It was around this time that Mr. Claude of the Chase family suddenly visited, offering his help:
"Though the General's Estate can currently cover the renovation and the children's living expenses, if we want to operate long-term, we'll need to gather charitable donors to establish a foundation, and we need someone to organize a large number of volunteers."
I had grown up in an orphanage, and I agreed with his suggestion, but because I didn't know him well and he was Luna's brother, I was reluctant to accept his help.
So I merely said mildly, "A foundation won't be necessary. The children managed to live well enough before we stepped in. Our role is to support them, not take over everything. We can't erode the survival skills they were born with."
Claude shared Luna's temperament, though he was more affable. Perhaps because he was older, he also hid more beneath the surface.
He could sense the refusal behind my politeness, yet remained eager to help: "If we're going to help, we should help properly. For the children to become self-sufficient in the future, they need practical skills. Furthermore, more than half the children have disabilities and congenital illnesses—we need to hire more professional medical staff."
He kept his word. Besides helping hire academic teachers and connecting with doctors, he brought in skilled workers from his family's factories to teach the children with intellectual challenges simple handicrafts.
He worked diligently and quietly, getting along well with the children, so I couldn't very well drive him away. He did his work, I did mine—though we were in the same church, we rarely interacted.
Victor deployed garrison troops to quietly enter the city. On the surface, the city was calm, but privately, Victor was forcing all Green Gang–related businesses to shut down one by one—opium dens, brothels, human trafficking meeting points. He intended to settle accounts with those thugs slowly.
Through interrogation, Oliver learned that the sniper's firearms had come from overseas, transshipped through Japan, then smuggled ashore by small boats at a privately built Green Gang dock.
These past days Oliver had been staking out the docks, waiting for the Green Gang to be pushed by Victor into smuggling arms in retaliation.
After all, the Green Gang boss had lost a son and was approaching the point of madness. With a little push to make him completely lose his reason, he'd buy arms and go up against the regular military—and that would be the moment for Victor and his people to seize free weapons.
Everyone was waiting, in that suppressed calm before the gunfire.
In the city, it seemed as though only our orphanage was bustling with activity.
Owen was even busier than we were lately. He came back from outside, full of high spirits, and reported the day's news to me.
He knew the dark corners of this city better than anyone, and was even more aware of the Green Gang's movements. I heard he'd been a great help.
I knew Victor had sent someone to bring him back to deliver news so I wouldn't worry.
Grace was resting at home for her pregnancy, growing bored every day.
I told Owen, "When you go back to the General's Estate, tell Sister Grace too. But you're only allowed to say they're a bit tired from the cleanup work—don't mention anything about arms. Her health isn't great right now. Don't frighten her."
Owen made a zipping-lips gesture. "Don't worry, Sister Rose. My lips are sealed!"
He took two steps, then his sister Juno ran over. "Brother, you're back!"
Owen smiled sheepishly. He picked her up and lifted her high. "Brother still has things to do. I'll be back in a few days when I'm free!"
"Juno, don't run so fast."
Claude happened to be coming in from outside.
Claude loved playing with Juno. He said she reminded him of his own sister when she was little—innocent and carefree.
He had contacted medical specialists, though they couldn't do much for Juno's condition. I was still grateful to him—I knew he had tried his best. In this era, for heart disease, aside from conservative treatment to delay heart failure, there was no better option.
Owen looked at Claude with suspicion, not understanding why, after only being away for a few days, his sister was already so familiar with someone else.
"Who are you, sir?"
"This is Mr. Claude of the Chase family. He's helped a great deal," I quickly explained.
After observing him for a while, I felt Claude was indeed a capable and kindhearted person, so my guard had slowly lowered.
Owen stood straight, bowed, and expressed his thanks. His worldly formality made him seem like a man who had lived half a lifetime.
Claude couldn't help but smile. "You're Juno's brother? How come I never see you around? What are you busy with?"
Owen smiled, revealing a gap in his teeth, but didn't reveal a single thing to Claude.
Seeing he couldn't coax it out of him, Claude said, "Little hero, don't forget to come back the day after tomorrow for the charity fundraiser."
Owen looked back in confusion. "What charity fundraiser?"
"It's about raising some donations from the community to give the children a better life."
Claude had proposed a simple launch event for the orphanage. First, to let the public know that this was a place that could take in pitiful children—so if anyone saw an unsupervised child, they could bring them here. Second, many wealthy households had idle items they would throw away anyway—old winter clothes, old books—that could now be donated to us, which would greatly reduce our burden.
I had just agreed to this launch event and hadn't had time to tell anyone yet.
"Oh, and also the Young General and Adjutant Shaw. After all, this is a charity organization initiated by the General's Estate. If they could attend, it would certainly inspire more kindhearted people."
Claude probably still hoped the two of them could lend their presence to the orphanage. I smiled wryly and exchanged a glance with Owen:
"Forget it. Don't count on them."
Owen nodded with a silly grin and looked at Claude. "Can't count on them."
Claude's smile didn't fade. A look of sudden understanding crossed his face. "That's true—they're both too busy."
