Chapter 465: Chapter 465

Mai Qiqi asked, "What’s the matter?"

Wan Chuer replied, "It’s about the big character poster from yesterday, just going through the motions."

Mai Qiqi couldn’t help but laugh and said, "Alright, I’ll take the two kids downstairs later to meet these people. When the results come out, we’ll see their faces."

"You have too much free time," Wan Chuer glanced at her.

At this point, Chuanqi interjected, "Godmother, I want to go see Brother Little Lizzi and Sister Erya." The little guy had prepared quite a few gifts for the brother and sister Xiao Huaili.

Hunter also said, "Mom, Godmother, I want to go play with the boys." The brothers he mentioned were naturally the kids from Huangjia Gully.

Since it was a request from the two little treasures, Mai Qiqi naturally agreed. Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Mai Qiqi, surprised, said, "They’re in such a hurry? We haven’t even eaten yet." She thought it was the people coming to talk to Wan Chuer.

Wan Chuer shrugged and went to open the door, only to find it was Chen Ke outside.

"Sister-in-law, good morning. Captain Jiang asked me to take Miss Mai and the Legendary Hunter to Huangjia Gully to play."

Chen Ke explained his purpose for coming. Previously, when he was chased away by Mai Qiqi and returned to report to Jiang Kechu, he was sent back by Jiang Kechu, who also gave him a mission: to ensure Mai Qiqi voluntarily stays behind to help at the Huangjiagou School.

Wan Chuer and Mai Qiqi, thinking that Jiang Kechu had their best interests at heart, agreed.

"Have you eaten? Come in and have breakfast first," Wan Chuer warmly invited Chen Ke in to wait.

"No need, sister-in-law, I’ve eaten. I’ll wait downstairs. When you’re ready to leave, just come down," Chen Ke wanted to avoid being scolded by Mai Qiqi for no reason again.

After the door closed, Mai Qiqi asked, "Who was that? Isn’t he supposed to be at work training? Why knock on my door first thing in the morning, disturbing my beauty sleep?"

Wan Chuer was puzzled. Why would Chen Ke knock on Mai Qiqi’s door?

"Does he have something for you? He’s called Chen Ke, and he’s Jiang Kechu’s right-hand man."

Mai Qiqi said, "He said he wants me to have breakfast at the canteen first, then go to Huangjia Gully to see the school. It seems to be Jiang Kechu’s order." She rolled her eyes, "What’s that supposed to mean?"

Wan Chuer feigned explanation, "Probably afraid you’d be hungry. I often wake up late in the morning." But internally, she found Jiang Kechu’s little jealousy amusing and exasperating.

"Heh—heh—" Mai Qiqi looked at her knowingly and smiled, not pressing further. She then said, "Just as well, I was planning to check out the school you’ve built. If I like it, I’ll spruce it up with a donation."

After breakfast, Mai Qiqi took the two kids and the gifts they had for the children at Huangjia Gully and went downstairs.

As soon as she got downstairs, Chen Ke popped out from somewhere, and Chuanqi and Hunter greeted him with a smile, "Uncle, good morning."

Hunter asked, "Uncle, are you going to play with us?"

Chen Ke, always doting on the two kids, replied, "Yes, uncle will take you to the village to find some friends to play with."

Mai Qiqi didn’t have a good impression of Chen Ke and ignored him, getting directly into the car.

Once Chen Ke drove Mai Qiqi and the twins to Huangjia Gully, someone came to look for Wan Chuer.

Two unfamiliar young soldiers were standing at the door, "Comrade Wan Chuer, hello."

"There is something we need your cooperation with. Please come with us."

It sounded like the way suspects are caught on TV, leaving Wan Chuer speechless. Still, she agreed cooperatively, "Okay, no problem."

Meanwhile, Chen Ke took the two little ones to Xiao Huaili’s house first to play with the Xiao Huaili siblings.

Upon entering, Mai Qiqi started clicking her tongue in astonishment. The house was really rundown, the family was truly poor, and the courtyard was barren, with no furniture or decorations. Only a few sparse green vegetables were planted along the wall.

"Big brother, Sister Erya, I’m here!" Little Chuanqi shouted as soon as he entered. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelꞁire.net

But inside, there was no response for a while. Chen Ke thought for a moment, walked into the dilapidated rooms for a look, and came out saying, "No one’s home."

"Huh? Then what do we do?" Chuanqi widened her eyes; she even brought toys.

Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, an old lady from next door quickly poked her head over the wall and asked, "Are you looking for Little Lizzi’s siblings?"

Mai Qiqi nodded, "Could you tell us where they went?"

The old lady said, "Little Lizzi took Erya to the fields early this morning."

Mai Qiqi raised her eyebrows. Wasn’t Wan Chuer saying that Little Lizzi is only ten years old? What was a ten-year-old doing in the fields? Playing? Or farming?

"Grandma, when will they be back?" Hunter asked politely.

"Probably around lunchtime."

Chuanqi turned to Mai Qiqi and asked, "Godmother, what should we do?"

Mai Qiqi looked at Chen Ke. This place was foreign to her, so she decided to heed the opinions of this soldier. Since Jiang Kechu sent him, he was likely not just there to be a driver.

Chen Ke pondered and said to Chuanqi and Hunter, "Let’s go to the village chief’s house first."

The school matters were under the village chief’s management, so it would be best to let the village chief take them to see the school and find a way to intrigue Mai Qiqi about the school.

"Alright, alright," the two little ones remembered Grandma Huang and happily agreed, "We’ll come back to play with big brother once he’s back."

So Chen Ke took them to the village chief’s house, but the chief wasn’t home. After giving Grandma Huang a box of chocolates, they went to the school, where Grandma Huang said the chief was.

Upon seeing the row of seven brick houses, Mai Qiqi was dumbfounded. It was so rudimentary! Even if they didn’t use tiles, they should at least paint it. The raw brick color looked really rough.

She followed Chen Ke inside and at a glance saw that there were still people working in the classrooms, installing window glass. The floor was just yellow earth, and she wondered how they would manage on rainy days with all the mud. How would they have classes like that?

However, the desks looked decent, clean, and smooth, not quite matching the primitive style of the school.

Walking past a row of classrooms, at the very end was a teachers’ office, where the floor was tiled, and the walls were painted very white and smooth. There were three office desks and a row of bookcases inside, and the condition seemed at least two levels better than those classrooms.

Turning around, Mai Qiqi saw Chen Ke talking to an old man wearing a worn-out Zhongshan suit, who seemed to be the village chief that Wan Chuer mentioned.

She shuffled over and overheard Village Chief Huang talking to Chen Ke, "Everything is ready, and there’s still some budget surplus. I’m thinking of installing heating for the classrooms and teachers’ office, so the teachers and kids won’t freeze in the winter and can study properly."

Mai Qiqi couldn’t help but interject, "Why not also put some tiles on the classroom floors?"