Chapter 828 - 388: Poor Children Grow Up Early, Home Is Where Parents Are

Chapter 828: Chapter 388: Poor Children Grow Up Early, Home Is Where Parents Are

He finished treating the remaining two patients and looked up at the little boy.

He was still sitting there, with a trace of anxiety on his face, but didn’t dare to urge Li Jingsheng.

Poor children often mature early.

This child must have experienced the warmth and coldness of human relationships, learning some adult social rules early on. Now he’s come to seek help from Li Jingsheng for his mother’s illness, naturally behaving while gauging others’ expressions.

"Little friend, what’s your name?"

Li Jingsheng approached the little boy.

"Uncle, my name is Hu Yi! I’m seven years old this year."

Seeing Li Jingsheng approaching, he stood up immediately to respond.

A regular child might sit there with their head down while answering.

Such a young boy knows how to please others.

If he could continue his studies, with such maturity beyond his years, he may not be exceptionally successful, but he certainly wouldn’t fare poorly.

Many kids think that excelling in studies guarantees success, yet end up pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees, finally becoming lofty academics, eyes and hearts filled only with book knowledge, oblivious to the ways of the world.

Quite an expected outcome.

If they work in society for a few years and are honed, it’s not so bad.

Otherwise, if they remain stubborn, they may struggle even to make ends meet.

Many with high educational backgrounds look down on those with just junior high or technical school qualifications. But those individuals enter society early, gaining experience, and among them, many become hugely successful, even ending up as major entrepreneurs and tycoons.

It’s not that studies are useless.

Rather, understanding social nuances is also crucial.

These skills, the ability to engage with people, are hard to learn from books. One must learn them on the path of life.

People with high educational backgrounds, once they become perceptive, have a stronger competitive edge because of their solid foundation. ℯℯ𝑙.

A seven-year-old child already knows how to read expressions and please others—what kind of family situation could have taught him these skills at such a young age!

"Why aren’t you at school?"

Li Jingsheng asked.

"Didn’t go."

He seemed unwilling to elaborate on the reason.

"Why did you think of coming to me?"

Li Jingsheng squatted down to alleviate the boy’s tension and anxiety.

"I often hear adults at the noodle shop praising the Sunshine Clinic and you. They say your medical skills are excellent, capable of curing any illness. Some people also say you’re a really good person. That’s why I came to you."

The child, pure and innocent, didn’t know how to lie.

Unintentionally, he revealed to Li Jingsheng that he frequents the noodle shop.

Judging by his appearance, it’s unlikely he goes there regularly just to buy food.

He might be picking leftovers or asking for food.

Of course, he wouldn’t question the child about this.

No matter how young, a child has self-respect.

"Did you find this place directly?"

He wanted to determine whether the child lived nearby.

"I asked people along the way to find this place."

"Where do you live?"

Li Jingsheng asked him.

"By the riverside!"

He lowered his head, nervously picking at his small hand.

"It’s already noon. How about having a meal here first, and then I’ll go see your mother with you, okay?"

"I, I have no money!"

The little boy awkwardly lowered his head even further.

"You don’t need money, I bought you a boxed meal."

Li Jingsheng seemed indifferent and unfeeling, but he always quietly extended whatever help he could to these vulnerable groups.

Yet, he didn’t help everyone indiscriminately.

A person had to be deemed worthy of help for him to extend any assistance.

Helping the weak just to be a self-sacrificing do-gooder was not his style.

It’s often said that those who are pitiful often have something contemptible about them.

Some people are not worth helping, otherwise, they might cause trouble instead.

The most typical scenario is an elderly lady falling to the ground. Some young "good Samaritan" aids her only to be unfairly accused by her of knocking her down.

Family members may also claim, "If you weren’t responsible, why would others not help, but you did?"

It’s fine if there are cameras around.

If the place is unmonitored, it’s like being unable to clear one’s name even after jumping into the Yellow River.

Running a clinic, Li Jingsheng faced even more complex situations.

He couldn’t let sympathy overflow.

Otherwise, he’d end up destroying himself.

"Uncle, can we eat the meal quickly and then go see my mom? I’ve been out for a long time, and I’m worried she’s getting anxious."

"Sure!"

Li Jingsheng brought the boy to his office.

The seven-year-old boy wasn’t even 1.2 meters tall, with a somewhat chubby face, yet as a doctor, it was clear at a glance he suffered from long-term malnutrition.

His hair was yellowish, and his arms looked skinny.

Even his complexion was slightly anemic and pale.

All indicative of prolonged malnutrition.

It implied his usual diet was far from sufficient, likely struggling even for basic sustenance.

What sort of family could this be?

"Where’s your dad?"

Li Jingsheng asked as he held his small hand while walking.

"I don’t have a dad."

He lowered his head again.

Whenever asked about matters making him feel inferior, he habitually lowered his head, protecting himself.

"Come on, wash your hands clean. Let’s quickly eat."

After advising him to wash his hands clean, Li Jingsheng handed him a boxed meal.

Additionally, he requested Tang Ping to order an extra portion.

The little boy opened the boxed meal and, seeing the delicious food, couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Seeing him open the rice and start scarfing it down, Li Jingsheng chuckled.

Judging by his look, he must be starving.

After eating for only a short while, the little boy stopped and put the box away.

Li Jingsheng noticed he hadn’t touched the green pepper meat and egg-fried tomatoes much. However, the mushroom meat soup was entirely finished.

