Immortal Takeout - Chapter 15

Guokui looked slightly disheveled, even more so than when Ta Nuo had last seen him. His fur was dull and gray, the white patches now blackened, matted with rainwater and caked with dust into hard clumps. He had grown thinner, clearly not eating well; his body bore many new wounds, some still fresh and raw, revealing bright red flesh.

But despite his disheveled state, Guokui greeted Ta Nuo with his usual grace. “Hello, my friend, we meet again. What a fate!” He seemed to have recovered from his earlier setback. Though life remained tough, it hadn’t weighed him down too much; his tone still sounded energetic.

Ta Nuo took off his hat, returned Guokui‘s greeting, and introduced his younger brother.

Ta Tami responded earnestly with a meow. Seeing a live cat, he finally remembered how a cat calls.

“How have you been lately? Did you find work?” Ta Nuo inquired.

Truthfully, he really wanted to ask about the Child of Winter, but his friend clearly wasn’t in the best state. Ta Nuo didn’t want to burden him with such concerns now.

Guokui shook his head. He continued as planned, arriving in Maochun City. Just as the Cat Agency said, he was rejected by the Cat Gang. But he did not back down, nor did he intend to give up. There had been great children of winter in this world, and those were not legends, he firmly believed it.

Ta Nuo felt sorry for his friend. Seeing Guokui, emaciated to skin and bones, he immediately decided to postpone his bribery scheme. He took out the cat food Lin Zhou had given him and offered it to Guokui.

Guokui hadn’t enjoyed a hearty meal in ages. He did not insist on his self-esteem, but sincerely thanked his friend and enjoyed the dinner seriously. The can was eaten clean, without even a drop of juice left.

“If I could afford it, I’d hire you to help me,” Ta Nuo sighed, his voice heavy with regret. His immortal takeout was just getting started; he couldn’t take care of his friend.

“Don’t feel bad,” said Guokui. “I believe that one day, you’ll become very powerful. The path I’m taking is one few cats have ever walked, and I believe I will succeed. When that day comes, I’ll treat you to some cat wine.”

Ta Nuo didn’t understand what cat wine was, but he still yearned for it. Though countless friends and relatives warned him that immortal takeout was  impossible, since no one had ever done it, did that mean it couldn’t be done? There had never been a creature like the sea otter on this continent, and yet here he was. Perhaps the day would come when time proved him right, proved Guokui right.

That day would surely come.

Guokui, having eaten his fill, began grooming his fur contentedly.Although his fur was filthy and couldn’t be cleaned by ordinary licking, he still tried to keep it clean, to look more refreshed. He had countless tasks to accomplish and boundless knowledge to explore. This wasn’t the focus, not today, not tomorrow.

“Oh, seeing you reminds me of something,” Guokui paused, lowering his paw to think. “When I first arrived in Maochun City, I met a friend. I heard she’s craving a special food, and I can recommend it to you.”

Ta Nuo eyes lit up.

A new order opportunity had unexpectedly presented itself, instantly filling him with motivation.

As promised, on the way home, Ta Nuo bought pea cakes for his younger brother. Made from ground green peas, the paste was pressed into petal-shaped molds. The vibrant, fresh green color was quite appealing, and they carried a refreshing bean aroma. Ta Tami loved them.

After finishing the cake, Ta Tami rubbed his sleepy eyes. Soon, he was fast asleep, curled up on Ta Nuo’s back. Ta Nuo carried two bags of packaged pea cakes, his younger brother on his back, walking slowly home.

Passing by Liujia Village, Ta Nuo tied one bag of pea cakes to the iron door knocker of the Luo family’s gate.

He returned with his brother, and Otter Mom also loved the taste of the pea cakes. It was Ta Tami’s first time being out for so long. He slept soundly, clutching his tail, completely unaware that Ta Nuo had left. For this young otter, his adventure had come to a temporary end.

Early the next morning, the sky finally began to clear.Tanuo set out lightly and, following the address provided by Guokui, found Miss Miao Mimi at the intersection leading from the reserve into Maochun City. The name Mimi was extremely common in the cat world—a completely unoriginal human concept. But it also confirmed that Miao Mimi had originally been a house cat.

Miao Mimi is a white-and-spotted cat with a unique coat pattern. Her bright yellow circular spots are perfectly clean and lively, scattered across her waist like dollops of paint squeezed from a palette. Her eyes, so closed together, gave the illusion that she wasn’t really looking at you.

“I’d like some grilled fish cake,” Miss Miao Mimi stated calmly, her gaze appearing distant. “I can give you the address.”

It sounded easy, and Miss Miao Mimi was much more generous than Manager Lin, stating the price directly. The amount was far more than he had imagined. He couldn’t help but feel excited, taking off his hat and nodding respectfully to Miss Cat.

“Once you find the fish cake shop, don’t buy it immediately. Set a date and pick it up three days later. After you buy it, there’s no need to deliver it to me. Have Songya send me a signal, and I’ll come find you.” Miss Cat’s instructions were peculiar, but customer satisfaction came first. Ta Nuo nodded and carefully noted down the requirements.

Miss Cat tilted her head and looked at He Nuo, as if she wanted to say something. But she ultimately said nothing, standing up and ending the conversation. She turned, flicked her beautiful long tail, and slowly walked away. Ta Nuo only then noticed that Miss Cat’s right hind leg was a bit short, making her walk unsteady.

