âMrs. Wang, Iâm sorry, but this is just kids being kids. I hope you donât mind,â Shu Pan apologized, though her concern for her daughter was evident.
âI didnât say anything wrong. Shu Joy really doesnât have a dad. Her dad has never come to pick her up,â Wang Zihang chimed in, as if he was worried about being misunderstood.
âItâs not true! I do have a dad. My mom says everyone has a dad. Itâs just that my dad works in a faraway place,â Joy, despite her small stature, held this belief deeply and defended herself like a little wildcat, which probably helped her in the fight against the taller Wang Zihang.
âJoy, be good. You canât fight with your classmates. Apologize to Wang Zihang, â
Shu Pan crouched down and stroked Joyâs head, though Joy wasnât very willing.
âPeople these days have complicated relationships. I bet nobody even knows who the childâs father is anymore,â Wang Zihangâs mother sarcastically remarked.
âMadam Wang, please watch your words.â Shu Panâs tone was very stern.
Wang Zihangâs mother reluctantly kept quiet.
âWang Zihang, donât say such things to Joy again. Everyone has a dad, okay?â The teacher, who had informed the parents, stood nearby, worried about Wang Zihangâs education as his mother continued to cross the line.
âI understand, Madam,â Wang Zihang replied with his head lowered, nodding.
âI hope youâll be more careful in the future. We send our children to kindergarten because we donât want them to get hurt, â Wang Zihangâs mother continued to scold the teacher.
âIâm sorry, Madam Wang. Weâll be more careful in the future,â the teacher apologized, feeling that she had failed to supervise the children properly.
With that, the incident came to a close.
On the way home, Shu Pan remained silent. Joy cast a timid glance at her mother and said softly, âMom, Iâm sorry, I wonât do it again.â
Joy had always been sensitive and could tell when her mother was upset.
Shu Pan stopped in her tracks, turned around, crouched down, and spoke sternly, âJoy, you must never use fighting to solve problems.â
Shu Pan was genuinely surprised by what happened today. She found it hard to believe that Joy, who was so small and timid, could get into a fight just because someone said she didnât have a father. She was deeply shocked.
She realized she had underestimated the importance of a âfatherâ in Joyâs eyes.
Shu Pan suddenly felt selfish. She had given birth to Joy, and even though she could provide her with plenty of love, she couldnât replace the love of a father. âWuâ¦â Perhaps because of Shu Panâs stern tone, Joy burst into tears.
Shu Pan hugged her daughter, her eyes also misting up.
âSweetie, Iâm sorry. Mommy wasnât good enough to give you a complete family, complete love, but you were born, and I hope you can forgive Mommy!â Shu Pan reproached herself silently.
âAlright, letâs go home. Mommy will make you some cola chicken wings, okay?â Shu Pan comforted her, shifting her attention.
âOkay, Mommy, youâre the best. I love you,â Joy suddenly stopped crying and smiled, her mouth as sweet as if she had just had honey.
Hand in hand, the two of them happily went to buy groceries.
Wen Chi parked the car downstairs from Shu Panâs place. He sat in the car, staring in the direction of Shu Panâs home, torn about whether to go up.
He really missed them, but the thought of his motherâs attitude made him unsure of how to face Shu Pan. He wanted to find a foolproof solution, not wanting to inconvenience them..