Chapter 45 Chapter 45 Registration

On Tuesday morning, Xia Qinqin got up, changed her clothes, and went to get her small schoolbag, putting her drawing paper and paintbrushes in it.

Putting the small schoolbag on her shoulder, Xia Qinqin ran to the mirror in the closet and looked at herself again and again, feeling very happy.

Meng Yufei smiled and reminded, "Qinqin, it's time for us to go. We have to register for kindergarten today."

Xia Qinqin nodded, "Okay, let's go."

Xia Qinqin was in a good mood with her new schoolbag on her back. She skipped along the road holding her mother's hand, humming a nursery rhyme, "Put on a bright red scarf, put on beautiful clothes, we came to the garden, dancing and singing happily..."

The mother and daughter had breakfast in the cafeteria and went to the office upstairs first. Meng Yufei put her shoulder bag on the seat, and Xia Qinqin ran to Xiao Zhang, twisting her body to show her the bag behind her.

"Auntie Xiao Zhang, look, my new schoolbag is the same color as my mom's."

Xiao Zhang bent down and looked at the small schoolbag Xia Qinqin was carrying, and said, "Wow, this schoolbag is really pretty."

She turned to Meng Yufei and said, "Sister Meng, this bag looks like a modified military satchel. You're so good at sewing!" You can't really tell this normally.

Meng Yufei laughed and said, "How could I have such a talent? It was Qinqin's father who asked the mother-in-law of the Fourth Regiment's Captain Song, Aunt Liu, to modify it. I didn't expect it to be so beautiful. Even the length of the shoulder straps was specially made according to Qinqin's height."

Xiao Zhang said, "It turned out to be Aunt Liu. I've heard that she is the best needleworker in our family compound. Last year, when Captain Fang's child was over 100 days old, Aunt Liu gave him a pair of tiger-head shoes. What a nice one! The little tiger embroidered on the upper is so lifelike."

"But Aunt Liu doesn't make things for others easily. Previously, Sun Dahua, the relative of Captain Qin, came to Aunt Liu and asked her to make her some clothes with embroidery. Aunt Liu refused directly and said that she could only make small things for children in the future, but she couldn't make clothes and shoes for adults because of her poor eyesight."

Meng Yufei said: "What Aunt Liu said makes sense. Needlework is the most demanding on the eyes."

Xiao Zhang said, "In my opinion, Aunt Liu has a good temper. That Sun Dahua seems to be treating her as a free tailor. If it were me, I would have scolded her directly."

Meng Yufei smiled and nodded at Xiao Zhang, saying, "Do you think everyone is like you, a hot-tempered little pepper?"

Xiao Zhang said: "When I feel wronged, I have to speak out. It is better than suffering in silence."

Meng Yufei nodded and said, "Your personality is pretty good. At least you live comfortably and won't be bullied."

Looking at her watch, Meng Yufei said to Xiao Zhang, "Xiao Zhang, I'll take Qinqin to the kindergarten to register first and come back later."

Xiao Zhang nodded and said, "Okay, Sister Meng, don't worry, I'm here for you."

Before leaving, Xia Qinqin waved to Xiao Zhang and said, "Aunt Xiao Zhang, I'll go sign up first."

Xiao Zhang waved and said, "See you later."

Today is the day for kindergarten registration. The teachers and staff of the kindergarten arrived at the kindergarten early. Principal Tian borrowed two tables from the Women's Committee next door and moved them to the teachers' door of the kindergarten.

Sitting behind the left desk is Tang Jiayi, who is in charge of registering students for the big class. Sitting behind the right desk is Wei Shufang, who is in charge of registering students for the small class.

Meng Yufei brought Xia Qinqin to the kindergarten. Principal Tian was standing at the door to greet parents who came to register. She came to join the army early and knew almost everyone in the family compound. She could recognize who the people who came were at a glance.

Seeing Meng Yufei, Director Tian smiled and said, "Director Meng, please bring your daughter to register."

Meng Yufei said, "Director, you can just call me Xiao Meng. Director Wang also calls me that."

Director Tian nodded and smiled, "Okay, I'll call you Xiao Meng from now on. By the way, how old is your child?"

Xia Qinqin held up four fingers and replied, "Auntie, I'm four years old."

Dean Tian looked down at Xia Qinqin, smiled kindly and asked softly, "Wow, you are four years old now, so you can go to the senior class now."

Xia Qinqin turned her head to look at Meng Yufei and asked in surprise: "Mom, am I going to the senior class?"

She was in the small class at Haishi Kindergarten last year and was promoted to the middle class this year. Her grandmother said that she will be promoted to the large class next year when she becomes a big kid.

