My College Teacher is My Children's Mom-Chapter 732: Transferred to a Different Place
「These past few months.」
It wasn’t just their second child who was busy; Zhang Yuxi was also so occupied she was hardly ever home. At home, it was just Lin Feng and Xiaobao, and life was rather comfortable. Xiaobao’s school had a cafeteria, and since Lin Feng had invested in it, he would take her to school and join her for meals. This way, he only needed to drop her off in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon. Whenever he had free time, Lin Feng would borrow their eldest child’s laboratory to conduct his own small research projects.
This continued until a transfer order arrived, appointing Zhang Yuxi as the director of the Education Bureau in L City. L City was a fifth-tier city, quite far from Yangcheng, with little to offer. Lately, its reputation had soured due to repeated school incidents that had become a trending topic several times. Zhang Yuxi’s transfer wasn’t a decision from Yangcheng, but an order from the higher-ups.
Although it looked like a demotion, it was actually a promotion. As long as Zhang Yuxi performed well, a bright future awaited her.
In some people’s eyes, even if Zhang Yuxi never worked a day in her life, she could still live comfortably for several generations. With a successful husband and several outstanding children, she had enough to brag about for a lifetime. But to others, her talent and abilities were undeniable. In just a few years, Yangcheng University had transformed from an ordinary key university into a household name, even ranking among the nation’s top ten. Zhang Yuxi had made considerable contributions during her tenure—contributions that went beyond her roles as a wife and a mother.
However, the assignment in L City could last two or three years. What would happen to her husband and child?
"I’ll go with you and Xiaobao," Lin Feng said, determined to accompany his wife. He made the decision instantly, without a hint of hesitation.
"Xiaobao just started elementary school. By the time you’re done, she’ll probably be graduating from it."
"What difference does it make where she goes to school? The textbooks are the same. It’ll be fine."
Zhang Yuxi didn’t know what to say, a warmth spreading through her heart. "Then it’ll be hard on you and our child."
Lin Feng looked surprised. "Why do you say that? I don’t think it will be hard at all. We can make a life anywhere. This is perfect, actually. We’ve spoiled Xiaobao rotten. These next few years will toughen her up."
They had come from much harder times; he refused to believe their living conditions now could be any worse than when they were renting their first apartment. He decided to leave the villa in Yangcheng vacant, simply hiring a part-time cleaner to maintain it. After all, the children would need a place to come back to.
Xiaobao blinked, holding back tears. She didn’t want to leave her classmates and teachers. "Do we have to go?"
Lin Feng sat down and gave her two choices: either come with them, or stay in Yangcheng where he would hire a caretaker for her.
"Can’t Grandpa and Grandma take care of me?"
"Grandpa and Grandma are getting old. Even if they could, we’d still have to hire a caretaker to help."
After a night of deliberation, Xiaobao decided to go with her parents to L City. For some reason, Lin Feng felt a pang of disappointment.
Since they would be gone for a long time, they had to pack clothes for all four seasons, along with other daily necessities. As the saying goes, there’s no place like home. To make their new place feel more comfortable, Lin Feng packed their own pillows, bedding, pajamas, and slippers. The packing took three whole days.
Xiaobao’s teacher even held a farewell party for her. Every child prepared a parting gift, which moved Xiaobao to tears.
「In early autumn」
The weather was still hot when the family left Yangcheng with the moving company. Xiaobao was sullen and dejected the entire way. Seeing her like this, Lin Feng asked if she wanted to go back, saying it wasn’t too late to change her mind.
"No!" Xiaobao said angrily. "I want to be with Mom and Dad. Home is wherever you are."
This declaration deeply moved her parents.
The accommodations in L City were arranged by the authorities. Taking the family of three into account, they were given a two-bedroom apartment. It was a standard allocated unit, so the conditions couldn’t compare to their spacious villa, but it certainly wasn’t too bad. The apartment came with all the necessary appliances, got plenty of sunlight, and was clean overall. It was in an eight-story building that originally lacked an elevator, but the residents had all chipped in to have one installed.
Exhausted from the long car ride, Xiaobao flopped onto the sofa without a word. She was clearly not satisfied with her new home. Her parents, however, were too busy unpacking to pay her much mind.
"Xiaobao, this is your room. Go unpack your own things," Zhang Yuxi said.
Xiaobao reluctantly pursed her lips and began to tidy up at a tortoise’s pace. By the time her parents had finished their work, she hadn’t even managed to get half of her own room done.
Lin Feng rolled up his sleeves and went to help her.
"You don’t like it here?"
"...Yeah."
"Well, there’s nothing to be done about it. This is where we have to live."
"We could rent a better place."
"...Why would we rent when we already have a house? Isn’t that wasteful?"
"We could rent this house out to someone else."
"We can’t rent this house out. It’s for us to live in, understand?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
"Dad, this bed is a little small..."
"Don’t worry. I’ll push it against the wall. That should make the room feel bigger."
After they finished, Lin Feng sat down to have a heart-to-heart talk with Xiaobao. Perhaps due to her experience as an actress, Xiaobao had a very active mind, which was a good thing. However, it also made her a bit of a handful to raise.
"Xiaobao, this place has everything we need. Even if the conditions are a bit worse than what we’re used to, we can still live here just fine. Remember that girl in your class, Xiaotong? Her family lives in a place even more run-down than this, but she’s always happy! No matter where we live or what the conditions are like, the most important thing is that our family is together."
"But our family isn’t together," Xiaobao muttered.
Lin Feng was left speechless. It felt like his entire speech had been for nothing. He felt a sense of defeat. His four older children had grown up so smoothly; he barely had to worry about them at all. But when it came to Xiaobao, he was truly feeling the headaches of parenthood.
Seeing her dad fall silent, Xiaobao sighed like a little adult. "Dad, just give me some time to get used to it. Once I’m familiar with this place, it’ll be fine."
"...Alright," Lin Feng conceded.
Zhang Yuxi, who had been listening at the door for a while, smiled. "Let’s go out to eat."
The little foodie in Xiaobao was instantly summoned. "Yay! I want a feast!"
L City wasn’t large, consisting of three districts and four counties. The most prosperous and populous area was the Second District, where their new home was located. The city center was a fifteen-minute drive away. Well, aside from one large shopping mall and a big supermarket, there wasn’t much to see. It wasn’t exactly bustling.
They found a hot pot restaurant that looked decent and was quite full of people.
Zhang Yuxi was starting her new job tomorrow. The school arrangements for Xiaobao had also been settled. She was enrolled in Class 6 at the No. 7 Primary School, which was considered the best in L City’s Second District.
The apartment had two bedrooms, one living room, and one bathroom. In the middle of the night, Xiaobao got up to use the toilet, took a wrong turn in the dark, and walked right into a doorframe.
The sound woke Lin Feng. Seeing his teary-eyed daughter, he said gently, "Daddy will buy a nightlight..."
