Chapter 26

Chapter 26

After the first episode ended, viewers eagerly anticipated scenes from the second.

As the guests stepped out of the car, the setting gradually unfolded before them—a historic-themed street. The group entered a charming two-story teahouse.

While they were still chatting, the Producer suddenly appeared and explained the rules for this episode.

"This time, you’ll take on a two-day business challenge at the teahouse. The historic-themed street opens at 11 a.m., so your task is to attract tourists and earn daily funds. Today’s lunch will be provided by the production team, but all other expenses must come from your joint efforts. You’re free to explore the entire street and buy anything you need."

Bao Yiming couldn’t help but smile with excitement: "This sounds more fun than last time!"

Xingxing had originally felt nervous about the "task difficulty," but hearing Yi Ming’s enthusiasm made it seem manageable again.

The Producer continued, "Please note the key rule: Four young guests will act as the teahouse owners, responsible for overall planning and management. Adults can offer suggestions, but the final decisions rest with the four kid bosses."

"Them? Planning? Managing?"

Zhou Xu voiced his disbelief, his tone laced with doubt.

Eight pairs of eyes shot him identical glares, even the usually shy Rong Rong among them.

Zhou Xu silently raised his hands in surrender.

"Look at you! Combined, these four are 25 years old!"

"The show’s a hit—tourists probably know them already! Won’t the teahouse get packed? Making money should be super easy!"

"Where exactly is this historic-themed street? I want to go as a tourist—I’ve got money, I’ve got money! I need to take photos with my wife, I can’t wait!"

Soon after, the Producer vanished.

The four little ones huddled together, chatting excitedly.

Before the adults could speak, Bao Yiming checked his watch: "Everyone, we only have two hours to prepare. Let’s get moving! Uncle Zhou, stop frowning! We’re in charge now!"

Xiao Qi hopped around his brother: "Daddy, Xiao Qi is the boss now~"

Zhou Xu snapped to attention and bowed playfully: "Yes, bosses."

Wen Cishu wheeled their luggage while teasing, "Teacher Zhou really suits comedy."

Chu Han laughed in agreement.

Everyone pushed their luggage into the back room.

When they came out, the four kid bosses handed out ancient-style costumes prepared by the production team. There were separate styles for men and women.

After changing, Chu Han and Zhu Wei looked at each other in surprise—they were mirror images from behind, like a pair of dazzling twins.

Zhu Wei peered eagerly: "Ah, where’s Yi Ming’s dad? I want to see his period costume."

Chu Han examined her outfit: "These outfits are just okay. If I’d known we’d be here, I could’ve borrowed some better ones from my film crew’s costume department."

As she finished speaking, Wen Cishu walked out, fumbling with his belt: "Sister Wei, can you give me a hand?"

He was tall and slender with graceful poise. Dressed in this indigo servant's uniform, he didn't look like a waiter but rather an aristocrat traveling in disguise.

His jet-black hair was casually tied back, perfectly matching the ancient costume.

Chu Han's eyes lit up as she stepped forward first: "Let Sister Han help. Sister Han is a pro at wearing ancient costumes."

Zhu Wei let out a laugh.

Chu Han tied the wide belt around his waist, showing off his slender waist.

"Papa!" Bao Yiming rushed over, looking left and right in amazement.

Wen Cishu booped his nose and smiled, asking, "Don't you recognize me?"

Bao Yiming hugged his little dad's arm: "You look amazing!"

He had never seen his little dad dressed like this before.

"OMG my gorgeous historical-drama husband..."

"LMAO, Chu Han totally floated over like she was acting"

"Oh my god, why can't I be Ming Zai? I want to throw myself into Little Dad's arms too."

"Ughhh, my husband truly has grace, elegance, and beauty—everything!"

"Plus that glorious hair! [bald clown.jpg]"

Zhou Xu came in next, admired Wen Cishu, then sighed regretfully: "Why is it that every time we form a group, I can never be the visual center?"

Wen Cishu replied with a smile, "Teacher Zhou definitely relies on talent—no question about it."

"Exactly!" Zhou Xu grinned. "No wonder Yi Ming is so eloquent—it's hereditary."

Once all four guests had changed, they also dressed the little ones in their small boss outfits.

