288: Chapter 284: Accidentally Became a Godfather 288: Chapter 284: Accidentally Became a Godfather Bai Xiaohang brought over two children with him, the boy named Xiaofeng, and the girl named Xiaoyu.
As for the surname, naturally, it was the same as Bai Xiaohang’s, thus they were both surnames Bai.
“Hello, Boss!”
“Hello, Boss!”
These two children, perhaps because it was their first time stepping into Chen Hai’s place, bowed their heads with a timid and shy demeanor, obviously feeling somewhat unable to relax.
It was unclear whether it was because of what Bai Xiaohang had told them, or because they themselves didn’t know how to address Chen Hai.
After hesitating for quite a while, they eventually imitated Bai Xiaohang and started calling him Boss Chen.
To speak truthfully, at the age of fifteen or sixteen, they could no longer be considered small.
However, Bai Xiaofeng and Bai Xiaoyu both appeared very frail due only to their sustained malnutrition.
Seeing that they too called him boss, Chen Hai couldn’t help but be amused.
“If you want to succeed, you must read more.”
“You two are at the right age for studying, why call me boss?”
“How is it that you have books to read yet want to work for me?”
He chuckled, teasing them.
It was just a joke, but the two children seemed to take his words seriously.
“Yes!
Brother Xiaohang said that working for you has prospects!” They exchanged glances and almost in unison, nodded, responding.
“How can you help me if you don’t study well?”
“Brother Xiaohang is simply talking nonsense; don’t take his words seriously!”
Frowning, Chen Hai responded.
While speaking, he also looked annoyed and glared fiercely at Bai Xiaohang beside him.
“Boss, Xiaofeng and Xiaoyu have both been dropping out of school and staying at home these past few years.”
“Usually, they just sustain themselves by collecting scraps for a little money.”
“When I met them, they were about to walk all the way here to Capital City to visit their father in prison.”
“I’ve watched them grow up, and seeing them in such a pitiable state, I decided to bring them along here.”
“After visiting Uncle Baoshan in prison, I planned to arrange for them to apprentice somewhere.”
“That way, they would have a place to stay, which is better than staying in the rural backwater, hungry one moment and full the next.”
…
With a forced chuckle, Bai Xiaohang quickly started explaining.
Bringing the two children here wasn’t meant to trouble Chen Hai.
However, when Xiang Dong came to pick him up, the two children were already by his side.
He naturally couldn’t just leave them behind and go alone with Xiang Dong.
“Such large kids, not studying, but becoming apprentices?”
Ye Qingqing, who had no classes this morning, was right at Chen Hai’s place and came out just in time to hear this.
Hearing this, she looked displeased and glared fiercely at Bai Xiaohang.
“Good day, sister-in-law!” Hurriedly standing up to greet her, Bai Xiaohang explained, “Both of them are of high school age now, but in reality, they haven’t even finished elementary school.”
“If not apprenticing, what can they do?”
“Want to find a school to study?
Their household registrations are still back in their rural hometown, what school would accept them?”
His words reflected the harsh reality.
Letting Xiaofeng and Xiaoyu go back to their rural hometown to study?
That was no better than letting them stay in Capital City as apprentices.
After all, back home, without anyone to care for or watch over them, who knows what they could turn into after a while?
Letting them stay in Capital City to study?
Just the issue of their household registration was something Bai Xiaohang couldn’t solve on his own.
“Their father is in jail, and their mother abandoned them to move far away.”
“These children are already so pitiable, Brother Hai, perhaps we should help them?”
Ye Qingqing was inherently a very compassionate person.
She had always continuously sponsored children from poor mountainous areas to study.
Last year, the incident with her being infected with the yin snake gu happened precisely because she visited the children she sponsored, leading her to go to Xiangxi.
At this moment, her compassion was once again overflowing.
Even though she had already made up her mind, she still glanced at Chen Hai, seeking his opinion.
“What’s the matter, Qingqing, how do you plan to help them?”
“You don’t plan on telling me you want to adopt them as your godson and goddaughter, do you?”
Chen Hai was well aware of his girlfriend’s nature.
His words had no other implication; he was merely making light conversation with her.
However, hearing this, Ye Qingqing seemed to truly start considering the feasibility of this suggestion.
“I can help them with the registration and finding a school.”
“As for adopting them as godson and goddaughter, isn’t that a bit much?
In terms of age, I’m only six or seven years older than them!”
“Would they even agree to having me as their godmother?”
Tilting her head, pondering for a long time, Ye Qingqing finally managed to squeeze a few sentences out of her mouth after much effort.
