Chapter 80 Preparing for School
The children ate their fill, and Niu Niu lay in his chair, burping and muttering, "It was so delicious... burp..."
Seeing that they had eaten a bit too much and worried about indigestion, Lu Mingyue smiled and said, "Let's go for a walk and pick some wild vegetables for the chicks."
The children perked up immediately when they heard they were going to dig up wild vegetables to feed the chickens, and they all jumped off their chairs.
Several children, carrying prepared tools and baskets, followed behind their parents.
There was a patch of wild vegetables right outside their house. Lu Mingyue taught the children which leaves were suitable for feeding the chickens and which ones to keep for themselves.
The children listened attentively, occasionally asking some strange questions that made everyone laugh.
In no time, the small basket was filled with fresh and tender vegetable leaves.
Leilei carried the basket carefully, protecting it as if afraid of losing even a single leaf.
Back in the yard, the children eagerly tossed vegetable leaves into the chicken coop, watching the chicks flap their wings and scramble for the food, their faces beaming with joy.
After a stroll around, the children had finished their digestion task and were given a hearty dinner.
The courtyard returned to tranquility, with only the distant crowing of roosters and the contented laughter of children.
With the family's careful care, the vegetables in the garden grew more and more lush every day.
Every few days, Lu Mingyue would go to the vegetable garden to pick out the freshest vegetables and cook a delicious home-style meal at home.
The children love watching her cook. As soon as the oil in the pan heats up, the vegetables are added, and the aroma instantly fills the air with a sizzling sound.
The chicks in the yard gradually grew up, their feathers became glossy and smooth, and they walked with their heads held high and chests out, occasionally flapping their wings and chasing and playing.
Every evening, they line up and return to the coop, chirping as if reporting on the day's interesting events.
That day, Wang Fengmei brought her two sisters to visit her home.
She had barely sat down when she shifted the topic to the children's education.
"Mingyue, Leilei is already five years old. Shouldn't we start thinking about him going to school?" she asked with a smile.
Lu Mingyue paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, I've been teaching him calligraphy and other skills lately. He's quite young, and I was originally planning to send him to school next year."
"Not young anymore."
Some parents in the residential compound are busy with work and send their children to school early, feeling at ease with the teachers watching over them.
Wang Fengmei continued, "Our two children should be starting first grade too."
“If Leilei goes to school, the children will have company and will be more motivated to go to school.”
Lu Mingyue thought about it and realized that Leilei was almost old enough to start school, so she discussed the matter with Huo Zheng that evening.
That night, after the children were all asleep, she told Huo Zheng about her idea.
She said softly, "Sister-in-law Wang came to visit today and mentioned the children's schooling. She said that several children could go together. Leilei is five years old this year, so he can go to preschool first."
"If he wants to go, we'll ask the teacher after school starts in a while to see if we can send him there?"
Huo Zheng put down his work and thought about it seriously: "Okay, Sister Wang's suggestion is also acceptable. The children should learn some knowledge, and besides, it will be safer for them to travel with companions."
Lu Mingming said, "It's fine if I go to pick them up, I don't have anything to do at home anyway."
He was worried that his child might get into trouble on the way.
The two began to discuss in detail how they needed to inform the teacher in advance, prepare stationery, and teach the children some basic manners and rules.
“We need to make him a little schoolbag,” Lu Mingyue said with a smile, “and prepare some delicious food so that they can be happy on their first day of school.”
Huo Zheng nodded in agreement: "Yes, I'll go to the mountains tomorrow to see if I can find some good wood to make them a sturdy little desk."
He glanced at Lu Mingyue, hesitated, and said, "The children are not little anymore, shouldn't they sleep separately?"
"How can that be? Yao Yao is still young, only three years old."
Gu Mingyue liked the soft, fragrant little dumpling, like holding a little cotton candy.
"However, Leilei can indeed be separated. Tomorrow I'll help him tidy up another empty room. As for the psychological preparation, how about you, as his father, take care of that?"
"OK."
That brat used to laugh at him for being kicked out by his wife; now he's going to be kicked out too.
The next morning, Lu Mingyue went into the kitchen and made steamed eggs, the children's favorite dish.
The smooth steamed egg custard is sprinkled with chopped green onions, and its aroma is irresistible.
The two children ate with beaming smiles, licking the bowls clean.
After breakfast, Huo Zheng called Lei Lei outside the yard and said they wanted to take a walk together.
The morning air carried the scent of fresh grass as the father and son walked slowly along the path. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground.
Leilei was more mature than his peers from a young age and was particularly sensitive to the emotions of adults.
Huo Zheng always treated him like a half-adult and consulted him on many things.
"Leilei, do you want to go to school?" Huo Zheng asked, his tone calm and serious.
Leilei nodded, his eyes filled with both anticipation and a little unease: "I want to go, but I'm a little worried that I won't do well in school, and I don't want to be away from my parents and sister for too long."
Huo Zheng stopped and squatted down to be at eye level with his son: "Learning is a gradual process. No one knows everything from the beginning. You go to school during the day, but you will still come home at night. Your father, mother, and sister will always be here waiting for you."
He paused, then added, "Going to school is not only about learning knowledge, but also about making new friends."
Leilei's eyes lit up, and he said firmly, "Okay, I want to go to school."
Huo Zheng patted his son's head with satisfaction: "Good, that's my good son. Remember, no matter what difficulties you encounter, you can come home and tell us."
When Lu Mingyue arrived home and saw Huo Zheng nodding, she knew that the matter of going to school had been settled.
She found some fabric in the house and sat down at the sewing machine to make school bags for her two children.
Leilei chose the color himself, a military green that is unique to this era, and he wore a small crossbody backpack.
She specially embroidered her name on her schoolbag, along with He Leilei's favorite little lion head, which was exquisite and pleasing to the eye.
Huo Zheng was polishing two small wooden pencil boxes in the yard. He carefully sanded every corner with sandpaper until it felt as smooth as jade.
Then, I used a small carving knife to carve simple patterns on the lid, making it both beautiful and practical.
In the afternoon, Lu Mingyue took her two children to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some more stationery.
Seeing Leilei's happy expression, Wang Fengmei smiled and asked, "What's making you so happy?"
"Aunt Wang, I'm going to school now."
Wang Fengmei glanced at Lu Mingyue and blinked. Was it settled?
Lu Mingyue smiled and nodded.
She used to think he was too young and it wouldn't matter if he started school a year later, but after Wang's wife reminded her, she felt it was good for him to start school earlier so that he could get along better with his friends.
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