During the afternoon classes, Rong Sui was a bit distracted, his mind constantly occupied by that strangely shaped creature. A camel’s head, ox’s ears, deer’s antlers, and a snake’s body—piecing these elements together, the name of the unidentified creature was practically staring him in the face.

But how could that be possible?

Rong Sui had lived for over twenty years holding steadfastly to materialism. He harbored twelve-thousand percent skepticism toward the unscientific existence of “dragons.” Moreover, when that thing coiled up, it was only about the size of a basketball and didn’t look at all as majestic and domineering as the dragons in legends. In fact, if it hadn’t suddenly appeared and startled him, it actually looked a bit cute.

Rong Sui thought to himself that it might just be some rare species of lizard.

Perhaps he could wait until Bai Tu came back and ask him. He had already seen it twice, so maybe Bai Tu had seen it too.

Bai Tu didn’t return from submitting the documents until it was nearly time for school to dismiss. He had left the kindergarten looking deeply worried, but he returned with a face full of unsuppressable joy. Even his fear of Rong Sui seemed to have lessened quite a bit. Pulling Rong Sui along with sheer delight, he said, “I handed the materials in! I also asked the staff about it, and they said that as long as the application fits the criteria, it will basically be approved. I even checked the public records of subsidy funds from previous years—the smallest amount was over three hundred thousand yuan!”

Subsidies for public kindergartens were assessed based on the student enrollment numbers and the overall scale of the school. Generally, large-scale kindergartens with many students could receive subsidies reaching over a million yuan, while smaller district-level kindergartens would get several hundred thousand. When truly applied to improving a kindergarten’s infrastructure, this amount of money wasn’t actually that much, but for the completely broke Shan Hai Kindergarten, it was an astronomical sum.

Even though the subsidy funds hadn’t been officially announced yet, Bai Tu was already gleefully planning how to spend it. “The staff member who collected the materials told me that the public announcement won’t happen until October. When the time comes, we can build a play area so the cubs have a place to play during outdoor activities. The classrooms and dormitories need to be redecorated too. I’ve seen other people’s kindergartens, and they’re all decorated so beautifully and cutely…”

Listening to him ramble on about future plans, Rong Sui couldn’t resist gently patting his head. “Yeah, but the subsidy announcement won’t come out until October. By the time the funds are actually disbursed, it will probably be heading into winter. If we really want to redecorate, we’ll have to wait until next spring.”

Bai Tu let out a disappointed “Ah,” his soaring spirits instantly deflating a bit. “I thought we could get it all done this year.”

Rong Sui chuckled. “How could it be that fast? However, if we are going to renovate, it would be best to get it done during the two months of summer vacation. It’s already June, and the kindergarten should start summer break in early July. Two months is plenty of time to redecorate the classrooms and dormitories and build a new play area. That way, when the next semester begins and we go out to recruit new students, we’ll have a much better advantage.”

Otherwise, given Shan Hai Kindergarten’s current condition, student recruitment for the next semester would likely be a disaster. Which parents nowadays wouldn’t want to squeeze their children into a kindergarten with a good environment? Even if Shan Hai Kindergarten was a public school, parents wouldn’t be willing to send their children here after seeing the surroundings.

To improve the kindergarten’s situation, they had to upgrade the hardware facilities first. Only by attracting new students and generating income could the school continue to improve its environment and strengthen its teaching staff, creating a positive cycle.

Stunned by his words, Bai Tu tilted his head up and said blankly, “But we don’t have any money right now.”

Rong Sui: “…”

Letting out a long sigh, Rong Sui said deeply, “So we need to figure out a way to make money.”

Bai Tu looked at him innocently. “Do you have a way?”

Rong Sui thought to himself: If I had a way to make money, why would I still be working in this kindergarten earning less than three thousand yuan a month?

However, he did have a thought at the moment. He just wasn’t sure if it was feasible, so he kept it to himself for the time being to avoid making Bai Tu disappointed.