"Why did you eat just a little? Are you full? Is the dish too spicy?"

He empathetically queried.

Many children avoid spicy food, and the green pepper meat is indeed a bit spicy.

With bulk-ordered fast food, this aspect was overlooked.

"I’m full! The food tastes delicious, I... want to save some to bring back for my mom."

He lowered his head again, not daring to look anyone in the eye.

Tang Ping, Han Siying, and others who were also eating in the office all looked at the small boy.

At first, they didn’t pay much attention.

Because when this little boy went into the clinic lobby to find Li Jingsheng, they were already shocked.

They learned a little about his situation.

Now seeing this little boy only eating a small portion of the meal and saving the best dishes for his mother, Tang Ping and the others’ maternal instincts were completely triggered.

"Little friend, go ahead and eat! I’ll buy you another meal in a bit."

Han Siying’s current income was quite good, and she could easily afford this amount.

"Go ahead and eat, when you finish, Auntie will reward you with a hundred yuan."

Tang Ping, a divorced woman raising a child alone, couldn’t bear to see such a helpless child.

She stopped eating, got up, and went to the changing room, seemingly to get something from her bag.

Soon she came out holding a hundred yuan note.

"If you finish the meal, the hundred yuan is yours. You can buy several box meals with it. This pretty big sister will also buy you a new meal."

She didn’t give the money directly to the child.

Instead, she waved the money a bit.

The little boy’s eyes lit up upon seeing the hundred yuan note.

"Auntie, you can’t deceive a child!"

He was a bit worried about being tricked.

"Aunt Tang never lies, and I can vouch for that,"

Li Jingsheng said from the side.

The little boy said no more, opened the box meal, and devoured it eagerly.

Tang Ping had a way with kids.

After all, she had a child at home.

"Slow down, slow down, don’t choke."

Seeing the boy eat like that, she quickly advised him.

It was hard to imagine such a small tummy could finish all the food in the box. He even picked up every grain of rice with his hand to finish it.

Seeing his still unsatisfied expression, one would worry he hadn’t had enough to eat.

"Do you want more?"

Han Siying asked the little boy.

"Siying, don’t let him eat more. Binge eating isn’t good for the body."

Li Jingsheng quickly advised against it.

Han Siying was simply concerned the child hadn’t eaten enough, forgetting the dangers of overeating.

"I forgot!"

She stuck her tongue out playfully and smiled sheepishly.

"You’re such a good little friend; sister will give you a hundred yuan too."

Han Siying also took out a hundred yuan note.

Now they were making quite a bit by following Li Jingsheng, each becoming a little wealthy. Han Siying made a steady seven to eight thousand a month, while Tang Ping’s income was at least over ten thousand.

"Sister Tang, order another meal delivery. I’ll take one to the child’s mother."

Having finished eating, Li Jingsheng stood up and grabbed a box meal.

The clinic now had quite a few employees.

While there was one box meal per person, they had to take turns eating.

The online sales team, especially the two diligent customer service girls, worked with such tacit understanding that they often ate in turns to ensure they did their job well.

Sometimes they were so busy that they ate late, around one o’clock.

Everyone knew that their current job and income weren’t easily gained after struggling in the workplace.

Following Li Jingsheng promised a bright future and decent monthly income, which naturally fueled everyone’s enthusiasm.

"No problem, I’ll call for another delivery right away. It’s not far anyway."

Sunshine Clinic was definitely considered a ’big client’, with more than a dozen employees.

The restaurant’s owner was very happy to provide quality service.

For delivery, they’d even deliver just one meal, but it would take a bit longer.

Because they need to coordinate deliveries on the same route.

The little boy stared at the two hundred yuan on the table, eyes filled with yearning, but he didn’t dare reach out to take it.

Li Jingsheng noticed this and chuckled to himself.

He handed the two hundred yuan to the little boy and said, "Take it, and lead me to see your mom."

The boy took the money, looked at Tang Ping, and bowed in thanks.

"Thank you, beautiful auntie." He then looked at Han Siying and said, "Thank you, pretty sister."

His words made the two women burst into laughter.

Women, especially young women, loved being praised for their looks.

This little guy was quite skilled at making people happy, even using two different words of praise.

Li Jingsheng led him out of the office.

"Do you live by the river?"

"Yeah!"

He nodded in agreement.

"The river is a little far from my clinic, I’ll ride my bike, and you can sit at the back to guide me."

"Okay!"

Li Jingsheng carried him by bike to the riverside, and it wasn’t too far, just a few hundred meters.

Soon, they arrived.

"Which community is your home in?"

"Over there!"

The little boy kept pointing the way until they arrived in front of the Jiang Second Bridge.

"Do you live under the bridge?"

Li Jingsheng realized by now.

Under the bridge, there were several culverts raised above ground level. As long as the river didn’t rise, it remained dry inside.

Some homeless individuals chose to live there.

However, patrol officers frequently came by to ’urge’ the homeless to leave.

The primary concern was the sudden rise of the water at night, posing safety risks.

No wonder when asked where he lived, the boy always hung his head.

"Just over there!"

The little boy pointed to one of the nearer culverts.

Li Jingsheng parked the bike by the roadside, locked it, then followed the little boy with the meal.

All around, there were scattered rocks and sand, making it difficult to walk.

The little boy quickly ran toward the culvert.

For kids, as long as their parents are there, anywhere can be home.

Especially mothers, who are the most trusted and dependent people in every child’s life.

They are also the closest.