What a pity.
The enrollment slots are already full, so she can only follow the rules.
Li Huizhen was even more puzzled, "Then what did you mean by what you said just now?"
"Oh, look at me, I got off track while talking. Actually, besides asking about enrollment, this parent also inquired if our kindergarten is hiring a chef. I've heard before of parents wanting to work as teachers or caregivers to better look after their children, but I've never heard of a parent wanting to come in as a chef."
She paused, raised her eyebrows slightly, and continued, "Director Li, do you think this parent doesn't trust the kindergarten's meals, so they want to become a chef?"
"Perhaps!"
Li Huizhen smiled slightly, "Actually, being a chef in a kindergarten is not easy; it's not enough to just know a few home-cooked dishes."
"Indeed, these parents always think things are too simple nowadays."
Both believed that Huang Jun's idea was too idealistic, and even if he asked every kindergarten in the city, it would be hard to successfully get hired.
Meanwhile, Huang Jun, holding the hands of his two daughters, continued heading towards another nearby kindergarten.
"Qingqing, Weiwei, wait a minute, let's drink some water first!"
He took out two children's water bottles from the backpack on his shoulder, unscrewed the caps, and handed them to them.
Qingqing and Weiwei were very obedient, drinking water with gulps.
He squatted down, took out a pack of soft tissues, and wiped away the fine sweat on their faces, also wiping their backs casually, "Are you tired? Still energetic to walk? Do you want Daddy to carry you?"
"Daddy, we're not tired, no need to carry us."
The little ones had some sweat, but they were full of energy and didn't feel tired at all.
Huang Jun packed up their things, held their little hands again, walked through a small district, and arrived in front of a place called Dorami Kindergarten.
As far as he knew, this was a well-established kindergarten with about five or six years of history.
Although it wasn't as spacious as Hu Jin Bilingual Kindergarten, the overall environment and teaching quality were very good.
"Wow!"
When Qingqing and Weiwei saw the colorful cartoon murals on the walls on both sides of the gate, they both exclaimed, "It looks like a children's amusement park here~"
"Do you like it here?"
"Yes~"
Qingqing and Weiwei exchanged smiles and playfully said, "If Daddy becomes a chef here, we would like it."
"Alright, Daddy will do his best."
Huang Jun smiled knowingly and was about to ask the old security guard when he heard a gentle greeting in his ear, "Hello."
Huang Jun turned his head toward the voice and saw a youthful and beautiful female teacher walking out from the kindergarten.
She wore a white dress, revealing slender collarbones, with a translucent and natural makeup, her long straight black hair flowing softly, exuding the freshness of a first love girlfriend.
She nodded with a smile to him, then squatted down in front of Weiwei, speaking warmly to them, "Hello, little ones, how old are you this year?"
"Auntie, I'm four, and my sister is also four~"
The lively Weiwei, not shy at all, held up four little fingers and responded sweetly.
Huang Jun corrected, "Weiwei, you should call her teacher."
"Oh~"
Weiwei nodded understandingly, "Hello, teacher!"
"What a good child!"
Yang Yuxi gave a thumbs-up and then looked sideways at Qingqing, who hadn't spoken, with a gentle smile, "Hello, I'm Miss Yang from Dorami Kindergarten's Little Four Class. What's your name? Can you tell Miss Yang?"
The introverted Qingqing, suddenly spoken to by a stranger, instinctively wanted to hide behind her dad, but perhaps touched by the other's gentle smile, she only bowed her head in the end.
Huang Jun felt her shyness, bent slightly, hugged her little shoulders, and said softly, "Qingqing, Miss Yang is asking you a question, what should you say?"
With Huang Jun's guidance, Qingqing timidly replied, "Miss Yang, I'm the elder sister. I'm four years old. My name is Huang Keqing, but Daddy calls me Qingqing."
"That's a lovely name."
"Miss Yang, my name is Huang Kewei. Daddy and sister call me Weiwei. You can call me Weiwei too~"
"Alright, your names are all lovely. The teacher remembers them."
