For a while, Qiao Xinyi remained speechless. What was happening? She met Ye Guanguan a few times before. According to her cousin Ye Qiuran, Ye Guanguan was flat-chested and stupid. But now, Ye Guanguan seemed like a tough woman to deal with.
Qian Xinyi wondered. But since Ye Guanguan gave her an out, she would accept it.
“Fine, as you wish, Guanguan.”
Some children had their father and mother come together, too. So, it wasn’t weird when Ye Guanguan sat on Tuanzi’s left side while Qiao Xinyi sat on his right. Tuanzi kept talking to Ye Guanguan about the funny stories among children all the time and totally ignored Qiao Xinyi. Qiao Xinyi looked embarrassed, but didn’t interrupt them.
Ye Guanguan wasn’t a saint. Nor did she want to be unnecessarily helpful. So, she didn’t respond when Tuanzi embarrassed Qiao Xinyi unwittingly.
“All right, parents. Let’s start our themed class meeting. First, I’d like to praise Lu Geqi of our class. He behaves best in having meals and sleeping. As the same old way, he’ll get full stars!”
After a bombastic speech, Miss Yu gave a thumbs up. Soon, Tuanzi raised his chin proudly and stood up so that the teacher could put up golden stars on the wall behind him.
Oh, such were full stars. Ye Guanguan sighed silently. She hadn’t ever taken care of a child and she didn’t know about such forms.
Then there came a big round of applause. Before Ye Guanguan realized it, Miss Yu raised the microphone and invited her.
“Next, let’s welcome Lu Geqi’s mother for a speech. Her son has full stars this week again.”
Oh, so it felt like this when so many people admired her! Ye Guanguan was stiff. She didn’t know what to say.
“Mm… I think Tuanzi’s father is too strict with him. I always tell him to give Tuanzi a happy childhood, but he never listens. Everybody, I don’t really suggest such a way of raising children.”
What she said made other parents discuss with each other and they looked disgruntled.
“What is she talking about? If we’re lax in disciplining our children when they’re little, how will they behave when they grow up?”
“Yeah! She’d better not raise her son, or he will lose at the starting line.”
Ye Guanguan had thought other parents would also care for their children. Unexpectedly, they all wanted to compare their children to others’.
Ye Guanguan was speechless. Things began to get complicated, and she was too embarrassed to continue.
Qiao Xinyi, who sat silently down there, chuckled secretly. Seemed like what Ye Qiuran said wasn’t quite credible. Looked like Ye Guanguan didn’t learn to be smart and she wouldn’t be a threat.
“All right. Everybody, don’t get Lu Geqi’s mother wrong. She just got married a couple of days ago. It makes sense when she doesn’t know how to teach a child.”
Miss Yu’s explanation enlightened other parents in the classroom. Tuanzi was three years old, but Ye Guanguan just got married. Obviously, she married a rich man and became Tuanzi’s stepmother.
In their eyes, Ye Guanguan turned humble immediately. She couldn’t be more embarrassed.
“Miss Yu, why don’t we just move on?”
Qiao Xinyi stood up. Instead of laughing at Ye Guanguan again, she helped Ye Guanguan walk off the platform with great concern.
The commendation meeting made Ye Guanguan feel lousy. After getting through the teacher’s speech for two hours, Ye Guanguan had thought the meeting could be over. When she stood up, she saw other parents getting ready to go. Some mothers even brought flat shoes with them. After putting on flat shoes, they put away the high-heeled shoes they had been wearing.
Ye Guanguan was a bit confused, asking, “What are they doing?”
Qiao Xinyi pulled Ye Guanguan and explained to her in a whisper, “There’s a parent-child game every two weeks. Don’t you know, Guanguan?”
No wonder Qiao Xinyi came in a sportswear while she always wore dresses of famous brands. Seemed like she was familiar with the game.
Embarrassed, Ye Guanguan followed other parents out. Luckily, Tuanzi held her hand all the way. Otherwise, she wouldn’t know what to do next when she was the only parent who wore high-heeled shoes.
“The first part! Mother Kangaroo Jump Jump Jump! All parents, please get ready.”
Props and costumes were all ready. Parents were divided into several teams for the competition. When Miss Yu was handing out the costumes, she totally ignored Ye Guanguan and gave a kangaroo costume to Qiao Xinyi directly.
“Try harder! You nearly won the first prize last time.”
Qiao Xinyi cast a sidelong glance at Ye Guanguan and gave a nasty smile.
“Miss Yu, but Miss Ye is Tuanzi’s mother…”
Looking at the high-heeled shoes Ye Guanguan was wearing and the long dress which stopped her from moving freely, Miss Yu shook her head and sighed. Ye Guanguan wasn’t that kind of parent who knew how to take care of a child.
“Miss Qiao, why don’t you do it? You know the rules, anyway.”
As Miss Yu said, she gave the costume to Qiao Xinyi stubbornly. Ye Guanguan was too embarrassed to argue. No one had told her about the game before!
Qiao Xinyi walked close to Ye Guanguan, holding the costume embarrassedly. The triumphant look on her face pissed Ye Guanguan off.
“Well, Guanguan, let me help you for the last time…”
“No,” said Tuanzi. Before Ye Guanguan replied, Tuanzi stood in front of them stubbornly and replied, “Mummy can do that. Can’t you, Mummy?”
Ye Guanguan was dumbfounded. So was Qiao Xinyi when she was just going to put on the costume.
“Oh, sorry, Miss Qiao.”
Looking at Tuanzi’s yearning eyes, Ye Guanguan didn’t want to let him down. With an apologetic look, she took over the costume from Qiao Xinyi and slipped off her high-heeled shoes without hesitation.
As Qiao Xinyi watched, dumbfounded, Ye Guanguan lifted her long dress halfway and tied it to her waist with the belt. Seemed like she would try her best.
Qiao Xinyi didn’t dare to argue. She replied in a faltering voice, “It’s… it’s okay. I’ll cheer for you.”
Feeling involved again, Ye Guanguan put Tuanzi into the breast pocket before her as if inspired! All parents were ready to go. After the gunshot, they all rocketed out like missiles!
Normally, Ye Guanguan didn’t like to do sports. She sometimes swam, but she wasn’t good at running at all.
She fell behind, without doubt. But Tuanzi held her waist in order not to increase the resistance. He even cheered for her loudly!
As if injected with great energy, Ye Guanguan rushed forward with Tuanzi without letup. Only a father was far ahead. Ye Guanguan hardened her heart and made a dash towards the finish line.
A little girl was sitting in the breast pocket of the father. The little girl was curious to see Ye Guanguan running so desperately. She stuck out her head to look at Ye Guanguan. Unexpectedly, she hampered her father’s arms when he was running. Immediately, her father ran off the runway. To protect his own daughter, he dodged, but nearly bumped into the guardrails along the runway.
Ye Guanguan finished her last spurt when someone was screaming. In the end, she lost control and fell forwards.