Regarding Third Brother’s sudden proposal to send him to work a summer job, Su Ximu had no objections.
He was already quite experienced with part-time work. Aside from paying attention to some minor differences between the two worlds, Su Ximu was confident that he would quickly become an excellent employee.
Su Jianglou also had a decisive and efficient personality. Seeing that Xiao Mu didn’t object, he immediately took out his phone to make arrangements once they left the studio and returned to the living room.
He had originally planned to place Xiao Mu in his travel group or Big Brother’s company, but on second thought, those places would be too easy for Second Brother to find. Better not.
Su Jianglou seemed to have quite a bit of influence at that Traditional Customs Garden he mentioned. Less than ten minutes after making the call, he had already sorted out Su Ximu’s job.
Su Ximu also took the opportunity to search for the Folk Custom Garden that Third Brother had mentioned on his phone, getting a rough idea of the work environment.
He hadn’t realized until he searched—this Folk Custom Garden covered a shockingly vast area. The park was divided into many different sections, each with anywhere from a few to a dozen or so smaller zones.
These smaller zones were mostly presented in the form of architectural courtyards. The park also hired plenty of background actors, blending people and scenery to vividly recreate the customs and landscapes from various dynasties.
Just as Su Ximu was about to finish reading the general introduction to the Folk Custom Garden, Su Jianglou ended his call and informed him of the summer job details: he would be working as a background actor in the Folk Custom Garden.
The specific zone would be assigned upon reporting to the park.
Su Ximu had worked many part-time jobs before, but this was truly the most interesting one he’d encountered.
In his mind, he compared it to being a background actor in the Folk Custom Garden—it was basically like attending a massive cosplay event every day.
Cosplay, a term his roommate Wu Yang had explained to him.
Of course, actual work definitely wouldn’t be as easy as it sounded.
But he was still a young boy who hadn’t seen much of the world, so Su Ximu couldn’t help feeling a little anticipation for his upcoming job.
“So, Third Brother, when do I start work? Do they have an Employee Dormitory there? Should I stay there or come home every day?” Su Ximu’s questions popped out one after another like bubbles from a little goldfish.
Judging by actions rather than intentions, Su Jianglou was currently the best toward Su Ximu out of everyone in the family.
He lounged lazily on the sofa and answered each of Su Ximu’s questions one by one: “Tomorrow. Rest one more day today. Stay in the Employee Dormitory for the next few days, get familiar with your coworkers. I’ll pick you up in a couple of days.”
Of course, it was a single-person dorm.
Otherwise, if some muddleheaded fool couldn’t hold back in the middle of the night, he’d have to deal with the trouble.
With all his questions answered, Su Ximu placed both hands on his knees, sat up straight, and declared his resolve: “Third Brother, don’t worry. I’ll work hard.”
Seeing this, Su Jianglou couldn’t hold back. He reached out and ruffled the boy’s hair, praising him: “Xiao Mu is such a good boy.”
In the afternoon, remembering his promise from yesterday to pick fruit for Big Brother and Third Brother, Su Ximu hung the Family Badge around his neck. He told Butler Li and headed out.
Su Xuanxiao and Su Jianglou had gone off to handle their own matters after lunch.
With experience from his previous trip, Su Ximu made his way to the orchard even more smoothly this time.
On the way to the orchard, he ran into an old man walking his dog. The old man greeted him first, and that’s how he learned this was the neighbor Ox Grandpa that Third Brother had mentioned.
Ox Grandpa’s appearance reminded him at first glance of a character from an animated show he’d watched as a kid: a booming voice, a bushy white beard— the kind of look that might scare little kids to tears.
But in reality, Ox Grandpa was very friendly when he saw him. Upon hearing he was headed to the orchard, he even enthusiastically offered to walk with him.
Ox Grandpa spoke with a loud, resonant voice full of explosive consonants. As they walked together, Su Ximu noticed that even the chubby kid nearby, who had been making faces at him, turned tail and ran at the sight of Ox Grandpa.
Ox Grandpa, holding the leash of a spotted little dog, followed Su Ximu’s gaze and saw the chubby kid fleeing. His tone turned melancholic: “This old man isn’t liked by the kids. They run away as soon as they see me.”
Just then, a couple arguing on the roadside spotted the newcomer and hurriedly linked arms before vanishing in a flash.
The old man’s expression grew even more dejected: “Young folks don’t like me either. I’m just a lonely old widower.”
