerel, and...
Placed it in front of Fat Orange.
Full of anticipation, Little Black hurriedly reminded him, "Master, Big Brother eats outside! He never eats house food, meow!"
"Yes, that is what makes a good cat..." Mawei stroked Fat Orange's head. "Never causes trouble for the Master, never calls the Master a moron..."
"..."
"This can is a reward for obedient kitties. Bad kitties get no food, and they get their balls cut off."
"Little Black is obedient! Little Black is the most obedient! Meow!"
"Can you promise never to speak human language in front of outsiders?"
Mawei finally revealed his true intention.
A talking cat?
That was the stuff of fairy tales. If word got out, it would attract endless prying eyes.
It had to be nipped in the bud.
Little Black nodded furiously, swearing on his nine lives that he would never speak in front of others. Only then did Mawei open a can for him.
Watching Little Black wolf down the food, Mawei sighed at his own benevolence, put on his hat, wrapped a brown wool scarf around Yunia, and stepped out the door.
8 AM, South Street, The Orphanage.
"Best of luck to you, Father."
The driver caught the six copper pence Mawei tossed him, tipped his hat, and drove the Hansom cab away.
Unlike the chaotic Bill Market, South Street was relatively peaceful during the day.
Mawei held Yunia's small hand and knocked on the peeling paint of the orphanage's heavy doors.
"Papa, what is an orphanage?"
Waiting for the door to open, Yunia looked curiously at the old building, which resembled an abandoned hospital. She clung to Mawei's hand, refusing to let go.
"An orphanage is a place that takes in orphans."
Mawei explained briefly. "There are many children your age inside. Nine years ago, a severe famine struck this land. Many died, and the number of orphans skyrocketed. Some kind nobles funded these places to save homeless children... This one was built by the Lord of New Ross City, Arthur Windsor. He is also the Fourth Prince of the Kingdom."
"Is he a good person?"
"Compared to the kids starving in the workhouses, the children here certainly think the Fourth Prince is a good person."
"Oh..." Yunia nodded, seemingly understanding.
Click.
The door opened. A matron holding a baby appeared. She looked exhausted. Behind her, a group of children in loose-fitting clothes peeked out.
"Good morning, Father..." The matron forced a smile.
"Good morning, Mrs. Tissen."
Mawei removed his hat. "You look like you haven't rested well."
"A child had a fever and cried until 3 AM. Plus that sudden tremor last night..." Matron Tissen sighed. "I only slept for an hour... Oh?"
She noticed Yunia standing beside Mawei. "She is..."
"Her name is Nia." Mawei answered before Yunia could speak. "We only met last night... Is it convenient to come in?"
"Of course! Look at my head, just chatting away..."
Matron Tissen hurriedly stepped aside. Once they were inside, she locked the door and shouted, "Gulihana! Gulihana! Damn it, where did that girl run off to now?"
Meanwhile, Mawei was already swarmed by children.
"Father! Father! What story are you telling today?"
"Father, I want honey candy!"
"Settle down! Kurtz, stop pulling Father's clothes! And McKinney, why are you climbing on Father?! He's not a tree! Get down!"
Under Matron Tissen's loud scolding, the chaos finally subsided. Mawei calmly smoothed his robes, maintaining a gentle smile. He endured this 'ordeal' every Friday.
In his eyes, these naughty children were all potential future believers of the Church of Truth.
Yunia, frightened by the crowd, hid behind Mawei, gripping his clothes with all her might.
"Did Maimaiti and the others go to work?" Mawei asked as he walked into the activity room.
"They just left. Bad timing," Matron Tissen said. "But they'll be back for lunch... Father, sit for a moment. I'll get you some tea and find Gulihana. I can't handle all these kids alone!"
"Today, we continue the story of the Goddess of Truth, Yunia, and the Evil Dragon."
Mawei sat on a stool, set his hat aside, and opened The Book of Truth.
The children immediately sat down, eyes wide.
"Uh... where were we?"
"Goddess Yunia pulled the sword from the stone and stormed the dragon's castle to save the princess!" shouted McKinney, the boy who liked climbing trees.
"Right, right." Mawei flipped a page and read aloud. "To prevent thieves, the Evil Dragon planted Blood Thorns around the castle... Goddess Yunia came up with a brilliant plan..."
Sitting beside Mawei, Yunia listened blankly. She had no memory of pulling swords from stones or fighting dragons, but she enjoyed listening to Papa's voice.
Mawei was an expert storyteller. He knew exactly how to weave the beliefs of the Church of Truth into the narrative, subtly changing the listeners' perceptions.
"In the battle, Goddess Yunia was heavily wounded. She went to a mountain spring..."
Time flew. By noon, Mawei closed the book, ending the sermon amidst groans of disappointment from the entranced audience.
Maimaiti and the others rushed back just in time to hear the very end, frustrated.
Also regretting missing the story was Gulihana, the 17-year-old girl Matron Tissen had dragged back—she had been listening from the back for a while.
"Miss Gulihana, long time no see." Mawei greeted her.
"Long time no see, Father." Gulihana curtsied, smiling. "You tell stories so well."
"Only good listeners can understand good stories." Mawei smiled, then looked around. "Is Matron Tissen not here?"
"She went to prepare lunch. Do you need her?"
"I have a favor to ask."
Mawei glanced at Yunia behind him and lowered his voice. "It's like this..."
He whispered his request.
"I see. It's okay, that's what we're here for. Don't feel burdened, Father. Leave it to us."
"I appreciate it."
Mawei bowed, then turned to Yunia. "Yunia, I have to go out for a while. You stay here and play with Big Sister Gulihana, okay?"
"Papa, will you come back to pick me up?" Yunia asked, head lowered.
Mawei's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected Yunia to understand what he was doing.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Finally, Gulihana stepped forward, took Yunia's hand, and said, "Father, go ahead. I'll take care of her."
"Ah... yes."
Mawei stood up, slowly put on his hat, pulled the brim down low, and walked away without looking back.