Chapter 28 Your child doesn't want to go to kindergarten...

Song Xinran was not surprised to hear this. In fact, ever since Cai Yongde started bringing things to her every day a week ago, she had guessed that Song Xinwen would go back one day.

Given Song Xinwen's personality, if he truly wanted to sever all ties with Cai Yongde, he would never accept anything from him.

Seeing Song Xinwen's somewhat uneasy expression, Song Xinran simply smiled gently: "Sister, when are you planning to go back? Have you told your husband and Cai Yang yet?"

Song Xinwen shook his head: "I told you beforehand that I'm planning to leave tomorrow."

Song Xinwen was a little nervous when he said it, worried about what Xinran would think of him.

After all, they left the Cai family because they had a big fight with Cai Yongde. She was able to live in the town for so long thanks to Xinran's help. Now that she wants to go back, she feels sorry for Xinran.

Song Xinran said, "Sister, you don't need to worry about me. It's only right for you to go back. After all, Xiaoyang is still so young. How can he manage without his mother by his side for a long time? I think your husband has changed a lot too. As long as you two can get along well, that's fine."

She deliberately chose to say things that Song Xinwen liked, even if they didn't align with her own values. But everyone's upbringing is different, and she wouldn't impose her own ideas on others.

Song Xinwen's throat tightened, and she felt a lump in her throat: "I just see you and Xiaoyu getting along so well every day, and it always reminds me of Xiaoyang... Sigh, Xinran, I'm sorry."

"Don't say that, just live your life well."

It was easier to say "I want to leave" than I had imagined, but Song Xinwen still felt like a heavy stone was pressing on his heart.

After Cai Yongde got off work, he brought Cai Yang with him. Song Xinwen had already packed his things and placed them at the door.

As soon as Cai Yang arrived, he ran to her and said, "Mom, what are we eating today? Dad brought eggs!"

Song Xinwen took the eggs and put them on the table at home. Without even glancing at Cai Yongde, he said in a stern voice, "We'll eat them when we get home today."

Cai Yongde was suddenly overjoyed, thinking that finally someone in the family would be doing the laundry and cooking.

"Come on, have you packed your things? I'll carry them!" Cai Yongde showed unprecedented enthusiasm when it came to doing housework.

Cai Yang was dumbfounded: "Mom, Mom, aren't we eating at Auntie's house today?"

Song Xinwen looked down and saw that he actually seemed quite reluctant to part with the food. He poked his head with a hint of exasperation and said, "Eat, eat, eat! All you ever do is eat! How much money and rice did you bring? All you care about are those two bites!"

Cai Yongde chimed in, "Your mother is right! I think you've even forgotten where you live!"

When he swore it out, Cai Yongde was actually quite happy. Cai Yang had been eating well for the past few days, and he could only stand at the door every day, enjoying the cold wind and the smells, his mouth watering.

"Is it your turn to speak?" Song Xinwen glanced at Cai Yongde. "Xiao Yang eats at Xinran's house. What does it have to do with you?"

Cai Yongde was stunned, thinking, "Wasn't he just trying to chime in? Why did he suddenly start cursing at me?"

However, now is not the time to argue. Song Xinwen has been away for half a month and his mind is already wandering. We can talk about it slowly when we get back.

Thinking it over, Cai Yongde held back and silently picked up Song Xinwen's luggage. When he saw Song Xinran, he greeted her, "Xinran, your sister and I are going back. Come over to our house when you have time."

If Cai Yongde was initially a little embarrassed to apologize to Song Xinran, after visiting for seven or eight days in a row, he lost all sense of pride and spoke even more fluently, as if they had never argued at all.

Song Xinran ignored him and only said to Song Xinwen, "Sister, I'm staying here now. You can come whenever you want. The room is always reserved for you."

Song Xinwen was touched: "Okay! I'll go now. If you're too busy, just call the village store and I'll be right there."

Song Yu waved to Cai Yang: "Goodbye, little brother Yang."

Cai Yang was feeling frustrated because he hadn't been able to eat dinner, and he didn't want to talk when he heard Song Yu's voice.

