Chapter 80: Chaos Comes With Little Feet
By midday, the village square had been transformed into a pint-sized market. The triplets sat proudly behind an overturned crate they had declared their "business headquarters." Children bustled around with handmade paper signs, pebbles posing as silver taels, and "goods" that ranged from pretty leaves to their mother's missing hairpins.
Su Lin, seated in the center with arms crossed like a tiny emperor, supervised the trade. "That stick is too crooked! You need better packaging!"
Su Rui was darting from child to child, encouraging bartering. "You traded two shiny stones for that feather? Brilliant deal!"
Meanwhile, Su Zhi was attempting to teach numbers to a boy barely older than a toddler. "You must know how to count profit! If you give away three sticks and only get one leaf, you lose!"
At first, the villagers chuckled. But by the time one mother discovered her child had "sold" her embroidery needle for a pinecone, amusement turned to concern.
Auntie Hua arrived just in time to hear one child shout, "Buy now, or my boss will raise the price!"
She froze.
The triplets turned as one. "Auntie Hua!" they greeted sweetly.
She narrowed her eyes. "Don't you 'Auntie Hua' me. What is all this?"
Su Lin pointed at the chaos proudly. "Our startup!"
Su Rui added, "We're creating future entrepreneurs."
"And we taught them negotiation tactics!" Su Zhi chirped.
Auntie Hua glanced around at the "customers"—mothers frantically reclaiming their belongings, a dog chewing someone's 'payment scroll,' and a baby with a basket on its head. She pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Clean. Up. Now."
The triplets blinked in unison. "But—"
"No buts!" she barked. "If your mother comes home and hears about this, you'll be trading pinecones for punishment!"
The trio deflated, grumbling, but began gathering signs and returning items—though they sneakily charged a "restocking fee" of three hugs and a cookie.
Later that afternoon, back at the cottage, the boys sat in a row with exaggerated sighs.
"We were so close to making our first sale," Su Zhi moaned.
Su Lin nodded solemnly. "The market isn't ready for us."
Su Rui brightened. "Let's try again tomorrow. We'll use real goods! Like Mama's tea—"
"NO!" Auntie Hua's voice roared from the kitchen, startling birds into flight.
The boys winced.
As the sun dipped low, casting gold across the hills, the triplets curled up together in the main room. Their small bodies nestled under a shared quilt, cheeks squished and legs tangled.
"Do you think Mama's okay?" Su Rui murmured sleepily.
"She's strong," Su Lin replied, yawning.
"She'll be back soon," Su Zhi added, curling tighter. "We'll surprise her with something better than a market…"
Outside, the village settled into quiet. But inside the modest home, the warmth of love, mischief, and loyalty glowed brighter than any lantern.