"Wanwan makes a good point," Shen Chi looked at Xu Ji and said, "To put it bluntly, Ping’an’s future is fraught with too many hardships. Instead of living each day in cautious suffocation, it’s better to treat every day as if it were the last day of life. Only then can one live a lifetime of happiness, not having passed through this world in vain."
If this had been said by someone else, Han Shouzhen would have fought with them, but even so, her eyes reddened, and she felt somewhat relieved. People have to face the facts, and sometimes, when one cannot get out of a difficult situation, they need help from others.
Of course, if it were someone else, Shen Chi wouldn’t have interfered. After all, it was because he took an interest in his bargain sister that he decided to forgo the usual social maneuvering, choosing to interact with her in a straightforward and sincere manner.
He didn’t know what Han Shouzhen was like before, but now, in Shen Chi’s eyes, her straightforwardness and heartiness impressed him much more than her sincerity.
In this respect, even Han Shouxin couldn’t compare to her.
Lin Xiaoguai’s attention, however, was on Xu Ji. She was worried that Shen Chi’s unfiltered words would hurt the child, yet she discovered that Xu Ji was calmer than anyone else.
She thought about it and realized it made sense. Xu Ji had known the doctors’ prognosis since birth, and from his naive early days to now, he had already grieved and probably accepted the reality a long time ago.
The location of Wen Yu Kindergarten was not far from the city center but also not in the bustling area, nestled within a residential district with a rather nice environment.
"This must be a private residence, right?" Looking at the sizable western-style building in front of her, Lin Xiaoguai asked.
"Yes, the director lives here alone. She turned the whole first floor into the children’s activity area." As Han Shouzhen was speaking, she rang the doorbell.
Faint footsteps approached, and as the door opened, a young woman with an ordinary appearance but a warm smile appeared before them. Seeing the group, she smiled and said, "You must be the parents here for a visit."
Since she had been informed in advance, their arrival didn’t come as a surprise to her.
"Sorry for the interruption, Director Wen," said Han Shouzhen as she stepped forward to negotiate.
The young woman’s name was actually Wen Yu, named after the kindergarten itself.
"Just call me Wen Yu, please come in," she said with a smile, welcoming them inside.
"I am Han Shouzhen, this is my son Ping’an. These two are my younger brother, Shen Chi, and his wife, Lin Xiaoguai. This is their son, Shen Yinian, whose nickname is Little Niangao, and it’s him we’re looking to enroll in kindergarten," Han Shouzhen introduced as the lead.
"Mr. Shen, Mrs. Shen, nice to meet you." Although surprised by the siblings having different surnames, Wen Yu didn’t inquire further.
"You’re here for a visit, and I don’t want to delay you. Let’s start by taking a look at the children’s classroom," Wen Yu said, getting right to the point.
Lin Xiaoguai and the others were naturally eager and followed Wen Yu into a sunny and well-ventilated room.
"This is the children’s classroom. All these desks and chairs were custom-made, suitable for little kids. This is where they usually draw and make origami," Wen Yu explained in a gentle and detailed manner.
The classroom was spacious, with large windows that made the interior very bright. The white-painted walls were decorated with watercolor paintings and paper cuts that seemed childish to adults. The floor was stone-ground, which, at the time, was considered excellent decoration similar to those in schools of the future. Ten sets of light-green desks and chairs were neatly arranged, with many cabinets against the walls filled with toys, paintbrushes, and other items. Overall, the environment was very nice.
"What is this carpet for?" asked Han Shouzhen, pointing to the carpet laid out near the windows.
"It’s for the children to play on so they’re not sitting directly on the dirty floor." Wen Yu, recalling something, couldn’t help but chuckle, "Besides, some kids don’t like sitting properly on chairs and prefer to move around freely."
Next, Wen Yu took them to see the children’s bedroom, dining room, and the small garden.
Although from the perspective of later generations, the environment here might seem a bit contrived, from the standards of that era, it couldn’t have been better. Lin Xiaoguai was satisfied and asked, "What are your fees here?"
"Twenty-five yuan a month."
This price was definitely expensive, but Lin Xiaoguai didn’t mind. She nodded and asked, "Do you pay monthly or for the whole year at once?"
"That’s up to you. As long as there’s no arrears, I don’t mind even if you pay daily," said Wen Yu, whose late husband had left her a considerable inheritance. She didn’t open the kindergarten to make money but because she loved children. Otherwise, with her diploma from junior college, finding a good job wouldn’t have been difficult.