But the next second he received a slap on the head. Song Xinwen's voice was stern: "What were you supposed to say when Xiao Yu said goodbye?"

Cai Yang pouted and said with a wronged look, "Goodbye, Brother Xiao Yu."

Watching the tricycle carrying the three people disappear from sight, Song Yu said, "Little Yang is polite now."

He never called him "brother" at home before, and sometimes when he spoke to Cai Yang, Cai Yang would pretend not to hear him.

“Cai Yang has grown up.” Song Xinran said this, but in her heart she was thinking that forced politeness was still politeness. Children like Cai Yang had been forced too little in the past and had lived too comfortably. Now that Song Xinwen was going home, Cai Yang probably wouldn’t have the good days he used to have.

But at that moment, Cai Yang was unaware that he was simply heartbroken that he hadn't had dinner at his aunt's house. On his way home, he asked, "Mom, what are we having for dinner?"

Upon hearing this, Cai Yongde's mind started to stir. He said, "Kill a chicken, half braised and half cold. Xinwen, I've been feeding the chickens at home every day since you left, and I haven't killed a single one."

Song Xinwen glanced at him and said "Oh," without saying anything else.

Cai Yongde didn't mind; all he wanted to do now was eat chicken, and the nearly month-long ordeal was finally over.

As soon as he got home, Cai Yongde took his luggage into his room, then went back to the main room, sat on the couch, and turned on the TV.

Turning his head, he saw Cai Yang and Song Xinwen sitting motionless beside him. Cai Yongde was stunned and said, "Xinwen, go kill the chicken so we can cook."

Song Xinwen sneered: "If you want to eat, cook for yourself. I've never seen you starve to death when I wasn't home before."

Cai Yongde couldn't believe it; he was hoping that Song Xinwen would come home so he could have a good meal!

However, it was impossible to be too forceful at the moment, so he smiled and said, "My cooking is nowhere near as good as yours."

Song Xinwen said coldly, "Do what you can, or don't eat. Do you expect me to come back and be your slave? Cai Yang, get up! What are you watching TV for! I saw you left your clothes lying around in the room after you changed them, go and clean them up yourself!"

Cai Yang was stunned, and Cai Yongde was also taken aback. They felt that although their mother/Xinwen had returned, life seemed to be different from before.

*

After Song Xinwen left, Song Xinran took Song Yu to the market to buy groceries the next morning. She realized how inconvenient it was to take care of a child alone, especially since Song Yu was already a very well-behaved child among his peers.

It was market day, and the market was crowded. Song Yu was jostled and almost fell over, but he still held Song Xinran's fingers tightly. When they finally finished shopping and went back, Song Xinran carried a basket on her back, and Song Yu was carrying a bag.

"Mom, will Auntie come to our house again?" Song Yu asked after returning home.

Song Xinran said, "Yes, but Auntie probably won't stay at our house for very long anymore, because Auntie has her own home too."

Song Yu nodded her little head: "Auntie is Xiao Yang's mother. Every family has a mother."

Song Xinran used the vegetables she bought in the morning to cook two simple dishes for lunch: stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers and stir-fried shredded radish. The flavors were relatively light, but Song Yu still enjoyed it and ate a whole bowl of rice.

In the past, when setting up the stall in the afternoon, Song Xinwen would carry the table, Song Xinran would carry the pot of chicken, and Song Yu would carry some small odds and ends. They could finish carrying everything in two trips.

Today was the first time Song Xinran had ever carried a table while setting up her stall. Normally, it didn't feel heavy when she carried it, but once she walked a little further, she felt her arms getting sore and tired. Especially after putting it down, she had to turn around and get the pot-boiled chicken. She had to make four trips to get everything.

Fortunately, Song Xinran was prepared and set up her stall half an hour earlier than usual. Luckily, her home was not far from the entrance of the Third Middle School, only two or three hundred meters away. However, Song Xinran was exhausted and panting after finishing packing up.

Song Yu frowned, feeling anxious but unsure of what he could do. Being small and weak, he could only sit in front of the stall and watch over it while Song Xinran went back.