The grilled fish cake shop that Miss Cat had ordered from was located in an old alley on the western edge of Maochun City, bordering the broad Chun River. This area was the source of the city’s development and home to the city’s oldest residential area. Grandma Miao’s Fishcake Shop was located at the entrance of the alley, at least that was the information Ta Nuo had received.

However, when Ta Nuo found the old alley, he didn’t see the fishcake shop. In fact, this old alley was practically empty of shops. From end to end, the alley stretched with barely enough space for a small car. On either side of the alley ran four or five residential neighborhood intersections, their walls covered in green vines and dotted with a few small red flowers. A few elderly men with gray hair, carrying bamboo chairs, sat in the sun at the entrance to the neighborhood. Occasionally, a stray cat passed by, its fur shiny, its body thick and round, leisurely strolling.

Ta Nuo scratched his head, bewildered. Now that the shops were gone, where could he find the orders his customers had asked for?

At the neighborhood entrance, near the outermost end of the road, sat a kind-looking grandmother. She was wrapped in a thick purple cotton coat, her sparse white hair neatly tied up in an elegant bun.

Ta Nuo approached, bowed respectfully, and greeted her politely. With his gentle features, he easily won the affection of the elderly.

The grandmother smiled, her face full of wrinkles. “Young man, looking for someone?” Her teeth were weak, and her speech was a little slurred.

When Ta Nuo inquired about the Gramma Miao’s fish cake shop at the alley entrance, and the grandmother actually knew it. “Xiu Fen? The shop closed a long time ago. They said they were closed due to the neighborhood renovations. It must have been three or two years.”

“Do you know if Gramma Miao is still running a shop? Or where I might find her?”

The old lady’s memory was failing; she’d long forgotten what her old friend had said years ago. “I do know the building where she used to live, but I heard her children were selling their house in the city and taking her with them. I have no idea where she went.”

Ta Nuo chatted with the old lady for a while longer. As he was leaving, she pressed a large handful of dried red dates into his hands. “Eat this blood-tonifying food, made in Xinjiang. My son bought it online. It’s good stuff,” she said. Ta Nuo thanked her and, munching on the dates , he wandered around the neighborhood. He found the building where Grandma Miao used to live, but no one seemed home.

The trail ended there.

The magnolias in the neighborhood were in full bloom, exuding a rich fragrance. Ta Nuo picked up two fallen blossoms with intact petals and carefully tucked them into his backpack. As he was leaving the neighborhood, he was stopped. It was a kind old woman, and beside her stood a bald old man in a fur coat.

“Why are you looking for Miao Xiufen?” the old man asked sternly, eyeing Ta Nuo with suspicion.

Ta Nuo pondered for a moment and said, “My mother once bought Grandma Miao’s fish cakes and loved them. She’s been sick lately and really missed the taste, so she wanted to buy another one to try.” He mentally cursed himself, “What a liar I am!”

But the lie was clearly a success. Nothing resonates more deeply with elderly people than stories about honoring their elders.

“Just tell him,” the old woman nudged the old man and smiled at him.

Ta Nuo smiled sweetly in return.

The old man nodded, put on his reading glasses, and, frowning, searched his phone for an address after half an hour. Ta Nuo took out a small notebook and wrote it down, then bowed and said goodbye to the two elderly people.

The address was in the suburbs of Maochun, far from the city. Ta Nuo changed buses and it took him more than two hours to reach his destination, which was a residential area. 

The residential area was a newly built area. It looked very modern, but the surrounding area was desolate. There were sparse landscape trees, and half of the road was stuck in the mud. Ta Nuo didn’t like it very much. The address was a residential address. Ta Nuo was a little nervous. He was not sure if Grandma Miao was still making fish cakes. If she didn’t, Miss Cat’s order would not be completed. Ta Nuo rubbed his face and rubbed the tip of his nose, mentally encouraging himself.

Ta Nuo knocked patiently for a long time before someone answered the door. If he guessed correctly, this was Grandma Miao.

Grandma Miao was almost the same as Ta Nuo had imagined. She was very thin and small, as if she had shrunk due to age. She moved slowly and seemed to be in poor health. Her face was a sickly pale color. She wore a crisp, clean white shirt on her upper body, a soft and warm dark grey wool sweater on her upper body, and a thick, patterned tweed skirt on her lower body. The skirt just reached her knees, and she wore grey cotton socks on her calves, and a pair of small brown sheepskin shoes on her feet. Although she was at home, she still dressed herself neatly.

Grandma Miao had a gentle smile on her face and looked at Ta Nuo seriously. Ta Nuo explained his purpose and also lied. But this time, he asked Grandma Miao to make another grilled fish cake in the name of a friend.

Grandma Miao did not refuse directly, but pondered for a while, looking a little distressed. “The shop is closed, and I haven’t made fish cakes for a long time.” She said this, seeming a little embarrassed, and smiled lightly, “My hands and feet are not flexible now, I’m afraid they won’t taste good.”

Ta Nuo pinched the hem of his coat unconsciously and looked at Grandma Miao nervously.

Granny Miao smiled, and the wrinkles on her eyebrows relaxed. “But you can come and get it in three days.” She said, “Your friend must be craving for grilled fish cakes, so I want to make them for her again. Grilled fish cakes are delicious.”

Ta Nuo breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Grandma Miao. He gave Grandma Miao a white magnolia flower. Grandma Miao seemed to like it very much and pinned the flower carefully on her bun. She smiled at Ta Nuo again.

Ta Nuo smiled too. He slowly lowered his head, wiped his eyes, and felt sad. Because he smelled the faint breath of life on Grandma Miao.

It was so faint, like a candle in the wind.