"Inspector Cheng gave it to me."

Master Tian handed over the plastic bag, took off his coat, draped it over the back of a chair, and sat on the sofa to catch his breath.

He had eaten quite a bit at the small shop, but returning home gave him a sense of relief that outweighed any feeling of fullness.

"Wow, Tian Wuying, your connections are getting better and better, huh."

Xu Jingyun took the plastic bag, opened it, and immediately beamed, "Dried salted fish, canned fruit, and even fresh fish chunks! All of these are rare goods. I remember the last time we ate salted fish was four years ago when Leilei first joined the Public Works Bureau, and you exchanged two months of subsidies for it."

"You remember it well."

Master Tian smiled helplessly and pointed to the plastic bag, "If you want to eat, make it now, and I’ll help you."

"You’re still eating?" Xu Jingyun looked up at him, "Leilei and I just drank Nutrient Paste, maybe we should save it and make it in a couple of days? So we don’t run out at once."

"I’m not eating, I ate my fill over there."

Master Tian leaned back on the sofa, watching his daughter’s eager eyes fixed on the canned fruit, and couldn’t help but laugh, "Don’t save it, open it if you want to eat, otherwise she won’t be able to sleep at night."

Xu Jingyun didn’t insist, put the dried salted fish and fish chunks into the storage cabinet, and took out four canned fruits, placing them on the coffee table, "You want to pick?"

"Eat!" Leilei immediately nodded, skillfully found a small knife, and pried open a can of canned peaches.

The glistening syrup covered the plump peach chunks, and the sweet aroma instantly spread.

The family of three gathered around the small coffee table, eating piece by piece, and Leilei licked the syrup in the can clean.

So sweet!

Master Tian ate two pieces and then put it down, leaning on the sofa with a somewhat vacant look.

His mind kept flashing back to what Cheng Ye had said at the small shop.

After one or two minutes, he suddenly came back to his senses, "Why did you suddenly come back? Didn’t you say the Public Works Bureau was busy distributing supplies to the Migrants and you wouldn’t get time off for a week?"

"Uh..."

Leilei’s eyes drifted instantly, her hand unconsciously gripping the can tightly, not daring to speak.

Xu Jingyun, however, shook her head and said, "Your daughter, she got into trouble again."

"What happened?" Master Tian sat up, frowning slightly.

"Regarding the supplies distributed by the Public Works Bureau, she’s just a distributor, meant to hand out what she’s told, yet she insisted on questioning discrepancies in the numbers, causing trouble for the leadership. So now she’s been sent back for miscellaneous tasks to reflect on her actions."

"It’s not like that!" Leilei immediately retorted, her voice a bit anxious, "I suspect that some Migrants are stealing supplies!"

"Alright, you can say that to outsiders, but don’t pretend in front of your dad."

Xu Jingyun pouted, turned off the radio, picked up the knitting and wool basket, "I’m going inside to knit; you two have a chat."

After saying this, she walked into the inner room, deliberately leaving the door slightly ajar.

She knew Master Tian would "educate" their daughter but didn’t make it final, leaving some room.

With Xu Jingyun not advocating for her, Leilei suddenly felt less confident, lowered her head, picked at the hole in the sofa with her fingers, and glanced cautiously at Master Tian.

To her surprise, in similar situations before, Master Tian would have frowned and started lecturing her.

But today, he just quietly looked over, and after a long moment, gently shook his head and stood up, "Let’s go to the rooftop."

Leilei was taken aback for a moment, then nodded, "Okay."

The father and daughter gently opened the door and climbed up the ladder at the end of the hallway.

The rooftop had no railings, only a low brick wall around, and the wind was colder than downstairs, making people’s ears numb.

But standing here, the view was astonishingly broad, allowing one to see a large part of the low houses in the Buffer Zone, and through the iron net of the Happiness Defense Line, they could see the refugee camps outside.

This was the spot Master Tian had chosen after exploring the entire Buffer Zone for the best terrain.

"Being sent back for miscellaneous tasks, I suppose that wasn’t really the punishment, was it?" Master Tian leaned his hands on the brick wall, eyes fixed on the distant defense line, his voice wrapped in the wind, sounding especially calm.

"Well, it’s more like managing the dispatch of Public Works machinery, sort of a half-level promotion."

Leilei shrunk her neck and explained softly, "I discovered the direction of embezzled supplies. The team leader deducted the polyester fiber composite liner meant for refugees to keep warm and substituted old tools for new ones when issuing equipment. I have evidence, so he didn’t dare really trouble me."

"Well done." Master Tian turned his head, rarely showing a hint of approval.

Leilei was instantly stunned, her eyes wide open.

In the past, whenever she took risks, Master Tian couldn’t help but reprimand her for "causing trouble." But today, instead of lecturing, he praised her?

Could the sun be rising in the west?

"Today, Inspector Cheng found me. He wants to set up a caravan in the Outer City, only running routes between Satellite City."

Master Tian changed the subject, not mentioning the talk about the Extraordinary or the past, but detailed the caravan plans, preparation progress, and recruitment ideas.

Leilei listened intently, her brows gradually furrowing, "Running a caravan like this can make money, but given Inspector Cheng’s status, he doesn’t need to make money like this, right? Could it be he wants to engage in construction at Satellite City? But I heard he’s only an Intern Inspector, with only the planning of twenty-four Satellite Cities..."

"He’s different!"

Master Tian shook his head, "He’s Cheng Wu’s grandson, Cheng Long’s son, born different."

"Just like me, like you, from the moment we’re born, we can’t live like ordinary people."

Leilei’s gaze suddenly darkened, and after a few seconds of silence, she spoke, "Dad, are you feeling the call of the farmer?"