"Mom, I'm not going to play today," Song Yu said. "My aunt left, and I'm going to help Mom sell things."

Song Xinran said, "It's okay, Xiao Yu, go play. Selling Bo Bo Chicken is very simple, Mom can handle it all by herself."

Her decision to sell Bo Bo Chicken was also based on this consideration. It's a ready-made product that customers can choose for themselves, and she only needs to pack it, collect the money, and give change. Compared to other foods, the process is much simpler.

But Song Yu kept a straight face. When his friends came to find him after school, he said in a childish voice, "I want to help my mom. You guys go play."

Song Xinran met Song Yu and her new friends again. They must have come to find Song Yu as soon as they got home from school and put down their schoolbags. They were wearing the same clothes, with badges that read "Xingmiao Kindergarten" on the left chest of their jackets.

Upon hearing this, Yuanyuan immediately said, "I can help you too!"

The other three children quickly chimed in, "Me too! I even sold things at kindergarten!"

Song Yu looked up at her mother, and Song Xinran smiled and said, "Thank you, little friend. Can you sell things at kindergarten?"

"Of course!" Yuanyuan said. "Our school has a used toy sharing and exchange day!"

Zhang Xiaoda immediately raised his hand and said excitedly, "I sold my puppy and bought a kitten!"

Song Xinran was a little shocked. Could you really exchange pets?

Zhang Xiaolang said, "The puppy toy was replaced with a kitten toy."

Zhang Xiaoda pouted: "They're all the same."

Yuanyuan spoke rapidly as she introduced, "I sold the most toys. I sold all the toys I didn't like and replaced them with the ones I liked!"

From the children's chatter, Song Xinran pieced together a rough idea: the kindergarten was having an event similar to a flea market, where children would bring toys they no longer wanted to play with and share them with other children.

Whether a child can exchange for a desired toy depends entirely on their own abilities. Either the old toy is attractive and many people want to trade, or the child is good at salesmanship and can persuade others to buy it.

Song Xinran was surprised just by hearing it. How could a kindergarten be so advanced in this day and age, with such activities?

Firstly, families in this area don't have high incomes, and children have even fewer toys, let alone toys that can be traded for. They certainly can't be too old or dirty. After all, Yuanyuan just said that the teacher will screen them; old ones are acceptable, but dirty and broken ones are not.

Secondly, the current educational philosophy is still relatively backward, especially since Lingde Town, where they are located, is relatively remote. Song Xinran thought that kindergartens were simply for childcare, with some teachers teaching some basic knowledge.

The activities in the park are mostly limited to things like Children's Day performances, and they would never involve activities that incorporate financial literacy education and social practice like this.

It's no wonder that kindergarten places are so scarce and prioritized for the children of government employees. These activities simply cannot be carried out for children from ordinary farming families, since kindergarten activities also require parental support.

Having learned this, Song Xinran was even more eager to send Song Yu to kindergarten, as it would be very beneficial for the child's development.

The children were very enthusiastic when helping to sell things. Yuanyuan stood in front of the stall and shouted in a very professional manner, "Come and buy Bo Bo Chicken! Delicious Bo Bo Chicken!"

However, the reputation of Bo Bo Chicken has already spread far and wide, and customers come in a steady stream without any need for promotion. Regular customers even ask Song Xinran, "Auntie, where's the other auntie?"

Song Xinran said, "She went home."

"Auntie, will you be selling Bobo Chicken all by yourself from now on?"

Song Xinran nodded and said yes.

The student was nervous: "Auntie, what if you stop selling halfway through and go home like that other auntie?"

Song Xinran smiled and said, "No, this is my job, and I will continue to do it unless there are special circumstances."

"That's good." The student breathed a sigh of relief. "There's also a place selling Bo Bo Chicken near Huangguoshu. I've tried it, and it's nothing like what you sell, Auntie."

Song Xinran was hearing about this for the first time, but she didn't care. She had thought about it when she was setting up her stall. If business was good, there would be many imitations. However, she was confident that her Bo Bo Chicken tasted the best.

