The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

What's the situation now?

You might not believe it, but Xia Qing got into a fight with a chicken.

Xia Qing was in the yard, wearing a down jacket and Ye Shu's scarf, bending over and striking a goalkeeper pose.

Opposite her stood a large rooster with its neck outstretched, its neck feathers bristling from being chased by her.

The two stared at each other. Xia Qing slowly took a step to the left, and the rooster took a step to the right.

It was clear that Xia Qing was still a little scared, because she had goosebumps on her face and was now in a bit of a dilemma.

Standing under the eaves, Ye Shu couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Xia Qing glared at him, feeling a little embarrassed, and could only stomp her foot forward:

"Hey!"

The rooster was so frightened that it flapped its wings and flew back two steps, then took a few steps forward, showing no fear at all.

It wasn't afraid, but Xia Qing was genuinely scared. She quickly moved closer to Ye Shu, still stubbornly refusing to back down:

"You wait, while I find a weapon..."

As a girl who has lived in the city since childhood, Xia Qing is not the kind of person who thinks apples are naturally white, but this is the first time she has been so close to the rural atmosphere.

The last time I visited Ye Shu's hometown, she left early in the morning, so I didn't have a chance to properly experience and do these things.

But this time was different; there was plenty of time, so I was eager to have some fun.

The yard was in complete chaos that morning.

One moment I was squatting in front of the chicken coop, looking at the old hen inside, and I reached in to touch her, only to have my hand pecked by the hen.

A little while later, he wandered over to the doghouse, squatted down, stared at the big black dog at home, and even barked like a dog to scare it.

Ye Shu stood to the side watching, and for some reason, she thought of her family's two dogs from before.

Unlike the wolfhound mix that was currently staring at Xia Qing, those two were genuine large wolfhounds, though he didn't know their breed.

One is black, the other is white; their personalities are also worlds apart.

The black dog was extremely fierce and notorious in the surrounding villages. Apart from Ye Guoqiang, who fed it every day, it was ruthless and would bare its teeth at anyone it saw, displaying a ferocious spirit that seemed ready to fight to the death. It had almost bitten its own family members several times.

There was no other way but to tie it to the corner of the yard with a thick iron chain, about the thickness of a finger.

Even when chained up, its ferocity remained undiminished. When it struggled and lunged, the wooden stake binding the chain swayed. The dog was so desperate that it could leap off the wall and fly away, which would frighten anyone who saw it.

However, one year later, the black dog suddenly fell seriously ill and died within a few days.

The other white dog was much more intelligent and exceptionally docile.

When Ye Shu was little, this area was mostly inhabited by elderly people. There were only three children in the entire alley, including Ye Shu, and they didn't live together. Two children lived at opposite ends of the alley, while Ye Shu lived in the middle, which meant they weren't familiar with each other and didn't have many playmates.

At home, besides watching TV and playing video games, I play with this big white dog and ride it all over the yard.

He was young then and didn't know anything about the saying "riding a dog with ripped pants".

When Grandma Ye saw him, she quickly picked him up, afraid that the white dog might bite him in its impatience.

In fact, the white dog never bared its teeth at Ye Shu from beginning to end.

Later, the white dog grew old and died a natural death. When it died, Ye Shu was truly heartbroken.

The big yellow dog in the yard now is a puppy that Grandma Ye Shu got from someone else's house after the white dog died, and she raised it herself because she saw how sad the dog was.

I don't know what kind of dog it is, but it's quite handsome.

Its personality is typical of a watchdog: it wags its tail at its own family members but barks immediately at strangers.

Normally, the dog is not leashed and roams freely in the yard, sometimes catching mice and meddling in other people's business.

With so many people around during the Lunar New Year holidays, to prevent any accidents, we'll just have to make do with what we have for now.

As Ye Shu thought of this, he suddenly noticed that after staring at Xia Qing for a while, the big yellow dog's tail began to twitch tentatively, and then it started to wag from side to side.

"Ye Shu!"

Xia Qing was a little excited after seeing it, but she didn't dare to be too loud:

"Does it like me? Look, it's wagging its tail! Can I pet it? Can you hold it for me a little? I'm a little scared."

She was both scared and couldn't resist trying it out.

Ye Shu had no choice but to walk over and put the dog between her legs. She first stroked the dog's head, then held its muzzle with both hands.

After all, Ye Shu didn't know what the dog was thinking. He was indeed afraid that the dog would suddenly become aggressive and bite Xia Qing, which would be quite a scene.

Seeing that Ye Shu had the dog under complete control, Xia Qing slowly reached out from the side and stroked the big yellow dog's back.

"It's so well-behaved."

The big yellow dog looked somewhat speechless. How could it not be obedient when it was controlled like this?

Inside the house, the elders, who were chatting on the sofa, watched the two playing in the yard through the window and smiled.

"These two kids are getting along quite well."

Ye Guoqiang took a sip of tea.

Shen Jingwan looked at her daughter's excitement and felt both happy and a little embarrassed:

"This child grew up in the city and has never seen anything like this before. Once she started playing, she couldn't stop. She doesn't act like a little girl anymore. Please excuse her."

Grandma Ye waved her hand, her eyes never leaving Xia Qing in the yard:

"How wonderful! How lively! This cheerful spirit is so endearing."

Ye Guoqiang nodded in agreement:

"Kids, when they're in a new place, they just want to play."

Ye Shu's older brother and sister-in-law, who were playing games on the kang (heated brick bed) in the inner room, were a little confused.

When we met yesterday, this girl was very quiet and reserved. She didn't say a word during the meal, only answering questions briefly.

How come you're like a completely different person after just one night's sleep? You're running around the yard, teasing the chickens and dogs, and your laughter is quite loud. The change is quite significant.

Maybe... we weren't familiar with each other yesterday, and I was a little reserved. Today we're more comfortable with each other, so I've become more lively.

Or maybe I was tired yesterday, and being new to the place, I haven't recovered yet. Today I've rested, and everything seems new and exciting.

The group could only convince themselves with this answer, but... this girl has been like a wound-up toy since she woke up this morning, she hasn't been idle at all, isn't she a little too lively?

Of the group, only Xiao Tao looked out the window, smiling without saying a word.

However, just as they expected, Xia Qing did not have any free time that morning.

She can crawl through sheds, climb stacks, scale ladders, and jump over barriers... there's nothing she can't do.

In contrast, Ye Shu, who was following behind her and muttering "Don't bump into anything" and "Don't hurt yourself," seemed a bit fussy. It was as if their personalities had been reversed.

After playing through thirteen moves, there really wasn't much left for her to do in the yard.

Xia Qing didn't feel tired at all. She looked up at the sun in the sky. The weather was indeed nice today. Apart from being a bit cold, there was nothing wrong with her.

He patted the dust off his hands and tugged at Ye Shu's sleeve:

"Ye Shu, let's not stay in the yard, take me to see the fields! I've never seen a real field before."