Emma smiled, "You're so lucky! Your son and daughter-in-law are very filial. Pressure at work nowadays can be terrible but instead of staying out to wind down, they seem to prefer to go home. Like they don’t want you to worry. I think that's their way of showing concern for you."I know very well that issues at work can be complicated. Even if they tell you about it, all you can do is worry alongside them, and they don't want you to feel that way," Emma explained.Jemima’s mood brightened at her words. "You're right, my dear. Work can be so troublesome. At my age, I can’t relate to those things anymore."But you’re right. My son and daughter-in-law are filial. Look, they bought me this dress. It’s not silk or anything. Oh, I don't know exactly what it is! Anyway, it cost several hundred dollars!" The elderly woman tugged at her dress. "You see, I'm an old woman. Why would I wear such an expensive dress in this heat? It's a waste of money!""Oh, that was very thoughtful of them! I
She was quietly waiting for the notification to come in at any time. It felt like waiting for the results of a college entrance examination. Back then, even when she gave birth to Asher, she had not felt as nervous. As a parent, she felt that she could not be at ease until everything was settled."What's wrong with you?" Landon asked as he looked at Emma, "There's nothing left on your plate."She had been absentmindedly poking at the remnants on her plate."Oh? Right!" Emma finally came to her senses and smiled awkwardly. "I'm waiting for the kindergarten interview notification. It's just been two days. The result of Ash's enrollment review should be out soon."Landon then remembered that Emma had urgently sought marriage just for her son's nursery registration."Why didn't you tell me about Ash going to kindergarten? Which one will he be attending?" Landon asked.For Landon, it was just a matter of speaking to a few people. Emma waved her hand, "No need to do anything, Mr. Lan
On the day of the interview, Emma led her son to the entrance of the kindergarten. She crouched down, straightened Asher's clothes, and smoothed out the wrinkles. "Ash, are you ready?"Asher clenched his small fists and nodded enthusiastically, "I’m ready!""Then let's go!" Emma smiled. "This is one of the kindergartens. If this one doesn't work out, we can choose another. So no need to be nervous and just do your best."The notification from the other kindergarten was still pending, but if the public kindergarten did not work out, there was always the private one as a backup. She did not want to put too much pressure on her son. Financial concerns about private education were her burden, not something a little child should worry about."Yeah." Asher pursed his little mouth and said in a childish voice, "Mom, I'm not nervous."Emma smiled and ruffled his head. Then she stood up and took his chubby little hand as they entered the kindergarten.Many children and parents were waiting
The question seemed rather pointed.However, it was an unavoidable issue.In kindergarten with little children, it was often hard to prevent such incidents.The two teachers next to Jared also looked at Emma curiously, wanting to know her answer.Emma smiled and said, "If the other child didn't do it on purpose, Asher would tell them that hitting someone is wrong. Just an apology from the other child would be enough.""If, however, the other child hits Asher again, my son would hit back!" Emma said without any hesitation.The two teachers next to Jared frowned slightly. They did not want to see children fighting in the kindergarten.Jared was more forthright with his disapproval. "Actually, Asher can inform the teacher, and the teacher can manage the situation."Emma stared into Jared's eyes and asked, "What happens next?"Jared was at a loss. "What do you mean, 'What happens next'?"Emma did not press him and continued, "The teacher's solution is either to criticize the chil
With a strong foundation, it would not be too difficult for Asher to attend a good elementary school. If he learned well in kindergarten, his path would be a lot smoother. With kindergarten enrollment and interviews to conduct, Jared Blithe, who worked as a kindergarten teacher, was quite busy. When he returned home, it was already dinner time. Instead of eating first, he made an important phone call. "Hello, Bronson... Yes, today's interview. Don't worry; I managed to reject Asher. No problem, no problem. You helped me before so it's only fair. Let's meet up for a drink when you have time." After hanging up, someone slapped Jared hard on the back. It was Martha, his wife. "Are you crazy? The child is going to kindergarten, and just based on what Bronson said, you’d deny the boy a place? Do you know that a child's schooling is of utmost importance to parents?" "Let me finish before you get angry,” Jared pleaded."Speak, then!" said Martha as she glared at Jared with di
Emma had spent all day worrying before she received a call from Barbara. She was already extremely irritated, so she did not feel like answering Barbara’s call. However, Barbara was persistent and kept calling. Emma had to find a quiet place before reluctantly answering the call. As soon as the call connected, Barbara's angry voice echoed through the speaker, causing Emma to flinch in pain."Are you crazy? Why didn’t you answer? What's the matter with you? Do you want to cut ties with me so you pretend you don't know me?" Barbara's accusations poured out of her without a second thought.Emma, not wanting to endure the verbal assault, interrupted her mother bluntly, "Mom, if you have something to say, say it quickly. I'm busy with deliveries.""You're heartless," Barbara said, displeased at being interrupted. "I wanted to ask you if Asher’s kindergarten situation is settled?"Emma instinctively replied, "Not yet.""Hmph, I knew you hadn't settled it. I told you to let your uncl
