Chapter 248

Chapter 248: A Donation of Fifty Thousand Taels

Yu Zhi Yi said: “A few words won’t make it clear. See for yourselves.”

She had brought the father and son to the Quehan Institute, because the canteen was there.

In all of Yiluan Charity, only three elderly people with hemiplegia were truly bedridden and needed care all day long. The others all had some kind of disability, but each person could still move at least one or two parts of the body.

So the Jiang father and son saw a surprising scene: in a roomy courtyard, about twenty to thirty people, men and women, young and old, each handled a task and worked with full focus.

Outside the door of what looked like a kitchen, several men and women with leg injuries had tossed their canes aside and were busy picking and washing vegetables. The kitchen window stood open. Inside, a plump cook worked at the stove. Farther in, a man and a woman bent over a chopping board, one slicing meat, the other sorting scallions, ginger, and garlic for the stir-fry.

Under the shade of a tree on the other side, someone read a book, someone did embroidery, someone played the zither, and someone used a twig to write and draw on the ground.

The father and son were both stunned.

Jiang Liu Yun could not help blurting out: “They’re amazing!”

Among these people, several had visible physical problems. Most of those were helping in the kitchen. The ones reading, writing, or playing music looked no different from ordinary folks, but the father and son were trained in martial arts and noticed small details. Some were so focused that changes around them could not pull them away.

For example, a person reading did not react at all when a nearby window behind him was pushed open from the inside. He likely had trouble hearing. Another person with the zither had open eyes, but the gaze was empty. That person showed no reaction to the arrival of their employer, Yu Zhi Yi, or to two unfamiliar visitors. That one likely had trouble seeing.

In short, their problems were easy to spot. Anywhere else, people like this would be treated as special cases who needed extra care. But here, they worked like ordinary people. Those who could do labor did labor. Those who had talent studied and learned.

Their spirit was also different from the disabled people the Jiang father and son usually saw. Outside, many disabled folks looked drained. Even if some seemed normal on the surface, their eyes showed fear, timidity, and a lack of confidence. The people here, though, were bright and full of life.

Jiang Yu Chuan’s thoughts moved, and he turned to the woman beside him: “Yi’er, how did you make this happen?”

Speaking of these people who had regained the will to live, Yu Zhi Yi could not hold back a small smile: “I just gave them a role model, and I helped them see that even with a disability, they can still live normally, and in some ways do better than others. As long as they pick up passion and hope again, they can be reborn.”

By then the people in the yard had noticed the three arrivals. They set down their work to greet them. Even those with eye or ear problems caught on. The visually impaired tilted their heads toward Yu Zhi Yi’s voice and nodded, then called softly: “Proprietor.” Many of the hearing-impaired were also mute. They could not speak, so they greeted Yu Zhi Yi with warm, bright smiles.

Yu Zhi Yi answered them as she walked, and she nodded to the ones with hearing problems. After they finished greeting everyone, she led the Jiang Clan father and son toward the canteen.

The Quehan Institute, the Elders’ Home, and the Orphanage were all on the same street. The Elders’ Home and the Orphanage were next to each other, and the Quehan Institute sat across from the Elders’ Home. The three places shared one canteen, which was inside the Quehan Institute.

The canteen held thirty tables. Most people came with a friend or two, so two or three would share a table. Only a few chose to eat alone.

The food was not ready yet, so Yu Zhi Yi briefly explained how Yiluan Charity worked. When the father and son learned it was not a place that only threw money at problems, but a place that trained people to handle life on their own and, if possible, return to the larger world, they were both surprised.

Jiang Yu Chuan nodded, amazed and thoughtful: “No wonder those folks with disabilities are all learning skills. It makes sense. It is better to teach people to fish than to give them fish. This model makes sure they can live, and also live well.” He smiled and added: “That means I should invest this money even more.”

Yu Zhi Yi made a puzzled sound: “?”

Jiang Yu Chuan said, serious but warm: “There are countless people in the Great Sheng Empire who need help. There might be returns later, but this is not like business. No one knows when the return will come. Before that, your effort brings no profit at all. I know you can make money, but no matter how much you earn, you cannot keep filling a bottomless pit. You are a girl after all. Rouge, powder, clothes, and jewelry all cost money.”

In his mind, his daughter had many strengths but one flaw: she was too thrifty. There was nothing valuable on her. Even the hairpin in her bun was just plain silver. She now held a fifth-rank post, and when she traveled on duty she counted as third rank, yet even ordinary young misses at home rarely dressed this simply.

He set a thick stack of notes on the table again and said: “Yi’er, take it. This is my small token. Consider it a blessing for our whole family.”

Yu Zhi Yi wanted to rub her brow. [Is it possible that I poured half my fortune into charity not only to do good, but also to dodge Heaven’s punishment?] Still, he had said it was to pray for the family.

She pressed her lips together, hesitated, then held out her hand: “Then I will accept it, but only this once. There will be no next time.”

If all the money came from him, what kind of charity would she be doing?

Jiang Yu Chuan’s stern face melted into a smile like snow in sunlight. Yu Zhi Yi realized that while he looked cold, he had a soft heart, and his smile was warm.

She lowered her eyes, put the silver notes away, and planned to write him a receipt after the meal. She even thought it would be best to send him a silk banner of thanks.

At the side, Jiang Liu Yun looked on eagerly and said: “Sister, what about me? Can I invest too?” He counted on his fingers and said: “I’m not as rich as Father. I’ve saved a bit over five thousand taels in total, but I only brought one thousand with me today…”

Yu Zhi Yi rubbed his head: “No need. Your good will is enough.”

Jiang Liu Yun shook his head, very serious: “That won’t do. Someone once said, where your money goes, your heart goes. I care about Sister and want you to do well, so I must give this money.”

Yu Zhi Yi went silent: “…”

[If I remember right, this brat is only fifteen. A fifteen-year-old already talking about hearts and love?]