“Not for the moment.”

……

After having dinner and helping the kids digest their food, Rong Sui waited for the little ones to take turns washing up and getting into bed before finally heading back to his own dormitory. It was still early, so Rong Sui changed into his pajamas and brought out his laptop to search for information on bank loans.

The solution he had thought of was actually a mortgage loan using the kindergarten. He knew that private kindergartens could apply for loans, but he wasn’t clear about the situation for public kindergartens. That was why he hadn’t told Bai Tu yet, choosing to look into the information by himself first.

Sitting across from him, Bai Tu was using that antique desktop computer to look up videos of other kindergartens, letting out gasps of envious admiration as he watched.

After reviewing the materials for a while, Rong Sui suddenly remembered what he had seen during the day and casually asked, “Little Bai, have you ever seen an animal that looks like a lizard around the school? It has red and black scales, two horns on its head, golden eyes, and is about the size of a basketball.”

Bai Tu froze for a second. “A lizard?”

Rong Sui nodded as if it were a matter of course. “Isn’t it a lizard? It looked a lot like one to me.”

Bai Tu said with bewilderment, “That’s Yin Zhuzhi. The Principal said it seems to be some kind of dragon, but I’m not entirely sure either.”

Rong Sui: “???”

He took a moment to digest this with great difficulty. He figured Bai Tu meant that the animal was kept as a pet by Yin Zhuzhi. But given how young Yin Zhuzhi was, keeping such a dangerous animal as a pet seemed highly inappropriate.

“Yin Zhuzhi raised it? Is it venomous? Come to think of it, I’ve never seen this species of lizard before, though it really does look quite a bit like a dragon from the legends.” Rong Sui smiled and said, “If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve maintained my materialism for over twenty years, I would have thought I really saw a dragon.”

Bai Tu looked at him with a face full of absolute confusion: “???”

As they were speaking, a dark little head poked in from the window. The golden vertical pupils were exceptionally prominent in the night, resembling glass beads illuminated by a flashlight—clear, bright, and golden. In fact, it looked rather beautiful.

Knowing it was a pet raised by Yin Zhuzhi, Rong Sui didn’t feel as afraid of it anymore. He cautiously walked over to the window and tentatively reached out his hand, wanting to pet it.

Yin Zhuzhi raised his body slightly, his eyes fixed intently on the man. The very tip of his tail twitched slightly, and then he lay back down flat, remaining motionless.

This was a sign of submission. Feeling a bit more reassured, Rong Sui tentatively placed his hand on top of the creature’s head and stroked it. The scales were smooth and delicate, feeling very much like the texture of jade. It felt wonderful to touch. Rong Sui had always loved animals, so he couldn’t resist petting it all the way from its head down to its tail. Unaccustomed to this, Yin Zhuzhi shifted slightly, his tail curling around Rong Sui’s finger to stop him from petting further down.

Seeing how good-tempered it was, Rong Sui reached out his other hand and patted the small, protruding horns. This time, it wasn’t the smooth texture of jade, but rather a matte, leather-like feel—delicate and clingy to the hand. Rong Sui couldn’t help but gently rub it twice. Having his horns touched out of nowhere, Yin Zhuzhi shuddered violently. He let go of Rong Sui’s finger, his tail going rigid as he backed up two steps. A pair of round, golden vertical pupils glared at him in anger, and a tender “Moo-woo” sound escaped his mouth.

A dragon’s horns, also known as the chimu, were an incredibly important part of the dragon clan, making them highly sensitive. Aside from their mate, an adult dragon would easily let no one touch them. It was only because Yin Zhuzhi was still a cub right now, and Rong Sui completely misunderstood the situation, that he had blindly rubbed them a couple of times. Finding the texture quite nice, Rong Sui was even eager to try rubbing them again.

