Chapter 30 Pumpkin-flavored Milk Sticks, Little Sister, don't sneak a bite...

Because of the shocking incident involving the little red flower, An Shisi and Fang Wangxi temporarily forgot about the milk sticks this morning.

The children were so busy with studying and playing games all day that they didn't think about it anymore.

Until snack time after the afternoon nap.

Today, the kindergarten afternoon snacks were loquat and dried tangerine peel soup, red bean milk and white fungus soup, and banana-filled cookies. The yellow banana-filled cookies reminded An Shisi of pumpkin-flavored milk sticks.

“I have milk sticks, pumpkin flavored,” An Shisi said to Fang Wangxi, holding up a banana-filled cookie.

Fang Wangxi then remembered that An Shisi had mentioned having pumpkin-flavored milk sticks that morning, and said, "You have milk sticks, pumpkin flavored."

An Shisi nodded: "Yes, it's in my schoolbag."

Fang Wangxi's spoon, which was scooping up red bean, milk, and white fungus soup, stopped in mid-air. "Really?"

An Shisi wagged his little tail and said, "Of course."

"Can I have one?"

"But you won my little red flower yesterday."

"But I didn't win any little red flowers today. Neither of us has any little red flowers today. Let's be friends, okay?"

An Shisi felt that Fang Wangxi's words made some sense, and reluctantly said, "Alright then, we're friends today."

Fang Wang was overjoyed: "Then can you share a milk stick with me? Teacher Zhang said that friends should share with each other."

“Okay then.” An Shisi remembered that Teacher Zhang had indeed said that, but he forgot that Lou’s mother had said in the morning that the milk sticks should not be given to other children.

After finishing their snacks, they sat quietly for five minutes, and then it was time to play games. An Shisi and Fang Wangxi sneaked over to where they had their backpacks. An Shisi pulled out his backpack, took out a small paper bag, and whispered, "Here."

Fang Wangxi's eyes lit up as he stared at the bag in An Shisi's hand; he could already smell the pumpkin and milk.

An Shisi didn't take out the paper bag. He reached inside and groped around for a while before pulling out a milk stick. "Here you go."

Fang Wangxi took the milk stick and put it in his schoolbag, saying in a whisper, "Can I get one for my sister too? My sister is super cute."

An Shisi thought for a moment and then took out another one from the bag and gave it to Fang Wangxi.

Zhang Man turned her head and saw An Shisi and Fang Wangxi holding their schoolbags at the door. She thought they were trying to run away home, so she went over and said, "It's not time for school to end yet. You can only go home after school ends."

In kindergarten, parents are allowed to pick up their children early. Many children are used to being picked up early, and when they enter the middle class, they still haven't adapted to the rule that they can only go home at the end of the school day. Every afternoon after snack time, there are always one or two children who stubbornly shout "I want to go home" while holding their schoolbags.

Fang Wangxi put his sister's pumpkin strips into his schoolbag, put the schoolbag back in the locker, and calmly said, "I understand, Teacher Zhang."

An Shisi nervously put his schoolbag back in the locker. "Teacher Zhang, I understand."

Unlike the middle class, the children in the lower class were picked up by their parents one after another after afternoon snack time.

"Lin Wuyang, why didn't your grandma come to pick you up first today?" Wen Xingmou asked Lin Wuyang, who was sitting next to her.

Lin Wuyang sat upright in his seat, staring straight ahead, without answering Wen Xingmou's question.

"Sigh, it's just the two of us left." Wen Xingmou looked worried.

Lin Wuyang blinked, focused his gaze, and looked towards the doorway.

A few children were lining up at the entrance with their backpacks and water bottles, but they left quickly.

Wen Xingmou followed Lin Wuyang's gaze to the door, unsure whether she was comforting him or herself: "It's okay. Your grandma was only once not the first to pick you up, and Aunt Lou was never the first to pick me up either."

Seeing the schoolbag by the door, Wen Xingmou suddenly remembered that she had milk sticks in her schoolbag. "Lin Wuyang, I have milk sticks."

