Chapter 258 Startled
"Mom—I want to go home—!"
Suddenly, a little boy with a crooked, spiky ponytail burst into tears. His voice was shrill and trembling, like a rusty saw tearing at the air.
He clung tightly to his mother's leg, his little arms gripping her tightly, his face flushed red, tears and snot streaming down his face, howling so hard his voice cracked, as if he were about to suffocate at any moment.
Qiao Wanyin's gaze immediately locked onto the skinny little boy, her brows twitched slightly, and then she couldn't help but smile.
The smile was so gentle, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake, creating only a ripple.
This child looks quite shy, introverted, not very talkative, and exceptionally sensitive. He probably started getting nervous last night.
She walked over unhurriedly, squatted down gently, her movements as soft as if afraid of startling a frightened little bird.
Her gaze was level with his, gentle and without a trace of pressure: "Little darling, what's your name? Tell your teacher, okay?"
"I...I am called Xiaoming."
The boy spoke haltingly, his voice thin and light, like a piece of paper fluttering in the wind, almost fading into the air.
He kept his head down, not daring to look her in the eye, but his fingers were still tightly gripping the hem of his mother's clothes.
"Xiao Ming is awesome!"
Qiao Wanyin gently pulled a hand-carved tiger from her pocket. The wood was polished smooth and warm, and a playful pattern was carved on the tiger's head. "This is a gift that your teacher brought especially for you. It's one of a kind. Look how spirited and majestic it is, doesn't it look like a little warrior?"
Xiao Ming stared at the little tiger, stunned.
Tears still clung to her eyelashes, trembling, like morning dew that had not yet dried.
But those eyes, which were originally filled with fear, were gradually filled with curiosity, and the shadow of the wood carving was reflected in the pupils, like a small flame being lit.
"There are so many fun things at kindergarten today! There's a piano that sings, building blocks that can be used to build dinosaurs, and a little bear that tells stories. Do you want to come in and take a look with the teacher? When you're done playing, Mom will definitely come to pick you up after school."
Xiao Ming's breathing gradually calmed down, and his sobs subsided.
He nodded slightly, his movements subtle, as if afraid of being discovered.
Then, he quietly loosened his grip on his mother's clothes, letting go of each finger one by one, as if he had mustered up a great deal of courage.
This scene was witnessed by many parents.
Some people secretly wiped their eyes, some smiled with pursed lips, and some whispered to the person next to them, "This principal is really good at this. She's not strict at all, and the children are so obedient."
A relieved smile appeared on their faces, and their tense expressions gradually relaxed.
"Dear parents, please rest assured."
Qiao Wanyin slowly stood up, patted off non-existent dust from the hem of her skirt, and spoke in a clear voice with a convincing power, "We will take good care of the children. Every child is our precious treasure. They eat and nap here at noon, with balanced nutrition, and are supervised by dedicated staff during their afternoon nap. We will pick them up promptly at four o'clock in the afternoon, and not a single one will be missing."
One by one, the parents walked away. Some looked back frequently, some waved gently, and some children cried a few more times at the gate, but were quickly attracted by the music and laughter inside the park and quieted down.
Qiao Wanyin and Qiu Zishu stood side by side, leading the children from three classes on a tour of the kindergarten.
He walked at a leisurely pace, stopping every few steps to explain, like leading a group of newborn fawns to explore the forest.
The bright classroom is painted with a soft off-white wall paint, and the walls are decorated with children's doodles and paper cuttings; colorful toys are neatly stacked on low shelves, including toy trains, dolls, and puzzle boxes; and outside there is a sandpit covered with a soft mat, with a cartoon animal fence around the edge, and the fine sand glistens in the sunlight.
The little ones stared wide-eyed, their mouths slightly agape, like a flock of newly hatched chicks seeing the world for the first time.
"Teacher, what's that posted on the wall?"
A little girl tilted her head back, pointing at the colorful stickers on the wall, the bow on her braid swaying with her movements.
She was wearing a pink dress and holding a crumpled cloth rabbit in her arms.
“Those are letters,” Qiu Zishu immediately squatted down, her gaze level with hers, and gently patted her head with a smile. “A, B, C… Teacher will teach you to recognize them slowly in the future, and we’ll also sing the alphabet song and use building blocks to make their shapes, okay?”
She is now the homeroom teacher of Class 2. She is young, has a sweet smile, and the children can't help but gather around her as soon as they see her.
After the visit, the children lined up again according to their classes: Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3, each returning to their respective places.
The small figure stood crookedly, yet it already showed the beginnings of order.
The first day officially begins.
Qiao Wanyin moved back and forth between the three classrooms with light steps and sharp eyes.
Her eyes never stopped scanning every corner, paying attention to the expressions of every child, afraid of missing even the slightest unease or abnormality.
Her ears were also perked up, ready to catch a cry, a question, or a soft, almost inaudible "Teacher."
The children in Class 1 were building blocks on the carpet in the center of the classroom. They carefully stacked the colorful little blocks one by one, and every time they built a small tower or house, a burst of clear laughter would erupt, the giggles rising and falling like a string of cheerful little bells swaying in the air.
In the classroom of Class 2, the children sat around the piano, learning to sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" line by line with the teacher. Their tender voices were sweet and childlike. Some children sang off-key, which made everyone laugh. But the teacher still encouraged them gently. Every note floated in the sunlit classroom, warm and bright.
The children in Class 3 sat in a circle on a soft carpet, their eyes sparkling as they watched their teacher at the podium as she vividly recounted the story of "The Three Little Pigs."
The teacher held several small rag dolls in her hand. Every time she talked about the Big Bad Wolf blowing the house "whoosh-whoosh," the children would huddle together nervously, and then burst into laughter, as if they themselves lived in that straw house.
Laughter filled the entire kindergarten, like a spring breeze rustling through a row of wind chimes, tinkling and melodious, carrying a warm and cozy feeling that seeped into people's hearts, making them unconsciously smile.
It was lunchtime, and the sunlight was streaming obliquely into the corridor. Qiao Wanyin deliberately came out of her office, bypassed the children's activity room, and went straight to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, the aroma of pots and pans had already filled the air. The food was prepared one by one according to the menu she had personally set—the braised meatballs were glistening and tempting, the stir-fried spinach was bright green and tender, and there was also carrot and potato stew. The steaming hot food had its aroma wafting far down the corridor, and just one whiff was enough to make one's mouth water.
In those days, food and supplies were scarce, and every household was worried about daily necessities. However, the factory's logistics department paid special attention to this kindergarten and never let the food rations be delayed for even a day.
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