Chapter 165 The Battle of Rice Balls

Chapter 165 The Battle of Rice Balls

Ignoring his mother's glare, he carefully held the Mickey Mouse rice ball in his little hands, first sniffing it cautiously, and then taking a small bite.

"Mmm—" Longlong's eyes widened instantly, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily turned up. The soft, sticky rice, the sweet shrimp, the rich, fragrant pork floss, and the salty, crunchy seaweed blended perfectly in his mouth. What was even better was that the rice ball was still warm, and the warm feeling spread from the tip of his tongue all the way to his stomach.

"So delicious!" Longlong exclaimed indistinctly, then took a big bite. This time, he wasn't cautious; he chewed heartily, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Mom, you should have some too!"

Ye Xiao's eyes widened: "I'm not hungry. I ate salmon this morning and it hasn't digested yet."

"Oh, why be so polite with an old classmate?" Zhang Yanyan's smile remained unchanged as she took out another rice ball from the bag—this time it was shaped like a cute little bear, also decorated with crab roe and seaweed, looking exquisite and tempting. "Have some? Our new chef. He's just as good as your private kindergarten."

The aroma of rice balls filled the air, and even the children from several nearby Xingchen Kindergarten couldn't help but look up, their little noses twitching slightly in response to the fragrance.

Longlong had already wolfed down most of the rice ball, with a few grains of rice still stuck to the corners of his mouth. His little face was rosy from the delicious food and exercise, and he looked extremely happy.

Watching Longlong eat so heartily, Zhang Yanyan felt a small sense of satisfaction well up inside her. She straightened up and winked at Ye Xiao, "Then we'll go keep Yuanyuan company first. You two enjoy your meal!"

She took Yuanyuan's little hand and turned to leave. Behind her, she could feel Ye Xiao's complex gaze—surprise, resentment, and perhaps even a hint of annoyance.

Yuanyuan tilted her little face up and asked curiously, "Mommy, why doesn't Brother Longlong eat his sandwich?"

“Because,” Zhang Yanyan crouched down and answered gently, “some things look good but don’t necessarily taste good. And some things look ordinary, but they make you want to keep eating them.”

Yuanyuan nodded as if she understood, her little hand tightly clutching the remaining half of the rice ball, a happy smile spreading across her face.

The sun was still warm, and the fragrance of osmanthus was still sweet. In this autumn park, two children, two kinds of food, and two completely different kinds of joy intertwined.

The event was a great success. Many parents proactively inquired about enrollment methods for Tongxin Kindergarten. Su Yingxue is also researching more meal options for the children.

at the same time

The lunchtime at Xingchen Kindergarten is always filled with an indescribable sense of oppression.

In the bright restaurant, the white marble floor reflects the light of the crystal chandelier. Children sit in custom-made wooden dining chairs, with exquisite white porcelain plates in front of them containing square-cut New Zealand steaks, spiral-shaped Italian pasta, and a few wilted broccoli florets, garnished with a bright red cherry tomato, making them look like exquisite works of art.

But Lele lay on the table, her little brows furrowed, fiddling with the steak on her plate with her fork, refusing to put it in her mouth for a long time.

He is four years old this year. He is thin and small, with an unhealthy pale complexion. His arms are as thin as reeds, and his school uniform hangs loosely on him, as if a gust of wind could blow him over.

"Lele, come and eat! This is imported steak, it's very nutritious."

His homeroom teacher, Ms. Liu, squatted down beside him, her tone tinged with helplessness. This was the third time she had urged Lele today.

Lele turned her head to the side, pouted, and said in a soft voice, "It doesn't taste good, I don't want to eat it."

"How about some macaroni?" Teacher Liu suggested again. "Macaroni is tomato-flavored and sweet."

Lele shook her head again, her little hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes: "I want to eat fried chicken, I want to eat fries."

“There’s no fried chicken or fries in the kindergarten. Those are junk food and they’re not good for you,” Teacher Liu explained patiently.

Kelele wouldn't listen at all, and her little mouth twitched.

Tears fell like beads from a broken string, and the crying grew louder and louder.

"I want fried chicken! I don't want to eat here! I want my mom!"

The other children in the restaurant were drawn by Lele's crying and turned to look. Feeling embarrassed, Teacher Liu quickly took Lele to the lounge, comforting her while calling Lele's mother, Ms. Wang.

Ms. Wang was in a meeting at the company when she received the call.

Hearing Lele crying on the phone, her heart clenched. She immediately asked her supervisor for leave and rushed to Xingchen Kindergarten.

As soon as she entered the lounge, she saw Lele sitting on a chair, his little face red from crying and his eyes swollen like walnuts. Ms. Wang hugged him tenderly and said, "Lele, don't cry, Mommy's here."

"Mom, I don't want to go to school here. The food here is terrible," Lele said, hugging Ms. Wang's neck and sobbing.

Ms. Wang sighed, feeling utterly helpless.

Lele has been a picky eater since she was little. She hardly eats any vegetables and is only interested in junk food such as fried chicken, French fries, and hamburgers.

To get him to eat, Ms. Wang tried everything she could, preparing all sorts of vegetable dishes, but Kelele always managed to pick out the vegetables precisely and wouldn't touch them at all.

Previously, Ms. Wang spent a lot of money to send Lele to Xingchen Kindergarten so that he could receive a better education.

She originally thought that the high-end food here would help Lele change her picky eating habits, but to her surprise, Lele not only did not get better, but became more and more resistant to eating, her weight became lighter and lighter, her immunity became weaker and weaker, she caught colds and fevers every few days, and last month she was even hospitalized for pneumonia.

Looking at the thin, small Lele, she felt helpless. This was the third kindergarten they'd changed. What could she do?

"Ms. Wang, I'm so sorry, we've tried our best." Teacher Liu said with some guilt, standing aside. "We tried all sorts of methods, coaxing him, persuading him, and even having other children eat with him, but he just wouldn't eat vegetables, and we couldn't do anything about it."

Ms. Wang held Lele in her arms, fighting back tears: "Teacher Liu, thank you for your help. I'll think of something else."

After leaving Xingchen Kindergarten, Ms. Wang took Lele to a nearby fast food restaurant and ordered fried chicken and fries. Lele's eyes lit up when she saw the fried chicken, and her previous grievances vanished. She picked up a chicken leg and started eating it in big bites, her face covered in oil.

Ms. Wang felt both heartache and anxiety as she watched her son wolf down his food.

She knew that eating junk food for a long time was bad for her child's health, but she just couldn't get Lele to like vegetables.

During this period, she has changed three kindergartens, and the teachers at each kindergarten were helpless in dealing with Lele's picky eating.

What should we do?