When Ning Shu returned home with the three children, Da Mao, Tie Dan, and Wang Wei, they were followed by a crowd.

That night, Ning Shu and the three children, along with Da Mao and Tie Dan, became famous in the family compound.

Everyone knew that a family in the compound had adopted two military dogs, and this family also had a pair of twin sons.

Regarding this matter, opinions about Ning Shu varied among the residents of the compound.

Of course, more than ninety percent of people thought Ning Shu was wasting food by raising dogs.

Influenced by ideological restrictions, even though Da Mao and Tie Dan were military dogs, many people still felt that it wasn’t worth it to spend food on two dogs.

The few who had no opinion about Ning Shu were mostly from well-off families.

In addition, Ning Shu became famous because of Yi Bao and Er Bao, the twin sons.

It was the first time twins appeared in the compound, so everyone was curious and couldn’t help but spread the news.

Of course, the main reason was that the twins were boys.

“Alright, we’re home now. If you want to play with Da Mao and Tie Dan, come another day,” Ning Shu said.

She hadn’t expected that a simple dinner and walk would attract so many children to follow them all the way home.

“Can we come to play with Da Mao and Tie Dan tomorrow, Auntie?” one of the children asked.

Ning Shu thought for a moment.

She had to go to the school tomorrow morning to ask about the children’s schooling issues, and the morning would be short.

It would probably be too late to go to the veterinarian.

So, he planned to arrange the visit to the veterinarian at Moon Bay Production Brigade for tomorrow afternoon. “You can come to play with Da Mao and Tie Dan tomorrow morning. But we won’t be here tomorrow afternoon. However, if I find out that you skipped school to come play, I won’t let you come to see Da Mao and Tie Dan anymore.”

“Okay, Auntie, goodbye. Goodbye, Da Mao and Tie Dan.” The children said goodbye to Da Mao and Tie Dan and left, turning back several times as they walked away.

“Why are there so many people?” Lin Guodong was heating water in the kitchen when he heard the commotion outside.

He was surprised to see so many children gathered around.

Was the family starting a school? Had they called all the children here?

“I was taking the three kids and Da Mao and Tie Dan for a walk. These kids saw Da Mao and Tie Dan and liked them, so they followed along to play for a while,” Ning Shu explained as he entered the yard.

“By the way, did no one in the compound adopt military dogs before? Why do they seem so fascinated by Da Mao and Tie Dan?”

Outside, the three kids and Da Mao and Tie Dan were still there, watching the people leave.

Lin Guodong replied, “I really don’t know about that. Probably not.” His understanding of the compound was about the same as Ning Shu’s.

Ning Shu nodded.

“Right. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go to the school to check on Yi Bao and Er Bao’s schooling. In the afternoon, I’ll take Da Mao and Tie Dan to the vet to get them checked out. I’ll also ask the vet about their diet and any special care they might need in their daily lives.”

“If you’re not resting, why don’t you build a house for Da Mao and Tie Dan? Put it in the yard, make it big enough for both of them to lie in comfortably. I don’t think they’d like sleeping in the dining room,” she suggested.

She hadn’t raised dogs before and didn’t know much about them, but since they were now part of the family and they could afford it, they had to take responsibility. It was important to know some basic knowledge about dogs.

Lin Guodong nodded, “Alright, I’ll go to logistics to get some wooden boards first. As for tonight, if they sleep in the dining hall, there’s no need to close it.”

Ning Shu thought this was a good idea.

Why hadn’t she thought of it before? “Do you want me to go with you to get the boards?”

Lin Guodong replied, “No need, I’ll go first.”

“Okay,” Ning Shu said, then turned to the three puppies, “Yi Bao, Er Bao, San Bao, it’s bath time.”

Da Mao and Tie Dan waited at the door while the three children bathed.

The weather was still a bit cold, so they washed quickly.

By the time they crawled into bed, Lin Guodong had returned with a cart full of wooden boards.

There were enough boards to build a big house for Da Mao and Tie Dan.

“I’ll help,” Ning Shu insisted.

“No need, you go rest after your shower. I can manage alone,” said Lin Guodong.

“I want to help. Let’s make Da Mao and Tie Dan’s house look nice and big. We can put their little wooden beds inside so they can sleep there instead of on the damp ground.” Ning Shu was thrilled to decorate Da Mao and Tie Dan’s house herself.

She even thought about making them cushions, rocking chairs, and many other things.

In fact, she even wanted to make clothes for Da Mao and Tie Dan, but in this era, making clothes for them would surely attract a lot of gossip, so she decided against it.

Seeing her enthusiasm, Lin Guodong didn’t object. “Then I’ll go get another cart of wooden boards. You think about what else you want to make.”

Ning Shu said, ‘Okay, got it.'”