Emma knew Asher well. Under normal circumstances, he would never leave the suite and would always stay within the range of the camera. That was the unspoken understanding between them.So, there was only one possibility: Landon had entered their suite on his own. She was confident that Asher would not cause trouble for Landon. She could not bring herself to tell her son not to bother Landon. Ash had not done anything wrong, and she certainly could not scold her son without cause. As for asking Ash to keep an eye out for Landon, well, the entire house belonged to Landon. There was no need for Ash to do such a thing.Emma regretted her lack of worldly experience. She felt awkward and had no idea what to say."I've got some free time. Let Ash keep me company," Landon's words alleviated Emma's embarrassment.Emma immediately felt grateful. "Sure…that sounds good.""Ash, Mommy has something to attend to. You and Mr. Landon, look out for each other, okay?" Emma seized the opening
In the afternoon, after completing her errands, Emma went straight home. When she reached, she changed her clothes and washed her hands before looking in on Asher. After exchanging a few words with him, she hurried to the kitchen to cook.Landon heard the commotion and emerged from his suite. He walked to the kitchen door and watched Emma bustling inside. The meat soup in the pot was bubbling enticingly, filling the air with a mouthwatering aroma."Beef soup?" Landon asked curiously.Emma smiled as she covered the pot. "No, it's beef noodles.""I'll take Ash out for a while later. An old friend from out of town is back and invited me for dinner," Emma said, grabbing some noodles from the side and tossing them into the pot."You won't be eating at home tonight?""No," Emma replied. She added some vegetables into the pot. "You can wash your hands and have a seat. The noodles are ready."With a smile on his lips, Landon did as she said.She was not eating at home that evening, yet
“Of course, marriage is about mutual benefit. You treat me well, and I treat you well in return. You help me shoulder life's pressures, and I offer you support. That’s what fosters a stable marriage,” Emma stated matter-of-factly.“It won’t work if one side keeps giving while the other takes without giving anything in return.“And sometimes, it may seem like one side isn’t contributing, but there are always invisible sacrifices being made.“Otherwise, how could any marriage last?” Landon wrapped his arms around Emma and sighed softly. “You know, what I love most about you is your clear understanding of things.“You give me a sense of security,” Landon said candidly. He knew Emma was not the type to overthink things as she was a very reasonable person.“You see, Asher has grown so optimistic and cheerful because of you. Being with you makes me feel incredibly at ease. That’s something money can’t buy.”Emma thought seriously for a moment. “If you need comfort, I feel like ther
Emma froze, her curiosity piqued. “What did you learn?”She was not surprised that Asher had absorbed her lessons as that was her goal in teaching him. But what had Landon learned? “I learned a lot,” Landon replied with a smile. “For example, your attention to detail and patience, your tolerance for others, and your ability to handle situations calmly—”Emma laughed, breaking his train of thought. “Stop, stop, stop! If you keep going, I might start believing I'm some kind of superhero! I’d be even better than you!” “Then I'd really be lacking in self-awareness if I think that,” Landon said as he wrapped his arms around her. “You genuinely possess many admirable qualities—exactly what I need.”“Alright, alright... what you need,” Emma replied casually.Landon gently tapped her shoulder. “Are you brushing me off?”Emma pouted. “You hit me…”Landon hurriedly rubbed her shoulder. “Did it hurt?”He had not even used enough force to swat a fly but hearing Emma say it made him do
People loved to take advantage of a good deal, and after consulting the owner, the manager anticipated such behavior from the customers when he proposed the solution. Besides, both the owner and the manager possessed a broader vision. They understood that they could not let a small financial loss tarnish their restaurant's reputation.The way they handled the incident turned into a great advertising opportunity. Those diners who experienced the situation firsthand became loyal customers. They now had a favorable impression of the restaurant and would be the first to recommend it for future gatherings or family outings. No amount of traditional advertising could rival the power of genuine recommendations from friends and family.Both the restaurant owner and manager knew how to effectively navigate a business crisis. What could have been a damaging situation had transformed into positive publicity due to their prompt action.“Let Daddy explain the specifics of the business
