Gourmet: Twins' Father and Chef of the Kindergarten-Chapter 198 - 184: It’s All About Comparisons

"Because I just happened to meet you, leaving footprints became beautiful, the wind blows, flowers fall, tears like rain, because I don’t want to part..."

Xu Sijun lightly rested her hands on the steering wheel, gently nodding to the rhythm of the music flowing through the car, her gaze focused on the ever-changing scenery ahead, driving towards home...

At this moment, she was completely unaware that after she left, her husband had turned around and was showing off their love on social media.

Those words filled with happiness caused a stir on social media instantly.

What surprised her even more was that her husband’s actions caught the attention of many parents and sparked a small discussion in the parent group.

Some parents even expressed dissatisfaction with the kindergarten’s designated quota, saying they would go to the kindergarten for an explanation.

Of course.

Even if she knew all this, she could only watch helplessly...

What could she have done wrong?

She was just following the kindergarten’s arrangements!

"Ring ring~"

A crisp phone ringtone suddenly rang, pulling Xu Sijun back from the world of music.

She glanced down and saw that it was her cousin Qiu Jingwen’s number.

Her lips curled up involuntarily, and she murmured to herself, "Speak of the devil, and the devil appears!"

With that, she quickly answered the phone, and Qiu Jingwen’s familiar voice came from the other end: "Hey, Sijun, what are you doing?"

"What can a housewife do!" Xu Sijun laughed and briefly recapped today’s events: "I just attended my daughter’s kindergarten’s ’Cafeteria Open Day’ event, then went to my husband’s car shop to bring him some food, and now I’m heading home! Cousin, what’s up with you?"

Qiu Jingwen lazily replied, "What else would I want you for, to eat with me! I’m too lazy to cook at home by myself, why not come over and keep me company, let’s find a place and have a good meal."

Upon hearing this, Xu Sijun thought it was a great idea, as she also wanted to have a good chat with her cousin.

So she asked, "Sure, I also have something to tell you, where shall we meet?"

After a brief thought, her cousin suggested, "Why don’t we go to that restaurant we often visit, the food matches your taste, and I love it too, plus the environment is quite elegant and comfortable. Oh, by the way, is it convenient for you to come over now? If not, we can go somewhere else."

"No problem, the usual place it is!" Xu Sijun replied without hesitation, "I’m just nearby, I’ll head over now, see you soon!"

After hearing her cousin say "okay," Xu Sijun hung up the phone, changed direction at the next intersection, and drove towards the agreed restaurant.

A moment later...

The car slowly pulled into the agreed location.

Xu Sijun immediately spotted Qiu Jingwen standing at the restaurant entrance.

She was wearing a light blue dress, standing there gracefully, her eyes scanning the passing crowd, seemingly searching for a familiar face.

No need to ask.

Sijun knew her cousin was looking for her!

And so...

After parking the car, she quickly opened the car door and hurried towards her cousin.

The moment their eyes met, both showed expressions of surprise and delight.

"Cousin!"

Xu Sijun and Qiu Jingwen shared a warm embrace.

"Sijun, you’re finally here!" Qiu Jingwen said with a smile, releasing the hug and holding Sijun’s hand, "I’ve been waiting for quite a while, let’s go inside and sit down!"

With that, Qiu Jingwen affectionately linked arms with Xu Sijun as they chatted and laughed their way into the restaurant.

They picked a spot by the window and sat down.

Qiu Jingwen took out her phone, scanned a QR code, and entered the ordering system.

Her fingers glided over the screen, selecting a few dishes they both loved.

Then she looked up at Xu Sijun and gently asked, "Sijun, is there anything else you want to eat? Feel free to order, don’t be shy."

Remembering she hadn’t quite filled up at lunch, Xu Sijun’s eyes roamed over the menu and finally settled on braised pork and fish head tofu soup.

She smiled and said, "Okay, then let’s add the braised pork and fish head tofu soup."

"Sure!"

Qiu Jingwen immediately added them to the order.

After ordering, Qiu Jingwen began chatting with Xu Sijun about recent life matters, and the conversation naturally shifted to their children.

Qiu Jingwen spoke proudly of the government kindergarten where her daughter Guoguo was enrolled.

She talked about the excellent educational environment, the strong teaching staff, and mentioned the kindergarten’s status as a model school.

Although her daughter Guoguo is a year older than Qianqian, because Guoguo was born at the end of the year, she has to wait until the next year to start the junior class.

Therefore, like Qianqian, she is also a new student in the small class this year.

When it came time to choose a kindergarten for the two little ones...

She strongly recommended Xu Sijun to enroll in the Government Kindergarten, hoping that Guoguo and Qianqian could become classmates and spend a happy childhood together.

Unfortunately...

Xu Sijun did not take her advice at the time. Instead, she politely declined her good intentions and chose a relatively ordinary second-tier kindergarten—Dorami Kindergarten.

This left her quite puzzled!

She didn’t understand what Xu Sijun was thinking, to have made such a decision.

In her view, a child’s education is critical. It is said that children must win at the starting line, and choosing a good kindergarten is an important part of a child’s education.

Therefore!

She seriously doubted that Xu Sijun’s choice of this second-tier kindergarten was due to financial considerations, perhaps unwilling to spend the twenty thousand yuan connection fee?!

But the problem is...

Her husband makes quite a decent income, so why be so frugal when it comes to the child’s education?