She immediately went back to her room and took out paper and pen, starting to sketch on it.

By the time Lin Guodong returned, Ning Shu had already drawn a rough sketch of Da Mao and Tie Dan’s house.

So the couple started following Ning Shu’s drawing.

They discussed while doing woodworking, measuring the wooden boards they needed, then sawing them piece by piece. It wasn’t long after dinner, and nobody had gone to bed yet.

They could work a little longer.

Later on, whether it was sawing wood or nailing boards, the noise would be too loud and disturb others, so they couldn’t continue.

While they were busy, they had no idea that Lin Guodong had become a well-known figure in the family compound.

His washing dishes by the well had become gossip among many of the residents.

When they were almost done, they paused to avoid disturbing others.

Ning Shu took a shower and returned to her room, finding the three puppies already asleep, with Da Mao and Tie Dan lying beside their bed.

When they saw her, Da Mao and Tie Dan half-opened their eyes, then closed them again.

Ning Shu said, “…”

Wait, weren’t they planning to move to their new house tonight?

“Da Mao, Tie Dan, go sleep in the dining hall.”

Upon hearing their owner’s call, Da Mao and Tie Dan opened their eyes again, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

Ning Shu walked to the door and waved at them, then pointed to the adjacent room. “Da Mao, Tie Dan, you sleep over there. Don’t worry, we won’t close the door on you tonight.”

Da Mao and Tie Dan thought their owner was calling them for something, so they both got up and went outside.

Seeing them come out, Ning Shu walked to the room next to the dining hall, and they followed her in.

She pointed to the corner where their enamel bowls were placed. “Da Mao, Tie Dan, sleep here obediently.”

Da Mao and Tie Dan stood there, looking at Ning Shu.

Ning Shu said, “Sleep here obediently, okay? I’m going back to my room now, don’t follow me.” With a yawn, she returned to her room.

On her way back, she glanced back and saw that Da Mao and Tie Dan hadn’t followed her out and were still standing there.

Only then did she feel relieved.

However, when Ning Shu got into bed and settled in, she saw Da Mao and Tie Dan standing at the door.

Ning Shu thought, “…”

She was facing away from the door, lying in bed.

How did Da Mao and Tie Dan get there so quickly?

Seeing their owner looking at them, Da Mao and Tie Dan continued to stare back innocently.

They were being cute on purpose.

Ning Shu felt helpless and buried herself under the covers, pretending to sleep.

After a while, when she didn’t hear any movement, she cautiously peeked out from under the covers, only to find Da Mao and Tie Dan gone from the doorway.

Ning Shu thought, “Did they go to sleep?”

Just then, Lin Guodong finished showering and returned. “Da Mao and Tie Dan are sleeping here tonight? Why?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Huh? No, they’re supposed to sleep in the dining hall, right?” Ning Shu replied.

Lin Guodong pointed to the side where the two dogs were sleeping. “Look over there on the floor. Aren’t they sleeping there?”

Ning Shu hurriedly got out of bed and walked over.

Her gaze met with Da Mao and Tie Dan lying on the floor.

Ning Shu sighed, “Forget it, let them sleep here. They’re too clever…”

She recounted what had just happened. “I thought if I didn’t watch them, they’d definitely make a move. But when I looked again, they were gone. I thought they went back to the dining hall. Turns out, they were already lying down here. I didn’t hear a thing.” She couldn’t help but laugh at herself.

Lin Guodong explained, “Compared to us humans, they hardly make any noise when walking. Only very sensitive or alert people might notice, not because they hear the sound of the dogs walking, but it’s more of an instinctive intuition.”

Ning Shu nodded in understanding.

Lin Guodong got into bed too. “We need to fix up their nest quickly. Also, when are these three children going to sleep in their own room? We’ve been sharing a bed with them for days now, and during these days. It’s been tough. Now, with the three children and Da Mao and Tie Dan, I feel even more restricted.”

Ning Shu said, “We need to let them get used to it here first. They’re still kids and might feel insecure sleeping in a strange environment.”

“That was before. Now that Da Mao and Tie Dan are with them, they must be used to sleeping on their own,” Lin Guodong replied.

As he thought about it, he felt like what he said made a lot of sense. “Tomorrow, we’ll have them go back to their own room, with Da Mao and Tie Dan there too. With them nearby, you can feel reassured.”

Ning Shu hesitated. “Then you talk to them about it.”

“Okay,” Lin Guodong agreed, his hand somewhat mischievously sliding up Ning Shu’s waist, then gradually moving upward.

Ning Shu grabbed his hand. “Stop fooling around.”

“I’m not misbehaving, just touching,” Lin Guodong’s voice was a bit hoarse.

With the children around and Da Mao and Tie Dan there, he had no interest in sharing a room in front of them.