The children sheltering from the snow and wind under the porch noticed her observant gaze and couldn't help but look back at her.
They knew that this fairy-like young lady in the main hall was the owner of the tavern and noodle shop, as well as their benefactor who distributed porridge at the beginning of each month and gave out free vouchers every day.
The children's eyes sparkled as they looked at her, as if they held all the starlight in the sky.
Qi Huan smiled gently at them and walked out with a handful of candy to give them.
Looking at her pristine palm, the children sheepishly sniffled and wiped their grimy little hands on their clothes.
This group of children all appeared to be around four years old, their heights reaching only to Qi Huan's thighs.
It was clearly unrealistic to have them deliver takeout with Little Shitou.
After a moment's thought, Qi Huan made a decision.
"Come with me," she said.
"Okay," they answered in unison, their voices sweet and childlike.
In the backyard, Qi Huan had Da cook a bowl of noodles for each of them. She also prepared a bucket of hot water, secretly adding a can of milk powder when no one was looking, and distributed a bowl to each child.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, she asked with a smile, "Would you like to go to the orphanage with me?"
"Yes!" The group of little ones nodded eagerly, afraid that if they were too slow, they might be left behind.
"From now on, you'll stay at the orphanage at night, and during the day, you'll come to the tavern with Little Shitou and the others to help out. You can peel garlic, sort vegetables, and earn your meals through your own work."
She had initially thought about having them start their education with Mr. Xu, but then realized he was already quite busy. So, after arriving at the orphanage, she called for Little Shitou and the other children.
"How are your studies going lately?" she asked.
"I can recite the Hundred Family Surnames and write over a hundred characters!"
"I can recite the Three Character Classic!"
"I can write three hundred characters!"
...
Wushi and Four Qing eagerly showed off their learning achievements to Qi Huan, while Yan Qing, who was standing behind Qi Huan, shrank back a bit.
After a moment's thought, her eyes lit up: "I can split stones with my bare hands!"
With that, she split the grindstone in the courtyard in half.
The children were stunned. Little Shitou shuddered and said, "Could you maybe not split stones? Qing Qing, if you're that strong, you could help us chop firewood instead."
Yan Qing nodded. Now that she could split stones in half, chopping firewood would be even easier. She picked up the cleaver Little Shitou handed her and began chopping wood by the woodshed door.
Little Shitou turned his head away, secretly smiling.
Qi Huan's eyes also curved with amusement, but she returned to the main topic: "Since you've all learned so many characters, how about I give you a task?"
"What kind of task?"
"No matter what it is, as long as it's Sister Qi's request, I promise to complete it!"
The children surrounding her eagerly agreed, one after another.
Qi Huan gracefully pointed to the little ones behind her. "I'd like you to be their tutors, help them start their education, and teach them to recognize characters. Can you do that?"
"We can!"
"No problem!"
At this moment, Xu Nanny approached and said, "Young Miss, the hot water is ready. Shall I take them for a bath now?"
"Yes, please do."
The little ones were herded like ducklings into the bathtubs, with Ruo Lan and Ruo Zhu carefully helping to wash them.
The lice crawling in their hair were washed away, and the thick layer of grime on their bodies was scrubbed off. As the bathwater gradually became murky, the mud-covered children slowly transformed into clean, fair-skinned little ones.
Qi Huan then sent Tao Su to buy new clothes for them. Once they were properly dressed, they all looked neat and tidy. The only drawback was that they were quite thin and would need some proper nourishment.
Looking at Wushi, Four Qing, and the others, she saw that they had all grown plump under her care, and their eyes now shone with confidence.
A sense of accomplishment in raising these children welled up inside her.
Qi Huan couldn't resist pinching Stone Pillar's cheeks, and immediately after, Stone Brick came over, quietly waiting for his turn.
The children lined up, eagerly awaiting her affectionate gesture.
Qi Huan beamed with joy, and the courtyard was filled with warmth and happiness.
As the sun began to set, it was time to head home.
Qi Huan boarded her carriage and slowly made her way home to the sound of the turning wheels.
That night, as she lay in bed, she finally had time to check her system.
"Host has performed 6 good deeds today, +12 points."
The system had previously mentioned that for every homeless child taken in, she would receive 2 points.
Although the score seemed pitifully small, Qi Huan was still delighted. Every little bit counts.
Moreover, in her previous life, she had grown up in an orphanage, and her little companions were all adopted or abandoned orphans.
She could empathize deeply with their situation, which was why she was so willing to help children.
Two more rooms at the orphanage had been put to use, and if children in need continued to appear at this rate, the orphanage might not be able to accommodate them all.
Qi Huan began to consider the root of this problem.
Although the female criminals were prisoners, they were still human beings. The law sentenced them to labor, not to be violated.
She decided to try and help them.
If she could persuade Chen the county magistrate, then the female prisoners would be protected from abuse. If she couldn't persuade him, at least she would have tried her best and would have no regrets.
The next day, she paid a visit to Chen the county magistrate.
"Uncle Chen, I passed by Hengqu Academy today and noticed that the construction is progressing quite quickly. I asked the foreman, and he said it should be completed by next autumn. In this year's time, relying solely on Mr. Weng and the others to copy textbooks might be a bit challenging. So, I've thought of another solution. Would you like to hear it?"
"Oh? What solution?"
"Among the female prisoners, some are family members of officials and are literate. Why not have them help with copying books? They're not strong enough for heavy labor or extensive housework. Instead of having so many of them do menial tasks, why not have them copy books? After finishing the textbooks, they could continue copying the Four Books and Five Classics to sell. The money earned from selling books would be much more than what they'd earn doing other tasks. What do you think?"
It was clear which would earn more money: menial labor or copying and selling books. Chen the county magistrate stroked his beard, called for his private advisor, and discussed the matter for a while before finally agreeing to the proposal.
When Qi Huan heard the news, she was particularly delighted.
As long as Chen the county magistrate saw the value in these women and their interests aligned with his, he would take better care of them.
Sure enough, over the next month, Chen the county magistrate learned that five women had committed suicide one after another, which angered him greatly. He harshly reprimanded the officials in charge of managing the female prisoners. To prevent armored soldiers from scaling the walls to hunt for women, he also raised many dogs in the courtyard. Several ill-intentioned men who sneaked in under cover of darkness were bitten repeatedly.
The system also began to continuously award points to Qi Huan: "Good deed +1, score +1."
"Good deed +1, score +1."
...
Qi Huan lay in bed, listening to the system's pleasant voice, and contentedly drifted off to sleep.
In her dream, there weren't so many base creatures in this world who thought only with their lower halves, nor were there those pitiful women who took their own lives due to humiliation, nor little beggar children of unknown fathers abandoned on the streets.
