After traveling through time, I was raised by a little brat

"What should we do? Brother Qi, are we really going to get rid of them all?" a student asked with a worried look on his face. Tang Qi now held a high prestige and status among them, and the "Brother Qi" he called them was a sincere gesture of devotion.

"That's right, if we drive them all out of the city, the imperial city will indeed become much quieter, but then they will lose their only source of income. How will they survive in the future?" Another person echoed, his face full of worry.

"Sir, that's definitely not what you meant." Tang Qi, who had remained silent until then, finally spoke. If they simply wanted to drive these people away, the Imperial Guards, the Imperial City Guards, or the Chang'an County Court couldn't have done it. Why would they specifically send these students to handle the matter? It seemed unlikely, both morally and logically, that the reason was so simple. However, despite racking his brains, he still couldn't figure out the teacher's true intention in having them come here.

"Let's take a closer look," Tang Qi said. And so, a group of students gathered around the beggars. On one side were the elegant students in splendid attire, while on the other were the beggars in tattered, half-dressed clothes. The two formed a stark and glaring contrast on West Street.

Just then, a shop owner came out and said with a fawning smile, "I wonder if these kids disturbed you, our distinguished guests? I'm so sorry. I'd like to apologize on their behalf."

Tang Qi then led the students into the small shop, smiling. Tucked away in a secluded corner of West Street, it would be hard to spot without careful searching. The furnishings inside were a bit dated, with the tables and chairs looking worn by the years. But thankfully, every detail was meticulously kept spotless.

The shop was a quiet place, with only the owner busying about alone. Tang Qi, however, didn't seem to mind and simply walked over to a stool and sat down. Seeing Tang Qi's composure, the other students followed suit. Although they felt a certain resistance to the unfamiliar and shabby surroundings, they all took their seats and turned their gazes towards Tang Qi.

At this moment, Tang Qi cleared his throat and said, "Shopkeeper, please give us some of every kind of food and drink you have." He then quietly waited. If he hadn't broken the silence first, the rest of the students would have continued to sit there in a daze. After all, it was everyone's first time in a place like this, and they all felt somewhat uneasy.

Hearing Tang Qi's words, the shop owner hurried over, slightly bent over, with a humble smile on his face, and whispered: "Sir, I'm really sorry, our shop is simple, and we only have some coarse tea and simple noodles for you to enjoy." After that, he carefully observed the reactions of the crowd, as if he was afraid that he would annoy these guests because the food he provided was not rich enough.

"That's okay, two servings each." Tang Qi took out a tael of silver and handed it to the shopkeeper, "Come and talk to us later." After the food was served, the shopkeeper waited by the side for questioning.

"What do those beggars do on weekdays?" Tang Qi asked.

"West Street is full of poor people, and there aren't many jobs available. They'll help clean up after customers finish eating," the shopkeeper quickly replied. Seeing a look of dissatisfaction from one of the students, the shopkeeper quickly added, "They only come after customers have left. They never come when there are customers."

"Are other stores like this too?" Tang Qi continued to ask.

The shopkeeper was a little confused, but still replied, "Of course. The beggars on this street mainly rely on this to make a living. I've watched them grow up, so I can't really let them starve to death."

"Why did they become beggars?" Tang Qi asked.

The shopkeeper thought for a moment and said slowly: "Most of the people in this West Street are refugees who have lost their land and are homeless, or people who have suffered family changes and are living in poverty. Some are due to natural disasters or man-made disasters, while others are forced by life and have no choice but to choose to beg for a living. Some of these children have lost both parents and have no one to take care of them. Some come from poor families and cannot support themselves. In short, their fate is very tragic." After saying this, the shopkeeper couldn't help but sigh.

"Are those disabled people outside also supported by you?" asked a student.

“Not really. Although beggars also give them food, it’s actually more like a transaction,” the shopkeeper replied.

"Trade?" the student asked doubtfully. "What can they do lying there?"

The shopkeeper sighed and said, "I heard he was once a scholar, but for some unknown reason he was kicked out of his family and became disabled. One time, some well-dressed men came to see him, saw him lying in the street in despair, and beat him up before leaving. People on West Street would sometimes go to him for help when they needed to write a letter or check a contract."

"Is he going to continue to be decadent like this? Don't those who bully him have to pay the price?" another student asked angrily.

The shopkeeper shook his head helplessly and replied, "But this is reality. What can we do? He's already disabled but mentally strong, yet those people are still worried and often come to check if he's still alive."

"It would be great if those beggars had a place to go. If not, we will do our best to help them grow up until they are able to support themselves," the shop owner added.

"The world is difficult, and we have to save ourselves." Tang Qi sighed, and then asked: "Since the beggars are willing to learn a skill, how can we help them?" Today, Tang Qi is no longer like he used to, always solving problems alone. Instead, he has learned to guide others to think and work together.

Upon hearing this, someone immediately replied, "Send them to the barracks! Zhao has been at war for years, and what it needs most is soldiers. If they are trained from a young age, they will surely be extremely loyal and will never make mistakes in their loyalty to the emperor and their patriotism."

"We can hand it over to the Chamber of Commerce! The companies that participated in the last dragon boat race were all pretty good. They persevered to the end and completed the race." Someone else suggested.

"We can give it to the ministers. Officials above the fifth rank can each adopt one. Anyway, they won't mind having too many children. They will only mind that the children are not talented enough." Someone else came up with a new idea.

After everyone expressed their opinions, someone turned to Tang Qi and asked, "Brother Qi, do you have any good ideas?"

Tang Qi pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I think we could bring them back to the Imperial College and have them work in exchange for food. They can also audit classes in their free time. This way, how much knowledge they can learn will depend entirely on their individual luck."