In Ye Qingqing’s view, her fiancé, Chen Hai, might one day go into seclusion for Cultivation, and then she wouldn’t see him for a long time!
She hadn’t yet graduated either.
Between her and Chen Hai, they were only engaged, not yet married, so even if she wanted to have a child for Chen Hai, it really wasn’t appropriate.
Accepting these two children as her godchildren, letting them keep her company when Chen Hai was in seclusion.
As long as the two children didn’t object, Ye Qingqing was not against the idea.
Bai Xiaofeng and Bai Xiaoyu looked at each other blankly for a moment, not reacting immediately.
Until Bai Xiaohang on the side gently coughed twice to remind them.
“Godmother!”
“Godfather!”
Bai Xiaoyu, the girl, was slightly more mature.
Prompted by Bai Xiaohang’s reminder, she quickly knelt down in front of Ye Qingqing and Chen Hai, performing a deep bow.
As for Bai Xiaofeng, his reaction was a bit slower.
Following closely behind Bai Xiaoyu, he also knelt down, mimicking her motion.
“This…” A casual joke had unexpectedly given him a pair of godchildren, and for a moment, Chen Hai really didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Xiaofeng, Xiaoyu, what are you doing?
Get up quickly!”
“Since you’ve called me godmother, I definitely must give something in return.”
“Come, accompany your godmother for a stroll, let’s buy you some nice clothes.”
Ye Qingqing was also startled but quickly recovered.
A call of godmother had bloomed a flower in her heart; she cheerfully beckoned the children to follow her outside and couldn’t resist sending a challenging glance at Chen Hai.
“If you go into seclusion and disappear again, I’ll have my godson and goddaughter to keep me company…”
She didn’t specify, but Ye Qingqing’s gaze seemed to convey just that meaning.
What could Chen Hai say to that?
He could only respond with a wry smile.
“Xiaohang, now that you’ve come back, how do you plan to resolve your grievances with Ding Laosan?”
Once Ye Qingqing took the kids away temporarily, Chen Hai got straight to the point and brought up the matter.
“What else can I do?
This wasn’t my fault to begin with.”
“It’s them looking for trouble, thinking I’m easy to bully and provoking me first!”
“Even though I was forced to flee, I didn’t suffer in their conflicts; in fact, I managed to knock down several of Ding Laosan’s men.”
“But now, with you here as my boss, I’m not afraid of anyone.”
“Of course, we still need to see what Ding Laosan intents?
After all, this is the Capital City, under the emperor’s nose.
If it really escalates to fatalities, it would be quite troublesome!”
Shrugging, Bai Xiaohang said nonchalantly.
This guy, crudely put, is just hardened meat.
His words about fatalities causing trouble are already much more rational compared to his past self.
Before following Chen Hai, every trouble he caused, he always faced life and death indifferently, unyielding to any challenge.
Such a person, though fierce, is only suited for charging into battles, not for strategizing victories from afar.
“You should know where Ding Laosan frequents; I’ll accompany you there when you have the time.”
“Let’s see what they have to say about this matter!”
Chen Hai nodded and replied with a smile.
If this were before, he would generally avoid putting himself at risk whenever possible.
But now, having stepped into the Object Controlling Realm, ordinary people could hardly pose any threat to him.
Within a few hundred meters, I am invincible.
With such confidence, he could act without concerns.
“I understand!” Bai Xiaohang nodded and added, “That guy, Ding Laosan, has set up a company.”
“Officially, it’s a pawnshop, but secretly, it’s where he conducts his loan businesses.”
“He generally spends his time there from afternoon to evening.”
Despite being forced to flee the Capital City due to their conflict, Bai Xiaohang naturally knew a fair amount about Ding Laosan’s affairs.
If it just came to cold weapon combat, even facing ten opponents alone, he would go for it fearlessly.
What primarily caused him to be driven out by Ding Laosan and his crew was their utter lack of integrity.
Besides the initial conflict where Bai Xiaohang had downed several of Ding Laosan’s men and caused them some losses,
Over the following period, Ding Laosan’s people scoured the Capital City for Bai Xiaohang, many carrying concealed firearms.
Of course, they were just small handguns; after all, under the emperor’s watchful eye, they would surely have some restraints.
While Bai Xiaohang was fierce, facing such a scenario left him no choice but to flee, much as he regretted it.
“He’ll only be at the pawnshop in the afternoon?
Then there’s plenty of time!”
Looking at his watch, Chen Hai nodded.
After a short pause, he continued to inquire, “Regarding the two children, when do you plan on taking them to visit your Uncle Baoshan?”
Whether he liked it or not, he had become their godfather and had to show some concern for the children’s affairs.