Ning Jian and the cook were still talking at the breakfast table, they were in high spirits, and before they knew it, the sunlight outside the window had projected onto the dining table. The cook looked up at the sky, and suddenly stood up and said, "Oops! Time flies so fast, Mr. Ning, I'm sorry, I can't say any more, there are still many things to do in the kitchen! ”

"Then I'll go with you to help, I'll be fine anyway." Ning Jian then stood up and said, taking advantage of the situation to look at his watch, ten o'clock in the morning.

The cook hurriedly waved her hand again and again, and said, "No, no, what does a big man look like when he enters the kitchen, you can play with the children here for a while, and when you finish lunch, let Mr. Wei take you to the forest." He would cut some wood for the family, and sometimes he would help me pick some wild vegetables. ”

After speaking, the mother-in-law hurried downstairs, Ning Jian watched her back disappear around the corner of the first floor, and remembered that her car was still in the forest. He sat down again, and the black cat that had just eaten jumped on his knees, and raised its head and meowed at Ning Key.

"Okay, okay, I know you like me, and I like to be with you!" Ning Jian coaxed the little black cat casually, but his eyes were not focused on it.

He was still thinking about what to do with the car, and the black cat saw that the person in front of him was not paying attention to him, so he straightened his body and scratched his chin with his front paws.

This trick worked very well, Ning Jian shrank back in pain, instantly came back to his senses, raised his hand and touched his chin, fortunately, the black cat's paws were trimmed, and there were no scars on his chin.

Ning Jian thought that the black cat wanted him to take something or to chat with it by himself, so he touched the black cat's head, put on a funny look with it and said, "Little guy, what do you want to do?" ”

"Meow!" The black cat stared at Ning Key and barked, then ran directly to the floor, walked a few steps in the direction of the stairs on the first floor, turned around and continued to meow at Ning Key.

"Are you trying to take me somewhere?" Ning Jian leaned down and asked, he thought this cat was really interesting, and he could be so enthusiastic with the person he met for the first time. Aren't most domestic cats very afraid of birth?

Seeing the kitten rushing to the staircase, waiting for him, Ning Jian thought: "It's not bad to go down with it and have a look, just wait a little and ask Mr. Butler what to do." ”

The cat ran to the bottom of the stairs like this, and before Ning Jian could step down the last step, he saw the black cat sneak into a door opposite the kitchen.

It was a wooden door, very old and no longer visible in the city. The wooden door had two small glass windows at the top, one of which was broken, and the black cat had penetrated through the broken place.

Ning Jian stepped forward and knocked on the door, and there was an immediate 'click' sound from inside, as if someone was fiddling with the lock, but it hadn't been opened for a long time. After a while, Ning Jian heard footsteps again, so he shouted, "Sorry, is anyone there?" ”

This voice did not call out the people in the house, but attracted the mother-in-law in the kitchen behind her, and the mother-in-law looked at Ning Jian very strangely and said, "Mr. Ning, there is never a person living there, are you in trouble?" ”

"Mother-in-law, I saw the black cat go in, so I wanted to take it out."

"Oh, then, you can just open the door, that door is never locked." The mother-in-law finished speaking. Then he went back to the kitchen.

Ning Jian stretched out his hand and turned the doorknob a few times, but it didn't move, it was obviously locked, why did her mother-in-law say that this door was never locked? He scratched his head and wanted to ask his mother-in-law again, but after thinking about it, he said to the room, "Kitten, if you don't come out, I'll go." ”

Then he pretended to walk up the stairs, and made his footsteps loud. Sure enough, in less than a minute, the black cat sprang out of its original place. It bit down on Ning Key's trouser leg and pulled it back. This behavior made Ning Key start to become alert, why did this kitten have to let him enter that room?

The animals here must be small pets! Is it a small step in the room? However, Ning Jian thought about it and felt that it was impossible, because since Xiaobu was with him, he rarely went home, and the pets at home could still be very close to their owners after not seeing them for more than ten years? And a cat is a cat after all, how can it be possible to know his relationship with Xiaobu?

Maybe I'm missing the small steps so much that I'm always cranky. Ning Jian smiled bitterly and shook his head, ready to bend down to pick up the black cat.

At the moment when he squatted down, the door that could not be opened just now was opened. Wei Xinrong walked out of it with a smile. As soon as the black cat between Ning Key's hands saw him, he immediately broke free of his restraints and fled quickly upstairs.

Ning Jian stared at the black cat very strangely, until the butler's voice came: "Mr. Ning, I'm sorry, I didn't come over in time to open the door just now when I was mending the wall, do you have something?" ”

"He wanted to get the black cat out, and the black cat had just run into the room." The mother-in-law helped Ning Jian answer in the kitchen.

