The alley was not long, and because of the picturesque scenery, although no one was talking, it was not boring.
Zhang Zian also saw a bearded middle-aged man holding a small camera, choosing the angle of a sycamore tree. He didn't know much about photography, but he felt that this middle-aged man was much more professional than the members of the photography club who only knew how to play with equipment. He also raised his head to look at the angle of the middle-aged man's camera.
What? Between the branches of the sycamore tree, under the cover of the sparse yellow leaves, there was a small gray and black squirrel, looking at Fina and Snowy Lionet vigilantly with its big tail up. This squirrel was probably a child's pet, but it ran away for some reason, or was released. It was not afraid of people, but it was afraid of cats.
Fina raised the corner of her eyes and glanced at the squirrel for half a second. Then, she yawned out of boredom. Snowy Lionet was not interested in the squirrel either. Besides, with its short legs and long fur, Snowy Lionet was probably not good at climbing trees, and its long fur would be caught by the bark or tree joints after a few steps.
The bearded middle-aged man was focused on the composition of the picture and capturing the squirrel's movements, as if he didn't see Zhang Zian and Guo Dongyue passing by. This kind of concentration was not something that the rookies of the photography club who could see Zhang Zian with a cat across the road could compare with.
When they walked over, the bearded middle-aged man noticed the two cats. He was stunned for a moment, then quickly squatted on the ground, turned the flip screen of the card card machine up 90 degrees, and at an angle parallel to the ground, the two people and two cats were captured into the camera.
He quickly pressed the shutter a few times, then stood up to observe the picture. Through the preview of the 3-inch LCD screen, Zhang Zian found that this unintentionally blurred photo was quite perfect. With a little post-processing, it would be a rare good photo. Because the person was far away and the cat was close, and the angle of the photo was low, the cat appeared very large and clear in the photo. Even the drifting leaves around them seemed to be frozen in time, especially when the white cat turned back to look at him. It was right in front of the camera. The lighting was also very good. It was bright and soft, neither with the light nor against the light.
"Okay, let's call it a day." The bearded man closed the camera with satisfaction, put it in his pocket, and left whistling like a kid who got a new toy.
Zhang Zian and Guo Dongyue didn't know what was going on behind them, and they didn't know that they had become the background of the two cats. Although Snowy Lionet knew, it didn't know what the small black block in the bearded man's hand was for, and because of its instinctive disgust for men, it wasn't interested in knowing.
When he was halfway through the alley, Zhang Zian could vaguely see the abandoned kindergarten at the entrance on the other side of the alley. The rusty slides, swings, and seesaws were all gone. There was no one there, and there was no laughter. It was probably just waiting to be demolished.
"This way." Guo Dongyue pointed to the side.
A three-story residential building appeared in front of him. There was only one unit, and there were no other buildings nearby. If there was anything good about this place, it would probably be peace and quiet. Zhang Zian looked up. The red brick exterior wall of the old residential building had turned black and red due to years of wind and rain. Only green vines were left hanging on the anti-theft net on the first floor, gently swaying. Most of the residents in the building had probably moved away. Many balconies and doors had been removed, and people could directly see the dark interior.
Coincidentally, a middle-aged woman in her 40s walked out of the building. She was carrying a garbage bag, and she was probably out to throw out the garbage. When she saw Guo Dongyue, she immediately put on a smile, "Xiao Yue, you're back. Come in and have a seat. Your mother is in a good mood today. She was just preparing to cook."
Guo Dongyue frowned, "Cooking …"
Zhang Zian knew what he was worried about. He was worried that his mother might be in danger during the cooking process. For example, she might forget to cook after boiling the water, or forget to cook while she was cooking.
"Don't worry. I have been watching her. Nothing bad will happen to her. From Auntie Bai's point of view, it is actually good for her to move around. Isn't life about exercise? "
Guo Dongyue was not very happy, but he still forced a smile and introduced the two of them.
"Auntie Bai, this is my … friend. His surname is Zhang, and his name is Zhang Zian." He also introduced to Zhang Zian, "This is my neighbor from upstairs, Auntie Bai. Since it is more convenient to live upstairs, I hired her to help take care of my mother."
He specifically emphasized the word "hired".
After all, Zhang Zian had been through a lot of hardships in society. Those college students couldn't be compared to him, so he more or less understood what he was implying. It seemed that Guo Dongyue was not satisfied with Auntie Bai's care, but he had to endure it for some reason. Zhang Zian remembered that Guo Dongyue had told him that his mother was moody after she got sick. She even thought that the housekeeper was a burglar and called the police.
"Oh, it is Xiao Yue's friend. How rare." Auntie Bai threw the garbage bag into the designated garbage drop spot, and walked over to Zhang Zian with a smile, looking at him.
"Xiao Yue has been a loner since he was a kid, and he has very few friends. However, he is so successful that he can go abroad to make a lot of money. He probably doesn't want ordinary friends. Your name is Zhang Zian, right? Are you Xiao Yue's colleague or classmate? "Auntie Bai asked in a kind tone.
"Not a colleague, nor a classmate," Zhang Zian replied, "Actually, I run a pet shop."
"You run a pet shop?" The smile on Auntie Bai's face froze. An architectural design institute and a pet shop had nothing to do with each other.
"Is it the kind of … pet shop that I am thinking of?" she asked tentatively.
Zhang Zian smiled helplessly, "All pet shops are similar. Probably the kind that you are thinking of."
Auntie Bai took a deep breath, looked at Zhang Zian, and then looked at Guo Dongyue. She didn't understand why a famous architectural designer would work with a pet shop owner.
Zhang Zian wanted to remind her not to breathe in such a cold day, so that she wouldn't get bloated.
"Then can I call you Xiao Zhang?" Auntie Bai asked.
"Whatever. Call me whatever you like."
If it was someone his age, Zhang Zian would definitely add, "You better call me Hottie Store Manager." However, it was a middle-aged woman. If he said that, it would definitely cause embarrassment and misunderstanding.
Guo Dongyue coughed, "Let's go inside. It's cold outside."
"Yes, yes, you are right. Come on, let's go inside." Auntie Bai greeted them warmly, "My sister-in-law will be very happy to see you."
"Sorry to bother you," Zhang Zian said politely.
"What? These two cats … "Auntie Bai noticed Fina and Snowy Lionet.
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