Chapter 142: Suddenly Having a Son
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Hu Jiancheng was truly surprised.
He and his parents thought that their family had completely lost Madam’s trust and were uneasy about it.
“Madam, this servant is willing.”
“Don’t call yourself a servant in the future. I admire talented and capable people. You can read, calculate, and do accounts. I’ll find a few people here and you can help me teach them.”
“Yes.”
Han Qiao didn’t randomly choose the people to learn under him. Instead, she asked someone to hire a middle-aged woman to bring a few boys around the age of ten. They looked smart.
The kind who had been sold since they were young and did not know where their parents and home were.
She wanted to nurture her own accountant and shopkeeper.
The granny from the broker house came to Heng Manor again, and she was even more respectful than before.
For one thing, the Heng family was rich, and for another, Heng Yi worked in the government office. Although he was just a small constable, he was still someone that lowly merchants like her couldn’t afford to offend.
“Please take a seat.”
“You’re too polite.”
This time, the granny brought fifteen boys between the ages of eight and eleven. They were all very thin, but they looked quite energetic.
Two more bold ones secretly sized up Han Qiao. When they realized Han Qiao noticed them, they immediately lowered their heads before quickly looking up again. When they saw that Han Qiao kept looking at them, they were first stunned, then they smiled obediently at Han Qiao.
Han Qiao was also surprised.
Children nowadays were timid due to their limited experience and horizons, let alone children who were sold.
Yet, these two dared to look up at her.
Han Qiao approached the old woman and asked, “What’s the background of those two children?”
The old woman looked in the direction Han Qiao pointed.
Her expression froze for a moment before she said, “He used to be a beggar from the state capital. He’s very slick and bold. He was caught and beaten up several times when he tried to escape. He refused to change his ways. Does Madam like him?”
Han Qiao shook her head.
The old woman was surprised.
The two children were surprised to see Han Qiao shake her head.
Han Qiao had picked eight children, but she did not choose those two. She looked at them anxiously, but she endured it and did not say anything.
He looked at Han Qiao with confusion and unwillingness in his eyes.
The children who were chosen stayed behind. There was nothing valuable or could be taken away from the broker house. Han Qiao did not want their old clothes.
She had asked them before. He had no parents and no worries.
The child who was brought down was from the next door. The people at the clothing store were taking sizes, and the sound of the measurements was very loud.
“You all should take a shower quickly. The soy milk has already been boiled. After you take a shower, you can drink a bowl of sweet and hot soy milk.”
The children who had not been bought knew clearly that those lucky children would soon have new clothes and a hot bath.
Sweet…
They had already forgotten how long it had been since they had eaten candy.
Not to mention taking a hot bath and wearing clean clothes.
Their eyes were gradually filled with disappointment and sorrow.
He did not know when he would be able to find a place to stay.
A gust of cold wind blew over, and they shivered from the cold.
Han Qiao glanced at them and couldn’t bear to see the kids that way.
In fact, she really liked the remaining children.
However, she also wanted to test their character and let them know that if they wanted to stay, they had to pay a certain price.
“The sky seems to be getting colder.” Han Qiao said softly.
The children in the courtyard all turned their heads to look at the leftover kids.
Perhaps they were thinking that it would be great if one of the people next door to the steel themselves.
The old woman got up and said goodbye.
Han Qiao stood up to send her off.
The children who were left behind froze.
Someone stood up, “Madam.”
“Hmm?” Han Qiao said softly.
“Please buy me. I eat very little and I’m very strong.”
“This isn’t considered a good point.” Han Qiao chuckled.
Strong?
The boy thought about it seriously. “My hearing is good, 1 can climb over walls and run fast.”
“This is indeed a good trait, but what good is it for me to keep you?”
“Today, Madam rewarded me with a mouthful of food. In the future, I will make Madam go through fire and water, climb a mountain of knives and go into a pot of oil.”
Han Qiao laughed, “That’s not necessary.”
The old woman laughed as well. “You little brat, you sure have a glib tongue. Madam is kind, so 1’11 let you stay. I only hope that you’ll remember Madam’s great kindness today and not be that heartless ingrate in the future.”
The children were stunned.
They looked at Han Qiao in surprise.
Han Qiao covered her mouth and chuckled. “Hurry up and go over. The tailor is still waiting.”
The child who had said that he would repay Han Qiao and work for her instantly had tears in his eyes. He knelt down and kowtowed to Han Qiao before getting up and running away.
The other children followed suit. They quickly kowtowed and ran away to the tailor.
Han Qiao laughed.
The old woman said, “That child is a stubborn one. He’s also very scheming. Madam needs to teach him well. If he can be obedient and sensible, he can be of great use in the future.”
Han Qiao looked at the children who were running away.
“They are all good children. I don’t want them to repay me. 1 just want them to remember the kindness they have shown me today and not bite the hand that feeds them.”
Of course, Han Qiao didn’t tell the granny anything more.
“Do you have any teenage girls?”
“Madam still wants more?” the old woman asked.
“I want to buy a dozen or so. After all, raising them from a young age is different from buying maids at fifteen or sixteen.”
“That’s true. Otherwise, why would there be such a saying?”
The old woman quickly picked ten girls over. They were all eight to ten years old. They were skinny, but they looked good.
Han Qiao didn’t bargain and paid the silver without hesitation.
There were twenty-five more children at home all of a sudden, and Grandma was a little worried.
With so many people having to eat, their daily expenses would certainly increase.
“Grandma, don’t worry. When the new year comes, we’ll let them work.”
Other things aside, she could wrap dumplings, peel and cut bamboo shoots.
The twenty-four children were named after the twenty-four solar terms?- Only the child who knelt and kowtowed and said that he would go through mountains of knives and seas of fire for her in the future was given a name and a surname by Han Qiao.
“You will be Han Chi from now on. You will be as hot as fire and listed as Chaoyang. You will also be the elder brother of these children. They will all be under your control. If you manage them well, I will pay you.”
Han Chi looked up at Han Qiao, “Then what should I call you? Madam? Or should I call you mother?”
“What do you want to call me?” Han Qiao asked.
Han Chi pursed his lips and looked straight at Han Qiao.
“Do you know the difference between Madam and Mother? If you want to stay away from me, you can do so anytime. But if you call me Mother, you have to listen to me for the rest of your life. You have to be filial. Of course, you have a family from now on. For this family, you have to put in a lot of effort to protect it, love it, and not let it be hit by the wind and rain.”
“I want to call you Mother.”
After Han Chi finished speaking, he knelt in front of Han Qiao, “Mother, your son pays his respects to you.”
Han Qiao’s eyes reddened, “Ah-Chi, get up.”
When she reached out to help Han Chi up, Han Qiao realized that there were tears in his eyes too.
He was also surprised to see tears in Han Qiao’s eyes.
She blinked and tears rolled down her cheeks.
Then, he hugged Han Qiao and wailed, “I finally have a home. I finally have a mother.”
“From this moment, you have a home, parents, a sister, and many, many relatives.”
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