Song Tan's Notes

Everyone pulled out their still-hot phones and couldn't get enough of taking pictures!
"Big White!"

Jojo was already jumping and cheering as she rushed towards the riverbank.

The two geese swung their rear ends in a wide arc, and beneath the seemingly smooth and slow water surface, their feet were practically kicking out sparks, before they finally caught up with Qiaoqiao's greeting.

A large flock of ducks behind them also got excited, quacking and chattering together, creating a noisy and chaotic scene.

Thank goodness we're here. If we were closer to home, who could stand up to this group?

The elders looked intently at the flock of ducks, then hesitated and said, "I heard that these need to be raised for three years before they're good for making old duck soup?"

“Yes,” Wulan whispered, “Brother, don’t worry. Even though it hasn’t been three years yet, the soup is still delicious. You’ll be able to taste it in a couple of days.”

Qiao Qiao hugged Da Bai and kissed him affectionately. Da Bai, as if he knew how to do it, spread his wings and put them on his back. The two brothers seemed to have not seen each other for a long time, and were very affectionate and clingy.

Song Tan glanced at the riverbank twice, and couldn't bear to look at it anymore.

She and Qiaoqiao come to the riverbank every day, so why do they always act like they've been apart for ages when they meet? Don't they get tired of each other?

But for Qiao Qiao, Da Bai was a brother who had once shared a snow cake with him, so it was no exaggeration to call him warmly.

But after the intimacy, he had new tasks assigned to him:

"Big White, we're going to play in the lotus pond later. Could you take the ducks to check around first to see if there are any snakes or anything like that?"

Although ducks come and go from the surrounding cattails, reeds and other aquatic plants every day, it's best to be cautious today since we have guests.

On the contrary, the larger reed marshland in front of them was safer because the ducks often laid their eggs there, and Chen Chi and his companions had to check it many times every day.

Big White responded loudly, his strong body swaying as he immediately communicated with Goose Sister, and then led the flock of spotted ducks, also wagging their bottoms, inside.

The ducks disappeared one after another into the grass, leaving Yunfeng dumbfounded.
"No, it really understands?"

Qiaoqiao said matter-of-factly, "That's how smart our Big White is."

The two little girls had never seen such a big goose before, or rather, all the geese they had ever seen were in the pot.

Now, hesitantly, he asked, "Brother Qiaoqiao, can I touch Big White?"

Qiaoqiao shook her head: "No, Dabai doesn't like being touched by others."

To be precise, in Big White's eyes, everyone is pitifully small, and it looks down on everyone equally.

Unlike that little dog, the king, who's all friendly and affectionate with everyone.

Of course, because of its gaze, once this little creature gets close, its gaze returns to normal, and it feels that the other party is big and dangerous, so it becomes irritable and will pinch people's butts at the drop of a hat.

But Qiaoqiao didn't explain the complex principle, because the two little girls' eyes immediately turned to the other group of dogs that had come over.

Majestic German Shepherds, spirited Belgian Malinois, glossy Labradors, and sturdy, tall local yellow dogs...

Most importantly, inside the railing on the riverbank, a group of fluffy puppies, just over two months old, were happily bouncing around on the grass. Their chubby, milky bodies were bouncy and they were practically at the peak of their cuteness!
Wow!
They had never seen a dog like this in the neighborhood; the other dogs were small, fluffy little dogs that barked incessantly!

Even He Tuoluo couldn't help but look over—so many dogs!
Looking at Xiao Shi beside him again, he felt a little apprehensive: What if every single one of them was this energetic? And with so many dogs, would they assign him a different one every day?

He's going to sneak out of the house tonight!
He wants to go home!

He Tuoluo made up his mind, but then Yun Danqing, who was standing next to him, reached out with her warm, wet hand and handed him a freshly picked lotus seed.

"Uncle Lu Chuan picked them, and we kids shared them."

"Hmph!" He Tuoluo's day was a mix of pleasant and unpleasant experiences. He didn't want to eat it, but his sister hadn't upset him, so he angrily bit open the lotus seed shell, peeled it, and stuffed it into his mouth.

The small lotus pods are still tender, and the lotus hearts haven't fully developed a bitter taste. The bitterness isn't noticeable when neutralized by the sweet lotus seeds; instead, it makes the flavor even more outstanding.

He Tuoluo chewed twice, then twice more, and turned to look at Yun Danqing again—she was still holding a small lotus pod in her hand, with the lotus pod skin torn off at the top and four lotus seeds still stuck at the bottom.

The little boy grunted and then said, "I, I'll pick it out for you."

But the friendship between the little girls is the strongest.

Yun Danqing also tasted the lotus seeds, and now, wearing a floral dress, she excitedly jumped twice on the grass:

"Little sister, little sister! These lotus seeds are so delicious!"

Then, cheering, he ran towards Qin Beibei.

He Tuoluo: ...

Then he thought about the two meals he missed in a row. They smelled so delicious, yet he still went up the mountain to eat them...

It's so bitter, so unfair!

He'll definitely escape tonight!
He swears!
While waiting, Song Tan glanced at the small boat that was heading towards the center of the lotus pond, then at the large group of people, and finally shook her head at Lu Chuan.

"We can't accommodate so many people, maybe we should just forget about it."

The small boat in the lotus pond can only seat two or three people at a time, and you have to manually row it. It's purely for her to bring Lu Chuan to admire the flowers and pick lotus pods.

There are still a few old-fashioned electric boats left behind by the film crew over in the reed marshes, but those can't roam freely through the pond full of lotus leaves.

What's more, with so many people being brought over in batches, it would take all night to finish...

"Why not just take off your shoes and wade through the mud in the surrounding water plants?"

Everyone became interested: "Will there be snails?"

"Are there any eels?"

"Won't there be leeches?"

Song Tan is really hard to say. What she can guarantee is that there are definitely no water snakes.

Therefore, he could only sincerely say, "If you are afraid, then pick some lotus leaves and look at the lotus flowers."

"You can pick the lotus flowers you like, put them in a vase in your room, or fry them in oil tonight."

Despite their fears and questions, when it came time to go into the water, everyone pulled up their skirts and trousers. The two little girls, with their skirts tied around their waists, happily stepped into the water.

Lotus leaves, water surface, silt—this scenery is nothing special; you can find it in any park. But in the city, parents would never allow them to get close to it.

now--

The girls' fair and tender feet sank into the mud, feeling the soft touch as they slowly sank in. The water was warm because it had been exposed to the sun and was shaded by lotus leaves. It felt so comfortable!

They burst into laughter, their heads adorned with fresh lotus leaves, shaking their heads and feeling a subtle, sinking sensation beneath their feet...

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Brother Qiao's house is so much fun! (End of Chapter)