The rough man was extremely embarrassed and then agreed to Wen Bai's suggestion.
Before that, Wen Jue made a request: "We need to wash up first."
Then, the rough man led the three little children to the water source of the village, by a large vat.
He stood aside, watching the three little children diligently washing their faces and hands.
He sighed that these three little children lived so meticulously, needing to wash their faces and hands even after sleeping. They must be from wealthy families; these young children were different.
Wen Bai and Mo Xingchen were slow, while Wen Jue was quick. After a simple wipe-down, he stood there pretending to be bored, looking around.
Wen Jue looked at the water vat, gestured with his small hand, and spoke to the rough man, "Uncle, is this the water we drink?"
The rough man was startled. Why was he being called "Uncle" now?
He replied kindly, "Yes."
Wen Jue, already handsome, now curved his eyes brightly, making him look even cuter.
He asked softly with a smile, "Uncle, with so many people here, is this vat of water enough?"
The rough man had nothing else to do and thought that these three little children would very likely be their future boss, second boss, and third boss.
He figured it would be best to build a good relationship while they were young and easily dependent.
So, he patiently explained, "Of course it's not enough, but there are 5 more vats of this size in the kitchen behind, and we've dug a well. Normally, we use up the water in the vats first and then refill them directly."
Wen Jue softly replied, "Oh, I see."
Seeing that Wen Bai and Mo Xingchen were still slow in their washing, Wen Jue pointed in a direction and asked, "Uncle, is that the kitchen?"
The rough man's eyes crinkled with a smile, feeling that their relationship was getting closer. "Yes."
Wen Jue nodded with a smile, like a child whose curiosity had been satisfied, appearing incredibly innocent.
System 001 watched from the side, sighing in amazement.
It had never imagined that the host's face could exhibit such a soft expression. Smiling like this, it was indeed quite cute.
If it had a physical form, it would have surely pinched this little human's chubby cheeks.
After they had all finished washing up, the rough man took the children to the carriage for their afternoon nap.
The three little children changed into their sleeping clothes, each wrapped in a small quilt, and lay down in a row.
Wen Bai slept in the middle, with Wen Jue and Mo Xingchen on either side.
Normally, Mo Xingchen was very afraid of Wen Bai, but for some reason, sleeping next to Wen Bai made him feel a little more at ease.
Seeing this scene in the carriage, the rough man felt his tough heart soften for a moment.
Was this what it felt like to take care of children?
These little ones were so demanding and troublesome.
Yet, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction at this moment.
The rough man lowered the carriage curtain, clutching his chest, and sat on the shafts, experiencing this peculiar feeling as he guarded the carriage.
The three little children slept until dusk.
By this time, the village courtyard was filled with a large number of drunk people.
Those who remained were still persisting, drinking and playing dice games.
The cook had reheated the dishes on the table several times, even adding more food, and after warming up some millet porridge in the kitchen, he too joined in.
Wen Bai was awakened by hunger. He was sleeping on his side and only realized upon opening his eyes that Wen Jue had been awake for a while but hadn't made a sound.
Wen Jue simply stared at him with his big eyes.
Seeing that Wen Bai was awake, Wen Jue called out, "Brother."
Wen Bai blinked for a few seconds and sat up.
At this moment, Mo Xingchen had clearly also woken up much earlier.
In fact, he hadn't dared to sleep for long at all.
Every time he closed his eyes, he would think about this bandit den saying they would sell him.
Having been deceived by human traffickers and Granny Qian before, Mo Xingchen was traumatized. These adults always lied to children. Who knew if that terrifying man was also lying to him?
He didn't want to wake up and find himself taken away again.
Seeing that Wen Bai was awake, Mo Xingchen quickly clutched his stomach and said, "We think we should always stay together and not separate, otherwise, we won't know who gets taken away and sold."
Seeing that neither of them paid him any mind, Mo Xingchen continued, "So, let's go to the outhouse together."
...
Mo Xingchen, thinking that today's meal was his last, ate ravenously. However, his stomach couldn't handle it like Wen Bai's.
As a result, he got diarrhea.
He spent a long time in the outhouse, crying and refusing to let Wen Bai and Wen Jue leave him alone.
Reluctantly, the rough man waited with Wen Bai and Wen Jue a hundred meters away.
Every few minutes, Mo Xingchen would shout loudly, demanding a response from Wen Bai and Wen Jue to confirm they hadn't left.
Wen Jue looked disgusted, while Wen Bai remained expressionless.
The rough man thought to himself that the village chief's judgment of people was indeed astute. These future bosses were clearly not up to par, being so timid.
In his opinion, at least the fat little one would definitely not be the main boss.
System 001, with great foresight, used points to exchange for an air freshener and comforted Wen Bai, "Host, are you feeling better now?"
Wen Bai relaxed the breath he had been holding and replied coldly, "Mm."
Wen Bai told himself that he was enduring this, and he was willing to stay here only because of the mission, and for no other reason.
After Mo Xingchen finished, washed his hands, they returned to the courtyard.
The rough man led the three children to their designated table and helped them onto high stools.
Wen Bai ate silently and diligently, while Mo Xingchen drank the millet porridge made by the cook to settle his stomach. Before they finished eating, Wen Jue, with his short legs, nimbly jumped down from the long stool.
He tilted his innocent, smiling face upwards and softly said to the rough man, "Uncle, I need to go to the outhouse."
The rough man was eating and suddenly lost his appetite as he recalled the recent experience.
He looked at Wen Bai and Mo Xingchen, who were still seated, and then at Wen Jue, who was standing.
Wen Jue said obediently and softly, "But I already know the way to the outhouse. I can go by myself. It's over there, right?"
Wen Jue pointed in the completely opposite direction and stated confidently, "Go straight to the end and turn right!"
The rough man speechlessy adjusted Wen Jue's small hand, turning him around. "It's this way, go straight to the end and turn right."
Wen Jue immediately said, "Ah, so it's here."
Then, without waiting for the rough man to speak, he trotted away with his short legs.
The rough man watched this little child, who couldn't even recognize the way and was shorter than his leg, and didn't worry at all that he could run away.
After all, his elder brother and younger brother were still sitting here.
Moreover, how far could these short legs run?
As long as he fell into a pit, it would be fine.
Thinking this, the rough man paused. Surely not?
Before long, Wen Jue returned.
The rough man was still wondering if this little child had taken a detour, taking so long for such a short distance.