"Vermilion Bird Academy?!"
Director Chen excitedly grabbed Su Zhan's hand: "Oh my! Our little Tiger talks every day about wanting to test into Vermilion Bird! Quick, quick, everyone co inside for so tea!"
Several Purifiers couldn't help but chuckle quietly.
They only held it in after Lei Chen glared at them.
Su Zhan stood sowhat stiffly, letting the old woman pull him along.
"Director, our equipnt..."
Lei Chen looked troubled as he glanced at the gun at his waist.
"What are you afraid of! The children are used to it!"
Director Chen shouted toward the courtyard: "Kids! We have guests!"
The sound of pattering footsteps imdiately ca from the brick house.
Dozens of children of various ages peeked their heads out from door cracks, the youngest one still had a snot bubble hanging from his nose.
When they saw the uniford group, instead of being afraid, they cheered and rushed out.
"Uncle Lei!"
"I want to touch the badge!"
"That big brother is so handso!"
Lei Chen scrambled to catch the children rushing toward him.
Su Zhan just stood silently to the side, vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
After the children were finally coaxed by Director Chen to take their afternoon nap.
The courtyard finally quieted down.
"Ti to investigate."
Su Zhan spoke up.
Lei Chen was helping Director Chen clean up toys the children had left behind, and his movents paused at these words: "Investigate what? Didn't you see the children just fell asleep?"
Su Zhan didn't respond, walking directly toward the nearest dormitory building.
"Hey, you..."
Lei Chen started to stop him.
But Director Chen waved her hand cheerfully: "Let the young man investigate, we have nothing to hide here."
The old woman followed with her cane: "Perfect timing to show you the newly built bathrooms, all thanks to last month's donations..."
The Purifiers scattered in small groups, looking more like visitors than investigators.
So casually flipped through picture books in the reading corner.
So peeked into the large iron pot in the kitchen.
Soone even helped fold blankets.
Su Zhan's gaze swept over the pile of old toys in the corner, then looked at the herbs drying on the windowsill.
Every dormitory was kept clean and tidy.
Small wooden beds had the children's nas pasted on them.
Director Chen patted the mottled wooden door fra, her gaze distant as she looked into the distance and began speaking slowly:
"Twenty years ago that winter, when I ca to this mountain valley holding an abandoned baby with high fever, there was only half a leaky earthen house left here.
The freezing rain kept falling that day, I wrapped myself in an old cotton-padded jacket and waited under the leaky eaves for six full hours before the county ambulance arrived.
The following spring, I used all my savings and the official permit to start building this orphanage on this wasteland.
The first three years were the hardest, seven children and I crowded into a shed made of plastic sheets, heating with firewood in winter, getting bitten by mosquitoes until covered in bumps in sumr.
I rember a little girl called Xiao i who developed high fever at midnight, I carried her on my back walking over ten miles of mountain roads to town to find a doctor, by the ti we returned day had already broken."
Hearing this, Su Zhan turned his head, listening carefully.
The old woman continued: "In the fifth year we finally built the first brick house, with help from the county construction team who didn't even charge labor fees.
By then we had taken in over twenty children, just cooking porridge used half a bag of rice every day.
During the hardest tis, the children and I ate nothing but sweet potatoes for three months straight, saving money to pay tuition for the older children.
It wasn't until ten years ago that things slowly improved, kind-hearted people started making regular donations, the county provided a school bus, now..."
The old woman pointed to the newly built three-story building in the distance, a gratified smile appearing on her face: "We have eighty-seven children, five volunteers.
The oldest, Chunhua, tested into teacher's college last year, says she'll co back to help after graduation.
Over the years, children who left here have beco teachers, doctors, and like Damao who works in construction in the city.
Every month I receive letters and money orders from them, that's my greatest pride.
Actually, the hardest part wasn't lack of money or food, but every ti I sent a child to an adoptive family.
There was a little girl called Xiao Yu who lived with for eight years, on adoption day she hugged my leg crying heartbreakingly...
Now she's in university in the capital, video calls every Spring Festival to pay respects."
Director Chen wiped the corner of her eye, smiling: "Old people love to ramble, young man don't mind, these twenty years have had both sweet and bitter, but seeing the children have a ho makes it all worth it."
"Yes, you're truly great."
Su Zhan gave her a thumbs up.
Director Chen waved her hand dismissively, her wrinkled face showing kindness:
"Young man, I'm telling you these old stories not to show off how great this old woman is, I want to tell you that in this world, there have always been more good people.
Back then if the officials hadn't sent people taking turns delivering rice and flour, if the county hospital doctors hadn't treated children for free, if those anonymous kind-hearted people hadn't donated money and supplies... this Golden Sun Orphanage would have collapsed long ago.
That's what I want to say.
Everyone contributing a little kindness is like throwing a stone into a lake, the ripples will keep spreading."
Director Chen held Su Zhan's hand: "And you Awakened, with greater power cos greater responsibility.
Ordinary people throw small stones, you throw big rocks!
I'm old, can't do big things anymore.
But you young people are different, especially promising seedlings like you.
Like the children in our institution, so will beco teachers, so will beco doctors...
But most importantly, they will all rember to pass on this kindness.
Young man, don't you think that's right?"
"Yes."
Su Zhan nodded.
Feeling sowhat strange inside.
Why was this old woman suddenly giving him ideological education?
Do older people all like to do this?
Older people seem to have this problem naturally.
Su Zhan thought to himself.
They seem to naturally carry a sense of mission like "I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice."
Seizing any opportunity to condense decades of life experience into a few maxims and force them into young people's hands.
After listening to so much, Su Zhan still felt sowhat touched.
Feeling touched was one thing, but not too much.
People respect and like noble people like Director Chen.
But don't want to beco like them.
That's reality.
"I understand."
Su Zhan finally said, then turned to continue inspecting the orphanage.
Lei Chen frowned at this and was about to go speak.
"Officer Lei..."
Director Chen waved dismissively: "It's nothing, this young man has probably taken it to heart already."
Su Zhan ignored the commotion behind him.
What was all that about?
He just ca here to investigate.
This Lei Chen was making him out to be the bad guy.
Really...
However, he didn't lose his original vigilance just because the other party shared so many touching words and experiences.
He had seen soone before who also appeared virtuous and respected on the surface.
Li Tinghuai, dean of Starlight Awakened Academy.
In the end, wasn't he soone who cooperated with the Transcendence Society to help his daughter survive.
People's hearts are separated by belly skin!
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