Rong Sui was online inquiring about booking a group tour.

After the construction team started work, three bulldozers and excavators drove into the kindergarten with loud clatter-clatter sounds. First, they rumbled and demolished the old teaching building, and then they began digging at the original foundation. To catch up with the project schedule, they dug from early morning every day and only stopped when the sun went down. The kindergarten was filled with dust and noise. Fortunately, it wasn’t in the urban area, otherwise, they would have been complained about long ago.

After staying like this for nearly half a month, both the adults and children were getting a bit unbearable from the noise. Even the Principal, who was usually nowhere to be seen, came out of his room, looking exhausted with a clear lack of sleep.

Things were even more troublesome on Rong Sui’s side. He had to constantly watch over the active little cubs, preventing them from running toward the construction zone for fear of an accident.

In the end, it was Xiong Dazhuang who gave them a suggestion: why not take this opportunity to book a group tour and go travel?

Everyone was a bit tempted, so Rong Sui began to look up routes. It couldn’t be too far because there were elderly people and children, and it couldn’t be too expensive. Although they were much better off financially now, it still wasn’t good to be too extravagant and wasteful.

“Teacher Rong, where are we going for our trip?” Wen Tun lay in Rong Sui’s arms, sucking a lollipop, and asked in a babyish voice.

Rong Sui searched back and forth but couldn’t find a very suitable one. He could only rub his head and say, “We haven’t chosen yet.”

After searching for two or three days, he still hadn’t found a place suitable for this group of elderly and children to stay for a month. Rong Sui also felt his head going bald from worry, so he simply held Wen Tun’s hand and went outside to get some fresh air.

“Have you chosen a place?”

Going out, he happened to bump into Xiong Dazhuang, who had come back to cool off—Xiong Dazhuang was now following the project the entire time and lived in the dormitory right next to Rong Sui and the others. Seeing him come out carrying the child, he asked casually.

Rong Sui scratched his hair in distress. “Not yet. There are many of us and we are staying for a long time. Just the accommodation alone would be a huge expense.”

Xiong Dazhuang thought about it and said, “If you have nowhere to go, why not go back to the village?”

The village he spoke of was Rong Sui’s hometown, located in the northwestern part of H Province. Backed by mountains and with several large rivers flowing through, its geographical environment was extremely superior, so it had been eyed long ago and developed into a tourist scenic area.

Rong Sui said hesitantly, “The prices over there aren’t cheap now either, right?”

Xiong Dazhuang chuckled, winking at him with a slightly comical expression. “You don’t know yet, do you? The place where we used to live has been developed into a housing estate. Some years ago, your dad and I pooled some money, added our previous demolition compensation, and each bought a house there. It’s just that only recently, when we had more money on hand, did we have the funds to decorate it. Your dad has kept it from you all this time, thinking of giving you a surprise.”

Rong Sui: “???”

His mouth fell open, his expression a bit blank. “Really or fake?”

Xiong Dazhuang laughed out loud and rubbed his head. “I’ll call your dad and tell him to send you the keys. You can go see your new home, and stay there as long as you want.”

…

In the afternoon, a thin, gaunt man brought the keys to the new house, saying that because the project acceptance was at a critical juncture, Rong Fu really couldn’t pull himself away to return.

Rong Sui held the keys, still a bit dizzy. Remembering that this matter was only mentioned in the morning and the person had already arrived in the afternoon, he was even more shocked. “Did you take a plane here?”

Rong Fu’s construction project was in D Province, which was separated from H Province by ten thousand miles. Even taking the high-speed rail would take nearly ten hours. To be able to come over so quickly, he could only have come by plane.

But taking a plane back and forth just to deliver a set of keys?? Rong Sui pulled out his phone with a forehead full of black lines, wanting to call his dad. Even if they had money, they shouldn’t squander it like this, not to mention they didn’t have much money to begin with!

The thin man quickly stopped him and said with a apologetic smile, “No, no, no, didn’t take a plane. I came by myself, without spending a single penny.”

Rong Sui: “???”

After saying that, the thin man himself seemed to feel something was off. He slapped his forehead, saying there were still things to do at the construction site, and ran away as fast as if his feet were greased.

