Chapter 104: A Whole Family, Together

Jiang Dai looked at the two little ones affectionately. “Juanjuan, look how much your third brother likes you!”

Juanjuan glanced at her third brother, who had started talking nonsense again. She remembered how he had said several times before that he wanted to sneak her away with him.

“Father, Mother, and Big Brother and Second Brother should live there too. I like it when the whole family is together!”

That last sentence was something Juanjuan had wanted to say to her third brother for a long time.

She just hadn’t found the right moment before.

Don’t ask how a four-year-old knows about “the right moment.” She’s small, not stupid.

Even kids can sense when the time is right.

Take Da Chui, for example…

He always knows exactly when speaking up will earn him a beating from his mother. That’s definitely not the right time.

Jiang Dai was suddenly struck by her little daughter’s words.

In her early twenties, the clear-eyed beauty Jiang Dai teased her third son, who had just spoken. “What’s this, Yun’an? You only want your little sister to live there? What about your mother and father?”

Bai Yun’an blinked. “I want you too! When I grow up and make lots of money, I’ll give it all to you and Dad!”

Jiang Dai laughed. “Hehe! That’s okay, you’re all just too sweet!”

Bai Yun’an: ?

【It’s true, I never really planned to bring anyone else. Only you two know what’s inside my Spatial Storage. Lately, I haven’t even dared to take anything out to eat, just so you wouldn’t notice.】

【Besides, I only need Favorability Points from Juanjuan.】

【Still, we’re family. I’m guessing that lousy System brought you all here with me, so when I leave, I’ll make sure to leave you a fortune.】

Juanjuan: !!!

See?

She knew it!

Third Brother already had it all planned out.

Juanjuan hugged her mother tightly, nestling her little head into her mother’s arms.

When the time came, she definitely wouldn’t go with her brother. Juanjuan wanted to stay with her mother!

Even if…

Even if her brother offered her the delicious Wang Zai Small Mantou Buns and the yummy Wang Zai Milk, it wouldn’t work!

She, Juanjuan—wait, what was her full name again?

“Mom, what’s my full name?”

The little one, snuggled in Jiang Dai’s arms, suddenly asked out of nowhere.

Jiang Dai: ?

“Bai Yunshu. Like clouds rolling and clouds unfolding¹.”

Juanjuan nodded solemnly.

She, Bai Yunshu, would never leave her mother behind!

Jiang Dai: ?

This little one, acting all serious and determined… she was just too adorable!

Off to the side, Bai Yunqi let out a quiet, smug laugh in his heart.

【Hah! All talk, the lot of them. I’m already contributing to the family! I’ll wander around the county town later and see if I can find any hidden treasures!】

【When those thieves showed up recently, who was it that took care of them? Me!】

“Sister Jiang!”

Liang Tian’er’s voice rang out from not far away.

Everyone in the main hall turned to look. Amid the lush spring garden, a young girl in a flowing jade-green silk dress came walking briskly down the path from around the corner.

Bai Tian said, “When I start making money, I’ll get you one too!”

He knew her well.

Jiang Dai definitely liked pretty dresses like that.

Jiang Dai snorted. “From you? I’ll buy it myself!”

Bai Tian: …

Fine. His fellow villager and co-parenting partner was a proud one.

Still…

【Whatever! If she wants to buy it herself, that’s her business. But me, Little Boss Bai, I just want to give it to her! Hmph~】

Juanjuan thought to herself: As expected, there’s never any important news from Dad.

Either that, or he’s always talking about things she doesn’t understand, has never seen, or can’t even imagine.

Things like… laundry chicken, dishwashing chicken, fire-starting chicken, oil-smoke chicken, meat-grinding chicken²…

Juanjuan really couldn’t figure out what kind of chickens those were supposed to be!

While Juanjuan was zoning out, Liang Tian’er had already entered the main hall.

She personally poured more water for Jiang Dai and the others.

“Miss Liang, this garden is lovely. Could someone take the kids for a walk around?”

Jiang Dai clearly wanted to send the kids away for a bit.

【When I was little, I never understood why adults always sent the kids off. Now I get it.】

【It’s because they’re afraid kids might accidentally blurt something out.】

【After all… I still remember those short videos from back home, like ‘My brother can eat poop,’ ‘Mine too,’ ‘Mine can eat a pound,’ ‘Mine can eat two.’ Unforgettable.】

Juanjuan looked at her mother, who was whispering in her heart again.

She really wanted to say: Juanjuan is super good at keeping secrets!

Also, she would never say her brother eats poop!

Wait!

Didn’t Big Brother fall into the latrine pit last time? He probably ate some then?

You never know when a child’s train of thought will take a sharp turn.

But then Juanjuan blinked again.

No, wasn’t that called… Marrow Cleansing and Meridian Washing?

She didn’t know what it meant, but it probably wasn’t falling into a latrine pit.

Juanjuan shook her little head. Knowing too much sometimes made it easy to get things mixed up.

She gently patted her own head.

Grow up soon, little head. Get smarter, so you can hide more secrets!

“Mo Han, Dongqu, Chunlai, go find another person. The four of you each watch one child,” Liang Tian’er instructed, sending out her four maids to ensure every child was properly supervised.

Jiang Dai gave her own instructions. “Yunxing, keep an eye on your siblings. And your brother.”

Bai Yunxing nodded. “Okay.”

His only brother, Bai Yunqi: ?

“Mom! Weren’t you always telling me to watch the younger ones?”

Jiang Dai smiled at her ruffled eldest son.

“Yunqi, you watch your younger siblings!”

Bai Yunqi: …

What a half-hearted woman.

…

Once the children had all left, only a few people remained in the main hall.

Bai Tian carefully took out a clay jar he had brought with him.

“The sweet potatoes have sprouted.”

Liang Tian’er immediately perked up. She even stood to look down into the jar at the tiny seedlings.

Though she hadn’t farmed herself, her years of travel had given her some basic knowledge.

These sweet potato seedlings clearly weren’t freshly sprouted. They had been growing for a few days and looked stronger, likely brought over after they had stabilized.

“They’ve sprouted. There are more seedlings back home. Miss Liang, you can have someone plant these first. As long as they follow the precautions I mentioned, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Liang Tian’er nodded. “Alright!”

Bai Tian then looked at her. “So, how do you plan to run the sweet potato cultivation trial? Can you tell me?”

“Trial?” Liang Tian’er looked puzzled.

Bai Tian explained, “I mean the method for cultivating them and verifying their effectiveness.”

“I just think, if we want to be thorough and present a convincing, flawless report to the higher-ups, we need to plan the trial method carefully.”

Liang Tian’er tilted her head. “Like what?”

Bai Tian grinned. He knew he wouldn’t be useless!

Sure, he wasn’t great at inventing or writing poetry, but he’d started businesses before. He’d grown up hearing his parents talk shop, been taught by his grandfather, and had real hands-on experience.

He was Little Boss Bai, after all!

Translator’s Notes

• Wang Zai Small Mantou Buns and Wang Zai Milk: Wang Zai (旺仔) is a famous brand of snacks in China. The “Small Mantou” are actually tiny, crunchy milk-flavored biscuits that resemble miniature buns, and the milk is a very sweet, iconic canned condensed milk drink. Both are staples of childhood nostalgia for many Chinese readers.