Chapter 137 Screening
After Pumpkin came over, Master Cai told him to call all the children over.
Qianhuan also said, "Pumpkin, when you go to call them, just say that there are kind people who want to take them away. Don't say anything else."
"Okay, Brother Shanbo, I understand."
Qianhuan also learned from Master Cai that most of these little beggars were orphans who became beggars after their family members starved to death during a famine in the village.
When these little beggars first started begging, sometimes even if they got food from passers-by, it would be snatched away by other older beggars.
Master Cai had seen this group of orphans being bullied by older beggars several times, and he had also taught those old beggars a lesson.
Master Cai said it was a pity that it was of no use. In order to survive, as long as he was not around, those old beggars would still steal the food from the young beggars.
Pumpkin soon gathered all the little beggars from the City God Temple.
Qianhuan looked at these dishevelled, skinny beggars standing in the yard. Although she felt sorry for them because they had lost the protection of their parents and family since childhood, she was not a kind-hearted person. After all, these children were in such a harsh environment, and it was not certain that all of them would not grow up properly.
So she cleared her throat and said to them, "I think Pumpkin has just told you why I called you here. Now I want to tell you that following me is not for you to enjoy yourself. I will not help you for free, but with conditions."
When these ragged orphans heard Qianhuan say this, they all opened their confused eyes and began to look at each other.
When the children heard Pumpkin say that a kind-hearted person wanted to take them away, they thought that some great philanthropist wanted to adopt them. But now they heard the person in front of them say that he would not help them for free.
A brave child suddenly asked: "Since you don't want to help us for free, then you take us away, what do you want us to do?"
"You will only get rewards if you give. You are now living on a daily basis. If I take you away, I will at least give you one meal a day to ensure that you don't starve to death. Similarly, in return, you must first sign a contract with me, recognize me as your master, and help me with work every day."
When the little beggars heard this, they all began to whisper to each other.
There was a child who was not as skinny as the other beggars. He complained to Qianhua in dissatisfaction, "I thought you took us away because you wanted to help us unconditionally, but I didn't expect you to ask us to sell ourselves into slavery and work hard for you for the rest of our lives."
"You don't want to work, so you want to follow me and eat and drink for free?"
Hearing Qianhuan's words, the child immediately defended himself, "If you can help us unconditionally now, we will definitely repay you when we grow up. This is not free food and drink. We are just a group of children now. How can you bear to ask us to work every day?"
"You always say you are a child, so I want to ask, how old are you now?"
"12 is old."
"In ordinary people's homes, children as young as seven or eight years old already know how to do odd jobs to help their parents with housework. You are already 12 years old, but you still think you are a child and don't want to do anything. Do you think that you, a beggar, are more delicate than ordinary people's children?"
"I'm not a spoiled child. I just can't do anything."
"If you don't know anything, can't you learn? No one is born knowing everything."
"We lost our parents and family when we were young, and we didn't learn anything. Now you suddenly ask us to learn something, but it's not easy for us to learn. The real great philanthropists help others directly without asking for anything in return. Brother Yunlong gives us porridge every day, and he never asks us to help him with any work. Can't you help us without asking for anything in return like Brother Yunlong did?"
In fact, the reason why Qianhuan wanted them to sign a contract to sell themselves and called them together to tell them this in advance was because she was afraid that there would be people like the one in front of her who had no ambition and only wanted to get something for nothing.
Although human nature is good and most children are innocent, there is also a type of children who are lazy and selfish by nature. Cuihua and Wenzhi are typical examples. These people are ungrateful people who can never be tamed.
Qianhuan has seen too many cases where people were blackmailed or held against because of their good intentions. The story of the farmer and the snake is always repeated in real life.
For example, if an elderly person falls down and you go to help him up, he may falsely accuse you of knocking him down and try to blackmail you.
For example, some wealthy people who are kind-hearted try to help the poor, but in the end they may be scolded by the poor for being stingy because the poor think that what they give is not enough.
There are also some people who, if you help them once, will hate you when you stop helping them later. People are never satisfied and will never stop trying. There are many people in this world who take your kindness for granted.
There are even some people with fragile hearts who think they are great. When you help them, they will not think that you are helping them, but that you are pitying them and giving them alms. Once they think that your kindness is a disguised form of alms, they will bear a grudge against you and always look for an opportunity to bite you back.
The child in front of you is obviously the kind of person who wants to take advantage of you even if you want to help him.
Qianhuan stared at the child and said coldly, "I'm sorry, I never said I was a kind person. Brother Yunlong is willing to help you unconditionally, that's his kindness to you. But he is him, I am me, even if I don't help you at all, it's just my duty. Now I have given you another choice, not only are you not grateful, but you even want to make demands on me. May I ask who are you to me? What qualifications do you have to ask me to help you unconditionally?"
The child didn't expect Qianhuan to openly say that he was not a good man. In the past, when some rich people did good deeds, as long as he praised them like he did today, those rich people would unconditionally give him more things in order to gain a good reputation. This was also the reason why he was better off than other beggars. But he didn't expect that the person in front of him would not play by the rules at all.
He was stunned by Qianhuan's question for a moment, and his face turned red in an instant.
Qianhuan continued, "There is no such thing as a free lunch. It is very sad and shameful to get something for nothing. We should be strong-willed and not always rely on others. We should know that if we rely on others, the mountain will fall and people will run away. Only ourselves are the most reliable."
When Mr. Cai, who was standing in the yard, heard these words, he couldn't help but admire Qianhuan from the bottom of his heart. That's right, he was the most reliable one.
Qianhuan continued, "You are all orphans without parents. You have no skills, so you can only beg on the street every day. You can only survive by relying on charity from others. But do you really like this kind of life where you have to look at people's faces and beg for mercy every day?"
Pumpkin was the first to answer loudly: "No."
The other kids chimed in: “We don’t like it either.”
"Okay, since you don't like it, if someone gives you another choice now, are you willing to change your current situation?"
Pumpkin answered loudly, "Yes," and the other children echoed, "We do."
"Well, I will give you a chance to change your fate. As long as you agree to sign a contract with me, acknowledge me as your master, and are willing to work for me in return, you can come with me. I will give you half an incense stick of time to consider. If you are willing, stand behind me."