Not only did Madam Huang manage to raise all the men in her family to become successful candidates in the imperial examinations, but she also had the resources to provide for the young children, which can be described as a great act of kindness.
No wonder they were able to receive royal favors.
Hong Dahai's education of his daughters gradually went astray after he attended the opening ceremony of a children's home.
Instead of indulging in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, he focused on practical matters, which made his wife think he had gone mad.
Liang Xuesi, however, remembered the saying "When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven."
As for how the younger family members or students will be tormented later, it is unknown.
The management of the orphanage has now entered a model-based management phase.
For example, the children have fixed menus for their three meals a day, a class schedule for their studies, and a fixed daily routine; the whole system is somewhat like a military-style management model.
This kind of good life is something the children never dared to dream of before.
On the day the orphanage opened, many locals who came to watch the spectacle even strangely envied the children in the orphanage.
They had books to read, new clothes to wear, and lived in a big house.
This is something that many children in ordinary families cannot enjoy.
Fortunately, this orphanage was built in a prosperous area, rather than a poor one.
Otherwise, given those jealous people, the children's peace and quiet might not be guaranteed.
On the opening day, an old woman who worked for several nearby households actually came up to Zhao Xinsheng and started promoting her own children and grandchildren.
"Hey, you manager, why are you taking in those poor wretches? They're all born with a lowly fate."
Anyway, your boss is a wealthy and charitable person.
I have two grandsons, one is ten years old and the other is thirteen. Why don't you take my child in?
"I don't ask for much, old woman. I'll be content as long as my grandson can pass the imperial examination and become a scholar."
After the old woman finished speaking, she grinned, showing her big teeth, with an expression as if she had just taken in her grandson and was still giving the orphanage face.
Zhao Xinsheng couldn't stand people like this, who treated everyone else as worthless but considered her family's bloodline precious.
"You woman, is your entire family dead?"
If your entire family is dead, taking in your grandson might be feasible. But you're still alive.
Look, do you see that big rock over there? It's hard and solid enough.
"Or, you could kill yourself first, and then I'd come to your house and pick up your grandson."
The stone Zhao Xinsheng was referring to was a rare stone that his neighbor had recently acquired at great expense, intending to use it to build an artificial mountain.
Zhao Xinsheng said this because he noticed that the old woman came from that courtyard.
Judging from their clothes, you don't need to guess; they're either servants or maids.
Those who dared to let their grandson take the imperial examination must have come from respectable families. Therefore, he was undoubtedly a servant in that household.
As soon as Zhao Xinsheng finished speaking, the old woman seemed to have suffered a great injustice and sat down on the ground, crying and making a scene.
"The rich are heartless; the orphanage is going to kill people."
They claim to be kind-hearted, but they're clearly wolves and tigers.
In broad daylight, they cursed my entire family to die, and even told me to smash my head against a rock and die.
This is outrageous! How can God not strike such a vicious person dead with lightning?
Damn it…
"Crack..." A clap of thunder sounded in the clear sky. Accompanying the thunder was a bolt of lightning.
However, the lightning did not strike Zhao Xinsheng; instead, it struck the old woman's side.
Because she rolled around while crying and screaming, the lightning struck just past her thigh.
Not only was a large pit cleaved in the ground, but half of the old woman's clothes were also chopped to ash.
The exposed, white flesh caused nearby people to cover their eyes or back away.
This is terrifying.
I've never seen a person struck by lightning in my entire life, especially on such a sunny day.
Those who were just watching the spectacle with great interest were now suddenly terrified.
They witnessed the entire process, including the old woman's unreasonable demands for the orphanage to accept their child.
They even uttered vile words, insulting the children in the orphanage as worthless.
If an orphanage can take in children, it means that every child is someone else's child.
If you insult someone's child and they respond kindly to you, then they're not human.
Why is there thunder? Apparently, this old woman said she wanted God to strike the dean dead with lightning.
Then God heard it, and not only did thunder roar, but He also struck the old woman down.
What does this mean? It means that Heaven is watching what people do.
The crowd scattered in a flash, creating a vacuum within a ten-meter radius around the old woman.
With such a commotion, servants from next door were already watching the excitement.
Seeing that the old woman responsible for washing clothes for her master had uttered evil words and was struck by lightning, he immediately ran back to report to his master.
The old woman was stunned for a long time, then screamed repeatedly.
With most of her body exposed, she had lost her reputation. Although she was an old woman, no one was interested in her body.
But that's also a breach of integrity.
If we're talking about shamelessness, this old woman is the most shameless of all.
Now that she's a widow and has lost her reputation, someone has to take responsibility. Who should she marry?
When she calmed down, she looked around at the people, or rather, the men.
As if suddenly enlightened, the men all ran faster than rabbits.
Zhao Xinsheng, for example, jumped back to the gate of the orphanage the moment his mother was struck by lightning, wanting to protect the children.
By this time, all the children who had been watching the commotion at the gate had already been gathered into the sales home.
As for Hong Dahai and Liang Xuesi, they were currently following behind the Zhao family, visiting the orphanage.
From dormitories to classrooms, then to kitchens, bathrooms, outhouses, and finally warehouses.
I've visited almost every place.
Looking at the rice, flour, cooking oil, and large quantities of cloth, cotton, writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones stored in the warehouse.
They were certain that the Zhao family genuinely cared for the child.
Hong Dahai walked behind alone and secretly opened a large rice vat.
He reached in and grabbed a handful of rice.
His head suddenly went blank.
I thought the Zhao family was doing well at all, feeding their children old, broken rice or coarse grains.
I never expected that the rice here would be top-quality rice.
This quality is comparable to rice offered as tribute.
Unconsciously, a grand drama unfolded in my mind.
The Zhao family must be a reclusive family, otherwise they couldn't possibly have such a profound foundation.
Reclusive families typically do not engage in worldly affairs.
Since they have been born and do good deeds, could it be that there is a precious child among the children they raise?
Or is someone planning something? My mind raced with all sorts of wild thoughts, and my head felt like it was about to explode.
In the end, the children called him back to his senses.
Ever since the little boy rode on Zhao Minggeng's neck, he has started calling Zhao Minggeng "Father Zhao" whenever he sees him.
Then Zhao Minggeng would throw it onto his shoulder again.
The little boy rode on Zhao's father's shoulders and turned around to see Hong Dahai standing motionless in front of the rice jar.
He looked like he'd gone mad.
"Uncle, Uncle in Blue, are you craving my rice? Let me tell you, my rice makes really delicious porridge."
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