Chapter 158: School’s Out

Afterward, Yun Jiao had her two chubby puppies carry the clam king she’d just dug up over to her auntie.

The three little ones scurried about, a heartwarming sight for anyone who saw them.

’So cute.’

Everyone else foraging on the mudflat couldn’t help but look over at Yun Jiao and her two chubby puppies.

"Jiaojiao is so well-behaved."

When Yun Jiao and her two little pups had placed the clam in her bucket, Wang Mei couldn’t resist scooping the girl up and nuzzling her little cheek.

As for the two filthy, chubby puppies...

Er... ’Better not.’

But a pat on the head was fine.

"Jiaojiao, where did you find this clam king?"

’It’s so big and fat.’

They were all foraging on the same mudflat, so how did Jiaojiao always manage to find such good things?

"Over there."

Yun Jiao pointed in a direction.

Shen Yunlian and Wang Mei both ran over and started digging.

These things weren’t easy to dig up. The clams not only hid deep in the sand, but they were also expert escape artists.

Experienced fishermen would cut off the clam’s escape route.

It took a great deal of effort just to dig one up.

But this was a clam king, which made it very appealing to everyone. It was nearly half a palm wide.

Yun Jiao grabbed her shovel and started digging nearby, huffing and puffing with effort.

She could sense which direction the clam kings were fleeing, and she was strong and fast.

By the time Shen Yunlian and the others had dug up one, Yun Jiao had already found three.

She called over to her two chubby puppies, who were digging randomly nearby and being more of a hindrance than a help.

"Baozi, Tang Yuan, take this to Mom and Auntie."

The two little ones didn’t listen—or more accurately, they didn’t understand.

Yun Jiao knelt beside them, patiently getting them to hold the clams in their mouths, then pointed to the buckets where her mom and auntie were.

"Go on."

The little pups let out a tiny "awoo," their little tails wagging furiously. They trotted over to Shen Yunlian and Wang Mei with the clams, but after just circling them once, they brought the clams right back and dropped them at Yun Jiao’s feet as if expecting praise.

Yun Jiao was speechless.

She pinched their soft, floppy little ears. "Silly dogs. You silly little dogs."

Watching from a short distance away, Shen Yunlian and Wang Mei couldn’t stop smiling.

With Jiaojiao and her two chubby puppies around, foraging felt much more joyful.

When it was about time, they headed home.

Yun Jiao gathered her chickens, ducks, and geese, which had already eaten their fill, and trotted home behind her mom and auntie with the two chubby puppies in tow.

On the way, she pulled up some grass to feed the two rabbits at home.

The two rabbits, one black and one white, had grown quite a bit.

She herded the chickens, ducks, and geese into their pen, then let the two caged rabbits out.

She had been raising the black and white rabbits herself, so they were very familiar with her. As soon as they were out, they began circling her feet.

The two chubby puppies spotted the rabbits, and with a wiggle of their little butts, they got ready to pounce.

But Yun Jiao, with her quick reflexes, stopped them and gave them a stern lecture.

"Bath time! You’re not allowed to cuddle with the rabbits until you’re clean."

’Her rabbits were spotless, while the two chubby puppies were filthy. If they touched, it would just mean more work for her.’

"Mom, can you get me a basin of water?" Yun Jiao called out, holding the puppies by the scruffs of their necks.

"Coming."

Shen Yunlian was fast. She brought a foot-washing basin full of water and set it down outside the main gate.

Yun Jiao plopped both of them into the wooden basin.

They weren’t afraid of water and started playing in it happily.

Yun Jiao brought over a small stool, sat down, rolled up her sleeves, and began to wash them.

Soon, the puppies, whose fur had been dirty and matted, were clean, their fur now plastered to their bodies.

The moment she lifted them out and set them down, the two puppies instinctively began to shake themselves dry.

They sprayed water all over Yun Jiao. She pushed them away.

"Farther away! Go shake yourself dry somewhere else!"

She had no problem with water, but she had a big problem with the water from the puppies’ fur!

She put the clean puppies inside the courtyard and poured the water on the trees in front of the gate.

The ever-busy Little Yun Jiao returned to the courtyard only to find the two chubby puppies chasing the rabbits and rolling around on the ground.

Their freshly washed fur was once again dusty and gray.

Yun Jiao was speechless.

’So annoying!’

The consequence of Yun Jiao’s anger was that the two chubby puppies were put into a plastic bag, with only their heads and limbs sticking out, and hung from a tree.

"You can come down when you’re dry! You’re too naughty!"

Yun Jiao stood under the tree, pointing at them and scolding them fiercely.

The two puppies went, "Woof woof woof~"

Their two pairs of big, dark, puppy-dog eyes looked at her pitifully.

Yun Jiao said, "Acting pitiful and trying to be cute won’t work."

Not long after the puppies were hung up, their mother, Dabai, came looking for them.

She tilted her head, staring at her pups. ’What happened?’

Yun Jiao tattled, "Dabai, why are your babies so naughty? You have no idea..."

Little Yun Jiao hugged Dabai’s head and chattered on and on.

Dabai wore an expression of utter despair.

She didn’t even want her pups anymore. The moment Yun Jiao let go, she tucked her tail between her legs and made a quick getaway.

Yun Jiao waved. "Bye, Dabai! I’ll bring them over to you once they’re dry!"

The construction on their new house was in its final stages—they were putting on the roof.

They would be able to move into the new house soon, and then they could bring the two little pups over as well.

No matter how annoyed she felt, Yun Jiao had never actually considered getting rid of the two chubby pups.

"Mom, when are my brothers getting out of school?"

"Soon."

School let out at 11:30. Students who lived close by went home for lunch, while those who lived far away brought their lunch to eat at school.

Thankfully, their house was close, so she could see her brothers when they came home for lunch.

Yun Jiao listened carefully for the school bell.

When the dismissal bell rang, she picked up the two chubby puppies—who were finally dry and clean—and went to the village entrance to meet her brothers.

"Grandma, Mom, Auntie, I’m going to pick up my brothers!"

This was only for some of her older brothers. Her third and fourth brothers were in high school in the county town. It was a bit far from home and required a bus ride, so they didn’t come back for lunch.

Not only did they not come back for lunch, but they also only came home once a week, on Friday after school.

That’s right, they were boarders.

Yun Jiao ran to the village entrance with the puppies in her arms. There were already quite a few people there.

Some were eating their meals while sitting on stone blocks; others were also waiting for their children.

"Jiaojiao’s here! Waiting for your brothers?"

Yun Jiao nodded and greeted each of them one by one.

"Jiaojiao, when are you planning to start school?"

Yun Jiao replied, "Dad says I’m still too young. I’ll start when I’m five."

"Your new house is almost finished. When are you moving in?"

Yun Jiao: "I don’t know."

The adults teased Yun Jiao for a little while before they started gossiping about other things.

Yun Jiao sat on a stone block, stroking the puppies’ ears, and pricked up her own to listen to their conversation.

"What? Yun Dafu’s house was robbed?"

This Yun Dafu was quite famous in their village.

Among the wealthy people in the village, the Yun Dafu family definitely ranked near the top.

There were only three metal-hulled boats in the entire village, and one of them belonged to his family.

And they didn’t just have a metal boat; they also owned a television, an electric fan, and a radio.

A lot of people were envious of them.

The reason their family was so wealthy was because of their eldest son. It seemed that in the early years, he had secretly engaged in black market speculation and profiteering. He was lucky enough never to get caught and had made a lot of money from it.