Chapter 31

[Rubs chin. Seems like Mingzai's big dad.]

[Mingzai's big dad must have scolded them. Sob, wifey and the baby are so cute, no scolding them! I'm so mad.]

[But if mommy isn't in good health, wouldn't it be better not to play around on an empty stomach for too long?]

[Wow, a fresh perspective! I was enjoying watching so much that I forgot about that. As expected of big dad, seeing the bigger picture.]

[What does the bigger picture have to do with it? He clearly cares about his wife's health~]

In the teahouse's little kitchen.

Zhu Wei was already preparing breakfast.

When cooking dinner last night, Zhou Xu had deliberately set aside some extra ingredients.

As soon as Wen Cishu entered the kitchen, he saw a steaming pot and Zhu Wei. "Sister Wei, you're up so early?"

Zhu Wei smiled. "I went to bed early last night. You're just in time. The congee is ready."

"I'll dish it up."

Wen Cishu washed his hands again and went to get bowls.

In the steamer beside them were some cooked eggs.

Zhu Wei quickly stir-fried some pickled mustard greens with edamame and divided it into two portions, adding a little finely chopped green pepper to one.

The room was full of the warmth of everyday life.

Wen Cishu carried the bowls of congee to the table, wondering whether, if Bo Tingyuan was willing to join the show, they could briefly have a little life full of such everyday warmth.

But would it be convenient for Bo Tingyuan to appear on a variety show?

Then Wen Cishu remembered the book Bo Tingyuan had been holding before bed last night.

If he asked, Bo Tingyuan would most likely reluctantly agree.

Yet he didn't want Bo Tingyuan to do anything "reluctantly" because of him.

Then, through the doorway, Wen Cishu spotted Bo Yiming squatting on the ground with Xingxing, counting ants.

He couldn't help nodding thoughtfully.

-Yes, it was time to let the little monkey handle some major family problems.

Chapter 31

After breakfast.

Since the production team hadn't given them any new tasks, everyone continued running the teahouse just as they had yesterday.

Zhu Wei went over to the cabinet where they kept the tea leaves and opened it, only to find it completely empty.

In an exceedingly sorrowful tone, she announced a crisis of the century.

"All our tea leaves are gone!"

Bo Yiming asked in confusion, "Is there a thief in the teahouse?"

Wen Cishu draped an arm over the little monkey's shoulders and ruffled his hair. "Did the production team take them? To deliberately make things difficult for us?"

Bo Yiming muttered, "Is the production team that mean?"

Puzzled, Rongrong asked quietly, "Then how are we going to make tea?"

Zhu Wei found a map in the cabinet and brought it to the middle of the table. Everyone gathered around.

The cute, cartoon-style map depicted the street where the teahouse stood.

Below the map were the task rules.

[For every two cups of tea sold, you will receive one lunch provided by the production team.]

[Parents may not leave the teahouse. Doing so will count as a violation, and you will be dragged away by men in black~]

Chu Han calculated, "There are eight of us. We need to sell at least sixteen cups of tea."

Zhou Xu quickly chimed in. "Our Xiao Qi doesn't eat much. He can share mine."

Chu Han laughed. "The problem is, we don't have any tea leaves. Not even enough for one cup."

Zhu Wei sighed. "This really is a case of even the cleverest cook being unable to make a meal without rice."

Wen Cishu leaned closer to the cartoon map and pointed at several places. "Look, three tea shops are specially marked here. Are we supposed to get tea leaves from them first?"

Zhu Wei looked carefully, and that was indeed the case. "But the adults can't go. The children have to get them."

All four parents turned to look at the children at once.

As the oldest big brother, Bo Yiming stepped forward without hesitation. "I'll go get them, Little Dad."

While everyone was discussing it, a female tourist asked from outside the door, "Hello? Are you open?"

"Oh no," Zhu Wei muttered, then turned to the customer with a bright smile. "I'm so sorry. We're open, but we're not ready yet. Would you mind coming back in half an hour?"

"Sorry, I'm not here for tea." The tourist peered inside and asked quietly, "Could I use your restroom?"

"Oh, of course." Worried there might be some special circumstance, Zhu Wei didn't refuse. She led her toward the restroom and asked quietly, "Do you need anything?"

The tourist smiled and shook her head. "No, thank you."

[Sister Wei is so nice~ She even lets people do that?]

[Haha, a random passerby wandered in.]

In the main room, everyone else breathed a sigh of relief. The crisis was over.

Xingxing volunteered, "I'll go get tea leaves with Brother Yiming. Let's leave now."

Otherwise, it felt as though they wouldn't make it in time.

Rongrong ran quickly to Brother Yiming's side. "I want to go get them too."

With another person, they could carry more.

Xiao Qi asked his dad to put him down. "Xiao Qi wants to go~"

One little hand reached for Brother Yiming, while the other took Sister Rongrong's.

Considering that the show's camera operators would follow them and the children wouldn't simply get lost, the adults agreed.