Qiu Jingwen said regretfully, "It’s a pity you didn’t take my advice and go to the Government Kindergarten. Otherwise, Qianqian and Guoguo could go to school together and enjoy better educational resources there."

Xu Sijun nonchalantly replied, "Actually, I’m quite satisfied with Dorami Kindergarten where my Qianqian is now attending. The environment in the kindergarten is quite cozy, the teachers are all gentle and patient, and they are very attentive and professional with the children. And, you know what? The meals at the kindergarten are particularly good. Qianqian eats happily every day and comes home telling me how delicious the food is."

At this point, Xu Sijun suddenly remembered and curiously asked, "Oh, by the way, speaking of which, how’s Guoguo’s eating situation at the Government Kindergarten? Has it improved a bit? I remember you mentioned before that Guoguo never had enough to eat at the garden and looked for food as soon as she got home..."

Qiu Jingwen: "..."

Oh!

The Government Kindergarten is good in every way: professional teachers, complete facilities, except for the food, which is somewhat lacking...

She smiled wryly and said, "To be honest, Guoguo’s eating situation at the kindergarten is really concerning. She’s rather picky and doesn’t like the food there, always saying it’s not good. I’ve always reported this to the teachers, hoping they could adjust the menu, but the effect has not been significant. The food, alas, is still not impressive!"

She changed the subject and curiously asked, "Sijun, you just said Qianqian is very happy eating at kindergarten and the food is delicious, is that true?"

Xu Sijun nodded affirmatively, "Of course, it’s true! Now Qianqian is very eager to go to school, even clamoring to go on Saturdays and Sundays. At first, I was puzzled, but then I asked, and it turns out the little one is craving the garden’s food. Honestly, I didn’t believe it at first, but..."

She paused and continued, "Oh, right, I even went to her kindergarten today for the ’Open Kitchen Day’ to taste the garden’s meals. They were really delicious, and every dish was flavorful. I even brought some back home for my husband, and he kept praising how good it was. Do you think that could be fake?"

Saying this, Xu Sijun took out her phone, opened the gallery, and showed Qiu Jingwen the photos she had taken.

The dishes in the photos were eye-catching.

The stir-fried yam slices had distinct colors, looking crisp and tender; the steamed pork was temptingly colored, almost making one’s mouth water even through the screen; the fish head tofu soup had a thick broth, showing a tempting milky white, clearly simmered to extract the essence; and the celery stir-fried with dried bean curd was vibrant in color.

Even a plain bowl of rice looked especially glistening.

Without even mentioning the taste, just the appearance of these dishes was multiple times better than the Government Kindergarten’s meals.

Qiu Jingwen asked in disbelief, "Is this Qianqian’s kindergarten lunch?"

Xu Sijun nodded to confirm, "Yes! This is the daily lunch in the garden, three dishes and one soup, different every day, and all very delicious!"

Qiu Jingwen still felt skeptical, "Could it be because of the ’Open Kitchen Day’ that the garden specially made it so well?"

Xu Sijun laughed, shook her head, and explained, "No, the teachers in the garden usually also post pictures of the kids eating in the class group, and it’s always of this standard. And today, when I attended the event, I saw firsthand their usual cooking process, which is very meticulous. The snacks in their garden, apart from the fruits, are generally homemade, not store-bought. And to get the kids to eat more fruit, the garden chefs even carve the fruits into various little animals..."

Saying this, she also showed Qiu Jingwen the videos she filmed today, along with past photos.

Comparisons indeed make the difference...

Qiu Jingwen suddenly felt that the Government Kindergarten she chose didn’t seem so appealing anymore.

Thinking about the twenty thousand yuan she spent to get into the Government Kindergarten, she couldn’t help but start questioning whether this investment was worth it.

But speaking of which.

Why doesn’t the Government Kindergarten have such good chefs?

Qiu Jingwen couldn’t help but say enviously, "I really didn’t expect Dorami Kindergarten’s meals to be so good, and the chefs to be so attentive! Our Government Kindergarten’s snacks are all bagged buns and little cakes from outside, at most making some sweet soup. The dishes are mostly limited to sausages, chicken legs, and chicken wings, mostly frozen foods, and you rarely see nutritious dishes like braised pork. The soups are just the same few tomato egg drop soup, or pork rib and kelp soup. Compared to your garden’s meals, the Government Kindergarten’s meals seem a bit perfunctory, just willing to make simple, cheap dishes..."

Seeing her cousin constantly criticizing the garden’s meals, Xu Sijun couldn’t help but share her thoughts with her, saying, "Cousin, I’ve been thinking, why don’t you let Guoguo transfer to our Dorami Kindergarten! You have no idea, just shortly after the school started, two kids have already transferred in. The environment and food here are great, maybe Guoguo will like it."

Qiu Jingwen was tempted but hesitant.

Transferring is a big deal and needs careful consideration.

She smiled and responded, "Sijun, I’ll seriously consider your suggestion. However, transferring is not a small thing. I need to discuss it with her father and get a deeper understanding of Dorami Kindergarten’s teaching quality and curriculum. After all, we hope Guoguo can grow up in a better environment."

As they chatted.

The dishes were brought out.

The two of them no longer continued discussing this topic but focused on dining, savoring this rare time together.

The steamed pork and fish head tofu soup looked great, but after tasting the garden’s food, Xu Sijun found these dishes somewhat lackluster and not to her taste.