Chapter 473: Obedient Children
After leaving Shanghai Airport, Tang Xiu took a taxi and returned to Bluestar Villa Complex instead of going to Zhang Xinya’s concert.
“Boss!”
Banshou was squatting near the entrance of Bluestar Villa Complex. He had already smoked a few cigarettes while waiting. After seeing Tang Xiu getting off from a taxi, he hurriedly strode forward to greet him.
Tang Xiu glanced at the commercial vehicle hanging around more than ten meters away, as he nodded at him and said, “Are you bringing a few more?”
“A total five of them, but they are a bit special,” said Banshou.
“What is their situation?” Asked Tang Xiu with a strange expression.
“These five children are all seven years old. A total of three girls and two boys. They were adopted before, but as the old man had contracted a cerebrovascular disease and then passed away, the five of them were driven away by that elderly’s children, so they resorted to wandering and living in the streets. When our people found them, they were having a brawl with a group of children for two packs of instant noodles.”
“Fighting over instant noodles?” Tang Xiu knitted his brows.
“Yeah. They have been living in the streets for more than four months already, and are always unable to fill their bellies. Eventually, they met a boy a few days back who was being bullied by his schoolmates. The boy promised to give them two packs of instant noodles if they helped him teach his schoolmate bullies a lesson,” said Banshou.
“And the result?” Asked Tang Xiu with a strange expression.
“Though they did win, they also failed to get their prize,” Banshou forced a wry smile. “Also, the number of their opponents had more numbers. It was five against a dozen and they beat them.”
“Are you sure that the five of them won against a dozen children?” Asked Tang Xiu.
“Yeah, when I first saw them, they were currently brawling with that group of children. I have already asked them, and learned that those five were once adopted by an elderly, who then taught them some martial arts. I also learned the identity of that elderly, and know that he was a kind of grandmaster in martial arts. He lived in seclusion because of having his leg broken by his opponent when he got challenged to compare notes with others a long time ago.”
Tang Xiu nodded, “Let’s go into the car and have a chat about it inside.”
“All right!” Banshou replied, and followed Tang Xiu to the commercial vehicle.
After opening the car’s door, Tang Xiu straightly sat in the front seat. After Banshou registered at the entrance gate, he drove the car into the interior of the villa complex. Tang Xiu, however, didn’t look back, though he knew that the five children were sitting on the back back of the commercial car. However, he was using his spiritual sense to observe them instead of his eyes.
Two boys and three girls!
They were plainly dressed, and their looks were very common. The five were injured, though they were minor wounds and wouldn’t cause anything serious. At the moment, they had their eyes fixated on him, and looked a bit curious, as well as vigilant.
“Relax, I’m not a trafficker.” Tang Xiu finally turned his head to have them after the commercial vehicle was parked in the villa’s courtyard. He let out a light smile after speaking, and then got off. Following that, he led them into the villa’s living room and said, “The five of you, just take this place as your own home for the time being. You’re free to look at anything.”
After saying that, he looked at Banshou, pointed to the opposite sofa and smilingly said, “You have been incessantly looking for street children recently. Tell me about what you feel about this.”
“Boss, I really don’t want to talk much, though you have us doing a very meaningful job. I’ve seen too many things, and I know too much, yet every time I look at these orphans and street children... To be honest, I’m feel somewhat sad inside. We are much more fortunate and have a happier life than these children. Recalling the time when I was a trivial street thug, I feel like living this way seem to have meaning, and it’s very worth it.”
“Doing what you like, and doing what you feel meaningful just proves that you are happy now,” Tang Xiu smilingly said. “Since you like this job, then do it well. What I’m asking of you is not quantity, but quality. Of course, you can also think of ways to take care of those unqualified street children. For instance, sending them to an orphanage, or to the local police, letting them find a solution for them. As for your present performance, I’m very satisfied, and I hope you can persist in your efforts, too.”
“I promise I’ll get the job done well, Boss!” Said Banshou seriously.
“All right, tell me about these five!” Tang Xiu nodded.
“I’ve investigated these five. Little Yi and Little Er are twin brothers. They were still babies when that elderly found them while doing a morning jog on the riverside. The other three were also abandoned and sent to an orphanage in the local area. Eventually, the orphanage was closed down, and the issue for the placement of the children there was left unsolved. Though the caretaker of the orphanage tried to find homes for all of them, these three were eventually left behind. The elderly who lived near the orphanage heard about this, and finally adopted these three.”
“So, in other words, you can’t find their family members, yes?” Asked Tang Xiu.
Banshou forced a smile and answered, “We were unable to find them.”
“Then, you don’t need to keep searching,” said Tang Xiu. “Anyways, as for the five of you, I want to ask you something. Would you like to be adopted by me? Of course, I’ll provide you with all the necessities of life, as well as teaching you martial arts, so that you can become skillful persons in the future,” said Tang Xiu.
The five children didn’t run around when Tang Xiu was conversing with Banshou. It was because the place was very luxurious, so they were standing nearby, keeping their vigilance and curiosity at the same time. Upon hearing Tang Xiu’s words, they walked toward Tang Xiu, and the tallest one of them, a girl, then asked, “What exactly are you going to do with us?”