Lin Wuyang withdrew his gaze and glanced at Wen Xingmou.

"Really, it's in my backpack."

Lin Wuyang silently turned his head back.

Wen Xingmou ran to the door with a thud, "Teacher, please help me get my schoolbag down, I want my schoolbag."

“No problem.” Shen Xinan handed Wen Xingmou’s schoolbag to her.

Wen Xingmou ran back with her schoolbag in her arms, "I really didn't lie to you, only a dog would lie."

"Aunt Lou said I can eat milk sticks after school." Wen Xingmou rummaged through her schoolbag, pulled out a paper bag of milk sticks, took one out and started eating. "So delicious."

Lin Wuyang turned to look at her again.

"Do you want it?" Wen Xingmou asked.

Lin Wuyang remained silent.

"Then... I'll give you one." Wen Xingmou took a milk stick out of the bag and gave it to Lin Wuyang. "It's a pumpkin-flavored milk stick."

Lin Wuyang's eyelashes trembled, but she did not reach out to take it.

After waiting for a while, Lin Wuyang still showed no intention of taking it, so Wen Xingmou decided to take back the milk stick.

Before the milk stick could be retracted, it was grabbed by a hand.

"Do you like it?" Wen Xingmou was very happy. "It's really delicious. My older brother made it. Sister Mangmang also has some, Brother Xinglin also has some, Brother Fourteen and I also have some, and you have some too. We all have some. It's so great."

"It's alright. Grandma's here to pick you up." Shen Xinan smiled and came over to take Lin Wuyang's hand. "Let's quickly put on our schoolbags and go home."

Wen Xingmou's mood, which had just been cheerful, instantly plummeted again. She chewed on a milk stick and whispered, "Aunt Lou is the last one to pick me up again today."

"Starry Eyes, Aunt Lou is here to pick you up too."

Wen Xingmou suddenly looked up at the door. Teacher Shen was smiling and beckoning to her. Wen Xingmou ran over with her schoolbag in her arms. "Teacher Shen, did Aunt Lou really come to pick me up?"

"Yes, zip up your backpack, put it on properly, and don't forget your water bottle." Shen Xinan handed the water bottle to Wen Xingmou.

"Thank you, Teacher Shen," Wen Xingmou said loudly.

Shen Xinan couldn't help but laugh, "So happy?"

Wen Xingmou squinted and smiled, "Yes, hehe."

Shen Xinan led Lin Wuyang and Wen Xingmou to the door and presented them to the two parents.

"Thank you for your hard work, teacher." Lou Lan accepted Wen Xingmou's gift.

"Of course," Shen Xinan said with a smile. "Xingmou is very happy that you came early today."

Lou Lan felt guilty. "I'll try to pick her up earlier next time."

Lin Wuyang's grandmother also said to Shen Xinan, "Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Shen. I'm so sorry I was a little late today because I had something to do. I hope Lin Wuyang didn't cause you any trouble?"

"No, no, it's just after class. Lin Wuyang behaved very well today. He was even chatting with Wen Xingmou after school."

"Really?" Grandma Lin Wuyang's eyes welled up with tears. "Thank you, Teacher Shen, and thank you, little Xingmou."

Shen Xinan quickly said, "No need to thank me, it's all my pleasure."

Wen Xingmou echoed Shen Xinan, saying, "No need to thank me, it's all the same."

The adults were all amused by her.

Grandma Lin Wuyang thanked her profusely before leaving with Lin Wuyang.

As the only gatekeeper in Class 2, An Shisi had to close the windows and turn off the lights after school, so he came out a little late.

Lou Lan and Wen Xingmou were waiting for him at the door.

Wen Xingmou took out a milk stick from her schoolbag and ate it.

An Shisi ran out with his schoolbag on his back and a water bottle in his hand. When he saw Wen Xingmou eating a milk stick, he pulled a paper bag out of his schoolbag as well. "I have one too."

The two handed their schoolbags to Lou Lan, each eating a milk stick and holding a paper bag, assuming there was still plenty inside, unaware that it was empty.

