Zhao Youlin was initially shocked the moment Duan Yarong said she wanted to discuss something about Joy with her. Zhao Youlin thought something had happened to Joy without her knowledge. It was only after she knew it was about whether to send Joy to school when Zhao Youlin heaved a sigh of relief.
“Mother, Joy is only four years old. Don’t you think it’s a bit too early to talk about this?” Zhao Youlin looked at the innocent Joy who had wrapped his arms around her neck. She frowned when she asked the question.
Duan Yarong, however, smiled faintly while looking at Joy endearingly, “It’s not early for him. Most children attend kindergarten at this age. I know you’re reluctant to let go of Joy, neither can I. But, he’s still a kid. He should go out and play around with his peers. If we always keep him at home, he will find it very boring.”
Duan Yarong’s words were very reasonable. Zhao Youlin felt herself wavering.
Although Zhao Youlin was worried that Joy might be bullied by others due to his young age, what Duan Yarong said made sense too. Kids should go out and play around with their peers.
Even though their home was warm and cozy, at the same time, it lacked the fun of having a peer to play with.
Zhao Youlin hesitated for a while. Then, she turned around and looked down at Joy’s small innocent face. She smiled gently and said, “Joy, do you want to go to kindergarten?”
“Kindergarten?” Joy leaned on Zhao Youlin’s shoulder and asked stupidly.
“Yes, kindergarten is a…” Zhao Youlin paused to consider the use of words and continued, “A place to play around with many kids your age so that all of you can study, learn to write and play games together.”
Joy’s eyes sparkled and asked happily, “Mommy, will you and Grandma accompany me?”
Zhao Youlin froze. She did not know if she should laugh or cry. She touched Joy’s small nose and said softly, “Grandma and I will bring you to the entrance of the kindergarten. Then, you will play with other kids around. We’ll fetch you home in the evening.”
Joy was dumbfounded. Clearly, he had never thought it would be like this. He was a little hesitant.
Looking at Joy’s small face that was getting rounder like a steamed bun, Duan Yarong could not help but chuckle. She reached out and pinched Joy’s small round face and said gently, “Joy, even though your mommy and I will not stay with you in the kindergarten, there are many children who can play hide-and-seek and stack blocks with you. Also, there will be teachers who will tell stories to all of you. Joy, you’re so adorable. I’m sure you will be very popular there.”
Joy was a little moved by Duan Yarong’s words. However, he was still reluctant to be separated from Zhao Youlin. He spoke softly, “B-But… But, you’re not there, Mommy…”
When Zhao Youlin heard Joy’s whisper to her, her heart melted.
Zhao Youlin could not bear to see her son so caught up in this matter. She looked straight into Joy’s eyes and asked seriously, “Joy, tell me, do you want to play around with other children?”
Ever since Joy was born, he never had any mates to play with. The only playmate he had was Sparta. So, a boy like him was more or less tempted by the idea. He nodded hesitantly. However, soon, he shook his head again. Then, he swiftly reached out and wrapped his arms around Zhao Youlin’s neck. An apparent hint of fear appeared in his big, clear eyes. He was afraid that if he said yes, Zhao Youlin would not want him anymore.
How could Zhao Youlin not see the wariness hidden in Joy’s eyes? She knew that this must be the after-effects of her previous self over the past few years. While feeling her heart ache, she made up her mind that she wanted to send Joy to kindergarten.
Certain wounds remained in existence even if you purposely ignored their presence. If possible, letting Joy get in touch with other people, especially his peers might be a good thing for him, after all.
“Joy, if you really want to go to kindergarten, I promise you that I will send you to the kindergarten every morning. After the class ends in the afternoon, I will immediately pick you up from the kindergarten entrance. I guarantee you that the moment you come out of the entrance, you’ll see me. Is that… alright?”
Joy tilted his head and thought it over for some. He then stretched out his small hand toward Zhao Youlin, “A pinky promise.”
Zhao Youlin smiled from the bottom of her heart. She reached out her hand to him and hooked Joy’s little thumb, “Alright. A pinky promise. Whoever breaks the promise, he’s a dog.”
Only then did Joy feel relieved. He grinned and wrapped his arms around Zhao Youlin’s neck and said, “Alright. I’ll wait for you at the kindergarten, Mommy!”
Zhao Youlin turned around and kissed Joy. Then, she turned back and said to Duan Yarong, “Mother, please help me look for a decent kindergarten somewhere nearby.”
“Alright. I’ll ask someone to check for me tomorrow.”
While the two were speaking, Joy reached out and pulled Zhao Youlin. He whispered to her and asked, “Mother, can I bring along Sparta too?”
Zhao Youlin was a little stunned. She did not know if she should laugh or cry in her heart. At the same time, she also knew that Joy was very concerned about the pet who played with him. So, she explained to him patiently, “Sparta is just a dog. If you bring it to the kindergarten, many children would surround it. Sparta is not familiar with other kids. It would not be good if Sparta suddenly gets nervous and bites other children. So, you cannot bring Sparta over there. But, you can play with other kids when you’re in kindergarten. When you come back, you can play with Sparta. Joy, when you make friends with the children in kindergarten, you can invite them to come over to our house and meet Sparta. When they see you with such a cute puppy, I’m sure they’ll envy you.”
Joy did not suspect her. He hurriedly nodded. The three of them talked about this matter for a while longer.
With that, the matter of Joy’s kindergarten was settled. With Zhao Youlin’s approval, Duan Yarong soon asked Uncle Zhao to make contact with a reputable kindergarten.
Zhao Youlin was also very satisfied after her visitation to the kindergarten. This was especially so after finding out that the kindergarten was located two streets behind her pastry outlet.
One afternoon, Zhao Youlin brought Joy to her pastry outlet. She introduced her son to her employees.
Zhao Youlin had been very busy ever since she joined Zhao Enterprise. She did not have much time to check on her outlet.
Fortunately, An Yue and her sister had been watching over the outlet. Even though there were other attendants who were college students, they had been carefully selected by Zhao Youlin. The attendants were very efficient with their work. The business was considered quite good although Zhao Youlin seldom came to her outlet.
When the attendants saw their superior whom they had not seen over the past few days appear with a cute child, they were instantly attracted to them.
When they saw Joy, the eyes of the girls with poorer self-control sparkled, and they shouted in high-pitched voices, “Oh dear! This child is so cute! Is he our boss’ child?!”
