The hundreds of chicks were quickly rounded up and securely penned within the fence. The five young boys fed and watered them, finally completing the task assigned by Su Xi.
In the grand study, the group sat in neat rows once again, this time composing poems about their experiences feeding the chickens. After finishing, they still had most of the day left. Surprisingly, Su Xi didn’t assign them any more tedious tasks and instead allowed them to seek private tutors for other subjects.
That night, Zong Jincheng carried his fluffy chick, Mao Mao, back to his room to sleep, claiming that the night wind outside was too strong and could harm the chick’s injured leg. Since it was his fault, he insisted on taking responsibility for Mao Mao.
And so, the injured Mao Mao suddenly found itself living the life of a pampered young master.
The next day, due to the warm summer weather, the water spinach seeds sprouted unusually fast. The sight of tiny green shoots breaking through the soil left the boys utterly fascinated.
Zong Wenxiu marveled, "That was quick! They sprouted in just three days. The teacher said it usually takes three to six days in summer, but I thought it’d be at least five."
Zong Jincheng boasted, "Of course they sprouted faster—we planted them! Geniuses are exceptional in everything they do!"
He Zheng chimed in, "Exactly! It’s all thanks to us!"
Shen Yibai squealed in excitement, "This is amazing! Just a few days ago, they were seeds, and now they’re little sprouts. Ah… so cute, so cute! I want to move a few into my room to admire."
Wei Xinglu warned, "Don’t. You might kill them. These little things are fragile—just think about the chick whose leg Jincheng accidentally broke."
"……"
The five boys squatted by the field, admiring their handiwork from every angle, utterly pleased and fond of the sprouts they had nurtured.
Su Xi turned to Xu Wan and said, "They’ll need a few more days to grow a couple of true leaves before we can thin them out. Until then, there’s no work to be done."
Xu Wan nodded. "The teacher can arrange something else in the meantime."
Su Xi raised an eyebrow and stated bluntly, "There’s nothing left to play with in your household. Even feeding chickens isn’t exciting enough anymore."
Xu Wan hesitated before asking meekly, "So… does the teacher mean you want to take them out somewhere?"
Su Xi neither confirmed nor denied it. "That’s up to you. Do you agree?"
Xu Wan smiled. "Of course. You mentioned before that they’ve become too rigid under my influence, and I’ve reflected on that. I’m sincerely willing to cooperate with your teaching methods."
Su Xi smirked. "Well, you said it yourself."
Xu Wan suddenly felt a chill down her spine. She forced herself to ask, "Where does the teacher plan to take them?"
Su Xi grinned. "Somewhere fun."
"Huh?"
Outskirts of the capital, a farmhouse.
Inside an endless row of sheds, tens of thousands of chickens, ducks, and geese were kept. The overwhelming stench of the farm hit them before they even stepped inside.
The five boys, dressed in their soccer uniforms, stood frozen in shock.
Wei Xinglu was the first to ask, "Old Master Su, you’re not making us feed all these chickens and ducks, are you?"
Zong Jincheng crossed his arms confidently. "It’s not so bad. The feeding troughs are right at the entrance—just dump the food and water there. We don’t even have to go inside."
Shen Yibai scoffed. "Piece of cake. I’m a pro at chores now. Feeding a hundred chickens or ten thousand—what’s the difference? We’ll be done by noon."
Xu Wan also assumed Su Xi had brought them here to feed the chickens. After all, tending to chicks was more like play than work, and it wasn’t particularly challenging. But moving an entire farm into the general’s estate was out of the question—the stench alone would drive everyone mad.
But then, Su Xi grinned like a mischievous old man and had the farmhands bring out five baskets, handing one to each boy. He announced their mission for the day: "Collect chicken and duck eggs."
"WHAT??!!!"
"Collect eggs?? You want us to go IN there??"
"No way! Are you joking? It’s filthy in there—how can anyone go inside??"
Su Xi plugged his ears at their sudden shrieks.
"Quiet! What’s all the yelling for? You’ll scare the chickens into not laying eggs!" he scolded. "What do you mean, ‘how can anyone go inside’? Don’t the farm workers go in every day to collect eggs? Are you spoiled young masters the only humans who matter? Are the hardworking farmers not people too? Who exactly are you insulting?"
The boys were thoroughly chastised, their faces burning with indignation. Just yesterday, they had thought Su Xi wasn’t so bad—after all, he let them play with the chicks.
But now, barely a day later, his true colors showed. He was clearly just toying with them for his own amusement.
Shen Yibai grumbled, "I’m not going in there! It’s disgusting! And collecting eggs? No way! If we want eggs, we can just have the servants buy them. Why bother collecting them ourselves? Do the ones we pick suddenly become free?"
Su Xi yawned. "Oh no, we still have to pay—in fact, we’re paying the farm just to let you brats in here to wreak havoc."
Zong Jincheng rolled his eyes. "If you know we’re just here to cause trouble, why bring us? Isn’t this just making everyone miserable?"
Su Xi chuckled. "Ah, but you’re mistaken. It’s only miserable for you. If you break anything, your mother will cover the damages."
Xu Wan: "……"
Suddenly, she had been promoted to the role of the designated compensator.
He Zheng puffed his cheeks in frustration. "So you’re dead set on making us go in there and collect eggs, huh?"
Su Xi nodded cheerfully. "Yep. And I’m being merciful—I didn’t even make you collect goose eggs. Those things are one of the ‘Three Tyrants of the Farm.’ They’ll chase after kids, pecking them until they howl in pain."
The boys shuddered at the thought.
Geese could attack people? Terrifying…
Su Xi’s expression darkened. "So, take the win and stop complaining. If you keep whining, I’ll add goose eggs to your list."
The threat of the geese was enough. The boys grabbed their baskets and bolted.
Still, they weren’t fools. They tore strips of cloth to tie around their noses, blocking out the worst of the stench.
He Zheng called out, "Big bro, they’ve got nests! Let’s check there first—the eggs must be inside!"
Suddenly, Shen Yibai shrieked, "Ah! I stepped on something… squish… Was that an egg? Did I just step on an egg??"
Zong Wenxiu gulped as he stared at the mess. "Yep. You crushed an egg. Auntie’s gonna have to pay for that."
All eyes turned to Xu Wan.
The designated compensator scratched her head helplessly before offering a weak reminder, "Be careful… watch your step."
Shen Yibai wailed, "What’s wrong with these chickens?? Why can’t they just lay eggs in their nests like normal chickens? I wasn’t prepared for this… This is horrifying! My little chicks back home are way cuter!"
