Chapter 567 Chapter 567: Do You Teach Them This?
Don finally accepted the Iron Man toy, his expression softening. Yvonne beamed at him and said with enthusiasm, “We’re friends now that you’ve accepted the gift. By the way, my dad is a great guy, just like Iron Man. I’ll introduce him to you someday.” Then she turned around and walked back to her family, holding Estelle’s hand. “Mom, let’s go home. I’ve finished everything.”
Estelle bent down and gently pinched Yvonne’s cheek. “Alright, you’re such a good girl. I’m so proud of you.”
However, Christina still harbored some resentment towards Don. She pouted and said, “Why are you so kind? You shouldn’t have given it to him, Yvonne.”
Yvonne stood tall and seriously replied, sounding wise beyond her years, “Mom taught us to be kind to people. And those stories also taught us to be smart. Don is the strongest kid in our kindergarten. If he hates us and bullies us in the future, we won’t stand a chance against him, even if we team up.”
Christina remained skeptical and turned to look at Estelle and Vincent. “But we have Mom and Uncle Vincent. Yohan will protect us, too.”
Yohan hastily interrupted, surprising everyone with his wisdom. “Yvonne is right. I’ll be going to school, Mom and Uncle Vincent will be working, and even our teachers can’t always watch over us. So, making up with Don is the best solution.”
Vincent was impressed by the children’s mature thinking. He asked Estelle, “Did you teach them this?”
Estelle replied with relief, “They came up with it themselves. I didn’t expect them to be so smart. I guess I don’t need to worry about how they’ll handle things at kindergarten anymore.”
Smiling and nodding, Vincent said, “Mr. Hans always says that Yvonne was the most innocent among the three kids. And she’s very intelligent.”
Christina always trusted her sister and brother, so she nodded, “Okay, I know.”
Yohan quickly took out another two bottles of strawberry-flavored yogurt from the school bag and gave them to her because she wasn’t stubborn at all this time. “Take them. You can drink these. We have already taken them outside, so there’s no need to take them home again. Let’s go home after you drink the yogurt.”
“Wow, it’s my favorite strawberry flavor.” Christina took the yogurt and drank it quietly.
While Estelle observed them with joy, she couldn’t help but think of Cristofer. She wondered, ‘What would Cristofer do if he were here? When he was twenty-three, he might have rolled up his sleeves and confronted Don’s father physically. At twenty-eight, he could have taunted him, saying, “Do you still want your job? Do you want to live in Hadale?” But now…’
Though Estelle tried hard to picture it, she still didn’t manage to get a clear image of Cristofer. Then she thought, ‘Time has rounded off his edges and made him much more peaceful. He was ill-tempered and arrogant in the past, but now…’
The last time Estelle saw Cristofer was when she moved out. After Eva helped her load all the luggage into the car, and when she glanced back, she noticed someone quickly moving away from a window on the second floor. But Cristofer wasn’t the same man he used to be. He could hide behind curtains, but he forgot his walking stick. The time had humbled him, breaking down his pride and arrogance and leaving behind difficulties and troubles.
Vincent brought her back to the present moment, asking eagerly, “Would you like a ride to the Hans’ Residence? It’s spacious, with many spare rooms. Your current place might not be enough.”
“No, thank you,” Estelle declined. “My mom is waiting for me at home, and she can help me.”
Vincent nodded, not insisting on the ride. After bidding farewell to the children, he headed to the Hans’ Residence to update Cristofer.
In the study, Cristofer paused his work to listen to Vincent’s report about the day’s events. He smiled briefly but became stern upon hearing about another child’s taunting.
“Get me in touch with the kindergarten’s head immediately,” Cristofer ordered, reaching for his walking stick to stand up, disregarding his injury.
Vincent tried to calm him down, noticing his agitation. “Mr. Hans, please relax. The issue has been resolved, and I’ve issued a $10,000 check in your name.”
“Very well,” Cristofer sighed, taking a deep breath and returning to his chair. He then asked, “What happened next? How did Estelle handle it?”
Vincent replied truthfully, “Mrs. Hans handled it adeptly and taught the children valuable lessons.”
Cristofer, on the other hand, wore a discontented expression and didn’t seem happy at all. He expressed with resignation, “I wish she weren’t so strong.”
‘A long time ago, Estelle used to be carefree and be herself when she was with me. She’d say and do as she pleased, shining like a star due to her vitality and energy. But now, she’s transformed into a strong, self-reliant mother,’ Cristofer tried to console himself. Yet, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness thinking about all that Estelle had been through. Frustrated, he added, “I should have gone to the kindergarten today. If I were there, I wouldn’t have allowed her... allowed them to get into such a messy situation.”
Vincent understood Cristofer’s feelings and tried to comfort him. “Don’t worry. They won’t face bullying at kindergarten. Mrs. Hans loves them dearly, and all the teachers are very gentle. The two girls are remarkable, and Yohan can provide support, too. Today, when he became upset and wanted to protect his sisters, he resembled you greatly.”
“Yes, he’s like me.” A glimmer of joy finally crossed Cristofer’s face. Although he maintained a furrowed brow, he felt proud of his son’s sense of responsibility. He asked, “Was he injured?”
“No,” Vincent narrated the story with vivid details. “Another child was injured. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had to pay $10,000. Yohan helped Yvonne return the basketball to the boy, hitting him in the process, and then he pushed the boy to the ground, making him cry.”
Hearing that, Cristofer covered his forehead with his hand awkwardly. He thought, ‘Yohan tries to protect his sisters just like me, which is not bad. But he can’t start fighting against other kids at such a young age. Maybe I should let him learn some Karate.’
At that moment, Vincent thought that Cristofer might be concerned that Yohan would excel in sports but neglect other subjects. So, he added, “Mr. Hans, Yohan excels both in sports and academics. He’s the top student in his school. Mrs. Hans mentioned that his teacher recommended him for the capital mathematics competition.”
Knowing Estelle was busy, Cristofer was worried that she would be too tired. Then, with a serious expression, Cristofer asked, “When will she set off?”
“Uh... I forgot to ask her about that,” Vincent admitted with surprise. “Should I have Eva asked Mrs. Hans?”