September 1st was a sacred and glorious day.
Elementary school started, and all the little beasts returned to their cages.
Today was also Su Xijing’s first day of elementary school.
Su Xijing had been woken up early by Aunt Zhao. With a sleepy face, she brushed her teeth and washed her face. Wearing her pink pajamas, she sat obediently in her children’s chair and ate breakfast, with a ring of rice porridge around her mouth.
Su Qingqiu sat beside her, picked up a meatball for her, and placed it in her bowl. She pulled out a napkin and gently wiped the corner of her mouth.
She looked at Su Xijing’s tender little face.
Watching a child grow up was truly an exciting yet heartbreaking process.
Time passed so quickly.
Five years had flown by, and Xixi was about to start elementary school.
Going to elementary school meant entering the next stage of life, beginning nine years of compulsory education. In this process, she would gradually meet other people and make more friends.
She would become more and more independent, focusing more on schoolwork and friends, gradually no longer clinging to her.
Then she would go to junior high, high school, university, and perhaps one day leave this city.
Finally… leave her.
As Su Qingqiu thought about this, a low-pressure aura slowly enveloped her, almost condensing into a black entity. Thunder and lightning flashed above her head, and her expression shifted unpredictably.
Xixi lifted her little face. “Mommy, Xixi is going to school. Are you not happy?”
Su Qingqiu instantly turned back into the gentle good mommy, her face bright and sunny.
She stroked Xixi’s head. “Of course Mommy is happy.”
She was just a little reluctant to let go.
Xixi stretched out her chubby little hand and held her finger.
She blinked her eyes and said earnestly, “Mommy, don’t be unhappy. Xixi will always be Mommy’s little baby and will never leave Mommy.”
Su Qingqiu lowered her head and looked at the ponytail on her head, with a tiny whirl at the back.
She was only five years old, yet her thoughts were already so delicate and perceptive.
Her heart ached even more, and she was even more reluctant to let go.
Su Qingqiu said, “Alright, Xixi, eat your breakfast quickly. We have to go to Yuying Elementary School for enrollment at nine o’clock.”
Xixi asked, “Is Mommy taking Xixi to school?”
Su Qingqiu replied, “Yes, today is Xixi’s first day of school. Mommy will take you to school.”
Skipping two hours of work to take the child to school shouldn’t be a big deal.
Rong Jin had gotten up a bit late today. She slowly wheeled herself to the dining table. Aunt Zhao served her a bowl of noodles topped with two eggs.
She ate the noodles silently.
Milk circled around her feet, its claws scratching at the edge of her pant leg as it meowed.
Rong Jin looked down. “Do you want some too?”
Milk: “Meow!”
Rong Jin held her bowl. “I’m not giving you any.”
Milk: “…?”
This person gave it a very punchable familiar feeling—what was that about?
It really wanted to scratch her.
As soon as Rong Jin came out of her room, Su Qingqiu couldn’t help but start sneaking glances at her.
Looking at her reminded her of the ear-tingling scene from last night. Her gaze wandered, and she didn’t dare look at her too much. Her ears quietly turned a bit red.
While slurping her noodles, Rong Jin also sneaked glances at her with her peripheral vision.
Xixi watched the two of them sneaking glances at each other again and pouted in disdain.
Adults were so dishonest.
After finishing her rice porridge, Xixi looked up. “Auntie, Xixi wants Auntie and Mommy to take Xixi to school together.”
Rong Jin: “…?”
Why had it suddenly involved her?
Su Qingqiu said, “Auntie’s leg isn’t convenient. Mommy taking Xixi to school is fine.”
Xixi blinked her eyes and started acting cute again. “But in kindergarten, lots of kids had both dad and mom take them to school. Xixi wants two people too. Xixi wants Auntie to take her to school.”
Although it was two people sending her.
But other kids had mom and dad.
Having Mommy and Auntie send her together.
Wasn’t that a bit off?
Su Qingqiu’s gaze fell on Rong Jin.
From a biological standpoint, there wasn’t much difference.
Rong Jin didn’t think too much about it. Since Xixi wanted it, she agreed.
“Alright.”
There was no reason to refuse.
She had been the one who made Xixi’s elementary school entrance exam paper.
After breakfast, Xixi changed into a pink frilly skirt, put on her pink and tender little backpack, tied her hair into a ponytail, held Su Qingqiu’s hand on the left, while Su Qingqiu pushed Rong Jin, and they happily went to school together.
Yuying Elementary School was just a five-minute walk to the left from the neighborhood entrance—very close. The kids going to school were all from wealthy or noble families, and most knew each other.
The campus was filled with laughter and joy. Parents happily sent their children to school, stopping to chat with acquaintances they recognized, their happiness evident in every word.
The little ones being led by the hand looked bewildered at the vast campus. Realizing they were truly about to start nine years of compulsory education, and seeing how overly excited their parents were, they suddenly felt grief well up inside and burst into loud cries.
“Mommy, I want to go home. I don’t want to go to school, waaah…”
“Daddy, I want Mommy. I want Mommy…”
“I want to eat baked egg tarts and ice cream…”
Xixi was infected by this atmosphere of sorrow. She had confidently comforted Su Qingqiu at home, but standing in the elementary school campus, she suddenly felt a strong sense of unease. She sniffled, pursed her lips, and her eyes turned red.
