Chapter 173 Director Li's Scheme
Although the food crisis has been temporarily resolved, Su Yingxue dares not relax.
She knew that the old caregiver had ulterior motives and the food supplier had been turned against her, and that trouble would only follow. Only by securing the good food could she truly win over the parents.
The next morning, she got up early and led the kitchen staff to the ingredients room, carrying fresh purple sweet potatoes and carrots that she had just ordered from the farmers, as well as freshly slaughtered free-range chicken. Soon, the cutting board was filled with ingredients covered in morning dew, exuding a natural fragrance.
"Today I'm making bear-shaped purple sweet potato buns, along with a carrot and rabbit pudding. For dessert, I'll make some fruit and vegetable cookies so the kids will be happy and parents can feel more at ease."
Su Yingxue rolled up her sleeves, first peeled and steamed the purple sweet potatoes, then mashed them into a smooth paste. She mixed the paste into the warm dough and kneaded it well. She pinched off small dough pieces and shaped them into round balls. Then she took a small amount of white dough and shaped it into bear ears and noses. She used black beans to make eyes, and one by one, the round little bear purple sweet potato buns were formed, looking adorable.
Next, process the free-range chicken. Take the tender chicken breast meat, mince it, add a small amount of chopped green onions and salt for seasoning, shape it into small fish, and steam it until cooked. The meat is tender and not dry, making it suitable for children to chew.
Peel and juice the carrots, mix them with milk and gelatin sheets, pour the mixture into a rabbit mold and refrigerate. Once set, unmold the pudding. The orange-red pudding has a sweet carrot flavor, and the rabbit's ears stand straight up, making it look adorable.
When the children saw the delicious food on the table at breakfast, their eyes lit up, and they all raised their spoons and shouted, "Teacher Su, the bear-shaped buns are so cute!" "I want to eat the rabbit pudding!"
Su Yingxue stood aside, watching the children eat heartily. Some children would carefully hold their buns, reluctant to take a bite, with purple sweet potato puree stuck to the corners of their mouths, like little gluttons.
She casually snapped a few photos, including one of a child smiling while holding a steamed bun, and a close-up of pudding glistening in the sunlight.
The caption read, "Today's breakfast: bear-shaped purple sweet potato buns + carrot pudding. The ingredients are fresh and you can see them. The kids ate it with gusto," and was sent to the parents' group chat.
The group chat quickly became lively, with parents replying one after another. One person said, "My child never eats purple sweet potatoes at home, but he actually finished all the steamed buns at kindergarten."
Some people shared chat logs showing their children coming home and saying, "Teacher Su's cooking is the best," which completely dispelled their previous doubts.
But the calm didn't last long before news of Xingchen Kindergarten's "3-day free trial" program spread.
My WeChat Moments are full of photos of Starry Night Western food posted by parents: pan-fried cod fillets drizzled with tomato sauce, with a delicate mashed potato salad on the side.
There are also platters made of imported fruits, paired with glass bottles of plain yogurt, the presentation is luxurious and looks high-end.
Principal Li even had someone forward the message to the parents' group, with the caption, "Xingchen focuses on high-end nutritional meals, rejects flashy but impractical designs, and uses fresh ingredients and professional cooking to give children the best dietary care," subtly mocking Tongxin's animal meals for being nutritionally deficient.
When the news reached Tongxin, Principal Pan was furious: "This Principal Li is going too far. She's deliberately going against us. Maybe some parents will actually be lured away."
Su Yingxue scrolled through the photos of Western food in her WeChat Moments. She knew that Xingchen was attracting parents with gimmicks, but the trial meals and regular meals were likely different. She didn't plan to follow suit and launch an event. Instead, she decided to focus on the existing services and further amplify the advantages of the food.
That afternoon, she contacted a pediatric nutritionist and arranged for her child to come to the kindergarten the next day. At the same time, she notified the parents in the group chat: "Tomorrow, a nutritionist will come to the kindergarten to conduct a nutritional assessment for each child. They will also share some tips on children's diets, based on the animal meals provided in the kindergarten. Parents are welcome to attend and listen in."
The nutritionist arrived as scheduled the next day, and Su Yingxue specially laid out the ingredients for lunch that day: fresh green vegetables, sea bass, corn, and freshly made panda red bean buns—white dough shaped into panda faces, black beans for eyes, and red bean paste for filling, steamed until soft and sweet.
The nutritionist examined each ingredient, tasted a panda-shaped red bean bun, and smiled as he told the parents, "These ingredients are all very fresh and well-matched. The panda-shaped red bean bun uses red bean paste to replenish qi and blood, and the dough is soft and easy to digest, making it very suitable for children."
Animal-themed meals designed for children not only have appealing designs but also provide a balanced nutritional profile. For example, the bear-shaped purple sweet potato bun combines purple sweet potato for dietary fiber with chicken breast for protein, making it more suitable for children's dietary needs than Western meals that simply focus on fancy presentation.
The parents listened attentively, and one parent asked, "My child is a picky eater and doesn't like to eat vegetables. How can I get him to eat more?"
The nutritionist pointed to the carrots on the table and said, "By making carrots into puddings and cutting them into slices to decorate desserts, like Teacher Su does, children are more likely to accept them. Moreover, carrots and milk are better combined for nutrient absorption."
Su Yingxue took the opportunity to add: "From now on, I will post nutritious recipes in the group every week, and I will also make some additive-free snacks. For example, next week I will make yam cakes and fruit and vegetable steamed buns. You can let me know if you have any requests."
The parents were delighted to hear this. Some parents who had previously hesitated about whether to send their children to Xingchen for a trial period said on the spot, "Tongxin is still the most dedicated and sincere, not just flashy. The most important thing is that the children eat healthily."
But Su Yingxue didn't expect that when Director Li saw that she wasn't affected, she would start forcing the old caregiver to take action.
After the staff meeting that day, the veteran childcare worker secretly took a phone call in the corridor, her voice filled with panic.
Su Yingxue happened to be passing by and vaguely heard the words "the tableware was not washed properly" and "parents complained," and she instantly understood what was going on.
She didn't expose the truth. Instead, at lunchtime that day, she made sure the nanny washed the tableware extra clean. In front of the old caregiver, she said, "The children's tableware must be thoroughly disinfected. After washing, check it carefully. There can't be a single water stain. Only then will it be safe for the children to use."
The elderly caregiver avoided eye contact, bowed his head in response, but his movements were somewhat stiff.
That afternoon, Su Yingxue deliberately posted a video of tableware disinfection in the group chat. The entire process, from cleaning and disinfection to placement, was clearly visible. She also captioned it, "Strict disinfection of tableware, meticulous control of details, safeguarding children's food safety."
Parents gave it a thumbs up, but not long after, the veteran childcare worker sent a private message to the group chat, without naming names, only saying, "I've been too busy lately, and sometimes the dishes aren't washed very carefully. Please bear with me."
As soon as the message was sent out, a parent asked, "How come it wasn't clean? Teacher Su just posted a disinfection video."
The old caregiver never replied again, which caused a small ripple in the group chat.
Su Yingxue knew that Director Li was forcing the old caregiver to cause trouble. Instead of explaining, she spoke with the old caregiver alone.
In the office, she pushed a cup of hot tea in front of the veteran childcare worker and said in a gentle tone, "Aunt Wang, you've been at the kindergarten for so long and watched the children grow up. You must love them. I previously mentioned to the principal that we should optimize salaries, increase seniority subsidies for veteran employees, and allocate performance bonuses to kitchen and childcare positions. I know everyone works hard and I want to treat everyone well."
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