Chapter 125: Yangyang’s Wish

Leaving the office building of Yong’an Security Company, Chang Yu leisurely held Yang Yang’s small hand as they strolled along the bustling street. It was still morning, right in the midst of the city’s rush hour.

Watching the hurried pace of the office workers around him, Chang Yu couldn’t help but feel a pang of schadenfreude.

“No early mornings, no rushing, no having to please the boss’s mood—ah... I’m just happy!” he hummed a little tune, deliberately slowing his pace and casting sidelong glances at passersby with a cocky expression, as if daring them to challenge his leisure. He looked quite smug.

“What’s there to be proud of?” Yang Yang spoke suddenly with the tone of an adult, filled with a sense of weariness and sadness. “If it were me, I wouldn’t be content with just this much.”

He went on, seemingly talking to himself: “Bill Gates became the world’s richest man at thirty-nine, Tian Qiao became my country’s richest at thirty-one, Sun Yat-sen founded the Revive China Society at twenty-eight, Sun Quan held Jiangdong at nineteen, Ding Junhui won the world championship at fourteen, Tien Po won an Oscar at seven, Emperor Kangxi ascended the throne at six, Beethoven began composing at four, and the Gourd Brothers started fighting monsters right after birth...”

“Just think about it—how far behind are you already? And you’re twenty years old this year!”

“Wait a minute!” Chang Yu’s eyes mischievously darted toward Yang Yang’s backside, pondering where he could strike without splattering blood on himself.

“What business is it of yours whether I succeed or not?”

“Of course it’s my business! If you don’t succeed, who’s going to treat me to the good life?” Yang Yang replied matter-of-factly.

Good grief. While most parents dream of their children becoming dragons or phoenixes, this one seems to believe his son’s status depends solely on his own.

The sun shines bright overhead,
The flowers smile at me,
The birds chirp early morning greetings,
Why do you carry that little backpack on your back?

Suddenly, a delightful melody mixed with children’s laughter drifted from nearby, instantly capturing Chang Yu’s attention.

There was a modest-sized vacant lot meticulously fenced off, creating a small playground. Many children joyfully performed morning exercises on the carpeted ground, utterly adorable.

A large speaker played the latest popular tunes while five teachers led the dance at the front. The children mimicked their moves, hopping, jumping, laughing, and clapping with boundless energy and vitality—truly heartwarming.

“That looks like a kindergarten,” Chang Yu speculated as he watched.

He recalled there was indeed a kindergarten near his apartment complex. A few days ago, when driving by, he had caught a distant glimpse of it.

The kindergarten occupied a sizable area and was well-decorated. As Chang Yu and Yang Yang approached, he noticed quite a number of children attending—at least seventy or eighty.

What caught his eye even more was the kindergarten’s name: Prince and Princess Kindergarten.

“That’s an interesting name,” Chang Yu marveled upon seeing the sign at the entrance.

The flattery here was on another level; the principal must be quite the strategist.

The name clearly implied: whoever sent their child here was the king or queen.

Such bold flattery—there’s no denying it’s impressive.

“What are they doing?” Yang Yang’s eyes sparkled as he watched so many children playing together.

“They’re doing morning exercises,” Chang Yu explained patiently, mindful that Yang Yang was new to human society.

“Kindergartens usually have activities like this twice a day, morning and evening, mainly to give these ‘little flowers’ a chance to exercise.”

“Oh, so this is the kindergarten Katarina mentioned,” Yang Yang’s gaze held both longing and admiration. “It looks pretty nice.”

Perhaps without realizing it, Yang Yang’s face had already begun to express, “I want to go to kindergarten.”

Though he didn’t say it outright, Chang Yu keenly sensed Yang Yang’s feelings.

At that moment, Chang Yu realized Yang Yang might be feeling lonely, feeling isolated.

He had started to envy the children who could attend kindergarten.

After all, Yang Yang was the only child at home, with no peers his age to play with.

Chang Yu was an adult; he couldn’t play with him like a peer. Feeling lonely was only natural.

“Going to this kindergarten must cost a lot, right?” Yang Yang stared for a long time, then his expression suddenly darkened with disappointment.

---

“Probably,” Chang Yu replied nonchalantly.

Originally, he wanted to say, “Of course,” but seeing the sadness in Yang Yang’s eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Education in this country was notoriously expensive. Even a kindergarten, which was more of a daycare than a school, could easily drain parents’ finances.

“Let’s go,” Yang Yang quickly tucked away his melancholy.

“Huh?” Chang Yu was surprised. “Not going to watch anymore?”

He had planned to let Yang Yang watch a bit longer.

“No more,” Yang Yang said, clasping his hands behind his back as he headed home. “The Armor Hero show is about to start. I need to get back and watch TV.”

...

Sending Yang Yang to kindergarten—it must be... really expensive, right?

On the way home, Chang Yu’s mind kept turning over the question.

Though he had never attended kindergarten himself and didn’t know the exact expenses, he had often heard the complaints of passing aunties.

