Chapter 1743

After Ye Yaodong came to the Magic City, every day when he went out, he never forgot to note down the children's dismissal times and arrived early to pick them up.

Usually, bodyguards picked them up; now that their own father was doing it, the children were overjoyed, eagerly awaiting dismissal each day and sprinting to the school gate.

Only they had someone assigned to pick them up—every other student walked home alone.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi was delighted, skipping home like a butterfly, "Dad, if you could come pick me up every day after school, that'd be perfect."

"Perfect? If I could come pick you up every day, our whole family would be drinking wind and eating dust."

"Aren't Mom and I both working now? Let her earn more." Her backpack swung back and forth behind her.

"Fine. Then go tell her to work harder and earn more—then I won't have to work at all, and I can just stay home to pick you up every day."

"Hehe, you tell her yourself."

Ye Yaodong gave her a look, then took her backpack.

Without the heavy backpack, she felt light as a feather and shot forward like a cannonball, running ahead while turning back to shout, "Wait for me!"

"Slow down! Why run so fast?"

"I need to try my luck at the prize draw—once too many people gather, I won't be able to squeeze in."

Pei Yu also handed her backpack to him, then hurried to catch up.

Ye Yaodong hung both backpacks on the handlebars, puzzled, and pushed his bicycle behind them to a small shop by the school gate.

A huge crowd of students had already gathered around the stall, packed tight in layers, the vendor's family overwhelmed trying to collect money, shouting nonstop that payment was required for purchases.

Each student picked out items, one hand holding the goods, the other handing over cash.

One corner had especially dense crowds; Ye Ye Xiaoxi and Pei Yu pushed to the front, handed over coins, and began drawing prizes…

"I paid fifty cents—I get five tries…"

"Ah… empty…"

"Aw… prize is an eraser…"

"Ah! Empty again…"

"Prize: cards… cards, boss, prize cards—both are cards…"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi quickly finished her draws; Pei Yu also spent fifty cents, and both girls, satisfied, squeezed out of the crowd to find Ye Yaodong.

"Dad, I won three today—no loss!"

"I got a pencil! And a full set of Journey to the West cards!"

Ye Yaodong's forehead darkened with black lines, "Why don't you spend your money on food instead of poking holes in those things?"

"Dad, the grand prize is a bicycle!"

Ye Yaodong: "..."

"Big brother used to try his luck every day."

"If you could win the grand prize, money would rain from the sky. You don't learn good things—only bad ones. Your pocket money's gone, happy now? Can we go?"

"Let's go home for dinner."

"How much pocket money does your mom give you each day?"

"Fifty cents—already spent, so after school tonight I won't need to try my luck, I can just go straight home."

"Next time, buy food instead of this nonsense. It's not edible—what's the point?"

"For fun! Big brother's school gate has even more—posters of stars everywhere, all sold by street vendors, each one expensive, several yuan, and always surrounded by crowds buying them."

"Did your big brother buy any?"

"Nope. Big brother says it's a waste of money—he doesn't know the female stars, and he's handsome enough himself, so he doesn't need to buy male stars. He just takes a photo of himself and sticks it on his wall."

Ye Yaodong's mouth twitched.

"Oh Dad, Mom says Big Brother's shameless look is kind of like yours!"

"Don't listen to your mom's nonsense. Get on the bike. We're going to pick up your second brother. Xiao Yu, you're smaller—sit on the front crossbar first. You sit behind. After we pick up your second brother, you two switch—you take the front, she's thin, so she can sit behind with your brother."

Both girls put their prize winnings into their backpacks and climbed onto the bicycle as instructed.

Ye Yaodong pedaled while chatting with them, "Why didn't you try your luck the day before yesterday or yesterday?"

"The day before yesterday you came to pick us up, so we forgot. Yesterday we had PE class—I saved my money to buy iced water!"

"Your two older brothers used to have piles of these cards and still went to try their luck."

Those cards seemed to have an inheritance system—when Brother Ahai and the others grew up, they passed them to the younger ones, who passed them to even younger ones.

Now no one knew whether they'd all ended up in his family's hands or been transferred to the twins.

Truly, passed down one by one.

"Big brother's are all old—this version is newer! Dad, you don't get it. Plus, I want to win the grand prize!"

"You're dreaming. Winning the grand prize?"

"We need dreams! We need goals!"

"Fine."

After all, it was only fifty cents a day—let them be happy.

After picking up the second brother, Ye Yaodong went to get the eldest; the eldest had his own bicycle, so Ye Ye Chengyang slid over, and the two brothers rode together on one bike.

"Dad, tomorrow's a day off—will you take us shopping to buy clothes and shoes?" Ye Chenghu asked.

"And my cake! My birthday present!" Ye Ye Xiaoxi hurriedly reminded.

"I remember, I remember. After dinner tonight, finish your homework fast. Tomorrow morning, as soon as you wake up, we'll go shopping. Then order a cake—get a big one first to blow out candles on your birthday, and if there's a small one available, buy it now so you can eat it."

"Great! Great!"

Going out to shop and buy things made all three cheerful—they became more eager to finish homework, wanting to clear it quickly to free up time.

