Chapter 9: New Home... and a Bright New Beginning
Shen Xixuan led the children out of the spaceport, hailed a flying taxi, and headed home. The vehicle glided along clean, orderly streets, past buildings and beautiful stretches of lush green grass. All five children stared out the windows in nonstop excitement.
"Look at that! That tree is huge!"
"Is someone growing vegetables over there, Dad?"
"Those vehicles really can float above the ground, just like in the storybooks!"
Shen Xixuan chuckled softly, listening happily as they chattered.
"You'll get to see things like this every day. And before long, we'll have a garden of our own, too."
After a while, the vehicle arrived at his big brother's old house—a beautiful home blending nature with technology, surrounded by a large, empty garden waiting to be planted and huge trees that provided cool shade.
"We're here, kids... This is our new home."
Shen Xixuan unlocked the front door with Star Bear and invited the children inside. The interior was neat and tidy, with futuristic furniture that still felt warm and welcoming. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, making every corner of the house look bright and inviting.
All the children ran off to explore every room, brimming with excitement. Xiaohu, the oldest, came over to Shen Xixuan with a delighted look in his eyes.
"Dad... I mean, Uncle! This house is really huge and beautiful! Is it really ours?"
"It is, Xiaohu. This house belonged to your younger siblings' father—your Big Brother—and now it's the home of every one of us."
Shen Xixuan gave the children a detailed tour of the entire house: the spacious bedroom that could be divided into separate areas for each child, the fully equipped kitchen, the roomy living room, and the vast, empty backyard.
The children were fascinated by all the technology in the house. Xiaolong, the white-haired twin, was amazed by the automatic lighting system, which adjusted its brightness according to the moods of everyone in the room.
"Dad! The lights in here can change colors? They're so pretty!"
"That's right, Xiaolong. The lighting system in this house is very smart. It can adjust the color and brightness however we want. Try telling it to turn pink."
Xiaolong gave the command in a soft voice, and the moment he finished speaking, the lights changed to a gentle pale pink. All the children cried out in surprise and delight.
Xiaocao, the mischievous one, was equally amazed by the automatic climate-control system, which kept the air in the house fresh no matter how hot it was outside.
"Dad! It's so cool and comfortable in here, nothing like outside. How does it work?"
"It's a smart climate-control system, Xiaocao. It measures the temperature and automatically adjusts it to suit our bodies, so we're always as comfortable as possible."
Xiaofeng and Xiaoyan, the two younger sisters, were fascinated by the automatic music system, which could play whatever song they liked just by thinking about it. They began dancing happily when a cheerful tune started playing on its own.
"Look, Dad! It knows I like this kind of music!" Xiaoyan exclaimed excitedly as she danced adorably.
Shen Xixuan smiled as he watched the children's happiness, his heart at ease. He had never imagined that the technology of this era could bring children so much joy. Although he was still confused by some of the overly complicated functions, he did his best to learn alongside the children.
"Look, kids... This is the backyard garden. I'm going to grow all kinds of vegetables and fruit here so you can eat fresh food every day."
The children rushed into the garden excitedly, touching the rich soil and examining the few small plants that had already been planted. Xiaolong, the white-haired twin, came back to him with a determined look in his eyes.
"Dad... Can I help plant flowers here? I want pretty flowers all around the house."
"Of course, Xiaolong. Tomorrow I'll take you all to buy seeds and gardening supplies, and then we'll plant the garden together."
That evening passed in a busy but heartwarming blur. Shen Xixuan helped the children arrange their bedrooms and put away their belongings, then began preparing dinner with ingredients he had bought at the local market.
Using the knowledge he had brought from the old era, he made simple but incredibly delicious food—fragrant steamed rice, stir-fried fresh vegetables, and chicken soup rich with the aroma of herbs. He used traditional cooking methods that people in this era had rarely, if ever, seen, such as slowly stirring the soup with a wooden spoon so the flavors blended perfectly, and seasoning it with fresh herbs he had gathered from the garden.
While the soup simmered, he heard the children happily chatting in the living room. They were playing a simple holographic game he had just learned how to activate for them a little while ago. The delicious aroma spread throughout the house, making all the children hungry. They ran to wait by the dining table.
"That smells amazing, Dad! The food smells so good!" Xiaocao, the mischievous one, stared eagerly at the dishes.
Once everyone sat down to eat, Shen Xixuan watched the children enjoy their meal, his heart filled with a happiness too great for words.
Now he had a family... He had a home... He had people to care for and love.
"It's so good, Dad! This is the best food I've ever had," Xiaoyan said as she chewed happily.
"If you like it, Xiaoyan, I'll make it for you every day."
After dinner, Shen Xixuan helped the children bathe and get dressed, then took them to play quiet games in the living room so they could become more familiar with their new home.
As they played, Shen Xixuan began planning for the future. He thought about finding a suitable school for the children so they could learn and make new friends. He also thought about preparing to start a regular cooking livestream to earn extra money for the family, as well as expanding the backyard garden so there would be enough vegetables and fruit for everyone.
He also thought about teaching the children how to grow plants and cook for themselves, so they could develop useful life skills. Even in an era where technology had advanced so far, he believed that knowledge of nature and food was still incredibly important.
Xiaohu, the oldest, paused for a moment and looked Shen Xixuan straight in the eye.
"Dad... We're in our new home now, right?"
"That's right, Xiaohu."
"And... we'll get to stay together forever, right? You won't abandon us like everyone else did, right?"
Shen Xixuan stopped playing. He crouched down and gently placed his hands on the child's shoulders, looking at him with complete sincerity.
"Listen to me, Xiaohu... And all of you, listen too."
All the children turned to him attentively.
"I promise I won't abandon any of you. Ever. I'll stay with you, take care of you, and build a happy family together with you... I promise."
His words filled the children with joy. They all rushed forward at once and hugged Shen Xixuan, overflowing with love and trust.
That night, after all the children had fallen asleep, Shen Xixuan stood gazing out at the backyard beneath the moonlight and countless stars. His heart was full of hope and determination.
He also used Star Bear to look up information about schools in the neighborhood and learn more about how to officially start streaming, preparing for the future. He checked his account balance and planned his spending carefully to make sure he would have enough money to take the best possible care of all the children.
He thought about Uncle Chen, the kind neighbor, too, and made plans to visit him and thank him again soon. He would also prepare some delicious food to bring him as a token of his gratitude.
The dangerous journey was over... but his true journey was just beginning—the journey of becoming a dad, building a family, and growing alongside these children in this technologically advanced world.
He would do everything he could to give them happy lives filled with love, always.