Chapter 719: The Gap Between Ideals and Reality

"Let me tell you, for this trip to the new market, all fees are waived for one year; we won't charge you a single cent!"

Hearing that there was no charge, the sounds of protest quieted down a bit.

But some people were still uneasy: "Just waived for one year? Won't you still charge after a year?"

The market administrator: "You might as well tie your money to your ribs, you stingy people. Just be happy with the one-year fee waiver. A big shot helped us pay the management fees for a year; otherwise, the market would be shut down. Where would you go to sell your vegetables?"

"This opportunity won't come again, so think it over. Don't just stare at your own toes; look at the big picture!"

People in the crowd whispered to one another.

"Since it's free, why not go in and try?"

"Let's try it. If it doesn't work out, we can just come back out."

"A one-year waiver isn't bad. Let's go in."

"I'll go if everyone else goes. It's sheltered from the wind and rain inside, so we won't suffer..."

Shi Youxuan could hear the discussion from upstairs, and she felt it was strange.

Clearly, the market entry fee was waived for five years, so how did it become one year in the mouth of the market administrator?

These fees were all paid by her, and it had already been agreed upon.

Could it be that she hadn't made it clear enough?

Before this problem was solved, a new one quickly arose.

There were too many people signing up, and there weren't enough stalls.

The market administrator saw that there were many people signing up.

Standing there with hands on hips, the administrator shouted through a megaphone: "Prices have gone up, prices have gone up! Those who want to sign up, hand me a one-thousand-yuan kickback; otherwise, go to the back of the line."

When this was shouted, the number of people signing up was immediately cut in half.

Everyone was full of grievances and complained incessantly.

Shi Youxuan:...

She had asked Jian Yixin to come forward and organize this matter to benefit everyone, but in the end, it had turned sour?

Just this wasn't enough to make her angry; what made her the angriest was that the market administrator actually demanded kickbacks in public.

She called Jian Yixin and asked her to send someone else to take over the market.

Jian Yixin: "Xuanxuan, the market management isn't our own people. They are holding us to ransom, and there's nothing I can do."

Shi Youxuan:...

This matter began with a bang, but ended with a whimper.

Because Shi Youxuan was unwilling to let her good intentions become a means for others to seek private gain, she canceled all the benefits.

Now that the market administrator had no profit to skim, they simply stopped managing it altogether.

The open-air market continued.

All those high-sounding reasons about shutting down the market were just bull.

But it also taught Shi Youxuan a vivid lesson, letting her know that not all good intentions have good results!

This world is simply unfair; there are many pitiful people, but she cannot help everyone.

Otherwise, it would be just like it is now.

Not only did she fail to achieve the goal of helping people, but she was also blamed.

Fortunately, Shi Youxuan didn't show her face, so she just took the loss as a lesson learned.

Being scolded while trying to be kind is also a very aggrieved thing.

In the evening, when Sheng Hanyu got off work and they had finished eating, she quietly told her husband about it.

Sheng Hanyu rubbed her head with his large hand and said gently, "You deserve it. I don't sympathize with you at all!"

Shi Youxuan:...

"Hey, how can you be like this? Are you still my husband?" she protested.

Sheng Hanyu: "Right, as a husband, I should comfort you, but as an adult, you still think of things too idealistically."

"Let this be a lesson. You only learn from taking losses."

The man had a look of schadenfreude on his face, and Shi Youxuan was so angry her teeth itched: "Hmph!" She turned away and ignored him.

But the two of them made up very quickly.

Because there were no conditions for a "cold war."

The room was too small; they would bump into each other just by turning around, and besides, Shi Youxuan wasn't truly angry and couldn't keep it up for long.

One week later.

Shi Youxuan had already gotten used to the noise downstairs; she wouldn't be woken up at night anymore, she had adapted.

She could buy vegetables as soon as she went downstairs, and she even became a bit accustomed to this convenient and fast way of life.

