The weekend came quickly. In the afternoon, Ethen, Jack, Bradley, and Edwin had already prepared everything in advance.
Once the kids returned from school, they showered and had dinner.
The kids were particularly excited during mealtime because they were going back to Rutaceae Village. They could not wait to be back there already.
Seeing their anxious expressions, Arissa was amused. “Eat slowly. Even if you finish eating, we still have to wait for Grandpa and the others before we can set off!”
At this point, the kids slowed down their pace. They wanted to urge Darius and Mary to hurry up, but seeing their advanced age, the kids did not dare to rush them.
“Are you all ready with the gifts you brought for everyone?” she asked, turning to the children.
The kids nodded. “We're all set.”
“All right. When you go over there, you must listen to Grandpa, Great-grandaunt, and these gentlemen, understand? No running around recklessly. Wherever you go, you must stay with the adults. Don't sneak off on your own!” Arissa said, reminding them to be careful.
As she and Benjamin were not going this time, she could not help but worry a little.
“Don't worry, Mrs. Graham. We will take good care of the kids,” Ethen assured her.
Initially, he was not planning to go to Rutaceae Village due to some unfinished work. However, Benjamin asked him to go along.
Bradley and Jack also nodded in agreement. “You can rest assured, Boss, Mrs. Graham. We will take good care of them!”
Arissa nodded with a smile. “They can be quite mischievous. Don't let them go to the deep water!”
They all nodded, ensuring Arissa had no need to worry.
After finishing their meal, they took a brief rest before preparing to fly to Rutaceae Village.
Benjamin, Arissa, and Shaun saw them off to the plane.
“Mommy, Mr. Graham, we're off now. Don't miss us too much!” Jasper cheerfully waved them goodbye.
Everyone shared a laugh, then bid each other farewell.
“Mommy, we're boarding the plane now. We'll call you when we arrive!” Gavin told her.
Arissa nodded, gently patting the kids' heads, “Off you go now. Be good when you get there! Stay safe! And remember to look after your grandpa and great-grandaunt!”
“Understood, Mommy!” Tim, Zachary and Oliver said in unison.
“Goodbye, Mommy! Goodbye, Mr. Graham!” Jesse waved to them, then followed Darius and the others onto the plane.
“Goodbye!” Arissa, standing next to Benjamin, responded to the children, raising her hand to wave them goodbye.
“We're boarding now!” Darius told them, leading the kids onto the plane.
Bradley followed closely by Mary's side to support her a little.
Jack and Ethen followed behind, bidding Benjamin and the others farewell before boarding the plane.
“Stay safe over there!” Benjamin reminded.
“Understood, Mr. Graham!” the two responded firmly, nodding at them before closing the cabin door.
Benjamin led Arissa to retreat about ten meters away. Shaun and Edwin also stayed back to watch the helicopter take off.
“Ah, I'm so envious of them. They get to have fun!” Shaun said with a sigh.
Arissa chuckled. “Why not have them wait for you? It's not too late for you to go now!”
“No, I can't leave. Benjamin would be worried if I left you alone!”
Shaun chuckled a few times and glanced at Benjamin. He could not even return to the hospital, let alone follow the others to a faraway place like Rutaceae Village.
“Since you have nothing to do, Mr. Bailey, help me clean up the dishes.”
Edwin led Shaun away. They had not cleaned up the table from the earlier dinner yet.
“Who says I have nothing to do? I still have research to do...” Shaun retorted, but he still followed Edwin inside.
“Let's go in too. With Ethen and the others following them, there won't be any problems!” Benjamin turned his head and said to Arissa.
She looked at him and nodded. “All right! We can use this time to pack up. Can we set off tomorrow?”
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