The next morning, before dawn, they were already awake and waiting, even energetic enough to go out and buy breakfast to wait for Ye Yaodong and Lin Lin Xiuqing to wake up and eat right away.

Ye Yaodong had finally managed to sleep with his wife for a few days—he had no desire to wake up early, especially since the weather had just warmed up, the perfect time for a couple to lie comfortably under the covers.

No matter how they moved, they wouldn't feel any drafts; if it got hot, they could just kick off the quilt.

The two of them lay until the sun was high, not bothering to check if the three children had eaten breakfast; after all, they were old enough that if they got hungry, they would naturally go out and buy breakfast themselves; they wouldn't starve.

The two of them lay there with clear consciences, while the three children sat at the main entrance, constantly checking the time and glancing at the inner room door.

"Why haven't they gotten up yet? The sun is already burning their backsides."

"Exactly, they told us to finish our homework early yesterday so they could take us out early this morning, yet they haven't even gotten up themselves."

"It's 8 o'clock; you go call them." Ye Chenghu lifted his chin and ordered Ye Ye Xiaoxi.

"Why don't you go?"

"You're the youngest; if someone needs to run errands and call people, it should be you."

"Why? I'm already big! If you want to go, you go!"

"Then neither of us will go; after all, it's not my birthday, and I'm not the one buying the cake or gifts!"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi stood up angrily, stomped her feet, and said, "Hmph, fine, I'll go."

She ran toward the room door while the two brothers remained seated at the entrance, merely turning their heads to stare at the door.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi knocked on the room door and shouted, "Dad, Mom, get up! The sun is burning your backsides; it's past 8 o'clock; hurry up and get up."

"We know."

She returned to the entrance and said, "Dad said he knows."

Ye Chenghu checked the time and said, "Then let's wait a bit longer."

After waiting another half hour, Ye Yaodong finally dragged himself out of bed; the three children were already growing impatient.

Ye Ye Chengyang frowned and said, "Dad, why are you only getting up now!"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi, angry, said, "We've been calling you for so long!"

"What's the rush? We have the whole day; do you think we won't be able to stroll around? Your legs will wear themselves out walking."

Ye Chenghu also urged, "Hurry up; breakfast is already bought and on the table. Wash up and eat quickly. Hasn't my mother gotten up yet?"

"Your mother has been sitting for long periods learning to drive these past two days; she's exhausted, with a sore waist and aching back. Let her rest a bit; she'll be up soon."

"Then you eat first."

Lin Lin Xiuqing supported her waist as she sat up; hadn't her waist and back been aching these past two days?

She quickly tidied up, went out, and simply ate breakfast.

Only then did the whole family finally head out.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi muttered as she walked, "They said 'early morning'; what a lie; it's already 9 o'clock."

"Isn't 9 o'clock still early?"

"You call 9 o'clock early? The old man next door has already finished his farm work in the fields and come back, and you haven't even gotten up yet."

"How do you know I haven't been working? Hiss, how do you know I don't usually work until this time?"

Ye Ye Xiaoxi put her hands on her hips and said, "Even at the factory, you sleep until 11 o'clock noon!"

"That's because I had social engagements the day before I left; when I go to sea, my days and nights are reversed; I get no rest and no sleep."

"Enough; the bus is here; hurry up and get on; stop talking."

"There are benefits to leaving late; the bus isn't crowded. Hurry and find a seat."

All three were now big; the youngest, Ye Ye Xiaoxi, was already ten in virtual age; holding one hand was enough, and the two older ones needed even less watching; just tell them not to squeeze into the crowd.

Two adults taking three children shopping was easy; the two boys naturally helped carry the purchases, saving their labor.

It was their first outing since school started; everyone was in high spirits, wanting everything new and strange they saw.

Ye Yaodong, feeling a desire to make up for things, tried to satisfy them as long as it wasn't too excessive; after all, the first two had suffered, and the last one born was the one who enjoyed the blessings.

He felt he treated the three children equally; at most, because Ye Ye Xiaoxi was young, and because he felt guilty and wanted to make up for it, he favored her a little more, but materially, everything was the same.

Coming out today wasn't just to order a cake and buy birthday gifts for Ye Ye Xiaoxi; the other two sons also got whatever they wanted, which was also a gift.

His wife was the same, but she basically lacked nothing; she had everything and could buy things herself; Ye Yaodong could only take her to the women's clothing section and let her buy to her heart's content.

Then he took her to the Lao Fengxiang gold shop to buy her more gold to save and wear, and also to make a longevity gold lock for Ye Chenghe's newborn child.

Ye Ye Xiaoxi looked at the pile of gleaming gold behind the counter, her eyes going straight, and said, "Dad, is this for my eldest nephew? I want it too; is that okay?"

"Okay, then we'll buy some for you too, but you can only keep it stored away; you can't wear it out, as it might get stolen or robbed."

She nodded happily, then raised both hands, spreading out her ten claws.

"Then put them all on me!"

PS: I've been slacking off again; I wanted to save drafts? I can't even write enough updates; I'll write one more chapter after I finish my shower.