Meng Yufei smiled and nodded, "Yes, you are going to the senior class."

"Wow, I'm a big kid now."

Dean Tian gently touched Xia Qinqin's head and said with a smile: "Then you should study hard in the big class in the future and make progress every day."

"Yeah~" Xia Qinqin agreed happily.

Dean Tian said, "Go to the table on the left to sign up. The head teacher of the senior class is Ms. Tang. Go register with her."

Meng Yufei nodded and said, "Okay, let's go over there first."

Meng Yufei led Xia Qinqin to the table on the left and said, "Teacher Tang, let's sign up."

Tang Jiayi looked up and saw that it was Meng Yufei, and said with a smile: "Director Meng, hello."

Meng Yufei bent down and said to her daughter, "Qinqin, this is Teacher Tang. She will be your senior class teacher from now on. Come and say hello."

Xia Qinqin raised her head and said, "Hello, Teacher Tang. My name is Xia Qinqin."

Tang Jiayi smiled and said, "Hello, Qinqin."

After registering the information, Zhou Wenqian came out of the classroom and said, "Sister Meng, come with me to the classroom to take a look."

"OK."

The word "Welcome" was written in large letters on the blackboard in the classroom, and the school start and end times were written on the side:

Morning: 7:30-8:00 to enter the kindergarten, 8:00-11:30 classes, 11:30-12:00 to finish school.

Afternoon: admission to kindergarten from 2:00 to 2:30, classes from 2:30 to 5:30, and dismissal from school from 5:30 to 6:00.

Tip: Parents are requested to pick up and drop off their children during the admission and dismissal hours.

Meng Yufei looked at it and praised, "You guys have chosen a good time. I can send my child to the kindergarten before work and pick him up after get off work."

Zhou Wenqian said: "Principal Tian took into consideration the conflicts in the time for working families to pick up and drop off their children, so he decided to start the school half an hour earlier and postpone the dismissal time by half an hour."

Meng Yufei said: "Thank you, the teachers and staff of the kindergarten, for your hard work."

Zhou Wenqian said: "They are all for the service of the family members."

Xia Qinqin asked at this time: "Aunt Wenqian, will you also be our senior class teacher in the future?"

Zhou Wenqian squatted in front of Xia Qinqin, looked at the little girl in front of her with a smile, and said softly, "Yes, Auntie will be your teacher in the future. Do you like it?"

Xia Qinqin smiled and nodded her head, "I like it~ Auntie, can you sing for us?"

Zhou Wenqian said: "Yes, Auntie can also teach you to dance, do you want to learn?"

"Yes! I want to dance the Swallow Dance."

Last year on Children's Day, students from the senior class of Haishi Kindergarten where Xia Qinqin was studying performed this song and rehearsed a dance.

Zhou Wenqian promised: "Okay, I'll teach you when school starts."

Xia Qinqin spun around happily, "Now I'm a big kid. I can dance the Little Swallow, too."

Children always look forward to growing up, as if being called a big kid is the greatest compliment to them.

The classroom only had a few small benches and a podium. After a quick look, the three of them left the classroom. They heard a quarrel coming from the door of the next classroom. It seemed that the people who were queuing up to register had a quarrel with Wei Shufang, who was in charge of registration.

"Why don't you let me sign up? It says that children under three years old are placed in the small class. My child is exactly under three years old."

The person who said this was a woman in her early thirties, holding a child less than one year old in her arms, and arguing with Wei Shufang with her neck stiff.

Meng Yufei curiously asked Zhou Wenqian beside her, "Who is this?"

Zhou Wen Qian shook her head and said, "I haven't seen her." She had hardly gone out since she came here last year, and she probably didn't know as many people in the family compound as Meng Yufei.

Then I heard Wei Shufang say, "It's for children under three years old, but your child is too young! How are we going to take care of her if you send her here?"

"In the city's nurseries, babies can be sent there after the confinement period. How can you take care of her? Also, Captain Xue's little girl was also sent here. She is about the same age as my child. Why can't you take care of her?" The woman retorted, pointing at Yin Guixiang.

Wei Shufang tried hard to suppress her irritation and explained, "The purpose of the nursery is to provide convenience for working families. Since you don't have a job, can't you stay at home for another year and then send your child here?"

The woman put the child in her arms on the table and said in a shameless manner: "I don't care. If you don't let me register today, I will just leave the child here."

Wei Shufang pointed at her angrily and said, "You...you - how can you be so shameless!"

"Who are you calling shameless? Who are you calling?" the woman said as she was about to take action, but was stopped in time by the person next to her.

The woman looked at the person who grabbed her hand with dissatisfaction. She was about to scold him for meddling in other people's business, but when she saw who it was, she swallowed the words.

