Chapter 324 Sleeping Alone
The next day, Nan Zhiyi not only went to investigate on her own, but also brought Xiaoman along.
She thought that letting the child see the environment for himself might help him adapt better.
The kindergarten at the west end of the compound consisted of several rows of red brick bungalows with small windows painted dark green. In the open space in front of the buildings were wooden slides and seesaws, the paint peeling off and revealing the original color of the wood.
The entire environment is clean and simple.
After visiting the government-run kindergarten,
The mother and son walked for about fifteen minutes and arrived at the June 1st Kindergarten.
This kindergarten is quite impressive, with a two-story building and bright light yellow exterior walls. In the yard, there are colorful combination slides, as well as swivel chairs and small climbing frames.
The building's windows are large and bright, making it feel spacious and airy.
"Mom, look! A big slide!"
Xiaoman's eyes lit up immediately. Compared to the old wooden slide in the kindergarten, this one was clearly more attractive to him.
"Xiaoman likes that red slide, doesn't she?"
"I love it! It's taller than the ones in our compound!"
The mother and son discussed it for a long time.
Xiaoman couldn't forget the big red slide at No. 61 Kindergarten, so Nan Zhiyi took the opportunity to guide her, "Then can you come to this kindergarten to study in the future?"
Xiaoman readily agreed: "Okay!"
Now that the school had been decided, Nan Zhiyi began to prepare the miscellaneous items.
Xiaoman's children's room has also finally been put on the agenda.
That morning, Hu San from the carpentry team, along with two fellow apprentices, arrived at the Gu family's courtyard, pulling a cart full of timber and semi-finished furniture.
Nan Zhiyi had previously ordered a complete set of furniture for Xiaoman's room from a carpentry team, including a small wooden bed with guardrails, a desk, a bookshelf, and a cabinet.
The installation was delayed until now because the required wood and workmanship both require time, and Hu San and his team have a full schedule.
Hu San, who was in his forties, greeted Nan Zhiyi and led his fellow apprentices to carry the wood and components upstairs, working busily for a whole day.
As evening approached, Hu San and the others came down to say goodbye. Nan Zhiyi paid the remaining balance, saw them off, and then eagerly went up to inspect the goods.
The once empty room had been completely transformed.
A small ash wood bed is placed against the wall, with a simple openwork cloud pattern decoration on the headboard and removable guardrails on both sides.
Under the window is a small desk made of the same material. The desktop is spacious and the height is just right for Xiaoman's height. Next to it is a three-tiered open bookshelf.
The cabinet in the corner can be used to store his clothes and toys.
All the furniture edges were rounded to a very smooth finish, and the room was painted with a clear, natural wood-colored varnish. The room was filled with a pleasant woody scent and a faint smell of tung oil.
Nan Zhiyi was satisfied. She spent two more days cleaning the room, hanging up the freshly washed curtains, and laying out the quilts and new bedding.
Two potted green plants were placed on the windowsill, my son's books were on the bookshelf, and his toys were moved into the cabinet. A rug was laid on the floor next to them.
The whole room was bright and cozy.
With everything arranged, Nan Zhiyi took Xiaoman's hand and led him into this new world.
"Xiaoman, look, do you like it?" Nan Zhiyi asked softly.
Xiaoman curiously wandered around the brand-new room and stood on tiptoe to look at the teddy bear on the bookshelf.
He was very supportive, saying, "It's beautiful! Mom, this room is beautiful!" Then he asked, "Why are you looking at this?"
Nan Zhiyi squatted down, "Because this will be Xiaoman's room from now on. Our Xiaoman is growing up and needs to start learning to sleep alone."
"Okay, Xiaoman, you can sleep by yourself!"
Xiaoman's quick agreement surprised Nan Zhiyi.
She was both pleased and amused. This little guy probably didn't really understand what sleeping meant yet; he just thought having a new room and new furniture was something new and fun, which is why he agreed so readily.
She patted her son's head, already anticipating that things might not go so smoothly that night.
Just as Nan Zhiyi had predicted.
The first night, Xiaoman lay in his new little bed. Nan Zhiyi told him a story, patted his back, and watched him fall asleep before quietly leaving and closing the door slightly.
However, a short while later, the door to the master bedroom was knocked open.
Xiaoman stood barefoot outside the door, clutching his little pillow. As Gu Xiao opened the door, the little guy climbed onto his bed on his own, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
The situation was similar for the next few nights.
Xiaoman would only go into that carefully decorated children's room during the day to play with toys or take a nap. Every night, she would always appear at the door of the master bedroom with her pillow.
Gu Xiao tried to carry him back several times, but seeing his tearful and pitiful appearance, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
That noon, Xiaoman was taking a nap. Nan Zhiyi draped a thin blanket over his belly before quietly leaving the room.
She was about to go to her study to write a draft when the phone in the living room rang.
She quickly went over to answer the phone, afraid that the ringing would wake her son.
"Hello?"
A middle-aged woman's voice, slightly agitated and with an accent, came from the other end of the phone: "Is this Zhiyi? It's my sister-in-law!"
It's my sister-in-law, Li Xiuqin.
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