Moreover, she discovered that the people in the market were not as unhappy as she had thought!

People were all very happy, talking loudly, making crude jokes, bragging to their hearts' content, and laughing heartily...

Shi Youxuan had started to like it here.

The kindergarten principal came for a home visit.

Sheng Hanyu and Shi Youxuan sat side by side on the edge of the bed, giving the best chair in the house to the principal.

The principal was a woman.

She was in her forties, wore a pair of glasses on the bridge of her nose, was lean and capable, and was very serious!

She looked very stern, not quite like the kindergarten principal the couple had imagined.

Xiao Ya brought over hot tea and placed it in front of the principal: "Please have some tea."

"I don't drink this kind of tea, take it away."

Xiao Ya blushed and apologized timidly: "I'm sorry, Principal, I'm sorry!"

The principal didn't even glance at her, nor did she look directly at Shi Youxuan, only glancing sideways: "Why do you want to enroll in our kindergarten?"

The condescending tone made people feel very uncomfortable.

Shi Youxuan: "Because your kindergarten is the best in Jiangzhou, and as parents, we trust you." She spoke the truth and did not feel there was any problem.

"That goes without saying."

The principal raised her eyebrows triumphantly: "Our kindergarten can stand the test in terms of both hardware and software. Every year, children wanting to get into our kindergarten break their heads trying; they use all sorts of methods, some even pretend to be from impoverished households to compete for spots with truly needy children..."

"Actually, impoverished households don't need to come to our kindergarten. Where can't they study? Anyway, when they grow up, they'll just be selling vegetables!"

Shi Youxuan:...

These words made people feel very uncomfortable.

But she didn't say a word.

Originally, they weren't an impoverished household either, they were just borrowing a household registration; perhaps... the principal was testing her, she thought.

The principal: "Our kindergarten is not short of students. Only the most excellent parents can cultivate the best children, and excellence requires strength..."

The principal's words were filled with a sense of superiority.

Praising her own kindergarten.

Praising the parents for being excellent.

However, what did these have to do with investigating the homes of impoverished households?

People who do guilty things feel guilty.

She felt she had been seen through and her cover was blown, so she was a little nervous.

Sheng Hanyu's brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

After the principal's long-winded speech, she looked around with satisfaction, then stood up: "Take a good look at this. If there are no problems, bring the child to register on the first of next month." After finishing, she slapped a registration form on the table and left.

"Goodbye, Principal, let me see you out."

Shi Youxuan and Xiao Ya saw her out, but Sheng Hanyu didn't move.

After seeing the principal off and returning, Sheng Hanyu announced a decision that no one had expected: "We're moving back, we aren't going to the Bilingual Kindergarten."

"There are so many kindergartens in Jiangzhou, why hang yourself on one tree?"

Sheng Hanyu wanted to send his son to another kindergarten; he thought the one in their residential complex was quite good.

"No, I don't agree." Shi Youxuan objected.

To get into this kindergarten, she had tried every possible method; now that she had succeeded, she was going to give up?

No way.

Xiao Ya didn't understand either, but she didn't dare to ask.

Sheng Hanyu placed the registration form in front of Shi Youxuan: "Take a look at this."

She took it and read it from beginning to end: "What's wrong with this? There's no problem."

It was a very normal form, just like other kindergartens; everything that should be there was there, and what shouldn't be there... she didn't find.

He pointed to the line of text at the back and asked his wife to look: "Look at this line, do you notice anything?"

Shi Youxuan had seen it just now, and now she read it carefully again—it listed some extracurricular activities for the kindergarten, requiring all children to participate.

"No problem." She didn't think there was a problem.

Sheng Hanyu explained: "Participation requires payment. Look at these items: equestrianism, skiing in the Alps, vacationing in the Maldives... these are not things that impoverished families can afford."

"And listen to what she said just now; every word revealed a sense of superiority. Such a person does not want to treat everyone equally. If her character is bad, what kind of good children do you expect her to educate?"