Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

"What if I could build a nursing home specifically to take in homeless children and provide a place for lonely elderly people to live?"

Liu Wenying took Wang Mama's hand.

Granny Wang frowned. "You mean...?"

Liu Wenying raised her hand and pointed into the distance.

"Granny, look, aren't there houses for the elderly living over there by the mulberry field? If the houses are dilapidated, we can repair them. It wouldn't hurt to repair a few more."

Children who have lost their parents and elderly people who have lost their children are in the same boat.

The child is strong and can help the elderly run errands such as fetching water.

The elderly are experienced and can provide care and guidance; neither party owes the other anything, and both get what they need—wouldn't that be a win-win situation?

Granny Wang shook her head, "The head of the estate has a good idea, but running a charity is not like hosting a dinner party."

"Whether it's needing money or manpower, neither is easy."

Just as Liu Wenying was about to speak, a clear and melodious voice came from the courtyard gate.

"I think it's a good idea."

Xue Bi walked over, her clothes fluttering slightly in the wind.

His gaze lingered on Liu Wenying's face for a moment before turning to Granny Wang.

"Help one person if you can. If you can't help all the poor and needy in the world, should you just turn a blind eye to those around you? If everyone waits for others to do things, nothing will be accomplished in this world."

A hint of heaviness appeared in Xue Biqing's clear eyes. "Besides, I've also tasted the bitterness of being displaced."

"I can help too."

A deep voice came from the courtyard gate; it was Lu Ye.

"I go there often, and the house is indeed dilapidated."

"If it's about repairs or construction, I can do everything, from cutting down trees and moving stones to building walls."

Liu Wenying's eyebrows curved upwards, and a genuine smile spread across her lips.

She nodded gratefully to Lu Ye and Xue Bi, and finally looked at Granny Wang.

Her eyes were brimming with tears, as if they held a pool of autumn water.

"Granny, look."

Granny Wang relented.

"Alright, alright, if the head of the estate has the heart to do good deeds, how can this old servant stop him? If I can help, I will."

"Anyway, these old bones of mine can still move. Leave the cooking and the children's clothes to me."

And so the matter was settled.

After Luo Luo and Xiao Ya finished eating, Liu Wenying led Xiao Ya back to the house and brought her warm water to wash her.

The child had been hungry for too long and had been jostled around. Although he was two years older than Luo Luo, he was much shorter.

After removing the dirty outer garment, the ribs on the small back were clearly visible, and the shoulder blades were so thin that they looked like they could pierce the skin.

Her nose tingled, and she moved even more gently.

Use a soft cloth dampened with warm water to gently wipe away the dust and dirt.

Liu Wenying dressed Xiaoya in clean clothes, a thick pink cotton-padded jacket with pale yellow forsythia embroidered on the cuffs.

The clothes were still empty, but at least they had taken on some shape.

Liu Wenying took a wooden comb and combed her hair, the dry, tangled strands of hair slowly untangling between the comb teeth.

"From now on, you'll stay with me. I'll raise you to be plump and healthy, just like Luo Luo."

A mist welled up in Xiao Ya's bewildered eyes, and she threw herself into Liu Wenying's arms, sobbing.

After dressing up Xiaoya, Liu Wenying led her to the house where the old people lived.

Although the house was dilapidated, it was kept clean.

The elderly people's eyes reddened when they learned about Xiaoya's background.

The old woman held her hand, "Poor child, stay here from now on, Grandma will love you."

Grandpa brought out a bowl of steaming sweet potato porridge from the kitchen and placed it in front of the little girl: "Eat, eat more."

As soon as the porridge was placed on the table, the old woman couldn't stop coughing.

The little girl tiptoed to pour water and handed it to her.

"Grandma, have some water."

The old woman cleared her throat, then hugged the child tightly, tears streaming down her face: "My good child..."

Liu Wenying's nose also felt a little sore, and she pressed her sleeve to the corner of her eye.

