“Dogs?”

Young children are often easily fascinated by new and novel things, especially adorable animals like dogs.

When he heard his sister mention dogs, he immediately asked, “Where are the dogs? Where are the dogs?”

Han Hongling took his hand and ran outside with him. “Look, the dogs are over there,” she pointed ahead.

In front, there was only Yi Bao and the others with Da Mao and Tie Dan walking away.

But the silhouettes of several young boys standing in a row, their energetic appearance, left a lasting impression.

“Dogs… dogs…” The little boy chased after them.

“Brother, slow down and be careful not to fall,” Han Hongling followed, being careful because if her younger brother fell, her stepmother would definitely be unhappy, so she was cautious.

She caught up to her brother and took his hand. “Slow down.”

“Sistee, hurry up, I want to see the dogs,” Han Dabao pulled Han Hongling’s hand and ran desperately.

In front, Yi Bao and the others were walking and chatting, their voices and laughter mixing together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Suddenly, they heard some noise behind them, turned around, and saw Han Hongling and her brother.

They then returned their attention to their walk.

“Dogs, wait for me…”

Unexpectedly, Han Dabao shouted loudly.

So everyone turned around again to look at Han Hongling and her brother.

Han Hongling smiled at everyone. “My younger brother wants to see the dogs. Can I bring him over?”

“Dogs, such big dogs,” Han Dabao’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Da Mao and Tie Dan with joy. “Sister, I want to pet them.”

He didn’t reach out immediately, probably still a bit afraid.

Han Hongling said, “These are someone else’s dogs. If you want to pet them, you need to ask.”

Yi Bao said, “…”

He couldn’t refuse this request.

Since they were there to see Da Mao and Tie Dan, how could he say no?

“You can pet them, but just once. They might not like being petted too much.”

“Okay.” Han Dabao nodded, released Han Hongling’s hand, and cautiously reached out to Damao.

Among Da Mao and Tie Dan, he preferred Da Mao because Da Mao was bigger, and he liked large dogs.

Petting Da Mao was a good choice because, between Da Mao and Tie Dan, Tie Dan had a sharper temperament.

Da Mao, possibly due to being female and having grown up with San Bao, was very gentle.

Especially when around San Bao, Da Mao seemed to have a nurturing aura.

Han Dabao’s hand reached onto Da Mao’s back.

Because he was a bit nervous, he petted very lightly.

Just as his hand was about to rest on the dog’s back, a sharp voice shouted, “Dabao, stop!”

Han Dabao quickly pulled back his hand in fright.

It turned out to be the nanny, who had come outside after not seeing her son at home.

Seeing this scene, she was instantly terrified.

Her son was everything to her, the source of her happiness, and she worried about him being bitten by a dog.

She rushed over with the strength of someone fighting a man, picked up Han Dabao, and said, “Da Bao, are you okay? Why did you come out? Don’t touch the dogs, they’re dirty.”

Yi Bao felt a surge of anger hearing the nanny’s words.

Da Mao and Tie Dan were indeed dirty because they hadn’t had a bath for a while.

But the disdain in the nanny’s tone made him uncomfortable, as if her words were sarcastic.

But Yi Bao didn’t argue.

“Our Da Mao and Tie Dan are not dirty,” San Bao couldn’t help but retort.

They could say he was dirty, but not the dogs.

“Where are they not dirty? Dogs and cats are always dirty. They crawl around everywhere and can even have bugs on them…” The nanny said with a look of disgust, then pulled her son away, “We’re going home.”

“No, no…” Han Dabao struggled, “I want to see the dogs, I want to see the dogs…”

“See what? What if the dogs bite you?” The nanny held her son tightly, not letting him go any further.

Han Dabao wanted to say they wouldn’t bite, but he wasn’t sure if they would.

San Bao said, “Da Mao and Tie Dan won’t bite. They are military dogs, trained and educated. They won’t attack people without reason; they are disciplined.”

The nanny, hearing Sanbao’s defense, chuckled, “Little friend, whether it’s a military dog or not, a dog is still just a dog. What is a dog? A dog is a beast, and beasts lack humanity. If you’re not careful, they might bite you.”

Sanbao retorted, “But… some people are even worse than beasts.” He said this with frustration.

The nanny nodded in agreement, “Yes, some people are indeed worse than beasts.”

