Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

Daylight had already broken.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated; a thin layer floated on the dirt road outside the courtyard wall.

Zhao Shanhe's house, however, was already bustling with activity. The roof of the red brick house shone with a warm glow in the morning light, and the warm yellow light from the stove fire shone through the paper windows.

The open space in front of the courtyard, which used to be piled with broken wood and rotten tiles, has long been cleared away by people.

A small vegetable garden was dug out against the wall, with neat furrows and planted with scallions, garlic, and a few seasonal vegetables.

It looked as if a drop of dew had fallen last night; tiny water droplets still clung to the tender vegetable leaves, trembling gently in the breeze, giving them a fresh and vibrant appearance.

The chicken coop in the corner of the yard has been repaired. The bamboo strips and old wooden boards have been nailed back together securely. Several hens are pecking at food by the door, occasionally flapping their wings to stir up some grass clippings and fine soil on the ground.

The Azure Dragon lay motionless by the door, its large, grayish-blue body lying there like a heavy stone, only occasionally lifting its ears slightly.

Black Dragon couldn't stay still. He carried his dog bowl around the yard, his tail swishing loudly, and his bright black eyes kept glancing towards the kitchen. It was clear that he had just been fed and was already craving more food.

The heat in the kitchen hadn't dissipated yet, and a ring of fine water droplets still clung to the edge of the pot.

Inside, a small table was placed against the window, and a meal was already laid out on it: a bowl of tenderly steamed egg custard, a plate of stir-fried green vegetables, a dish of braised pork belly that was stewed until tender, and a bowl of freshly steamed white flour buns. Steam rose up in waves, making the window paper a little damp.

Lin Xiu sat at the table, bending down to serve food to Niu Niu.

Niu Niu held her small bowl, took a couple of bites of rice, then slowly pouted and muttered softly:

"Mom, I don't want to eat eggs anymore."

Lin Xiu paused for a moment upon hearing this, then looked up at her:

"You were clamoring for steamed egg custard just a few days ago, but you don't want it anymore today?"

Niu Niu lowered her head and poked the rim of her bowl with her chopsticks, her voice soft:

"I want to eat meatballs."

"I still want to eat that sweet pastry that Dad brought back last time."

Lin Xiu knew immediately that she was eyeing that bag of pastries again. A hint of helplessness flickered in her eyes. She reached out and pushed the bowl of steamed egg custard in front of her forward, her voice still soft:

"I've put the snacks away."

"A few nights ago, you sneaked out in the middle of the night to eat, squatted by the cupboard, and didn't even cover yourself with a blanket afterward. The next day, your nose was so stuffy you could barely speak, and you even had a fever. Have you forgotten already?"

Niu Niu's face flushed red after being told the right thing, but her eyes were still unconvinced, and she muttered softly:

"I'll only eat a little bit..."

Lin Xiu looked at her, her tone still gentle, but not at all relentful:

Not even a little bit.

"Sweet things shouldn't be consumed so uncontrollably."

"It's one thing to ruin your teeth, but it's another thing to catch a cold at night and harm your health."

As she spoke, she gently tapped the rim of Niu Niu's bowl with her chopsticks:

"Eat your food first."

"I want some snacks. We'll see if you behave this afternoon."

Niu Niu pouted, but didn't dare to talk back. She just whispered "Oh" and took a couple of bites of rice.

The door was half open, and the morning light slanted in, falling on the two dogs at the door.

The Azure Dragon lay by the door, its front paws pressing against the threshold, its body crouching low.

It was born large, with broad shoulders and a thick, stiff neck. Its grayish-blue fur gleamed coldly in the morning light, and even when it was still, it made people hesitant to approach it.

The Black Dragon is different.

It is large, with a large skeleton, and is much more lively than the Azure Dragon.

Right now, it's carrying its dog bowl, circling around the doorway, its tail wagging wildly, its bright black eyes constantly glancing into the house.

The bowl had long been licked clean, and its rim was banging against the door frame, making a clanging sound, as if afraid that the people inside would forget about it.

Niu Niu's eyes lit up as soon as she saw it, and she peeked towards the door while holding her bowl.

"Mother, look at the black dragon!"

"It's here again!"

Lin Xiu followed her gaze, a hint of helplessness in her eyes.

The dog was just fed.

The two food bowls by the wall were still there, licked clean, with not a single crumb left.

Pian Heilong is naturally a glutton, and he doesn't stay still after eating. Especially lately, Niu Niu has been secretly feeding him a lot of snacks and meat bones, and his belly has become rounder. When he stands at the door, his belly is more bulging than before.

But it didn't realize it at all, and continued to carry the bowl around as if it were perfectly justified.

When it saw Lin Xiu looking over, it immediately put the bowl on the ground, barked twice at the house, scratched at the threshold with its front paws, and its tail was practically wagging.

On the other side, the Azure Dragon remained lying still, only glancing over here once, its expression very somber, like an adult who couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters.

Niu Niu favors Hei Long the most. Seeing him like this, she forgot all about her food and tried to sneak out with her bowl in her arms.

"Mother, I'll throw it a piece of meat."

Lin Xiu reached out and stopped her, her voice still soft:

"no."

"It just ate."

Niu Niu, unwilling to give up, whispered in support of Hei Long:

"But it still wants to eat."

Lin Xiu glanced at the black dog wagging its tail by the door, a faint smile appearing in her eyes:

"It doesn't want to eat."

"It's greedy."

