Chapter 24

The companion holding the camera felt a bit awkward and chuckled, “Mr. and Mrs. Meng, I haven’t taken any yet.”

After all, they had been by Madam Wang’s side for several years. Madam Wang wouldn’t let them bring Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan without discretion.

Someone handed them tissues and mineral water. “You’ve been through a lot. Mr. and Mrs. Meng are much stronger than us. I still remember when I first came here, I ended up in the hospital directly.”

Meng Zhengrong felt much better after hearing this. He felt embarrassed to be acting so weak now. This person’s words were also giving him face.

Some villagers brought a kind of fruit that they hadn’t seen in the big cities. After the group ate it, they immediately felt less nauseous.

Although the poverty-stricken town had an underdeveloped economy and transportation, it had a particularly fresh air due to the lack of urban atmosphere, with the sky blue and dazzling.

The mayor had already come to greet them. Their accommodation this time was at the richest family in the town. Although they were said to be the wealthiest, their house was only two stories high. Some people were washing the yard with buckets. When they saw the guests coming, they put down what they were doing to greet them.

This family also ran a small grocery store, the only one in the entire town.

“The rooms have been prepared. Mr. and Mrs. Meng, would you like to rest for a while?” The team leader, who was also one of Madam  Wang’s assistants, smiled and asked.

After a night of traveling, everyone was tired. No matter how important the matter was, they had to rest first.

Meng Zhengrong had a slight cleanliness obsession. He didn’t even want to stay in the yard for another second, let alone live here. Along the way, most of the houses were simple one-story buildings, and there were even thatched huts. This family’s two-story house was already considered very good. However, Meng Zhengrong had never lived in such poor conditions in his life, so he hesitated.

He looked at Xu Yuan, sending her a glance to convey his thoughts, hoping she would agree with him.

Xu Yuan had experienced hardship when she was young, but since entering the palace and climbing all the way to the emperor’s side, where she had spent nearly ten years without suffering, she had lived better than some concubines. Now, having suddenly become a wealthy wife, she had enjoyed many years of comfort. She was deeply repelled by the thought of staying here from the bottom of her heart.

Meng Zhengrong’s glance told Xu Yuan what he meant.

After all, he was a man. It wouldn’t be good to refuse directly. Everyone knew he couldn’t endure hardship, and he hadn’t endured any before. But throughout history, almost everyone believed that men shouldn’t be afraid of hardship.

Afraid of hardship? What kind of man was that?

In this situation, Xu Yuan was willing to cooperate with Meng Zhengrong. After all, she didn’t want to stay here either. Although sleeping in the RV was a bit cramped, it was clean, well-equipped, and it was only for one night. Thinking of this, she smiled and waved her hand, “Apart from my husband and me, there are still five or six other people. There won’t be enough rooms. Since we drove here, let the two of us sleep in the car.”

As if he was afraid that someone would say something else, Xu Yuan added, “Let’s settle it. We are here to help, not to cause trouble.”

The team members were a little embarrassed. They naturally knew that Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan did not want to live here, but if Madam Wang found out that Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan slept in a car at night, even if it was a luxurious RV, she would probably scold them. 

Meng Zhengrong stood there doing nothing, and then he smiled and said, “That’s it, your arrangements have been very thorough, but we can’t cause you any trouble. If we really need anything, we will definitely tell you.”

Although the two people were smiling and talking, their attitudes were very firm, and the team members couldn’t say anything else.

When she returned to the RV, she lay down and took out a bottle of water from the refrigerator. When she looked inside, she saw that the fruit and some food stuffed by the housekeeper had been eaten. Fortunately, she was not hungry now.

She opened the car window and saw Meng Zhengrong standing on the ground, holding his mobile phone high. After a while, he came over with a sullen face: “The signal here is too poor, I can’t even receive an email.”

“oh.”

Xu Yuan had already developed a habit of responding, even if she didn’t want to pay attention to Meng Zhengrong, she would still reply.

However, it’s good to have this experience. Next time she wants to go out, he definitely won’t follow her again.

“I haven’t slept well all night. I want to take a nap now.” Seeing that the signal was poor, Meng Zhengrong knew that even being anxious now would not help, so he had to get in the car and lie next to Xu Yuan. Although the bed was not very big, But it’s still enough for two people.

Xu Yuan was also a little tired, and other people probably knew that the two of them needed to rest, so they didn’t bother them. Just like that, the two of them slept until about three o’clock in the afternoon before getting up.

