"Uncle, it's getting late. We all have things to do this afternoon, so let's go have lunch together." Now that they've all met, and there's nothing else for them to do, they can have lunch together, visit the children in the afternoon, and then go home.

I'm exhausted every day.

Normally, they would go home and eat something casual after get off work, but today Ruan Ruan came over and took them directly to a state-run restaurant for a meal. After dinner, Ruan Ruan took Uncle Kun and the others to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some things for the children before heading to the courtyard that had been arranged for them.

After agreeing on a meeting place with Zheng Xuyang, he went to various material factories to talk to the factory managers about long materials.

When Ruan Ruan and her group arrived at the children's yard according to the address given by Mayor Guo, they could hear the sounds of children playing games coming from inside.

After they knocked on the door, a child of about nine years old opened it for them. Upon seeing them, the child stared at them with two round, bright eyes and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"We've come to see you. Would it be convenient for us to come in and talk?" This was the first time Ruan Ruan had seen these children. She had heard many people talk about them before, but seeing them now, it seemed that they were somewhat different from the rumors.

Unable to make the decision, the child turned around and said something to the people inside. A boy a head taller than him came out. When he saw them, he didn't recognize them either, but when he saw Huo Haocheng behind Ruan Ruan, his eyes immediately revealed a fierce light.

"It seems you know him." From his eyes, one could tell that he harbored resentment towards Huo Haocheng.

From his perspective, it's perfectly normal for him to feel hatred because Huo Haocheng led his men to arrest their fathers and relatives and caused their mother to leave them. What's truly frightening is when they meet again and show no hatred or emotional reaction. That would be the most terrifying thing.

"What are you doing here?" the child asked them, looking at them fiercely.

"You've probably heard that the reason you're able to live here is because someone is sponsoring you. I'm the one who sponsored you. I'm here to talk to you about something. Would it be convenient for us to go inside and discuss it?"

Ruan Ruan didn't like being yelled at, so when facing this child, she didn't speak as gently as she had when facing the other child, and her words carried a hint of assertiveness.

Hearing Ruan Ruan's words and attitude, and after looking at the children inside, the child finally opened the door and let them in.

If he were alone, upon hearing Ruan Ruan say that she had sponsored him, providing him with a place to live and clothes to wear, he would immediately take off his clothes and return them to her, then leave without looking back. However, having experienced the days of scavenging for food, he didn't want to see them living that kind of life again.

After letting them in, someone brought out stools for them.

"Just say what you want to say." He just wanted them to finish talking immediately and leave; he didn't want to see this person again.

Ruan Ruan didn't argue with the child for the time being, and took the stool and sat down in front of him. After looking at the children who had gathered around them, she slowly began to speak.

“You should know very well that your fathers were arrested for trafficking women, extortion, and growing drugs. And you, from the time you were old enough to understand, were educated in the same way as them. However, the country is letting you off the hook because you are still children and have not made any mistakes.

However, you yourselves know that the government subsidies you receive are simply not enough to raise you to adulthood, which is why we have transferred your case to our charity in the hope that we can help you.

But to be honest, based on your behavior just now, I'm very worried. I don't want to have spent so much time and money raising you into an ungrateful wretch who grows up to break the law and follow in your father's footsteps. If that's the case, I'd rather have never raised you at all.

As Ruan Ruan spoke, her gaze swept over each of them. Most of the children looked confused, probably because they didn't understand what their father had done. However, a few of them had their heads down, perhaps deep in thought or something else entirely.

After giving them a few minutes, the boy finally asked Ruan Ruan, "What do you want us to do for you to raise us?"

In fact, he knew that what his father and grandfather had done was wrong. From a very young age, he often saw his father beat and scold his mother. On several nights, he saw his father and grandfather enter his mother's room together. He often heard her crying. But his mother had told him that he was still too young to be a match for his father and grandfather, so he couldn't save her. However, later, he witnessed his mother being beaten to death by his father and grandfather, and their body was thrown directly into the back mountain.

So when he saw the police storm into their village, arrest their father and grandfather, and bring back all the aunts in the village, he was actually happy. But at the same time, he was also angry. He hated them for not coming sooner. If they had come sooner, his mother wouldn't have died, and he wouldn't have had to lead his younger siblings to endure other people's cold stares or have to pick up other people's unwanted food.

"I have a medicine here that can make you forget what happened. Of course, it won't harm your body. Whether you take it or not is up to you."

She knew that this matter should be able to be accomplished just from the child's question.

"If we eat, will you raise us and make sure we're well-fed and clothed?" The child looked at Ruan Ruan with determination, wanting a definite answer from her. He was willing to believe her if she said so.

He had heard about the charity she mentioned earlier from the grandmother who cooked for them. She always said that the person in charge of the organization was very kind. He had also secretly inquired about it recently and knew that she was very skilled in medicine and had saved people. So if she agreed, he would be willing.

"Yes, as long as you eat, from now on I will make sure you are well-fed and clothed, and I will also send you to school."

"Okay, let's eat."

After getting the answer he wanted, he firmly gave his answer.

Afterwards, Ruan Ruan took out a medicine bottle from her pocket and handed it to him. "Take one pill each. After you finish taking it, get a good night's sleep. When you wake up tomorrow, you will forget what happened before. Tomorrow morning, they will come to find you, bring you food and clothes, and take you to re-register your household. In September of the second half of the year, they will send you to school."

After explaining, Ruan Ruan watched as the boy fed them the pills one by one. Finally, he returned to Ruan Ruan and ate his own pill in front of them.

Afterwards, I returned the medicine bottle to her.

The child was undoubtedly clever; he knew that they were most worried about him, so he made them watch him eat.