Sanbao was taken aback by her response. “…”

“Sanbao…” Yibao called to him, “Let’s go. There’s no point in arguing.”

“Alright,” Sanbao said, patting Damao on the head for comfort.

Damao nudged his hand in return.

It could sense the nanny’s dislike for it and Tiedan, but it didn’t understand why.

To Damao and Tiedan, it was enough that Yibao, the master, and the mistress liked them.

Yu Chengci and the others left with Yibao and Sanbao.

Seeing their departing figures, the nanny turned to her son and asked, “Dabao, why are you out here?” She glanced at Han Hongling while asking.

Han Dabao replied, “I wanted to play with the dogs.” A four-year-old child could clearly express his preferences.

Han Hongling, worried that her younger brother might reveal her presence, quickly added, “We were in the courtyard and saw them walking the dogs. Dabao wanted to play with the dogs.”

“Yes, I saw the dogs,” Han Dabao said.

In reality, he hadn’t noticed them until Han Hongling reminded him, but being so young, he couldn’t articulate that.

“Shouldn’t you stop your brother?” the nanny warned, “What if the dogs bite him? You should know, he is your father’s only son. When you get married, you’ll still need him around.”

Han Hongling said, “Dabao kept insisting on seeing the dogs. When those people stopped, he ran after them. I kept an eye on him and won’t let the dogs harm him.” Though she disliked the nanny, she didn’t dislike her brother.

Her mother had only two daughters; the elder one went to the countryside when the rural policy started.

Han Hongling was conceived after many medications, hoping for a son, but she was born a daughter.

Her health deteriorated after giving birth due to the hardships before pregnancy.

With only daughters and a worsening health condition, her in-laws and husband became even more disdainful.

She passed away six years ago when Han Hongling was only seven and her sister Han Hongxing was fifteen.

The nanny, shortly after marrying Deputy Commander Han, manipulated him into sending Han Hongxing to the countryside, which made it easier for her to control little Han Hongling.

But she didn’t realize that Han Hongling was also quite defiant and was plotting her revenge.

After Yibao and the others had familiarized Damou and Tiedan with the courtyard, they went outside.

The group, with the two dogs, drew quite a bit of attention in the bustling capital.

After their outing, everyone went to the Lin family’s home to bathe Damao and Tiedan.

Ning Shu had already heated the water and was waiting for them.

To her surprise, when they left, there were three people and two dogs, but on their return, there were seven people.

It seemed they had invited all the friends from the courtyard!

“Mother, we need to bathe Damao and Tiedan to make them clean so they won’t be looked down upon,” Sanbao said, feeling aggrieved as he arrived home.

“Looked down upon?” Ning Shu detected something more in his words, “What happened? Did you have a fight with someone?”

“Aunt, we didn’t argue. It was that little nanny from Han Hongling’s family. She went too far, saying Damao and Tiedan were dirty. I think she’s the dirty one,” Yu Chengci said angrily.

“What does the nanny have to do with it? Did you run into her on the road?” Ning Shu was indifferent to such matters; some people like dogs, others don’t.

“Yes, we did meet her,” Yibao recounted the incident, “We didn’t argue. Damao and Tiedan haven’t had a bath in a few days, so they were indeed a bit dirty.”

Ning Shu said, “…”

Her usually perceptive son didn’t realize the word “dirty” was meant in a double entendre?

But she didn’t point it out. “Indeed, they haven’t had a bath for several days. Let’s make sure Damou and Tiedan are thoroughly cleaned today.”

“Can they sleep inside if they are clean? Should their beds still be in the courtyard like before?” Sanbao asked anxiously.

Ning Shu replied, “No need for that. They can stay inside. You can decide. When the sunroom is finished, we’ll place their beds there to make them more comfortable. As for where they sleep, it’s up to them.”

Sanbao seized the opportunity to ask, “If we clean them up today, they won’t get dirty again, right? Can they sleep on the bed tonight?”

Ning Shu was speechless, “You all sleep on the top bunk. What if they fall off if they sleep up there with you?” Though she had ordered a bed that was one meter wide, it was still a top bunk.

Unexpectedly, Sanbao grinned mischievously, “They can sleep on Erbao’s bed. His bed is big enough for Damao and Tiedan. They definitely won’t fall off.”