"Do you recognize me?" Su Shi asked with a smile and a gentle tone.
The boy hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.
"My name is Su Shi. The Su of Awakening, the Shi of Time." Su Shi introduced himself again.
The boy seemed uncomfortable with Su Shi's gentle attitude and couldn't help but take a step back.
The other children also noticed Su Shi. The two children leaning against the wall had stood up, and the toddler who was still playing was hiding behind them.
"Can you tell me your names?" Su Shi continued.
Su Shi didn't care about the children's vigilance and resistance.
"Why do we have to tell you our names?" The boy didn't appreciate Su Shi's kindness.
Su Shi was not discouraged and said with a smile: "Because I think we can become friends. Friends should know each other's names."
"We are not worthy of being friends with the Young Master," the boy replied coldly.
"Why don't you deserve it?" Su Shi exclaimed, "Just because you always stand in front of them and want to protect them, we can become friends."
Upon hearing these words, the boy's thin and frail body straightened up straighter, and his eyes glowed with pride.
He hesitated for a long time and finally said: "My name is Goudan."
Then he pointed at the girl and said, "Her name is Erya. Standing behind her are Huzi and Xiaoniu. The two youngest ones are called Little Sniff and the other is Little Sloppy."
Su Shi smiled, and then said deliberately: "Do you know what my nickname is?"
"What's your name?" At this time, a little head poked out from behind Huzi and asked curiously.
"Are you a little snotty or a little sloppy?"
"I'm Snotlout."
Su Shi asked again: "Why do they call you Little Sniffle?"
"Because I always have a runny nose."
Having said this, Little Sniffle couldn't help but rub his nose with his hands and asked again: "What's your nickname?"
"Chong Chong."
"Why do they call you Chongchong?" At this time, the little sloppy boy couldn't help but poked his head out and asked.
Su Shi smiled and said, "Because when I was little, I liked lying on the ground and twisting around like a bug."
Little Sloppy jumped out from behind the calf, then twisted his body and said cheerfully: "Is it twisted like this? I like it too."
Su Shi burst out laughing.
His laughter seemed contagious, and every child couldn't help but smile on their face, even Goudan.
After laughing, the children were no longer wary of Su Shi, and Little Sniffle and Little Sloppy ran up to Su Shi and looked at him curiously.
Su Shi knelt down, pinched the little snotty face with one hand, touched the little sloppy head with the other, and asked softly, "Where are your parents?"
"Dead." Little Sniffle and Little Sloppy replied in unison.
Su Shi looked up at Goudan, who had no expression on his face and said calmly: "We are all orphans."
Su Shi asked slowly: "How did your father die?"
"Died in battle."
"Both?"
Goudan nodded.
Su Shi suddenly looked at Goudan, and then asked word by word: "Are they all border troops?"
The border army is the army that guards the border. Although Su Shi already had the answer in his mind, he still wanted to confirm his guess from Goudan's mouth.
Goudan nodded again.
"Where's the boss lady? What's the relationship between the boss lady and you?"
Mentioning the boss lady, all the children had warm smiles on their faces.
"If it weren't for Mommy, maybe we would have starved to death long ago." Goudan said silently.
"Why do you call the boss lady Bao Ma?"
Goudan said coldly: "Because only the boss's wife gives us food, she is our mother."
"Why does she take care of you?"
"Because she's a good person."
In Goudan's mind, the principle of distinguishing good guys from bad guys is very simple. Whoever feeds them is a good guy.
Su Shi nodded, agreeing with Goudan's words.
"The boss lady is indeed a good person, so if your mother is in trouble, you will definitely not stand idly by, right?"
"Mom, are you in trouble?"
Not only Goudan's expression changed, but except for the two young children, everyone else gathered around him.
Su Shi thought for a while and said, "Not yet, but she will encounter a huge trouble in two days."
"What's the trouble?" Goudan clenched his fists.
"She will become very busy." Su Shi said with a smile: "And she can't be busy alone. If she can't be busy, she will offend the guests. If she offends the guests, the guests will not come to the door again. If the guests If we don’t come to our door, Zuihe’s business will deteriorate. This is the trouble you mom will encounter.”
Goudan looked at Su Shi blankly, because what Su Shi said seemed like fantasy to him.
The business of Zui Foreign Country has always been smooth. Even when they are busiest, their mother can still take the time to give them a good beating.
Now Su Shi actually said that Zui's business in other places would keep Bao's mother very busy, how could they believe it.
"You don't believe me?"
Although Goudan didn't believe it, he still looked at Su Shi with hope: "Will the business in Zui Foreign Country really become very good?"
Su Shi nodded affirmatively, then looked at Goudan and said slowly: "And she needs your help very much."
Goudan hesitated and asked, "How can we help?"
"You can help a lot, you can wash dishes, serve dishes, clear tables, clean, receive guests..."
"There are so many things to do, do you think your mother can handle them all by herself?"
"I can help Mommy wash the dishes." Erya said at this time.
"I can help Mommy serve the food."
"I can help Mom clear the table and clean the room."
…
Everyone is rushing to say what they can do, even Little Snot and Little Sloppy.
Su Shi smiled and said, "You are all very capable, but now you still need to do one more thing."
"What's the matter?" Goudan asked.
"Just take a good bath in the bathhouse, change into clean clothes, and then report to Mommy. Because starting from tonight, you will start to learn to do these things."
As soon as they heard that they had to take a bath and change into new clothes, everyone lowered their heads, because there was not a single copper in their ragged clothes.
Su Shi looked at Goudan and said with a smile, "Are we friends?"
"yes."
"If friends are in trouble, should they help each other?"
Goudan said: "Should."
"Are you having any difficulties now?"
Goudan bit his lip tightly, then seemed to have made up his mind and suddenly said loudly: "Yes."
"Since we are friends and you are in trouble now, I should naturally help you."
Su Shi took out three taels of silver from his sleeve and put it in Goudan's hand, and continued: "This money is enough for you to buy six sets of clean clothes and take a comfortable bath in the bathhouse."
Goudan stared blankly at the silver in his hand, and then held the three taels of silver tightly in his hand, as if these three taels of silver were their last hope.
