Eating Melons in the Police Station-Chapter 107

Little Tong paddled through the water ahead, her movements leisurely and relaxed. Yet Zhong Jin couldn't help but worry, following closely behind the child. Whenever the little chubby girl sank slightly into the water, he immediately reached out to steady her—but before his hands could touch her, Little Tong would quicken her strokes, bobbing back up to the surface effortlessly.

Zhong Jin chuckled. "Our little solid piggy swims pretty well, huh?"

In response, Little Tong kicked her plump little feet, splashing water all over him.

When Qiu Sheng swam back, she was delighted to discover that Little Tong had already learned how to swim. She hurried over to watch, her heart melting at the sight of the little girl floating on the water, her chubby arms paddling energetically while her short legs kicked behind her. Her round little bottom bobbed up and down in the water, and Qiu Sheng couldn’t help but break into an adoring grin.

She dashed to the changing room to grab her phone and record the moment.

After capturing Little Tong’s adorable doggy-paddle, Qiu Sheng noticed other parents sharing videos of their kids learning to swim in the group chat. She decided to post Little Tong’s clip as well.

The video of the little chubby piggy paddling like a dog quickly sparked a wave of laughter in the group.

Teacher Luo commented, "After all these years as a kindergarten teacher, this is the first time I’ve seen a human toddler execute such a textbook-perfect doggy paddle."

Another parent chimed in, "That’s exactly how my corgi swims!"

The group erupted in another round of laughter.

Amused, Qiu Sheng shared the video in her work group chat too.

Now, even Tian Er and the other assistants had become Little Tong’s biggest fans. They showered the video with praise and even joked about coming to "kidnap" the adorable child right away.

Qiu Sheng exchanged a few playful messages with them before her phone rang—Brother Yun, her business partner, was calling.

He got straight to the point. "Qiu Sheng, have you considered setting up a video channel for Little Tong? She’d make a fortune as an internet star. I could even assemble a top-tier team just for her."

Qiu Sheng didn’t hesitate. "No, we want her to grow up happy and carefree. She doesn’t need to worry about making money."

Brother Yun sounded a little disappointed, but hearing the firmness in her voice, he dropped the idea.

After spending the whole weekend learning to swim, Little Tong hadn’t had time to hunt for bugs. On Monday evening, freshly bathed, the chubby little girl stood on the dark balcony in her pajamas, her tiny mining lamp strapped to her head as she peered into the glass terrarium.

Viewing ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‍the ecosystem at night, under the glow of her headlamp, felt entirely different from daytime. The glass enclosure transformed into a mysterious, almost surreal world.

Inside, a big-headed ant was hauling a piece of turtle food back to its nest when a cricket intercepted it halfway. A scuffle broke out—the ant chased the fleeing cricket relentlessly.

Little Tong was completely absorbed in the drama when Zhong Jin came to fetch her for bed. She pretended not to hear, her hands pressed against the glass.

Standing by the sliding door in his pajamas, Zhong Jin asked calmly, "Do you want to go eat barbecue?"

Little Tong spun around instantly. "Yes!"

Zhong Jin nodded. "Then come inside and sleep first."

As he dragged her back, Little Tong clung to his arm, whining, "You said barbecue! I heard you!"

"And yet you didn’t hear me calling you to bed?"

Little Tong opened her mouth wide, pretending to bite his arm. Zhong Jin didn’t flinch, letting her playfully nudge her forehead against him instead.

With Qiu Sheng’s studio finally preparing to release its first video after months of preparation, she had been glued to her laptop, making final edits. Not wanting to disturb her, Zhong Jin scooped up Little Tong and carried her to the master bedroom.

He removed her headlamp, smoothed her messy hair, and tucked her under the covers.

Lying beside her, he noticed her wide-awake eyes. "Not sleepy? You’ve got school tomorrow."

Little Tong, far from drowsy, rolled over and clung to his neck, resting her head on his chest.

"Dad," she murmured, her fingers brushing against the faint stubble on his chin, "remember that little creek where we always catch bugs?"

"Mhm."

"I wanna see what it’s like at night."

"You really do come up with the wildest ideas. Who’s gonna take you to the creek this late? Ask Sang Biao and Kadong to go with you."

Kadong was the name of their plump frog. When it was small, it loved squeezing through a narrow stone tunnel in the terrarium. Even after growing too big to fit, the oblivious frog still tried—and inevitably got stuck every time. Hence, Little Tong named it Kadong ("Stuck-in-the-Hole").

"Pleaaase, you take me," Little Tong whined, hugging his neck.

Zhong Jin stayed silent, and when she peeked up, she found him glaring at her. Instantly, the clever little girl shut her eyes, feigning obedience.

A few seconds later, she cracked one eye open—only to see him still watching her. She burst into giggles.

With a resigned sigh, Zhong Jin pinched her cheek lightly. "You really want to go?"

In a flash, Little Tong scrambled out of bed, slipped into her clogs, and grabbed her headlamp—preparing everything herself before he could change his mind.

When they told Qiu Sheng about their impromptu adventure, she was briefly stunned but quickly decided to join them.

Half an hour later, Zhong Yuntong—a kindergartener who should’ve been fast asleep—was standing by the quiet creek.

Dressed in a tracksuit, her headlamp shining brightly, she carried a tiny bamboo basket shaped like an hourglass for collecting bugs, with a mosquito-repellent bracelet around her wrist.