Wei Xinrong turned his head to look at the kitchen and asked, "Mother-in-law, are you there too?" ”

"Yes, I've been chatting with Mr. Ning for too long today, so I'm late, sorry, I'll make lunch on time."

"No need, let's go to the balcony on the top floor at noon today to have a barbecue, it can be regarded as a welcome party for Mr. Ning, the air environment there is good, you just need to bring the cleaned ingredients, wait a minute, I will prepare the grill and tables and chairs, and the tableware will be brought together." Wei Xinrong seemed to have forgotten the existence of Ning Key, and talked to his mother-in-law by himself.

Ning Jian was not in a hurry, but kept staring at Wei Xinrong, he was a delicate man, and he was not stupid. Before he was talking to his mother-in-law just now, Wei Xinrong's footsteps had already come towards the door, and if he wanted to open the door, he should have opened it at that time. Why has it dragged on until now?

And the sound of the door lock when he first knocked on the door, Ning Jian now thinks that it was definitely the black cat who did it, and the black cat wanted to open the door for him, but was stopped by the people in the house? The door was locked from the beginning, but his mother-in-law, who had been living in this house, told him that the door was never locked?

Also, Wei Xinrong should be the most common person among the animals in this family, why is the black cat not even afraid of him, a stranger, but so afraid of such a familiar person, is Wei Xinrong usually not good for these animals? But according to his own words, he is just as fond of animals as Xiaobu.

The doubts in his eyes became thicker and thicker, and Ning Jian secretly made up his mind to find a chance to come here again to have a look, maybe he would really find something special.

Finally, glancing at the door next to the bathroom, Ning Jian pretended not to care and said to Wei Xinrong: "Uncle Wei, then I'll go up first, and I'll help you on the balcony later." ”

"Oh! Okay, let's talk later, I'll ask my mother-in-law to prepare more delicious food, and take you to the forest to look for hares in the afternoon, my mother-in-law cooked rabbit soup deliciously. You must try it. Wei Xinrong looked very polite. He didn't seem to notice the change in Ning Key's expression at all.

After saying hello, Ning Jian quickly turned the corner and came to a place where Wei Xinrong couldn't see, stopped, and listened attentively to the conversation between the two people downstairs.

At this time, the mother-in-law in the kitchen was asking about the whereabouts of the little maid Tengteng: "Mr. Wei, have you seen Tengteng?" ”

"What's wrong with the little girl? I didn't see her. Wei Xinrong replied.

"Teng Teng seemed to have said something to Mr. Ning upstairs just now that he shouldn't have said, and Mr. Ning was angry because of this, so Teng Teng hid himself again like in the past."

"Then wait for her to come out on her own, and she will be fine when she comes out."

"No, today is a very long time, Tengteng used to appear in only ten minutes, but Mr. Ning and I stayed upstairs for more than twenty minutes, and she didn't show up."

"What did Teng Teng say to Mr. Ning?"

"How can I know this, or Mr. Wei, you can wait and ask yourself."

"Who do I ask? Forget it, since Tengteng's words made Mr. Ning unhappy, there is no need for us to mention it again. It's best if Tengteng comes out by himself later, or mother-in-law, look for it when you are free! After Wei Xinrong finished speaking, the footsteps began to move upstairs.

When Ning Jian heard him come up, he immediately stepped into the living room and pretended to pick up the black cat and tease him. This black cat is really spiritual, not only did it not panic, but it also cooperated with Ning Key to wag its tail, and even buried its head in Ning Key's arms.

"Mr. Ning, it really likes you!" Wei Xinrong admired as he went upstairs.

Ning Jian turned around and smiled politely, and said, "Yes, the first time I came to this living room, it was very intimate with me, and I have never seen such a cat that is not afraid of strangers!" ”

"It's not that it's not afraid, it's that you've been treated as family from the beginning." Wei Xinrong said.

His words made Ning Jian stunned for a moment, and quickly asked, "Why?" ”

"Because of small steps! In the past ten years, you can't always accompany Xiaobu, and when the master was alive, he knew that your relationship did not allow Xiaobu to step into the house. Later, when Xiaobu was homesick, I always secretly took him back to live for a few days, it was very difficult to hide from the master before, and it was more convenient after the master passed away. ”

"Every time I go home, Xiaobu's favorite thing is this black cat, he often holds the black cat alone to show it your picture, and always says: 'Look, this is the person who will live with me for the rest of my life, you must recognize him, you know?' … Alas! Speaking of this, Wei Xinrong touched the corners of his eyes before continuing to speak: "You two, it's not that I said something unpleasant, half of my master's illness was angered by you." If you can go home and apologize to him, maybe he won't die so soon! ”

“…… I'm sorry, Uncle Web. Regarding Wei Xinrong's complaints, Ning Jian could only answer with apologies, what could he say? Grandpa Xiaobu had such a tough attitude towards them at that time, how dare they go home! But no matter what the reason, he is responsible for the death of Grandpa Xiaobu.

