“My name is Tang Bưu. I can catch mice and insects, and I can climb trees, too. I’m really good at fighting, and I can protect you. Just tell me what you need!”
I laughed at how grown-up he sounded. “All right. But I have one request.”
“Name it. I promise I can do it!”
“I want all of you to make it safely through this winter.”
6.
The winter cold made me realize I had to do something.
So I asked Mr. Lý to help me build a little house in the kindergarten's backyard.
I carefully insulated the little house in the backyard, layer by layer, inside and out, and put a small space heater and several soft cushions in it so the stray cats could escape the cold.
I didn't stop there. I also bought a few heated water bowls.
That was Tang Bưu's idea.
He said there was another life-or-death problem in winter: drinking water.
It was so cold that everything was frozen. More than food, stray cats needed a source of drinkable water.
While I was busy in the yard, Pip showed up with a whole group of puppies.
The backyard was instantly filled with excited chatter:
“Teacher! I brought a brand-new bag of dog food. It’s delicious!”
“I brought some, too! I sneaked it away from Mom and carried it in my mouth all this time without eating it!”
“Teacher, I brought my favorite toy!”
“I brought a super-warm fleece blanket!”
I was so moved that tears came to my eyes.
Mr. Lý stood beside me, looking utterly confused.
Suddenly, someone called out:
“Teacher, I need to go potty…”
Wait a minute. It seemed like someone had wandered into the wrong place.
After taking the Labrador out to do his business, I accepted everything the “puppy students” had brought, but made sure to remind them:
“From now on, don't sneak things out of your homes, okay? Teacher has everything you need here!”
Because just then, a chorus of panicked complaints came from the pet owners in the neighborhood:
“Where did my fleece blanket go?!”
“The brand-new dog food I just bought has disappeared, too! Is there a thief in the neighborhood?”
“Oh my God, even the underwear I hung out on the balcony has vanished!”
I hurriedly grabbed my phone and explained everything to them.
To my surprise, after I explained, the kindergarten's backyard suddenly filled up with:
Dozens of bags of cat food, piles of soft cushions, countless tubes of cat treats, cat sausages, and even clothes made just for cats!
There was so much stuff that we almost ran out of room to store it.
Some pet owners even offered to chip in to have the stray cats… spayed and neutered.
I hurriedly declined:
“Thank you all for your kindness and support! Please don't worry—the kindergarten has everything it needs. We'll make sure the stray cats get through the winter safely!”
07.
The first snowfall of winter arrived.
The whole city was draped in a breathtaking blanket of white. But I wasn't in the mood to admire it. As soon as I got to the kindergarten, the first thing I did was check the heaters in every classroom and in the cat room in the backyard.
Fortunately, all the heaters were working, and the classrooms were wonderfully warm.
However, the water bowls in the cat room had frozen over. I quickly chipped away the ice and refilled them with fresh water.
Tang Bưu stayed right by my side as I worked.
One person and one cat left a trail of footprints across the snow.
Tang Bưu's paw prints looked like tiny plum blossoms, always circling around me. Wherever I went, plum blossoms bloomed.
When I was done, I breathed in the cold air and headed back to the office.
As soon as I stepped inside, the sight before me made me laugh: Mr. Lý and Ms. Vương were each holding a cat, burying their faces in its soft, sleek fur and looking utterly blissful.
It turned out both my employees were bona fide cat lovers.
When Mr. Lý saw me come in, he sheepishly scratched his head, his face turning bright red:
“It's… pretty hot in here, huh?”
I couldn't help laughing out loud.
Since opening the pet kindergarten, my once-empty wallet had finally filled up again.
Still, I didn't save a penny. I put it all into improving the facilities.
Word of mouth among the pet owners had spread, and more and more people learned about our kindergarten and started bringing their pets to us.
We were desperately short-staffed, so I had to hire more people.
That day, Miêu Miêu came running over in a panic:
“This is bad! This is bad! The dogs are fighting!”
We all rushed over to break it up.
The two “culprits” who'd caused all the commotion were a Husky and a Golden Retriever.
I took them both into the office and asked sternly:
“Tell me, why were you fighting?”
It was no longer a secret at the kindergarten that I could understand animals. The pets loved talking to me.
