Chapter 66: What a Shame, Too Late, Far Too Late

His mind was a mess right now. Really.

When he first heard Lu Qingqiang say she was going to present him with a banner, Huang He was completely dumbfounded.

Over the past few years, the only words he ever heard around him were things like “spoiled brat,” “good-for-nothing rich kid,” or “Fatty Huang.”

Aside from his mom, basically no one had ever praised him.

Even when he joined a band with Brother Shen, people said they were just goofing off and wasting time.

And now, just because he casually donated a bit of money and bought a few small animals, he was getting a banner and public praise?

No kidding. Seriously.

This was the first time in his life he’d ever received a banner.

For some reason, his heart was strangely stirred. A little moved. A little proud.

“Hey, Old Feng, quick, record a video for me. I want to post it in my family group chat.”

“Old Xu, take a few pictures for me too. Make sure I look good.”

After giving instructions to the two of them, Huang He unconsciously wiped his hands on the back of his shirt to steady himself.

Then he composed himself and walked over to receive the banner that was now rightfully his.

In the center of the banner were two bold lines: “With heartfelt donations, your kindness is as weighty as a mountain. Grateful for your grace, we pass on the love.”

Top right corner: Presented to: Mr. Huang He

Bottom left corner: Respectfully presented by Jiang City Loving Heart Orphanage, January 8, 2024

“……” Lu Jianshen.

If he’d known earlier, he wouldn’t have let Fatty Huang pay for the animals.

Look at how smug this guy is now.

“…………” Feng Xiao and Xu Ming.

For some reason, a wave of inexplicable envy and jealousy rose deep inside them.

Fatty Huang might be the first one in their F6 group to ever receive a banner.

This guy really is the definition of dumb luck.

After receiving the banner, Huang He giggled like a fool for quite a while.

Then he walked up to Feng Xiao and Xu Ming and said, “Hey guys, send me the video and photos you just took, yeah?”

“They’re in the group chat. Go grab them yourself.”

“Got it, thanks!” Huang He replied, then opened the Jiangcheng F6 (Fabulous Six) group chat and started saving everything like crazy.

Once he was done, he forwarded all the videos and photos to his family group chat.

Not even five minutes later, Fatty Huang was already excitedly sharing the news with his buddies.

“Brother Shen, Brother Shen, look! My parents are praising me in the group chat!”

“Ahhh, my mom praises and encourages me all the time, I know.”

“But this is the first time my dad’s ever praised me!”

“Ahhh, Old Feng, Old Xu, look! My mom just transferred me 800,000 yuan in pocket money!”

“Hahaha, my uncle said he’s going to give me a supercar!”

“Hehehe, Brother Shen, Brother Shen, my dad just called me. I think he’s going to reward me!”

“……” Lu Jianshen.

Damn, I really want to beat this guy up.

“…………” Feng Xiao.

If he’d known that donating to the orphanage could get him public praise, he would’ve done it too.

With that kind of recognition, there’s no way his parents would’ve had the heart to kick their precious son out of the house.

What a shame. Too late. Far too late.

He’s broke now.

So frustrating.

“………………” Xu Ming.

Sigh. He was really envious of Fatty Huang’s family atmosphere.

It was so nice.

If only his mom were still alive, how great that would be.

DailyMelancholy.jpg

“~~~” Lu Qingqiang.

So the power of a banner is actually this strong?

Turns out, it really is!

Because by the afternoon, not only did her second brother stay behind to help her drill holes in the wood, even his friends Huang He, Feng Xiao, and Xu Ming voluntarily stayed too.

Feng Xiao even sneaked over when no one was looking and quietly asked her under what circumstances someone could receive non-verbal recognition from the orphanage.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Qingqiang replied, “If you volunteer at our orphanage and perform exceptionally well, you can.”

So, Feng Xiao and Xu Ming immediately declared they wanted to volunteer at the orphanage.

