Chapter 157: Chubby Puppy

Everyone’s school enrollment went smoothly.

They would be starting school the next day.

That day, dressed in new clothes and carrying new backpacks, Yun Xiaowu and his brothers were full of energy, standing tall and proud like young saplings as they confidently set off for school.

School started at eight o’clock, and it was a walk of over ten minutes from their house if they went quickly.

Early in the morning, the familiar school broadcast began, occasionally playing a few songs.

They got up at 7:30. The time was fine for them, as they were used to waking up early to go beachcombing.

After they got ready and ate breakfast, Granny Yun was in charge of taking her grandsons to school.

Yun Jiao wanted to go too, so she tagged along.

"Jiaojiao, we’re going to go to school and conquer the place. By the time you start, no one will dare bully you."

Holding Yun Jiao’s hand, Granny Yun lightly smacked Yun Xiaowu on the head.

"What nonsense is that? You can’t be fighting at school."

Yun Xiaowu protested, "I didn’t say anything about fighting! I’m going to win over a bunch of followers with my charm."

One glare from Granny Yun and he reluctantly fell silent.

When they reached the school gate, Yun Xiaowu and his brothers gave Yun Jiao a hug.

"Wait for us to get back from school, okay? We’ll come play with you."

Yun Jiao nodded. "Come back soon, big brothers."

"We will, we will..."

Yun Xiaowu was incredibly proud. He looked around and thought, ’There’s no one prettier than my little sister.’

’Hey, I see a few people staring at her. Do they think they can steal her away from me? Not a chance!’

"Jiaojiao, Grandma, you two should head back. Be careful on your way!"

Yun Jiao waved goodbye to her brothers and started walking back with Granny Yun.

Without the chattering boys, the road home felt strangely quiet.

It felt even quieter, especially once they got home.

’I’ve only been here a little while, and I already miss my brothers.’

"Grandma, I’m going to go find Mom and Auntie."

After telling Granny Yun, Yun Jiao gathered up her molting ugly chick, little duck, and little goose. Instead of heading to the seashore first, she went to Granny Liu’s house.

"Granny Liu, I’ve come to play with Dabai and the others!"

She knocked on the door and called out. At the sound of her voice, faint barks could be heard from inside.

The sound grew closer, and soon Granny Liu’s son opened the door.

"Oh, it’s Jiaojiao. Come on in."

Yun Jiao shook her head. "Uncle Chuan, I was hoping to take Baozi and Tang Yuan out to play."

Baozi and Tang Yuan were the names of the two chubby puppies.

Right then, the two roly-poly puppies were already wagging their tails, yelping as they struggled to scramble over the threshold toward Yun Jiao.

Unfortunately, their bodies were too low to the ground. After several failed attempts, one even flipped over, exposing a chubby little belly that looked absolutely perfect for rubbing.

"Sure, go ahead and take them," Yun Chuan readily agreed.

’The puppies were meant for her family anyway.’

Yun Jiao’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. After thanking Yun Chuan, she used her small hands to lift the two chubby pups over the threshold and set them on the ground. They immediately pounced on her with enthusiasm.

"Dabai isn’t home, huh."

"Let’s go, let’s go! Stop biting my shoelaces."

Patting the two chubby puppies on their rumps, Yun Jiao went to find her mom and aunt, with a whole procession trailing behind her.

The two puppies were a little too mischievous. They kept charging into the neat line of poultry, sending the birds scattering in a flurry of feathers and squawks.

Finally, an exasperated Yun Jiao scooped one up in each arm. "Settle down, both of you!"

"WHIMPER~"

Having been scolded, the two little ones drooped their soft, floppy ears, staring up at Yun Jiao with pitiful puppy-dog eyes.

It was a look that could easily melt anyone’s heart.

Yun Jiao’s heart softened for a moment, but she quickly started muttering her lecture again.

"You can’t chase my chick, duck, and goose! They’re going to lay eggs for us someday, you know? We need to eat eggs to grow big and strong."

Only when she reached the tidal flats and found her mom and aunt did Yun Jiao finally put the puppies down.

She took the shovel from her mom’s bucket and started digging at the nearby air holes in the sand.

She tossed the small sea snails, along with any little fish and shrimp that had been washed ashore and stranded, to her poultry to eat.

The two chubby puppies ran and played freely on the tidal flats. In just a short time, their fur was an absolute mess.

Covered in mud, they trotted over to Yun Jiao, looking for cuddles.

Yun Jiao wrinkled her nose and gently pushed them away.

’They’re dirty! So dirty!’

’I don’t want to hold them anymore.’

But the puppies were just over a month old and brimming with energy. They thought Yun Jiao was playing with them when she pushed them away, which only made them more excited.

Yun Jiao: ’Ugh, so annoying!’

’They’re so little, they can’t understand a word I’m saying. And they’re so shameless!’

"Stop trying to rub against me!"

Muttering, Yun Jiao pushed them away again, then pointed to a nearby air hole.

"Go over there and help me dig in the sand. Like this..."

She dropped the shovel and started digging with her bare hands.

The two puppies stared at her with their round, beady eyes, and it was impossible to tell if they understood.

But puppies do have some ability to imitate.

After watching her a few times, they rushed to the spot she was digging and, wagging their tails, began to paw at the sand with their chubby little paws.

Dogs naturally love to dig, and this seemed to unlock a hidden talent in the two chubby puppies. Their little tails wagged even more furiously.

But their digging was clearly no match for the speed of whatever was burrowing beneath the sand. The hole quickly filled with water, and they fell in without finding anything.

All they could do was let out pitiful yelps.

Yun Jiao had no choice but to lift them out and move to a new spot to keep searching.

She didn’t dare bring the two curious puppies—who would bolt the second you let them go—too close to the water. She was afraid that if she looked away for even a moment, they’d get swept out to sea.

But with two chubby puppies causing trouble, she wasn’t finding as much on the tidal flats as she usually did.

Yun Jiao had a good attitude about it, though. ’I’ll just take my time and search slowly.’

She moved to another spot and kept digging.

’Oh, a geoduck clam!’

’Nice, this one’s a big one.’

Yun Jiao tossed the geoduck to the side.

No sooner had she set it down than a puppy’s head darted in, snatched it up, and, with a few grunts, dropped it into a hole it had dug and started burying it.

Yun Jiao: "..."

’It’s one thing not to help, but you’re making things worse!’

Furious, Yun Jiao gave it two light taps on its little head.

"Baozi!"

That was Baozi, the light black-and-white puppy. He was a male, the older brother of the two.

Tang Yuan was the pure white one, a little female and the younger sister.

"Bring that back out."

Baozi whimpered after being bopped, but he eventually fished the geoduck back out.

His mouth was full of sand.

"Take it to my mom."

Yun Jiao patiently tried to teach the two puppies. When she saw they didn’t understand, she dug up two more geoducks. She gave one to each puppy and held one herself.

"Follow me."

She called to the two puppies, holding the geoduck in her hand.

Whenever they dropped theirs, she would stop, make them pick the geoducks back up, then praise them with a pat on the head before continuing toward her mom.

Finally, after quite the ordeal, all three geoducks made it into Shen Yunlian’s bucket.

With that done, Yun Jiao hugged both puppies and praised them.

"Good doggies."

After a moment’s thought, she washed her hands and took two small dried shrimp from her new satchel to give them as a reward.

The two little puppies gobbled them up happily.