Volume One, Chapter Seven: 8+3=12?

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Jiang Duoduo didn’t pay much attention to what was happening outside. In her little mind, she only remembered meeting a young lady who loved eating buns just like her, and an aunt who, though clearly human, walked with the clopping gait of a horse.

Now, her focus was drawn to the elderly lady in the office.

The grandmother sitting behind the desk had silver-white hair neatly pinned at the back. She wore a pale blue silk cheongsam, draped with a knitted shawl edged in fringe. A pair of thin-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, with slender silver chains dangling from each side, extending behind her ears.

Jiang Duoduo had only ever interacted with actors she watched on TV before; this was her first encounter with such a grandmotherly figure. Curiosity got the better of her, and she quietly nestled beside Jiang Cheng’s leg, peeking out with half her face to observe.

The director sitting behind the desk smiled upon seeing this but didn’t force Duoduo to approach. Instead, she turned to Jiang Cheng and said,
“Is she Duoduo’s guardian? Don’t be nervous. This is just a simple interview, nothing to worry about. Thank you for coming all this way.”

Jiang Rui hurriedly replied,
“Director Chen, you are too kind. This is what we should do. Come on, Duoduo, say hello to the director.”

Jiang Rui waved at Duoduo.

Being a naturally social child, Duoduo was not shy. When Jiang Rui called her, she walked right up, lifted her chin, and greeted in a sweet, childlike voice:
“Hello, Grandma Chen! I’m Duoduo. Grandma Chen, do you watch ‘General Ba’s Sweetheart’?”

Jiang Rui pressed his palm to his forehead.

Jiang Cheng was flustered as well.

Oh no, the girl had mistaken the director for the old lady she usually chatted and watched dramas with!

Director Chen was clearly taken aback but not upset. Instead, she smiled warmly and gently brushed Duoduo’s soft forehead:
“I haven’t watched it, but Duoduo can tell me about it sometime.”

The moment her hand touched Duoduo’s hair, another voice echoed inside Duoduo’s mind:

[This little girl really looks like Xiuying...
She looks smart.
Just now, outside, she remained calm despite others’ contempt and provocations, adapting quietly — so composed and wise, truly deserves to have a face like Xiuying’s.
Hmm? What was that little girl’s name again? Old Lin reminded me not to give that family any special treatment. Oh well, I’ll just focus on this little Xiuying in front of me.
Ha ha ha, that stubborn Xiuying never guessed I’d get to hold a miniature version of her!]

Duoduo felt uneasy hearing this and quickly reached out to cover her cheeks.

But she was a moment too slow.

Director Chen pinched her cheek gently, not harshly, but with a tender familiarity.

Who was Xiuying?

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Did she really look like Duoduo?

Tilting her head, Duoduo watched curiously as Director Chen withdrew her hand.

Since Cheng was not her biological mother, could this “Xiuying,” who resembled her so closely, be Duoduo’s real mother?

Duoduo blinked her bright eyes, suddenly feeling a sense of mission.

Yes!

Duoduo would be like a detective from the TV shows and uncover the truth!

Director Chen rubbed her fingers together, still savoring the feel of Duoduo’s soft hair. But this wasn’t the time to get distracted; she looked up and addressed Jiang Rui and Jiang Cheng:
“We’ve already reviewed Duoduo’s family situation from the application form. Next is the interview with the little one herself. When I ask questions, please don’t interrupt or give hints.”

Jiang Cheng and Jiang Rui nodded quickly in agreement.

Director Chen had once been a formidable figure herself, a renowned expert in academia.

After retiring, she didn’t want to idle at home and, loving children, accepted a reappointment as principal at Sunflower Kindergarten.

Even though she was no longer active in academic circles, she still had extensive connections across many fields.

So no matter how arrogant the couple had been earlier, they dared not act out in front of the principal.

Even the Jiang siblings, who had a clear conscience, felt a certain reverence toward Director Chen, like students facing a teacher.

Duoduo, however, was different.

She was used to climbing her way up the social ladder.

Within moments, her small body had nestled against Director Chen’s leg, looking up at the kindly-faced elderly woman, without a trace of shyness.

Director Chen wasn’t the type to rigidly uphold rules; seeing this, she didn’t push Duoduo away but patted her head, lifted her onto her chair.

The chair was spacious and comfortable. The two of them—old and young—sat close together, enclosed by the armrests, looking intimately connected.

“Duoduo, Grandma Chen is going to ask you some questions now. Listen carefully,” Director Chen said with a smile.
“Let’s start with a simple math problem. Mom gave Duoduo eight candies, Uncle gave Duoduo three candies. How many candies does Duoduo have now?”

Uh-oh.

Jiang Cheng and Jiang Rui exchanged a glance.

This was trouble.

Duoduo was okay with speaking and recognizing characters, but math was mostly luck and effort, and the rest was hopeless.

She could count on her fingers for addition and subtraction within ten, but beyond ten...

Hadn’t they just promised Director Chen they wouldn’t intervene? They really wanted to rush over and hold Duoduo back before she started counting her toes, shoes off, in front of everyone.

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Duoduo was still unaware of the silent agony of Jiang Cheng and Jiang Rui. Sitting close to Grandma Chen, she immediately heard the principal’s voice echoing in her mind:

[Eight candies plus three candies equals eleven candies. Sunflower Kindergarten follows an elite education system; most kids here have already studied many basic subjects with private tutors at home. She should know two-digit addition, right?]

Duoduo didn’t quite grasp the latter part but clearly heard the question.

“Twelve candies!” Duoduo declared confidently, puffing out her little chest.

Then she looked at Director Chen expectantly, as if waiting for praise just like at home after reading the newspaper.

Jiang Cheng and Jiang Rui both exhaled in relief.

Good, good.

It didn’t matter that she was wrong; they had braced themselves for this.

At least she hadn’t taken off her shoes and socks to start counting toes on the spot—that was the real concern.

Hearing the answer, Director Chen did not scold the child for being incorrect. Instead, she looked down at Duoduo and asked again,
“Are you sure, Duoduo? Is eight candies plus three candies really twelve candies? Think carefully.”

After asking, her voice echoed once more inside Duoduo’s mind:

[No way, this kid is as uneven in subjects as Xiuying? Math is really a lost cause—nine doors open and one wide shut!]

Duoduo heard Xiuying’s name again and took note.

Oh—so her biological mother might not be good at math.

What a pity, not even able to count fingers and toes.

But Duoduo was different! If she hadn’t heard the principal’s voice, she could have counted her toes herself to figure it out!

If Xiuying was really her mother, Duoduo could teach her how to count fingers—a good method her mom Cheng taught her!

Duoduo reached into the small pocket of her dress and pulled out an item, spreading it in her palm for Director Chen to see:
“Grandma Chen, I’ll tell you a secret—Duoduo has one more candy! It’s a big White Rabbit candy that the tall, tall grandpa just gave me!”

Lying quietly in her palm was a simple, unadorned White Rabbit milk candy.

Seeing the candy, Director Chen’s expression clearly showed surprise. After a moment, she said,
“I see... So Duoduo has candies from her mom and uncle, plus the White Rabbit candy from the old grandpa. That makes twelve candies in total, right?”

“Yeah!” Duoduo nodded vigorously, happily shaking her little legs dangling in the air as she proudly announced,
“Duoduo has twelve candies!”