Chapter 305: Chapter 260: Going Home
Ship cats are not a specific breed but refer to cats that make their living on ships.
Many ports, including Suzhou Port, faced rat problems.
Rats scurrying in the harbors not only gnawed on goods. Once they escaped onto ships, they also spread diseases, damaged the hulls, caused leaks, and disturbed the crew’s rest.
Therefore, many ships harbored creatures known as ship cats.
Ship cats had a somewhat egalitarian relationship with humans. During the day, ship cats would enjoy the fish caught by the crew, and at night, they hunted the unrestrained mice in the ship’s cabins.
When a ship docked, it needed repairs and maintenance. The crew needed to go home to rest, and the ship cats also disembarked to live as wild cats for a while, awaiting the next sea voyage.
When Li Ang first came to Suzhou, the city guide had told him about one of the city’s peculiar sights: the port docks, where many wild cats often lingered.
They would crouch on the shore, like dockworkers, observing the ships about to sail and selecting one to board.
Small and medium-sized ships usually had only one ship cat. Even large ships could only accommodate three or four, as they marked their territories and forbade other ship cats from hunting on their turf.
According to the guide, ship cats were like hired hands on equal footing with humans, and also like proud, solitary tigers roaming the seas.
The finest ship cats, when they appeared at the docks, were often followed by dozens of wild cat attendants. Wherever they went, sailors and crew members treated them with deference.
If not for the garrison’s repeated confirmations, one might have suspected they had gained sentience or become spirits.
The Ink Silk Clone paused. "This salty, fishy scent of the sea breeze... it’s unmistakably from a ship cat." He then gave a helpless, bitter smile. "But how can we find anything with just a cat’s hair?"
Li Ang had observed the wild cats at Suzhou Port. Their numbers were vast, and their "cat population" fluctuated frequently as they often went to work on ships. Finding a specific one was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The current information suggests the Su Family might have descendants, and they keep a ship cat. Li Ang paused. This clue is still too broad. Suzhou had many common people with the surname Su, and besides, descendants of the Su Family might not necessarily bear that surname.
"Should we leave an informant here and wait until next year’s Qingming Festival to stake out the Su Family’s descendants?" the Ink Silk Clone mused, rubbing his chin. Then he suddenly had an idea. "Wait, the garrison has fine dogs!"
The garrison’s fine dogs were renowned throughout the land for their exceptional sniffing and tracking abilities. Without interference from special substances (like the powder Jiao Cheng had used previously), they could find a murderer in the city from a single drop of blood, or locate abducted women and children from a discarded headband or hairpin.
A ship cat’s fur... could they track that too?
With the Suzhou Water Poison epidemic resolved and the date of return to Chang’an approaching, Li Ang immediately had the Ink Silk Clone retrieve the cat hair. He then went to the Suzhou Town Guard Station himself.
Since many people from Jiangnan Road worked in the garrison, they were particularly friendly and trusting towards Li Ang.
Li Ang casually spun a tale, claiming a wild cat had stolen a new type of pill he was developing, leaving behind a single strand of fur. He asked if the garrison’s fine dogs could help track the scent of the cat fur to find the culprit.
The garrison personnel looked troubled. Ship cats resided at the docks, where wild cats were numerous and scents intermingled, making it difficult to pinpoint a specific one. Nevertheless, they accepted Li Ang’s request, assuring him they would do their best.
It might take some time, however. With the Water Poison Gu situation resolved, Suzhou Port had returned to its bustling state. Many ships were hastily setting out to sea for trade, and it was possible the ship cat in question was also at sea.
All they could do now was pray for the ship cat’s safe return.
Finally, after spending some time sightseeing and relaxing, Li Ang, along with Qiu Feng and others, took a boat and returned to Chang’an.
Li Ang stepped onto the dock, gazing at the majestic city towering in the distance. He sighed. "It’s been a long time."
In the past three months, he had witnessed more life-and-death separations than in his entire previous life, including his memories from the Otherworld.
So much so that standing once again on the familiar Bashui River Bank, he felt a sense of surreal displacement.
"Risheng!"
His friends, who had been waiting on the riverbank, approached. Li Wei ran ahead, giving Li Ang a big hug and laughing heartily. "During your absence from Chang’an, the Academic Palace felt quite desolate!"
Li Ang chuckled, helplessly extricating himself from his friend’s enthusiastic embrace. "Is it really that exaggerated?"
Not having seen each other for three months, everyone had changed somewhat.
Li Wei had tanned considerably, clearly trying to emulate the senior students of Body studies.
Yong Hongzhong seemed a bit taller and no longer as frail as before.
Yang Yu and Zhang Yuyan were standing closer together. Hmm, looks like their relationship has warmed up, Li Ang noted.
Ji Linglang and Li Leqing hadn’t changed much.
He Fanshuang still stood at the back, engrossed in her book as usual.
And Chai Chai...
Li Ang looked at Chai Chai, who had clearly lost some weight. He took a deep breath, ruffled her hair gently, and said earnestly, "I’m back."
Chai Chai’s eyes, which had held a look of weary concern, instantly brightened, the worry melting away. The corners of her mouth turned up in an unconscious smile. "Welcome back."
TAP-TAP-TAP.
More crew members and Doctors disembarked, stepping onto the dock.
The aftermath of the Suzhou Water Poison still required management. The Imperial Medical Bureau would dispatch new Doctors to Suzhou in rotation to keep the sick house operational.
"Risheng,"
Li Shan’s voice sounded on the dock. The Prince Guang, who was Li Ang’s age, could not conceal the exhaustion on his face. Only a few Imperial Eunuchs and guards were there to receive him—a stark contrast to Li Leqing’s reception. "See you next time," Li Shan said.
Li Ang nodded to him. "See you next time."
During this Water Poison Gu epidemic, Li Shan had also made a significant contribution.
If he hadn’t, in his dual roles as Prince Guang and Inspector, supervised the officials and clerks of Jiangnan East Road, and personally led the charge, fighting on the front lines to eradicate the Gu, the number of casualties and patients would have been even greater.
An Imperial Eunuch brought a carriage over. "Your Highness, let’s go."
Li Shan rubbed his face, trying to appear as composed as possible, before boarding the carriage. He was heading to the Great Ming Palace to report to Emperor Yu on the events of the Water Poison Gu outbreak.
Hopefully, the Emperor will be fair to him, Li Ang thought, watching Li Shan’s solitary figure depart. He felt both sympathy for the fate of this prince, who was his peer, and concern for the people of Suzhou. Regardless of Li Shan’s origins, his character and abilities were reliable.
If Emperor Yu didn’t change Li Shan’s fiefdom and allowed him to continue governing Suzhou, its people, who had been ravaged by the Water Poison Gu, might see better days.
Li Ang shook his head, dispelling the stray thoughts. "Let’s go. We should head home too."
The Emperor’s rewards, the Mountain Master’s commendations, the world’s praise and gratitude—he pushed them all to the back of his mind.
Right now, he just wanted to go home.