Forest Ranger, starting from Picking Up a Lynx Girl-Chapter 150: The Young Man Who Raises a Leopard Cat
In the woods, Chen Ying told the street rat that Black Bear Sister was planning to give birth in a different place and asked it to avoid Huaqiu Valley lately.
The street rat agreed nonchalantly.
It liked Old Bear Gully just fine, close to the Hive and could occasionally scrounge food and drinks in Bear Garden, and was able to get its paws on other things if it wanted.
Except during the fruit season, Huaqiu Valley wasn't all that great.
After dealing with the Black Bear affair, Chen Ying picked up the leopard cat by the scruff of its neck and examined it.
It was a male, its two little bells plain to see.
Carrying the young leopard cat back to the rescue station for a checkup, he called Yin Li while walking.
There was a lot of commotion on the other end, and it seemed like someone was crying.
Yin Li asked him to wait a moment, and after about ten seconds, the surroundings quieted down.
"The kid's parents have come up and want to take him home, but he refuses to leave without finding his cat."
Chen Ying sneered, "Tell him to forget it, the cat's with me now, definitely a leopard cat. Second Nation, a beast locked up for sure."
Yin Li choked up, his voice even more agitated.
"The kid's got some issues, his family seems to spoil him a lot. His uncle quietly told me, they all knew the cat was special but..."
"No matter what issues he has, indulging in the keeping of wild animals, especially those under national protection, is illegal. Causing the death of such animals or involving in their trade is a crime. You should know this better than I do."
Yin Li didn't say anything for a while but finally just asked Chen Ying to bring the leopard cat to meet him, and they would discuss further in person.
Back at the rescue station, Little Deng came with supplies, and together with Little Sen, they were wiping down Leo.
This creature had been acting odd lately, going out as if to mine coal and returning within half a day covered in black.
Jiaojiao was reluctant to touch Leo now, holding the little cub in her arms all the time.
Great Bai's fur was white, and even after living in the wild for so long, it was only slightly yellowed, nothing like the even blackness of Leo.
(This is Leo, can you still love him like this?)
When Little Deng arrived at the rescue station, the child had already reached the Protection Station, and being well-informed, he had already gathered nearly all the details about the kid through indirect inquiries.
"The kid's sick, with an incurable illness. This trip to visit relatives is probably his last. His family is aware of his condition, so they usually indulge him."
"He's loved animals since he was little and dreamed of having his own pet, but due to health reasons, doctors won't allow him to be around animals like cats or dogs."
"It was his adamant request this time, and after consulting with the doctor, his parents agreed to let him keep a cat. They found the cat at the foot of the mountain and thought it was a stray. Later, when they realized it was a leopard cat, the family couldn't bear to make him give it up."
Little Deng sighed, looking down, "His aunt said the kid doesn't have much time left. After he's gone, they'll hand over the leopard cat to the Protection Station."
Old Gao's throat moved, and he spoke in a hoarse voice, "How can this kid be so..."
He didn't know what to say—is it naive? If it were him, he wouldn't know what's best to do either.
The atmosphere was heavy. Jinya and Little Jin came back to find the four humans sitting together in silence, as if a thick layer of clouds loomed overhead.
"What's wrong?" Jinya approached, rubbing against Chen Ying's arm and then lying down on the bench next to him.
Little Jin stayed in the tree, keeping its distance from humans.
Chen Ying didn't know how to explain to Jinya about the child's situation and could only say hoarsely that there was nothing wrong.
"But you don't seem like there's nothing wrong," Jinya said offhandedly, "Today, while I was hunting in the woods, I heard that the clouded leopard stole a cat from the two-legged beasts, did you know?"
No sooner had it finished speaking than a head popped out from the tree opposite.
Wow, it was the very leopard in question.
Looking up at the observation room's animal cage, a small creature curled up in the corner.
Yin Li called again.
"The kid refuses to leave the mountain, can you hurry over here?"
Yin Li's tone revealed an unmistakable sense of helplessness.
"The child is in poor health, and his parents are afraid to pressure him too much. Now, he's run off to the animal shed where Jinya used to live and locked himself in. No one can persuade him to come out."
This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.
"Isn't there a spare key?"
"There is a key, but about that child… I don't even know how to explain it. Since you've studied psychology, perhaps you could give it a try?"
"…But I studied Animal Psychology!"
"Human beings are animals too, more or less the same, right? Will you give it a shot? If this standoff continues, I'm genuinely worried something might happen to him."
What a fantastic point, human beings are indeed animals… Nonsense! Even though he was a veterinarian, as an adult, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
As he headed out, Chen Ying glanced at Jinya and suddenly had an idea.
"Jinya, do you want to come with me? I might need your help."
Jinya happily followed Chen Ying, glancing back at Little Jin after a few steps.
Thinking it over, Little Jin decided to follow as well.
It was curious to see what kind of help Chen Ying needed from Jinya.
After all, aren't felines supposed to be curious creatures?
Little Deng also went back to the Protection Station. Along the way, Little Deng kept wanting to stroke Jinya, but Jinya wouldn't let him succeed.
Once he gave up, Jinya teased again, perfectly embodying the phrase "playfully annoying."
Little Jin, on the other hand, maintained a certain distance whenever there were strangers around and was extremely alert on the way, rotating its ears flexibly, its ability to parse sounds through the wind at Level 100.
Upon reaching the entrance of the Protection Station, they could hear crying from inside the courtyard.
At the first-floor animal shed of the Rescue station, there were two or three police officers and a woman clutching the railing at the entrance, crying and talking.
Seeing so many people, Jinya and Little Jin stopped and refused to go any further.
"You two hide here for now. I'll check out the situation and call for you when needed, okay, Jinya?"
Jinya rubbed against Chen Ying's hand and leaped into a tree with Little Jin to hide.
As soon as Chen Ying and Little Deng entered, the station chief grabbed him by the arm.
"Dr. Chen, you're here. Please help convince the child. If he wants a cat, I'll get him one later, guaranteed to be a looker. A dog would also be fine; my Hu Zi just had a litter, and we still haven't given all the puppies away, perfect to reserve one for him."
Chen Ying nodded, crossed through the crowd, and knocked on the iron door.
"Young man, I'm coming in. I need to get something."
In Jinya's animal shed, there was nothing but an old blanket.
The child was now sitting on the blanket, silent.
"What are you doing? Get up and give me the blanket."
Chen Ying entered the shed without asking anything else, simply picking up the child and taking the blanket away.
"Jinya, Little Jin, time to eat!"
Skillfully spreading the blanket on the stone platform where Jinya used to eat, he then went to the kitchen and brought out a thawed chicken. With a knock on the bowl, Jinya and Little Jin dashed into the yard, jumping onto the platform and squatting down.
The child's parents clutched each other in horror, blocking the entrance to the shed.
The child, however, quietly squeezed to the doorway, tiptoeing to stealthily watch Chen Ying feed Jinya.
"That little cub is watching us," Jinya tilted its head slightly, murmuring softly, "He's so skinny. Doesn't his mother hunt for him? Let him eat this."
Chen Ying scratched Jinya's nape, "No need, you eat. He's sick and needs something special prepared for him."
Hearing the word "sick," Jinya acknowledged with an "Oh" and said no more.
After all, having spent a lot of time at the emergency station, it had seen many injured and sick animals, all of which had to eat bitter stuff. Tsk, pitiable.