For free.

They said as long as the trees on the mountain weren’t all planted, they weren’t going home.

Lu Qingqiang: “……”

Well then, here’s the problem. The orphanage doesn’t have enough space for them.

The staff dorms are still under emergency renovation.

There are bamboo huts on the mountain, but they haven’t been furnished yet.

These two extra people had nowhere to sleep.

When she started worrying about this and brought it up to Lu Jianshen, he casually said:

“Either kick them out.”

“Or let them sleep on the floor inside the orphanage.”

“Or just buy two apartments nearby.”

“Right.” Lu Qingqiang suddenly saw the light.

That’s right, she was rich now.

She could buy property!

Damn, she’d only been rich for such a short time, she hadn’t even gotten used to it.

Besides the system helping her manage her finances, she still had a lottery ticket in her hand.

It was definitely a winner.

Just not sure how much yet.

Tomorrow, she could go claim the prize.

Just thinking about it made her both excited and nervous.

With Lu Jianshen and the other three joining in, the speed of drilling holes in the wood to match the mushroom strains increased significantly.

Lu Qingqiang went into the mountains again to haul the second and third batches of wood.

After dinner, Lu Jianshen drove home.

Feng Xiao and Xu Ming actually stayed behind.

They even laid out bedding on the floor and slept soundly.

Lu Qingqiang realized they were completely serious.

So she had the system help her filter through nearby available properties and picked two suitable, ready-to-move-in apartments.

Early the next morning, she went out and bought them.

When she got the keys, Lu Qingqiang couldn’t help but sigh.

So this is what it feels like to be rich.

Buying a house was as easy as buying groceries!

After buying the apartments, she stopped by the lottery shop to redeem her ticket.

Sure enough, she’d won.

Not a huge amount, just 42.81 million yuan.

After paying the 20% tax, she was left with around 34 million.

Perfect timing, since the startup fund her dad gave her was nearly used up. This money could pick up where that left off.

Over the weekend, part-time tutor Guo Tao arrived, both nervous and excited.

Director Lu Qingqiang personally welcomed him.

He had arrived quite early, not even 8 a.m. yet.

So Guo Tao followed the kids and learned a set of martial arts moves from Zhang Qiang.

Then he went with everyone to the canteen for breakfast.

He’d already eaten a steamed bun with pickled vegetables before coming.

But the moment he stepped into the orphanage canteen, he was hungry all over again.

Inside, there were steamed buns, dumplings, side dishes, porridge, savory pancakes, marinated eggs, sweet potato chunks, corn pieces, and vegetable salad.

The variety, the aroma—it all made Guo Tao fall in love at first bite.

Delicious, everything was delicious. He loved every single item.

Too bad his stomach couldn’t hold any more. Argh!

“Brother Zhang, I remember when I came for the interview, it was Master Zhao doing the cooking. Why the change?”

“No change. Breakfast is made by both Master Zhao and Little Master Liu.”

“After Master Zhao finishes cooking, he heads to the backyard to water the vegetables.”

“That stir-fried bok choy you just had came from our backyard,” Zhang Qiang explained.

“What? That bok choy was homegrown?”

“No wonder it tasted so fresh and had a hint of sweetness.”

“Homegrown veggies really do taste better.” Guo Tao smacked his lips after speaking.

“That’s nothing. We also raise our own chickens, ducks, and geese, built a pond for fish and shrimp, and planted fruit trees.”

“The director said next year we’ll plant corn and rice, and maybe even some flowers.”

“By then, if we want to eat something, we just go pick it ourselves.”

“!!!” Guo Tao.

Damn, is this really an orphanage?

Can he just say—he’s insanely jealous?

He wants to work here forever!

— Translator’s Notes —

– DailyMelancholy.jpg: A popular Chinese internet meme style, mimicking a folder of image files (.jpg) to express a specific mood, here conveying habitual sadness or melancholy in online chats.