"Goose, goose, goose..."
Little Carp tumbled on the bed, unable to suppress her laughter as she recalled last night's dream.
"What are you doing up so early, giggling here like a fool?" Zhu Yin'e asked, entering the room with a smile.
"Mom, I had a super good dream last night."
"Oh? What dream was it?"
"In my dream, I ate so many delicious things: chocolate, roasted meat, milk, lollipops, so many! I even ate clouds and the sun. Goose, goose, goose..."
"If that's the case, then you don't need to eat breakfast this morning, do you?" Zhu Yin'e picked her up.
"No, no, that was in my dream, it was all fake. Big brother said I could eat anything in my dreams, but if it were like this in reality, my tummy would burst."
"Big brother?" Zhu Yin'e's expression turned serious at these words.
Little Carp's "big brother" could only be Liu Nanfeng, as she was well aware.
"Tell me everything that happened in your dream last night," Zhu Yin'e said sternly.
Little Carp, of course, didn't refuse. The little one couldn't keep anything hidden, whether happy or sad, she would tell her mother.
As Little Carp spoke, Zhu Yin'e's eyes gradually brightened, and a smile began to form on her lips.
"Mom, you're smiling! Tell me what's making you happy so I can be happy too."
Little Carp reached out to touch Zhu Yin'e's lips.
"Mom is thinking that since Little Fish isn't eating in the morning, it saves me a meal. I'm sharing that happiness with you, aren't you delighted?"
"Hmph, how can that make me happy? I want to eat, and I want to eat three bowls, no, four bowls, big ones..."
"Alright, alright, then eat a little more this morning," Zhu Yin'e said, chuckling as she carried her out of the room.
"Goose, goose, goose... Now I'm happy, and you're not happy." Little Carp said triumphantly.
At this instant, an invisible wave spread outwards. The numerous aquatic creatures were instantly filled with joy, and even the river currents seemed to rejoice, rippling with waves.
The little one had only just learned this ability and couldn't control it, acting purely on impulse.
"This won't do."
Zhu Yin'e gently patted her on the bottom.
"Goose, goose, goose... You hit my bottom! You really are unhappy. Fine, fine, I'll just eat one bowl. Don't be stingy..."
"Hahaha..."
Zhu Yin'e couldn't help but burst into laughter.
...
After several attacks in succession, Su Jinxiu flatly refused to deliver takeout for Liu Nanfeng.
So, early in the morning, she went to the shop with them.
Liu Nanfeng opened his laptop but didn't start writing immediately. Instead, he stared out the window, lost in thought. Su Jinxiu habitually brought him a cup of coffee.
Seeing that nothing was amiss, Su Huamei quietly approached him.
"What are you looking at? Are you missing Little Carp?" Su Huamei asked, glancing outside.
"Why would I miss her? I'm just spacing out," Liu Nanfeng replied.
Su Huamei pouted, clearly not believing him.
As they were talking, two people walked in from outside. Su Huamei couldn't help but furrow her brow.
"What's wrong? Do you know them?" Liu Nanfeng asked curiously.
The two were an old man and a young man. The old man was spirited and tall, showing no signs of age. The young man was refined and scholarly, wearing thick glasses that made him look a bit dazed.
"They're from Section Nine," Su Huamei said.
With that, she stood up and walked over to them.
"Miss Su the Second."
Upon seeing her approach, An Bohou greeted her with a beaming smile.
This wasn't their first visit; they had met when they came to "collect debts" last time, though Liu Nanfeng hadn't been present then.
"Your news is certainly prompt. Are you here to chase the payment again?" Su Huamei asked with a smile.
"We have no choice. Public facilities, belonging to the people's property, were damaged and naturally need money to repair. Our Section Nine is very poor and doesn't have that much money."
As An Bohou spoke, he took a receipt from Wei Xiaoming behind him and handed it to Su Huamei.
Su Huamei took it and glanced at it. It detailed the repair costs for various facilities.
"I have no issue with the repair prices, but the facilities weren't damaged solely by us. Is it reasonable for you to charge us for all the costs?" Su Huamei asked with a smile.
She had only spoken casually, but to her surprise, An Bohou nodded.
Then he said, "So, you only need to pay half the cost. The other half, we will try to collect from the Tide Society."
"Huh?" Su Huamei was greatly surprised.
An Bohou's statement clearly implied that he knew where the Tide Society's "nest" was.
At this moment, Su Jinxiu walked over.
"Mr. An, and you too, young man, let's sit down and talk," Su Jinxiu said, her voice gentle and her demeanor elegant, making a very favorable impression.
An Bohou unconsciously nodded, then led Wei Xiaoming to an empty seat.
Simultaneously, he subtly glanced at Liu Nanfeng, who was sitting not far away.
Liu Nanfeng also smiled and nodded at him.
"Mr. An, and you too, young man, what would you like to drink?"
Su Jinxiu didn't immediately inquire about the Tide Society.
"It's early in the morning, and we've just had breakfast, so no thank you."
"My treat."
"A latte for me, double milk, double sugar. Little Wei, and you?"
"Uh... I'll have a latte too, a regular one."
"Certainly, please wait a moment."
Su Jinxiu turned towards the counter, also pulling Su Huamei, who had intended to approach them, back with her.
"You can help me with this."
Su Huamei looked at the two men and then at Su Jinxiu, but ultimately said nothing.
"Miss Su is truly from a prominent family; her upbringing is exceptional," An Bohou remarked with emotion.
"Her temperament is also very good," Wei Xiaoming said, adjusting his glasses.
"No matter how good she is, it has nothing to do with you. Look, her husband is sitting right there," An Bohou pointed at Liu Nanfeng by the window.
Wei Xiaoming had seen Liu Nanfeng from afar once before, but compared to that time, there had been quite a change, and he hadn't recognized him immediately.
After preparing the coffee and serving it to them, Su Jinxiu sat down opposite them.
"This money will be transferred to your account today," Su Jinxiu said, placing the bill on the table.
"No rush, no rush. It can be within seven business days," An Bohou said, his face beaming like a chrysanthemum.
"We will pay what we owe; there's no point in keeping it with us for a few extra days."
"Miss Su is very generous," An Bohou praised sincerely.
"I heard Mr. An say earlier that the remaining half would be collected from the Tide Society. It seems you already know about our situation, so I won't elaborate further. Additionally, I'd like to ask Mr. An about the current situation of the Tide Society."
"This is classified information for the department, and I'm not at liberty to disclose it," An Bohou said, showing a pained expression.
"I can pay for it."
"This isn't really that important classified information."
Wei Xiaoming: ...