Wen Cishu bent down and earnestly instructed the little monkey, "Yiming, it's okay if you can't read the map. Take it and ask the uncles and aunties running shops along the street, understand?"

"Yes!" Bo Yiming nodded vigorously. "Don't worry, Little Dad. Wait for us to come back!"

Then he turned to the other two adults. "Don't worry, Uncle Zhou, Auntie. I'll bring all the little brothers and sisters back."

"Go on, go on." Zhou Xu wasn't particularly worried about them getting lost. He was more worried about eight people having to share one lunch later.

The four little ones walked out hand in hand.

Before long, another tourist poked her head inside.

With an "Oh!" Zhou Xu walked over, ready to explain that the teahouse had no tea leaves.

But the tourist beat him to it, pointing at the couplet. "Hello, did the owner write that couplet? Could you write one for me?"

"Huh?" Zhou Xu hadn't caught on yet.

For the first time, Wen Cishu strode forward briskly. "Yes, but there's a charge."

He winked at Zhou Xu.

Zhou Xu said with a beaming smile, "That's right. Thirty-eight for a couplet."

The moment Wen Cishu heard that, he watched the tourist's reaction.

[Uncle Zhou, you picked that up so fast.]

[Thirty-eight is way too cheap. Wifey's calligraphy is so beautiful.]

[Judging by wifey's expression, he probably thinks the price is too high and is terrified the tourist will leave.]

The tourist stepped inside. "All right. Can you write it now? I still want to visit other places."

She had been admiring the calligraphy on the couplet the whole time, and only noticed Wen Cishu's face when she walked farther in. Slightly stunned, she stepped back to look at the teahouse's antique-style entrance again and asked in surprise, "Did I transmigrate?"

Afraid she was leaving, Zhou Xu hurriedly ushered her inside. "Haha. You haven't transmigrated. This handsome young man transmigrated here from ancient times."

The tourist stared at Wen Cishu in shock. "Huh? Transmigrators really exist?"

Wen Cishu went to get the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. "He's joking."

Since the teahouse had no tea leaves, Chu Han could only pour her a cup of warm water.

The tourist thanked her very politely.

After everyone bustled about, Wen Cishu laid everything out and asked gently and courteously, "What would you like me to write?"

The tourist pointed toward the entrance. "That couplet will do."

Wen Cishu dipped his brush in ink and swept it across the paper, finishing in no time.

Once the ink had dried a little, he rolled it up, tied it with a small piece of string, and handed it to the tourist with both hands.

"Thank you." The tourist bent forward with a smile and placed the money on the table.

Just before stepping out, she even made a point of turning back to look at the young man in ancient clothing.

[Wow, does this tourist feel like she's had a really surreal experience?]

[Wifey is so polite. He's gentle with everyone, just not with me. Sob~]

Wen Cishu picked up the money. "If the lunch the production team provides isn't enough, can we buy lunch ourselves?"

"Exactly!" Zhou Xu nodded with a smile. "Great. A few more tourists and we can take care of lunch ourselves."

As they spoke, Wen Cishu turned his head slightly, rubbing against the back of his collar.

For some reason, since getting up that morning, he had felt a little itch on a patch of skin at the back of his neck.

He hadn't paid attention during breakfast, but now the itching was becoming increasingly noticeable.

At the hotel.

Bo Tingyuan had noticed Wen Cishu's slight head-turning movement for the third time.

It looked as though he was feeling some slight discomfort at the back.

He messaged his son.

[Yiming, when you get back to the teahouse, stay out of the camera's view and ask your little dad if he's feeling unwell.]

But Bo Yiming was busy getting tea leaves and didn't notice the new message on his watch at all.

Bo Tingyuan called Uncle Xu and asked him to have Doctor Lin get ready.

Over the phone, Uncle Xu was startled. "What's wrong with Sir?"

Bo Tingyuan watched as Wen Cishu frowned for the fourth time on the screen and finally raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck.

"It's still unclear. There might be something wrong with his skin."

"All right, all right," Uncle Xu agreed.

After hanging up, he immediately went to knock on the adjoining guest room door and briefed Doctor Lin.

Doctor Lin's eyes shifted, and he immediately thought of a possibility.

"Could it be a skin allergy caused by changing into the production team's clothes yesterday? I'll have my assistant send over a few ointments so we have them ready."

"That's possible. Sir rarely wears clothes from outside," Uncle Xu said politely. "Sorry for the trouble."

Doctor Lin smiled. "It's part of my job. Otherwise, what am I doing here? Honestly, Old Xu, there's no need to be so polite with me."

Uncle Xu wasn't being polite so much as cautious.

After receiving the eldest young master's call, he had taken it very seriously.

Sir's health was indeed improving day by day now, but his underlying constitution was simply too poor.

It would be bad if a small problem turned into a major one.

On the show.

After leaving the teahouse, the four little ones followed the map, asking for directions as they walked, and finally reached the nearest tea shop.

But the owner said he couldn't let them take tea leaves for nothing. They needed to think of a way to do something for the shop themselves.