Song Xinran brought out several skewers of Bo Bo Chicken in advance to prevent them from selling out completely.

Her business had been stable, but the fried food stall owner foolishly gave her another boost.

Today was the same; before the school bell rang at No. 3 Middle School, all the Bo Bo Chicken was sold out.

Song Xinran took out the skewers she had prepared in advance, put them into a disposable bowl, drizzled some chili oil into it, took a few pairs of chopsticks, and handed them to the four children who had been trying their best to help her.

"Thank you, kids, for helping me sell things. I'll treat you to Bo Bo Chicken."

Zhang Xiaoda swallowed hard. He had never known there was a pot-boiled chicken restaurant here before. The red oil was clear and looked delicious, especially since the business was always so good. The older brothers and sisters couldn't stop eating it. He had been craving it for a long time. As soon as he saw it in his bowl, he quickly reached out and took it with a big smile. He was about to pick up his chopsticks to eat.

Zhang Xiaolang quickly grabbed his arm and swallowed hard, saying, "Thank you, Auntie!"

Upon being reminded, Zhang Xiaoda immediately said, "Thank you, Auntie!"

Yuanyuan was the quickest; she took the chopsticks, thanked them, and quickly picked up a piece from the bowl.

The moment the meat skewer entered her mouth, her round eyes lit up, and she forgot all about talking.

She had never bought from these roadside stalls before. Her parents said they were not clean and didn't taste good, and that eating them would give her diarrhea. In addition, there were plenty of snacks at home, so Yuanyuan could eat whatever she wanted and had never been hungry.

Although she has money, she mostly buys toys in stores and has never tried street food. Today, she tried it and found it to be much tastier than her usual snacks!

No wonder so many people are buying it!

"Auntie, it's delicious!" Yuanyuan said while stuffing food into her mouth. "I'm coming to buy some tomorrow too! I have money!"

She reached into her pants pocket with her left hand, pulled out a five-yuan note, and handed it to Song Xinran, saying in a very generous voice, "Auntie, save this for me tomorrow."

Song Xinran laughed: "Yuanyuan can come and eat it tomorrow if she wants, it's free."

Yuanyuan frowned and thought for a while, but finally decided not to think about it anymore and to eat what was in her bowl first.

Finally, only one slice of lettuce remained in the bowl. The four children, with sharp eyes and chopsticks in hand, fought over it, refusing to give way. In the end, Yuanyuan, quick as a flash, grabbed it.

But it wasn't for him; instead, it was placed in front of Song Yu: "Here you go, you didn't eat any earlier."

Song Yu shook his head: "I ate it. I ate it when my mother made it at home."

He patted his stomach: "I'm full now."

Round cheeks puffed out. Could her mother make such delicious Bo Bo Chicken?

Zhang Xiaoda stared longingly at the lettuce slices in Yuanyuan's hand: "Yuanyuan, Song Yu, please don't give them to me, I'm not full!"

Yuanyuan pretended not to hear, turned her head and put the lettuce slice into her mouth, chewing loudly on purpose: "Hehe, I won't give it to you!"

Zhang Xiaoda's eyes widened; he was almost crying with anger!

After selling everything, Song Xinran asked the four children to take Song Yu to play while she slowly carried the items home herself. In the end, her back was so tired that she could barely straighten up.

Song Xinran wondered why she had never felt so tired before, as Song Xinwen had done a lot for her.

She could perhaps find a helper, but finding someone would be extremely difficult; they would need to be trustworthy, diligent, and clean.

However, setting up a stall cart is now urgent. When there were two of them, they didn't feel tired when buying groceries and carrying things, but now the work is piling up on her alone.

If you had a cart, you could just pull it along when you set up your stall, which would make things much easier!

Without further ado, Song Xinran took out her notebook and pen and began to draw according to her own ideas.

Song Xinran plans to have a stainless steel cart custom-made so that she can sell both pot-boiled chicken and oden.

Unlike cold dishes like Bobo Chicken, Oden needs to be kept warm after cooking, which requires the use of a gas cylinder.

