Cat Year Past

Old Wang was a complete “snake-obsessed” person, though not in the literal sense. Born in the year of the snake, he held an almost obsessive pride in his zodiac sign. He firmly believed that people born in the year of the snake were inherently intelligent, calm, and strategic, and he had always strived to live up to this image.

In the office, Old Wang was renowned as a "human calculator." He could find discrepancies of even a few cents in any report that landed on his desk. Colleagues secretly called him "Old Snake," but they all knew it was a title tinged with respect.

As the year drew to a close, the company organized an annual party with a zodiac theme. Old Wang was naturally looking forward to it immensely. He even prepared a "Survival Guide for Snake People in the Workplace" intending to shine at the event. However, the day before the party rehearsal, Little Li from HR frantically came to find him.

"Brother Wang, something terrible has happened!" Little Li's face was pale. "You... you might not be a snake."

Old Wang thought he had misheard. "What nonsense are you talking about? My birth certificate clearly states I was born in the year of the snake!"

Little Li hastily handed Old Wang a historical research report. "Archaeologists have discovered that there might not have been a snake zodiac in ancient times. That position was originally occupied by the cat!"

Old Wang snatched the report, his eyes wide like bells. The report stated that due to ancient cat worship and cultural differences in some regions, the snake zodiac might have been a later modification. In some areas, the cat was one of the twelve zodiac signs.

Old Wang felt his world spin. What about the "snake nature" he had always prided himself on? Were all his meticulous calculations and calm composure just a disguise of "cat nature"?

On the day of the party, Old Wang sat in a corner, deflated like a tiger with its teeth pulled. The host enthusiastically introduced the symbolism of the twelve zodiac signs. When it came to the snake, he instinctively raised his head, but then immediately lowered it again.

"The snake symbolizes wisdom and wealth. They have calm minds and excellent judgment." The host's voice continued, but Old Wang felt that every word was mocking him.

Suddenly, someone in the audience whispered, "Wasn't Old Wang born in the year of the snake? Why does he look so deflated today?"

"Who knows, maybe he was reincarnated from the year of the cat and can't adapt."

When Old Wang heard the word "cat," his heart tightened. He looked up and saw the knowing smiles on his colleagues' faces. He suddenly felt like a clown who had been stripped naked.

The banquet began, the food was lavish, and the atmosphere was lively, but Old Wang had no appetite. He picked up a glass of wine, thinking about how he had spent half his life living as a "snake," when in reality he was a "cat." He suddenly felt that everything was pointless.

At that moment, a young colleague came over, patted Old Wang on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Brother Wang, don't think too much about it. What you are born under doesn’t matter, what's important is to be happy! Besides, cats are great too, look, they're so cute!"

Looking at his innocent smile, Old Wang suddenly thought, yes, does it really matter what zodiac sign you are? He smiled and finished his wine.

Just then, the projector on stage suddenly switched to a lucky draw segment. The host announced, "Today we have a special grand prize at our annual party, and the prize is... a whole year's supply of cat food!"

The whole place erupted in an uproar, and Old Wang froze. He felt like he was really starting to grow cat fur, and from the depths of his heart, a strange meowing sound was starting to emerge. He suddenly understood, he had not become a cat, but he had always been a cat, just living under the skin of a snake. And now, he needed to learn properly how to be a real cat.

He suddenly thought that being a cat seemed pretty good too.