…

In the end, they decided to go to Rong Sui’s hometown for the trip and see the new house along the way.

Xiong Dazhuang didn’t let them rent another car. He grabbed a worker from the construction site to act as a driver and drove them over in Xiong Dazhuang’s minibus.

Four adults, five children, and one driver—a car of ten people set off happily.

It was the first time for the cubs to go on a trip. Even Long Ya and Bi Fang clung to the window, looking out curiously. Rong Sui sat in the same row as Yin Zhuzhi. Seeing him sitting there with a cold and aloof expression, not speaking or looking out the window, he couldn’t help but want to tease him.

“Where is your little pet? Why didn’t you bring it?”

Yin Zhuzhi turned to him, his brow furrowing slightly. “What pet? I don’t raise pets.”

Rong Sui: “?”

He gestured with his hands. “About the size of a basketball, with golden eyes and two small horns on its head—the lizard. Last time it even ran into our dormitory. Bai Tu said you raised it.”

Yin Zhuzhi: “…”

He glared angrily at Rong Sui, his always expressionless little face showing obvious rage. “That is not a lizard!”

“Then what is it?” Rong Sui asked smoothly, seeing that he was angry.

“That is the only Torch Dragon since Pangu separated heaven and earth!” Yin Zhuzhi was extremely furious. This human actually dared to call him a lizard! Although he was currently only a cub and had not yet fully displayed the majesty of an ancient divine beast, he was still an ancient deity who existed alongside Pangu. This person actually… actually insulted him with a mortal creature like a lizard!

Rong Sui: “…Pfft!”

Yin Zhuzhi: “…”

After a moment of awkward silence, Rong Sui looked at Yin Zhuzhi’s puffed-up face and clapped exaggeratedly in wonder. “Wow, you actually raise such an amazing pet. Little Zhuzi is really incredible.”

Yin Zhuzhi: “…”

He could tell that this demon didn’t take his words seriously at all and was even mocking him. Yin Zhuzhi clenched his fists, turned around in annoyance, and refused to speak to Rong Sui again.

Along the way, Yin Zhuzhi refused to pay attention to Rong Sui anymore. Rong Sui pondered for a bit and decided to make something delicious tonight to coax him. This cub wasn’t very old, but his temper was quite big.

The driver followed the navigation address into the neighborhood and drove inward for a good while before finding the correct house number.

Everyone got off the car with their luggage in high spirits, but once they entered the main gate and took a look, they were all stunned.

Rong Sui was also dumbfounded. He had originally thought his dad bought an apartment in a residential community. After all, his family was so poor; buying an apartment would probably cost his dad an arm and a leg. But when they arrived at the place, lo and behold, where was any apartment? In front of them was a small villa with a garden.

In the front yard, the flowers and grass were blooming beautifully, though they grew a bit wild probably because no one had tended to them. To the right of the entrance were three parking spaces, one of which already had an electric car parked.

In the middle of the yard stood a three-story villa in pseudo-classic style, with two big red lanterns hanging at the main entrance, looking very festive.

That wasn’t all. Rong Sui glanced backward and found that there was also a backyard.

Rong Sui: “…” When did his dad become so rich? He even bought a villa!

Bai Tu was also shocked. He hadn’t expected Rong Sui, who usually looked very simple, to actually be a wealthy demon hiding his light under a bushel. Thus, he said in shock, “Rong Sui, your family is so rich?”

After all, ordinary demons were used to living in the mountains and had never gone to school or read books; those who could make it as rich people in the human world were still a minority.

Rong Sui muttered to himself, “Yeah, I also just found out my family is so rich.”

To actually be able to buy a villa in a place like this, he now strongly suspected that the reason he and his father had lived so shabbily all these years was because his dad had put all the money into buying a house.

Shock was shock, but they still had to go in. The outer gate had an electronic lock, but the villa inside was of pseudo-classic design, so it also had a vintage-style copper lock. Rong Sui poked it several times with the key before opening it, calling everyone to go in first and put down their luggage.

The interior decoration of the villa was of the same origin as its exterior—all pseudo-classic design. Although it gave off a constant illusion of living in a scenic area, it had to be said that the overall design was quite tasteful.