I sent Owen to the General's Estate to report to Grace.
I still needed to review the guest list for the charity launch event with Claude, so I went back later.
After reviewing the list and confirming some details about the venue setup, it was already quite late.
The Chase family's car came to pick up Claude, while I was escorted back to the General's Estate on foot by Jay and Dan.
When I got back, I told Grace the news, and she was overjoyed.
"So what shall we name our orphanage?"
I thought for a moment. "Nothing's been finalized yet. I came up with a tentative name—the Home for Disabled Children."
Seeing Grace frown, I added, "Do you think the word 'disabled' sounds harsh?"
She nodded. Now that she was going to have a child of her own, she was even softer and more emotional than before. She would definitely find "Home for Disabled Children" an unpleasant name.
"They're not disabled—they just forgot to bring something when they were born."
I nodded. "Sister Grace, actually I just wanted to distinguish us from the Shanghai Children's Orphanage, to emphasize that we take in children with physical disabilities and illnesses too. Let's keep this as a backup, and you can come up with another name."
Grace thought for a moment. "How about the Benevolence Institute? The children grow up here, and in the future, they can spread this benevolence even further."
I froze. "Benevolence..."
In an instant, it was as if a ray of light had pierced through my mind.
No wonder I'd felt a strange familiarity the first time I came to this church.
When Grace finalized the name, I suddenly understood—the Benevolence Institute, nurturing the benevolent hearts of the world.
This was the predecessor of the orphanage where I had once lived—the Benevolence Orphanage, originally called the Benevolence Institute.
This church, brand new in this era, was in my time merely a corner of the orphanage—blackened, broken ruins.
When the Benevolence Orphanage was rebuilt, the director had deliberately preserved a section of the church's wreckage, to remind people that through war and turmoil, people might die and buildings might collapse, but there would always be kind souls who would build a new Benevolence Orphanage upon the ruins.
From the time it was established, this place would operate safely for at least fifteen years.
In those fifteen years, many children could be raised. Born with illness, weathered by war, they could still grow up strong with the help of kindhearted people. Decades later, these children would return to rebuild the Benevolence Orphanage, and in the twenty-first century, they raised me.
The orphanage that had raised and taught me had been built, bit by bit, by my own hands.
On the day the Benevolence Institute officially opened, a small event was held on the lawn outside the church. Simple display boards were set up, along with some coffee and cookies.
Before the event began, I spotted some familiar ladies arriving with their children.
Mrs. Lambert said, "Oh, Miss Rose, such a big event and you didn't ask us for help!"
Mrs. Sterling chimed in warmly, "Exactly! So formal! If Mr. Claude hadn't mentioned it, we wouldn't have known."
Even the very pregnant Mrs. Garrett had come.
When the invitation list was being drafted, Claude had asked me, but since I had recently accepted a trunk of gold from each of them, I didn't want them to spend more.
Claude had invited them anyway.
They genuinely wanted to help. Besides generous donations, they brought unused old clothes, blankets, and books from their homes.
Claude, seeing me being teased, walked over with a smile. "Miss Rose is too thin-skinned. It took someone thick-skinned like me to notify you ladies."
Some kindhearted people donated money and winter clothes. A fruit vendor agreed to send their unsold fresh fruit each day, a bookstore provided children's books with only minor damage, and students from several schools signed up as volunteers and assistant teachers.
Everyone who attended the event received a hand-woven flower basket marked with the Benevolence symbol—made by the children themselves.
All of this was organized and planned by Claude. He himself made a leading donation, ensuring that the children's medical visits and medications would be covered for the next year without worry.
Looking at Juno, who kept crawling into Claude's arms, I felt a surge of emotion.
He had said Juno reminded him of his sister.
Claude had invited so many people, but from beginning to end, Luna was nowhere to be seen.
Last time, against her father's advice, she had insisted on donating her entire dowry—not a smart move. But Victor pretending not to know and pocketing the whole amount was hardly honorable either.
Suddenly I felt a bit guilty toward Claude.
Luna had thought her generous act of five million would earn her beloved's admiration, but Victor treated her like a gullible fool.
Not many people knew about this, but in so-called high society, it wasn't much of a secret.
Fortunately, the Chase family controlled most of the newspapers. The few small papers they didn't control had low output—the Chase family bought up whatever they printed—and suppressed the story, saving her from total humiliation.
And Claude, who had come to help me, I had given nothing but cold shoulders for days.
Thinking of this, I nudged Claude with my elbow.
"Thank you."
He smiled but said nothing.
After a busy day, the event was successfully concluded, and the children fell asleep early, exhausted.
On the lawn outside the church, the display boards hadn't been taken down yet, still bearing the Benevolence slogans.
I sat alone on the steps of the main hall, savoring the peace in my heart, not yet wanting to go back.
Beyond the wide lawn, a house across the street seemed to be having a party—faint music drifted over.
Accompanied by a lively waltz, my toes twitched. Though it wasn't the same music, it still pulled my thoughts back to the day I danced in Victor's arms, and I smiled without realizing it.