22 FIELD TRIP (2)

Procession of buses arrived at the field trip's venue after a grueling three-hour ride. In between those hours, they had a short thirty-minute stopover on a nearby petrol station where there were convenience stores to replenish their food haul and rest rooms to relieve themselves from their biological needs.

Most children went to the rest rooms first. Xiao Lihua and Xiao Lingtian were waited on by their nannies. Kang Sola also went to the ladies room to refresh herself by applying some makeup and press powder to her worn-out-by-travel sleepy face.

The color from the makeup made her look fresh again, a hundred and eighty degrees turn to the woke-up-like-this, zombie-like face she had just some minutes ago when she alighted from the bus. Saying that she was horrified by her face when she saw her reflection at the ladies room was such an understatement.

As for Xue Guangxi…

He did not leave his seat. To put it bluntly, he did not even wake up during the thirty-minute trip interval even when Kang Sola poked and shook him awake. He only mumbled, pressed and parted his lips alternatingly, then snoozed back off inside the bus without worry about the outside world, and around him.

They just let him be.

Kang Sola brought some snacks from their van in convoy. She handed some to the kids and to the Chen patriarch and matriarch.

"How have you been, Mother?"

"We're okay. We slept on the way here."

"How about you, Father?"

"Stiff from sitting." He stretched his arms. "Thank you for asking. How about you? How's the cat and the dog doing? Hahaha." He teased.

"Father!" Kang Sola's face scrunched, remembering how annoying her seatmate was.

"Hahaha!!!"

Chen Lingtian and Chen Lihua ate some breaded hotdog on stick they saw inside the convenience store. It wasn't exactly healthy, but the joy of a school field trip something comes from the trivial, unhealthy junk.

The elders gave in to the twins' whims dotingly, with the excuse that once wouldn't be harmful anyway. They are convinced that they should be experiencing those kinds of events so that they will have good memories to look back to when they get older.

At the site, each "family" of three – the student and two guardians – were registered and assigned a room first. Now, that presented a problem to the twins because they were each assigned a room, but then they never got to sleep in separate rooms before.

"Aunty, Uncle…"

The two children held hands like always. "Can't sleep without my twin."

"Me too."

"Uhm…" Kang Sola considered their options when Xue Guangxi butted in.

"We'll sort it out later, okay?" He reassured the twins with a grin and a wink, and a thumbs up sign.

As of the moment, the guardians decided to park the matter in the meantime since they still had a full day ahead of them to think it through.

They plan to talk with the hotel's management staff at the reception or the facilitators or the teachers. It should be a simple matter to resolve.

Xue Guangxi intended to get their suite upgraded into a family room, or if possible, a much bigger accommodation. There was also the matter of the nannies' rooms and their private van's driver which they brought with them.

After much talking to people, he managed to get the largest suite in the hotel which had four rooms. All six of them will share the suite. The Chen patriarch and matriarch will share one, and the twins will share one. Kang Sola and Xue Guangxi will stay in the remaining two rooms separately.

Their original assignments of two individual rooms were allocated to the nannies and the driver.

After everyone settled down to their rooms, the facilitators invited them to a buffet of snacks. It was not excessive – just a few granola bars and the option to take a bowl of soup to fill the stomach with something warm in the morning before the activities. The facilitator must have considered the early call time and must have thought that some students and guardians alike skipped meals just to be on time.

Stomachs full, the program and games finally began.

The vicinity had a vast grounds where the games would take place. A grand stand stood adjacent to the fields. The props for the games were already set up all over the place.

The principal gave a speech first about the children's well-being and the important role of the guardians in maintaining and upholding it.

Then again, the big Chen family of six faced the daunting task of dividing themselves into two teams –one child per team, with the goal to win in mind.

It could be by gender, meaning Chen Lihua, Kang Sola and Jiang Biyu in one team, and Chen Lingtian, Chen Lingfang and Xue Guangxi in another.

However, Chen Lingfang protested going against his wife. "It's not a gentleman's doing to fight his wife in any way or form, even in the form of casual games."

Color blanched on her face, Kang Sola agreed in understanding.

…Understanding that she will be teamed with Xue Guangxi, the person that's been stirring her blood into a boil.

Of course, they're friends, but even best of friends get to each other's nerves sometimes. Especially if it's someone like Xue Guangxi.

When they were out of earshot, Jiang Biyu nudged her husband, Chen Lingfang, "You pushed them to team up, didn't you?"

The Chen patriarch grunted with a sly sneer on his face. "Who am I to do that?"

The old lady chuckled, clear mirth and amusement on her wrinkled face. "Right, you're just an old man whose advice they cannot defy."

"You make me sound as if I'm a tyrant or something." He grunted again, playing grumpy. In truth, he wasn't.

"Plus, we're more likely to win if our other entry is them plus one of the twins."

"As you say." Nodding and playing along. "I admit there's truth to your words. Even if they currently don't get along well, they have a solid teamwork and partnership. Very professional, indeed."