Wen Cishu looked at his biracial son in ancient attire; something felt off, though he couldn't quite place it.

But when Bao Yiming turned around, waving those giant sleeves around and bouncing excitedly, four words immediately flashed through his mind: ...a dressed-up monkey.

The eight of them then sat on opposite sides of a long table to begin the day's work running the teahouse.

After the kids decided among themselves, Chu Han was assigned to heat water, while Zhou Xu and Zhu Wei were tasked with cleaning the tables and floors in the main hall.

"What about me?" Wen Cishu asked, puzzled. "What should I do?"

Xiao Qi happily straightened up, pretending to hug him from afar: "Uncle just needs to hold Xiao Qi!"

Rong Rong: "Uncle, play with us~"

Xing Xing: "Uncle, can you be in charge of collecting money? Do you like that?"

"Huh?" Even Chu Han couldn't help but voice her surprise. "Xing Xing, you didn't even ask if Mommy liked heating water."

"Wow, you four little bosses are showing favoritism!" Zhou Xu knocked on the table.

Zhu Wei propped her chin in her hand, cracking up.

"Xing Xing, is that your line? That's your big bro Yi Ming's line!"

"Chu Han was stunned—her son has already switched sides, that's hilarious."

Wen Cishu nodded with a smile. "I can handle the money. Do we have an account book?"

Bao Yiming ran to the counter to fetch it. "Papa, it's written with a brush!"

"Alright." Wen Cishu took it, flipped through the pages, and said to the four little ones, "Don’t worry, I’ve got this. I won’t mess it up."

"Time to get started!" Bao Yiming urged.

Chu Han gathered her skirt as she stood up and asked, "What about you guys?"

Rong Rong had already taken Xiao Qi’s hand and pointed obediently toward the door. "Auntie, we’ll welcome guests there!"

"Oh, I see. Then I’ll go boil water." Chu Han patted the two cuties’ cheeks and dashed off lightly to the back room.

She had checked earlier—there were basic supplies like an electric kettle, tea leaves, and bottled water, so she wouldn’t actually have to start a fire to boil water.

"Wow, everyone’s got their jobs figured out! Nice!"

"Ming Zai won over the little ones right away, so there won’t be any conflicts."

"What’s so nice about it? Not nice at all! I can’t go drink tea, boo-hoo~"

Wen Cishu had just opened the inkstone to grind ink when he suddenly remembered something and called out to his son, who was wiping tables. "Yi Ming? You haven’t set prices yet—how much for a cup of tea? Anything else?"

"Wait, what?" Bao Yiming was startled, and Xingxing turned around at the same time.

The two little ones gaped at each other in shock.

Zhu Wei, who was wiping the table, said, "Right, hurry and discuss it. Just decide on a price."

"Hmm..."

Bao Yiming had never really had tea before—at most, he’d been to cafés near school. "How about 158 yuan per cup?"

Zhu Wei replied, "No chance! That’s outrageous!"

Then it dawned on her, and she turned to Wen Cishu. "Yikes, these kids are clueless about money!"

Wen Cishu held the brush and silently lowered his head.

"Is our wife feeling guilty with that look? So beautiful with that lowered gaze, kisses~"

"Our gorgeous Wen Cishu probably didn’t even realize Ming Zai’s pricing was unreasonable."

"I’m reminded of the bedding set from last episode! These two probably never handle money!"

"Look at our wife’s hands—delicate as jade stems, just like that! Let me touch them~"

Finally, with the adults’ suggestion, the price was set at 18 yuan per person to relax and enjoy tea at the teahouse.

At Xingxing’s suggestion, Wen Cishu cut a suitably sized piece of vivid red paper, wrote the price in calligraphy, and posted it outside the teahouse.

Seeing the bright red paper, Rong Rong tugged at her uncle’s sleeve. "Uncle, can you also write the matching phrases for both sides? The kind we paste during Spring Festival."

Wen Cishu bent down and asked, "Couplets?"

"Yeah!" Rong Rong nodded vigorously, then turned to call out, "Big Brother Yi Ming, let’s put up couplets to decorate the door, okay?"

"That's a great idea!" Bao Yiming readily agreed. "Okay, Papa, you write it!"