"If you keep feeding it like this, it won't be able to run anymore in a few days."

As if the black dragon understood these words, it tilted its head, nudged the bowl forward with its nose, and let out a low, aggrieved whimper.

Niu Niu laughed heartily and quickly turned to look at Lin Xiu:

"Mom, look, it's pretending to be pitiful."

Lin Xiu didn't respond to that, but simply picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece of meat into Niu Niu's bowl:

"You should worry about yourself first."

"I haven't even finished my meal, but I'm still thinking about feeding it."

Niu Niu said "Oh" and took a couple of bites of rice, but her eyes kept darting towards the door.

While Lin Xiu got up to serve the soup, she quickly pinched off a small piece of meat from the edge of the bowl, reached out her hand, and secretly tossed it towards the door.

Black Dragon had been watching her for a while.

The moment the piece of meat hit the ground, it lowered its head and snatched it into its mouth. It swallowed it without even chewing it twice, then immediately raised its head, shook its head at Niu Niu, snorted loudly, and flicked its tail, looking as if it had gotten a great deal.

Niu Niu immediately laughed, hugging the bowl and pursing her lips, her eyes crinkling into crescents.

Lin Xiu turned around while holding the soup, and seeing her expression, how could she not know that the little girl had secretly fed her again?

She walked over and lightly tapped Niu Niu's forehead with her chopsticks: "You're so quick."

Niu Niu shrank her neck, raised her hand to cover her forehead, and dared not utter a sound, but her eyes were still smiling.

Lin Xiu looked at her guilty expression, then glanced at the black dog wagging its tail rapidly by the door, and said with a hint of helplessness in her voice:

"Just keep indulging it."

"If you keep spoiling him like this, Black Dragon will eventually turn you into a round barrel."

The black dragon seemed to understand, wagging its tail even more enthusiastically, and deliberately tilting its head towards the green dragon, looking very smug.

The Azure Dragon merely raised its eyelids lazily, without even moving its body, as if it couldn't be bothered with its pathetic antics.

Niu Niu loved seeing the smug look on the black dragon's face. She held the bowl and laughed so hard that her eyes disappeared from her teeth. Just as she was about to say something, the black dragon, which had been wagging its tail, suddenly stopped.

The smugness on its face vanished instantly, its ears perked up, and its head turned straight towards the gate.

The Azure Dragon, which had been lying peacefully by the door, suddenly raised its head.

The two dogs looked out almost simultaneously.

The black dragon first let out a low growl.

The Azure Dragon slowly stood up, its shoulders and back taut, its tail lowered, and its eyes terrifyingly deep.

The relaxed, warm atmosphere inside the room seemed to have been suddenly cracked open by something gentle touch.

Lin Xiu paused for a moment, holding the soup bowl in her hand.

She glanced at the two dogs first, then subconsciously shifted her gaze to the gate, her brow furrowing slightly.

Niu Niu hadn't realized anything yet, she just blinked and asked softly:

"Mother, what's wrong?"

Lin Xiu did not answer immediately.

She gently placed the soup bowl on the table, then reached out and pulled Niu Niu behind her, saying in a low voice, "Come inside."

"Get on the kang (heated brick bed), hide behind the cupboard, and don't come out unless I call you."

Niu Niu realized something was wrong. Holding her bowl, her little face was blank, but she still nodded obediently and took small steps into the inner room.

Lin Xiu watched her go into the inner room before turning around and walking to the kang cabinet.

Once the innermost cloth covering of the cabinet was lifted, the cold, heavy gun barrel pressed against the palm of the hand.

It was a Type 54 pistol. The barrel was jet black and heavy, and the grip was short, just right for a woman with small hands like her.

She specifically asked Zhao Shanhe to give her this to keep at home.

She didn't want a long spear; she wanted this short one, one that could be concealed and still allow her to raise her hand in time.

Lin Xiu gripped the gun firmly, flicked the safety with her thumb, and her movements, though not fast, were very accurate.

This wasn't the first time she had fired a gun.

There was some unrest at home a while ago, and she even fired a gun. She knew that when it really came down to it, panicking was useless, and being soft-hearted was useless. Only when you have a gun in your hand can you stand firm.

Outside, the black dragon's growls grew deeper and deeper, and the metallic taste of blood was already emanating from its throat.

The Azure Dragon stood upright, its two front paws slightly apart, the whole dog taut like a fully drawn string, its gray-blue fur standing on end, its eyes colder than knives.

Lin Xiu came out of the inner room with a gun in her hand, and first looked back.

Niu Niu had already shrunk to the inside of the kang (heated brick bed), a tiny ball hugging her legs, her big eyes wide open, not daring to utter a single word.

Lin Xiu took a deep breath of the warm air filled with the aroma of food, and the slight tremor in her heart was suppressed deep into her bones.

She strode to the entrance of the main room, her gaze fixed on the courtyard gate like a nail, her voice low yet frighteningly deep:

"Niu Niu, hide well."

"Don't make a sound if anyone comes."

The moment the words left his mouth, the eerie silence was shattered.

Outside the courtyard gate, a series of chaotic and staggering footsteps suddenly crashed in, accompanied by a woman's broken, blood-splattered cries and curses, like a sinister wind that was crashing into the house like a madman.

"Lin Xiu!"

"The debts your man owes... I'll use you to pay for them today!"

Before Li Cuihua's shrill commotion had even subsided, the courtyard gate was kicked open from the outside.