She needed to leave space on the cart to store gas cylinders; she had seen them at the station before, where small gas cylinders were sold.

Song Xinran was writing down her thoughts when there was a sudden knock on the door.

"Xinran, are you home?" It was Lei Hong's voice.

Song Xinran felt a surge of joy when she thought about the matter she had entrusted to Lei Hong, and quickly opened the door.

Lei Hong said, "Girl, your business is really good! I originally went to look for you at the entrance of No. 3 Middle School, but when I asked, I found out you had already sold out and gone back. You're so fast!"

Lei Hong, being in this line of work, naturally knew the approximate profit margin. Song Xinran only set up her stall for an hour, but she earned quite a bit.

Song Xinran smiled and said, "Business has only been good these past few days. Brother Lei, is there something you need from me?"

Lei Hong hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your child wants to go to kindergarten, right? I asked my friend for you, and he said that kindergarten places are in high demand right now. Even children of school teachers have to register in advance and wait for arrangements."

Song Xinran already understood. Although she felt a little disappointed, she wasn't too affected. After hearing Yuanyuan's words today, she knew that the kindergarten in town was very well-run and that many people would want to go there, so connections were naturally not easy to find.

"I understand, thank you Brother Lei. I appreciate it if you could help me with this trip. I'll keep an eye on the news myself," Song Xinran said with a smile.

Lei Hong felt a little apologetic, thinking that Song Xinran had even gone out of her way to try the new dishes and give him advice, but he hadn't been able to help her at all.

"I also inquired about Xingmiao Kindergarten. Their principal is Kang Zhilan. She returned from university and is young and very innovative, which is why she has made the kindergarten so successful. There are many activities there, and her own child attends the kindergarten. They usually live in the town and return to the city during holidays, so they don't interact much with the people in the town. I heard that she will be transferred back to the city in the future!"

When Lei Hong came to the town, Xingmiao Kindergarten was not the current principal. He had inquired about it when his child was about to attend kindergarten, but felt it was just so-so, so he didn't send his child there.

Now that his child is in junior high school, he hasn't paid attention to the kindergarten for a long time. He didn't know it had developed so well. The activities there are so many, and even the decorations have changed drastically.

Song Xinran thanked him, "Brother Lei, I've been asking around for so long without getting any information, and you've brought me so much information right away. Thank you so much."

Lei Hong quickly declined, saying it wasn't at all, and felt a little better. He turned his head and saw the sketch on the table, asking, "What are you drawing, little sister? It looks quite good."

Song Xinran smiled sheepishly: "I'm planning to have a handcart custom-made, it'll be useful for setting up a stall."

Lei Hong picked up the drawing paper and examined it carefully: "Your idea is quite novel, but it probably won't turn out very well."

Song Xinran's eyes lit up. It was indeed her first time drawing a design, and she could only rely on the street vendor carts she had seen in her previous life. She wasn't sure: "Brother Lei, have you ever made a street vendor cart before?"

Lei Hong laughed heartily: "Yes, I used to think about setting up a stall, so I even studied stall carts. But later I learned cooking from my master and became a chef."

"If you want to order custom-made, I can recommend a place to you. My friend works in a processing plant and has also run a street stall. He has a lot of experience."

Song Xinran was overjoyed: "Thank you so much, Brother Lei! You've really helped me a lot. I was just having this problem!"

Although Song Yu still had no connections to get into kindergarten, things were progressing with the stall and cart project. Lei Hong said it would probably cost around a thousand yuan. After seeing the person off, Song Xinran took out her ledger and started calculating.

She has been setting up her stall in town for almost a month now. After deducting costs and the salary she paid Song Xinwen, she has earned a total of more than 2,600 yuan. The majority of the money was spent on buying a water heater, and she spent several hundred yuan on some miscellaneous household items and clothes. With the money she had left over, she now has a total of 1,825 yuan.

This seems like a lot of money, considering that the average annual income of rural residents these days is only 2,100 to 2,500 yuan, and she earns almost 3,000 yuan a month.

But it's really not enough when you spend it all. Appliances are especially expensive. Buying a water heater and having a stainless steel trolley custom-made would cost more than two thousand yuan, and it still hurts to spend it.

