Chapter 63: I'm Babysitting!

The setting sun plunged into the horizon, and the glow of the clouds in the sky gradually faded.

The smoke from kitchen chimneys in Tubei Mountain had died down, yet a reassuring aroma of daily life still lingered in the air.

Mealtime.

Dandao and Du Bubu appeared right on schedule.

Du Bubu had a battered little pack slung over his shoulder, wearing a look of unblushing and righteous composure under the Su family's stares. "What are you glaring at me for? Today, on account of the little brats, the Bai family leveled my old nest and left me nowhere to live. Shouldn't you people be held responsible for this? You can't just let a benefactor wander the streets, can you? My demands aren't high—just add an extra bowl and pair of chopsticks for me every day! From now on, Dandao and I are staying right here!"

The Su family members stiffly turned their gaze toward Dandao.

A fleeting look of awkwardness crossed the depths of Dandao's eyes. "Indeed, that is the case."

Du Bubu grew indignant. "What do you mean, 'indeed'? Far more than just indeed! That brute Bai Kui lost face here, and then turned around to vent his anger on my old nest! That ruined temple may have been dilapidated, but at least it had walls to block the wind and tiles for a roof. We'd lived there for five or six years! We grew attached to the place! And now look—went back there this afternoon, and well, what do you know? A whole temple left with only four bare pillars! We aren't birds or mice, are we supposed to roost on pillars? The Su family has to take responsibility! Anyway, I'm not leaving!"

Faced with this speech, the Su family simply could not find a way to refuse.

There were four little kids in the family; although Du Bubu had taken them out without permission, the people who had beaten them up were indeed from their own Sweet Precious.

They could not deny that when trouble struck, Du Bubu hadn't run off by himself, but had instead brought the children back.

Old Man Su thought for a moment, furrowed his brows, and said helplessly, "Elder Du, Lord Dandao, if you truly have nowhere to live, there is plenty of open space all around Tubei Mountain. Shall we build a new house for you? It's not that we don't want you to stay in our home, but we have female family members here, and men and women should keep their distance. Living together would cause a lot of inconvenience."

Dinner was already cooked in the kitchen, and the bowls and chopsticks were laid out. Dandao took a seat by the dining table. "I'll build my own."

He had never intended to stay at the Su family's house in the first place.

Du Bubu did not make an unreasonable fuss over this either, raising only one condition: "The new house must be built right next to yours, and you have to take care of our meals!"

With that, he squeezed himself into the seat at the table as well, taking a bite of rice and a bite of dish, narrowing his eyes in contentment.

In a pot nearby, fragrant scallion flatbreads were still baking, and a pot of boiled, cooled water sat on the stove.

Every detail exuded a rustic, warm, and cozy atmosphere of everyday life.

He was as mesmerized and addicted to this warmth as he was to medicinal herbs.

When he didn't have it, he took it for granted, but once he had tasted even a sliver of it, he never wanted to return to his former life of wandering and displacement.

Did it have countless benefits? Not really. It just gave him a sense of peace and grounded stability in his heart.

After the meal, Dandao dragged away Du Bubu, who was trying to linger in the kitchen.

The night passed in peace.

Early the next morning, just as the rising sun revealed a sliver of red light and before its rays could pierce the morning mist, Du Bubu's noise-making disturbance broke out in the Su family's small courtyard.

"Su family folks, time to get up, get up! The sun is shining on your bottoms! We're building the house today, hurry up and get to work!"

***

Su Da and Su Er were the first to crawl out of their rooms, both brothers sporting massive dark circles under their eyes.

Having discovered the family's big secret yesterday, neither of them had slept well all night with excitement.

"Elder Du, even work has to wait until after breakfast. Aren't you arriving a bit too early?" Su Da rubbed his aching temples and said helplessly.

Du Bubu's eyes widened. "Early? What do you mean early? The sparrows on the eaves have already chirped three times! If you lot are this lazy, how are you ever going to fight for food? You're not even as diligent as an old man like me in his decades!"

Su Er's head was still muddled; he was up, but his brain had yet to wake up. He hung limply against the door frame, his eyes half-closed. "Yes, yes, yes, you're the most diligent old timer. Let me wake my mind up first... To build a house, we need to gather materials first—timber, thatch, mud mixed with stones..."