Carrying their luggage upstairs, everyone divided up the rooms. The Principal and Bai Tu shared one, Wen Tun and Long Ya shared one, while Bi Fang shared with Bai Ze. The remaining Yin Zhuzhi shared with Rong Sui, and Aunt Wang had one to herself.

Nine people in five rooms, just perfectly filling up the second floor.

Rong Sui carried Yin Zhuzhi’s small backpack back to the room. Seeing the cub still cold-faced and refusing to speak to him, he couldn’t help but tug at his ponytail. Yin Zhuzhi immediately turned around with a huff and glared at him. “!”

Rong Sui crouched down half-way with a smile. “Oh, why are you still angry? How about teacher makes you some egg pudding later to apologize?”

Back in the kindergarten, Rong Sui had tinkered with many small cakes and desserts to make snacks for the cubs, and egg pudding was Yin Zhuzhi’s favorite. It was just that he never said it, always silently finishing his portion. It was only after Rong Sui noticed several times that the cub was always particularly happy when there was egg pudding that he found out about this little hobby of his.

Sure enough, Yin Zhuzhi pursed his lips, remained silent for a moment, and said, “I want two.”

Rong Sui burst into laughter, pulled him into his arms, and rubbed him vigorously. “I’ll make as many as you want. How can you be so cute?”

With a red face, Yin Zhuzhi pushed at him, but in the end, he still couldn’t get Rong Sui to let him go.

After packing their luggage, the Principal and Aunt Wang stayed behind to look after the house. Rong Sui and Bai Tu took the five cubs to find a supermarket to buy groceries and get to know the roads along the way.

The five of them walked hand in hand on the road, attracting a lot of onlookers.

The villas in the neighborhood were all single-family homes, far apart from each other, which protected the residents’ privacy well. At the same time, there was little interaction between neighbors. Today, the residents in the neighborhood were surprised to find that new residents seemed to have arrived.

Two young men walking with five small children on the road was quite a spectacular sight—especially since the adults were handsome and the children were cute, each and every one of them endearing.

So, many residents came over to strike up a conversation along the way. Upon learning that teachers were bringing students here for vacation, the residents’ attitudes became even warmer. Not only did a warm-hearted elderly man guide them, but an auntie who had probably just returned from the supermarket also stuffed fresh fruits into the hands of several cubs.

Before they even reached the supermarket, everyone was holding fruits and snacks in their arms. Even Bi Fang, who had the worst temper, awkwardly held an apple and said thank you.

Arriving at the supermarket, they bought groceries and added some daily necessities. Rong Sui handed the items to the supermarket staff for delivery, while they went for a stroll in the neighborhood.

The neighborhood covered a very large area, with nearly half of it planted with trees; the greening was exceptionally well done. Walking further back, they could even faintly see mountain peaks—the back gate of the neighborhood connected directly to the Wushan Scenic Area, and residents could directly take the neighborhood shuttle bus into the scenic area.

Rong Sui looked up into the distance, vaguely remembering that when he was a child, he often followed the villagers into the mountains to gather firewood and pick mushrooms. His dad had even hunted wild boars in the mountains. At this moment, he couldn’t help but want to go and take a look again, to recall his childhood. “After we finish eating, shall we go up the mountain to take a look?”

Bai Tu was about to nod when an elderly man passing by heard their words and quickly stopped them. “Ah, you absolutely cannot go to Wushan right now.”

Seeing that the two young men and several children were all unfamiliar faces, he guessed they probably didn’t know about Wushan, so he lowered his voice and explained to them, “Recently, it’s rumored that there are fierce beasts in the mountain. People have seen them several times at night. But the police have searched the mountain several times and haven’t found anything. Who knows where that beast is hiding? Since you are bringing children, you’d better not go.”

Hearing the elderly man say this, Rong Sui gave up the idea of climbing the mountain. He turned back to the supermarket to buy more ingredients, preparing to go back and have hotpot.

__

Author’s Note:

Teacher Rong: Having been poor for so many years, I just found out my family owns a villa.

Old Father: Are you surprised? Is it thrilling?