— Saint Matthew Orphanage —
Saint Matthew Orphanage was a state-run charity located on Narcissus Street. Boasting a long history, its grounds spanned roughly a thousand square meters, sheltering many homeless children and providing them with food, education, refuge, and end-of-life care.
Its director was a man named Matthews, an old codger in his sixties who was both famous and thoroughly notorious in the local district. Almost every man who had ever visited the orphanage would end up clutching his backside afterward, bitterly regretting his life choices.
That damned old bastard!
Of course, arriving here at this moment, He Ye had no idea what awaited him. All he saw was a nun sweeping fallen leaves near the front gates, her eyes gentle and calm.
“Sir, why did you bring me here?” A visible look of confusion washed over Nicole’s face.
“This is the start of your new life.”
He Ye pocketed the coin he had been tossing and straightened his lapels. He stepped forward to strike up a conversation with the nun, explaining his intentions. His witty charm and handsome appearance soon coaxed an elegant smile from her lips.
However, the moment the topic turned to Nicole, her brow furrowed with distress.
“We only assist the ‘deserving poor’—such as orphans, widows, and the disabled. We reject the ‘idle poor.'”
The nun rested a hand against her cheek, glancing troubledly at Nicole.
“The idle poor?” He Ye asked, bewildered.
“Vagrants,” the nun clarified.
Well, that hit right between the eyes. Yet He Ye felt that Nicole hardly looked like a vagrant now. Though she was smelly, dim-witted, and uneducated, what blame could be pinned on a girl who had lost both parents in the chaos of war?
He Ye had no choice but to plead his case, taking off his hat with a sigh.
“She is an orphan.”
Nicole pouted unhappily. “Hey, watch it!”
He tried to explain her tragic origins, but he soon realized what was truly bothering the nun. Aside from the previous criteria, the orphanage generally only took in children under the age of fourteen, and Nicole did not fit that description by any stretch of the imagination.
“She is already an adult,” the nun said softly, turning back to sweep the leaves with a serene expression.
He Ye glanced at the little mouse beside him, feeling utterly at a loss. His original plan of stashing her in the orphanage had hit a wall. He couldn’t possibly take this creature in himself, could he?
His new life had merely run into a minor setback; it wasn’t dead yet.
Once he sorted out this poor wretch’s situation, he would board a train and head far away—perhaps to Stennis in the south, where the spring blossoms were warm and ideal for a vacation.
Nicole also realized what He Ye was attempting to do. She felt both delighted and anxious. The joy came from knowing that an orphanage provided free food and lodging; getting in would be fantastic. The anxiety came from the fact that she couldn’t actually stay here, or she would be thrown into prison in two days flat.
“Sir, why are you so good to me?”
Nicole peered up at him in confusion, repeating the same question from before.
He Ye paused. Part of him felt he was projecting his hopes for a new life onto her, while another part chalked it up to basic humanitarian compassion.
Yet after thinking it over, all he said was:
“Anyone would treat you this well.”
At least, back in my homeland.
“No way! Out of all the sirs I’ve met, you’re the only one who’s ever been this nice to me! I’m starting to suspect you have ulterior motives!”
“…” He Ye laughed in exasperation, snapping back, “Ulterior motives toward you? What, an ulterior motive to have my name painted, framed, and hung on your wall?”
“Hey, sir, how could you steal my line!”
Nicole puffed out her cheeks, thoroughly displeased.
He Ye ignored her. Since standard procedures wouldn’t work, it was time to deploy some adult methods.
The kind that frequently appeared in the grown-up world.
“Do you mind if we take a look inside?” He Ye gestured toward the grounds.
“Not at all. In fact, Director Matthews will be delighted by your visit.” The nun held her broom, stepping aside with dignified grace.
“Thank you.” He Ye led Nicole inside.
Before the monastery lay a lush lawn where several children were playing, their cheerful laughter accompanying the pair as they walked. Another nun sat in the sunlight knitting a sweater, quietly watching over the flock of children.
“Emma, don’t pick on your little brother.”
Inside the monastery’s grand hall stood a carved statue of God. Long rows of wooden pews lined both sides, and people were seated in prayer, just like on a Saturday Mass at church.
He Ye hadn’t come here to pray; he was here to negotiate business with the director. After a brief glance around, he headed deeper inside.
Behind him, Nicole looked around curiously, remembering the time her own gramps had brought her beneath this polished, magnificent dome long ago.
As long as you pray with a devout heart, God will save you.
Don’t be afraid, Nicole. You have to be strong.
Just as they stepped onto the second floor of the monastery, they encountered a polite, bespectacled young man standing in the corridor, muttering to himself as he clutched a copy of the Civil Code.
Seeing He Ye approach, the young man sized him up and decisively extended a hand in greeting. “Hello, hello! You’re here to interview for the general education teacher position as well, right?”
“Huh?”
Out of reflex and courtesy, He Ye shook his hand, much like someone instinctively taking a cigarette offered at a banquet—though he quickly realized the handshake was entirely unnecessary.
“My name is Thomas. I studied at Saint Benedict Monastery, and my GPA consistently ranked in the top one percent. I am proficient in astronomy, geography, humanities, and mathematics, and I just received the Outstanding Graduate Medal this year.”
The bespectacled youth spoke with solemn earnestness, his grip tightening significantly in secret.
“Ah, hello, hello…” He Ye felt thoroughly baffled. “While it’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m not here to interview for the teaching post… At least, not anymore.”
“I just want to see the director. Do you know where he is?”
He Ye released his hand, looking at him.