Not only had Third Brother said that Su Ximu could visit Ox Grandpa’s house if he got bored, but the novel had mentioned it too.
The book said that Ox Grandpa and the Su Family actually had quite a connection. They’d been neighbors long ago and, back when the Su brothers were still young, Ox Grandpa had helped support them.
Later, after the Su Family moved to Wealth Avenue, they became neighbors again with the long-lost old man.
The novel didn’t dwell on other details about Ox Grandpa, but his willingness to aid a few orphaned kids already showed he was a kindhearted person at heart.
It was just that his intimidating appearance often led to misunderstandings of his good deeds.
This made him even more like that animated character from Su Ximu’s childhood.
With the novel’s description as a reference, plus childhood nostalgia, Su Ximu felt he’d improved a bit more in social interactions.
At the very least, chatting with Ox Grandpa along the way, he managed to hold a proper back-and-forth conversation.
He also heard from Ox Grandpa why that couple had fled at the sight of him.
It was mainly because the last time, they’d been arguing right in the middle of the road. The old man had tried to break it up, but he’d gotten too into it. Combined with his fierce looks, the young couple had taken a dislike to him ever since.
The old and the young chatted like this as they walked. The atmosphere wasn’t particularly lively, but it was fairly harmonious overall.
Once they entered the orchard, Su Ximu followed yesterday’s memory to the berry bushes to pick red berries. The old man had grabbed a basket from the orchard entrance and slung it on his back; he stood not far from the berry bushes picking apples.
The spotted little dog, which had been leashed for the walk, was now set free and rolling gleefully across the orchard ground.
Ox Grandpa scolded it once for rolling around—said it’d need a bath later—but seeing how happy the little dog was, he soon let it be.
While Su Ximu picked berries, the little dog, having romped half the orchard, came panting up to him with its tongue out.
This spotted little dog was on the small side. As it circled his feet, Su Ximu deliberately lightened his occasional steps, afraid of accidentally stepping on it.
After a while, the little dog came back with a small ball in its mouth, wagging its tail happily at Su Ximu in a very human-like way.
Su Ximu reached out to pet it, took the ball from its mouth, and threw it with a bit of force.
The tail-wagging little dog barked excitedly—”Woof!”—and chased after the ball.
Before long, it returned with the ball to Su Ximu’s feet.
Su Ximu petted it again and threw the ball far away.
After a few rounds, he had picked enough fruit, and the little dog had tired itself out, flopping down to rest by his feet.
The boy crouched down, stroked the dog’s outstretched front paw, and asked in a somewhat childish voice: “What’s your name?”
“Woof!” The little dog barked again.
This bark seemed to pierce through his eardrums and echo directly in his mind.
The little dog wagged its tail, lifted its head, and met the eyes of the human talking to it.
In that moment, Su Ximu felt as if he truly sensed the pure joy of being a little dog.
It was an emotion so simple it reached the extreme—no human complexities. Happy from a day out playing, happy from a full belly.
Only a scolding for mischief might bring a touch of sadness, but it’d forget it in a turn.
Su Ximu was entranced.
But then he suddenly recalled that some old grandpa had once promised to give him a little dog.
Huh?
He’d never owned a dog before, nor did he know any old grandpa promising him one.
“It’s called Dian Dian. Do you like it, Xiao Mu?”
Hearing Ox Grandpa’s voice, Su Ximu nodded and replied in a tone he couldn’t explain, tinged with a bit of loss: “I wanted to raise a little yellow dog when I was little too.”
As soon as he spoke, the distorted space paused for two seconds. Then, ripples passed, leaving no trace—the orchard remained the orchard.
Su Ximu heard Ox Grandpa’s voice regain its booming explosive consonants, strangely melancholic: “A little yellow dog, huh. This old man has one at home too. That’s a real little dog.”
Su Ximu hadn’t stood up yet. He looked up at this: “Ox Grandpa, do you have a lot of dogs at home?”
“A lot.” The old man waved his hand as if counting them off: “Dogs, cats, rabbits, sheep, horses. Grandpa’s getting old, it’s boring being alone, so I keep some pets for company.”
Su Ximu’s eyes widened: “You can keep sheep and horses here?”
From the novel, he’d only read up to the Su Family moving to the new house, Su Ximu coming home for break, and reuniting with the long-unseen neighbor Ox Grandpa.