Xixi tugged at Su Qingqiu’s clothes and whispered, “Mommy, Xixi is scared…”
It was the first time Su Qingqiu had seen Xixi like this. Her heart ached so much it twisted. She squatted down and hugged Xixi. “If Xixi is scared, then we’ll go home first and come back in a couple of days, okay?”
She calculated that hiring a home tutor would be the same.
Xixi was so smart; skipping elementary school wouldn’t matter.
Rong Jin knew too well how much Su Qingqiu doted on Xixi. Seeing her like this foolish mommy made her a bit unable to watch. She beckoned to Xixi. “Xixi, come to Auntie.”
Xixi obediently walked over. “Auntie.”
Rong Jin touched her little face and said softly, “Why is Xixi scared?”
Xixi shook her head. “Xixi doesn’t know. Xixi is just scared…”
Rong Jin said, “Look, there are so many kids in the school who can play with you. Does Xixi like playing with other kids?”
Xixi nodded. “Xixi likes it.”
Su Qingqiu, holding Xixi’s little hand, was stunned for a moment.
Because of her health, Xixi often got sick and missed kindergarten. Su Qingqiu generally didn’t let her go out much, at most playing in the neighborhood, and Xixi was always obedient and never fussed.
But actually, Xixi liked playing with other kids.
She wasn’t naturally quiet; she was just sensible and didn’t want to worry Mommy.
Rong Jin continued, “After Xixi goes to school, she’ll have lots of kids to play with. You can go to and from school together, eat together, and play games together.”
Xixi’s eyes sparkled. “Xixi wants to play games with kids.”
Rong Jin said again, “Does Xixi know why the sky is blue?”
Xixi tilted her head. “Because the sea is blue, so the sky is blue too.”
Rong Jin asked, “Then why is the sea blue?”
Xixi shook her head. “Xixi doesn’t know.”
“It’s because the sea is picky about its food. It likes to eat shiny colors—like red. It also eats orange and yellow, but not as much. Its least favorite is blue, so the sea is blue.”
Xixi’s eyes widened. “Wow…”
Rong Jin added, “After Xixi starts school, she’ll learn so much knowledge and discover how wonderful, vast, and beautiful the world is.”
…
Since the first grade was on the second floor and Rong Jin was in a wheelchair, it was inconvenient, so she stayed on the first floor to wait.
Su Qingqiu took Xixi upstairs to the classroom for enrollment. This time, Xixi didn’t say she was scared anymore. She even quietly greeted the homeroom teacher who was welcoming the little beans at the door. “Good morning, Teacher.”
The homeroom teacher was a young female teacher named Yu, who taught Chinese. She wore a floral dress and had a very gentle voice.
“Good morning, Xixi.”
Su Qingqiu handed Xixi’s hand to her. “Teacher Yu, Xixi is in your care.”
They exchanged contact information.
Xixi had to stay in the class. After all the kids arrived, they would have the first class meeting for self-introductions, collect new textbooks, attend the morning classes, and then go home.
Su Qingqiu was a bit reluctant, but Xixi gave her a big smile and waved. “Mommy, go back quickly. Auntie is waiting downstairs and must be bored.”
Su Qingqiu lingered a bit longer before leaving reluctantly.
Even when she got downstairs, she still felt reluctant and at a loss.
She pushed Rong Jin away from the school, her emotions complex. She wanted to vent a little but wasn’t sure if she should say these things to Rong Jin.
Rong Jin sensed her unusual silence and asked, “Still worried about Xixi?”
Su Qingqiu lowered her eyes and said softly, “She’s never been away from me before. Even in kindergarten, because she was always getting sick, she rarely actually went. She’s really never left me…”
Her words were a bit incoherent. She wanted to express it more clearly but couldn’t.
Rong Jin tilted her head up and looked into her eyes.
Ever since Rong Jin’s leg was injured, they often communicated from this perspective.
Rong Jin noticed a tiny red mole under her chin that was normally invisible.
Her skin was so fair and delicate that the little red mole stood out strikingly, somehow alluring.
Rong Jin coughed lightly and said, “Kids should interact more with other children. It’s good for her growth.”
Su Qingqiu replied, “I understand.”
When she was little, Yang Wanwan wouldn’t let her play with other kids, afraid they’d corrupt her. But the other kids just mocked her as a wild child and bullied her; they never played with her.
Of course she knew how important playmates were for kids.
They slowly left the school and walked back to the neighborhood.
The neighborhood had great landscaping, with trees lining the roads. The shadows of the trees were dense, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling their faces.
Seeing that Su Qingqiu’s expression was still off, Rong Jin smiled and said, “I was the one who gave Xixi her entrance exam, and her scores should be fine. Plus, she’s so cute; the teacher will like her.”
Rong Jin remembered the girl with sheep-horn braids who sat next to her during the entrance exam.
Song Chuyi.
“She has a friend named Song Chuyi too. Having a friend there to look out for her will be fine.”
Before she finished speaking,
Su Qingqiu’s phone suddenly rang.
Su Qingqiu took out her phone and glanced at it.
It was Teacher Yu.
They exchanged a look.
They had only been gone less than ten minutes and hadn’t even gotten home yet.
Was something wrong?
Su Qingqiu answered the call.
Teacher Yu’s anxious voice came through. “Xixi’s mom, bad news! Xixi got into a fight with another kid!”
Rong Jin: “…”