The town was not noisy, and some people deliberately kept quiet, so the two of them slept very well.

Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan also felt much better because they slept comfortably.

The main target of their help this time was an orphanage in the small town.

There are mostly left-behind children here. Because they are so poor, many people have gone out to work, leaving behind elderly parents and children. There are several children whose grandparents have left. There is really no one at home and no one who can contact them. Whose parents have not come back for several years, so they have to be placed in an orphanage. This is a named child, not an orphan.

Some children are abandoned at birth, either because of physical problems or IQ problems.

After all, it is a poor town, and every household is not well off, so naturally they will not adopt sick children.

The conditions of the orphanage are also very poor. There are only a few bungalows. It is said that the director pays for it at his own expense. It is not that there is no allocation from above, but it is just a drop in the bucket after all. The food, drink and clothing are barely enough. What makes people anxious are the sick children.

The dean’s Mandarin is not very good. I heard that he used to be a teacher in the county town, and then he came to this town for some reason. He taught and took care of these children at the same time. It was very hard. He is only fifty years old this year, but he looks like he is sixty years old.

The children have not come back from school. The ones left in the orphanage are three children aged one or two. One is born with a disability, and the other two have congenital deformities.

Several girls had red eyes after watching this, but Xu Yuan’s mental state was pretty good, and his expression didn’t change much.

It may be that she has gone through life and death, and the experience in her previous life has gradually hardened her heart. Life is like this. She cannot be the master of her own birth, nor can she be the master of her family.

Meng Zhengrong was very emotional. He bent down and tried to pick up one of the girls. Xu Yuan also leaned over to take a look. Immediately, someone took a camera to capture the scene.

Finally, Meng Zhengrong left the dean’s contact information and said that the Meng family also had such a public welfare fund and that funds would be allocated when the time came, but the dean was asked to keep all the receipts.

It’s not that Meng Zhengrong doesn’t believe in the dean, it’s that he doesn’t believe in human nature.

Some people are good people, but they may not continue to be good people under certain circumstances. Meng Zhengrong has seen this happen a lot.

After visiting the sick children, the group was about to go back for dinner. As they walked on the road, Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan were a few steps behind.

“I still have to do good things from now on.” Meng Zhengrong said with emotion, “I hope all these good things will be repaid to my children. My children cannot suffer like this.”

Looking at these children, you will know that all the evil deeds of their parents are borne by their children.

Xu Yuan nodded and asked, “For example, if your child is born with problems in the future, what will you do?”

“My child?” Meng Zhengrong chuckled, “Isn’t my child is also your child.”

After finishing speaking, Meng Zhengrong realized what Xu Yuan was asking, and his expression immediately changed, “Hurry up, bah, bah, don’t say such unlucky words.”

At this time, Xu Yuan still couldn’t quite understand the thoughts of a man in his thirties who longed to be a father.

She had no choice but to follow suit and spit three times, then added: “I’m talking about if.”

Meng Zhengrong’s expression softened a lot, “This kind of thing is impossible to happen. After pregnancy, you must strictly follow the doctor’s instructions for prenatal check-ups. Don’t worry about this. I have quit smoking for several years and I don’t drink alcohol often. Next, I will also go to the gym regularly. If there are any major problems, prenatal check-ups can now detect them. So, if it is impossible to happen to us like you said, of course, if this happens to me…” He After a pause, he looked a little serious, “Whether my child is healthy or unhealthy, I will never give up on him. I will definitely find a way to let him lead a normal life.”

Xu Yuan said “yes” and continued walking forward without saying anything.

“What about you?” Meng Zhengrong asked.

Xu Yuan didn’t answer.

In her previous life, when she didn’t know what family was, she had no relatives at all. To a certain extent, she was very indifferent in terms of emotions.

However… if it is her child, it is her true relative. No matter what the child looks like, she will never give up on them.

Meng Zhengrong felt that it was quite meaningless to ask this question. Women were usually more emotional than men. Even he had that kind of thought, let alone her.

His and her babies must be the healthiest =v=

A group of people returned to the small building. The family had prepared meals. Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan washed their hands and went to the main room to prepare for dinner. However, when they saw the food on the table, they suddenly lost their appetite.

There was a large plate of fried vegetables with lard residue, a plate of fried eggs with green peppers, a large pot of stewed chicken, and steamed buns on the table.