"Dandao has already gone to pillage some timber, and the reeds in Qinghe Bay are growing just right. Go cut some grass!"

The Su brothers' mouths twitched. Pillage?

No, no, they were just making a fuss over nothing; in a place of exile like this, such things couldn't be more normal.

Su Da rubbed his face hard, wiping away his unworldly expression. "We'll do all the work, Elder Du, what will you be doing?"

"I'm walking the kids!" Du Bubu said with his hands clasped behind his back, looking right into the house. "Where's Sweet Precious? Where are Su An and the other three little brats? Why aren't they waking up when I'm shouting this loud?"

Su Da and Su Er exchanged glances. "..."

Fine. Since you know how to use poison, you get the final say.

The quiet courtyard gradually grew lively with the sounds of residents waking up, and the Su family's courtyard was the loudest of all.

That old man who knew how to use poison was acting like he had been injected with chicken blood today, so active and chattering that people wanted to stuff his mouth.

Would Du Bubu care?

Not at all.

After all, no one dared to beat him up.

By the time the Su family members were all up and the sounds of pots, pans, and bowls making breakfast drifted from the kitchen, the sun had just leaped over the horizon.

Du Bubu carried little Sweet Precious piggyback-style, with three little tails trailing behind him, strolling leisurely in circles around the small courtyard.

"Poison Grandpa, where on earth do you hide your poison? It's not even in your pockets!"

"If you could find it, would Poison Grandpa still be able to get by? The highest realm of using poison is making people defenseless and inescapable, hehe!"

"Tell us, Poison Grandpa! Poison Grandpa!"

"Not telling. If you have the ability, find it yourselves. Once you manage to find the poison on my body, you can go out and proudly call yourselves my disciples and grand-disciples!"

The Su family members, some washing up and others bustling in the kitchen, occasionally glanced toward the courtyard, speechless yet amused.

The three boys hung onto the old man's legs with hands and feet, completely devoid of the terror and fear they had shown when they first met him.

***

The youngest baby was sitting on the old man's shoulders and neck, clearly still drowsy, using the old man's messy hair as a small pillow and sleeping soundly with her mouth half open, without the slightest worry that she might fall off while asleep.

The morning sun was gentle, the breeze mild, and the crazy old man covered in human attachments walked with a swaggering gait. Facing the light, the corners of his old eyes and brows were filled with comfort and enjoyment.

They had known each other for barely two months; who could have imagined that the eccentric crazy old man and these children would end up in such a state?

The news that the Su family was going to build another house beside their courtyard quickly spread among the neighboring residents.

Many people hurried over, some carrying toolsets for building houses, others shouldering construction materials that could be of use, coming forward to help while gathering their courage.

They still feared the strangers who had appeared in Tubei Mountain—they feared Dandao, and they feared Elder Du.

Therefore, while working, the residents tried their best to control their gaze from lingering on the two men, only casting quick, stolen glances when they truly couldn't help it, before immediately looking away.

"Su Da, the young master of the Bai family said yesterday that he's coming back. Aren't you worried he'll come and cause trouble if you build the house now?" Li Xiaoxiao leaned close to Su Da while working and asked anxiously.

Before Su Da could reply, Su Er burst out laughing, flashing a mouthful of white teeth. "Not scared! If he dares to come and have a single combat with our Sweet Precious, he'll just lose again!"

Hahaha!

He had tested it out last night; their Sweet Precious really did have divine strength!

A wooden bowl for eating meals was placed in her hands, and the baby gently bent her fingers, snapping the wooden bowl right in two!

The young master of the Bai family was only three or four years old; no matter how mischievous he was, could he possibly be harder than a wooden bowl?

If he comes, he'll just lose face one more time.

And cry his eyes out.

You really shouldn't speak of the devil, because as soon as you speak, they arrive.

Su Er's smug laughter hadn't even faded when he caught sight of a small figure leisurely appearing on the dirt road outside his home.

The pomp and circumstance were still as grand as ever.

Su Er's mouth twitched, and he raised a hand to slap himself across the face.

Why'd you have to mention him! Why'd you have to mention him!

Sweet Precious was still asleep on top of Elder Du's head!