In a park downstairs from the shopping mall.

Two children stood on tiptoe in front of a trash can that was taller than them, rummaging through it.

Each person was also carrying a gray-green snakeskin sack, which they had somehow found.

"Wow, Chaochao, there are so many bottles here!"

Lingling exclaimed with delight, as if she had discovered a treasure.

"I'm ready!" Chaochao, standing next to her, had already skillfully opened the bag, and Lingling was happily stuffing bottles in. "One, two, three... Hey, there's still water left in this bottle..."

Chaochao took the bottle, shook it, opened the cap, and poured the remaining water into the street drain.

Looking at the bag, which was already half full, Chaochao tilted her head and tried hard to recall how her grandmother had done it. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck her!

She put the bottle on the ground, then raised her little foot high and stomped down hard!

"Heave-ho!"

The bottle instantly flattened.

Lingling, who was watching, clapped and exclaimed, "Chaochao, you are so smart!"

She did the same thing, taking out all the empty shells from the bag and flattening them one by one. Looking at the bag, which was now mostly empty, she nodded with satisfaction and asked curiously, "How did you come up with this idea?"

Chaochao proudly said, "My grandma taught me."

Lingling thought it was Old Master Huo's wife. She touched and wondered if Grandma Chaochao had made a lot of money by collecting bottles back then, which led to the Huo family's current status.

Lingling admired her more and more as she thought about it. Grandma Chaochao was truly an extraordinary woman!

I need to work hard to collect bottles so we can make big money and avoid going bankrupt!

After stuffing all the flat bottles into the snakeskin bag, Chaochao rubbed her belly and looked up at her sister: "Lingling, I'm hungry~"

"Hungry? I brought the yogurt with me, let's drink it now."

"Okay, okay!"

So the two children sat down on the stone bricks by the lawn and happily drank their yogurt.

Sitting next to the "Recycling" trash can, Chaochao gulped down the last mouthful of milk, carefully licking the milk residue off her lips, saying, "I'm done!"

She crushed her yogurt bottle as usual, dragged the bag back to the trash can, and wanted to see if there was anything left inside.

"So fast? Wait for me..." Seeing this, Lingling quickly sped up her pace. How could she let Chaochao do all the work by herself!

Lingling gulped down the milk in a few mouthfuls, shook it a few times but didn't hear any water. "I still have the bottle!"

Everything was perfectly normal, but why is it called an accident?

Lingling skillfully stepped down, and the moment her foot landed, a thick stream of yogurt suddenly sprayed out from the straw facing Chaochao, accurately smearing Chaochao's face.

Lingling: "!!!"

Chaochao: "???"

The system covered its face and screamed: Oh my god!

At this moment, at the mall entrance, a stylishly dressed young man, clearly an E-person, introduced himself to the camera: "I'm at the mall entrance now. I heard that a really, really delicious barbecue restaurant recently opened... Oops, the camera is off!"

The cameraman gestured with his chin, indicating that he should look over there.

"What? There's nothing there..."

The man's voice suddenly disappeared from his throat.

Not far away in the shopping mall's green space, two adorable children sat side by side on the lawn, each holding a yogurt bottle and happily drinking it. The little one sitting next to the trash can on the right was particularly noticeable. She was a bit smaller, and her soft, chubby face was covered in gray mud. Her two little buns were all sticking out of shape. She was holding her yogurt and shaking her head, radiating happiness that was visible to passersby.

Beside them lay burlap sacks larger than themselves, bulging and with empty bottles peeking out from the half-open opening.

The boy had an idea in mind. When he saw the girl finish drinking and then pick up the bottle from the trash can, then skillfully stomp it flat and put it in the bag, it completely confirmed his guess and shocked him even more.

What's wrong with our society?! Are such young children scavenging for garbage to survive?!

When they saw the child caught off guard and smeared all over his face, the two of them couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Help! This is hilarious!

Chaochao was suddenly enveloped in a strong milky aroma, her face felt wet, and she wanted to lick her lips to see if she hadn't finished drinking it, but Lingling, looking shocked and guilty, quickly stopped her: "Chaochao, no, no, no!"

Looking at the white face mask on her younger sister's face with mixed feelings, Lingling felt very guilty and almost cried: "Chaochao, I'm sorry..."

Chaochao tilted her head, puzzled: "What's wrong with you...?"

The question wasn't finished.

"Hello children, are you collecting bottles?"

Suddenly, a strange male voice rang out behind them.

The two children turned around and saw a dark camera pointed at them.

"oops!"

Lingling immediately stretched out her hands to cover her face.

Chaochao also made a move.

She raised her two chubby little hands above her head, her dark eyes wide open, and said in a childish voice, "I'm a good child!"

Don't arrest me!

Lingling said anxiously, "Chaochao, quickly cover your face, or our secret will be exposed!"

She couldn't let her parents know that she had secretly run away to earn money!

Chaochao didn't understand the meaning of exposure, but she listened to Lingling and immediately put her little hands down to cover her face. However, she couldn't resist her curiosity and opened a gap with her short fingers, her bright eyes blinking out.

The boy opposite him wanted to say, "Kid, you don't really need to cover your face up."

He waved his hand and explained, "Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person, I just wanted to ask... if you have any difficulties and need any help..."

However, Lingling, who had watched countless anti-abduction propaganda videos, sensed something was wrong as soon as she saw his guilty and anxious explanation, and alarm bells went off in her mind.

Chaochao followed her out, and she was determined to protect Chaochao.

Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, the best is to flee.

So, with a serious expression, she decisively declared, "Run, Chaochao!"

Then, holding Chaochao's hand in one hand and pulling the snakeskin bag in the other, they ran out quickly.

Chaochao was dragged forward by Lingling with a bewildered look on her face. She felt like she was floating up like a kite. When she came to her senses, she looked back at the two older brothers who were getting further and further away. "Wait a minute."

Chaochao gathered her strength and said loudly to the two of them, "You can't tell my dad, okay? This is a surprise for me!"

Chaochao wants to use the money she earned today to buy lots and lots of her dad's favorite dishes.

The two boys nodded blankly, and Chaochao, seeing this, was very satisfied and continued to run after her sister.

In just a few seconds, the two children disappeared like rabbits.

Only two suspected "human traffickers" remained, bewildered in the wind.

They really aren't bad people!