Gourmet Kindergarten

"Get down here right now! You little brat, what time is it?!"

Outside the car door, Lin Xi's exquisite makeup was barely able to contain her raging emotions. She grabbed the car door and screamed at the top of her lungs.

Zhuangzhuang, sitting in the back seat, completely ignored his mother's voice and cried his heart out: "I don't want to go to school here! Never, ever—!"

"Why? Didn't you used to like it here?"

"Before, it was because Yan Yan was here! Now that she's gone, I have to go too!" Zhuang Zhuang cried, wiping away tears with his sleeve. "Mommy, I want to transfer schools! I want to go to Hanlin Bilingual Kindergarten! Yan Yan is there!"

Lin Xi laughed in anger.

Good heavens, it turns out it was the little green plum who transferred to another school, and this kid isn't even going to school anymore.

Hey!

It's true what they say, "Once you have a wife, you forget your mother"...

Is it too late for her to sign up for swimming lessons now?

To prevent her and Yan Yan from falling into the water at the same time, and this foolish son only thinking about rescuing his wife while his own mother is left to fend for herself...

Forget it, now is not the time to think about that.

"But Mom has already paid this semester's tuition..."

"I don't care, I want to transfer schools!"

"You brat... Don't even think about it unless you get the principal to refund your tuition!"

Lin Xi was just bluffing, but to everyone's surprise, Zhuangzhuang stopped crying abruptly upon hearing it.

He sniffled, and a light suddenly lit up in his big, red eyes: "Okay! I'll go find the headmaster and get my money back! Mom, you can't go back on your word then..."

Lin Xi: "..."

To be honest, "Golden Sun Kindergarten" has really been in a bad state lately—only one good teacher is left, and only six students have left. The parents' group chat is filled with gloom every day.

She had wanted to run away for a long time.

But I'm too shy to argue with the principal about a refund, so I was thinking of just getting through the semester.

Now, things have gotten even worse; the son is now willingly taking on the role of the "bad guy."

If the child makes a fuss and succeeds, the money is returned; if not, the child loses face, and the child suffers no loss.

This wave, this wave is a sure thing, no losses.

"Okay." Lin Xi narrowed her eyes, finalizing the deal. "As long as you return the tuition fee, Mom will arrange for you to transfer schools immediately."

"I want to transfer to Hanlin Bilingual School!"

"make a deal."

"Pinky promise, for a hundred years, never to be broken!"

The little hand hooked its fingers together with the adult's and solemnly stamped the seal.

Immediately, Zhuangzhuang jumped out of the car with great enthusiasm, toddled towards the kindergarten gate with his short legs, and shouted towards the security guard's room, "Grandpa Li, open the gate!"

Inside the security room, Grandpa Li was swaying his head as he listened to Peking Opera. Hearing the noise, he cheerfully opened the iron gate: "Hey, Zhuangzhuang, why are you late today? Your teacher Yu has asked twice already—"

Zhuangzhuang completely ignored the question and went straight to the point: "Where is the headmaster?"

"She should be in the kitchen right now, right? What do you want with the headmistress?"

"Refund your tuition!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhuangzhuang darted into the school gate with lightning speed.

Grandpa Li stood there, stunned, forgetting to put the padlock back on.

Tuition refund?

He had worked at "Golden Sun" for many years and had seen plenty of unruly children who clung to his legs and refused to enter the kindergarten. But a five or six-year-old toddler coming to ask for a refund was a first for him!

This little rascal is quite audacious!

The surprise lasted no more than three seconds before Mr. Li's heart skipped a beat.

The kindergarten was already barely surviving, with only a few children left. If another one leaves... it won't be long before it has to close down!

If the business really closes down, won't I have to pack my bags and leave?

With his old bones, it will probably be very difficult for him to find a job again!

He doesn't want to be bored at home...

Thinking of this, Grandpa Li gripped the door lock tightly and ran after him, shouting, "Oh my little darling! Zhuangzhuang! Zhuangzhuang, you stop right there!"

But this little guy's short legs were incredibly fast, and Grandpa Li couldn't catch up in time. Frustrated, he yelled from behind, "Don't cause trouble! Why are you asking for a refund of tuition fees all of a sudden...?"