The three of them walked single-file along the creek’s edge. Every few steps, Little Tong would pause, crouch, and pluck something from the ground to stash in her basket.

The shallow stream barely reached her knees at its deepest point.

Wearing rain boots, Little Tong soon abandoned the path, deliberately stomping into the water and laughing as it splashed noisily. She glanced back at Zhong Jin—when he didn’t scold her, she grew bolder, kicking up even more waves.

At a bend in the creek, a small grove stood in a natural wetland teeming with insects.

They’d visited many times during the day, but now, under the cover of night, the chorus of chirping crickets and croaking frogs filled the air.

Qiu Sheng had always been terrified of insects. Though Little Tong’s relentless "exposure therapy" had somewhat eased her phobia, being suddenly surrounded by this insect paradise still made her scalp prickle.

Zhong Jin sensed Qiu Sheng’s tension and offered his hand. "You can hold mine," he said.

Qiu Sheng placed her hand in his palm—thin, soft, and cool to the touch. The callus at the base of his thumb, from years of gun practice, was a familiar texture to her.

Zhong Jin turned his hand slightly, shifting from a simple clasp to interlacing their fingers, holding her in a way that felt more secure as they walked forward.

Little Tong, meanwhile, was too preoccupied to notice the adults’ flirtation. Her oversized rain boots splashed through a patch of wet ground as a frog leaped past her feet. She chased after it, her headlamp bobbing wildly.

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The frog darted frantically, sometimes skittering near Qiu Sheng’s feet, making her jump in alarm.

Zhong Jin let go of Qiu Sheng’s hand and stepped forward, bending slightly. "Hop on. I’ll carry you across."

Qiu Sheng hesitated.

"There are at least a few hundred frogs in this marsh," Zhong Jin added.

Without another thought, Qiu Sheng leapt onto his back, her arms winding around his neck like clinging vines. "Hurry up," she urged.

"Loosen your grip a little—you’re choking me," Zhong Jin said, his Adam’s apple bobbing against her palm as he spoke.

Qiu Sheng eased up slightly, then absentmindedly stroked the prominent curve of his throat with her fingers, nearly smacking him in the head with her flashlight in the process.

Zhong Jin staggered. "Stop squirming. Just point the light ahead."

Little Tong, having wandered ahead, realized her parents weren’t following and splashed back through the shallow water. Seeing Zhong Jin carrying Qiu Sheng, the child merely turned around and continued forward, as if this were an everyday sight.

Once past the marsh, they reached a stretch of soft, lush grass, thick and springy underfoot from the abundant moisture.

Zhong Jin set Qiu Sheng down just as Little Tong froze ahead of them. After staring intently at something, the child suddenly spun around and sprinted back, her face flushed with panic.

"I saw a tiny flying bug—and it’s wearing a headlamp! Aaaaah, how can a bug have a headlamp?!"

Zhong Jin immediately guessed she meant fireflies. He led Little Tong forward a few steps, switching off his flashlight. The woods ahead flickered with tiny, scattered points of light.

Having only ever seen fireflies in books, both Zhong Jin and Qiu Sheng couldn’t help but feel a quiet thrill at the real thing.

Little Tong rested one small hand on her bamboo basket and pointed excitedly at the glowing insects. "I wanna catch one and keep it in a jar!"

"No," Zhong Jin explained gently. "Fireflies are delicate. If you touch them, they might die right away."

Little Tong crouched, covering her mouth as she whispered, "Okay, okay. Then let’s just admire them."

They settled a short distance away, watching in silence until Little Tong’s legs grew numb. She stood abruptly and nudged Zhong Jin.

"Lots of fireflies are blinking inside my legs!"

It took Zhong Jin a moment to realize she meant her legs had fallen asleep. He chuckled, took her hand, and guided her to shake them out.

After the firefly encounter, the trio retraced their steps.

Children always seemed to draw boundless energy from nature. Despite the long walk, Little Tong showed no signs of fatigue, pausing every now and then to inspect hidden insects with her headlamp.

Now more cautious, she turned to Zhong Jin each time she spotted a bug. "Can I catch this one? Will it get scared to death?"

Only after confirming the insects wouldn’t be harmed did she proceed to scoop them up.

While Little Tong busied herself by the dirt path, Qiu Sheng made a discovery of her own. She shone her flashlight on a cluster of weeds and let out a surprised "Huh?" before plucking one and holding it out to Zhong Jin.

"Look, isn’t this lamb’s quarters? The wild greens Aunt Liang bought last time—the kind we put in hot pot?"

Zhong Jin wasn’t entirely sure. Aunt Liang occasionally bought foraged vegetables from local farmers, and they all looked similar to him.

Qiu Sheng crouched and started gathering more. "I’m pretty sure it is. Let’s pick some and ask Aunt Liang tomorrow. If it is, we can make dumplings with them."

She tugged at another handful and urged, "Help me pick more. The more the better."

Zhong Jin eyed the muddy patch where the plants grew. "Are these even safe to eat?" But he knelt beside her and began plucking them anyway.

"Of course they are! They’re completely organic."

Little Tong, having finished her bug hunt, crept up behind them soundlessly. She wedged her round head between the adults’ shoulders and looped her muddy little arms around their necks.

"Is a centipede hurting the veggies? I’ll catch it!" she declared proudly, puffing out her chest. After all, she was the resident bug-catching expert.