The Golden Retriever replied indignantly:
“He said his mom doesn't want him anymore…”
The Husky immediately argued back, “Your mom really doesn't want you anymore. I saw her break up with her boyfriend.”
The Golden Retriever panicked. “So what if she broke up with him? My mom still won't abandon me!”
“I hate Dad! I hate having to live with him!”
I sternly reprimanded the Husky and told him to apologize to the Golden Retriever.
After the apology, the Golden Retriever forgave him, but still couldn't help feeling dejected.
“Teacher, is Mom really going to abandon me?”
I didn't answer right away. Instead, I called the Golden Retriever's owner.
8.
The young woman answered, sounding worried:
“Teacher, did Coco get into trouble?”
“Coco and another dog got into a fight today.”
Her voice immediately grew more tense:
“What should I do, Teacher? Was the other dog hurt? Is it serious?”
“It's all right. I've taken care of it. I only called because Coco wants to know: are you planning to abandon him?”
The young woman sounded confused, but she answered honestly:
“Of course not! I raised Coco from a tiny puppy. Even though I broke up with that awful boyfriend, I would never abandon him!”
Coco looked delighted to hear that.
The young woman then asked excitedly:
“Teacher, you said Coco wanted to know. Can you really talk to pets, like Pip's mom said?”
I didn't deny it.
She grew even more excited. “Teacher! Can you ask Coco if he wants to live with me?”
After Coco gave me an affirmative answer, I relayed it: “He says yes.”
“Wonderful! I'll come pick him up tonight!”
That night, I happened to see a video going viral online.
In the video, the young woman was carrying Coco as she sneaked out of the apartment complex, then suddenly took off running.
Behind them, a man chased after them, shouting:
“You dare steal a dog? You have no sense of decency! Coco, don't be scared. Daddy's coming to save you!”
At the sound of that, Coco ran even faster than the young woman.
In no time, they had both disappeared from sight.
Meanwhile, word that I could communicate with pets spread through the parents' group chat.
The next morning, parents packed the kindergarten gates, crowding them shoulder to shoulder.
As soon as they saw me coming, they rushed over:
“Teacher! I want to know what my dog is thinking!”
“Teacher! I want you to talk to my pet! I got here first!”
“Teacher, why does my Labrador always want to go to the bathroom?”
I froze.
9.
But I quickly gathered myself and led the parents into an empty classroom.
“Please line up and take turns. Everyone will get a chance to communicate today!”
So many parents had come to see me that I decided to open a pet counseling room specifically for communicating with their animals.
The first person in was Thành Thành's mother.
“Teacher, Thành Thành hasn't been eating well lately. Could you ask him why?”
I nodded and looked over at the Shiba Inu.
The Shiba's eyes were full of contempt. “The new food is awful! It's so bad I'd rather eat poop.”
I relayed the message honestly.
Thành Thành's mother blushed. “I'm sorry, Teacher. I've been making his food myself lately. I didn't realize that was why... I'll learn to cook properly when I get home!”
Face red, Thành Thành's mother led the Shiba away.
The next person to come in was Đậu Đậu's father.
Đậu Đậu was an adorable Bichon. When his father tried to pick him up, he suddenly barked several times:
“Don't come any closer!”
Đậu Đậu's father scratched his head, confused, and said:
“Teacher, that's exactly what I wanted to ask. Why won't Đậu Đậu let me pick him up lately?”
I glanced at Đậu Đậu, then replied:
“Đậu Đậu says you threw away his best friend, and he's very angry.”
“His best friend?”
“That's right, a friend who looked like Đậu Đậu and was white too. Did you used to have another dog at home?”
Đậu Đậu's father shook his head:
“No, Đậu Đậu is the only one I've ever had.”
I kept encouraging Đậu Đậu to describe his friend. But his vocabulary was limited, and he just kept repeating:
“White, soft, smells good.”
Now I was the one who was confused.
I asked:
“Can it make any sounds?”
“No.”
“Can it walk?”
“No. How could Tiểu Bạch walk? Which one of us is stupid, you or me?”
I guessed:
“Could it be that it isn't a living thing?”
Đậu Đậu's father furrowed his brow, trying to remember.