Chapter 167 Are adults not picky eaters?
The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, gently casting dappled light and shadow on the restaurant floor.
Ms. Wang sat in the classroom of Tongxin Kindergarten, her eyes fixed on Lele. Seeing the bright smile on the child's face, her heart was filled with sweetness and joy.
On this day, Ms. Wang accompanied Lele to dinner as usual.
Wearing a neat apron, Su Yingxue bustled between the kitchen and the classroom. Soon, plates of delicious-looking dishes appeared before her. The sweet and sour pork ribs gleamed with an enticing reddish-brown color, each piece coated in a rich, mellow sauce, as if telling a sweet story; the sunny-side-up egg, like a small golden sun, lay quietly on the plate, its edges slightly upturned, emitting an irresistible aroma; the stir-fried zucchini, vibrant green and tender, was neatly arranged on the plate, resembling a small green forest.
Lele excitedly picked up his little spoon and eagerly immersed himself in the world of food. He ate the sweet and sour pork ribs with gusto, his satisfied expression like that of a greedy little kitten;
Then it ate the sunny-side-up egg, its cheeks puffed out, looking like a cute little hamster.
However, when Lele saw the stir-fried zucchini on the plate, her little eyebrows furrowed tightly, like two small hills.
He used a small spoon to move the zucchini to one side, pursed his lips, and said, "This stuff doesn't taste good, I really don't want to eat it."
Ms. Wang sighed inwardly as she looked at Lele.
She knew Lele had never liked zucchini, but she still thought that maybe this time the child would try to accept it. After all, Lele had eaten broccoli, which she didn't particularly like, last time, which gave her a glimmer of hope.
So Ms. Wang quickly moved closer to Lele and coaxed her, saying, "Baby, just try a small bite. Maybe you'll find it's actually quite delicious this time."
Lele hesitated for a moment, but under Ms. Wang's persistent coaxing, she reluctantly ate a bite of zucchini.
However, the next second, Lele seemed to be electrocuted and immediately spat out the zucchini.
With a frown, sticking out her tongue, and looking disgusted, she said, "I really don't want to eat this dish."
They looked as if they had eaten the bitterest thing in the world.
Ms. Wang was extremely worried when she saw Lele's appearance. Her heart sank, and she felt that her child had started to be picky about food again. What should she do?
Just as she was about to ask Su Yingxue what to do...
Su Yingxue nodded gently, a tender smile on her face, and said softly to Lele, "Okay, you've already tried it. Are you sure you really don't want to eat this dish?"
Lele nodded stubbornly, her little mouth pouting, and said seriously, "I think it tastes a little bitter, I can't accept it." Ms. Wang was about to try to persuade Lele again.
Su Yingxue spoke first gently, "Okay, then we won't eat today. Next time I'll try a different cooking method so you can try it out, okay?"
After saying that, Su Yingxue gently picked the zucchini off the plate and didn't give any more to Lele.
Ms. Wang was stunned by what she saw. She stared wide-eyed at Su Yingxue, her face full of confusion, and asked, "Are you really not going to let Lele eat this zucchini?"
Su Yingxue smiled and nodded, then turned the question on Ms. Wang: "Do you have any vegetables you dislike?"
Ms. Wang shook her head without hesitation and said confidently, "I don't have any. I love to eat everything."
Su Yingxue looked at her with a gentle smile in her eyes and said slowly, "But when you came to eat here last time, I saw that you didn't like to drink seaweed soup and only ate a few bites of the egg in the soup."
Ms. Wang quickly denied it: "That was just soup."
Su Yingxue continued unhurriedly, "That's not all! Lele told me last time that you also really like to eat hamburgers and fries at home, but you eat very little zucchini."
Upon hearing this, Ms. Wang pursed her lips slightly and began to recall her own actions.
Upon closer reflection, she realized it was true; she genuinely disliked fatty meat and couldn't help but frown whenever she saw it. She also disliked bitter melon, as its bitterness made it difficult for her to swallow.
As a child, she also disliked zucchini. Thinking about this, Ms. Wang was somewhat surprised; she realized she had so many vegetables she didn't like.
She looked at Su Yingxue, her eyes full of curiosity, and couldn't help but ask again, "What else did Xiao Lele say?"
Su Yingxue smiled, her eyes filled with warmth and understanding, and slowly replied, "He said my mom is very tired from work and doesn't want to cook when she gets home. Since she rarely spends time with me, I said I wanted to go eat hamburgers because my mom likes hamburgers too. It's only when we're eating hamburgers that my mom patiently stays with me."
Upon hearing Su Yingxue's words, Ms. Wang felt a lump in her throat and couldn't help but shed tears.
She looked at Lele, who was still obediently eating her ribs, and felt a mix of emotions. She and Lele's father had separated early on, and she had been raising the child alone ever since.
She always thought her child was a picky eater because she was a bad cook and the food wasn't tasty enough. Little did she know that in her child's mind, it was because his mother also liked hamburgers that he preferred to eat them.
She was lost in memories, recalling how she was a picky eater when she was a child. Back then, she would only feel incredibly happy eating hamburgers at a hamburger shop, as if she had returned to a carefree world.
So every time she went to a burger joint, she would accompany Lele, and they would happily enjoy the food together. Little did she know that Lele's picky eating habits were also related to her.
Inside the classroom, the warm sunlight still shone on the floor, but in Ms. Wang's heart, waves of emotion surged. Looking at Lele's carefree and adorable appearance, she secretly made up her mind to make changes, not only for the child's dietary health, but also to provide the child with better companionship and guidance.
“Teacher Su, you’re right. If the child doesn’t like to eat, we parents can’t force him too much. Lele is already very well-behaved. I could tell from the moment he came to your kindergarten. He’s changed so much.”
Ms. Wang compared her previous half-day visit to the kindergarten with her observation. She recalled watching Lele eat from a corner. He ate with heavy sighs and groans. All the other children had finished and were playing with building blocks. Lele, however, was still eating alone. When other children tried to play with him, he would pout and refuse.
The childcare workers are extremely worried. They also have to wash dishes and mop the floor. The teachers are also responsible for taking walks and ensuring students get a nap.
Then I fed her bite by bite. But Lele still ate very little. Maybe she didn't like a certain dish. Then she vomited.
He vomited it out and made a mess of the table.
Seeing this scene, the mother was heartbroken. Ms. Wang recalled how she had said when she first took Lele away, "I want to give him the best. He deserves the best environment."
To get Lele into the most expensive kindergarten, I kept taking on extra work and projects, which resulted in less time spent with her.
Now that she's transferred to Tongxin, perhaps the tuition is much cheaper. Lele has eaten again. Her mental pressure has lessened a bit.
Lately, the young women in the office have all said they feel younger and less stressed than before.
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