Watching Little Sheldon delay everyone again for his own reasons, Little George complained under his breath, "What a pain…"
His voice was low, but George still heard him. "Don't talk about your brother like that."
"Hmph."
Little George stubbornly turned his head away, clearly still annoyed.
A moment later, under Mary's urging, Little Sheldon reappeared wearing his plaid shirt again, complete with his little bow tie.
Soon, the seven of them split into two cars and headed out of town toward a farm.
To show his displeasure, Little George refused to ride in George's car and instead took the front passenger seat in Grandma Connie's. Missy, wanting to spend more time with Mike, chose Grandma Connie's car as well.
Along the way, compared to the quiet atmosphere in George's car, Grandma Connie's was much livelier.
She clearly enjoyed family outings. Turning on the car stereo, she asked cheerfully, "Anyone want to listen to some music?"
"Me, me!"
Little George raised his hand eagerly, then dug through a pile of cassette tapes and picked out some high-energy rock.
Before long, fast-paced music filled the car.
As the car bounced along the dirt road, everyone inside started moving along with the beat, laughing and swaying.
The happy mood carried on.
Once they left the main road, Mike began to feel a sense of déjà vu. He recognized this route—it led to Lena's house.
He'd been this way before.
Sure enough, not long after, the car passed by Lena's place. But that wasn't their destination. Both cars continued down a smaller road for a few more miles until they arrived at a rustic farm.
Green lawns stretched out before them, trees were thick and lush, and even the air felt fresher than in town.
Farther off, a herd of cattle could be seen grazing along the hillside.
Several cars were already parked near the entrance, clearly belonging to people who'd arrived earlier than the Coopers.
Mike got out, stretched a bit, then helped Mary carry the cooking supplies toward the entrance.
"Welcome!"
A pretty girl stepped out from inside the farm.
"Wait—what are you doing here?" Mike asked in surprise, though he'd already guessed the answer.
"Mike!"
Lena was just as surprised to see a familiar face here, then quickly broke into a smile and walked over.
She was wearing a blue-and-white plaid shirt with fitted jeans, a dark purple headscarf tied in her hair, looking every bit like a hardworking country girl.
"This is my family's farm," Lena explained. "I told you about it before…"
It turned out the church picnic was being held right here at her family's place.
And after seeing the cattle on the hills, Mike became even more certain—Lena's family was doing very well financially.
After briefly explaining her family situation, Lena asked curiously, "Mike, how did you end up here? I mean—sorry, that's not what I meant. It's just…"
Since the picnic was organized by the church, most of the people attending were Christians. And as far as Lena knew, Mike wasn't religious.
"I get what you mean," Mike said. "I came with the Cooper family."
He then introduced the Coopers to Lena.
When Mary learned that Lena's mother was also a devoted Christian, she immediately warmed up to the girl, and the two chatted for a bit near the entrance.
Meanwhile, more families began arriving.
Realizing this wasn't the place for long conversations—and that she actually wanted to spend time with Mike alone rather than awkward small talk—Lena apologized. "Sorry, I still have work to do."
She gathered the newly arrived guests and led everyone inside the farm.
Since the church had chosen Lena's family farm for the picnic, most of the ingredients would be sourced directly from there.
That meant Lena had plenty to do—welcoming guests and later helping her parents prepare food.
Watching the capable young woman walking ahead, Grandma Connie leaned over and teased, "Mike, I don't remember this girl. Don't you think you owe Grandma an explanation?"
Sharp as ever, she'd noticed the look in Lena's eyes earlier and sensed there might be something going on.
"Can I not explain?" Mike shook his head.
"Tch, no fun," Grandma Connie said, losing interest and dropping it.
Led by Lena, the group climbed over a small hill and arrived at a wide, open grassy area.
The greenery looked completely natural—tall grass dotted with wildflowers, butterflies and bees fluttering freely among them.
This was nature at its finest.
Missy took one look and ran off happily, soon chasing butterflies across the field.
It was clear the church had put real effort into organizing this picnic. The flat grass was perfect for activities, while the tree-covered hill nearby offered plenty of shade.
In one shady spot, people were already setting up their camp area.
The schedule for the day was simple:
In the morning, set up and prepare food.
At noon, eat and relax.
In the afternoon, once it cooled down, play games together.
After leading everyone to the site, Lena stepped up to Mike and whispered, "Mike, once I'm done with my work, I'll come find you."
She even gave him a playful wink.
Smiling, Mike nodded, then asked, "Need any help?"
"Uh…"
Lena hesitated, then shook her head. "N-no, I've got it."
Because of some past trouble, Lena's mom kept a close eye on her, so she didn't dare let Mike show up around her mother right now.
Seeing her hesitation, Mike said gently, "Alright. Go take care of things. If you need me, just come find me."
Soon after, Mary stepped in as well. When she heard Lena would be helping prepare the food, she immediately volunteered her skills in the kitchen.
Over on the other side, George spotted a grill already set up and went over to start working on it.
Even though Mary was the main cook today, she definitely wasn't the only one. Several other moms pitched in, and some people brought their own specialty dishes to share.
The whole event was clearly meant to be relaxed and comfortable.
As noon approached, George finally placed his marinated beef on the grill, while Mary and the others began preparing lunch.
With the ingredients ready, Lena finally had some free time. She found a chance to avoid her mother's attention and pulled Mike aside to talk privately for a bit.
A little while later, Lena looked refreshed, and the two of them returned separately from the trees.
Back at the camp, dish after dish had already been laid out on long tables.
More than a hundred people had come to the picnic, and with so many families bringing kids, children made up about a third of the crowd.
Everyone gathered around the tables, the atmosphere warm and cheerful.
"What were you doing earlier? I couldn't find you anywhere," Missy asked suspiciously, staring at Mike. "And why are you sweating so much?"
"It's really hot out," Mike said calmly, tugging at his collar for air. "I just went to cool off under the trees for a bit."
"Really?"
Missy sniffed the air, catching a faint unfamiliar scent, still looking doubtful.
Just then, the roar of an engine cut through the noise as a red sports car took a long route and pulled up near the picnic area.