HuMing stood on a ladder, fastening the net to the old, worn-out basketball hoop, while Han YunXi was busy clearing away the overgrown weeds they had just trimmed.With their efforts, the entire courtyard looked much cleaner.
In the past, tasks like this would take the old director and his wife most of the day. Now that HuMing was personally handling it, things were naturally progressing much faster.
"Brother, have you prepared everything for tonight?" Han YunXi asked.
"Of course. I bet those kids have no idea what's coming."
A smile tugged at the corners of HuMing's lips, and Han YunXi seemed just as eager for the evening.
As they continued with their tasks, their pace quickened even more.
Meanwhile, Ye QiuXue glanced at her watch. Forty minutes had passed, and the class was over just like that.
Her lips felt a bit dry, but she didn't feel exhausted.
The children were fully engaged throughout the class. Ye QiuXue could see the eagerness for knowledge in their eyes.
They didn't want to miss a single piece of information because they knew how rare the opportunity to learn was for them.
It was precisely because Ye QiuXue was so diligent in teaching them.
Now, she understood why the old director had given up his personal life, dedicating everything to these children. Seaʀch* The ηovelFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ye QiuXue paused, looking at the group of students before her. Then, with a gentle smile, she said,
"Alright, class dismissed for now. Take a break, and we'll resume with other subjects later."
"Yay!"
The children cheered, standing up immediately.
Some rushed to the restroom, some got up and played with their friends, and others remained seated, diligently taking notes.
Ye QiuXue took off her microphone and sat down, stretching her back.
HuMing happened to be passing by outside and saw this scene.
He couldn't help but admit that the president's figure had developed quite nicely---not exactly breathtaking, but nothing was lacking where it mattered.
Paired with her beautiful face, it was no wonder some dared to risk punishment to confess to her.
As if sensing someone's gaze, Ye QiuXue instinctively looked over.
Her eyes met HuMing's.
She suddenly recalled the question that one of the children had asked before class, and her face flushed red as she stood up and walked straight over to him.
"Han HuMing, what were you up to just now?"
She noticed his clothes and arms drenched in sweat, clearly from being out under the hot sun for some time.
"I was clearing the weeds in the courtyard so we can give the kids a PE class later. I can't let you teach all day, right? Even a cow would collapse from exhaustion."
"You're the cow!"
How could Ye QiuXue not know the meaning of his words? She lightly kicked HuMing's foot, and her face soon showed a bit of frustration.
"Ugh, why didn't you tell me earlier? I ended up wearing a dress! If I had known, I would've come in something more casual."
Ye QiuXue hadn't expected HuMing to decide to do this suddenly. The weather was quite hot today, and she had dressed up a little, wanting to leave a good impression on the children.
However, HuMing raised an eyebrow at her words, a teasing smile on his lips.
"You're the teacher today. It doesn't matter what you wear. If you ask me, wearing a dress is great. The students will pay more attention when there's a pretty teacher in front of them."
Ye QiuXue shot HuMing a glare, clearly not wanting to get into a long fuss with him over this.
HuMing took a sip of water as the two watched the kids playing.
In truth, Ye QiuXue was very curious about the background of these children, but she didn't want to bring up something that might hurt them, so she kept silent.
She glanced over at HuMing, thinking maybe he could shed some light on her questions.
"Han HuMing, were these kids all abandoned by their parents?"
HuMing shook his head at her question.
"See that kid over there? The one who asked the first question in class earlier, his name is YouCheng," Ye QiuXue followed HuMing's gaze to look at the child who was playing with his friends.
The boy's face was lit with a bright smile, full of youthful vigor.
"His father was abusive, often beating him and his mother within an inch of their lives. Eventually, his mother couldn't take it anymore and chose to die along with that man, leaving YouCheng all alone."
Ye QiuXue's mouth fell slightly open, words stuck in her throat.
To think that bright, optimistic-looking child had such a tragic past.
"You know? The old director told me that when they first brought YouCheng here, he only ate plain rice and worked tirelessly, terrified of angering the director. The director's wife cried when she was alone many times, saying how pitiful the child was. He's so young, yet he already knew he had to gauge others' moods and act accordingly."
"Over time, more and more children came to the orphanage, and YouCheng naturally became their leader."
"They all have their own heartbreaking stories, yet they continue to live tenaciously in this world."
HuMing recounted each child's background without missing a detail, leaving Ye QiuXue astonished.
It wasn't just the children's tragic experiences that surprised her---it was how HuMing remembered every one of them so clearly.
This showed that HuMing truly cared about these kids.
Of course, HuMing knew all about their pasts. The old director had records in his office, and HuMing had memorized every child's situation in mind.
At the same time, his admiration for the director grew.
He often wondered if he could ever do as well as the director had. He had his own selfishness, but the director had given his all, dedicating his life to these children.
That's why HuMing decided to do what he could to help the director.
"The old director is an amazing person. I really can't compare to him."
Suddenly, HuMing felt a sharp pain on his forehead. He clutched his head and looked at Ye QiuXue.
She was rubbing her fingers, looking at him in dissatisfaction.
"Han HuMing, can you be normal for once? You're still a student, and what you've done so far is already incredible!"
"Have some confidence. You're already doing better than most people!"
Ye QiuXue gave HuMing a thumbs-up before turning and heading back to the classroom.
HuMing could only smile helplessly.
...
The morning flew by quickly, especially with so many enthusiastic children wanting to learn. Ye QiuXue found teaching to be a surprisingly enjoyable task.
At least she hadn't encountered any students that would drive her to a mental breakdown.
What stood out to her even more was how solid the children's foundation was, making them quick learners.
She increasingly agreed with HuMing's earlier words: the old director was truly an amazing person!
At this time, HuMing stood at the entrance, receiving the delivery, and the delivery guy couldn't help but complain.
"Man, this place is way too remote! I had to circle around forever before finding a tiny path that led me here."
"I added a tip. Otherwise, how would you have taken this order?" HuMing responded, carrying the takeout boxes inside.
The delivery guy glanced curiously at the rundown-looking building and muttered,
"Since when is there an orphanage here?"