bookrandom Chapter 664: In the aristocratic family, there are not only criminals but also great heroes
Chapter 664: In the aristocratic family, there are not only criminals but also great heroes
When the Jinyiwei hurriedly placed the steaming food in the slightly shabby house, an enticing aroma of food instantly filled the air.
The children, who were originally huddled in the corner or sitting listlessly, now all looked at the table full of food as if drawn by a magnet.
There was an expression of extreme desire in every child's eyes. Those eyes were extremely hot and full of eager yearning for food.
Each of them looked at Cui Wanying eagerly, their eyes full of expectation, hoping to get her consent.
Cui Wanying was only seventeen years old at this time, in the prime of her youth. Although she was the big sister of the group, she acted decisively.
After all, she was still a child herself.
In the past years, this group of people lived a life of hunger and it was normal for them to sleep in the open and not have enough food. Hunger tormented them all the time.
At this moment, looking at the steaming food on the table, Cui Wanying's throat rolled unconsciously and she swallowed her saliva, but the vigilance she had developed over a long period of time still made her suppress her inner impulse.
"Eat it! The dog emperor wants to kill us, but there's no need to go through so much trouble. Even if it's poisonous, we'll eat it."
Cui Wanying gritted her teeth.
"You can still be a glutton if you go down there!"
After hearing Cui Wanying's words, the children's originally dull eyes suddenly lit up and were instantly filled with vitality.
They couldn't wait to stretch out their dirty little hands, grab the food on the table and stuff it into their mouths.
Due to the long-term lack of normal living conditions, many children have completely forgotten how to use chopsticks and just use their hands to grab food.
As soon as he touched the scalding food, he suddenly pulled his hand back and grimaced in pain, but he was reluctant to put down the hard-earned food. He could only grit his teeth, endure the heat, hold the food tightly in his hand, and continue to put it into his mouth.
The sight of him wolfing down his food made people feel both distressed and sad.
The Jinyiwei who was in charge of taking care of them looked at their appearance and couldn't help but shook his head slightly.
Eat slowly, it's all yours. His Majesty said to eat small, frequent meals. This isn't about not letting you eat enough, but you're all starving now. If you eat too much all at once, you'll easily die of overeating."
He explained patiently, and as he spoke, he walked forward, trying to get the children to slow down their eating.
"After we finish eating what's on the table, I'll take you to take a shower and change into new clothes. Do you understand?"
At this moment, every child was immersed in the joy of finally being able to eat their fill. The fragrant smell of rice and the pleasure of satisfying their taste buds made them completely immersed in it. The sounds in their ears were like a breeze, gently blowing past, but did not leave any traces in their hearts. They could not hear what the people around them said at all, and continued to swallow the food frantically.
However, there wasn't too much food in the bowl as Li Chengqian instructed.
These children have been in a state of hunger for a long time and have no idea of self-control. They gobbled up the food like a whirlwind, and the Jinyiwei had no intention of letting them eat their fill all at once. This was the order of His Majesty and for the sake of their health.
Seeing that they were still unsatisfied, staring at the table, and even licking the food crumbs on their fingers, the leading Jinyiwei spoke again.
"You haven't eaten enough, right? That's right. Go wash up, the water is ready, wash up. You all smell bad, so separate the men and women."
His words were authoritative yet caring, and as he spoke, he directed the children to get up and go to the bathhouse.
As soon as he finished speaking, two old men and two old women walked in from outside.
They were all specially invited by the Embroidered Uniform Guard to rub the backs of these children.
The old people had kind smiles on their faces and their eyes were full of love. They held bath towels and soap in their hands and greeted the children warmly, ready to help them wash off the dirt on their bodies.
The women's bathhouse was filled with heat and steam.
Cui Wanying slowly soaked in the water, feeling the warm water wrapping around her. An unprecedented sense of comfort surged into her heart, and all the fatigue and pain were slowly melted away at this moment.
She never knew what happiness was. During the long years of wandering in the past, being able to eat and dress warmly was her greatest luxury. Happiness was a word that was too distant and unfamiliar to her.
But at this moment, she truly felt an indescribable satisfaction.
This feeling was something she had never dared to imagine when she was hungry, cold, and wandering around. It was like a beautiful dream that made her feel a little dazed and she couldn't even believe that all this was real.
She gently spread Xiaojiu's hair and then carefully picked out the lice from her hair with her hands.
"Sister Ling, I don't think the dog emperor you mentioned is a bad guy."
Xiaojiu suddenly spoke, and her childish voice echoed in the bathhouse.
After hearing Xiaojiu's words, Cui Wanying was stunned for a moment and stopped what she was doing.
"You are still young and don't understand anything. He is a bad guy."
Cui Wanying came back to her senses and spoke lightly, with a firm tone, but a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes, as if while trying to convince Xiaojiu, she was also trying to convince herself.
Hearing Cui Wanying's words, Xiaojiu raised his head and looked at Cui Wanying innocently with his big watery eyes.
"But, Sister Ling, didn't you say that as long as someone gives us food, they are a good person?"
Xiaojiu's question pierced Cui Wanying's heart, leaving her speechless and not knowing how to answer.
After hearing Xiaojiu's words, Cui Wanying paused for a long time and didn't know how to answer for a moment.
"Then the Dog Emperor must be a good man, right? Everyone says he is a good man anyway. But Xiaojiu, we can't say the Dog Emperor is a good man."
Her voice was a little low, as if she was talking to herself, or as if she was explaining to Xiaojiu, and her eyes revealed complex emotions.
"Because to us, he is the worst person in the world."
There was helplessness and contradiction in her words. Her family's past experiences and the kindness she was receiving at this moment made her fall into a deep struggle.
The next morning, the sun shone softly on the earth through the thin clouds.
The children were brought before Li Chengqian. After a night of meticulous care, they seemed to have undergone a transformation, completely transformed. Their once dull eyes suddenly became lively, their cheeks flushed, and they were full of energy.
His hair was washed clean and he was wearing new clothes. He was no longer as disheveled as he was yesterday.
Li Chengqian looked at the children in front of him, and the way they looked at him suddenly became much more friendly, no longer filled with fear and vigilance.
"Next, I will arrange for you to go to school. You must study hard in the academy."
"I have no objection to you changing your name, but I hope that you can use the names of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Houses to atone for the sins of your ancestors."
His eyes slowly scanned each child's face.
"Turn a prominent family into a truly prominent family. There are many meritorious people in your family!"
"Aristocratic families not only have guilty officials, but also have great meritorious officials, right? I hope that you can wash away the stigma of your aristocratic family on your own."