So, surrounded by the children, Wen Cishu cut red paper to make the couplets.

Holding the brush, he paused in brief thought.

Zhu Wei, curious, walked over just as he effortlessly penned two poetic lines in a single stroke.

She read aloud, *"To dispel summer’s heat, sit in stillness; with tea comes clarity of heart."*

Wen Cishu set down the brush with a smile. "These lines are from *Replying to the Gift of Tea and Fan from Monk Xian* by Shao Bao, a Ming Dynasty poet."

Zhu Wei marveled, "Yiming’s dad, your calligraphy is truly amazing!"

"Auntie, what kind of writing is this?" Xiao Qi asked curiously.

"Kaishu, the standard script," Zhu Wei turned to examine it seriously. "This must have taken at least ten years of childhood practice."

Wen Cishu: "I practiced a lot as a child, but I’ve grown lazy now."

He handed the couplets to the little rascals to paste up. "Be careful, don’t trip."

"Okay~" Bao Yiming dashed off excitedly, followed by three energetic kids.

"Slowly becoming unworthy of my wife... waaah."

"What an elegant, refined, and stunning ancient scholar—he even writes such exquisite calligraphy!"

"Just thinking about how Ming Zai’s dad is part-foreign makes me wonder if he was utterly bewitched by his wife?"

"Very likely! Even as a native, I’m completely enchanted. Charming a foreigner must’ve been a cinch!"

Just as the kids finished pasting the couplets, several middle-aged women in red tourist caps came over to look.

One of them asked, "What is this place? A teahouse?"

Bao Yiming realized these might be their first customers and quickly stepped forward to invite them in for tea.

One auntie eyed him—though wearing traditional clothes, he clearly had a hint of foreign features.

"Young man, why do you look a bit... odd?"

Xiao Qi tugged at the auntie’s pants. "Auntie~ have some tea~"

Rong Rong also stared at them eagerly.

Xing Xing quietly pushed the door open wider.

Bao Yiming enthusiastically added, "Auntie, you really can have tea here! No need to be shy. Come in~"

"Seriously, that line sounds creepy."

"Wow, real tourists who don’t know them—this is hilarious!"

Just then, hearing the noise, Wen Cishu hurried out, ready to welcome them with a smile—only for one auntie to gasp, "Oh!" and wave the others over to stare.

"Shooting a show?"

"Dunno, but this guy’s really good-looking."

The aunties buzzed with chatter.

"Young man, is this a tea house? Eighteen bucks a head?"

Wen Cishu nodded and gestured for them to enter. "That's right—you can take a load off if you'd like."

He noticed a camera around one auntie’s neck and smiled. "No need to buy tea—feel free to browse for free. Please, come in."

The kids bounced around, nudging the aunties inside. "Yeah~ You can visit!"

The aunties, clearly familiar with weird setups, said, "Let me check things out first—we might skip the tea."

Bao Yiming chimed in warmly, "No worries! Aunties, right this way."

Zhu Wei winked at Wen Cishu and stepped forward with a smile to greet them.

Once inside, the aunties saw that the place was spotless and airy, just like a scene from an old-time drama show. They couldn’t resist whipping out their phones for pics.

Then they beamed at Wen Cishu and asked, "Hey handsome, mind snapping a pic with us?"

Wen Cishu was about to agree when Bao Yiming blocked his path. "Aunties, you haven't even had tea yet."

"Alright, alright, eighteen yuan per cup, right?" One auntie started pulling out cash. "Make it four teas."

Bao Yiming lit up, shaking Wen Cishu’s arm like a slot machine.

Wen Cishu ruffled his hair before humoring selfies with every starstruck auntie.

"Is this tea for sale or the guy serving it?! Ming Zai, do you even know what business you're in?!"

"Ming Zai: Business is booming—I’d auction off Dad if I had to!"

"Moral of the story: Drop-dead gorgeous equals cash flow."

After the photos, the aunties gathered around Wen Cishu. "Young man, are you married? Auntie’s got a Rolodex of cuties."

"Are you an actor? Or do you really run this shop?"

One auntie even cornered Zhu Wei. "Sweetie, spill—it’s just sibling vibes, right?"

Wen Cishu and Zhu Wei exchanged panicked glances.

