The White-Bone Demon of the Farm is as rich as a country

Chapter 232 Chasing the Wind

Ru Yue remained silent, as if time had stopped, and she didn't make a sound for a long time.

Seeing this, Aji's heart tightened, and he wondered if he had said something wrong and made his sister unhappy.

A panicked look instantly appeared on his face, and he hurriedly explained, "Sister, please don't take it to heart! In fact, it doesn't matter if I don't need a lot of help. As long as I can make money, I can still help everyone."

As the saying goes, children from poor families grow up early. Whether in the present or in past lives, this truth remains irrefutable.

The hardships and difficulties in real life, like a ruthless carving knife, have left deep marks on the young hearts of these children at an early age.

In order to survive, they have to prematurely take on responsibilities that are not appropriate for their age, and wage an arduous struggle against fate. All of this has nothing to do with age, but simply because people want to keep the fragile flame of life from being extinguished.

Ru Yue quickly realized that her attitude might have caused Ah Ji to misunderstand her. She quickly collected herself, put on a gentle smile, and said softly, "Don't worry, Ah Ji, it's okay. Let's go and see your friends together."

Hearing this, Aji could hardly believe his ears. Happiness came so suddenly that he was stunned on the spot, motionless like a sculpture.

Seeing this, Fengying on the side couldn't help but raised his hand and gently patted his forehead, teasing: "Hey, little guy, why are you so silly?" Only then did Aji wake up from his dream, came to his senses, and then laughed foolishly.

Afterwards, several people walked out of the inn together. Along the way, they went through streets and alleys, turning left and right, and after a lot of effort and most of the day, they finally arrived in front of a dilapidated temple outside the town.

The temple looked long abandoned, its walls crumbling and overgrown with weeds, creating a particularly desolate and forlorn scene. The side hall had completely collapsed, reduced to a pile of broken walls and rubble. The main hall's columns, while still barely standing, appeared precarious. The solemn and majestic Buddha statue's golden body had long since peeled away, revealing the mottled clay beneath. Its face was so battered it was unrecognizable, completely devoid of its former splendor.

Such a scene is really sad. Even if we don’t have to wait until the heavy snow in winter, I am afraid that if a strong wind blows on a night in late autumn, this dilapidated temple will completely disappear from people’s sight.

"Xiao Maoqi, Fuwazi, I'm back!" Aji shouted at the top of his voice as soon as he stepped into the temple gate.

His voice echoed in the empty temple, and even the dilapidated window frames seemed to tremble.

"Agua, Xiaopingmao, come out quickly and see who I brought!" Along with Aji's shouting, several childish responses soon came from different corners.

"Hey, Aji, can you please stop shouting so loudly? This temple is not strong to begin with and it's about to collapse because of you shouting!" one of the voices complained.

"That's right, it's so noisy! I've been running outside all morning and finally came back to rest for a while, but you woke me up again." Another voice echoed.

However, there was still a well-behaved voice saying, "Brother Aji, you are finally back. I specially left half a steamed bun for you. Come and try it." Hearing this, Aji's face immediately broke into a bright smile, and he walked quickly in the direction where the voice came from.

Just as he finished speaking, a group of children filed out from the dilapidated door. They looked about the same age as Aji, and their clothes were tattered and ragged. Their hair was tangled and messy, and their faces were covered in dirt, as if they hadn't washed in a long time.

It is not uncommon to see children like this when walking around the streets on weekdays, but when I look at them face to face at this moment, I still can't help feeling a pang of sadness in my heart.

The group of children obviously did not expect that so many people in bright and colorful clothes would suddenly appear. They were all stunned for a moment and felt a little at a loss.

They stared with wide eyes, looking at the stranger in front of them in panic and confusion, completely unable to tell whether the stranger was good or evil. Faced with this sudden situation, the children were obviously quite frightened.

At that moment, one of the older children suddenly dropped to his knees before Ru Yue. With an earnest yet panicked expression, he said, "Sir, please be kind! Did Aji accidentally offend you? If so, please don't bother with him. If you need to hit or scold me, come at me. He's just a clueless brat."

Hearing this, Aji on the side hurried forward, stretched out his hand to try to pull the kneeling child up, and shouted anxiously: "Brother Tieshu, what are you talking about! Hurry up and get up! This sister is not here to bully us, please get up quickly!"

"Your name is Tieshu, right? Get up!" Ru Yue said softly with a smile, reaching out to help the frail boy. The boy looked only a year or two older than Aji, yet so tiny and bony that it made one feel pity for him, as if he looked even younger than his actual age.

After the misunderstanding was completely resolved, Aji told the other children the whole story.

After listening to Aji's story, the children burst into exclamations and sighed for a moment. They never thought that they would be so lucky to encounter such a great thing.

At this moment, Tieshu's eyes were filled with doubt, and he asked cautiously, "Miss, is what Aji said true? You really won't capture us and sell us to some bad place, forcing us to do bad things?"

Compared with other friends, Tieshu is indeed a little older, so he is naturally more thoughtful when thinking about problems, and is more cautious and thoughtful.

Hearing Tieshu's words, Ruyue couldn't help but chuckle. She secretly sighed in her heart, although these children are still young, they are all very smart, well-behaved and sensible, and their hearts are also very kind.

Faced with such an innocent and lovely group of children, how could she have the heart to deceive or hurt them?

