It was almost noon, time to cook.

Lin Feng dug out a patch of soil with the babies' small shovels and set up a tripod. He took out a small pot, over twenty centimeters in diameter, to make some congee.

This was the pot the shop owner had given him when he'd bought the fourth tent. He had also given them a triangular, fireproof stand with a partition in the middle, allowing the pot to sit on top while a fire burned underneath.

Lin Feng had only told them to move the supplies, so they hadn't known what was in the bags. The pot and various other items were packed together, and since Lin Feng had said he would handle them, no one else had touched them.

An Lan exclaimed, "Wow, this is interesting!"

This time, Lin Feng was making a mixed congee, throwing in a little bit of everything. Simmering slowly over a low fire, it was especially fragrant by the time it was ready to eat. Lin Feng had also wrapped sweet potatoes and corn in aluminum foil. He roasted a few of each, and they would be ready by the time everyone finished their congee.

The babies needed a milder version, so he served some out for them first. The adults preferred stronger flavors, so he added a bit of his homemade sauce to the main pot. All at once, a rich aroma filled the air. It smelled incredibly appetizing, and the color was beautiful too.

Lin Feng also served a bowl for Nan Nan and asked Zhang Yuxi to take it over.

Nan Nan's mother said gratefully, "Thank you so much. We really appreciate it."

Look at them, *that's* how you camp, she thought. Her fool of a husband only brought a barbecue grill…

Having eaten their fill, Lin Feng and Zhang Yuxi took the babies to a small grove nearby to explore. An Lan followed along.

The babies, who had always lived in the city, marveled at the sight of the large trees.

"Wow, this one is so big!"

"This one is big too!"

Third Treasure found a tiny sapling and squatted beside it, tilting her head curiously. She called her older brother and sisters over. "Here's a little tree baby."

They gathered around the little sapling.

Second Treasure asked with an innocent expression, "Little tree baby, how old are you?"

Fourth Treasure pointed to two large trees nearby. "Are they your mommy and daddy?"

First Treasure asked, "What's your name? My name is First Treasure!"

Smiling warmly, Third Treasure said gently, "You have to grow up big and strong. We'll come back to see you again, okay?"

Moved by the sight, An Lan couldn't help but sigh. "Kids are just so innocent and cute."

I really want to have a child too! That would be so interesting.

As they walked, Third Treasure discovered a little red flower and dashed over to pick it.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

Third Treasure called to Zhang Yuxi, motioning for her to bend down. Zhang Yuxi saw the little red flower and bent over with a smile. "Is this flower for Mommy?"

Third Treasure placed the flower in Zhang Yuxi's hair.

"Mommy is so pretty!"

Zhang Yuxi kissed her. "Thank you, my treasure!"

An Lan came closer and asked, "Sweetheart, why doesn't Godmother have one?"

Third Treasure turned to look and found a flower that resembled a small daisy. It was about the size of a fingernail. She plucked it and put it in An Lan's hair.

An Lan was delighted. Even though she didn't have children of her own, she found that playing with her best friend's kids felt pretty great.

She asked vainly, "Baby, how do I look? Am I pretty?"

Third Treasure nodded. "Pretty, but my mommy is the prettiest!"

An Lan didn't mind. In every child's eyes, their mother is the very definition of a perfect woman. No one else could ever replace her.

They continued walking for another hundred meters and were nearly out of the woods. Suddenly, a bird's chirp came from above, and everyone looked up. They saw a small bird perched on a tree with lush foliage before it flew away again.

An Lan suddenly pointed. "Look, there's a bird's nest!"

The babies searched frantically, each wishing they had X-ray vision.

Second Treasure immediately turned into a little monkey, huffing and puffing as she started to scramble up Lin Feng's leg. Lin Feng picked her up and pointed the nest out to her.

"I see it, I see it!" Second Treasure exclaimed excitedly. "Daddy, are there little birds up there? Are there eggs?"

This was what the babies wanted to know most of all: were there any little birds or eggs inside? At this time of year, it wasn't the breeding season, so the nest was probably empty.

An Lan, however, rubbed her hands together with a mischievous grin. She was already squaring her shoulders, ready to climb the tree.

"There's only one way to find out if there are any birds or eggs in there," she declared.

Zhang Yuxi was startled. "Are you going to climb the tree?"

An Lan was already straining as she started to climb. "Of course!" she said excitedly.

Zhang Yuxi looked worried. "Be careful, don't fall."

An Lan was brimming with confidence. "Don't worry, I won't!"

At this moment, An Lan was grimacing, her limbs moving with comical awkwardness as she struggled to climb.

Why is this so funny to watch?

Zhang Yuxi covered her mouth to suppress her laughter as she sneakily recorded the scene. An Lan was wearing boots, which shouldn't slip, but she still wasn't making any progress.

The babies all started cheering her on.

"Godmother, you're the best, you're super amazing!"

"Go, Godmother, go!"

They started chanting in unison, "Go, Godmother! Go, Godmother!"

Unfortunately, An Lan just couldn't do it. She slid down after climbing less than a meter.

"For crying out loud…"

Seeing the babies' disappointed faces, An Lan felt like a failure. She consoled them, "Don't be sad, Godmother just messed up. This time I'll definitely make it!"

Patting her chest, An Lan declared with heroic confidence, "Believe in Godmother! Just watch!"

Zhang Yuxi held back her laughter. "Go on!"

An Lan shot her a cocky look. "You watch me, too! Back in the day, I was a tree-climbing expert!"

When An Lan was a child visiting the countryside, she was just like one of the boys. She climbed trees to raid birds' nests and waded into the river to catch fish—she was a master of all of it.

An Lan geared up for another attempt, and with a leap, she clung to the tree. She put all her effort into it, but with similarly poor results. Gritting her teeth, she struggled not to fall, but it was no use.

"Shit, shit, I'm gonna fall…"

This attempt, too, ended in failure. The babies were even more disappointed. An Lan felt even more like a complete failure.

God, how could I disappoint these adorable babies?

"Babies, don't be sad. Third time's the charm," she said. "Godmother will give it one more shot. Who knows, I might succeed this time!"

An Lan glared at the tree, muttering with frustration, "Dammit. I refuse to lose to you!"

Zhang Yuxi frowned. "Don't swear."

An Lan quickly backtracked. "Uh, I was just too excited. Babies, don't learn from Godmother, okay?"

Rubbing her hands, An Lan began her third attempt. After learning from her first two failures, she actually climbed quite quickly this time! The babies watched and rooted for her, their excitement palpable.

But An Lan's stamina was already giving out as she tried to pull herself higher. She had planned to hug the tree and catch her breath, but after resting for just a moment, she felt completely drained when she tried to push herself again.

Resigned, she slowly slid down. Looking at the babies with guilt and self-reproach, she said, "Well… Godmother tried her best."

Although the babies were clearly disappointed, they still tried to comfort An Lan.

"It's okay, Godmother! The tree is super tall, and you're… not. It's too hard to climb!"

"You worked really hard, Godmother!"

"We can just look some other time!"

"When I get bigger, I'll climb up and look myself!"

Seeing how sweet and comforting the little ones were, An Lan let out a deep sigh. They were comforting her with their words, but she could still see the longing in their eyes…

Lin Feng, who had been standing silently to the side this whole time, now stepped forward. "Let me give it a try," he said.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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