Judging from the economic situation in this town, this dinner is already very sumptuous, maybe equivalent to this family’s New Year’s Eve dinner.

It’s just that, after all, the conditions are limited, and the pots and pans don’t look very clean.

Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan both knew that it was time for them to sit down and have a meal with everyone, and they really shouldn’t act pretentiously. However, even if they sat down, they probably wouldn’t be able to pick up their chopsticks.

The two of them struggled for a while and sat down anyway. It was better not to embarrass the host at this time.

It can be seen that this family has tried their best to do a good job, but holding the wet chopsticks in his hand, who knows whether it is oil or water that has not been washed clean, Xu Yuan did not seem to be unusual on the surface. She ate a few mouthfuls of rice and a few chopsticks of vegetables, then put down the bowl and chopsticks, and said to the hostess with a smile: “The dishes here are better than those cooked by my chef, but I have been sitting in the car all night, and I really don’t have an appetite now. You eat and drink well.”

Xu Yuan was smiling, and what she said was also very pleasant, so the hostess was very happy to hear it.

After she finished speaking, Xu Yuan stood up. She knew Meng Zhengrong couldn’t eat much and was probably still in trouble, so she deliberately said to him, “Eat more. I’ll go out for some fresh air.”

“…” Meng Zhengrong didn’t know what to say.

She could just leave, so why couldn’t she take him with her?

Not long after Xu Yuan left, Meng Zhengrong also put down his chopsticks, “My wife is feeling a little unwell, I’ll go over to see her, you guys eat first.”

He didn’t want to eat it either. He wouldn’t have moved his chopsticks before. It was because he knew that the family had prepared the best food for them and it was hard to live up to their expectations, so he reluctantly took a few bites.

One of the women said with a smile: “Mr. Meng and Mrs. Meng have a very deep relationship. It’s really enviable.”

“We singles should be the ones to be envious. It’s not like you don’t have a boyfriend.”

“My boyfriend didn’t come with me.”

While the others were still talking, Meng Zhengrong had already stood up and handed a few cigarettes to the male host. The male host suddenly didn’t know what to do with his hands. Meng Zhengrong smiled and said, “Thank you for the hospitality.”

Everyone in the team has a good impression of Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan. There are not many people who are willing to go to the countryside in person to send warmth these days, let alone rich people like Meng Zhengrong and Xu Yuan.

For today’s meal, even ordinary people like them need to prepare themselves mentally before picking up their chopsticks. They originally thought that these two people would not eat at all, but who would have thought that they actually sat down and took a few bites.

Nowadays, everyone would pretend to be well-mannered, but in this situation, Meng Zhengrong was very good at still being able to consider other people’s feelings.

After being notified at the beginning, they were expected to have one more leader in their team, the boss lady of Meng Corporation. They were still a little unhappy because who knew what kind of character this boss lady was, but they felt relieved after getting along with her today.

Xu Yuan originally wanted to sit in the yard and watch the stars for a while. The starry sky seen in this kind of rural town is more beautiful than that in the city, but unfortunately there is chicken in the yard and the smell is there, so she can’t sit down.

She also didn’t want to wander around alone in this unfamiliar place at night. Although most of the villagers here were simple, wasn’t there a saying that unruly people come out of remote areas, so it’s better not to be alone at this moment? It’s better to go out.

Xu Yuan got into the RV and sat on the small sofa drinking orange juice. She was not full, so she wanted to drink something sweet to replenish her energy.

After a while, Meng Zhengrong also came up. He sat opposite her and asked, “Is there anything else to eat in the car?”

“No more.” Xu Yuan handed him a bottle of juice, “Drink this.”

Meng Zhengrong unscrewed the bottle cap and took a few sips, and then said to Xu Yuan, “I guess the housekeeper didn’t expect that we would have trouble eating now.”

If expected, the housekeeper would have prepared plenty of food.

“Don’t they have a shop here? I’ll go take a look after they finish eating. There should be bread for sale, right?”

This was the idea from the beginning. She couldn’t eat the food, but she could still eat the bread.

At least the bread wasn’t greasy.

Meng Zhengrong’s eyes lit up, “There will definitely be instant noodles at the shop!”

He could count on one hand the number of times he had eaten instant noodles in his life, but today he was actually craving them. 