Ru Yue squatted down and gently touched Tie Shu's head. She replied firmly and sincerely, "Of course it's true! I would never do such a thing."

"I am merely providing a place for people like you to settle down. As for how to act specifically, it is up to you to accomplish it. If you can handle things properly, it naturally proves that you are quite capable; but if you fail to achieve the expected goals, then I'm sorry, I'm afraid I can only find other suitable people to replace you." Ru Yue told the truth with a serious face.

Hearing this, Tieshu instantly became extremely alert again. He asked cautiously and prudently, "Miss, what exactly do you want us to do? Although we are endlessly grateful for your help in rescuing Aji, please forgive us for being frank. We will never get involved in those dirty and evil things that go against conscience and morality and are not allowed to be seen in public. Even Aji would definitely not agree to this!"

Ru Yue's expression straightened, and she replied solemnly, "My request is actually quite simple. I hope to rent a courtyard near the capital for you to live in. You will be responsible for gathering intelligence and gathering news for me, and then accurately and promptly relaying the relevant information to me. I wonder if you are willing to take on this kind of task?"

After hearing this, Tieshu's eyes widened, his face full of suspicion. He asked in disbelief, "Is that all?"

He couldn't believe that this beautiful woman before him would be so generous as to give them a yard to live in and even provide for their daily needs just for such a seemingly easy task. Could such a beautiful thing really exist in this world?

"Don't underestimate this matter, there are great dangers hidden in it. If I ask you to find out the secrets and privacy of those wealthy families' mansions, you might face some risks. So, before making a decision, you must think carefully about it." Although Ru Yue could not tell them the whole story, she would never deliberately deceive or hide it from them.

Hearing this, Tieshu immediately understood what Ruyue meant. He waved his hands and said, "Oh, this is not a big deal at all. Sister, you don't have to spend so much money to rent a courtyard for us. Even if we continue to live in this dilapidated temple, we can still help you find out the news."

After saying so much, Tieshu had already realized that this sister was kind-hearted and was definitely not the kind of heartless person who would abandon people after using them.

Ru Yue slowly looked around at the surroundings and thought to herself: It is true that I urgently need some help to assist me with my work, but I also sincerely hope to provide these children with a safe place to stay.

She spoke to the crowd with a serious expression, "You will all grow up. Only by learning a unique skill can you truly control your own destiny. Since you are willing to serve me now, in return, I will provide you with daily clothing and food, as well as corresponding compensation. This is all natural and right."

Having said this, she paused for a moment, then announced decisively, "If you are willing, then from today on, your small group will be officially named 'Chasing the Wind'!"

The children knew that Ru Yue was not joking, and they all agreed happily.

Ru Yue continued her instructions in a leisurely and orderly manner, "Uncle Wei, you've lived in the capital for a long time and know this place like the back of your hand. Please take the trouble to think about where to best house these children? Whether it's buying a small courtyard or renting a house, as long as they have a stable place to stay, it will be fine."

When Uncle Wei, who was standing by, heard this, he hurriedly bowed and agreed.

Ru Yue turned her gaze to An San beside her and solemnly warned him, "An San, on this trip, you must protect Uncle Wei and these children." An San immediately clasped his hands together and accepted the task in a resounding voice.

Ru Yue gently called the children closer and said with a serious and sincere face, "You are still young, but since you have decided to work for me, I naturally have to plan for your future.

When everything is settled, I will find a good teacher to teach you martial arts so that you can strengthen your body and protect yourself. I will also invite a teacher to teach you how to read and write.

You must diligently learn and master these skills. However, the tasks I have assigned to you must not be delayed or neglected. Do you understand?"

When had these children ever met such a kind-hearted person? Simply helping them gather some information, he not only provided them with food and lodging, but now he was even offering to teach them martial arts and knowledge!

They couldn't believe their ears, and even wondered if the scene before them was just a dream. Could it be that they had really encountered a living Bodhisattva who could save people from suffering?

Taking advantage of everyone's unpreparedness, Aji suddenly reached out and pinched the inside of his thigh. Instantly, a piercing pain hit him, and he couldn't help but cry out, "Wow! It hurts!" The pain was so real that it was definitely not an illusion.

After confirming that all this was not a dream, Aji was stunned at first, and then he showed his signature silly smile again.

His sudden action really scared the people around him. When they came to their senses, everyone pointed at Aji and laughed at his silly behavior.

At this moment, several children knelt down in front of Ru Yue as if they had discussed it beforehand.

The slightly older Tieshu took the lead and kowtowed to Ruyue, saying loudly, "Sister, you are our great benefactor. Please accept our greetings! Thank you so much for saving our lives and teaching us so well!"

Seeing this, the other children quickly echoed in unison: "Thank you, sister!" The voices were uniform and resounded throughout the space.

Facing the children's sincere gratitude, Ru Yue smiled and earnestly advised them, "You must study various skills well and do everything well.

You must know that only when you become strong enough can you have the right to choose your own life path.

One day, when you have learned enough and possessed unique skills, if you wish to leave 'Chasing the Wind' and venture into a wider world, as long as all you do is for good and not evil, then even if it's hard for me to let you go, I will certainly let you go. Because I want to see you all live the lives you dream of and become independent individuals.

After saying that, she gently touched the top of each child's head. It was encouragement and blessing, and also her promise to them.