On the other side, outside the school gate.

Lin Xi watched her son's hurried figure disappear around the corner, scoffed, rolled up the car window, and started the car.

That's right, she didn't take it seriously at all.

A six-year-old child asking for a tuition refund?

No wonder the kindergarten director wouldn't pay him any attention.

Most likely, they'll go in and cry, then the teacher will coax and trick them into coming back to the classroom, and they'll still have to come back tomorrow morning.

Anyway, I've successfully passed this hot potato today.

Lin Xi stepped on the gas and merged into the traffic without hesitation.

……

"Headmaster!"

With a childish shout, the kitchen door was kicked open.

Pei Qian and Aunt Zhao had just finished washing the vegetables when they turned around and saw a little "meatball" tumbling in.

The little boy's chubby face turned bright red, and the tuft of hair on his head was sticking up and down. To be honest, he was quite cute.

Pei Qian recognized him immediately and chuckled, "Zhuangzhuang? Why are you skipping class and running off to the kitchen?"

"I didn't skip class!" Zhuangzhuang stretched out his chubby little hand, palm up, and said confidently, "Headmaster, give me my money back!"

"Refund? Refund what?"

"Tuition fees! Tuition fee refund!"

Aunt Zhao: "..."

Got it!

What you fear most is what happens!

Pei Qian: "...Why are you asking for a tuition refund? Is the food bad, or did someone bully you?"

"Neither!"

Zhuangzhuang sniffled and announced in a booming voice, "I want to transfer schools! I'm going to Hanlin Bilingual School to find Yan Yan! My mom said if you can refund my tuition, I'll transfer!"

Aunt Zhao: "..."

This generation of parents is really something, using their own children as pawns.

If the money is refunded, everyone is happy; if it isn't, the parents will simply say, "The child was just talking nonsense," and wash their hands of the matter completely.

That's quite a clever scheme!

Pei Qian: "..."

Wow, that's a reason that's both refreshing and irrefutable.

But then I thought—

wrong.

If Zhuangzhuang's mother really wants to refund the tuition, can't she just make a phone call or send a WeChat message? Why not send a six-year-old child instead?

There are essentially two possibilities:

Either Zhuangzhuang is too clingy, or his mother casually tells him, "Go ask the principal to refund the money, and you can transfer the school," which is just to appease the child.

Either they were deliberately testing the new principal's bottom line to see if he would back down or not.

No matter which one it is, this money absolutely cannot be refunded!

If they withdraw, it will set a precedent. If one kindergarten withdraws today, and three withdraw tomorrow, then this kindergarten might as well not open at all.

But we can't be too confrontational or make definitive statements; we have to give them a gentle nudge.

Just as I was pondering this, another figure entered through the door:

"Little principal! Don't... don't listen to this little devil's nonsense!"

It was Grandpa Li who caught up, his face flushed from running, clearly exhausted from Zhuangzhuang's antics.

Pei Qian glanced at Grandpa Li and silently felt sorry for him for a second.

"I'm not messing around, I just want my tuition refunded... and my mom has already agreed... Headmaster, please give me my tuition refund quickly..." Zhuangzhuang persisted, his chubby little hand still outstretched.

Pei Qian understood.

The tactic of delaying has begun.

He crouched down and said gently, "Okay, I can give you a refund. But the headmaster has to make lunch for the children right now. How about you wait until I've finished cooking before giving you your refund?"

Aunt Zhao gave Pei Qian a thumbs up in her heart.

High, really high.

Promise to keep things calm until noon, let the child go back to the classroom, have a small cookie, and that chubby boy will surely forget all about it.

After all, a child's attention span is shorter than a goldfish's!

Grandpa Li nodded secretly beside him, thinking to himself that the young director was indeed a quick-witted young man.

"Okay." Zhuangzhuang tilted his head and thought for a moment, then thought it made sense.

"Then you should go back to the classroom now."

"No!"

The chubby boy plopped down on a small stool in the corner of the kitchen, hugging his round little legs with both hands: "I'll wait here."

Aunt Zhao: "..."

Grandpa Li: "..."

Pei Qian: "..."

They've broken down! This generation of kids is really hard to fool!