“Kindergarten tuition is so expensive,” “There’s public and private kindergartens,” “Some families are so poor they can’t even afford meals...”

Chang Yu was just a young man, barely two years into working life, already exposed to the world of parents—it was a strange experience.

Just thinking about the costs of kindergarten made him feel unsettled.

Lost in thought, he returned home, his mind a tangled mess.

As expected, Yang Yang immediately turned on the TV upon entering the house.

Usually, Yang Yang would sit on the sofa and not move, as if watching TV were his entire purpose in life.

But today was different. Within a single afternoon, he had already moved back and forth from the living room to the window ledge, gazing at the kindergarten below at least four or five times.

Each time, he lingered for at least ten minutes.

Watching Yang Yang’s forlorn figure and the longing etched in his eyes, Chang Yu felt a deep pang of guilt.

“Am I really a good father if I can’t give my child the life he wants?” he asked himself, full of self-reproach.

At that moment, he recalled something Katarina had once said:

Yang Yang needed to interact more with children his own age, make friends with peers.

Having playmates would teach Yang Yang how to socialize.

When she said this, Katarina was utterly convinced, as if she had foreseen this very scene.

After much hesitation, Chang Yu finally clenched his teeth and made a tough decision.

“It’s just kindergarten. How hard can it be?”

He spent the entire afternoon waiting for Yang Yang to speak up—waiting from the late morning sun to the setting dusk, from empty streets to bustling crowds.

Chang Yu waited for Yang Yang to initiate the conversation; if Yang Yang asked to go to kindergarten, he swore he would agree immediately.

But no matter how long he waited, Yang Yang never mentioned it, as if it had never crossed his mind.

Looking at Yang Yang’s sad but forced smile, a realization dawned on Chang Yu.

Yang Yang wasn’t avoiding the topic because he didn’t want to go—he was afraid of the financial burden it would place on Chang Yu.

Chang Yu had mentioned to Katarina more than once that kindergarten tuition was very high, and his current financial situation wasn’t good.

Whether intentional or not, Yang Yang had overheard and remembered this.

Suddenly, Chang Yu realized how considerate Yang Yang was.

Though he often acted wild and mischievous, he was not oblivious.

Nor was he unaware of how to ease Chang Yu’s worries.

As a member of this family, Yang Yang knew their financial situation was tight and wanted to lessen the burden as much as possible.

Unable to stay silent any longer, Chang Yu quickly dressed, grabbed his phone, and strode toward the front door with determination.

“What are you doing?” Yang Yang asked curiously.

“Going to the market to buy some groceries. I’ll make you some delicious food,” Chang Yu said without looking back.

Downstairs and out the door, Chang Yu headed straight for the kindergarten not far from home.

He managed to find the principal before dismissal time.

“I want to enroll my child,” Chang Yu said firmly in the elegantly decorated principal’s office.

“Wonderful, we’d be delighted to have you,” the principal replied with a smile that was hard to read, a sharp-looking person.

“But... our kindergarten is private, and the tuition is three thousand yuan per month.”

“What? Three thousand?” Chang Yu exclaimed in disbelief.

Though he had expected the tuition to be expensive, he hadn’t imagined it would be this high.

It was just a kindergarten—not elementary, middle, or high school, and certainly not university!

To charge three thousand yuan a month right off the bat felt like highway robbery.

“What makes it so expensive?” Chang Yu asked anxiously.

The principal was unfazed, as if expecting this reaction.

He smiled and explained, “From our teaching staff to the environment and even the nap conditions, everything is top-notch.”

“Whether food or supplies, we have strict standards and strive for perfection.”

“Private schools never come cheap. Our fees are actually reasonable.”

“Some elite schools charge as much as ten thousand yuan a month!”

“If the price truly isn’t acceptable, you’re welcome to enroll your child in a public school, where tuition is much cheaper.”

Even without schooling himself, Chang Yu understood that private schools offered far better conditions than public ones.

At least the indoor environment and facilities of private kindergartens were superior.

If possible, Chang Yu hoped to send Yang Yang to a private kindergarten.

Which parent wouldn’t want the best education environment for their child?

Yet, while private kindergartens had excellent conditions, their exorbitant fees caused many parents to frown.

Take this kindergarten, for example—a modest private school in H City charging three thousand yuan per month. Elite ones could demand ten thousand.

When he was just a security guard earning two thousand a month, this tuition was simply unaffordable.

Asking someone with that income to send their child to such a kindergarten was madness.

Living in debt was a nightmare.

Most families had two incomes supporting one child, enabling them to scrimp and save for a good education.

But Chang Yu was alone, earning a single salary.

One income to support two people.

Even though he now had a new job with a much higher salary, spending over half of it monthly on kindergarten tuition was still a heavy burden.

For a moment, Chang Yu almost considered following the principal’s advice and sending Yang Yang to a public kindergarten.

But looking around the excellent environment of this kindergarten, he resolved to enroll Yang Yang here.

If it was to be done, it had to be the best.

“My son will study here,” Chang Yu declared decisively. “Tell me what paperwork is needed. I’m ready.”

(End of chapter)