The person who stopped her was Director Tian. She asked in a sharp voice, "What are you doing! Tong Caifeng, do you want to cause trouble here today?"

Tong Caifeng lost her momentum all of a sudden, and said timidly, "I...I didn't do that. It was Wei Shufang who spoke so harshly. She called me shameless, and I just lost my temper for a moment."

Wei Shufang was so angry that she wanted to retort, but Director Tian raised his hand towards her and stopped her from saying anything.

Director Tian let go of Tong Caifeng's hand and said, "Why don't you pick up the child quickly? Won't the child feel uncomfortable if you put him on the table?"

Tong Caifeng spread her hands and said, "Sister Tian, ​​I am here today to register my child. You built this kindergarten in the family compound for the convenience of families with children like us, so why can't my child be sent here? If you don't accept her, I will send her to my hometown in the countryside. Anyway, I don't have the time to take care of her."

Director Tian glanced at the child's dirty and short clothes and put them on the table without crying or making a fuss. He just stared around with wide eyes.

Director Tian couldn't bear it and picked up the child.

"This child is already one year old and will be gone soon. You have experience taking care of children, so can't you take care of her for another year? Besides, are you really confident in sending such a young child here?"

Tong Caifeng shook her head repeatedly and said, "Why should I worry? There's no one to pick up a little girl out there."

Director Tian's face darkened. "It seems that all the literacy classes I gave you were in vain! Our new society emphasizes gender equality. Your idea of ​​favoring boys over girls is wrong!"

Tong Caifeng pouted and said, "That's what you said, but don't keep trying to persuade me. Go ask my parents-in-law if it's okay for me not to give birth to a grandson for the Fang family."

Director Tian choked and asked her, "Are you giving birth to a child for your parents-in-law? Don't you feel sorry for your own daughter?"

Tong Caifeng said nonchalantly, "If she had a boy, I would have loved her. Anyway, I don't care. If you don't accept her today, I will take the child back to the countryside. There is no rule that I can't send my child to the countryside."

As he said this, he took the child from Director Tian's hands and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Director Tian finally couldn't bear it anymore, "We'll accept this child." She turned to Wei Shufang and said, "Teacher Wei, please register him."

Tong Caifeng turned back happily after hearing this. Wei Shufang had no choice but to register her reluctantly after hearing the director speak.

Director Tian said loudly to the people queuing in the yard: "As long as the children are from the family courtyard, no matter how old they are, our kindergarten will accept them."

Wei Shufang said, "Principal Tian is kind-hearted. Some parents don't want to raise children, so our kindergarten helps them." She deliberately spoke in a sarcastic tone to Tong Caifeng.

Tong Caifeng not only didn't care about Wei Shufang's weirdness, but also smiled and said: "It's said that Director Tian is a cultured person, and he is reasonable. No wonder the organization let you be the director of our family kindergarten, you really care about our families..."

Wei Shufang: “…” This guy is so shameless!

Director Tian was too lazy to listen to her and turned to look for Meng Yufei who was standing at the next door.

"Xiao Meng, you heard what I just said, right? I'm going to apply to the logistics department for a few cots. Children this young can't even walk, so they have to be held in someone's arms. We only have two caregivers, and if a few more are sent over, we won't be able to hold them all in one hand." Director Tian said to Meng Yufei.

Meng Yufei nodded and said, "Okay. I think we should apply for a few more child chairs. We can't let the children sleep in the bed all the time."

Director Tian said, "That couldn't be better."

Meng Yufei said: "Then I will go back and report to Director Fu, and try to deliver the purchase order to the supply and marketing cooperative today."

Zhou Wenqian next to him said, "When I went for a walk at the beach yesterday, I noticed that the local residents all liked to carry bamboo baskets and bamboo baskets. It would be better to let them make the beds and chairs. I think it would be faster than asking the supply and marketing cooperative to purchase them."

Director Tian nodded in agreement, "What Teacher Zhou said makes sense. Every household on the island is good at weaving bamboo products. It probably won't take them more than a day to weave a few small beds and chairs."

Meng Yufei said: "Then I will go to the commune to make contact after I report to Director Fu."

Director Tian patted her hands and said, "Thank you for your help."

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "You're too polite. I'm doing this for the sake of the children."

Tong Caifeng, who had just finished registering next door, turned around and went home with her child in her arms. After taking two steps, she glanced at Meng Yufei and Zhou Wenqian.

Meng Yufei happened to meet her eyes and felt a little confused. Why did she feel like she knew her?

But I clearly don't remember seeing her before? Could it be that I saw her last time when I got the ticket and I don't remember?

