On this day destined to weigh heavily on him, Zeng Mu rose early, just as he had yesterday. The habits of his life had stamped him into an iron fixture of the village, much like the many iron implements he had made.
Pushing open the heavy iron door, Zeng Mu looked at the neatly stacked ironware filling nearly half the smithy. These were all his creations. His daily, uninterrupted forging had already supplied every household in the village with the finest new farming tools, kitchen knives, and more, yet enough remained to fill half the room.
He had weeded all three mu of the vegetable garden several days ago, and every corner of the house had been cleaned until it could be no cleaner. All that remained to do this morning was feed the chickens, ducks, cattle, and sheep, then wash the clothes Qidunston had changed out of last night and his own bedding, one after another. He hung them in the center of the courtyard, where the breeze and sunlight were best. Everything fell into place just as the first rosy light of dawn struck them, bringing out a warm, unforgettable scent.
Before he could empty the wooden bucket, a breeze suddenly swept beneath the hanging sheet. Anyone sharp-eyed enough to see it would have realized it was not a gust of wind, but a tiny, multicolored blur.
"Meow!" Xuanzi gave a soft cry and sprang into Zeng Mu's chest.
Zeng Mu hurriedly caught the little cat and stroked its head. "Hey, Xuanzi, my hands are still soaked. Aren't you terrified of water?"
This little cat had black, yellow, and white fur, but its breed was unknown. It lacked the appearance and habits of the calico Zeng Mu had initially guessed it to be. It ate not only meat,