Zhu Wei set a vintage porcelain cup on the table. "Just siblings! Sis and bro!"

Wen Cishu pointed toward Bao Yiming at the door. "That’s my kid. Nine years old."

"What?!" The aunties gasped. "Y-you’re married?!"

"That’s right," Wen Cishu replied. "Gotta log the sales now. Ladies, sip away!"

With that, he bolted for the register.

Chu Han and Zhou Xu stood nearby, doubled over laughing.

The aunties sat around the square table sipping tea while Zhu Wei and Chu Han refilled their cups.

Easy money—zero overhead on tea and water.

One auntie studied Chu Han for a long moment before asking, "Hey gorgeous, do I know you from somewhere?"

"Here she comes! She's the award-winning actress!"

"I knew it! Not recognizing a stunning beauty is one thing, but the other three are pretty easy to spot."

Chu Han responded quickly, "Oh~ Do you think I look like an actress?"

"Yeah, I think I’ve seen you on the movie channel before."

Chu Han gracefully refilled the tea with the ceramic teapot, "A lot of guests say the same thing."

"Oh, so it’s just a resemblance?" The lady nodded, buying it. "So why are you working here as a server? Those actresses make movies and win awards—they’re really impressive."

Chu Han nodded, "Nah, I can’t act for real."

Zhu Wei almost lost it and quickly grabbed the teapot to refill water.

At the entrance.

Tourists kept pouring in, and the kids eagerly tugged at customers, inviting them inside for tea.

Some balked at how young the kids were, while others came in out of curiosity because the kids were adorable. Once inside and greeted, they’d settle right in.

Before long, the teahouse, once quiet, was now buzzing.

Chu Han, afraid of being recognized, decided to lay low in the back, prepping tea.

Zhu Wei and Zhou Xu bustled back and forth, pouring and refilling tea, loving every hectic minute.

When one wave of guests left, Bao Yiming came over with a wad of cash and handed it to his little dad.

He launched himself at his little dad, hugging his waist, "Mommyyy~ We got cash!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he sensed something was off. He silently looked up at his little dad, then lowered his head, looking all guilty and puppy-eyed.

"Awwww mommy?! Oh my god, did I hear that right?!"

"Is this how you act spoiled in private?! Ming Zai, you lucky little—! I’m green with envy—someone hand me a pillow to scream into!"

"Hold up, mommy, you adopting?!"

"Why does Ming Zai look so guilty? That guilty look? Copy-paste from the beauty earlier."

"The only one who could fluster him this bad is probably Ming Zai’s big dad."

Wen Cishu smiled and pinched his cheek, "Someone’s in a good mood today, huh?"

"Mhm~"

Bao Yiming excitedly tried to lift his little dad, startling Wen Cishu, who yelped, bracing against the counter.

Zhu Wei came over with the water kettle, refilled Wen Cishu’s cup, and reminded with a laugh, "Yi Ming, don’t go flinging your little dad around!"

"Hehe~"

Bao Yiming nuzzled into his little dad’s chest, Xiao Qi-style.

Every time he encountered something fun, his little dad was by his side, always there for a squeeze—pure bliss.

-

Not far from the antique-street teahouse, inside a hotel’s executive suite.

Albert knocked and entered, greeted by Uncle Xu who opened the door.

Uncle Xu happened to be leaving.

In the living room, a floor-to-ceiling projection screen was playing *Zai Zai Is a Superman*.

Opposite the screen, on the sofa, sat Bo Tingyuan, going through company files, occasionally glancing up at the video.

Hearing Albert’s footsteps, he picked up the remote and lowered the show’s volume.

Coming straight from the office, Albert dumped a stack of files onto the coffee table.

Bo Tingyuan moved a book from the table to the sofa beside him.

Albert glanced at it—a poetry collection by René Char, with a small green jade bookmark knife decorated with traditional ruyi cloud patterns resting on the cover.

He frowned, wondering, *Has President Bo started reading poetry recently?*

As his gaze shifted to the large projection screen, Wen Cishu was pinching Bo Yiming’s cheek, his face full of tenderness and love.

Albert shot a glance at the stern, impassive face on the sofa: *Is President Bo learning poetry to recite for Mr. Wen? Seriously…?*