Tong Caifeng retracted her gaze and snorted in her heart, "How did these two get together? One is a short-lived ghost, and the other is a cannon fodder who can't give birth to a son. How unlucky!"

Tong Caifeng, like Han Jianhong, was also reborn. However, she had an adventure after her death. She found that she was actually living in a novel and was a cannon fodder to set off the heroine.

In her previous life, she didn't take good care of her body after giving birth to her little daughter, and she never got pregnant again. A few years later, at the strong request of her parents-in-law, she and her husband adopted her brother-in-law's son, raised this "son" with great effort, married him off, had children, and arranged a job for him.

But what she didn't expect was that after her husband died, this "son" actually kicked her out of the house!

Finally, she could only go to her daughter and son-in-law's house to suffer. During one quarrel with her daughter's mother-in-law, she was so angry that she almost died...

After her death, she discovered that she was actually living in a novel. The original heroine had several sons, each of whom was well-educated and filial. She was just the heroine's foil and a cannon fodder in the contrast group!

Tong Caifeng glanced at the little daughter in her arms, and thought viciously in her heart: It's all this girl's fault. She had a difficult birth in her last life, which prevented me from giving birth to a son in my previous life!

She was reborn just a few days before giving birth to this child. This time, she went to Qiongzhou City Hospital on purpose and asked her mother to come over to take care of her after giving birth. This time, she wanted to take good care of herself and give birth to a son to prove herself.

…

After saying goodbye to Principal Tian and Zhou Wenqian, Meng Yufei wanted to say hello to Mrs. Zhang, but when she saw her busy talking to parents next door, she took Xia Qinqin and left the kindergarten.

The one walking slowly in front was Tong Caifeng. Xia Qinqin pulled her mother's hand. Meng Yufei looked down. Xia Qinqin stood on tiptoe and said, "Mom, I have something to tell you."

Meng Yufei squatted down and asked with a smile: "What's the matter?"

Xia Qinqin leaned over to Meng Yufei's ear and said, "Mom, that aunt just said that Aunt Wen Qian is a short-lived ghost and that you are cannon fodder."

Xia Qinqin just heard Tong Caifeng's thoughts and immediately complained to Meng Yufei. She asked, "Mom, what is cannon fodder?"

Meng Yufei did not answer this question, but asked: "When did you hear her say this?"

Xia Qinqin said: "Just now, when that aunt looked at us before she left, she said that in her heart."

Meng Yufei suddenly remembered that when she was on the boat at the weekend, Qinqin also said that she heard what the man said in his heart. Before that, she thought the child was frightened and her memory was temporarily confused.

But now, Xia Qinqin said that she heard what other people were saying in their hearts...

Meng Yufei was certain that Xia Qinqin had not spoken to Tong Caifeng alone just now. Could it be that she sensed Tong Caifeng's unfriendly eyes and came up with this automatically?

But where did Xia Qinqin know the word cannon fodder?

Meng Yufei fell into deep thought for a moment...

Xia Qinqin asked doubtfully: "Mom, what's wrong with you?"

Meng Yufei came back to her senses and asked again: "Qinqin, have you ever heard this before - is someone else's heart talking?"

Xia Qinqin nodded and said, "Yes."

Meng Yufei's heart sank, and she continued to ask, "When?"

Xia Qinqin stretched out her right hand. The scab on the palm had fallen off, revealing a patch of pink skin. Xia Qinqin pointed and said, "Last time when I was knocked down by the fierce aunt, I also heard what she said in her heart. She said I was a naughty child and let the snake bite me."

Meng Yufei gently touched her daughter's palm, suppressed her chaotic emotions, and said in a calm tone: "Then... have you heard of this before?"

I

Xia Qinqin tilted her head and thought for a while, then said, "Also - Sister Jianhong also said that when we went to her house to deliver candy, she said... uh... I don't remember what she said."

"Before that, was there anything else?"

"No."

Meng Yufei thought: It seems that these symptoms only appeared after arriving on the island.

She tried hard to force a smile and said to her daughter, "Qinqin, next time you hear someone's inner thoughts, remember to tell mom, okay?"

Xia Qinqin nodded and said, "Okay."

After thinking for a while, Meng Yufei reminded again: "Remember, don't tell anyone else, just tell mom."

Xia Qinqin asked: "Dad won't tell me either?"

Meng Yufei was silent for a few seconds and said, "Don't tell Dad yet. This is our little secret, okay?"

Hearing that she and her mother had a little secret, Xia Qinqin nodded happily, put her finger to her mouth, and said, "Yeah, it's our secret."

Meng Yufei touched her daughter's hair, stood up and led her daughter to the logistics department. She thought: I should take half a day off in the afternoon and take Qinqin to the military hospital for a checkup...