Cai Wei took out several pieces of the grass seed cakes and osmanthus cakes she had bought on the road, and distributed them to the children. The little ones, thrilled by the delicious treats, had their eyes crinkled up in sheer joy as they savored each bite, with looks of utter satisfaction on their faces.
After chatting with everyone for a while and inspecting the premises, Cai Wei found the orphanage neat and orderly. She was extremely pleased.
Since Cai Wei and her mother were present, the lunch was prepared quite sumptuously. There was a dish of steamed giant crab, a roast whole sheep, a soy sauce stewed big fish, a roast goose, and finally, a dish of cold mixed greens.
All these dishes were brought by Cai Wei, intended to be left for their New Year’s meal the next day. However, after a discussion among the elders at the orphanage, it was decided to celebrate the New Year that very day. Being able to celebrate New Year’s with Cai Wei was a fortunate and joyous occasion for them.
At mealtime, Cai Wei and her mother sat at a table with the little ones. The children were both thrilled and elated to be dining with Sister Wei, chattering cheerfully while eating.
Among them, some were already ten years old, while others were just three or four. However, they were all illiterate. Cai Wei decided to send them to a private school after the New Year’s celebration. After all, the potential in children knew no bounds. Providing them with a proper education could see one of them potentially becoming a top scholar. Even if they didn’t achieve such heights, gaining more knowledge could help them understand more about life and grow into respectable individuals.
Upon hearing that Sister Wei would send them to study, the children were so elated they could hardly contain themselves, squinting their eyes as they burst into laughter.
Yuan’er’s grandfather spoke seriously, "Never forget those who draw water for you. In the future, never forget the help that Sister Wei has given you. Without her, not only wouldn’t you have been able to study, but you might have not even had enough food to eat. You might even have frozen or starved to death on the street by now. Remember, it is absolutely unacceptable to forget your roots."
Upon hearing this, all the children nodded solemnly, cementing the grandfather’s words in their hearts.
After lunch, Cai Wei and her mother bid farewell to the folks at the orphanage and returned home by horse carriage.
On the carriage, Lady Du asked Cai Wei, "Wei’er, do we need to start buying some New Year’s goods to take back to Mu Family Village? We should at least buy a few items from the list that grandfather made, to avoid them complaining when we get back."
Cai Wei smiled and replied, "Leave these matters to me. You should go back home as soon as possible, while it’s still light, and ask dad to hire some carpenters to refurbish our restaurant’s storefront. If we wait to do the repairs after the New Year, it’ll delay our business."
Upon hearing this involved the family business, Lady Du could no longer care about anything else. She was only thinking about getting home quickly and repairing the restaurant as fast as possible.
Once they reached the town, Cai Wei got off the carriage and asked her mother to go home first while she went to buy some New Year goods. Lady Du initially wanted Zhang Bo to accompany Cai Wei so she wouldn’t have to carry the goods herself, but Cai Wei refused. With repairing the restaurant on her mind, Lady Du had to let her go alone.
After watching her mother walk away, Cai Wei found a secluded place and let out the horse from her dimensional space.
This horse was seized from the assassins sent by Lady Yu to kill her during her trip to Yushu County City. The horse had been kept in the dimensional space since then, eating grass and drinking water from the space. After a few days, the horse had completely shed its coarse exterior. It was now muscular and healthy, as if it was infused with limitless strength.
After living so well in the warm dimensional space, the horse grew agitated being suddenly let out. It snorted and stomped its hooves restlessly. Cai Wei took a long time soothing and calming it before it finally settled down.