Yin Zhuzhi glared with wide eyes, completely furious. Did this big monster know any rules at all? Could dragon horns be touched so casually? He had originally been willing to let the man touch him only because he recognized that the man genuinely cared about the kindergarten; he had actively shown goodwill by letting him pet him a couple of times, but this big monster actually pushed his limits and touched his horns!

Yin Zhuzhi thought resentfully: This big monster is truly going too far!

Thus, Rong Sui watched as the little lizard (?), which had been lying down obediently just moments ago, suddenly stood up. Its round eyes seemed to widen even more as it lowered its body to hiss at him. That thick tail, which usually loved to wag and sway flexibly, was now sticking straight up behind its back, presenting a thoroughly enraged posture.

Rong Sui was completely bewildered and could only raise both hands to show his innocence. “Why did you suddenly get angry?”

Hiding in the back, Bai Tu admired him to no end. Although he didn’t know what Rong Sui’s true form was, Yin Zhuzhi was a living, breathing dragon! Even if he was just a dragon cub, he wasn’t someone an ordinary, law-abiding monster like them would dare provoke. Bai Tu was nice to these cubs on a regular basis, but he never dared get too close. Whenever they transformed into their original forms, he kept an even more respectful distance.

Not only did Rong Sui dare to lay hands on him, but he even dared to touch the dragon’s horns without being blasted by fire by the ill-tempered dragon cub. As expected, he was an extraordinary big monster.

Yin Zhuzhi stayed angry for a while. Seeing that Rong Sui was still looking entirely innocent while muttering softly about how he shouldn’t be so stingy and get angry over a single touch, the cub grew even more infuriated. Using his tail, he smacked away the grape Rong Sui tried to feed him, and with a flick of his tail, he rapidly slithered away.

Rong Sui: “…” Why does it have such a huge temper?

Watching that dark and somewhat chubby figure rapidly slither away, Rong Sui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He picked up the grape from the floor and tossed it into the trash can, smiling at Bai Tu. “The little pet Yin Zhuzhi raises is quite cute, it’s just that its temper isn’t very good.”

Bai Tu: “…?”

……

After learning about some loan policies from a former classmate who worked at a bank, Rong Sui went to find Bai Tu.

The land for public kindergartens was generally allocated by the government, meaning the land and the facilities belonged to the state. Logically speaking, they couldn’t be used as collateral for a bank loan. However, Shan Hai Kindergarten was an anomaly. Its predecessor was a private school during the Republican era, meaning it had been privately owned. Later, after it inexplicably transitioned into a public school, the land and the buildings on it actually still belonged to private individuals. Rong Sui was wondering if he could ask Bai Tu whether the kindergarten possessed a land deed. If it did, they could take the loan route to secure the money and start construction first. By the end of the year, when the subsidy funds were disbursed, they could pay it right back.

But Bai Tu was entirely clueless as well. Scratching his hair, he said, “Why don’t we just go ask the Principal?”

Before Rong Sui could even ask where the Principal was, he was dragged toward the back of the school by an anxious Bai Tu.

Behind the teaching building lay an open plot of land with a few scattered houses built on it, all of which looked rather dilapidated. Since arriving, Rong Sui had never ventured back here to look around. He watched as Bai Tu pulled him along, heading straight for one of the rooms.

“Principal, Principal!” Bai Tu knocked forcefully on the door. “Are you awake yet?”

Rong Sui: “…?”

He looked up at the sun in the sky, then checked the time on his phone just to be sure. Sleeping at this hour?

Bai Tu continued to bang on the door, but there wasn’t the slightest movement inside. Rong Sui felt increasingly bizarre. Who on earth slept during broad daylight to the point of being completely dead to the world? Moreover, he just realized that aside from seeing the Principal on his very first day of reporting for duty, he hadn’t seen the man at all since then. The Principal hadn’t even shown up during mealtimes. He had assumed the Principal didn’t live inside the kindergarten, but it turned out he actually lived back here in this inconspicuous prefab house?

