Longevity Reward Redemption: The Immortal Clan Starts with Farmers

49: The Zhao Village Orphanage: A Bond of Youthful Friendship!Chen Changsheng smiled helplessly; it seemed these children had suffered a great deal, for their wariness was surprisingly high!

Chen Changsheng followed silently behind the child, wanting to see where he was going.

Passing through the ruined walls and broken remains, Chen Changsheng followed the child through various twists and turns until they arrived before a dilapidated ancestral hall.

It was evident that this ancestral hall must have once been very magnificent, serving as the most important building in Zhao Family Village. Even though it had been smashed to pieces, one could still catch a glimpse of its former glory from the remaining blue bricks, gray tiles, and exquisite wooden beams.

”Xiao Er, didn’t you go to find food? Why are you back so early today?”

As the child reached the vicinity of the ancestral hall, a thin, gaunt youth emerged from within and asked softly.

The youth appeared to be in his early teens. Although his clothes were tattered, their texture was quite valuable, being made of silk. He had a slender build, and his delicate face carried a hint of sorrow, but there was no complaint or misery in his eyes—only a brightness filled with hope.

”Big Brother, I... I went out to look for food and met a strange old man. I didn’t know him and was afraid he was a bad person, so I ran back!”

The child named Xiao Er said while panting. It was clear that he trusted the youth before him greatly; seeing him, he was no longer nervous.

”Hmm... It is better to be careful. It doesn’t matter if we go hungry for a meal; safety is most important. A few days ago, Xiao Qi was almost abducted by an evil old woman who was a human trafficker!”

The delicate youth comforted Xiao Er, then took out a small, half-eaten piece of corn and placed it into Xiao Er’s small, thin hands, saying with a smile:

”You’ve been running for so long, you must be hungry. This half-cob of corn is what I saved. Eat it quickly to fill your stomach, otherwise your belly will start rumbling again!”

Seeing the corn, Xiao Er swallowed his saliva. His gaze was glued to the corn, unable to move away, yet he still shook his head firmly and said:

”Big Brother, I cannot eat the rations you saved. You give all the food to us and only eat a little bit every day; you will get sick. I don’t want you to get sick!”

Watching the two of them yielding to each other over half a cob of corn and hearing their conversation, Chen Changsheng’s face carried a hint of a smile, and he couldn’t help but stroke his fake beard.

They showed kindness and righteousness to their own, had wariness toward outsiders, and most importantly, even when suffering to the point of having no food, they could still care for one another!

These two children had good character and were definitely worth cultivating. He believed that if he supported them in the future, they would absolutely not be ungrateful.

”Haha, little friends, how can two people be full from half a cob of corn? I have some Steamed Buns here, would you like some?”

Chen Changsheng no longer hid himself. He walked out from behind the wall, holding a snow-white Steamed Bun, and said to the two of them with a smile.

”Who are you? What are you doing in our Zhao Family Village?”

The delicate youth reacted extremely quickly, pulling Xiao Er behind him, and then stared at Chen Changsheng with a vigilant gaze!

”Haha, no need to be nervous. I am a physician. As for coming to Zhao Family Village, I am simply looking for a few apprentices!”

”I heard that Zhao Family Village was slaughtered, and I thought some children must have survived, so I wanted to find a few children to help me with my work!”

Chen Changsheng said with a chuckle. Of course, he would not directly expose that he was looking for intelligence personnel, so he first fabricated an excuse.

”How can you prove that? What if you are a human trafficker?”

The delicate youth still did not relax his vigilance and continued to press for answers.

”Sigh, the silver on this old man is more than what could be earned by selling you ten times over; why would I commit such a conscience-less act!”

”I am also planning to rent a pharmacy in the county town. If you don’t believe me, you can follow me to the county town to see. If I have any malicious intent, you can casually find a Constable in the county town to report me to the authorities. Why would you need to fear this old man?”

Chen Changsheng took out a large ingot of gold from his waist. In this world, gold remained a top-tier precious metal; even if these two children were sold a hundred times, it wouldn’t be enough to exchange for this piece of gold.

Seeing Chen Changsheng’s display, the delicate youth relaxed his vigilance. They already had nothing left; the only thing others could plot against was their lives. This old man before them was already so rich that he didn’t care about their lives. The youth already believed Chen Changsheng’s story in his heart.