“Oh, thank goodness! I thought another formidable rival had shown up…” Thomas let out an audible sigh of relief. “Director Matthews is currently interviewing the final candidate. He should be out in a few minutes. To be frank, I’ve been waiting here for an hour already.”
“That sounds rough…”
He Ye found a chair and sat down. Nicole shifted uncomfortably beside him, unable to understand what Mr. Leon intended to do with her after already being turned away.
Her heart was locked in an agonizing tug-of-war.
“Next, Thomas Fregke.”
“Present!”
The door along the second-floor corridor opened, and the young man holding the Civil Code sprang to his feet, hurrying inside.
Stepping out in his place was an older man in his fifties. Dressed in black-and-white clerical vestments, he looked thoroughly sanctimonious… Strange. Why was that the first idiom to pop into my head?
“Are you an interviewee as well?” The older man looked over.
“No, I am not.” He Ye maintained his manners, rising to offer a bow. “Are you Director Matthews, by chance? If so, there is a matter I would like to discuss with you.”
Hearing this, the man’s eyes lingered on He Ye for a moment before he offered a benevolent nod. “Wait until I finish the business at hand.”
“Of course.”
The door clicked shut. Left waiting outside, the two of them sat in quiet detachment. The air carried a distinct scent of burning incense. Sunlight poured through the glass windows, offering a view of the tallest iron tower in Glailey City. This orphanage genuinely looked full of hope.
He Ye pulled out his wallet and tallied his remaining cash.
He still had eighteen thousand kronen on hand. Compared to a textile worker’s monthly wage of two thousand kronen, its purchasing power was substantial. Buying a bed and board at the orphanage for half a year shouldn’t be an issue. With general education teachers to impart knowledge and nuns to soothe the spirit, it was more than enough for a child to grow.
All he needed to keep was two hundred and eighty kronen for a train ticket.
Seeing He Ye pull out his wallet, Nicole’s eyes lit up instantly. Nearly twenty thousand kronen would easily cover her shortfall for the week, with plenty left over!
Only… the moment she thought about what this gentleman grandpa was trying to do for her, she felt utterly wretched for even entertaining the thought.
Yet she desperately needed the money.
“Mr. Leon, I really feel like crying,” Nicole said dryly, hanging her head. For a fool like her, falling into such deep moral anguish was a rare sight.
He Ye felt a twinge of embarrassment. Assuming she was moved to tears, he patted her head. We’re practically comrades through thick and thin, what’s the big deal? Humanitarian care should be like this anyway!
Right at that moment, an argument erupted from inside the interview room.
“What the fuck do you mean, you’ll hire whoever takes the lowest pay?!”
Thomas’s shocked voice echoed down the corridor.
“Nothing can be done, Thomas. That’s just how the unemployment wave is right now. A nine-to-five job like this is already hard to come by, so naturally the wage is a bit lower.”
“B-but you can’t do this! I graduated with honors from Saint Benedict Monastery! Professor Sian himself wrote my letter of recommendation!”
“Yes, and it is precisely because Sian is an old friend of mine that I let you advance to this final round. Your competitor, Mr. Foley, has over a decade of teaching experience. He’s been an instructor since the day I first assumed my post at this orphanage.”
“…F-fuck me…”
“Well then, please think it over.”
Thud.
A moment later, the door shut, and a soul-crushed Thomas stumbled out. The thick volume of the Civil Code slipped from his hands and crashed onto the floor. He collapsed to his knees, burying his fingers into his hair in sheer frustration.
“Goddammit… how could this happen?”
Hey, where did that poised, distinguished elite graduate from earlier go? He Ye squinted, finding the scene almost too painful to watch.
Letting out a soft sigh, He Ye stepped forward.
“Are you all right?”
He picked up the heavy book and returned it to its owner.
Looking up at He Ye, Thomas let out a laugh that sounded more bitter than weeping.
“I failed. Completely routed.”
“I spent an entire week preparing for this interview. I passed round after round—grooming, pronunciation, personality tests… I even stayed up all night studying legal knowledge I never normally touch, all just to pass this exam.”
“And yet I failed.”
“What the fuck does he mean, whoever takes the lowest wage gets the job? I have a younger brother and two younger sisters to feed! How can an esteemed position like a teacher only pay three thousand a month?!”
He Ye tried to console him. “At least it’s higher than a textile worker.”
“But they never had an education!” Thomas’s eyes rimmed with red. “I graduated from a top-tier university! I fought tooth and nail through exams since I was a child!”
Half-mad with grief, Thomas seemed utterly crushed by the blow. He stumbled away down the hall, startling a nun who was stepping out of the washroom into crying out for him to be careful.
He Ye felt a wave of melancholy wash over him.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. How should I address you?”
Just then, the elderly man in clerical vestments stepped out, wearing a smile as genial as a kindly grandfather from the countryside—it was Director Matthews.
“Leon Rossi.”
He Ye gave the deceased man’s name once more.
“A pleasure, Mr. Leon.” Director Matthews stroked his white beard. “What was it you wished to discuss?”
“Er… I would like to sponsor the orphanage with a donation, for personal reasons.” He Ye dropped a subtle hint, blinking meaningfully. “Would it be convenient for us to discuss the details?”
Matthews caught on immediately, offering a warm smile.
“How generous! Please, follow me. I have fine tea in my office; we can talk as we drink.”
With that, he turned and led the way forward. The interview room door remained firmly shut. He Ye had no curiosity to peek inside at the veteran teacher who had crushed an elite graduate; instead, he hurried after the director, muttering internally that this might not be an easy deal to strike.
Nicole dusted off her rear and trotted quickly behind them.