Bai Tu persevered in pounding on the door, making the door panel slam loudly, which didn’t match his usual little white rabbit persona at all. Rong Sui couldn’t help but say, “Could something have happened? Should we pry the door open to take a look?”

“No, no, no…” Bai Tu shook his head like a rattle, saying nervously, “It’s fine to just call out from the outside. The Principal is old and his hearing is poor, so you have to speak up for him to hear. People usually aren’t allowed inside his room.”

Rong Sui: “…Alright then.”

Bai Tu proceeded to bang on the door for another five minutes before an old, frail response finally came from within: “Who is it?”

“Principal? It’s me! I have something to discuss with you,” Bai Tu shouted through the crack of the door.

After he finished speaking, the inside went silent again. After quite a long while, the door opened, revealing the Principal’s aged face. “Little Bai, is something the matter?”

Bai Tu nodded, leaning close to his ear to speak loudly, “I want to discuss the kindergarten’s affairs with you.”

Standing beside him, Rong Sui felt his brain buzzing from the volume.

The three of them changed locations and headed to the Principal’s office.

The Principal was still wearing the same clothes from their first meeting—an old-fashioned Zhongshan suit that had been washed so many times it looked a bit white. Sitting behind the office desk with a cup of tea cradled in his hands, he looked at Rong Sui very amiably. “Ah, the new teacher has come to report for duty?”

Rong Sui: “…………”

Bai Tu hurriedly explained for him, “This is Rong Sui, you met him last time. We are here today for a different matter.”

The Principal took a sip from his teacup and said with a beaming smile, “Good, good, he’s a good child.”

Bai Tu: “Principal, do you have the kindergarten’s land deed? We want to apply for a loan to renovate the school.”

Principal: “Money? I have money. Go over there and bring my storage pouch to me…”

Rong Sui: “…”

The two of them talked past each other for a short while before Bai Tu ran over to a cabinet on the other side to rummage through it. Eventually, he pulled out a gray cloth bag and handed it to the Principal. “We checked the storage pouch last time. Didn’t you say there wasn’t any money left? Did you forget again?”

The Principal wore an expression that asked what nonsense he was talking about. He opened the cloth bag and fished around inside for a long time, muttering, “How could there be no money? I’ve been saving it all for you guys.”

With that, he pulled out a card and said happily, “Look, isn’t it right here!”

What he pulled out was a bank card. The surface of the card was a understated matte black, adorned with a ring of golden patterns around the edges. In the center was a soldier’s portrait, and a row of small golden characters in the upper left read Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

Bai Tu was still dazed. “There’s money in this card?”

The Principal smiled cheerfully as he stuffed the card into his hand. “Take it and use it, don’t mistreat the little cubs.”

Bai Tu was still murmuring, unable to believe there was money in the card, turning it over and over to look at it.

“…”

Rong Sui cleared his throat and whispered to Bai Tu, “That’s an ICBC Black Card. The minimum personal deposit requirement for it is one million yuan.”

Bai Tu: “…???”

He looked at the bank card in his hand, then looked back at the Principal who was holding his hot tea with a thoroughly kind and gentle smile. His voice cracked in sheer terror: “A million? Principal, did you go rob the human race? Th-Th-This is against the law!”

The Principal turned his ear toward him, his smile remaining warm and approachable. “Ah? Just take it and use it, don’t worry about money matters.”

Bai Tu looked ready to cry while holding the card. Fortunately, Rong Sui remained relatively calm. Patting his shoulder, he suggested, “Do you know the password? We can take the card to the bank to check the account holder and find out.”

Snapping out of it, Bai Tu realized that all of the Principal’s cards were handed over to him and the passwords were all the same, so he naturally knew it. At this moment, cradling this incredibly hot-potato black card, he tremblingly went to the bank with Rong Sui to check the account balance.

_

The Author has something to say:

The little kid whose horns were rubbed curled up into a ball and threw a silent tantrum: As expected, adult monsters are all no good.

Teacher Rong: ???