Next, Liu Wenying got busy again.

The old woman decided to renovate her house, so there was no reason to abandon the project halfway.

Over the years, she has accumulated a considerable amount of wealth, enough to make her quite rich.

She bought bricks and tiles, and added furniture, keeping detailed accounts. Granny Wang said she didn't need to spend so much money.

Liu Wenying just smiled and said, "Just consider it as doing good deeds for myself and Luo Luo."

Lu Ye was the first to arrive. He went up the mountain before dawn, picked out some straight and thick logs, cut them down, and carried them down one by one.

He was quite strong, always taking the lead in everything from laying bricks and mixing mud to erecting beams and climbing ladders.

Xue Bi took on the task of purchasing.

He was meticulous; he knew exactly which shops had good quality goods and which kilns had cheap bricks and tiles. He was so careful that he wanted to stretch every penny to its limit.

Sometimes, to save a few coins, he would have to walk a lot more, but he didn't mind the trouble. He just said that he would save money wherever he could, because Liuzhuangtou's money didn't come from thin air.

Granny Wang, along with the other women in the village, delivered water and food, mended clothes, and busied themselves with other tasks.

As the days went by, the thatched hut gradually changed its appearance.

The broken walls were repaired, the leaky roof was replaced with new tiles, and several new houses were added, lined up in a row, bright and neat.

Finally, there was the fence. Lu Ye cut bamboo from the mountain, split it into strips, and wove it into a sturdy bamboo fence to enclose the entire yard.

The renovation was completed on the winter solstice, and the daylight was so short it was as if a section of it had been cut off.

"Dumplings for the Winter Solstice, noodles for the Summer Solstice—we must eat them both today, no one can be left out!"

Granny Wang slammed the basin onto the table. The plump white dumplings were crowded together in the basin, with thin skins and large fillings, and the bright green color of the chives inside could be faintly seen through them.

"Eat dumplings, or your ears won't freeze off!"

A group of people sat around the table, with Liu Wenying in the main seat and Luo Luo sitting next to her.

Xue Bi sat on the other side of Luo Luo, Lu Ye sat opposite her, and Wang Mama, having finished her work, also brought over her bowl and sat down.

Luo Luo is small and clumsy when scooping dumplings with a spoon. One dumpling rolled twice in the spoon and fell back into the bowl, splashing a few drops of soup.

She reluctantly scooped it up again, finally managing to get it into her mouth. Her cheeks bulged out, and after a couple of chews, the soup dripped down her chin.

Xue Bi sat beside her and took out a handkerchief to wipe the soup off the child's chin.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

Lu Ye sat opposite her and silently pushed the vinegar dish toward Liu Wenying.

Liu Wenying was somewhat distracted. Before Pei Zeyu left last time, he had said that he would come again before winter.

It's already the winter solstice.

She's been so busy repairing the house and overseeing the estate these days that she's even forgotten the days.

He must be very busy...

"Wenying?" Xue Bi's voice brought her back to her senses.

Lu Ye also stopped eating and looked over with his heterochromatic eyes.

Liu Wenying quickly composed herself and smiled faintly.

"It's nothing, I've just been too busy. I didn't expect the winter solstice to arrive so soon."

She picked up her bamboo chopsticks, took a dumpling, and put it into Luo Luo's bowl.

"Eat quickly, it won't taste good when it gets cold."

The table became lively again.

Luo Luo chattered on and on about the funny things she did with Xiao Huangmei and Xiao Ya.

Xue Bi listened with a smile, occasionally offering a few words of agreement.

Although Lu Ye was a man of few words, he placed the vinegar and garlic dishes in front of each person.

Granny Wang then brought over pickled radishes, their red and white colors making them quite appealing.

Even in the shack in the corner of the yard, Shanqing, the little wolf cub, got to eat dumplings.

It pawed at the ground with its front paws, its nose twitched, and its tail swayed gently behind it.

…………