Chapter 92: So Alike, Unbelievably Alike!

In the end, Master Zhao nodded and agreed.

Better to seek wisdom outside than to work in isolation.

Instead of burying himself in the kitchen alone, it was better to get out, take a breather, and maybe even see a different side of the world.

Who knows, he might stumble upon some unexpected inspiration.

Besides Master Zhao and Liu Xiang, the rest of the orphanage staff were also herded onto the bus heading to the amusement park.

Zhang Qiang, Yan Fang, Aunt Liu, Doctor Feng, Zhang Haiping, and Liu Shufen all boarded together.

After nearly two months of working together, everyone had grown quite familiar with one another.

Even Zhang Haiping and Liu Shufen, who had joined later, blended into the group naturally and effortlessly.

They truly hadn’t expected this.

They came out to work, and not only was the boss kind, the coworkers were great, but even the benefits were amazing.

They had grown up in the countryside, and even after moving to the city, they’d never gone to an amusement park just for fun.

Their childhoods were filled with rolling iron hoops, kicking shuttlecocks, jumping rope, playing with yo-yos, and tossing sandbags.

They’d never experienced the kinds of rides and attractions they saw on TV.

But now the boss had said everyone would get a day off to go out and have fun together.

And the entire cost would be covered.

It was downright shocking to the two of them.

At first, when the director said they were going to the amusement park, the couple instinctively shook their heads.

Not because they didn’t want to go, but because they felt a sense of duty and didn’t dare leave.

If they left, what would happen to the trees in the mountains? What about the little animals?

But the director insisted it was a rare opportunity. If they didn’t go, the orphanage group wouldn’t be complete.

As for the animals, they could prepare food for them in advance.

When the time came, the animals would eat on their own.

Even if they forgot, skipping one meal wouldn’t starve them.

And so, the couple was persuaded.

Truthfully, deep down, they really did enjoy going out with everyone and taking part in outside activities.

Even if they didn’t go on rides, just walking around, seeing new things, was a joy.

Then there were Zhang Qiang and Yan Fang, who nearly got into a fight over who would stay behind and who would go (both wanted to stay and give the other the chance to go out and have fun).

In the end, Lu Qingqiang waved her hand and declared, “Lock the doors. Everyone goes. No one stays behind.”

And just like that, the entire group was finally assembled.

The driver was still Xiao Zhang.

Last time, Madam Lu had someone send Lu Qingqiang a medium-sized yellow minibus, and soon after, they delivered a full-sized bus with the orphanage logo on it.

The big bus was perfect. It could carry dozens of people at once.

And since Xiao Zhang had an A1 license, driving a bus was perfectly legal and reasonable.

Lu Qingqiang was worried that the amusement park would be crowded and people might get separated, so she had everyone wear the custom hats the orphanage had made for them.

The yellow hats featured a lazy, adorable chubby cat.

Beneath the cat was a tiny line of text that read: Jiang City Loving Heart Orphanage.

On the way to the amusement park, Yuan Yuan tried to liven up the mood by playing a game with everyone on the bus.

It wasn’t a difficult game.

Just a simple counting game where you skip numbers related to seven.

For example, the first person says a random number, and the next person continues counting from there.

Whenever someone hits a number like 7, 14, 17, 21, 27, or 28, they have to say “skip.”

If someone accidentally says a number with a 7 in it or a multiple of 7, they have to perform for the group—sing a song, tell a joke, or do a little act.

As soon as the game started, the atmosphere on the bus lit up.

The first person to speak was Wang Zhiyu, sitting in the first row by the window.

She said “20,” and without thinking, Xiao Hui blurted out, “21!”

“Hahaha! Xiao Hui, Teacher Yuan just said you have to skip multiples of seven. You messed up, you messed up! Time to perform!”

“Ah, I forgot.” Xiao Hui smacked his forehead, looking regretful.

But a mistake was a mistake. He had to accept the punishment.

Now, what should he perform?

Ah, got it!

With that, Xiao Hui pushed past his shyness and said, “Next, I’ll do an impression of a conversation between Briar and Bramble.”

There was a TV in the canteen.

The kids always made time each day to squeeze in and watch cartoons there.

But while most of them just watched, Xiao Hui would mimic the characters as he watched.

As soon as he launched into his spot-on impressions, the bus erupted in cheers.

The kids were so excited they nearly clapped their hands raw.

Even Lu Qingqiang was stunned for a moment.

It was spot on, unbelievably spot on!

Goofy but endearing, and full of childlike charm.

It was her fault—she had no one to blame but herself!

The day Xiao Hui was discharged, the aunt who had been looking after him had told her that the boy had a real talent for this kind of thing.

She had taken it to heart and promised to pay attention.

But over the past month, she’d been so busy leading everyone in planting trees that she’d completely let it slip.

Once this outing was over, she would start focusing on nurturing the kids’ talents.

She would bring in professionals from various fields based on each child’s strengths and interests, so they could learn more and thrive in what they loved.

Xiao Hui’s performance ended quickly, but the others clamored for more.

“Encore! One more!”

Xiao Hui blushed from his cheeks to his neck under the enthusiastic shouts.

Yuan Yuan stepped in just in time to manage the crowd.

“According to the rules, Xiao Hui only needs to perform one act.”

“But, seeing how excited everyone is, let me ask on behalf of the group: Xiao Hui, would it be okay to do one more?”

“Or maybe just add a couple more lines to your last one?”

“Then… I’ll do a few lines as Logger Vick.”

With another round of spot-on impressions, the cheers and applause grew even louder.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think we were listening to the actual cartoon!” someone shouted.

“We agree!” the crowd responded in unison.

“Looks like our Xiao Hui is really talented!”

“Of course, I believe the other kids are amazing too.”

“So now, let’s continue the game. Xiao Hui, your turn to say a number.”

In the lively atmosphere, people kept making mistakes and were cheerfully pushed into performing.

At first, it was all pretty normal.

Some sang children’s songs, some told stories, others recited the Hundred Family Surnames.

Then it was Su Tao’s turn. She rattled off a string of dish names.

Steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roasted duck, roasted chick, roasted hen…

She made Lu Qingqiang so hungry he could barely sit still.

According to Doctor Feng and Teacher Yuan, Su Tao was never this good at memorizing things when it came to herbs or nursery rhymes.

But when it came to dish names—wow, she was on fire.

Her tongue moved so fast it was practically smoking.

After a while, Yuan Yuan told everyone to take a break and catch their breath.

Because they were almost at the amusement park.

Hearing that, the excitement didn’t die down.

If anything, it only grew stronger.

— Translator’s Notes —

– kicking shuttlecocks: A reference to ‘jianzi’, a traditional Chinese game where players keep a weighted shuttlecock in the air using their feet.

– Hundred Family Surnames: A classic Chinese text composed of common Chinese surnames, often memorized by children as a learning exercise.

– Briar and Bramble: The main bear characters from ‘Boonie Bears’ (Chinese: 熊出没), a popular Chinese animated television series for children.

– Logger Vick: A recurring character from the animated Chinese TV series ‘Boonie Bears,’ known as the antagonist logger.