Yueyue obediently nodded her head, then pulled her magic-girl-themed backpack around to the front, unzipped it, and took out a thick stack of red bills.
It was about 10,000 yuan in total. 7,000 yuan was Yueyue's New Year's money, and Ren had added 3,000 yuan to round up the amount nicely for her.
To be honest, 10,000 yuan in bills isn't actually very thick, but in Yueyue's small, chubby hands, it looked like a lot of money.
Next, she handed the money and her savings passbook to the teller through the slot and sweetly said, "I want to do a fixed deposit! For five years!"
These were the words her dad had taught her to say, and she had remembered them well. After all, this was how her money could grow!
The bank teller didn't think much of the stack of red bills. She figured this child must have saved up over several years. Although it was a considerable amount for an ordinary family, she worked at a bank and had seen much more significant sums.
The teller picked up the bundle of cash that Yueyue handed over, weighed it in her hand, and placed it into the counting machine. Then, she opened Yueyue's passbook.
"…"
When she saw the balance in the passbook, the teller couldn't help but compare her own savings to this little girl's. She suddenly felt a pang of sorrow.
Had she been working all these years just for nothing?
Why did this little girl have more money in her savings than she did—by an extra 200 yuan, no less?
No, wait…
The teller glanced at the cash being counted by the machine and felt like crying inside.
She thought sadly to herself, "Why do I even go to work every day?"
After depositing her money, Yueyue handed the passbook to her dad for safekeeping, happily clutching the deposit slip as they headed home. As soon as she got back, she ran to her mom.
With a proud smile, Yueyue held out the deposit slip. "Mom, look, look! I saved so much money!"
But as she remembered something, Yueyue quickly hugged her mom's leg and sweetly said, "Thank you, Mommy~"
She hadn't forgotten that her mom hadn't taken her money this time, and instead, had saved it for her in the bank!
She realized now that she had misunderstood her mom earlier.
"Good, good. I hope you'll become a little millionaire soon!" Jada teased, smiling as she playfully pinched her daughter's chubby cheeks.
Just then, her younger brother, Little White, toddled over, walking unsteadily like a baby duck. He took a curious look at his sister, then hugged Jada's other leg, imitating Yueyue.
Tilting his little head, he seemed to be wondering why his sister was doing that.
Yueyue noticed her brother and, unable to resist, waved the deposit slip in front of him, boasting, "Hmph, look! I've got savings now! I'm a grown-up!"
"??"
Little White looked confusedly at the piece of paper and then showed a disdainful expression.
At this point, Little White was starting to develop some sense. To him, the slip his sister held didn't look fun, didn't seem nice, and wasn't something tasty to lick.
Seeing her brother's uninterested face, Yueyue, who had been so happy just a moment ago, suddenly felt a little down. She hadn't impressed him at all...
But before long, Yueyue's eyes began to twinkle again, and she glanced over at her little brother.
If she remembered correctly, her brother had gotten even more New Year's money than she had this year!
What if her brother lost his money? That would be terrible!
Hmm…
Yueyue crossed her arms and felt it was her duty as the older sister to step in. She had to make a small sacrifice to protect the family's finances!
She quickly ran over to her dad and whispered, "Dad, Dad, I think we should help my brother save his money in the bank too. How about… we just put it into my account?"
As she spoke, she puffed out her chest and patted it confidently, like she was the only one capable of handling such a responsibility.
"Nice try! Your brother is still too young. Your mom is keeping it safe for him," Ren replied, playfully pinching Yueyue's cheek.
This girl had been eyeing her brother's New Year's money all along.
She had already tried this bold move once during the New Year's celebration.
Having her sneaky intentions exposed, Yueyue wasn't upset. She just giggled mischievously.
Then she swatted her dad's hand away playfully.
Today had been so exciting that both her parents had pinched her cheeks.
Yueyue rubbed her cheeks, looking a bit annoyed.
Even though it didn't hurt, she had a feeling her face was going to end up permanently round from all the pinching.
Another week passed, marking the third week since the premiere of Tom and Jerry.
During this time, the popularity of Tom and Jerry had only continued to rise.
The show, with its slapstick humor and exaggerated antics, depicted the endless rivalry between the cat and mouse in a fun and engaging way.
Although the animal-human hybrid style made the show appear somewhat childish, once viewers gave it a chance, they quickly realized how enjoyable and addictive it was.
"Dad, I want to watch Tom and Jerry!" Yueyue exclaimed as she rushed into the living room, her little feet pattering across the floor in her slippers. She wanted her dad to change the channel.
She had grown fond of her dad's new animated series.
Ren had already switched the TV to the show even before Yueyue made her request, ready to enjoy it himself.
Jada and Little White joined them, and the four of them settled in to enjoy some family time together in the living room.
Even though Ren was the creator of the show, he still watched with an appreciative eye, enjoying it as if seeing it for the first time.
The episode they were watching, "Vulture Rhapsody," told the story of Tom using cheese to lure Jerry into a trap, only for a vulture to swoop in and steal the sandwich along with Jerry inside.
Tom's attempts to retrieve the sandwich failed, and he ended up getting beaten up by the vulture. Jerry, meanwhile, tried to escape but found himself back in the vulture's clutches. In a clever twist, Tom disguised himself as a female bird to distract the vulture, and the bird, falling for it, started chasing Tom around, showering him with affection as they both tried to escape.
The silly antics had Yueyue laughing so hard that she was rolling around on the couch, clutching her belly.
Seeing her sister laughing, Little White giggled along too, even though he didn't fully understand what was happening.
Meanwhile, in many other households, families gathered around their TVs, watching Tom and Jerry, filling their homes with laughter.
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