Earning Money

" Have you learnt your lesson?" The caretaker came early in the morning. He never woke up this early before but because he wanted to see how is the child doing, it was the first thing he did in the morning.

" I will earn money, the safe way. I will feed everyone better food." The boy declared in a loud voice.

The caretaker's eyes widened, he understood that the boy understood why he was punished. However the declaration stunned him, he saw the resolve in his eyes.

" You!, Whatever, give me your bum, I will put some ointment. It must have hurt a lot." The caretaker said. He was a middle-aged skinny man who does most of the work of the orphanage. From paperwork to taking care of the child.

~ He is like a father to you. Speak respectfully!

The Voice warned.

' No, He hit me.'

" Hey, did I hit you too slow, were you pretending to feel pain yesterday?" The caretaker asked as he looked where he had hit the boy with the stick, there was no mark.

" You hit me very hard, I hate you," The boy said with teary eyes as he remembered how angrily he was beaten in front of everyone.

" Alright sorry, now scram!"

" Wait, I want to earn money safely. Tell me how?"

" You are just a little twerp, you can not earn money like this. Just wait for Seven or Eight years. When you leave the orphanage, you can donate some of your money so until then try to survive here."

In the orphanage children are supposed to leave when they reach the age of twelve. However, if a child wishes he can leave at any time. The caretaker was currently not giving him an option to leave.

' Hey, What do I do now?'

~ Ask him if you could do anything inside the orphanage that would earn you money or if he could bring something that you can work on to make money.

The boy repeated the words of the voice,

" *Sigh*, Do you want to get better food that badly?"

" Yes."

" For now, you can eat berries. But I have no idea what can be done about this. We don't even have the space to plant the berries somewhere in the orphanage."

" Tell me when you know." The boy said and then left.

' The child suddenly seems too sharp. I wonder if the stick I hit him with was had some kind of magic.'

...----------------...

" Whoa! They are much better than before." The boy had already taken the share out for himself and the boy who called him big brother. " But, you shouldn't go to the forest, I have heard that someone was eaten by an animal."

" Eat the berries, It's the last time."

" Oh! looks like the spanking worked."

" Hey, don't you want to eat better food?" He asked the boy.

" I do but I don't know how I can." He said.

" Will you help me earn money?" He asked.

" Money? Will we get better food?"

" Yes, A lot." He said.

The boy had no idea what to do, he was just encouraging someone and adding them to his team. The voice suggested to him that he should gather trustworthy allies for himself to earn money.

" I will tell you when I think of something. Promise me you will help." He said.

" I will help big brother."

' Hey, what is big brother.'

~ The big brother, I think he is showing you respect.

...----------------...

The orphanage staff was gathered in one place in the evening for a serious discussion.

" I have gathered you here to ask, is there something that children can do inside the orphanage."

" That's a good idea, I am against child labour but this would earn them more food."

" Right!"

" How about making decorations with beeds, I have never seen anyone sell them in the town and I had heard that a merchant is looking for people who can work with them. I think it's easy to work to do for children." Ila who is responsible for cleaning and washing offered.

" I have never heard about it but if you are saying it then it should be a good suggestion."

" Okay, than any other ideas." The caretaker asked.

No one spoke,

" Ila, Tell me where can I find this merchant, I will take that boy with me. He would certainly be able to convince the merchant, he is sharp."

" Okay," Ila said, she was excited about the changes that were going to happen in the orphanage.

...----------------...

" So boy, you understand everything, right? You need to convince the merchant that you could do this."

~ Try to gain a psychological advantage.

' A psychological advantage?' He questioned.

~ I mean make sure you get the best deal.

' Deal? Do you mean I have to ask for more money?'

~ Yeah something like that, he may try to take advantage of you.

They walked to the address where the merchant lived, the caretaker entered the merchant's shop.

" Oh, Who are you, sir." The merchant asked the caretaker.

The merchant was a girl, the caretaker didn't expect that.

" Hello, Are you the merchant named Myler?"

" Yes, I am."

" It's nice to meet you, my name is Clark and I am the caretaker of the orphanage of this village."

" Oh, Are you here to ask for some donations?" Myler asked. " I can not give you much but here." The girl said as she took out a silver coin.

The orphanage normally received 20 copper as donations from people who wished to donate. One silver is five times that amount.

" We are not here for donations." The caretaker said and then explained further.

" Ms Ila she also cleans my store in the morning, however, do you think the children will be able to do this."

" I can do anything in the world." The black hair boy spoke.

Myler was charmed by the little boy's cuteness,

" This boy is cute, Mr caretaker, isn't it wrong for children of this age to work?"

" I know but we are lacking funds. Most of the funds go into food and clothes. However, we have been spending funds on some constructions in the orphanage so they don't have enough to spend on food. Besides, we have to pay the salaries of the employees." The caretaker spoke. He didn't tell that he has been receiving only a few donations from people nowadays and the government is not even paying attention to them.

" Test me, If I can then others can as well, they are older than me." The boy spoke.

" You little, come here," Myler said with a gentle smile. " You are too cute and I see you are quite sharp too. Okay, I will give you the chance."

" Here are the beeds and the thread. You just have to use these needles to enter the beads like this over the strings. Every String should be one meter long."

She demonstrated everything, The boy took the needle and tried to put the thread through it. He failed three times but passed on the 4th try.

After that, he entered the beeds one by one through the needle.

Myler was amazed.

" Alright, I will give you one small assignment. Prepare 300 of these. I will give one copper for five of these."

~ She is generous, it's easy to work. For the time being the orphanage could earn enough from it to buy enough food for the children.

' You think so. Can the others do it?'

~ You will be there to guide them and I will be there to guide you.

" I will prepare it,"

" Alright." The lady smiled and pat his head.

She gave the material needed for the job to the caretaker.

On the way, he talked to the caretaker. He found out that their orphanage is only getting 60 copper as an average in the form of donations. There are only Ten people who make donations regularly, others do never make any donations.

He wondered how the orphanage was even surviving like this. One bread cost one copper, there were thirty children in total, the voice told him that it was barely enough for food.

How did he pay for the staff was a mystery to both the voice and the boy. They at least know that the caretaker was an honest person.

" I will become the richest man and I will feed every hungry person in the world." The boy declared.

The caretaker didn't laugh, " Please, We need someone, Please become that type of person one day." He said with a serious face.

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