Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang were tired and hungry after a long day of work. They ate a lot of meat and vegetables with rice. An'an had a small appetite to begin with, and after eating some roasted sweet potato, chestnuts, and soy milk, her appetite was even smaller. She didn't eat rice, so Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang fed her some meat and meatballs, and then a round of corn. That was it!
The family quickly finished their meal, and the leftovers were kept warm on the charcoal stove so they could eat them again if they got hungry in the evening, or even the next day.
After finishing their meal, the two opened the door to let the smells dissipate, then prepared to boil water for a bath. After bathing and getting into bed, their tiring day was finally over.
The days went by in this repetitive way, somewhat monotonous yet happy. Soon, the snow stopped, the temperature gradually rose, and it was time for An'an to go to school.
Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang bought An'an a new schoolbag, a new pencil case, an eraser, and pencils. Once everything was ready, they took An'an to school. Since it was the first day of registration, both Xu Zijiang and Yu Jiu went. Yuanyuan was left at home with Aunt Wu, so they didn't take her along to avoid her crying on the way, which would be awkward.
“An’an will be a primary school student in S City from now on. Although we studied first grade at home once, the curriculum here may be a little different from that at home. Since you are still young, we will study it again, which will also help you consolidate your knowledge.”
Yu Jiu and Xu Zi led An An toward the school. On the way, Yu Jiu briefly explained to An An, afraid that she wouldn't know that she was going to the first grade.
"Okay, first grade is a lot of fun. I can meet lots of friends. Mom, will I be in the same class as Yueyue?"
She was referring to Lin Yue, Lin Xiaonong's niece. The two often played together, and Yueyue even introduced her to many other children in the alley.
Logically speaking, today is the first day of school registration, and Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang should take An'an to find Yueyue and her parents. It would be fine for both families to go to school together to register. However, there are some awkward things that need to be mentioned.
Because Aunt Wu came to their house to take care of the child, Aunt Wu no longer had time to do housework, cook, or take care of Yueyue at her own home. Although Yueyue no longer needs to be taken care of, the cooking job was truly left undone, and in the end, it fell to Yueyue's biological mother.
Yueyue's biological mother has never done any housework in the years since she married into the family. Now, suddenly she's being asked to cook for the whole family, especially in winter when the water is freezing and her hands are red. How could she possibly agree to that? And most importantly, Aunt Wu doesn't intend to give her the money she earns, or rather, to spend it on the three of them. Aunt Wu has made it clear that the money is for Lin Xiaonong's wedding, so Lin Xiaonong's older brother still has to hand over his salary every month for household expenses.
Her words displeased not only Lin Xiaonong's sister-in-law but also Lin Xiaonong's brother, leading to a family argument. Lin Xiaonong's sister-in-law then became hostile towards Yu Jiu and Xu Zi. Presumably unable to win against Aunt Wu, she vented her anger on Aunt Wu's employer, causing Yueyue to visit their house less frequently.
Aunt Wu said that Yueyue's biological mother wouldn't let her come; that's the real mother, and as a grandmother, she felt embarrassed to ask. Because of this, Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang didn't take An'an to see Yueyue when they went to school to register today. Now that An'an suddenly asked about Yueyue, Yu Jiu didn't know how to answer her and could only give an awkward laugh and explain.
"I don't know. It depends on how many first-grade students there are in the school. If there aren't many and there's only one class, then you'll be in the same class. But if there are too many students and they're divided into several classes, then you might not be in the same class."
Actually, the most important thing for first-graders is that they are easy to manage. If they mentioned that they wanted An'an and Yueyue to be in the same class, the two children would know each other and help each other, which would probably stabilize their emotions a lot. I think the teacher would be willing to do that, and there is a high chance that they would be put in the same class. However, in the current situation, Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang do not want to talk to the teacher about this, so as not to make the parents think that they have ulterior motives.
"Okay, then I can make new friends too. It's okay, Mom and Dad, you don't need to worry about me."
An'an was eager to show off her skills at school, get to know all the children, and make them all her good friends.
"Don't worry, our An'an is so smart and cute, she will definitely make a lot of good friends."
Yu Jiu smiled and nodded. Soon, she and Xu Zijiang led An'an to the school. Registration for each grade was proceeding in an orderly manner. They joined the first-grade registration line. The line moved quickly. It was just a matter of paying money and writing down names. Class assignment was also simple. The first to register were in Class 1. Each class had 30 students.
If the class of 30 is full, they will be assigned to Class 2, which also has 30 people. If that class of 30 is full, they will be assigned to Class 3, and so on. The assignments are made entirely according to the order of registration, which is very fair.
Yu Jiu and Xu Zi arrived early. When it was time to pay, the teacher assigned An An to Class 1, placing her 25th in line. Yu Jiu glanced at the names ahead and didn't see Lin Yue's name, so she guessed she'd have to come back later. There were a few people behind them, enough to fill the class, meaning An An and Yue Yue wouldn't be in the same class.
Yu Jiu told An An about it, but An An didn't care. Instead, she asked Yu Jiu and Xu Zijiang questions with great interest.
"Mom and Dad, when can we get the books?"
"Now is fine."
After paying the fees and registering, the teacher will give you a slip of paper. With the slip, you can go to the teaching building next door to pick up your books. As for the school uniform, you won't get it so soon. The school uniform is made separately after taking your size, and you have to pay extra for that. Moreover, whether or not to order a school uniform is entirely voluntary. The school doesn't force you to, but Yu Jiu still plans to order one for An An. School uniforms look very energetic, and her family isn't short of money.
That's all there is to register today: pay the fees, sign up, and pick up your books. If you want to order school uniforms, just pay and get your measurements taken over there. Once you've finished all that, you can go home. Yu Jiu and Xu Zi quickly got everything done with An An, then took their books and headed home. They'll come back to school the day after tomorrow; today and tomorrow are both registration days.
However, the family of three ran into Lin Yue and her mother as soon as they left the school gate. The two children were quite happy to see each other and immediately hugged each other.
"Sister Yueyue!"
"An'an, you guys arrived so fast! Have you already registered?"
"Yes, yes, Sister Yueyue, you're late! I've already been assigned to Class 1, we can't be in the same class anymore!"
An'an said with some regret, "If Yueyue had come sooner, they could have been in the same class."
"Hmph, Yueyue, hurry up and go inside! Registration is starting. Do you still want to study? If you don't want to register, I'm going back!"
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