Seeing Ning Key's embarrassed face, Wei Xinrong changed his relaxed expression and said, "How many years ago, you see I'm still mentioning it." Forget it, it's good that you can be happy now, when Xiaobu comes back, you can live in this house, and when Xiaobu turns thirty years old, after I hand over this home to him, old man, it is time to go back to the city to retire. ”

"Why don't you stay? I think Xiaobu would love to have you stay here. Ning Jian raised his head and said, his hand always gently ** the black cat.

"Isn't it a trouble for you to stay here when you're old? Besides, Teng Teng can't stay here forever, she will marry one day, according to the little girl's heart, staying here will only cause obstacles to your feelings, it is better for me to go back to the city to find her a good mother-in-law! It's just that the little girl is sick, I don't know if people will dislike it! ”

"Teng Teng may just be too lonely to stay here all the year round, and when my company is better, I will find a way for her to find a man who can take care of her." Ning Key's words are sincere, he really feels very sorry for this little girl.

"That's great," Wei Xinrong said immediately, "Why don't we go upstairs together to prepare the oven and tables and chairs, and by the way, I'll tell you more about the past of this family." What do you think? ”

"Okay, don't mind if I hold Xiao Hei, right?" Ning Key asked.

"Blackie?" Wei Xinrong didn't react at once.

Ning Jian pointed at the black cat and continued, "That's it!" ”

"Oh, it's not called Xiao Hei, we are used to calling him Liuli, and the name is still in small steps. Because of its eyes. ”

"Eyes?" Ning Jian raised the kitten's head and looked at it carefully, and sure enough, the cat's two eyes were very special, one was gray-green, like a beautiful jade; The other one is like multicolored glass. Ning Jian couldn't help but blurt out: "What a beautiful cat!" ”

"Yes, it is precisely because these eyes are very similar to the glass necklace on Xiaobu's neck that Xiaobu likes it so much."

Wei Xinrong's words evoked Ning Key's memories, the glass necklace was given to him when he first met Xiao Bu, Ning Key was still a migrant worker at that time, and spent more than half a year's salary for this necklace, and then he relied on borrowing money for more than two months to make a living, and he didn't dare to let Xiao Bu know.

Thinking of this, Ning Jian laughed unconsciously. It turns out that this black cat was adopted by Xiaobu at that time! It seems that the housekeeper is right, it can really be regarded as Ning Key's family.

"Mr. Ning, what are you laughing at all of a sudden?" Wei Xinrong, who was walking in front, turned around and said.

"Ah, no, nothing! I just remembered the small steps, let's hurry up. Ning Jian urged and walked in front of the butler, but his heart stayed downstairs......

In the kitchen downstairs, the mother-in-law has already filled the big tray with all kinds of ingredients, ready to take it upstairs, it is a little past nine and a half at the moment, the mother-in-law stopped the movement in her hand, looked around, Tengteng still did not come back.

The old man ran to the door of the small warehouse to take a look, but there was no Teng Teng, but he smelled a strange smell.

"What does it smell like? Did someone put something strange in the warehouse? The mother-in-law guessed, walked into the warehouse and began to rummage.

She is a person who cherishes ingredients and because most of the ingredients are grown by her own hard work, so she will of course be very angry if someone puts something in the food warehouse that will cause the food to spoil.

The small warehouse was clear at a glance, and the mother-in-law bent down to rummage for a while, but found nothing unusual. So she straightened up and sniffed the air again, this time as if it were perfume or something.

'Is it Tengteng?' But the little girl never uses perfume, does she? The mother-in-law was a little confused, so she followed the smell all the way to the source, and finally stopped in front of the only big green box.

This big green box is a soaring treasure, and the little girl has all her belongings in it, including the toys she played with when she was a child. The mother-in-law also knew that there was a letter from Xiaobu to her, but the mother-in-law never mentioned it, and she was afraid that Tengteng would be unhappy.

I fiddled with the lock on the box with my wrinkled and chilblain hand, and I couldn't open it. The key to this lock is only available to Teng Teng alone.

Maybe Teng Teng put something scented in the box, forget it, the little girl can do whatever she likes, and while there is still time, I will go find her person." The mother-in-law thought as she left the small warehouse.

She didn't notice that in the gap of the green box, there was a fragment of gauze stuck on it, and there was still a faint blood stain on it, as if some injured person had come here and opened the box.