PCMWF Chapter 176

The little guy in his father’s arms slowly woke up, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, moving in his father’s arms.

“Dad.”

The jacket was lifted, revealing a sleepy little face.

“Did Youyou sleep well? Are you still tired?”

The little guy shook his head, slowly sitting up, looking dazedly at the unfamiliar scenery outside.

“Dad, where are we?”

Shen Minyan held him and looked out the window: “We’re looking at kindergartens today. Did Youyou forget?”

Reminded, the little guy remembered he had something important to do today. When he woke up, the car had just started. He could see the colorful kindergarten building and playground.

“Youyou, do you like this kindergarten?”

The little guy looked at the bare kindergarten and wasn’t interested. He shook his head. The kindergarten teachers were hoping these two children would enroll. With “Little Feet Big Adventure” airing, Su Youli and Pei Xu had become star children. If they enrolled, they would be living advertisements.

The two little ones, one three and a half, one just over four, were at an age where most children couldn’t care for themselves. Some couldn’t even eat without a teacher chasing them. Based on their performance on the show, they didn’t need adults to worry about self-care. The principal had called the most affectionate and popular teachers to welcome them, hoping they would bond.

The teachers were ready, but Su Youli only half-opened his eyes at the gate. Then he slumped against Shen Minyan. He slept through the whole visit, never opening his eyes. The teachers screamed internally: NO.

They pinned their hopes on Pei Qiqi, who was led by his uncle. When the teachers offered to take Pei Qiqi to the play area, he refused with a stern face. The four-year-old boy occasionally looked up to see if the little guy in the adult’s arms was awake. The teacher showed him many novel toys, not found in ordinary kindergartens.

Under everyone’s expectant gaze, Pei Qiqi was indifferent. He had these things at home. Nothing special. Pei Qiqi didn’t like kindergarten to begin with. Pei Yi had coaxed him into agreeing by using Youyou as an excuse.

“Your Uncle Shen is already choosing a kindergarten for Youyou. Sigh,” Pei Yi sat on the sofa and sighed loudly, moving next to Qiqi. “Youyou is so small. I wonder if he can even get food in kindergarten.”

Children entering kindergarten enter another world. No parents, only teachers. Pei Qiqi had experienced this. Most children were good, helping and sharing. But there were always one or two bad kids who bullied smaller ones. The little guy was shorter than his peers, making him a prime target. Pei Qiqi immediately said he wanted to go to kindergarten with Youyou.
Youyou was small. He wasn’t picky, but he ate slowly. In kindergarten, if other kids weren’t full, they would steal his food. He had experienced these things. Just imagining the little guy crying after his food was stolen made Pei Qiqi furious.
The principal and teachers’ faces were cramping from smiling, but they couldn’t get a glance from Pei Qiqi. Pei Qiqi wouldn’t talk to these teachers. When they bent down smiling to approach, he would go to the other side, silently holding his aunt’s hand. The teachers looked awkward and withdrew their hands. Pei Qiqi glanced at them, his eyelashes trembling. He had seen such fake smiles many times. Those teachers had liked him at first, been good to him, then changed after his mom left.

Hua Zhao held Qiqi’s hand and soothed his hair: “Qiqi, don’t be afraid. Auntie is here.”

This kindergarten was beautiful, but Su Youli didn’t like it. When the little guy was in Nancheng, he often went with Kun Kun to pick up Brother Yang Yang. He loved Brother Yang Yang’s kindergarten. It had a nice name: Miaomiao Kindergarten.

Miaomiao Kindergarten’s gate was guarded by two century-old camphor trees. The little guy loved those trees. His big dad would put him on the trunk to wait for Brother Yang Yang. His short legs swung in the air. It was fun. Su Youli loved plants and didn’t like modern kindergartens.

Soon, they arrived at the second kindergarten. Completely different from the first, Wutong Academy Kindergarten was founded in the early twentieth century. It was said the founder was a country gentleman whose ancestor had been a top scholar. It started as a private school, then developed into a modern kindergarten, retaining the traditional academy style. White walls and grey tiles, a Chinese courtyard, reminded the little guy of the home he shared with his two dads.

Holding his parents’ hands, they walked through the corridors, through the antique courtyard. The children’s activity area appeared. The garden was full of pines, cypresses, and ginkgo trees. The environment was quiet, the air fresh. The walls displayed the children’s crafts: paper cuttings, lanterns, masks.

Though it was a traditional private school building, the play facilities were complete, no worse than the previous one. Seeing the little guy interested in the masks on the wall, Tang Dou picked him up to look closer. The principal and Chu Ying were old friends. They started chatting.

“Are Yanyan and Linlin both well? I thought I’d see them today.”

Chu Ying smiled. “Today is a workday. Linlin has school, and Yanyan has work to do. Otherwise, I definitely would have brought them along.”

The middle-aged woman in front of her was the kindergarten teacher of both Shen Yan and Shen Lin. She and Chu Ying had been friends for many years. Seeing her friend’s youngest son so healthy and adorable, she was genuinely happy for her. She smiled and patted Chu Ying’s shoulder. The two women spoke in low voices, keeping an eye on the little one looking at the masks. After looking at the masks, the two children were led by the teachers of Wutong Academy Kindergarten to the children’s activity area.

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