Chapter 195: North or South
Changjing was growing colder day by day. Fortunately, the weather had been decent in recent days.
The houses within Changjing were not as spacious as those outside the city, especially the residences of the shops in the western district, which lacked courtyards for drying cured meats and had to hang them outside instead. However, not many people made cured foods.
In recent days, anyone passing through Willow Street could see the shop displaying the characters for “Dao” and the sign “Rodent Extermination,” with cured meats hanging at its entrance. After a few days, they added sausages and preserved meat.
Strangely, there was often a cat lying in the sun at the entrance, sleeping, yet it never stole any meat. In fact, whenever other cats or dogs approached, it would immediately wake up and chase them away.
Passersby found it quite remarkable. A writer of miscellaneous tales considered it one of the curiosities of Changjing and recorded it in his book.
When the cat was absent, the Daoist would take its place. In any case, someone had to be there to keep watch.
Sometimes both the Daoist and the cat were present, with the cat often sound asleep at the door, while the autumn winds sent countless leaves falling. The Daoist would sit on a stool outside, placing the leaves one by one onto the cat until it was buried beneath them.
The cat was aware but paid no mind.
After a while, Song You decided to bring the meat back inside, hanging it on the beams of the cooking room, and stopped taking it out to dry every day.