Jiu Zhang Ji: The Daily Life of the Reborn Daughter

Chapter 154: Coming in Group

"The orphanage has just been built and everything is not ready. Could you please give us some help, Mr. Zhou?" Qiao Lili did not respond to Zhou Chengye's words. She asked him to stand up and sit down, and asked Caiwei to serve tea.

"How can I do this? I only opened a tea shop before. I never took care of such a big thing." Zhou Chengye felt like he was hit by overwhelming wealth twice in one day. He felt dizzy and didn't dare to agree to it.

He thought he was going to be kicked out, but he was kept and reused.

“In other places, ability is the most important thing, but in the Salesian Home, having a heart that loves children is more important than anything else.” If you lack ability, you can cultivate it and ask other people for assistance, but a heart that loves children is not easy to come by.

Zhou Chengye was able to sell his shop and give up his home for a child that was not his own. For this responsibility, this desperate spirit was not something that everyone could do.

"They are all good kids. How can I not like them?" Zhou Chengye said hesitantly, "Each one of them is like a flower growing out of my heart. They are good no matter how you look at them."

"They have suffered enough when they were abandoned by their biological parents. How could I abandon them again?" He didn't think it was a difficult choice. Since he had raised them, shouldn't he raise them well? How could he abandon them halfway?

"Starting tomorrow, you will learn from President Yunwu, step by step. We don't have many children now, so we have time." There is time to wait for him to grow up.

Yunwu was the one his mother left him. His ability was in business. It would be a waste of his talent to manage this orphanage. Now she had Zhou Chengye as her choice. If he could take over this business, Yunwu could show his talents in business. As the number of children in the orphanage increased, the money needed would increase day by day. There were always too many uncertainties in relying on donations. He still needed to earn money to support the children.

Qiao Lili had just finished talking to Zhou Chengye when Caiwei came over to report, "Miss, an official from Jingzhao Prefecture is looking for you."

Qiao Lili frowned slightly, unable to figure out what was going on. At this time, Yunwu also got the news and came to accompany her to the gate to meet the visitor.

Qiao Lili looked at Zhou Chengye who was about to leave and said, "Come with us." Don't wait until tomorrow. It's impossible for the officials to come to your house every day. This is a rare opportunity for training. You have to come into contact with both the good and the bad.

Zhou Chengye responded with a "yes" and followed at the end of the crowd, secretly cheering himself up in his heart. Since the young lady liked him, he must do well the task she assigned to him and not let her down.

The group soon arrived at the door and saw from afar that there were quite a few officials, about ten or so. When they got closer, they saw that these ten officials were accompanied by a dozen dirty little beggars.

Qiao Lili, today is really an auspicious day, and everyone here is a group.

The oldest of these beggars were twelve or thirteen years old, and the youngest were in their teens. Their hair was disheveled, and their clothes were no longer recognizable from their original appearance. Normally, they should be happy to be sent here by the police and provided with food, drink and shelter. However, they looked reluctant.

"Miss Qiao, I am sorry to cause you trouble." Constable Lin of Jingzhao Prefecture bowed to Qiao Lili, "These little beggars are running around in the capital all day long. Today they take a steamed bun from someone, and tomorrow they take a sesame cake from someone. I don't know where to put them, but they come to sue them every day."

"So I thought, they are orphans with no one to take care of them, so I sent them to your orphanage so that they can have food to eat, learn a few words, and understand some sense, so that they don't have to live a half-hungry life every day. Who would have thought that these little guys would not appreciate it? Look at them, they don't know their place." After Captain Lin finished speaking, he stretched out his hand and touched the head of the two children closest to him, and pulled each of them. The two children's heads shook towards Qiao Lili's direction, and then stubbornly turned back to their original direction.

Qiao Lili glanced at these children. Teenagers are at the age of rebellion. They think they can control their own destiny. Of course, they are unwilling to go to a place where someone is in charge and have to listen to others in everything.

"Thank you for your help, officers. Please stay here for dinner. It's a good opportunity for you to supervise the food of our orphanage." Qiao Lili didn't preach to the little beggars. She greeted the officers and turned to ask Yunwu, "What do the children of our orphanage eat for dinner?"

Yunwu was such an insightful person that he understood Qiao Lili's thoughts in a second: "My lord, tonight's dinner is white rice, fried pancakes, pork and kidney beans, cold cucumber salad, and Chinese cabbage soup. In addition, the imperial concubine said that today is a good day and gave silver as a reward for extra dishes, so there is also a braised chicken nuggets. It was stewing when I came. There are two large pots, and everyone can have a bowl."

Qiao Lili waited for Yunwu to finish speaking, and then said to Captain Lin, "We have a rule in the Salesian Home. As long as you eat in the Salesian Home, no matter who comes, you have to eat the same food as the children in the Salesian Home. The Royal Concubine has lunch here, so it is the same. If you don't mind, please come in and move to our dining room."

The emperor is here too, but he can’t say anything.

Captain Lin also knew what Qiao Lili was thinking, so he said to the other detectives, "Then let's go and give it a try. If anyone asks about the situation of our Mercy Church in the future, we can tell them the truth." Everyone agreed after hearing the captain's words, and naturally no one disobeyed, and they all nodded in approval.

Captain Lin pretended to take two steps forward, then turned back and said to the little beggars, "Since you don't want to come, a forced melon won't be sweet. You should just go away. It's still early. If you can find something to eat, go find it quickly. If you're late, you'll have to spend the night on an empty stomach."

"But, let's be frank. If I find out that you steal other people's food again, I will arrest you and send you to repair the river embankment. You are all grown up, and you still don't know what is good for you." After saying this, he held the sword at his waist and was about to walk into the door.

At this time, the youngest beggar in the group asked, "Can white rice fill me up?" After asking, he felt that he had not made himself clear. He added, "If I am willing to come to the Salesian Home, can white rice fill me up? I have eaten white rice before."

He remembered that he had eaten white rice at home, but after wandering for so many years, he had forgotten everything about the past, including the taste of white rice. When he heard about white rice today, the desire hidden deep in his memory immediately surfaced.

Although Qiao Lili didn't look at them directly, she was always paying attention to the changes in the children's expressions with her peripheral vision. When Yunwu mentioned white rice and fried pancakes, their eyes lit up. When they talked about braised chicken nuggets, they couldn't hide the sound of swallowing saliva.

"Yes, no matter what you eat, you can be full for three meals a day." Qiao Lili's voice was not loud, but it made people believe it was true for some reason.

The little beggar looked at the little beggar who was obviously their leader with a pleading look, and murmured, "I have eaten white rice before, and I want to eat it again, eat until I am full, eat until I burp. I have only smelled the braised chicken nuggets, but I have never eaten them, and I want to eat them too. Big brother, I want to eat white rice."

The little beggar leader rolled his eyes, and suddenly seemed to have made up his mind. He asked Qiao Lili, "Sir, can we go in with these officials to taste your food? If we don't like it, can we leave?"