"Brother Cheng, it did not happen without reason. Blooming Peony Elementary School said that they placed great importance on complete families. Since I am now a divorcee raising a single child, they think that Xianxian might turn out to be a bad influence on the other kids..."
Fang Ruoye spoke the last part of the sentence in a low voice while sneaking glances in Luo Xianxian's direction. It was bad enough to hear these words with her own ears. She did not want her daughter to feel self-conscious or inferior to other children.
Jiang Cheng scoffed.
"A school is there to educate children of any family background. If they cannot even do that, maybe they should just close the school for good. Besides, which child is more well-behaved than Xianxian? If they want to pass such judgment, should they not at least take a look at the child?"
"Unfortunately, that's the way it currently is."
"Most schools conduct initial assessments before inviting parents to complete the enrollment procedures. Did you submit all the paper in time?"
"Yes, Brother Cheng."
"In that case, they have no reason to refuse you. We will go together tomorrow morning. I am going to lay down the law before them."
"No, Brother Cheng, don't..."
Jiang Cheng gave Fang Ruoye an exasperated look.
"Why not? They are bullying you."
Fang Ruoye patted Jiang Cheng's upper arm in a placating manner.
"I have my awesome Brother Cheng to defend my case, so they will be forced to accept Xianxian. But what about the other parents and children? I don't want Xianxian to stand out, being the only child with no father. Elementary school is a pivotal stage for a child's cognitive and emotional growth. I want Xianxian to study in a nurturing environment, guided by educators who are dedicated to supporting her emotional development.
I want her to make great friends who can support her where adults cannot."
"I see."
Jiang Cheng slowly exhaled.
"Then, have you taken a look at other elementary schools in the city?"
"I have, but so far I haven't gotten positive feedback because I did not submit any application for the initial assessment. Nevertheless, I will try visiting them in person tomorrow. Maybe they will change their mind after I explain my situation to them."
"You do that... by the way, why Blooming Peony Elementary School? Why don't you try for Golden Dragon Academy?"
Fang Ruoye burst into laughter.
"Golden Dragon Academy is too prestigious! They have even stricter requirements than average schools. I heard that admission was by invitation and not application, and it only applies to children from wealthy families, with at least one parent being an alumnus of the academy. Neither I nor Luo Yanming graduated from Golden Dragon Academy."
"Correct," Jiang Cheng arched a brow at Fang Ruoye, his lips pulled into a winning smile. "But all three of us --- Brother Wei, Brother Yue, and I --- graduated from the academy. We visited the kindergarten, elementary school, junior high school, and then senior high school."
"Yes, but... you are not Xianxian's parent," Fang Ruoye pointed out.
"It doesn't have to be a parent," Jiang Cheng smoothed down the frontal side of his suit. He appeared very confident. "Tell you what... let me handle this matter. Tonight, you just go back home and relax. I will give you the good news by tomorrow."
"Alright. Thank you, Brother Cheng."
It was not that Fang Ruoye did not have any confidence in Jiang Cheng's abilities; she merely thought very highly of the Golden Dragon Academy. Such a prestigious institution would scarcely make exceptions for someone like herself. She couldn't help but wonder how many rejection letters the academy issued daily, dashing the hopes of parents dreaming of their children's enrollment.
But Jiang Cheng was not the kind of person who spouted empty promises.
The next day, Fang Ruoye received a call from an anonymous number.
When she picked up, an unfamiliar male voice introduced himself to her.
"Good afternoon, Miss Fang. My name is Zheng Yinzhen. I am the current director of Golden Dragon Academy. I have here with me three reference letters from Mr. Jiang Wei, Mr. Jiang Yue, and Mr. Jiang Cheng. All of them would like to admit your daughter, Luo Xianxian, to our Golden Dragon Elementary School. May we invite you to come down here to complete the enrollment procedures?"
Fang Ruoye was shocked to the point of being speechless.
"Miss Fang? Hello, Miss Fang? Are you still there?"
Director Zheng had to repeat his queries several times before Fang Ruoye snapped back to reality.
She was so excited that she had to hold her phone with both hands, lest it slip down her grip.
Fang Ruoye took a lungful of breath and cleared her throat before she finally answered, "Yes, of course! Do I need to submit any paperwork beforehand?"
"No need. Mr. Jiang Cheng has taken care of all necessary paperwork. You only need to bring Luo Xianxian with you."
After the call ended, Fang Ruoye sank into the soft living room couch and fell into a daze.
Luo Xianxian, who was playing with a gigantic teddy bear that Jiang Yue sent over this morning, stared at her mother curiously.
"Mommy, what happened?" she asked, tilting her head to the side cutely.
Fang Ruoye turned to look at her daughter and said, "Your Uncle Jiang Cheng has just secured you a spot at Golden Dragon Elementary School."
"Yay~!" Luo Xianxian threw both hands in the air and giggled happily. "Uncle Jiang Cheng is the best!"