"Remember, don't take too long."
Lu Chuanbai was worried that Xu Qingqing would spend too much time on the restoration.
Hearing Lu Chuanbai's instructions, Huang Liwei couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat.
Mr. Lu was really going all out in his pursuit of his wife. He broke the antique he bought and then had it restored!
Fully satisfied, Lu Qi came to the studio and said to Xu Qingqing with a smile, "Qingqing, I've decided to raise your salary."
"Why the sudden raise?" Xu Qingqing asked in surprise.
Was this stingy Lu Qi actually shedding some feathers today?
"Most of the people who come to our antique shop for restoration do so because of your skills. It doesn't seem right for me to split the profits with you fifty-fifty anymore."
"So from now on, let's change the split to two - eight. That way, I'll feel a bit more at ease." Lu Qi clasped his hands over his chest, looking like a considerate boss.
"Okay then."
Although she didn't understand what this guy was up to, who wouldn't be happy to earn more money?
If Xu Qingqing knew that all this money was just given to her by Lu Chuanbai, she wondered if she'd still be this happy.
In the afternoon, after the two kids got home from school, they told Xu Qingqing about the parent - child activity at the kindergarten.
"Mom, tomorrow is the kindergarten's opening celebration. Every kid's parents are required to attend, and there'll be parent - child activities!" Xu Yiyi didn't even have time to take off his schoolbag before telling Xu Qingqing the news.
"Mom, what should I and brother do?" Xu An'an pouted and asked, "Mom will have to take care of both me and brother..."
"Mom will take a leave of absence."
Xu Qingqing sighed. The thing she least wanted to face had finally come.
A parent - child activity at the kindergarten was supposed to be a good thing, but for a single mom like her with two kids, it wasn't so friendly.
She not only had to take care of two kids but also play the games well in the competition. It was really frustrating!
But Xu Qingqing still cheered herself up and said, "Mom will do her best in tomorrow's games!"
Xu An'an was about to say something else, but Xu Yiyi stopped her. He raised his little face and said, "Mom, come on!"
Then he took his sister and ran into the room. There was a serious look on Xu Yiyi's little face. "Didn't we say not to tell Mom? Why did you go back on your word?"
Xu An'an's mouth puckered, and she was on the verge of crying. "But the kids in the kindergarten all said I don't have a dad, and even Xiaomei won't play with me anymore."
"But even if you tell Mom, what can Mom do? Mom can't just conjure up a dad for us."
Xu Yiyi patiently comforted his sister like a little adult. "People who won't play with you just because you don't have a dad aren't real friends at all!"
"Real friends help each other. Do you understand?"
Although she thought her brother made sense, Xu An'an still felt very wronged.
"If Uncle Tang hadn't left, he could have gone to the activity with Mom."
The next morning, Xu's mother looked at Xu Qingqing hesitantly.
"Qingqing, are you sure you don't want me to go with you? Can you take care of the two kids?"
Xu Qingqing smiled helplessly. "Mom, aren't you and Dad going to some exhibition today? Don't worry, I can take care of the two kids."
She had given birth to the kids without telling her parents. She didn't want the kids to interfere with her parents' normal lives.
"Okay then."
Knowing her daughter was stubborn and wouldn't change her mind once she'd made a decision, Xu's mother could only say, "Call me if anything happens. Your dad and I will come right away."
"Okay, I know."
After Xu Qingqing took the two kids to the kindergarten, she found that most of the parents were there with both the mom and the dad to visit the school.
It was almost unheard of for someone like Xu Qingqing to be holding the hands of two kids.
Seeing the other kids happily greeting their friends, Xu Qingqing asked with a smile, "An'an, why don't you go say hello to Xiaomei?"
Since Xu An'an started kindergarten, the name Xiaomei was the one Xu Qingqing heard most from her.
Xiaomei must be Xu An'an's good friend.
A flicker of sadness passed through Xu An'an's eyes, and she said stubbornly, "Xiaomei is playing with other kids. I won't play with her!"
Xu Qingqing thought the two good friends had had a fight. She patiently told An'an, "An'an, friendship is mutual. It can't be just about you. Do you understand?"
"Got it." An'an said glumly.
Xu Yiyi sensed that the atmosphere was off and quickly jumped in to defuse the situation. "Mom, let me show you around our kindergarten."
"Sure!" Xu Qingqing readily agreed.
This kindergarten was chosen by Xu Yan for the two kids. She hadn't had a good look around yet.
The kindergarten was well - equipped and very high - end. Even the kids in the junior class were already taking English classes. It was a bilingual teaching model.
Fortunately, the two kids had grown up abroad, so they had no trouble with the language.
When they got to Xu An'an and Xu Yiyi's class, the room was already full of parents.
Their teacher was showing photos of the kids taken on campus on the podium.
"Teacher Yuan!" Xu An'an saw Teacher Yuan and happily ran onto the podium.
Xu Yiyi also liked Teacher Yuan very much. "Mom, the teacher is so nice to us. She often gives An'an and me candy."
"Hello, Teacher Yuan. Thank you for taking care of my two kids." Xu Qingqing reached out her hand gratefully to Teacher Yuan.
Teacher Yuan stopped what she was doing, shook Xu Qingqing's hand, and said with a smile, "You must be An'an and Yiyi's mom. You look so young!"
Xu Qingqing had fair skin and looked so young that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was in her early twenties.
If she hadn't admitted it herself, Teacher Yuan would have thought she was the kids' older sister.
"Come on." Xu Qingqing covered her mouth and laughed softly.
"Please take a seat first. The principal's speech will start soon. Just wait a bit." Teacher Yuan stroked Xu An'an's little head. "An'an, take Mom to your seat."
"Okay."
Xu An'an pulled Xu Qingqing to her and Xu Yiyi's seats. There was a little girl with a high ponytail and a small crown sitting in the seat next to them.
Xu Qingqing saw the name Zheng Meiqiu on the little girl's name tag.
Meiqiu.
This must be the Xiaomei An'an had been talking about. To get the two kids to make up, Xu Qingqing took the initiative to say hello.
"You must be Xiaomei. You're so pretty. Our An'an often mentions you at home."
Zheng Meiqiu looked a bit reluctant, but she was still polite and softly said, "Thank you, auntie."
Then, two kids came to call her.
"Xiaomei, let's go play over there!"
Xiaomei looked back at the unhappy Xu An'an but still followed the two kids to play.
So that's what happened.
It seemed that those two kids had started playing with Xiaomei, so Xiaomei stopped playing with An'an.