The restaurant manager politely apologized and thanked them before clearing all the food from the table. Emma smiled. "I really like this restaurant."Landon nodded, recognizing that this was a business that understood customer service. Just then, Emma spotted Asher’s confused expression. "Those dishes we had earlier might have been touched by that lady."If someone used a spoon that others had already used to scoop food for me, would you be pleased by that?" Asher shook his head vigorously. "Not at all!""Exactly! So, the food that might have come into contact with that lady's saliva was removed and destroyed by the restaurant staff," Emma continued. Asher looked concerned at Emma’s words. "That's such a waste!" "It is, but there's no other option," Emma sighed lightly. "If someone were to get sick from eating that food, it would be much worse. That was a terrible mistake that the lady made. "So the restaurant staff wants to make sure that the mistake was dealt with the
Asher nodded energetically. “Yes!”“Exactly! So, making mistakes isn’t scary, and not knowing things isn’t scary either. The key is to admit it boldly,” Emma explained.“When we make a mistake, we correct it. If we don’t know something, and it doesn’t affect others, we don’t have to learn it if we don’t want to.“But if it impacts others, we need to learn from it,” she continued.“Just like that lady earlier, she needed to learn not to use shared tongs to serve food. But for something like not wanting to do someone’s makeup, that’s okay, she doesn’t have to learn that.“Shared tongs are necessary for everyone, and they can’t be replaced. If you don’t want to do someone’s makeup, they can find someone else to help. That service can be substituted.”Asher listened intently and nodded his head. “I understand now, Mommy!”Landon watched the entire exchange and silently marveled at Emma’s approach. She had a knack for using examples from Asher’s own experiences to explain things, m
Asher beamed up at Emma, a sense of pride shining on his face.Emma finally gathered her emotions and turned to Asher. “Mommy makes mistakes too, Ash.”Asher’s smile faltered as confusion washed over him. “Huh?”Emma chuckled softly and ruffled his hair. “It’s not just Mommy who makes mistakes, Daddy does too.”“Really?” Asher exclaimed as he turned to look at Landon. His face was filled with disbelief.Landon smiled, though he was unsure where Emma was going with the conversation. Nevertheless, he cooperated without hesitation. “That’s right. Daddy makes mistakes too.”Asher’s mouth hung open in surprise, clearly shocked to learn that his impressive parents could also err.“Not just your parents,” Emma continued with a smile, “even people who are more capable than us make mistakes.”“Why?” Asher asked, furrowing his brows in confusion. “If everyone makes mistakes, then why do we even learn?”“Because we work hard to make fewer mistakes and try our best not to cause trouble
“What disruption? You’re just bullying your customers because your business is big!” The middle-aged woman exploded in anger. “Don’t think I’m easy to push around. I’m calling the police!”The restaurant manager nodded calmly. “Please do. Since your actions have caused damage to our establishment, we will also hold you accountable for those damages.”“Damages? What damages?” the woman shouted, stomping her feet in frustration.Unfazed, the manager responded evenly, “Because of your actions, we now need to remove and replace all the food at the serving stations. You’ll be responsible for covering those losses.“And if any customers request refunds because of this, we’ll refund them in full. If they ask for compensation, we’ll provide that too. All of these expenses will be your responsibility.”The woman nearly exploded at the manager’s words. “You’re deluded!“Come on, son, we’re leaving!” She yanked her son’s arm, pulling him toward the exit.But the restaurant staff was not ab
Since Asher had decided to eat one piece of cake himself, he chose fewer cakes, worried that he would not be able to finish them.‘Look at that! He’s already learning how to make his own choices,’ Emma thought proudly.Emma followed Asher’s lead, picking up the cakes he wanted. Just as they were about to leave, Asher suddenly grabbed her sleeve.Puzzled, Emma looked down and asked, “What is it, sweetie?”“They’re using tongs to feed each other,” Asher said, frowning in displeasure.Emma glanced over and saw a middle-aged woman holding a pair of tongs, about to feed a cake to her son. The boy, around eight or nine, reached out to take the cake with his hand, but the woman pulled the tongs back and scolded him, “Don’t use your hands! Just open your mouth.”Emma felt her face flush in disbelief. ‘What are they thinking?’ she protested quietly.The woman did not want her son to use his hands, claiming it was dirty, yet she was about to feed him with the tongs that everyone used to
Landon smiled. “I like eating too. Our whole family does. But what I enjoy most is eating with all of you.”Asher quickly agreed, “I’m always happy when I eat with Mommy and Daddy.”The family of three arrived at the buffet. Thankfully, Emma had already reserved a spot using her phone while they were still on the road.They headed straight to a small private room, ordered their food through the app, and waited for the server to bring it.“Mommy…” Asher called as he tugged at Emma’s shirt. “I want some cake.”Emma laughed and put on her sunglasses. “Let’s go get some cake.”Asher beamed with excitement. “Okay!” With one hand he held Emma’s hand tightly, while he swung the other one back and forth enthusiastically. He hurried along, and his wide, gleaming eyes searched eagerly for the cake display ahead.“Mommy, over there!” He spotted the table filled with cakes in an instant.Even though he was thrilled to see the cakes, Asher did not let go of Emma’s hand or rush ahead.