Xu Yuan has not eaten instant noodles yet, but she saw a colleague who had eaten them, so she knew what was going on. “Okay, I’ll go down and ask if there are any instant noodles.”

“Ask if there’s any sausage or anything. Hey, he should have eggs, right?”

Meng Zhengrong became more and more greedy as he thought about it, but when he thought about it, he was actually thinking about a bowl of instant noodles… It was really embarrassing.

Originally, he thought that coming here this time would enhance his feelings. Come on, he didn’t know whether his feelings had been developed or not. He only knew that his glorious image was gone.

Who would have known that he would vomit as soon as he got off the bus…

However, Meng Zhengrong felt much better when he thought that Xu Yuan was more embarrassed than him at the time. They were both similar, so no one should dislike the other.

Meng Zhengrong glanced at Xu Yuan and asked, “Do you still want to continue doing charity?”

The companies of his good friends are all doing charity, but no one will do it personally. After all, everyone’s time is precious, and no one wants to suffer in a remote area. The conditions are quite difficult this time, and I don’t know whether Xu Yuan is willing to continue.

If she didn’t want to continue, he could understand. After all, the pampered young lady had never endured hardship.

Xu Yuan found Meng Zhengrong inexplicable, “Why not continue?”

Once they had started, how could they possibly stop halfway?

She also wanted both fame and fortune; charity work was the best way to achieve that.

“I thought you might not want to continue. After all, it’s quite hard work.”

“Madam Wang has been persevering for over ten years, hasn’t she?”

Meng Zhengrong explained, “Madam Wang had no choice. In the early years, the Wang family had a poor reputation. Today’s success is largely due to Madam Wang.”

Xu Yuan nodded. “So, you mean the Meng Family is doing well, so I don’t have to think like Madam Wang?”

Meng Zhengrong nodded.

He will work hard on his own to build his career, and his wife doesn’t have to work so hard.

Xu Yuan thought Meng Zhengrong was really self-righteous. While the Meng Family  would benefit from her efforts, she was doing it entirely for herself.

Forget it, let him imagine whatever he wants, it won’t do any harm to her anyway.

“Now that we’ve started, there’s no reason to give up halfway,” Xu Yuan tightened the bottle cap and said calmly with her head down.

Seeing Xu Yuan was serious, Meng Zhengrong said no more.

If she was willing to continue, that was for the best.

The Meng family needed such a hostess.

The team had finished dinner and returned to their rooms. Everyone was exhausted after the day.

The hospitable hostess cleaned the dishes, politely declined help from two girls who offered to wash them, returned to the kitchen, prepared to wash the dishes, and saw that the chicken was being stewed. She looked at her niece squatting beside the sink and washing a plate that was already very clean. She frowned and said, “Xiaoling, this plate is already clean. Why are you washing it again, and with detergent? Do you think it’s free?”

The girl named Xiaoling lowered her head, a look of disgust in her eyes. When she raised her head, her face was all smiles. “Auntie, I noticed that those two important guests didn’t eat much, so I thought I’d make them some braised chicken with mushrooms. I know city people, they only like to eat when the bowls and chopsticks are clean.”

Auntie gave her a suspicious look. “Alright then, once you’re done, I’ll take it over. Your uncle said those two are very important guests, and we need to treat them well.”

Xiaoling put down the clean bowls and chopsticks she was holding, got up, and walked over to her aunt with a smile. “I’ll take it over. After all, I’ve stayed in the big city and can speak standard Mandarin. Auntie, you’ve been working hard all day. You should rest early. I’ll take care of washing these dishes.”

Auntie felt much relieved and handed over the dishes without hesitation. “Then you wash them. I’m going to bed. Be polite to the guests, understand?”

Xiaoling nodded repeatedly. “Yes, I understand.”

After her Auntie left, Xiaoling looked at the dishes on the stove with a blank expression, sighed, and resignedly moved the dishes to the sink to start washing. Nearby were the shiny clean dishes she had already washed.

The temperature difference between day and night here was significant, and with her hands submerged in water, it was quite cold. After she finally washed all the dishes, she quickly washed her hands, took out a hand cream from her pocket, and carefully applied it. The more she rubbed, the more bitter she felt.

She had seen Mrs. Meng, whose hands were white and tender, clearly never having done any hard work. Despite Xiaoling diligently applying hand cream after washing dishes, her hands inevitably became rough.

