The orphanage had limited funds, so the staff there had to take on multiple roles. They had to cook, take care of the children, and maintain the interior of the compound. Those with decent educational backgrounds were reluctant to work there.
"I'll help you," Tang Tang said as she took a rag from a young lady and started wiping the slide.
The staff member felt a bit embarrassed and said, "How can that be? You're all still kids. Just go to the classroom and play with them."
Tang Tang quickly got to work and said, "It's okay. I'm used to doing volunteer work. I've done plenty of this kind of job."
An auntie nearby praised them, "You're really good kids."
Huang Xiaoli, who was standing beside them, felt a bit shy at the praise and joined the cleaning crew.
With two more pairs of hands, the work got done much faster.
In no time, they had cleaned up the children's play area spotlessly.
After they finished cleaning the outside and there was no more work there, it was time to clean the interior.
But when the teachers, Tang Tang, and Huang Xiaoli entered the classroom, they saw a group of kids gathered around a little boy, whispering to each other.
Tang Tang and the others didn't know what was going on, so they decided to wait and see.
The teacher pushed through the crowd and asked the little boy, "Xiaotong, what's wrong?"
The boy named Xiaotong wrinkled his nose. There was something in his hand, and he looked miserable.
When the teacher asked, he handed the unknown object to the teacher.
The teacher was confused. She took the object and saw that it was just an ordinary piece of paper with a thick, black "2" written on it with a marker.
The teacher held the note, completely puzzled.
What did this mean?
"Xiaotong, did you write this?" the teacher asked, holding the note.
Xiaotong looked timid. His voice was soft as he shook his head, denying it.
Knowing that Xiaotong was usually introverted and didn't talk much, the teacher then turned to the surrounding kids and asked, "Did one of you play this prank?"
The kids all shook their heads.
The oldest kid, Huzi, stepped forward and explained, "Teacher, it wasn't us. We all keep our own schoolbags. We've been making handicrafts on the desks. No one was rummaging around."
That was true. The kids in the orphanage were more sensitive and delicate than ordinary kids outside. Their schoolbags were like their little secrets, and they guarded them more tightly than anyone else. How could they let others rummage through them?
The teacher then asked, "Did Xiaotong lose anything?"
"No."
Tang Tang was also a bit puzzled. It was just a little note. If it was a prank, who would use a number as a prank? For a kid's prank, it would be good if they didn't put something strange in there.
Who would take the time to put a number on a note when no one was looking instead of stealing something?
But since no loss had been caused, and the other volunteers had made a lot of new little toys, it was easy to distract the kids.
So, soon everyone was gathered around playing with their toys again, and this little incident was quickly forgotten.
Huang Xiaoli got along well with Huzi and the others.
Xiaoyun still didn't talk much and relied on Huzi to take care of her.
Everyone was eating candy and playing with toys, having a great time.
Only Tang Tang was standing there, with no smile on her face.
Huang Xiaoli was having fun with the cute May.
"Little May, look what this is?" Huang Xiaoli held up a big paper rose she had just folded.
The boys had no interest in flowers, so the three little boys didn't even give it a glance.
Xiaoyun was in her own world and ignored everyone. Only little May blinked her eyes, looking brightly at the rose held high.
"What a beautiful flower!!!" May exclaimed.
The kid's praise greatly satisfied Huang Xiaoli's vanity.
She then asked, "Do you want it?"
May nodded.
"Then it depends on whether you can reach it," Huang Xiaoli said, teasing the cute little girl on purpose.
May looked at the flower with eager eyes and even swallowed her saliva, but she was obedient and didn't make a sound.
This made Huang Xiaoli, the one who started it, feel a bit bored.
Helplessly, Huang Xiaoli handed the flower to May and said, "Here, it's for you."
Wow, May instantly showed a big smile.
Tang Tang was standing there expressionlessly.
Huang Xiaoli looked back at Tang Tang and noticed that she seemed a bit absent - minded. She waved her hand. When Tang Tang came back to her senses, Huang Xiaoli was a bit confused. "What's wrong with you?"
Tang Tang was thinking about the note. She always felt a bit uneasy in her heart, but she couldn't tell where this uneasiness came from. She was in deep thought when Huang Xiaoli interrupted her.
The classroom was full of laughter and fun. In such a warm scene, what could Tang Tang say?
Suppressing the uneasiness in her heart, Tang Tang forced a smile and said, "It's nothing. I'm just a bit touched seeing you all having so much fun."
Huang Xiaoli guessed that Tang Tang was being sentimental again. She pursed her lips and didn't say anything. Then she turned around and continued playing with the kids.
"Sister, sister, look!" May was the most lively and got along best with Huang Xiaoli. Sensitive as kids were, she noticed that Tang Tang was a bit absent - minded and invited Tang Tang over.
Huh?
Tang Tang came back to her senses and saw May waving her chubby little hand. There was a pinwheel in her hand, and she was smiling happily at Tang Tang. "Let's go outside and play with the pinwheel. It won't spin in the classroom."
The kid's eyes were bright with expectation. Tang Tang couldn't bear to refuse, so she solemnly took the kid's hand and walked out.
The sun was shining brightly outside the window, and there was a gentle breeze. The wind made the pinwheel spin, creating a colorful display. That day, their laughter echoed throughout the compound, full of happiness and warmth.
At that time, none of them had expected that things would turn out the way they did in the end.
The beautiful and short afternoon passed quickly. The orphanage had limited funds. Before they came, the school had emphasized that they would eat back at school and not consume the orphanage's funds by eating there.
After all, there were quite a few of them. Saving a bit could buy more meat for the kids.
When they were leaving, many kids were clearly reluctant to let them go.