Chapter 98 Fighting for Mooncakes
The children haven't started their holiday yet; they have to go to school for three more days before the Mid-Autumn Festival break.
The next morning, Leilei carefully picked out two of the most perfectly shaped mooncakes from his cloth bag, one with a rabbit pattern and the other a crescent shape, and put them in his schoolbag.
"This is for Xiaoman. We agreed to share it with him yesterday." He waved to Lu Mingyue and skipped off to school with his backpack on.
As soon as Xiaoman arrived at the classroom, she greeted Leilei happily. Leilei patted the mooncakes in his bag, a smile playing on his lips, and whispered to her, "I'll give you something delicious later."
Xiaoman's eyes lit up, a hint of anticipation in them.
During recess, Leilei pulled his deskmate Xiaoman to a corner of the playground and proudly pulled out a mooncake: "Try it, my mom and the aunties in the yard made it together, this rabbit is for you!"
Xiaoman had just received the mooncake when Cui Xiaojun, who was not far away, spotted her.
Cui Xiaojun stared longingly at the mooncakes and reached out to snatch them: "Mooncakes? I want some too! Why should he get one?"
Leilei quickly shielded Xiaoman behind him, clutching the remaining mooncakes tightly: "These are mine, I won't give them to you!"
Seeing this, Cui Xiaojun immediately reached out and tried to pry Lei Lei's hand off. In the struggle, the mooncake in Xiao Man's hand fell to the ground and broke in two.
Leilei's eyes reddened with anger as he glared at Cui Xiaojun, "I ruined the mooncakes, pay me back for my mooncakes!"
Cui Xiaojun scoffed, "Why should I be blamed? It's all his fault for not holding it tight enough, which is why I didn't get any mooncakes."
The mooncakes were made with great effort by his mother, and Leilei had also helped. Seeing his hard work being ruined like this, he was furious.
He was about to make a move when he remembered his mother's instructions and snorted, "I'll go find the teacher."
I just got my parents called in for fighting, and I can't bring my mom in again for something like this; that would be too embarrassing.
Leilei turned around and was about to go find the teacher, determined not to lay a hand on him.
No matter how capable Cui Xiaojun is, he's still just a kid. Everyone was afraid of that phrase during our school days.
When he heard that Leilei was going to find the teacher, he quickly grabbed his hand.
"You are not allowed to go."
Leilei forcefully shook off his arm and ran forward despite the obstruction, just as the teacher was watching the children play ahead.
By the time Cui Xiaojun ran up to them, Leilei had already told the teacher the whole story.
Lan Hua frowned as she looked at the little boy in front of her: "Xiao Jun, is what Lei Lei said true?"
This child usually seems naughty, but at least he's somewhat polite to the teachers. I never expected him to steal things from his classmates in private.
Their family is well-off; they wouldn't be short of food.
Orchid didn't like to think too badly of the child, so she patiently asked.
Cui Xiaojun looked at the sky and the ground, but dared not look her in the eyes.
Now that things had come to this, Lan Hua understood that things really were as Lei Lei had said.
"You were wrong to do this. How could you take your classmate's things? You must apologize to Leilei and Xiaoman."
Cui Xiaojun stiffened his neck and pouted, "I don't want to apologize, it's not my fault."
Lan Hua looked at Cui Xiaojun, whose neck was stiff, and frowned again. "How is it not your fault? Snatching things, throwing mooncakes, and fighting with classmates, what did you do right?"
Cui Xiaojun turned his face to the side, his feet scraping against the pebbles on the ground, but his voice was a little softer: "I just want to eat mooncakes."
Without waiting for their reaction, he turned and ran away.
Lan Hua watched his retreating figure, her head throbbing with worry. She squatted down and said to Lei Lei, "When his mother comes to pick him up this afternoon, I'll have them apologize to you."
As she lowered herself, she deliberately softened her voice and reached out to brush the dust off Leilei's trousers: "Leilei, don't be angry. Xiaojun was wrong to steal your mooncake and make a fuss with you earlier."
"When his mother picks him up after school this afternoon, I'll definitely talk to her nicely and make sure Xiaojun and his mother apologize to you. I'll also make Xiaojun compensate you for the broken mooncake, okay?"
Leilei clutched the remaining mooncake in his hand, looked into Lanhua's sincere eyes, and slowly nodded.
As soon as the school bell rang in the afternoon, Lan Hua began to keep an eye on the activity at the school gate.
Seeing Zhang Haihua approaching with a cloth bag, she immediately greeted her with a smile, and pulled Leilei and Cui Xiaojun, who had just walked out of the school gate, to her side.
Lan Hua explained the situation to Zhang Haihua, but Zhang Haihua stubbornly refused to budge: "My Xiaojun just wanted a piece of mooncake, and Leilei pushed him. Why should we apologize?"
Lu Mingyue, who had come to pick up Leilei, overheard these words.
She walked up to the two men, her face expressionless, but her tone carried an undeniable certainty: "Comrade Zhang, you stole first and then refused to admit it. If this gets back to the camp, not only will the child have to be disciplined, but the parents' attitude will also need to be judged by the leadership. Your husband is doing a solid job in the army; you can't let such a small matter jeopardize his future, can you?"
Zhang Haihua's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly remembered her husband's recent efforts to earn merit, and her expression changed immediately.
She pulled Cui Xiaojun next to her, glared at him fiercely, and urged in a low voice, "Quickly apologize to Leilei!"
Although reluctant, Cui Xiaojun lowered his head and said, "I'm sorry."
Zhang Haihua awkwardly added, "I was just being protective of my own before, Leilei, don't take it to heart."
Lu Mingyue then softened her tone and pulled Leilei aside: "The things between children are not a big deal. As parents, we should distinguish right from wrong and not let trivial matters interfere with important matters."
Zhang Haihua chuckled awkwardly.
Feeling too ashamed to stay any longer, she grabbed her son's ear and left.
As soon as Zhang Haihua entered the house, she slammed the cloth bag onto the table, her face still flushed with anger.
Her husband, Cui Jianguo, had just changed out of his military uniform. Seeing her like this, he casually asked, "Who are you arguing with?"
“Who else could it be but Lu Mingyue from the Huo family up ahead!” Zhang Haihua sat down on the stool, raising her voice several decibels.
"It's just a trivial matter of kids fighting over a mooncake, why are you making such a fuss about it? And you're even using the camp leaders to pressure me, as if you're afraid I don't know her husband is an officer!"
The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt: "It's just a mooncake, why be so stingy, forcing my daughter and me to apologize? If word gets out, people will think my family is unreasonable. And she, on the other hand, is using this to put on airs, acting like she's the boss of the compound!"
Zhang Haihua was already dissatisfied with Lu Mingyue because of the mooncake-making incident; everyone from the family compound went except her, which was incredibly embarrassing.
They've made mooncakes before, it's not like they haven't. What are they showing off for? Director Wang didn't even say anything, but they're making a scene over there.
Cui Jianguo frowned, and while untying his military boot laces, he advised, "Alright, it's not a big deal. It's wrong for a child to snatch things. The fact that someone mentioned a leader is just because they're worried you'll protect your child and set a bad example. Besides, you know Huo Zheng; he's not the type to put on airs. Don't overthink it."
But Zhang Haihua wouldn't listen; she was still muttering under her breath about Lu Mingyue's faults.
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