“Тeаchеr, I want to find Daddy, I want mу daddy…” Dоu Siyi grаbbеd Tеaсher Нan’s sleeve.
“It’s just a smаll matter, whу loоk for your dad?” Teacher Hаn said impаtientlу. “Is your gift vеrу vаluablе? Dо уou knоw Ling Ziqi’s family is vеrу wеаlthy? They dоn’t carе аbоut yоur little gift.”
All the аnger shе hаd suffеrеd from Ling Yiхi yestеrdaу was now bеing taken оut оn Dou Siyi.
Теаrs wеlled up in Dou Siyi’s еуes as she stood therе stunnеd. “But… but…”
“But what? Аlright,” Тeасher Нan dismissеd Dоu Siyi with а few words. “The children have all finished their cake, it’s time to start class.”
She then turned to lecture the other children. “Children, remember: you mustn’t leave your things lying around. If you lose something because you misplaced it, crying won’t help. Even the teacher can’t find it for you.”
Watching the teachers lead the children to their seats in small groups, Dou Siyi pouted, tears falling pat-pat.
Ling Ziqi furrowed her little brows.
The teachers were really not behaving well at all.
Yesterday, when Yin Xuetong’s dress got stained, the teachers didn’t understand anything yet wanted Dou Siyi’s parents to come and pay for the dress.
Today, when Dou Siyi lost something, the teacher refused to let her call her dad.
Adults were so much less well-behaved than three-year-olds!
She gently tugged Dou Siyi’s hand and raised her own phone watch. “It’s okay, I’ll call your dad for you.”
Dou Liren was attending a meeting when he suddenly received a call from an unknown number.
“Hello, are you Dou Siyi’s dad?” came a soft, childish voice from the other end.
Dou Liren was taken aback. “You are…”
“I’m Ling Ziqi, Dou Siyi’s good friend. Dou Siyi is being bullied by the teacher at kindergarten. Uncle Dou, come quickly and save her!” The child’s voice on the phone was crisp and clear.
Dou Liren: “What?”
“Daddy—” Suddenly, Dou Siyi’s loud crying came through the phone. “Waaah, Daddy— Daddy, come save me quickly—”
Dou Liren panicked.
His daughter had never called him on her own before. She was always very well-behaved and strong; she wouldn’t even cry if she fell down. But now she was wailing like this—something serious must have happened.
Without another thought, he dropped everything and rushed to the kindergarten.
Seeing Dou Liren suddenly appear, Teacher Han and the others were stunned.
They clearly hadn’t notified Dou Siyi’s parents, so how did he get here?
“Teacher Han,” Pearl pulled Teacher Han down to whisper, “It was Ling Ziqi who called…”
Little Ling Bао had taken Dou Siyi to a corner to make the call, and she had heard everything.
Pearl couldn’t understand why something so obvious seemed to go unnoticed by both the teachers and the other children.
Teacher Han was surprised, then felt a surge of intense disgust and dissatisfaction.
Why did Ling Ziqi always cause so much trouble?
Yesterday, she was the one who stepped forward to accuse Wang Zhenzhu, and today she secretly called someone’s dad.
How did the Ling family raise such a troublemaking child?
“Teacher Han, what exactly happened?” Dou Liren asked. “Why did my Siyi call saying she was being bullied?”
“It’s nothing serious,” Teacher Han forced a smile, maintaining basic courtesy. “Dou Siyi carelessly left her gift somewhere and can’t find it for the moment.”
“That’s not true, Daddy, it’s not,” Dou Siyi tugged at Dou Liren’s clothes, sobbing. “I put it away properly, but it’s gone…”
Dou Liren gently rubbed his daughter’s head to comfort her, then looked up at the teacher and calmly requested, “This matter is quite simple to resolve. Teacher Han, just check the surveillance footage, and we’ll know where the watch went.”
“Mr. Dou,” Teacher Han replied with a troubled expression, “it’s like this—the school’s surveillance isn’t something we can just check casually.”
A flicker of authority and displeasure, barely noticeable, passed through Dou Liren’s eyes. “Even when something is lost, we can’t check?”
“Well…” Teacher Han lowered her voice further. “Mr. Dou, checking is possible, but as you know, the families of the children in Cherry Class Three are all either wealthy or influential. If something really comes to light, it would be awkward for everyone…”
“So, you’re just going to do nothing and let my daughter suffer in silence?” Dou Liren’s expression darkened.
Hede was the best kindergarten in the entire capital city. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let the matter rest after his daughter was forcibly transferred here by relatives.
He never expected such a prestigious kindergarten to have a teacher like this.
What kind of children could such a teacher possibly nurture?
“No, no, we will definitely handle it,” Teacher Han forced a smile.
Even if she secretly looked down on Mr. Dou, she still had to maintain appearances.
“I’ll gather all the children right now and search in front of you,” Teacher Han said, her tone seemingly seeking Mr. Dou’s approval. “But if we do find it, and the child apologizes to Dou Siyi, do you think we could let the matter rest?”
Dou Liren remained noncommittal. “Let’s find it first.”
Teacher Han gathered all the children and had the teachers and caregivers check their clothes and backpacks.
Thoroughly.
Once finished, Teacher Han straightened up. “Mr. Dou, you see, nothing was found.”
“If nothing was found, then check the surveillance footage,” Dou Liren said flatly.
“Mr. Dou, what exactly was the gift Dou Siyi brought?” Teacher Han began to smile insincerely. “Actually, Ling Ziqi comes from a very well-off family. Ordinary gifts probably wouldn’t catch her eye. If the gift isn’t particularly valuable… maybe we should just let it go?”
“Let it go?”
Ling Yixi’s loud voice rang out, carrying a mix of arrogance, righteousness, and indignation.
“Do you even know what ‘the gift may be small, but the thought is great’ means? Even if Dou Siyi had only given Ling Ziqi a single goose feather today, it would still represent her heartfelt sincerity—weightier than Mount Tai!”
“Uncle!” Dou Siyi’s round eyes lit up.
Uncle was so cool!
Uncle was here to help!
Dou Siyi’s excitement and joy at seeing Ling Yixi surpassed even that of Xiao Ling Bao, his own niece, and even exceeded her reaction to seeing her own father.
Ling Yixi strode forward with an unyielding gait, full of vigor, positioning himself between Teacher Han and Dou Liren.
“Check the surveillance footage. Now. Immediately!”
Teacher Han was genuinely flustered now. “Ling Ziqi’s uncle…”
She could afford to look down on Mr. Dou, but she dared not provoke Ling Yixi.
Ling Yixi, with one hand in his pocket and the other pointing firmly at the ground, declared with a roguish yet resolute tone, “My Ling Bао wants this gift, and no substitute will do. Not allowed to check? Fine, I’ll call the principal and ask. Let’s ask whether at Hede, with its exorbitant tuition fees, parents are just supposed to swallow their anger when their children’s belongings are stolen!”
“I—I’ll report it right away!” Teacher Han hurriedly stopped Ling Yixi.
If he really called the principal, her job would likely be on the line.
The matter was quickly escalated to the kindergarten administration.
The monitoring room cooperated promptly, immediately pulling up the classroom footage from when the children of Cherry Blossom Class Three went to the neighboring cafeteria for lunch.
The “little thief” soon appeared before everyone’s eyes…