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The furnishings in the room were very simple, with a wooden table that looked quite old, an iron kettle blackened by soot on a small coal stove, soot-stained walls, and pots and jars placed in the corner. Besides the light bulb overhead and an old man's radio, there were almost no modern appliances.

The old man lived here, so his conditions were definitely not good.

“Secretly looking for something to eat is out of the question.” Lin Fan dismissed this option without a second thought.

Although his satiety was only around 30, and he desperately needed food, he couldn't bring himself to steal from such a lonely old man.

Should he directly ask the old man for food?

The old man sat on a stool, carefully weaving a bamboo basket.

You ‘meow’ed, and the old man, hearing you, adjusted his reading glasses and looked in your direction. The wrinkles on his forehead gradually smoothed out, and the corners of his mouth turned up, revealing his incomplete teeth.

He made a teasing sound, calling out, ‘Little Mi, come here!’”

[Go to the old man]

“The old man's hands were chapped and rough, covered in calluses, like old tree bark.

He gently stroked you with his rough hands, looking very happy, and you purred contentedly.

The old man carefully took out a dark, crumpled handkerchief from the drawer, unwrapped it layer by layer, revealing a sausage inside. He cut open the packaging and handed the sausage to you, smiling kindly: ‘Little Mi, this is for you.’”

In the old man's drawer, there was a pile of things like scissors, handkerchiefs, candles, matches, medicine bottles, etc.

Spoiled sausage × 1.

Lin Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry: “Wow, something so treasured is actually a spoiled sausage.”

But having something to eat is better than nothing; as a stray cat, what is there to complain about?

“You devoured the sausage, although it had a strange sour taste, it filled your stomach. (Satiety +30)

You feel a bit of stomach upset. (Health -5)”

After eating, Lin Fan left to continue exploring.

This time, he broke into a resident's house and saw a string of dried meat hanging on the wall.

Before he could do anything, he was chased out by the owner wielding a broom handle.

However, Xiao Hei unexpectedly caught a mouse. Xiao Hei's hunting success rate wasn't very high, and it was rare to see mice out in the winter, so it could only be considered lucky.

While exploring outside, Lin Fan also paid attention to his action count. Seeing that it was almost time to trigger the five-time freezing debuff, he returned to the old man's residence, intending to find a corner to warm up.

[Say hello to the old man]

“You ‘meow’ed, and the old man's weathered face broke into a smile: ‘Little Mi, you're here again!’

He took out a brand new sausage wrapped in a handkerchief from the drawer, cut open the packaging: ‘Here, this is for you!’”

Brand new sausage × 1.

Lin Fan was stunned: “This…”

Eat it, eat it, don't let the old man's kindness go to waste.

In the small, humble room, the old man with white hair continued to work, but there was now a Xiao Hei beside him, its presence injecting a touch of vitality into the place.

“The old man squinted and carefully weaved the bamboo basket. You squatted at his feet, curiously watching his rough hands weave thin strips of bamboo into shape, your head moving up and down with the movement of his hands.”

Seeming to find it fun, Xiao Hei suddenly jumped into the basket, poked out its head, and tilted its head to look at the old man.

“The old man was amused by your mischievous behavior, his wrinkled face smiling like a blooming sunflower.

For some reason, you also felt happy.”

After discovering the old man's residence, Lin Fan felt like he had found a shelter.

There were still mice to catch in the impoverished area, and there were no cats to compete with, so he would go out to catch mice when he had nothing to do, and run back to the old man's place when he needed to warm up.

It was just that the old man kept feeding Xiao Hei sausage every now and then, making Lin Fan feel embarrassed: “Hey, I wish I could repay his kindness!”

But thinking about it, Xiao Hei coming to accompany the old man, letting him no longer be lonely, might be the best way to repay him.

Coming to the old man's house again.

“The old man gently stroked you with his rough hands, his eyes filled with kindness.

Suddenly, he covered his mouth and coughed lightly, took out medicine from the drawer, poured himself a cup of water from the kettle, and swallowed it down.

The old man looked out the window and sighed; the snow outside was falling even harder.”

Lin Fan felt a little uncomfortable: “The old man is sick?”

It's common for old people to get sick, after all, as people get older, their body functions naturally decline.

Especially in winter, with old leg problems and coughs.

But living here, he could only take some cheap medicine when he got sick, and he didn't have the money to go to the hospital.

Lin Fan wanted to do something, but felt powerless.

After all, Xiao Hei was just a cat.

“Hey, I hope this snow passes soon!”

It was already the third week of December, and once January passed, spring would arrive.

When Lin Fan returned to the small house again.

“You noticed that, unlike the usual bamboo baskets, the old man was weaving something new this time, one side of the base was not closed, and the top arched into a point, like a house.

The old man put you in it and looked you over, smiling lovingly.”

Lin Fan felt a little surprised: “Is he planning to make me a cat bed?”

He went out to catch mice a few times and returned to the old man's place.

“You returned to the familiar small house, meowed, but didn't hear the familiar reply.”

Oh no!

Lin Fan panicked a little. Didn't the old man always say ‘Little Mi, you're back!’ every time he came back?

He had a bad feeling.

The BGM switched at some point, the piano sound was unhurried, like fine sand slipping through his fingers, never to return, with a faint sense of oppression and silence.

It was also like the pattering raindrops falling, hitting the leaves, gently dripping down along the tips of the leaves, sinking into the soil.

“You smelled a dark aura.

The old man lay on the bed, his hands folded on his chest, his expression peaceful and serene, having already passed away.

In the place where he usually worked, there was a finished cat bed.”

An achievement popped up, “Returning to the Roots,” the icon being a withered yellow leaf falling to the ground.

Xiao Hei jumped onto the bed, its tongue licking the old man's rough, calloused hands.

These hands had stroked it countless times, but now they had become cold.

Xiao Hei's eyes also seemed to become moist, crystal clear.

Snowflakes danced outside the window, and faint light shone through the window, falling on the old man's closed eyes and peaceful smile, forming a pure picture with the wet-eyed Xiao Hei.

“You were extremely sad, your hoarse cries piercing the heart.

After crying for a while, you pressed against the old man's cold body, curled up into a ball, and closed your eyes.”

“Damn it!”

Lin Fan felt a tightness in his chest, cursed, sniffed, and his eyes also became wet.