Steward Song, upon hearing that Qi Xuan had personally delivered the items, joyfully came to the village entrance to welcome them.
Of course, when he saw Ye Zhi also descend from the car, his joy was even more evident.
“Miss Ye, you’ve come too?” Song Ping greeted her with a cheerful smile.
“Uncle Song, you’re on vacation, so please don’t call me Miss Ye anymore. Just call us by our names, and call me Xiao Zhi! Oh, right,” Ye Zhi opened the car’s trunk, and continued, “Qi Xuan and I have also bought some gifts for the children at the school. Could you accompany us to deliver them to each household later?”
Gifts from Miss Ye?
Song Ping’s eyelids twitched involuntarily, and he immediately felt a pang of unease. He glanced into the trunk and instantly felt relieved.
The trunk was filled with stacks of rice and flour, oil, and a large bag of pre-packaged snacks.
Song Ping immediately reflected on his earlier apprehension. He should have realized that Ye Zhi’s style of gifting was practical. While such gifts might be considered redundant by the wealthy, they were perfectly suited for these children in the countryside.
“Xiao Zhi, that’s very thoughtful of you,” Song Ping said with a smile. “These gifts you’ve prepared are truly wonderful and fitting…”
“Of course!” Ye Zhi said proudly. “No one dislikes the gifts I give!”
Song Ping: …
You really don’t need to be so confident. It depends on the recipient.
However, seeing Ye Zhi so happy, no one chose to burst her bubble on this festive occasion.
Afterward, Song Ping led them to deliver the gifts. The adults in the households received rice, flour, and oil, the children received snacks and stationery, Song Ping received respect, and everyone was happy.
After distributing the gifts, Song Ping then led them back to his own home.
“Young… Qi Xuan, Xiao Zhi, please, sit down,” Song Ping cheerfully brought out fruits, candies, and other treats, placing them before them. “My home is rather simple, please don’t mind it.”
“Not at all, I think the interior design is quite nice,” Ye Zhi said with a hint of surprise.
From the outside, Song Ping’s house looked no different from other houses in the village. However, inside, it was a different story.
Not only was the renovation modern and far from rustic, but the furniture chosen was all of high quality yet reasonably priced, offering excellent value for money.
“Qi Xuan hired a designer to help me with this,” Song Ping said with a smile. “I don’t understand these things myself, but it certainly looks beautiful.”
Ye Zhi turned to look at Qi Xuan. He had always been this way, treating everyone around him with gentleness.
Building too grand a house in the village would attract envy, so Qi Xuan hadn’t interfered with the exterior construction.
However, to ensure Steward Song lived comfortably, Qi Xuan had taken charge of the interior renovation. Furthermore, to put Steward Song at ease, he had chosen furniture that offered high cost-effectiveness rather than expensive pieces.
Qi Xuan was always like this, silently caring for those around him, doing his best for them in ways they could accept.
Being stared at by Ye Zhi made Qi Xuan a little uneasy.
He raised his hand and asked with a touch of nervousness, “Is there something dirty on my face?”
“No,” Ye Zhi shook her head, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “I just think you are truly, truly wonderful~”
Qi Xuan: …
It’s the New Year, and he really didn’t need to be given a “good guy” card all the time.
“Xiao Zhi, you must be hungry too, right? You two sit here, and I’ll go make something for you,” Song Ping said happily.
Ye Zhi also got up, “Uncle Song, let me help you…”
Qi Xuan quickly interjected, “Wait, you don’t need to go. I’ll help instead.”
Ye Zhi: …
She suddenly felt that Qi Xuan wasn’t as wonderful anymore.
In the end, after the three of them discussed it, Qi Xuan and Song Ping went to cook. To prevent Ye Zhi from being bored, Song Ping specially called the little girl from the neighboring house to accompany Ye Zhi while watching television. Fortunately, the little girl was very well-behaved, so Ye Zhi didn’t feel too awkward.
After they had all eaten, the sky began to darken.
Seeing that it was getting late, Song Ping earnestly urged them to stay the night. Their hospitality was too warm to refuse, so they agreed.
The next day, Song Ping took them on a tour around the village and also to the primary school he had donated to.
As it was the holiday, the school gates were closed, but Song Ping had the key. He led them on a tour of the entire campus.
“The school isn’t very large, but this is the best I could do,” Song Ping sighed, his voice filled with emotion. “For these children to have a way out, education is the best path. I hope these children won’t have to endure the hardships I faced in my youth…”
Song Ping’s expression turned somber, and he didn’t continue. Qi Xuan and Ye Zhi, in a tacit understanding, changed the subject.
Afterward, Song Ping went to the nearby cemetery to visit his wife. Qi Xuan and Ye Zhi wandered around the village, chatting as they walked.
Ye Zhi asked about Song Ping’s youth, and Qi Xuan did not hide anything from her.
“When Uncle Song was young, due to his low education, he could only find manual labor jobs. But to earn money, he had little time to care for his pregnant wife. It wasn’t until he came to my family that our financial situation improved.
Initially, he was just a security guard responsible for the Qi family’s safety. However, during his free time, he learned gardening, cooking, cleaning, organization, and other skills from others. My parents saw that he was honest, eager to learn, and reliable, so they gradually promoted him to the position of steward.
However, he has always blamed himself for the death of his child and his wife’s frail health. His decision to donate to the school was also to hope that children from similar backgrounds wouldn’t encounter the same difficulties he did.”
Ye Zhi listened silently, then looked at the school not far away and said in a deep voice, “Uncle Song is right, for these children to have a way out, education is the best path. However, they also need help from society.”
“You mean…” Qi Xuan looked at her with surprise. “You’re planning to engage in philanthropy?”
“I have that intention,” Ye Zhi mused. “After all, public welfare is a company’s social responsibility. However, I need to think carefully about where to start. I haven’t done this before, so I should probably begin with some smaller aspects…”
Qi Xuan hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back. Ye Zhi’s words, he didn’t quite believe.
Of course, he didn’t disbelieve that Ye Zhi would do charity work; he simply didn’t believe her statement about starting with small aspects.
When she took action, how could it possibly be small?
“I’ll do it with you,” Qi Xuan said. “I’m also interested in public welfare, but I don’t feel at ease entrusting it to other organizations. It would be better to let you manage it.”
“Alright,” Ye Zhi smiled faintly. “I will definitely provide you with a detailed account of the destination of every penny, so you won’t have wasted your money!”
Qi Xuan smiled and nodded. This, he believed her on.
In the afternoon, the two flew back to the capital.
Ye Zhi rested at the villa on the mountainside for a night, and on the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year, she returned to the Ye family home.