Page 7
Fujii Itsuki helped Aunt Keiko wash the dishes and prepared to wash the children's clothes and sheets.
Conditions at the Xingyuan Welfare Home have always been difficult. Although several washing machines were purchased with donations from nearby residents, they are still not enough for the children to use.
Sometimes, when there are too many clothes and sheets to be changed, they need to be washed in the canal.
The same is true today.
During this period, Yang Kui Chitose came to help proactively, running around.
"Brother Shu, give this to me."
"Brother Shu, let me help you wash this."
Qiansui is too diligent and sensible.
But no matter how much the dean tried to persuade Dean Huadai, she still insisted on washing the clothes herself, saying that she couldn't just let a few of you help.
The water in the canal is so cold in winter that you have to break the ice on the river surface to use water.
Fujii Itsuki couldn't bear to see the old dean working so hard at the age of nearly 70.
It would be nice if we had more caregivers.
I think so, but it is basically impossible. Even people in Sapporo are running to Tokyo. Their place is said to be in the outskirts of the city, but in fact it is just a small town in the countryside.
The wages are too low so young people don’t want to work, so they have to let the elderly do it. They are also afraid that the work intensity in the welfare home is too high and they will be exhausted.
After all, the welfare home still does not have enough funds.
"Shu, thank you and Chitose for your help."
"It's not a big deal."
Aunt Huizi and Chitose went back to the welfare home first, carrying the laundry basin.
By the time Fujii Itsuki and the dean returned, it was already evening.
The two happened to be passing by the corridor on the first floor of the building.
Hanging in the corridor is a group photo of all the children adopted by Star Wish Orphanage over the years.
Fujii Itsuki is also in one of them.
When Chitose Yang Aoi was still a little girl, she stood in front of Fujii Itsuki and looked far less sunny and healthy than she does now.
Fujii Itsuki still remembers that in order to support him to go to Kyoto to study at Kyoto University, the director led all the children in the welfare home to go to Sapporo to sell their hometown specialties of Otaru City.
Handicrafts, music boxes, rice cakes, vegetables and dried fruits.
In the city crowded with snow and wind, all kinds of items are placed on the inconspicuous streets.
Chitose was there at that time, only eight years old. Fujii Itsuki still remembers how she came to him happily with her red hands holding a few coins.
At that time, she raised her head and said naively something that Fujii Itsuki still remembers today - "With these, Brother Shu can go to college."
One can't help but want to rub her little head.
When you think about it carefully, it's really touching.
"It looks like you still miss it a lot, right?" Dean Hanashiro put his hands behind his back and faced the photos on the wall.
“I miss it.”
The walls were cluttered with photos and information sheets. Above them were all the amounts of money donated to the Xingyuan Welfare Home.
From as little as twenty to as much as hundreds of thousands, as many as various types of clothing, books, and volunteer manpower support are all listed above.
Fujii Itsuki's name is also hung above.
If you look closely, you can find that basically there is a remittance every month.
"Over the years, the welfare home has been supported by trees."
"That's not right, Dean. It was you all who gave me the opportunity to go to Beijing University. What I did was just a small token of my return."
"Shu, I am very pleased that you still remember the welfare home."
"It should."
The air was quiet for two seconds.
"Shu, is there something you didn't tell me?"
Chapter 8 Temporary New Home
"."
"Tree."
"Dean, have you figured it out?"
"You kid, you suddenly came back to Otaru without saying goodbye, how could there not be something wrong? Chitose couldn't ask you about it, how could I not know?"
“I resigned on my own initiative.”
"What's the reason?"
"It's depressing. I can survive by eating tree bark pickles every day, but I really can't stay in that place."
"."
Dean Hanashiro was silent for a long time. "Tokyo is really not a good place to live. Take your clothes to the laundry room and give them to Keiko first. Come to my office later."
After saying that, the dean walked back to his office on the first floor.
After handing the washed clothes to Aunt Keiko and Chitose in the laundry room, Fujii Itsuki came to the office.
"Close the door."
Fujii Itsuki closed the office door.
Then he saw the old dean open three locks and take out a large amount of money from the drawer.
It was a considerable amount; Fujii Itsuki estimated it to be close to three million yen.
"Take it."
"Dean, what are you doing?!"
"Two million, eight hundred and sixty-five thousand five hundred. After almost three years, this is your own money."
Fujii Itsuki understood the situation immediately, "Director, didn't I donate it to the welfare home? It would be great if you could use it to buy some washing machines and some new clothes for the children. Why keep it?"
Dean Huadai had no other expression, but simply asked him back:
"How much do you earn in Tokyo?"
"Six hundred thousand a month."
"How much exactly?"
"Three hundred thousand"
"Three hundred thousand," Dean Hanashiro repeated his words and sighed, "Your food and drink in Tokyo, plus the rent for your place, will cost at least two hundred thousand a month. You spend two hundred thousand a month, and donate one hundred thousand to the welfare home. What can you save for yourself?"
“We can still save a little.”
"How much can it be? The money you have saved in three years can't even support you in Tokyo for half a year."
That's absolutely right, it's only enough for three months.
"I know you're a good kid, but you have to have your own life, too. Take it."
"." Fujii Itsuki did not extend his hand to accept it.
"Take it."
Despite Fujii Itsuki's repeated objections, Dean Hanashiro still put the more than 280 Fukuzawa Yukichi notes in a black plastic bag and stuffed them into his arms.
Fujii Itsuki was upset. The amount of money donated each month was not much, and it could be said to be a bit of miscellaneous money. He thought that all the money would be used to buy supplies for the welfare home and give the children something delicious to eat. He didn't expect that it was all collected by Director Hanashiro.
"Director, it's almost New Year's Day. You can use this money to buy some new facilities for the welfare home. I have hands and feet, so it's not like I can't make money."
"Don't worry about that. The hospital has used your money and your kindness has not been wasted."
"That's not what I meant. You can use them all, but——"
"You are going to get married in the future. Are you going to let your girlfriend live with you in an orphanage?"
"It's okay for me not to get married."
"No more words."
Hanayo Fujii sat behind an old desk. Under her gray hair, she wore a pair of yellow glasses that she had used for decades.
"The welfare home is now supported by Huizi and I. It is a bit busy, but we just need to hold on. We don't need this money at the moment."
"What does this mean?"
"Even if Shu just came back, he can roughly understand our current situation, right?"
Fujii Itsuki frowned, but he still had a general understanding of the situation.
The Star Wish Welfare Home has always been in poor operating condition.
First, due to uneven regional development, the city government has allocated less welfare funds to Shukutsu. Second, the population of Otaru is rapidly decreasing, with a low birth rate and an aging population, and pensions are more than taxes, which has exacerbated the lack of funds for the welfare home.
The decline in population has led to a decline in the traditional economy year by year.
Today's Otaru does not even reach the average level of Hokkaido's economy and is supported only by its fishing and tourism industries.
It is not easy for the welfare home to operate to this day if the director says that the money is not needed.
"It is already difficult for the government to support our independent operation. Within two years, the entire welfare home will be gradually integrated into the municipal welfare home."
"."
After hearing this, Fujii Itsuki was so silent that he was completely speechless.
"But you don't have to worry too much. There are still two years left."
"What does it mean?"
"Currently, the district representatives are working hard to save Shujin, and are organizing everyone to vigorously develop tourism-related industries and handicrafts, and move closer to the policies of Otaru City. Look, Yang Kui's hot spring shop has been doing good business recently. If the town's economy can make a comeback, the welfare home will naturally be able to survive. There is no need to be too pessimistic."