Chapter 467: Chapter 467

Chen Ke didn’t ask any more questions. After the car drove a certain distance, it stopped and turned off the engine.

Mai Qiqi asked, "What’s wrong?"

Chen Ke pointed outside, indicating for her to see for herself. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novｅlfire.net

Mai Qiqi leaned out to take a look. Well, it turned out that ahead was a rural dirt road that the car couldn’t pass through.

Looking back, Chuanqi and Hunter had already started unbuckling their seat belts, ready to climb down from their car seats.

"Godmother, let’s walk," Chuanqi urged Mai Qiqi, blinking his big eyes when he saw she wasn’t moving.

Seeing these two kids being so proactive, Mai Qiqi figured Chen Ke must have told them earlier.

In other words, this guy had known all along that he could only drive 50 meters on this road, yet he didn’t mention it, deliberately setting up this whole scene!

Mai Qiqi squinted her eyes, finding this guy even more annoying.

After getting out of the car, Chen Ke picked up Little Chuanqi with one hand and held Little Hunter’s hand with the other as they walked forward. Mai Qiqi stood still for a moment, surveying the surroundings.

"Godmother, are your legs not working? Need Uncle to carry you?"

You little rascal, Chuanqi! After all the affection your godmother has shown you!

She glanced at Chen Ke’s back, seeing nothing unusual, snorted through her nose, and followed them.

After walking for about ten minutes, Chuanqi started shouting, "Sister Erya, Sister Erya, it’s me, Chuanqi," while waving his hand enthusiastically.

Mai Qiqi looked over and saw a three- or four-year-old blonde girl sitting under a row of poplar trees ahead, holding some unknown grass to her mouth.

Not far away in the field, a little boy held a small hoe, also looking toward them.

Hunter started yelling too, "Big Brother, we’re here."

Chen Ke set Chuanqi down, and the two children happily ran forward.

Ignoring Chen Ke, Mai Qiqi also walked over.

Xiao Huaili and his sister, seeing Chuanqi and Hunter, broke into delighted smiles, thinking that perhaps these little brother and sister wouldn’t come again. They quickly ran over to Chuanqi and Hunter.

Xiao Huaili anxiously shouted, "Don’t run, be careful not to fall."

But just as he finished, Little Chuanqi fell onto the yellow earth, pouting sorrowfully at Little Lizzi.

Little Lizzi hurried over, immediately lifting her up and rubbing her hands and knees, "Does it hurt? Brother will rub it better."

Mai Qiqi came over to check; seeing there was no injury, she left them to it, enthusiastically watching the four children interact.

"Big Brother, it doesn’t hurt anymore," Chuanqi said with a smile, as she searched in her little pocket for a while and took out two pieces of candy, handing them to Erya and Xiao Huaili.

"Candy, have some candy. There are also lots of tasty and fun things in the car."

Hunter also said, "We went to your house but couldn’t find you. What were you doing?"

Xiao Huaili released Little Chuanqi’s leg and said simply, "I was hoeing the weeds in the field. In a while, we’ll be able to pick the corn cobs, dry them and grind them; then in winter, my sister and I will have cornmeal to eat."

Mai Qiqi looked puzzled, what did this mean?

Could it be that these siblings were the only ones at home? That’s why these two kids had to work in the field, which explained their thin and yellow faces, and why they ate cornmeal in winter because there was nothing else to eat.

She eventually looked at Chen Ke, who nodded slightly at her.

Mai Qiqi was stunned, wondering how this guy knew what she was thinking.

"Little Lizzi? Erya?" Mai Qiqi looked at the siblings.

Xiao Huaili and Erya didn’t know her but knew since she came with Chuanqi and Hunter, she must be a good person.

Mai Qiqi chuckled and asked, "School’s starting soon, will the two of you be going?"

After all, she’s about to start enrolling students tomorrow; this could be an early start to getting into work mode.

Xiao Huaili was momentarily startled, then patted his confused sister, saying, "Aunt, when I’m a bit older and can earn money, I’ll let my sister go to school."

Chuanqi said naively, "Big brother, you guys shouldn’t go to school, stay and play with my brother and me."

Hunter retorted to his sister, "Big brother is already a big kid, and big kids need to go to school. When we grow up, we have to go to school too."

Xiao Huaili just smiled foolishly without saying anything, and Erya couldn’t help but unwrap the candy Chuanqi gave her and popped it into her mouth, "Brother, it’s really sweet."

Mai Qiqi turned and asked Chen Ke, "In this kind of situation, shouldn’t the social services be helping them?" She, after all, was a grassroots police officer, albeit in technical work, but she still knew about related matters.

Chen Ke nodded, "There should be a few tens of yuan each month, probably just enough to keep the siblings from starving."

"What about the village? Hasn’t the village done anything? Shouldn’t they waive their school fees?"

Chen Ke glanced at her, which made Mai Qiqi quite unhappy. How dare he disdain her, "Spit it out if you have something to say!"

Chen Ke said helplessly, "You can see the situation in this village; it’s generally not affluent. Even the school was just built, with only three teachers for six grades; they even have to save on the teachers’ wages. Even if there’s no tuition fee, there’s still the cost of books. If the older ones go to school, what about the younger ones, who’ll take care of them? Who’d farm the fields?"

Mai Qiqi was speechless, feeling suffocated, she walked over and took the little hoe from Xiao Huaili’s hand, stating blankly:

"Little Lizzi, you go play with the three little ones, let me help you with the hoeing."

She didn’t want to stand with Chen Ke and the Xiao siblings any longer; she felt she needed to do something to vent and think it over properly.

Xiao Huaili was startled and quickly said, "Aunt, I’ll take care of the weeds myself." How could he let Auntie help him farm? But Mai Qiqi just took the hoe and jumped into the cornfield in a few steps.

Chen Ke stopped him, "No need, Auntie wants to experience life; you take the kids and play."

Once in the cornfield, Mai Qiqi hesitated. The tall corn stalks she recognized, but how come there were so many plants on the ground? Some looked like the ubiquitous foxtail grass, while others seemed to resemble some other crops.

She squatted down, picked up the hoe, at a loss for whether to swing it or not, afraid she might inadvertently uproot some actual crops. It wasn’t easy for the boy to farm.

Suddenly, a light chuckle came from above her head, "That’s a peanut seedling in front of you."

Mai Qiqi snorted heavily, without looking up, she focused on finding foxtail grass she recognized, wielding the hoe and uprooting the foxtail grass completely.

Chen Ke watched for a while, ensuring that this young lady wouldn’t ruin Xiao Huaili’s crops, and then left the field.

Who knew how many minutes this young lady would last.

Unexpectedly, Mai Qiqi stayed squatting in the field for an entire hour. Watching as Hunter and Chuanqi turned into mud kids, Chen Ke shook his head and went to call Mai Qiqi.