“Of course you can. Why not? As long as there’s space. Otherwise, after you take the fruit home later, Xiao Mu, come visit Grandpa’s house?”
“Grandpa’s house just got a new hamster. You young folks know what that is. At first, when it ran in on its own, Grandpa didn’t even recognize what it was.”
Under Ox Grandpa’s enthusiastic invitation, Su Ximu didn’t quite know how to refuse.
He brought the small box of picked fruit back home and checked in with Big Brother, who had finished work: “Big Brother, neighbor Ox Grandpa invited me over. Can I go?”
Su Xuanxiao nodded: “Have the butler prepare a visiting gift.”
Butler Li was extremely efficient. No sooner had Su Xuanxiao given the order than, less than ten minutes later, he appeared before Su Ximu with an exquisitely wrapped gift box, presenting it with both hands: “Little Young Master.”
Su Ximu accepted it promptly with both hands.
As he left, he heard Big Brother ask: “You met in the orchard?”
“No, on the way there. Then Ox Grandpa brought Dian Dian and walked with me to the orchard. Dian Dian is Ox Grandpa’s little dog.” Su Ximu explained, in case Big Brother didn’t know.
“Go on, but don’t stay too late.” Su Xuanxiao said, like any ordinary parent sending a child out.
Ox Grandpa’s house was exactly as Su Ximu had imagined—extremely large. Behind the villa stretched a vast, flat lawn, all seemingly private property.
Su Ximu also saw the hamster Ox Grandpa mentioned that had run in on its own. He wasn’t sure of the breed either; it was a plump little yellow-white ball that fit in one hand.
He’d been surprised earlier about Ox Grandpa keeping sheep and horses at home, but now, on the huge lawn, there was only one horse, one sheep, and a few rabbits grazing—it actually seemed a bit sparse.
Ox Grandpa might not get along great with kids, but he had excellent rapport with small animals.
From the moment Su Ximu entered, there were always little dogs or cats affectionately circling Ox Grandpa’s feet.
But Ox Grandpa’s favorite was a little yellow dog that looked freshly weaned, always cradled in his arms.
Time passed quickly when spending it with small animals.
In the blink of an eye, dusk began to fall. Ox Grandpa invited him to stay for dinner, but Su Ximu thought it was his first visit to a neighbor’s home and didn’t want to impose, so he smiled and politely declined.
As he left, the old man waved somewhat reluctantly at the young man who’d kept him company all afternoon: “Xiao Mu, seeing how much you like them, next time you come to Grandpa’s house, Grandpa will give you a pet. Anything but Little Ah Huang—pick whichever you like.”
Su Ximu was still a bit fuzzy on how to even take care of himself, but he appreciated Ox Grandpa’s kindness all the same. He also confirmed once more that Ox Grandpa truly doted on that little yellow dog the most.
That little yellow dog really was adorable.
He had imagined raising one just like it when he was little.
He waved to Ox Grandpa at the door, turned toward home, and listened to the sound of the door closing behind him.
Su Ximu glanced back at the villa he’d spent the afternoon at, just as a cold gust blew by, making him shiver and rub the goosebumps rising on his arms.
It seemed to have cooled down. If he went to work tomorrow, he needed to bring a thicker jacket.
On the day Su Ximu headed out for his summer job, Su Xuanxiao happened to be away from home.
He sat in the car together with “Third Brother,” leaving Wealth Avenue for the first time in the past two days.
“I talked to Big Brother yesterday, and he agreed that working would be good exercise for you. But Xiao Mu, you’re not used to this kind of thing before. If the workload they assign you feels too heavy, just tell the supervisor directly.”
“Third Brother already put in a good word for you. They won’t dare bully you.”
The more Su Ximu listened to “Third Brother,” the more he felt that he didn’t actually want him to do the summer job at all. Instead, it seemed like he wanted him to go as the Little Young Master and conduct an incognito inspection.
Amid Su Jianglou’s sporadic reminders that came to mind whenever he thought of them, the car steadily drove toward the industrial park.
Meanwhile, in the Real World:
Another batch of veteran players and randomly selected new players entered a new weird game dungeon.
Dungeon: 【Deeply Secluded Courtyard】
Difficulty Level: C
Dungeon Scale: Five-person group dungeon
According to Confidentiality Bureau data statistics, the dungeon opening location was in 【Weird World—Traditional Customs Garden】.