However, Song Xinran thought again that the money she was spending now was for making more money in the future. It was only the beginning of winter, and the colder the weather, the better the oden business would be, so she could make it all back.

Song Xinran gritted her teeth and transferred one thousand from the ledger.

Then another 600 was transferred out. Although there was still no clue about Song Yu's kindergarten enrollment, the money had to be set aside in advance. In addition to tuition fees, there were other expenses, otherwise the opportunity would not be seized.

After playing with his friends, Song Yu ran straight to Song Xinran, took something out of his pocket, and stuffed it into Song Xinran's hand: "Mom, eat this."

Song Xinran held his little hand: "What did Xiao Yu give Mommy?"

"They're really delicious candies. Yuanyuan gave them to me." He stood on tiptoe, his eyes bright and round, and said softly, "Yuanyuan only gave one to the other children, but she gave me two."

He smiled shyly, "It's sweet and delicious."

Song Xinran gently pinched a rectangular candy. She seemed to have a premonition, and when she opened her hand, she was surprised to see that it was a chocolate, a brand-name product that was not sold in town.

She was somewhat surprised, as such chocolates cost tens of yuan per kilogram, which was unaffordable for ordinary families.

But then I thought, since Yuanyuan attends Xingmiao Kindergarten, her family must be well-off.

Song Yu helped her peel off the chocolate coating, held it to her lips, and looked at her expectantly.

Song Xinran's gaze softened as she put the chocolate in her mouth: "Thank you, Xiao Yu, it's delicious."

Song Yu smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Yuanyuan said that Mom's Bo Bo Chicken is even tastier."

The next day, Yuanyuan brought a big bag of chocolates. The little girl's voice was crisp and sweet: "Auntie, I'll trade you my candy for some Sichuan-style boiled chicken. Song Yu said you like candy."

Song Xinran glanced at the bag of chocolates and realized it weighed at least half a pound. She was both amused and exasperated. She bent down and said, "Yuanyuan, if you want to eat Sichuan-style boiled chicken, just come over. You don't need to give me any candy. Take these back with you."

Yuanyuan thought she didn't want to change, and got a little anxious: "Auntie, you eat it, it's delicious, but I prefer Bo Bo Chicken!"

Song Xinran said softly, "Yuanyuan is Xiaoyu's friend. I'm happy to treat Xiaoyu's friend to a meal. Feelings don't need to be exchanged."

Yuanyuan seemed to understand, but not quite.

Song Xinran took a small bowl and filled it for Yuanyuan and the other children, placing it on the table for them to eat slowly.

Because she loved Bo Bo Chicken so much, Yuanyuan came for several days in a row. In the end, she felt a little embarrassed and went home early. However, she had a little no appetite while eating. She poked at the food in her bowl with her spoon, looked up at the dishes on the table, hesitated for a while, and finally scooped up a spoonful of minced meat and peas and ate it with rice. However, her expression was a little conflicted.

"What's wrong with Yuanyuan?" Xu's father asked. "Has she not had a good appetite these past few days? She eats much less every night."

Yuanyuan has always been a child who is not picky about food. She eats well and sleeps well. Apart from liking to run around outside every day, she is a very easy child to take care of.

Xu's mother asked softly, "Yuanyuan, tell me what you want to eat, and I'll have Grandpa buy it for you."

"Bo Bo Chicken," Yuan Yuan whispered.

"What?"

Yuanyuan couldn't take it anymore: "I want to eat Bo Bo Chicken!"

Her parents wouldn't let her eat street food, but Yuanyuan secretly ate some without telling them; she was just really craving it today.

As soon as Xu's mother heard this, she knew: "Did Yuanyuan go to buy from a roadside stall? Your class teacher told me that a pot-boiled chicken stall opened at the gate of No. 3 Middle School, and several students begged their parents to buy some."

Yuanyuan's eyes widened: "Which students? Why didn't you tell me about this delicious Bo Bo Chicken!"

