Chapter 74 The Ring is Lost
Three hours later, the bus stopped in front of a welfare home near the outskirts of the city.
Having been in this world for two years, this was Tu Yao's first time in the city. Although it was in the suburbs, she couldn't help but feel a little excited.
She put down the large bag in her hand and quickly took the restless Wolf Fang for a run.
The welfare home in front of us is a three-story building that looks quite old, with bits and pieces of the outer wall peeling off.
Cheng Sangsang couldn't help but complain, "Why is it all tattered?"
Her competitive spirit flared up immediately, and she puffed out her chest: "We people of Gangcheng will also build welfare homes."
She tapped on a picture on her phone, "This is what my family built!"
Wen Yu and Jiang Ye glanced at each other and were immediately speechless.
Ma Zhiyuan frowned deeply.
Cheng Sangsang got anxious: "What? You don't believe me!"
Tu Yao returned with her dog and went over to look at the magnificent orphanage in the picture. The gate was a Western-style courtyard gate, the walls were painted with bright gold paint, and there were all kinds of beautiful and expensive potted plants on both sides of the road.
She stepped back and glanced at Cheng Sangsang's entire body: two emerald rings on her hands and a golden chain around her neck, which jingled with the slightest movement.
He nodded sincerely: "I can tell."
"Tu Xiaomao!"
A string of good-natured jokes immediately appeared in the comments section.
[Hahahaha, my sister is right, it's true, you can tell.]
[The little curly-haired girl is quite interesting; she's energetic and a bit of a nouveau riche. She explodes when her sister pokes her.]
Cheng Sangsang's face turned bright red with anger: "I'm not talking to you anymore!"
At the entrance of the welfare home, the director led a group of children to greet them.
Hello everyone! Welcome!
The dean was a lean, middle-aged man dressed in faded white clothes, while the children were dressed in brand-new clothes.
They were all thin and small, with blank stares, either looking at the ground or staring straight ahead.
The man glanced at the large and small bags of supplies in front of the bus and quickly thanked everyone, saying, "My surname is Qiu. Thank you all for remembering us children."
His gaze swept over the group of people, and when it landed on Cheng Sangsang, he paused slightly and looked her up and down.
The director exchanged a few pleasantries with him.
In just a short exchange, everyone understood the situation of the welfare home.
This welfare home was founded twenty years ago by Director Qiu's uncle, who paid for it out of his own pocket. Over the years, it has been supported entirely by donations from caring people in society.
Five years ago, when Dean Qiu's uncle passed away, he gave up his job as a jewelry designer and took over this welfare home.
The viewers in the live chat were deeply moved.
Compared to Mrs. Wei, who treats charity like a business, these two Dean Qius are truly meritorious.
Yes, the director did do a good thing.
Although our little show had a terrible start, it's been full of surprises and is now starting to gain value.
Tu Yao stared at the row of silent children for a moment, then quickly picked up the large bag she had brought and handed it to the children.
"This is smoked duck and smoked fish rice cake that I made."
The aroma of rice cakes immediately filled the air, and a row of children, who had been staring blankly at each other, turned to look.
Just as he finished speaking, the short-haired little girl at the front suddenly stumbled!
Tu Yao quickly helped her up!
The girl had dark skin and wore a large, peach-colored T-shirt. A rib on her back formed a distinct curve.
The moment she hugged her, the girl suddenly shuddered, as if she couldn't stand up, and her whole body sank into her.
Tu Yao was taken aback.
Dean Qiu quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry!"
He pointed to his head again and explained in a low voice, "Xiaohe is not in good health and also has some intellectual problems."
"Over the years, I have indeed put in a lot of effort to take care of her."
"Also, as you've seen, the children here seem a bit timid, because..."
He sighed: "Because they are basically all abandoned, and they all have some psychological trauma, so I hope you will film them less."
Everyone suddenly realized what was going on, and their eyes turned to pity for the children, while their gazes toward Dean Qiu were filled with even greater respect.
Tu Yao still held her tightly; the girl was thin and frail, her eyes fixed on one direction.
Tu Yao followed the gaze and looked over.
—It's the rice cake she brought.
Tu Yao frowned.
At this moment, Dean Qiu suddenly pointed to Cheng Sangsang opposite him and said, "Xiao He, shake hands with this lady too."
Although Cheng Sangsang had a bad temper and loved to nitpick, once she entered the orphanage, she showed no sign of disgust on her face.
Upon hearing this, he immediately extended his hand: "Shake hands."
With the slightest movement, her body rattled and jingled.
The girl paused, then didn't react. Dean Qiu repeated, "Xiao He, shake hands."
The girl understood now. As if she had heard a command, she immediately got up from Tu Yao's arms, her gaze blankly sweeping over Cheng Sangsang in front of her, finally settling on her fair hands adorned with emerald rings.
He reached out and shook hands firmly twice.
The moment they touched, the two jade rings left two fleeting, dark marks on the girl's thin knuckles.