Although she has met many children, Weiwei's lively cuteness and Qingqing's well-behaved sensibility made her delighted. She stood up smilingly and looked at Huang Jun, "You must be their parent?"
"Yes, I am their father."
"So, Qingqing's dad, are you here to enroll them?"
"Yes."
Upon hearing this, Huang Jun immediately understood that this kindergarten still had enrollment slots available.
And Miss Yang's next words confirmed his guess: "Our kindergarten is quite an old one, and our enrollment has always been steady. Usually, we fill new student slots by the end of the previous semester, but this year, due to some special circumstances, we still have a few spots left..."
"Looks like our luck is pretty good!"
"It really is!"
There was a hint of bitterness in Miss Yang's smile.
This year, the kindergarten hadn't filled its slots because many students were poached by Hu Jin Kindergarten...
"By the way, is this your first time at our kindergarten? How about I show you around first?"
"Sure!"
With Miss Yang leading the way, Huang Jun and his two daughters entered the kindergarten.
The kindergarten was quite spacious. Upon entering through the main gate, on the left were two four-story buildings housing the classrooms, dormitories, and offices.
To the right was a wide sports field and play area, well-organized, with all sorts of playground equipment readily available.
The environment inside the kindergarten was very clean and tidy, with lush big trees and vibrant greenery everywhere. Although it was an old kindergarten, it could still rival the newer, larger kindergartens.
Guided by Miss Yang, Huang Jun's family toured the small class classrooms and dormitories on the first floor.
Huang Jun was quite impressed.
Especially the spacious and bright classrooms, comfortably set up, with facilities like washrooms and dormitories, making it all feel very considerate.
Since stepping into the kindergarten, Qingqing and Weiwei were captivated by the environment, as if entering another world, where everything seemed so novel.
However, they behaved very well, not moving around randomly.
It wasn't until Miss Yang suggested they play with the toys in the classroom that they showed enthusiasm for the toys.
While they were immersed in play, Miss Yang casually mentioned the tuition fees.
As expected, the tuition wasn't cheap.
The tuition fee, plus catering, was close to 8,000 yuan per semester, meaning it would cost about 16,000 yuan for both children, which was clearly beyond what Huang Jun could afford with the money he had.
"Miss Yang, could I ask if your kindergarten is hiring a chef?"
Miss Yang: ⊙(・◇・)?
Mr. Parent, are you changing the topic a bit too fast...?
But indeed, their kindergarten was currently in need of a chef.
The previous Chef Wei, who had been working there for many years, couldn't continue the job due to some special family circumstances.
However, since there were other helpers in the kitchen, the kindergarten hadn't considered external recruitment, hoping Chef Wei might recommend a reliable chef to replace him.
Thus, she instinctively linked Huang Jun with Chef Wei: "Qingqing's dad, why did you suddenly ask about hiring a chef? Could it be that Chef Wei recommended you?"
This left Huang Jun a bit confused, but he also picked up some useful information.
That is, the kindergarten currently needed a chef.
He smiled and replied, "Miss Yang, I don't know this Chef Wei you mentioned. I simply want to apply to be a chef at your kindergarten, and that's why I'm asking you. From what you said, does the kindergarten need a chef now? Although I'm not a professional chef, my cooking skills are quite good. Could you give me a chance to do a trial cook? I guarantee you won't be disappointed."
"Well..."
Miss Yang, understanding the situation, thought he didn't stand much chance.
No matter how good his cooking might be, it could hardly compare to that of a professional chef...
Moreover, would a kindergarten really hire a parent to be their chef?
But seeing his sincerity, Miss Yang felt a bit sympathetic, and said with difficulty, "Qingqing's dad, I can't make that decision. How about I take you to ask our director?"
As just an ordinary teacher, hiring a chef wasn't within her job responsibilities, so she couldn't make such a decision on her own.
"Okay, then I'll trouble you, Miss Yang."
Huang Jun nodded gratefully.
Upon learning that he would be going with Miss Yang to see the director, Qingqing and Weiwei immediately put down their toys, eagerly expressing their desire to join him.
He, of course, readily agreed.