It wasn't until An Shisi finished eating the one in his hand in a few bites and searched the bag thoroughly without finding it that he realized it was gone. "Ah? I'm out."

Wen Xingmou also tore open the bag and put her whole face inside to look, "The nest is gone too."

Lou Lan knew that An Fusheng hadn't packed a lot for them, but she didn't know exactly how much he had packed. She was surprised that there was only one pack, and she admired him greatly.

Lou Lan was secretly gloating, but feigned surprise: "You finished eating so quickly?"

The two children nodded sadly.

Lou Lan felt a pang of pity. "Let's go home and see if there's any left."

These words successfully gave the two children hope, and they ran off, shouting, "Mommy Lou, let's go pick up Xinglin and hurry home to eat milk sticks!"

“Okay.” Lou Lan followed behind the two children. “Watch where you’re going and don’t run too fast.”

After picking up Wen Xinglin, the children raced back to the orphanage, not wasting a single moment on the way.

As soon as An Shisi and Wen Xingmou got back, they ran to the kitchen to find milk sticks. Luckily, they had made a lot in the morning and there were still some at home.

The two came out of the kitchen, holding milk sticks in their hands, smiling contentedly.

Lou Lan couldn't help but tease, "Doesn't the kindergarten have afternoon tea? Why are you acting like there's a famine?"

...

As soon as Fang Wangxi got home, he put his schoolbag on the ground and called to his sister, "Little sister, come here quickly, see what your brother brought you?"

When Fang Wangyue saw her brother return, she dropped the toys she was holding and ran over to him, calling out, "Brother!"

"Did you win a little red flower for your little sister again today?" Grandma Fang came in from behind after changing her shoes.

When Fang's mother came out of the restroom and heard that her son had won the little red flower, she chimed in, "Really? My son is that good?"

Fang Wangxi ignored them, took out a milk stick from her schoolbag, and offered it to her younger sister, "Here, a pumpkin-flavored milk stick, it's delicious."

Fang Wangyue grabbed the milk stick and stuffed it into her mouth. By the time her mother saw it, she had already eaten a piece.

"What are you putting in your mouth like that?" Fang's mother snatched the milk stick from Fang Wangyue's hand.

Fang Wangyue had only taken one bite when it was snatched away. She finished chewing and swallowed what was in her mouth, then burst into tears.

"What kind of random things are you feeding your sister?" Fang's mother held the milk stick in her hand and looked at it again and again.

"It's a pumpkin-flavored milk stick, it's super delicious!" Fang Wangxi said loudly. His younger sister was crying, and he was very anxious. "Quickly give it to your sister."

"Where did it come from?" Fang's mother asked.

"It was given to me by An Shisi."

It turned out that the children from the kindergarten had shared the food. Fang's mother said, "You can't just give it to your little sister like that. Didn't I teach you that you can't eat other people's food? How could you give it to your little sister? What if she gets sick from it?"

“An Shisi is my friend, he’s no stranger,” Fang Wangxi argued loudly.

Okay, the voices advocating for friendship are quite loud. Instead of discouraging her son's friendship, Fang's mother changed her tune: "This milk stick got dirty in his schoolbag and can't be eaten."

Fang Wangxi looked at his schoolbag. "My schoolbag isn't dirty."

"Some dirt isn't visible. Did Mom tell you that food should be stored in a special box or bag?"

"Mm." Fang Wangxi nodded.

"Was this milk bar not packaged in a separate bag or box?"

Fang Wangxi continued to nod.

"That means it's dirty. You can't give dirty things to your little sister, understand?"

Fang Wangxi was successfully fooled and said, "I understand."

"Okay, go play with your sister and tell her to stop crying."

Fang Wangxi began to comfort his younger sister: "Little sister, don't cry. Shall we play with your favorite toy?"

While Fang's mother was secretly pleased with herself for successfully controlling her son, she didn't know that not long after she left, Fang Wangxi took out a milk stick from his schoolbag and said, "Little sister, eat this secretly, don't let Mom and Grandma see."

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Author's Note: Here we go! It's already the second day!