The chicken was still simmering in the pot. Xiaoling took out a small mirror from her pocket to check her appearance. She was self-aware enough to know she wasn’t as pretty or delicate as Mrs. Meng, but she wasn’t bad either. Even though she came from the countryside, she had worked hard to get into college, where many boys showed interest in her.

She hadn’t graduated yet and had planned to find a part-time job during the holiday. However, her uncle called her back, leaving her stuck in this godforsaken place.

Xiaoling had studied hard since junior high to leave here and completely escape her past, to become a real city person.

Now, an opportunity was right in front of her…

The chicken in the pot was almost ready. She quickly dished it out, bent down to smell it, and the aroma was mouthwatering.

Xiaoling took out a comb to tidy her hair, applied some foundation, and then touched up her lipstick, trying to make herself look as presentable as possible. With the braised chicken in hand, she left the kitchen, her heart pounding as she walked the short distance from the kitchen to outside the courtyard.

“Forget it, I’ll go ask myself.”

In the RV, Meng Zhengrong, who insisted on buying instant noodles, noticed it was quite late. He took his wallet and got out of the vehicle.

Xuyuan was eager to do so and didn’t stop him.

Meng Zhengrong got out of the car and saw that the lights in the house were still on, which made him feel relieved. No matter how small a shop in a small town is, it should at least have instant noodles, right?

Xiaoling hadn’t yet left the courtyard when she saw Meng Zhengrong approaching, making her suddenly feel flustered.

From what she had observed, Meng Zhengrong was very wealthy. She knew this was a charity team from a company, and the way people treated Mr. Meng indicated he was very important and wealthy.

She was really tired of being poor and didn’t want to stay in this small place anymore. But surviving in a big city was tough. She didn’t want to struggle all her life, so the quickest way was to find a well-off man to marry.

She had considered the boys who chased her in school, but buying a house in the city was challenging. Given that, she didn’t want to waste her time.

A dorm mate once told her it was better to be a rich man’s mistress than marry an ordinary man and struggle. At least within a few years, you could get a house.

Xiaoling believed she had the looks and figure. Many said she didn’t look like she came from the countryside.

Although Mrs. Meng was beautiful, men’s nature was such that no matter how pretty their wife was, they often strayed. This was a man’s nature.

Even though the chance was slim, it was still a chance, and she had to seize it!

Meng Zhengrong ran into Xiaoling in the courtyard. He didn’t recognize her and was about to walk past when she called out to him.

“Mr. Meng, I noticed you didn’t eat much earlier.” Xiaoling smiled, though her palms were sweating. “I made this braised chicken with mushrooms. It might not be perfect, but it’s edible. Would you like to try some?”

Meng Zhengrong glanced at the girl, then at the bowl of braised chicken she held. The bowl was clean and looked decent. Whether it was due to hunger, his appetite was piqued.

Xiaoling felt more confident seeing Meng Zhengrong eyeing the braised chicken. She smiled warmly. “If you don’t mind, consider it a late-night snack?”

Meng Zhengrong, having lived for thirty-one years, had seen all kinds of women and instantly understood what this girl was thinking.

He suddenly felt angry.

Did this girl underestimate his taste? Why else would she think he would be interested in her?

Did he seem like someone with such poor taste?

Considering his wife, anyone should realize his standards were high, right?

Meng Zhengrong thought, this girl was lucky to meet the mature and steady version of him. If it had been a few years earlier, his temper wouldn’t have been so good.

Did she not think that his wife, with her looks and temperament, completely outshined her? Would he really be interested in her?

It was infuriating!

Alright, even if he were a playboy, he wouldn’t mess around under his wife’s nose, right?

Lastly, even if he wanted to find a mistress, he would never choose someone like her!

No, no, no, not even that. He would never seek a mistress…

Meng Zhengrong took the bowl of braised chicken from her. Regardless, he and his wife were hungry, and eating this was better than instant noodles. Since it was offered…

Xiaoling barely had time to feel happy when Meng Zhengrong politely and distantly said, “Thank you. My wife didn’t get enough to eat.”

Meng Zhengrong placed the bowl of braised chicken aside, pulled out his wallet, and handed Xiaoling three red bills. “You don’t have many chickens, so consider this payment.”

Xiaoling stood there dumbfounded, holding the money, not knowing what to say.

She looked up at Meng Zhengrong, and his cold gaze made her feel like her face had been slapped, burning with shame.