This street used to be quite prosperous, but it has declined in the last ten years or so. There is basically no business, and the shops are sold to the neighbors. The only reason she still runs this small shop is because the shop is her own, so she doesn't have to pay rent. Since she can't rent it out anyway, she runs her own shop and can barely make enough to cover her daily expenses.
This is a huge order we haven't had in a long time!
The shop owner beamed and even rounded down the price for Yan Heqing.
Welcome back next time!
Yan Heqing walked out of the convenience store carrying two large plastic bags in his left hand and two boxes of milk in his right.
Continue walking along the road for about 200 meters, and you'll reach the Rainbow Bridge Welfare Home at the end.
It used to be a fairly large welfare home with a big entrance, but now there's only one old man at the gate.
Yan Heqing wanted to register, but the old man didn't even look up, keeping his head down and warming himself by the stove. "Just go in."
Yan Heqing entered the welfare home. It had just rained, and the playground was quiet; no one was running around outside.
Even when the weather is sunny, no one is actually out and about.
Orphans who come to the welfare home are usually adopted as soon as they are healthy and have all four limbs intact. The majority of the remaining children are those with physical disabilities or mental problems.
The welfare home has very few staff members. One person has to take care of a large group of children. Just taking care of their three meals a day is a headache enough. They are rarely allowed to go out to play in the playground.
Moreover, what is called a playground is just a large, bare concrete area, without slides or other play equipment that children like, and no sports equipment either.
Just like Yan Heqing remembered.
Yan Heqing walked to a rooftop where the ground was clean. He put down his snacks and milk, then called the contact person. "Hello, I've arrived at the orphanage."
"Walk straight in from the main entrance until you see a light blue five-story building. Go up to the second office on the second floor."
Yan Heqing picked up his things again and walked for a few more minutes until he saw the light blue building.
The walk up was quiet. The door to the second office on the second floor was open, and a man in his early forties was sitting in front of a computer.
Yan Heqing stopped at the door and politely said, "Hello, I am Yan Heqing."
The man looked up, caught sight of what Yan Heqing was carrying, and gestured with his chin towards the coffee table. "Put the things there, come and talk."
Yan Heqing put his things down and walked to the desk, where there was a chair prepared for visitors. Yan Heqing pulled it out and sat down.
As Yan Heqing walked into the house, the man kept scrutinizing him, silently sighing inwardly.
This boy is even more refined and handsome than in his ID photo, with delicate skin and tender features. Can he really handle the tough work at the orphanage?
In recent years, college students have been applying to volunteer in droves. Some are doing it to earn credits, some are doing it out of curiosity, and some genuinely want to do public service.
Without exception, they all lost contact after visiting a few times.
Men understand too.
The children remaining in the welfare home are different from normal children. It's already the best-case scenario if they are simply deaf and mute. Most of them cannot take care of themselves, some have Down syndrome with intellectual disabilities, some have cerebral palsy, and some even hit people, throw things, and yell and curse all night long.
Even for these long-term employees, it's purely to endure the long working hours; otherwise, they really couldn't stand it, suffering both physical and mental torment.
The man had already determined that Yan Heqing wouldn't be coming many times, but he still went through the motions, typing on the keyboard to ask, "Your resume says you're a student at Beijing University. Are you coming once, or long-term?"
"Long."
The man thought he had misheard. He stopped typing and turned to look at Yan Heqing. "Long-term?"
Yan Heqing nodded calmly. "Yes, long-term."
The man stared at Yan Heqing in amazement for a long while, then turned off the computer, stood up, and said, "Okay, I'll take you on a tour first, and you can answer me after you've seen it."
The man helped carry a bag of snacks and a carton of milk, then led Yan Heqing to the third floor. "Our accommodations are divided into three floors, and we assign floors according to different situations."
"The higher up the hierarchy, the worse the children's condition becomes. For example, children with epilepsy or very serious mental illnesses, especially girls, are more likely to develop these conditions. Most of these are congenital, but a small percentage are acquired."
"These children are usually abused and abandoned, suffering from severe psychological trauma. Therefore, they are very wary and resistant towards us. Just the other day, one of the children even scratched our art teacher until she bled..."
As we arrived at the third floor, an iron gate had been added to the stairwell. This gate was unlocked, and we could faintly hear laughter and playful noises.
The man walked skillfully toward the first room. "The kids on this floor are relatively easy to take care of. Some are a bit timid, but if you take the initiative, they'll be more compliant."
Pushing open the door, there were about thirty children inside, mostly girls. When they saw Yan Heqing, they all looked over curiously, and when they saw the snacks he was carrying, their eyes lit up with longing.
They rarely see snacks, and when they do receive donations from groups or kind-hearted individuals, it's only once every few months.
Several of the bolder ones rushed over, enthusiastically calling out to Yan Heqing.
"Welcome, brother!"
"Hello, brother!"
Most of them were timid and hid in the back, secretly watching Yan Heqing.
"Come on, come on, this is bread and milk that this older brother brought for you..." The man put the things on the table and called to the eager children, "Line up and get them."
Yan Heqing, on the other hand, took the initiative to send them to the introverted children.
The man observed silently, and was somewhat surprised to see Yan Heqing communicating with the introverted child so calmly and skillfully. He hadn't expected the boy to be so patient. The man saw this and began to hope that Yan Heqing could stay and volunteer long-term after his visit. The orphanage was really short of volunteers, and the children were also in need of fresh teachers.
After distributing the items, Yan Heqing told the children a few stories, and everyone listened attentively.
Time passed slowly, and the man decided to take Yan Heqing to the fourth floor for a look.
Upon reaching the fourth floor, the iron gate was locked. The man made a phone call, and a woman with gray hair came to open the door. She was wearing an apron and had large patches of paint on her face. She glanced at Yan Heqing and said, "What is it? Teacher Xu is teaching."