「Back in the city.」

After settling Third Aunt, everyone went their separate ways. Whether she wanted to live with Lin Rui was ultimately her decision.

After such a busy day, everyone's spirits were low, so Lin Feng told the children to get some rest early.

But the Four Treasures announced that they would be good and filial in the future. It's often said that by the time children are ready to support their parents, their parents are no longer there. The Four Treasures now understood this profoundly; they had to be good to their parents from now on. They absolutely had to be!

Lin Feng and Zhang Yuxi both smiled, full of gratification.

"Good. Then in the future, Mom and Dad will get to enjoy the good life you provide for us."

Of course, talk of enjoying a good life was just that—talk. Parents seemed destined to toil, forever worrying about their children's countless concerns.

When Xiao Bao fell asleep, Lin Feng gently changed her clothes, removing a small cloth sachet from around her neck. Zhou Cuilan had sewn it for her, and inside were a dog's tooth, a chili pepper, green beans, and cinnabar. According to the older generation, children needed to carry such things to ward off evil spirits when visiting certain places. Lin Feng recalled that whenever he returned to the countryside as a child, his pockets would always contain a handful of rice or some green beans.

After he had tucked Xiao Bao in, Zhang Yuxi hugged him from behind, her voice tinged with sorrow.

"Honey..."

"Mm, I'm here."

"I don't want to lose you... I can't live without you..."

She couldn't help but put herself in that situation. If she and Lin Feng were to part after a long life together, what if he were the first to go?

"I don't want you to leave first. What would I do without you? But I don't want to be the one to go first either. I couldn't bear to leave you," she said wistfully. "I wish we could die at the same time..."

Lin Feng knew she was feeling emotional because of Third Uncle's funeral, and in truth, so was he.

"What are you talking about? Birth, aging, sickness, and death are all a natural part of life. Whether we like it or not, it's something we all have to experience," he said, kissing her comfortingly. "Don't let your imagination run wild. We still have a good forty or fifty years left to live."

Zhang Yuxi nodded, proving to be especially gentle that night.

Third Uncle's funeral was over, but life had to go on. After bidding farewell to Third Aunt, Yu Zheng and the others left Meicheng. Lin Feng also needed to leave to handle Er Bao's and San Bao's school registration.

Third Aunt had cried until her eyes were swollen, but she still had to face reality. When asked about her future, she had an answer.

"I'm not going to live with Lin Rui. Young people and old folks just don't get along."

Third Aunt had a good heart, but she was blunt and often spoke without thinking or considering the situation. She was aware of this flaw, but after so many years, she had been unable to change.

"Then what are your plans, Third Aunt?" Lin Feng asked.

Third Aunt sighed and looked around the room, her expression forlorn. "I plan to start a small business, maybe selling vegetables or something."

Nearby, Zhou Cuilan frowned. "Why would you do that at your age? What if you throw out your back again?"

Lin Feng remembered the last time Third Aunt had hurt her back. It took her half a month to recover, with a full week spent lying in bed.

Third Aunt looked lost. "Then what am I supposed to do by myself?"

"Play cards with me! Go out and have some fun," Zhou Cuilan said quickly. "You're old now. You should be enjoying your golden years."

Third Aunt shook her head. "I can't stay idle. I need something to do."

Since she was so insistent, Lin Feng and the others felt it wasn't their place to object.

"Third Aunt, I have to go register Er Bao and San Bao for school. San Bao is even studying abroad. Please take good care of yourself here, and call me if you need anything."

She had seen everything Lin Feng had done for the family during this time and had etched it into her heart. With a loving expression, she said, "Go on and handle your business. Don't worry about me. You've worked so hard cooking and running around for all of us lately. Thank you."

"We're family," Lin Feng said softly. "Saying things like that makes us sound like strangers."

Over the summer vacation, the children had all grown very close, so Lin Feng decided to take them all with him to New York this time, especially since it just so happened that he had a villa there.

An Lan and Liu Bo had also come for Lin Dahu's burial and had been staying at the old family house for the past few days. When An Lan heard they were going on a trip, she exclaimed, "Great! I was just wanting to get out for a bit. I've been going stir-crazy!"

The group for the trip consisted of Lin Rui's two children, Jiang Anmin's wife Su Qiqi and their daughter, An Lan, and Lin Xiaolan with her daughter, Tong Tong.

Lin Xiaolan was going for Tong Tong's sake. Over the past half-month, seeing her own daughter next to Lin Feng's... the contrast was simply staggering. She had seen the changes in her daughter and could only sigh at her own inability to provide her with the best. This time, she had prepared 30,000 yuan so her daughter could have fun, see the world, and broaden her horizons. In their previous life, while they couldn't just go abroad whenever they wanted, a trip every year or two was certainly not out of the question. Besides, without her mother there, Tong Tong wouldn't be able to fully relax and enjoy herself, and she would have no one to keep her company.

The flight from Meicheng to New York took over twenty hours, but Lin Feng's special privileges allowed for a direct flight, which saved them four to five hours.

This was Lin Xiaolan's first time seeing a private jet. She knew they were rich, but she had never imagined they were *this* rich. Tong Tong was completely stunned, feeling as if she were in a dream.

Lin Rui was still in a low mood and hadn't wanted to come. Third Aunt had insisted he go out to clear his head, but a twenty-plus-hour journey was too much for her, so she stayed behind. This trip marked the first time that Lin Rui and his two sons had flown on Lin Feng's private jet. Su Qiqi was likewise astonished by the sheer luxury of the aircraft.

With the older children there to help, Xiao Bao hardly needed any of Lin Feng's attention, making the trip incredibly relaxing for him.

After a flight of more than twenty hours, they finally arrived in New York.

San Bao had chosen to attend the Juilliard School, one of the world's most prestigious conservatories for music, dance, and drama—often called the "Harvard of the music world." New York was already very familiar to him. For the school registration, Lin Feng really only had to do one thing: sign his name.

Lin Feng hired a tour guide to show Lin Rui and the others around New York while his own family busied themselves with getting San Bao settled into his dormitory. Da Bao was also heavily involved, bustling about and handling things so efficiently that there was almost nothing left for Lin Feng to do.

They had already paid the dormitory reservation fee in advance, so the staff promptly assigned them a room. The cost was, to put it mildly, extremely high. The fee for a single room alone was a staggering 160,000 a year. New student tuition was over 200,000 a year, bringing the total for tuition and housing to nearly 400,000 annually, and that didn't even include living expenses.

This sum was nothing to Lin Feng, but in any case, San Bao had paid the tuition himself with money he had earned over the past few years. He hadn't used a single cent of his father's money.

They spent the entire day taking care of everything: registration, paperwork, shopping, and more.

San Bao was quite the celebrity. Many students recognized him and greeted him warmly. A surprising number of them were also fans of Er Bao. They eagerly asked for their contact information and invited them out for meals.

Er Bao's rejections were crisp and decisive. A single cold glance was all it took to repel them.

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