”Uncle, please do not blame this youth for being rude. It is just that in this world, if we are not careful, we cannot survive!”

The delicate youth bowed to Chen Changsheng, showing great etiquette; it seemed his parents had raised him very well.

”Young man, I will not blame you. I understand your difficulties. Are you two willing to come with me to the county town? Although there is no wealth or glory, you will be able to eat your fill every meal, which would be a good life for you all!”

Chen Changsheng tried to continue recruiting. He thought highly of the youth before him; flowers and plants that grew in such adversity were the truly promising talents.

”...Uncle, I still have brothers to take care of, so I will not go with you. Uncle can choose someone else from among us!”

The delicate youth was quite tempted, but he quickly made the decision to oppose it, rejecting Chen Changsheng’s offer!

Chen Changsheng frowned, revealing a confused expression. The delicate youth seemed afraid of offending Chen Changsheng and quickly explained:

”Uncle, there are more than a dozen other orphans in the ancestral hall who are willing to endure hardship and can work. They are very quick and nimble. As long as you let them eat their fill, they will definitely do your work beautifully!”

Hearing the youth’s explanation, Chen Changsheng was overjoyed. He was already satisfied with finding two orphans, but he hadn’t expected there to be a whole Zhao Village orphan group hiding in this ancestral hall—it was like hitting the jackpot!

At the same time, Chen Changsheng liked this delicate youth even more. When everyone was starving, he was still willing to sacrifice himself for others, giving the opportunity to other children. He truly was a little man with a sense of responsibility!

Everyone likes people who value loyalty and righteousness, and Chen Changsheng was no exception, especially liking those who were loyal to him!

”Haha, young man, let’s put the apprenticeship matter aside for now. Let me first treat you and your brothers to some Steamed Buns. I guess you must all be hungry!”

Chen Changsheng laughed heartily and took down the bundle from his back, revealing a pile of snow-white Steamed Buns.

Xiao Er’s eyes immediately lit up. He was just about to reach out and take one, but his footsteps paused, and he looked toward the delicate youth instead.

The delicate youth nodded. Xiao Er immediately let out a cheer, ran quickly to Chen Changsheng’s side, picked up two Steamed Buns, and stuffed one into his mouth in a single bite.

”Big Brother, you eat too! These Steamed Buns are so fragrant and so soft!”

Xiao Er said while stuffing a Steamed Bun into his mouth, while holding the other one out in front of the delicate youth.

The delicate youth smiled and patted Xiao Er’s head. He took the Steamed Bun but did not eat it; instead, he cupped his hands toward Chen Changsheng and said:

”Thank you, Uncle, for your kind assistance. I thank you on behalf of everyone!”

Chen Changsheng was increasingly satisfied with the youth before him. He even had the idea of grooming this person as an intelligence leader. After all, it was truly hard to find someone who was meticulous, loyal at heart, and could suppress their own desires. He was truly a promising prospect!

”No need for courtesy. How old are you this year, and what is your name? It must not be easy trying to survive while leading such a large group of children!”

Chen Changsheng waved his hand and asked casually as he walked toward the inside of the ancestral hall.

”This one is thirteen years old this year, named Zhao Song. We grew up in the village together. Although we are not blood brothers, we have experienced hardships together and supported one another, so we are now closer than siblings. We are just trying to survive together and take care of each other!”

Zhao Song replied politely. From his words, one could feel that a deep camaraderie had already been forged among this group of children. This camaraderie was very pure—something that children were often more capable of attaining than complex adults!

”Zhao Song, you are a good big brother who values loyalty! I believe that with you taking care of them, you and your brothers will all live very well. Although the days of hardship are bitter, they have given you a precious brotherhood. There is gain in every loss!”

Chen Changsheng said with much emotion. The pure friendship between youths was often something that could not be obtained after reaching adulthood!

Ten years from now, this youthful camaraderie would be like wine; as their life journey lengthened, it would brew into something increasingly mellow and long-lasting!

If he recruited this group as intelligence personnel, the camaraderie between them would be a natural bond, allowing them to unite and ensuring no one would easily betray the others. Compared to disciplinary constraints, this would be even more effective!