“What a smart child you are,” Tang Xiu smilingly said. “You’re evidently much more mature than your peers. Anyhow, it’s fine telling you now. So to say, I’m going to let you stay here for the time being. After you have lived here for a period of time, a few more homeless children will also be sent to this place later, and I’ll send you to Jingmen Island then. You all will live there for a few years, and I’ll take you to my home should you show outstanding performance.”
“Going home? Where is that?” Asked the girl curiously.
“It’s my home. My home in the truest sense. Likewise, if you study hard, practice martial arts seriously, and then get my approval, I will take you to my home, and it will be your home as well,” said Tang Xiu.
“You’re telling us that you want us to continue practicing martial arts? Are you a martial artist or something?” Asked the girl again.
“I am. And I’m a very powerful one as well,” said Tang Xiu with a nod.
The girl turned her head and talked to the other four in whispers. Finally, she looked up at Tang Xiu and asked, “There is the last question we have for you. Why did you adopt so many orphans and homeless children? Those like us!”
The smile on Tang Xiu’s face turned thicker as he answered, “Though you are still young, I have some words I believe you’ll understand. The more people you have, the more powerful you are. If tons of orphans and street children are gathered, studying and practicing martial arts together; in the future, when all of you have grown up, and in the case that anyone dares to bully our family members, there will be many people who will fight together with us against those bullies. So now, are you satisfied with my explanation?”
“Yeah!” The tallest girl nodded and answered seriously after the five children whispered to each other.
“All right, then. Tell me your name,” said Tang Xiu smilingly.
“My name is Little Yi. They are Little Lan and Little Qing. As for them, they are called Little Yi and Little Er,” said the tallest girl.
“Don’t you have a family name?” Asked Tang Xiu curiously.
“No, Grandpa didn’t tell us what our family name was,” said the girl with an honest expression.
Tang Xiu was silent for a short while, before slowly saying, “Then you will have Tang as your family name later! As for your own name, I think that I have to change your name as well, and I’ll bestow it on you now!”
“What name will we have, then?” Asked the girl.
“I’ll bestow you a name in accordance to the five elements; metal (Jin), wood (Mu), water (Shui), fire (Huo), and earth (Tu). You will be called Tang Xiaojin. As for them, they’re respectively: Tang Xiaomu, Tang Xiaoshui, Tang Xiaohuo, and Tang Xiaotu. How does it sound?”
The five children gathered and talked to each other yet again for a while, and finally decided to accept their new names. A smile finally appeared on their faces.
A few minutes later, Banshou left and drove away. Tang Xiu then took Tang Xiaojin’s group of five to tour the villa while telling them things they needed to know. Finally, after they returned to the hall on the first floor, he said, “You will stay on the first floor. Xiaojin will have a room for herself, whereas Xiaomu, Xiaoshui, Xiaohuo, and Xiaotu will stay in one room together. Tomorrow I will take you to buy some clothes, shoes, and some basic, simple textbooks. I will also hire teachers to teach how to read and write. As for your meals, you don’t have to worry about it. I will also hire housekeepers to take care of your daily life. Also…”
Ring, ring, ring…
Tang Xiu’s mobile phone rang and interrupted his following words.
Taking out his mobile phone, Tang Xiu saw on the screen that the caller was unexpectedly Li Laoshan. He immediately pressed the answer button and smilingly said, “Hey, Old Brother Li, how come you remember to call me?”
“Tang Brother, I just arrived in Shanghai. Are you free now?” Li Laoshan’s hearty laughter came from the mobile phone.
Hesitating for a moment, Tang Xiu then smilingly said, “It would’ve been fine if it was some other time, Old Brother Li. But I have a minor matter to deal with at the moment, and I’m afraid I can’t go out now. How about you just come straight to my place?”
“Me coming to your place now?” Asked Li Laoshan, surprised. “Won’t I disturb your family members coming this late?”
“Surely no!” Tang Xiu laughed.
“Alright, then! Tell me your address and I’ll come over there now,” Li Laoshan smilingly said. “Anyhow, do you want me to bring some dishes, wine, or something? I just arrived in Shanghai and settled at the hotel, so I’m kinda starving here.”
“No need, thanks,’ Tang Xiu laughed. “It’s fine if you just come here.”
After hanging up the phone, Tang Xiu texted his address to Li Laoshan. Then, he looked at five children and said, “You need not worry about your daily life later, and I only have one request for you.”
“What request is it?” Asked Tang Xiaojin curiously.
“Obey all my orders,” said Tang Xiu. “If I tell you to go east, you must never go to the west. If I order you to stand, then sit must you not. Shortly put, my command is above everything else, got it?”
“Understood!” The five children, Jin, Mu, Shui, Huo, and Tu, nodded repeatedly.
Obedience! It was exactly their strong point. This was the education taught to them after getting adopted by their Grandpa, which was to heed what the elderly said.