"What else can we do? The children are innocent. Xiao Qin, do you have fifty thousand yuan?"
Li Weiguo sighed. He looked at Qin Mu, a hint of pleading in his eyes.
"I'll owe you this money, and I'll pay it back with interest. Later, I can use my pension to repay it. If the calligraphy I write sells, I can pay it off quickly."
His calligraphy skills were quite good. Sometimes, he would set up a stall to sell his calligraphy, usually for a few tens of yuan, under one hundred. Besides his pension, he could earn some extra money each month.
Looking at Li Weiguo, Qin Mu's brows furrowed deeply.
Fifty thousand yuan... I do have it. Over the years at the nursing home, I've saved quite a bit. But... I have no intention of lending it to Li Weiguo.
Li Weiguo's long-term support for those impoverished students had led them to take it for granted. They treated these kind donations as if they were entitled to them.
It was like that joke: a kind person gave a beggar one hundred yuan every day for ten years. Then, one day, a crisis arose, and he didn't give the beggar money... The beggar complained, accusing the kind person of being a hypocrite.
The old saying, 'A dipper of rice earns gratitude, a bushel of rice earns enmity,' illustrates this perfectly. If you offer slight assistance, they might be grateful. But if you give too much, the day you stop, they'll turn around and blame you.
Kindness shouldn't be so cheap, he thought.
"Mr. Li, have you ever considered this? While it's important for these children to attend school, their parents are able-bodied. Can't they afford to support their children's education? Why should everything depend on you?" Qin Mu patiently advised.
"Moreover, think carefully: what kind of school has entrance and living fees that amount to two hundred thousand yuan?"
"Today, they're demanding a large sum by threatening you with the children's future. What will you do the next time they ask?"
"You're not a wealthy tycoon. You don't have the means to deal with this endless cycle of demands."
Li Weiguo's expression became even more conflicted after hearing Qin Mu's words. Actually, I understand all this reasoning. But I still feel... these children are innocent. They shouldn't lose the opportunity to study just like that.
"I understand what you're saying," Li Weiguo said with a wry smile, followed by a sigh. "But I've been supporting these children for almost ten years. They're about to enter high school, take the college entrance exam, and seize the opportunity to change their destinies."
"And don't blame their parents; they might have their own difficulties. I'll think of another way myself." With that, he planned to continue finding ways to raise the money.
Qin Mu watched Li Weiguo's somewhat desolate figure and reflected for a moment. Then he spoke up, "Mr. Li, how about this: let's first investigate the specific situation. We can see if they're truly facing difficulties and then decide whether or not to donate this money."
Li Weiguo was taken aback. His eyes flickered; he was clearly tempted. Over the years, he had generally donated money on time and wasn't very clear about the actual situation of these three impoverished families.
After some discussion, he finally agreed to Qin Mu's suggestion and left the nursing home with him to investigate the situation.
「Jin City, Second Middle School.」
The principal's office.
Using the information Li Weiguo provided, Qin Mu found the place and met Principal Tang of Second Middle School.
"Principal Tang, hello. This is Li Weiguo. He has been supporting numerous impoverished students in their studies over the years," Qin Mu said, briefly introducing him.
Upon learning the whole story, Principal Tang showed considerable respect for Li Weiguo. These days, many people make spontaneous donations, but those who persist in supporting impoverished students for ten years... are truly rare, he thought.
"That's right," Qin Mu stated their purpose. "We're here mainly to inquire about the academic situation of three students who spent their three years of junior high here, and also about their family circumstances..."
Principal Tang readily agreed. "Which three students? I'll check the system for you right now."
Qin Mu turned to Li Weiguo, who hurriedly said, "It's two boys and one girl. The boys' names are..."
He clearly remembered the information about the three impoverished students he sponsored.
Principal Tang nodded, quickly turned on the computer, logged into the student system, and began searching. But as he searched, his brows furrowed.
Li Weiguo's expression grew tense. He couldn't help but ask, "Is it that these three children's academic performance isn't ideal?"
In fact, my sponsorship was only to give them the same opportunities as their peers. I didn't have high expectations. But if they could succeed academically, that would naturally be best, Li Weiguo thought.
However, minutes later, Principal Tang confirmed the information again before looking up at Li Weiguo. He said earnestly, "In the student system, the three students you mentioned... processed their withdrawals as early as the first semester of their first year of junior high."
"What?!" Li Weiguo's face paled, his expression filled with disbelief. He was utterly stunned.
He muttered, "This... how is this possible? Their parents have been calling me for tuition and living expenses these past few years, and I've always transferred the money on time..."
"The system records are correct," Principal Tang confirmed, glancing at the computer again. "They only studied here for a month. They didn't graduate from our middle school, let alone get admitted to high school."
Hearing this, Li Weiguo's expression grew even more disheartened. Qin Mu, watching this unfold, was filled with indignation.
I originally thought they were just shameless, Qin Mu fumed internally. But now it seems these three families colluded. They stopped sending their children to school but continued to ask Mr. Li for money, completely taking advantage of him! They've been deceiving him all this time. And now... they even have the audacity to demand two hundred thousand yuan, claiming the children got into high school! How could they abuse a kind person's goodwill like this?
"Here are the home addresses for these three students. You... might want to visit them," Principal Tang said, looking sympathetically at the devastated Li Weiguo as he kindly provided the addresses.
As a principal, I've seen such things far too often, he reflected. Every year, many kind-hearted people want to donate to impoverished students and support their education. But things often don't go as hoped. After being let down time and again, donors gradually become fewer. Cold human relations, a cruel world. It's all too common.
"Alright, thank you," Qin Mu said, noting down the addresses. After expressing their gratitude, he and Li Weiguo bid farewell to Principal Tang and left the school.
Just as they stepped out of the school gate, Li Weiguo asked in a somber tone, "Xiao Qin, tell me... how could they do this? The children are so young... so young..."
His voice was filled with deep despondence and disappointment.