Cat and Snake Share the Same Origin
Old Li's biggest hobby after retiring was playing Chinese chess with his old buddies in the community pavilion. Today, however, he seemed a bit absent-minded.
"Old Li, you're playing chess like you've lost your soul." Old Wang pushed up his reading glasses, staring at Old Li's lonely "cannon" on the chessboard.
Old Li sighed, put down his chess piece, and pointed at the news on his phone screen: "Look, this expert says, those of us born in the Year of the Snake might have been born in the Year of the Cat in ancient times!"
Old Wang scoffed, "Nonsense! I've been a Snake for almost seventy years, where did this cat come from?"
"Exactly, cats are so delicate, how can they compare to snakes? We snakes are much more imposing!" Old Zhang chimed in, a proud Snake himself.
The pavilion immediately buzzed with activity, the old men discussing this ludicrous idea. Some said the expert was trying to grab attention, while others said ancient people were confused and mixed up cats and snakes. Old Li looked at them, a strange feeling rising within him.
Since his youth, Old Li had followed the rules, like a machine wound up and running, diligently working his whole life. He was a Snake, and his company even had a "snake culture" that required employees to be like snakes: patient and diligent. Old Li felt that his life was like a snake, winding forward, not dazzling but stable.
Now, the expert was saying that he might be a cat, which made him feel like his over sixty years of "snake-life" had lost its meaning. He had always tried hard to play the role of a "snake," but now they were telling him he might not even have been a snake to begin with.
The next day, Old Li arrived at the pavilion early. Old Wang and Old Zhang hadn't arrived yet, but a young man was there, gesturing animatedly at his phone screen.
"You are?" Old Li asked curiously.
The young man looked up, revealing a youthful face: "Me? I'm here to 'meow'."
Old Li was taken aback, and the young man continued, "I'm a Cat, and this year our company is promoting 'cat culture,' requiring us to be flexible and innovative like cats. But I'm obviously a Rat!"
Old Li looked at the young man, something clicking into place, as if he understood.
"Then, does your company have a 'snake culture'?" Old Li couldn't help but ask.
The young man scratched his head, "Yeah, but snakes are a 'negative example.' We have to be wary of the 'snake's' patience and negativity."
"Then, you who are Snakes, are you going to..." Old Li trailed off.
The young man laughed, "Them? They are practicing 'meowing' now. The company said we have to keep up with the times and learn from cats, and our 'cat culture' group needs to set an example."
Old Li looked at the young man, and then at the colleagues in the distance practicing “meowing” in the community. He suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, as if the "snake" he had always been was being blocked by a ball of soft cat fur.
In the evening, Old Li walked home alone. The setting sun cast a long shadow, looking like a distorted snake, and then like a clumsy cat. He opened his phone and saw a news push: after in-depth research, the expert group announced that the twelve zodiac signs are not fixed. In the future, the meaning and requirements of each zodiac sign will be dynamically adjusted according to social development and the needs of the times, encouraging everyone to be their best selves.
Old Li looked at the news, his lips curving into a helpless smile. He walked downstairs and saw a new giant billboard in the community, with a cartoon cat on it, next to which was a large font that read: "Meow Era, New Journey".
He walked to his door and found a new notice, with bold letters: Community owners are requested to gather at the community square tomorrow morning at eight o'clock to learn new era Meow Meow Boxing, strengthen your body, and welcome the new era.
He touched the keys in his pocket, suddenly feeling that perhaps tomorrow, he should try to "meow" too.