The old, glassless windows were re-covered with paper, and all the trash inside was thrown away. Cardboard boxes were laid on the floor of the house, where they would gather together to sleep at night.
Aside from the inconvenience of using water and electricity, they saved on rent and wouldn't be disliked by the people around them.
In the courtyard, a group of children had clearly defined roles: some used an iron pot to boil water and cook porridge, while others used basins to wash clothes. The oldest of them was only 7 years old, and the youngest was only 3 years old.
An old man lay in a rocking chair, half of his body unable to move. Watching the children working methodically, he felt gratified. These little ones were all adopted by him and his wife.
His wife passed away a few years ago, and he was paralyzed due to a stroke and could only lie there like this.
He knew he was a burden; if he understood himself, he would have taken action long ago.
Erni excitedly approached the old man and said, "Grandpa, we have money now! We can take you to see a doctor!"
The old man's eyes widened. He immediately realized what was happening, mumbled incoherently, and shook his hands incessantly.
He meant to prevent the children from doing illegal things.
For her grandfather's health, Erni had no choice but to lie.
“It was an aunt who gave me the money; I didn’t do anything illegal.”
The old man simply didn't believe it; how could there be so many good people in this world?
Erni pinched Hu Zi's bottom with her little hand, "Grandpa, you don't believe me, but you don't believe Hu Zi either?"
Tiger immediately said, "Grandpa is right, the money was given to us by an aunt."
The little girl rubbed her bottom, thinking to herself that Nizi's strength was getting stronger and stronger, and she felt like her bottom was about to be pulled off.
The old man was skeptical of what they said, but then he gestured with his hands to indicate that he didn't need to go to the hospital.
Erni said in her childish voice, "No, if you don't go to the hospital, we won't have any adults to take care of you after you leave. Will you be able to close your eyes then?"
The old man fell silent, which was one of the reasons he persisted.
These children are far too young. If I had known I would suffer a stroke and become paralyzed, I would have sent them to an orphanage. At least then they would have a place to sleep and eat.
In my current state, I can't possibly go to an orphanage.
Fortunately, Erni is quite sensible and has the mindset of an adult at such a young age. Under her leadership, the group of children are doing relatively well.
Erni was very good at reading people's expressions. Seeing that the old man was interested, she continued...
"Grandpa, please listen to my advice. Let's get the illness treated so that we can live in a clean house and let our younger siblings go to school."
The old man thought for a moment and could only nod. Sometimes he wondered whether it was he who saved these children, or whether these children made him who he was.
It added a touch of color to his lonely later years.
Erni was very happy. She had finally persuaded her grandfather. She was the oldest child here, and now that her grandfather was unable to move around easily, she wanted to take care of everything for him.
She was grateful to that scoundrel for bringing so much money with him; otherwise, with their bare hands, they might not have earned that much even after years of scavenging.
And that woman on the bus, she saw herself stealing, but she didn't say anything.
In her eyes, such a person was a good person, the kind who deserved God's blessing, while the fat man had done bad things, and she was just stealing money to do good deeds on behalf of God.
I wonder if I'll ever see that aunt again. She had such a beautiful smile.
"Alright, dinner's ready!" Xiaohong ran over. "I finally finished cooking!"
Erni walked to the pot and looked at the food inside. It was a messy pot of porridge that looked unappetizing. She sighed and said that she would go out to make money, so she wouldn't have to cook.
He said to the group of little kids in front of him, "Come one by one in line to eat. Don't rush or push!"
A group of little children lined up obediently, each holding a bowl.
Erni used a spoon to serve them rice. There wasn't much porridge in the pot, so she could only serve half a spoonful.
I was thinking about buying some food tomorrow to improve everyone's meals.
Finally, they got food for themselves and their grandfather. The portions were clearly not enough, so they only took a little bit for themselves and poured the rest into their grandfather's bowl.
Then take it over and feed the elderly person little by little with a spoon.
Just like when we were little, our grandparents would feed us little by little with a spoon.
"Grandpa, you need to get better soon."
The old man nodded, trying to swallow his food, but his swallowing ability was becoming increasingly weak. Looking at the group of children before him, he wondered if he would survive the winter.
——
Lu Zhixia and Gu Lingxiao arrived at the law enforcement station smoothly, handed the fat man over to the law enforcement team, and accompanied the little girl to complete the recording of her statement.
The fat man shouted at the law enforcement team, "My dad is Hu Gang, you better send someone to tell him this right away!"
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