CHAPTER 73: CHAPTER 73: WILL WE MEET IN SUNSHINE VILLAGE?

"Put me down already!" Mia Lane clung tightly to his neck, afraid he’d fling her off. "Be careful! Why are you so playful?"

Jonah Woods was so excited; he spun around in circles a dozen times before finally setting her down!

"How many days are you staying this time?"

"More than a day or two for sure, so hurry up and help move the stuff!"

"Alright!"

When they opened the car trunk, there were gift boxes and suitcases. While helping, Jonah Woods asked, "What’s going on? Are you really moving back here? Did that jerk kick you out?"

She suddenly turned to him, her glare making him quickly shut up.

The two of them carried the stuff back into the house, and Mia Lane explained, "This was my home to begin with, and please don’t call him a jerk. He’s Gigi and Dolly’s father, and we need to set a good example."

"Got it, master."

"How’s Uncle Lee been lately?" Mia Lane prepared some fruit. "He hasn’t been working in the fields, has he?"

"No, I go to remind him three times a day. He’s almost fully recovered. We helped him remove the stitches yesterday."

"That’s good." Mia Lane handed him the bag, "Take it, let’s go see Uncle Lee together!"

As they approached Uncle Lee’s house, Aunt Lee saw them from afar and came out enthusiastically, full of gratitude in her expressions and words.

Some nearby villagers also came upon hearing the news, both shocked and delighted that the village chief had returned.

The most frequently asked question was—

"Chief, are you going out again?"

"We heard you returned with luggage. Are you planning to stay for a while?"

"Chief, we’re so happy that you came back!"

Mia Lane nodded affirmatively, "Yes! There are still ten lessons left in the promised art class for the kids. We’ll resume this afternoon. We also have to discuss and plan the planting project in the village. What do you all want to plant next year?"

As soon as the topic started, everyone couldn’t stop talking.

The villagers had great trust in Mia Lane, sharing their thoughts with her without reservation.

And so, at Uncle Lee’s house, they chatted for three hours, and Mia Lane had Jonah Woods take notes on the key points mentioned by the villagers.

He ended up taking ten full pages of notes, writing until his fingers felt sore.

Until Mia Lane wrapped it up—

"Time’s about right, I’m going to start the class for the kids. Go let your kids know, see you at the bridge!"

"Okay! Thank you, chief!"

The bridge was a central point in Sunshine Village, with a row of low houses and a pond of lotus flowers beside them.

An ancient locust tree, over a thousand years old, stood like a giant umbrella, with particularly lush branches and leaves.

Even in moderate rain, people under the tree wouldn’t get wet.

Mia Lane brought the kids here for sketching. A large blackboard was mounted on the wall of the low house.

The house was filled with art supplies for the kids, all funded by Mia Lane herself.

Half an hour later—

One by one, innocent and cheerful children arrived at the bridge, laughing and carrying small benches, preparing easels.

Some small children helped mix paint. Having not painted for a long time, they were particularly happy today!

"Teacher Lane, are you leaving again?"

"Teacher Lane, we missed you!"

"Are we painting lotus flowers today, or something else?"

Mia Lane joined in, chatting and blending in with the children, while kind villagers brought various homegrown fruits.

Everything was so calm and beautiful.

Just then, a black SUV drove into Sunshine Village.

Anton Miller was sitting in the passenger seat, resting his arm on the window, with a laid-back posture. "What kind of place is this? The scenery’s nice but it’s pretty remote."

"This is Ken’s hometown. Can he come down from the mountain? A finger injury is a big deal. Can we count on him for the network security competition this time?" said the driver.

Anton Miller furrowed his brow slightly, uncertain. "He’s the main player; with him, our chances are high. Without him, I’ll have to take the field myself. We can’t afford to lose this match." He didn’t want to compete anymore, not feeling in the right mindset lately, and feeling rather agitated.

"Let’s not worry about it for now, see how he’s doing first," his companion said. "We’re already here, aren’t we?"