Mr. Xu immediately said, "Those roadside stalls are not clean at all. A few days ago, two stall owners got into a fight and it even came to our station. Those skewers are all made with reconstituted frozen meat! They put all sorts of things in there, like lymph node meat, dead chicken, and dead duck meat. It's the most unhygienic thing ever. Yuanyuan, you can't buy them!"

“I didn’t buy it!” Yuanyuan emphasized. “My aunt treated me to it.”

Mr. Xu immediately became alert, realizing that anyone offering his child food out of the blue must have ulterior motives: "Did she say she was giving you food so you'd go to her house with her?"

"No! Auntie said she treated me to dinner because Song Yu and I are friends."

Mr. and Mrs. Xu had already heard about this new friend from Yuanyuan and were quite fond of her. Yesterday, Yuanyuan even brought back a painting, saying that it was a gift from Song Yu, depicting a scene of several friends playing together.

As soon as Xu's mother took a look, she said, "You can tell at a glance that although the painter has not undergone systematic study and practice, the painting is very inspired, the colors are well used, the picture is very lively, and it has great potential."

Yuanyuan liked it very much and put it in her room.

After making new friends, Yuanyuan came home and surprisingly said she wanted to read a book, specifically asking for "Grimm's Fairy Tales." When asked, it turned out that Song Yu had read the book at home and told them the stories.

Yuan Yuan wanted to watch it too after hearing that.

When Mr. and Mrs. Xu heard this, they were moved to tears. Yuanyuan was four and a half years old. The children of Mrs. Xu's classmates, who were about the same age, could recognize many words and read independently according to picture prompts. Some of them had also attended English learning classes, painting classes, and dance classes.

Yuanyuan didn't want to go to any extracurricular classes. Xu's parents thought she was too young to force her, but they were still a little anxious at times. Seeing that their daughter was actually "improving" under the guidance of her friend, they felt much more favorably toward this new friend they hadn't even met yet.

Therefore, Mr. Xu's tone softened: "What is the relationship between that aunt and Song Yu?"

Yuanyuan: "Auntie is Song Yu's mother."

Parents who can raise a child like Song Yu must be quite good, but Xu's father said, "Yuanyuan, if you like it, you can go home and have your dad make it."

Yuanyuan's expression was one of mixed feelings: "...But what you made tasted terrible."

Xu's father: ...

Xu's mother was even more observant, noticing that Yuanyuan hadn't been eating much at night lately: "Yuanyuan, have you been eating Bo Bo Chicken these past few days?"

Yuanyuan was a little embarrassed and poked at the rice in her bowl: "Because it's so delicious."

“Then Mom will make it tomorrow,” Xu’s mother said. “But it’s not good for you to keep eating other people’s food. Your father and I didn’t know this before. When will you invite your friends over to play?”

Yuanyuan thought for a moment and said, "If it's all about playing, I can invite them to Song Yu's house to play."

Xu's mother was both amused and exasperated: "Yuanyuan, that's not our home, don't be so casual."

Yuanyuan puffed out her cheeks: "Okay."

Meanwhile, at Song Xinran's house, Song Yu brought back a small rabbit doll the size of a palm.

“Mom, this is a gift from Yuanyuan,” Song Yu said. “I drew a picture for Yuanyuan.”

Song Xinran glanced at it; the rabbit doll was exquisitely made and hung on a keychain, so it shouldn't be expensive. "That means Yuanyuan really likes your paintings."

Song Yu nodded vigorously, smiling happily: "I want to draw more!"

"Is it for other children?"

Song Yu shook his head: "Give it to Mom!"

Song Xinran felt a pang of tenderness; her heart melted. "Thank you, Xiao Yu. Mom will definitely cherish this."

She remembered that these past few days, several children had come to help her with the sales pitch as soon as they got out of school. They were quite cute and got along well with Song Yu, so she said, "Xiao Yu, when you're playing tomorrow, ask your friends if they have time to come to our house this Saturday. Mom will make oden for them."

Song Yu nodded happily.

The next day, Song Yu came back and said, "Mom, Yuanyuan is not free. She said she is going to the city to see her grandparents this weekend."