My College Teacher is My Children's Mom

Soon after, Lin Feng returned with three fish: two sea bass and one grass carp.

While Lin Feng was cleaning the fish, he waved An Lan over.

An Lan looked puzzled. Yu Xi is right there. Why is he calling me over? Honestly!

Lin Feng pointed at the fish and asked, "Smell this. Does it stink?"

An Lan was taken aback. "No way. It was flopping around just a moment ago. How could it possibly stink?"

Lin Feng just looked at her without saying a word.

Unsure what he was up to, An Lan bent down and sniffed the fish. "It doesn't stink! There's no strange smell, isn't this just what fish smell like?"

Lin Feng kept watching her.

An Lan, still perplexed, sniffed it again and again. "There's nothing wrong with it!"

Zhang Yuxi was as happy as a child. "An Lan, you're not nauseous anymore? You don't feel sick?"

An Lan froze for a second. "Holy crap, you're right! I'm not nauseous, and I don't feel sick anymore! Oh my god, I'm cured!"

Still, not entirely convinced, she decided to test it further. "Come on, cut me a piece of sashimi. I want to try it."

That's hardcore!

Lin Feng, who had just finished cleaning the fish, deftly sliced off a thin piece.

An Lan hesitated for a moment, took a small bite, and then spat it out. "It's fine!" she declared. "I don't feel nauseous at all, and it even tastes delicious!"

And just like that, without any warning, An Lan had mysteriously recovered. For lunch, she ate a huge portion of pickled vegetable fish, fish head and all.

After the meal, An Lan embraced Zhang Yuxi, her voice thick with emotion. "Yu Xi, true friendship really shines through in times of hardship. You're a true best friend. Thank you for taking care of me so selflessly!"

Thinking back on her behavior, An Lan cringed. So embarrassing, so childish, so dramatic!

Zhang Yuxi felt the sweet joy of seeing a difficult time finally come to an end.

Lin Feng had already called Liu Bo, telling him to hurry over and pick up his wife. Liu Bo rushed over, his heart filled with trepidation as he stepped into the house. Seeing a grinning An Lan, he felt a jolt of panic.

"Honey?"

An Lan grinned back at him. "You're here! What for?"

Liu Bo replied smoothly, "I came to see how you and the baby are doing."

An Lan excitedly grabbed his arm. "You won't believe it! I'm fine now, completely back to normal! No more nausea, no more drama!"

Liu Bo nodded. "That's great, that's great…" Then, full of uncertainty, he asked again, "Really? You're better? You're not feeling sick anymore?"

"Really, I'm all better!" An Lan said proudly. "I had pickled vegetable fish for lunch, and I even ate a bite of sashimi!"

An Lan had returned to her old self, but her memories of the past month remained. She knew she had been impossible to please, constantly finding fault with Liu Bo over every little thing. She felt a pang of guilt but didn't say anything. I'll make it up to him through my actions from now on.

Liu Bo was on the brink of tears of joy. He pulled her into a tight, ecstatic hug.

After dinner, the family joyfully sent An Lan off.

Zhang Yuxi hugged Lin Feng. "Honey, we finally made it through!"

Lin Feng didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "There, there. It's been tough on you lately," he comforted his wife.

"No, you're the one who must have had it really tough when you were taking care of the babies by yourself," Zhang Yuxi replied. Tending to just one difficult person had already left her completely exhausted.

***

With An Lan's recovery, a sunny mood settled over the entire household, as if spring had arrived with blooming flowers. The Liu family, who had been so worried about her, could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

That day, photos were shared in the class group chat. The flowers the children had taken to school were beginning to sprout, and some had already grown quite tall. This was perhaps the children's first time experiencing the joy of a harvest since starting school.

Shortly after, Mr. Li tagged @everyone in the group. He announced that the school would be organizing an autumn outing for the preschool class in November. Their turn would come after the older kindergarten classes had their trips. The outing was tentatively scheduled for early November, but the final date would depend on the weather. He hoped parents could prepare in advance. This outing would be supervised by the class teachers, so parent chaperones would not be needed.

Many parents in the group expressed their concern.

Mr. Li's response was, "This is precisely why we are taking the preschool students out separately, rather than with the older classes. Please, parents, trust us. We will take excellent care of every single child!"

Some parents voiced their support in the group, saying that since they entrusted their children to the teachers, they ought to have faith in them. Although Lin Feng and Zhang Yuxi were also a little worried, they trusted the teachers as well.

The wait stretched on until mid-November.

Mr. Li announced in the group chat:

"The class outing is tomorrow.

"Please gather on campus at 8:00 AM sharp, with all children wearing their school uniforms.

"When preparing food and water, please don't pack too much, as heavy bags will be tiring for the children to carry.

"Please make sure the children wear comfortable athletic shoes suitable for walking.

"We will return to school around 5:00 PM. Parents, please remember to be on time to pick up your children."

As soon as the kids got in the car after school, they scrambled to tell Lin Feng about the outing, each one buzzing with excitement.

Lin Feng smiled. "Really? The whole class is going!"

The children nodded, though they were a little disappointed that their parents couldn't come along.

While driving, Lin Feng comforted them. "How about this? After your school trip is over, our whole family will go on our own autumn outing. Does that sound good?"

The children were instantly happy again.

When they got home, Lin Feng instructed them as always, "First, put your backpacks away. Then go wash your hands with warm water, understand?"

He gave them this reminder every day after school. Soon it would become such a habit that he wouldn't need to nag them anymore. To make it easier for them, Lin Feng had even installed a special, child-sized washstand in the bathroom.

After the children washed their hands and came out, Lin Feng, who was busy in the kitchen, called out, "I baked some cookies. Have a few to tide you over until dinner."

The children all thanked him politely. Asking with "please" and "thank you" had become second nature to them.

Before long, Zhang Yuxi came home. She walked in, sniffing the air. "Honey, something smells delicious!" She came into the kitchen, her eyes darting around for something to sneak a taste of.

Lin Feng pointed to a plate of sweet and sour pork tenderloin.

Zhang Yuxi popped a piece into her mouth with a blissful expression. "You've worked hard, honey. Can we eat now?"

"Go wash your hands. We can eat in a minute!"

Zhang Yuxi joyfully went to wash her hands for dinner. Coming home to a hot meal every day… It's such a blissful feeling.

Looking at his whole family waiting eagerly for dinner, Lin Feng found the sight rather amusing. The children tugged at Zhang Yuxi, chattering away like little birds about their upcoming field trip.

Zhang Yuxi listened patiently for a while. "That sounds great! Have lots of fun tomorrow! You have to take good care of yourselves, but also look out for your classmates, okay? Whether they're younger or older."

The children all nodded.

After dinner, Lin Feng told Zhang Yuxi to take the children to bed while he prepared their lunches for the next day. The challenge was to pack enough food for a full meal while keeping it light and compact. I'll have to get creative. I could bake some bread, maybe roast some vegetable chips and make some meat rolls. A bottle of milk for each of them should be enough. Hmm, but with my fourth and eldest both being little foodies, and my second child having a big appetite, I'd better make extra.