The girl let out an uncontrollable "ho," which startled Cheng Sangsang.
Dean Qiu quickly apologized again and then enthusiastically led the way.
A group of children walked forward one after another, keeping their distance from each other, like a lonely line of soldiers.
Xiao He was walking at the very back.
Tu Yao, holding Langya's hand, turned back to look at her thoughtfully.
He subconsciously slowed his pace, waiting for her to catch up, and then opened his hand to hand her a piece of rice cake.
"Want to eat?"
The girl was slow to react, but the moment she saw the rice cake, her eyes lit up, yet she didn't move for a long time.
Tu Yao directly stuffed the rice cake into her hand.
You seem very hungry.
The girl paused, then seemed to understand, swallowing nervously. The next second, she shoved the item back into Tu Yao's hand and continued walking forward, still looking dazed.
Hearing the commotion, the other children instinctively turned their heads and saw the rice cake in Tu Yao's hand, a fleeting impulse flashing in their eyes.
After a short while, he regained his composure and continued walking forward.
Tu Yao stood there in a daze, holding the dog leash, until Tu Chaoxi called her and she snapped out of it and ran over.
...
This welfare home is not well-staffed; besides the director, there are only two teachers. There are often places that cannot be taken care of, but fortunately, volunteers often come to help.
The director quickly assigned tasks to the guests.
Around noon, Ma Zhiyuan, Wen Yu, and Jiang Ye were cooking in the kitchen.
Tu Chaoxi and Tu Yao were weeding in the yard with Langya.
Tu Chaoxi keenly sensed that something was wrong with his sister.
"What's wrong?"
Tu Yao looked at the three-story courtyard. The walls on the first floor were covered with various commendations for the welfare home and for Director Qiu.
On the other side, Dean Qiu was being interviewed by the program crew.
The entire courtyard was quiet, with only his eloquent voice audible.
Tu Yao seemed to be recalling something, or perhaps comparing something...
After a while, he shook his head: "Brother, I feel something's off."
She whispered, "It's...it's not quite the same as other welfare homes."
Tu Chaoxi was taken aback and tapped her on the head, "You talk as if you've seen other welfare homes."
Tu Yao scratched her brow and blurted out, "Anyway, everything is weird."
She can't say for sure yet; we need to observe her further.
After saying that, she got up and took Wolf Fang's hand: "Brother, I'm going to find Sister Wenyu."
On the other side, Cheng Sangsang and Xu Bai were helping to organize the books purchased by the program team in the library.
There are more than 20 children in the welfare home. Before the interview, Director Qiu asked them to help tidy up. At this moment, the children are moving between the bookshelves, still keeping quiet and not making a fuss.
Cheng Sangsang was covered in jewelry, making it inconvenient to move things, so she casually took off two rings from her hand and put them aside.
Turning my head, I saw Tu Yao running away.
Cheng Sangsang snorted, "I know, she must be slacking off!"
Xu Bai: "What's wrong with you? Why are you picking on my older sister!"
Cheng Sangsang couldn't hold back any longer: "What do you mean, 'elder sister'? She's my stepmother's daughter, so she's my stepsister!"
Xu Bai:? ? ?
What utter nonsense!
Xu Bai frowned: "...Which stepmother are you?"
Cheng Sangsang: ...
"The fourth one!"
"oh."
Cheng Sangsang said angrily, "What kind of reaction is that!"
Xu Bai said nonchalantly, "So what if she's a stepsister? She's not anymore. Your dad's already married seven wives by now."
"She's my older sister now."
He muttered to himself, "No wonder you dislike my older sister so much."
Cheng Sangsang: ? ? ? ?
"Are you out of your mind? You accepted this way way too quickly!"
Xu Bai: "You're the one who's crazy, you little curly-haired dog."
As she spoke, she glanced at Wolf Fang burrowing through the grass outside and subconsciously recalled her uncle's kind and gentle expression.
I shivered instantly.
The fact that her uncle allowed her older sister to bring the dog out to play is enough to prove how important she is to him.
Turning her head, her tone became more serious: "I can't tell you the reason, but I'm giving you a heads-up: don't offend my older sister, or you're finished."
Cheng Sangsang: "You!"
"I knew I was right, you've been bewitched by her! Have you forgotten how badly Chu Meng was harmed by her brother?!"
Upon hearing the familiar name, Xu Bai paused, "Chu Meng... how is she?"
Cheng Sangsang said in a muffled voice, "She's been discharged from the hospital and is resting at home!"
Xu Bai said "Oh," and wanted to say something more, but when he thought of what his uncle had said, he swallowed his words.
"Then let her rest well... Wait a minute, there are some things I need to verify with you when I have time."
"What are you trying to verify?" Cheng Sangsang rolled her eyes. "Forget it, you definitely won't tell me!"
As he spoke, he stood up and casually touched the spot where he had just placed the jade ring.
I found nothing.
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