Chapter 201: Chapter 201: The Nina Kendrick Foundation

[What’s the use of a good memory? Kids these days are all about grades; who cares about who has the best memory? Ian should be more like Nathan and Sean. They’re both top students, especially Nathan. I heard he’s already won a bunch of trophies at his age!]

[You can’t say that. Every kid has different strengths. I remember Ian did really well in that poetry recitation contest. He just leans more toward the humanities.]

[Whoever is worrying about Ian’s grades is doing way too much. Have you forgotten he comes from a super-rich family? His dad’s a tycoon and his mom’s a huge star. He’ll have a fabulous life even if he does poorly in school!]

[With grades that bad, you think he’ll be able to manage the family fortune with ease? Is that a joke?]

[Why does someone always have to spoil the fun by bringing up Ian’s grades? He’s in kindergarten, for crying out loud! Were you winning trophies in kindergarten?]

…

This Hope Primary School was over a decade old, but its main gate was brand-new. Peeking through the gaps in the iron bars, one could see lush trees arranged in two rows, and the blue, one-story classrooms had clearly been renovated as well.

The cameraman explained that the school had recently received a generous donation from a foundation and had just been renovated. He added with a note of admiration that this particular foundation had funded the construction of many schools in rural villages.

Naomi Kenway nodded, her gaze shifting to the most prominent stone monument in front of the school’s gate. She’d heard this Hope Primary School was built with donations from many different parties. To express their gratitude, the principal had this huge monument erected at the entrance.

The first line on the monument, carved in enormous letters, was the name of the school’s main benefactor—The Nina Kendrick Foundation.

Naomi Kenway’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t quite believe it.

The Nina Kendrick Foundation had been established twenty years ago. Many people had questioned if its name contained a typo—that it should have been a common term of endearment, not the name it was.

Only Naomi Kenway knew the truth. The foundation was something her mother had established in her name. It wasn’t a typo; it was a unique expression of her mother’s love for her. The foundation had made countless donations and was transferred to her name the year she turned eighteen.

Then she remembered the location for this mission—Peldon Village.

Naomi Kenway lightly tapped her head. ’No wonder it sounded so familiar.’ She had been running the foundation herself ever since her mother passed away. She had some savings from her acting career, and besides that, Ethan Shaw was a decent man. He had given her a supplementary credit card right after they married and let her spend freely, so the foundation had always remained active.

And Peldon Village had been the foundation’s key focus for donations just a short while ago.

“Mommy…” Ian Shaw asked, his big, round eyes wide with concern. “Mommy, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you talking?”

Naomi Kenway looked down and smiled. “It’s nothing. I just spaced out for a moment.”

The cameraman behind her prompted, “The mission location is inside the school, Ms. Kenway. You should go on in.”

Naomi Kenway nodded. As she looked up at the school again, her feelings toward it had changed.

“Okay.”

The moment Naomi Kenway stepped through the school gate, she saw the white-haired principal hurrying toward her, followed by several other teachers. Some of the teachers looked very young, and their polished demeanor seemed out of place here. ’They must be volunteer teachers,’ she thought.

Naomi Kenway was warmly ushered into an office. The elderly principal’s hands trembled as he held hers. He spoke in a stiff, halting manner, “Hello… Welcome to our school. Welcome…”

A young teacher beside them added, “Ms. Kenway, our principal is getting on in years and doesn’t usually speak Mandarin. What you’re hearing is the result of two days of emergency practice. We hope you’ll understand.”

Naomi Kenway quickly replied, “Oh, not at all. I can understand him perfectly.” She smiled. “I’m impressed his Mandarin is this good after only a few days of practice.”

The principal smiled as well.

The principal’s office wasn’t very large. A big fan on the ceiling turned slowly. CREAK… CREAK…

A few moments later, the other guests arrived. The cuffs of their pants were caked with mud, and they looked exhausted, but they still managed to smile at the principal and the teachers.

Renee Jennings arrived last with Nathan Lynch. Her face was pale, and there were distinct dark circles under her eyes.

Ever since moving into Room Five, she had been on edge every day and hadn’t gotten a single good night’s sleep.

Chelsea Raines cozied up to her, linking arms with Renee Jennings. “Renee, what took you so long?”

Renee Jennings forced a smile. “I… Nathan is a bit frail, so I didn’t want to walk too fast.”

“You’re lying! You were the one who couldn’t walk fast!” Nathan’s voice piped up.

Chelsea Raines faltered, her eyes instinctively flicking to Renee Jennings.

Renee Jennings glanced down at Nathan Lynch, her smile stiffening. She was too exhausted to know what to say.

Chelsea Raines had no choice but to change the subject. “Come on, Renee, sit here. I saved a spot for you.”

Before Renee Jennings could even sit down, the tour guide’s voice called out, “Everyone, please gather outside to get your next task.”

A flash of annoyance crossed Renee Jennings’s face, but she still took Nathan Lynch by the hand and went outside.

Naomi Kenway reached out to adjust the baseball cap on Ian Shaw’s head, then led him outside as well.

“Welcome, everyone, to our Hope Primary School!” the guide announced. Behind him was a small schoolyard, completely empty. Faintly, the sound of children reading aloud could be heard, suggesting that classes were still in session.

“Our next task is a lot of fun! I wonder if the kids are interested?”

The children, who had endured a long journey to get to the school, were all exhausted. Still, they were good sports and shouted back enthusiastically, “We’re interested!”

The guide smiled. “Our next task is role-playing! The parents will be the teachers, and the kids will be the students. Together, you’ll all experience a day in the life of this school!”

Carina Sanders asked, “Uncle Dalton, is it like playing house?”

“You can think of it that way, but you all have to be much more serious than when you play house. Can you all do that?”

“Yes!”

“Great! Now, the children will head to the classroom, while the parents will stay here to draw for the classes you’ll be in charge of teaching.”

Since the children were all different ages, they were all assigned to the first-grade class together.

[Is the production team sure about this? The other kids will be fine, but will Ian Shaw be able to keep up? He’s so dense. They should put him in a separate kindergarten class. No, wait, based on his abilities, a preschool class would be a better fit!]

[Yeah, but this is a charity school in the countryside. They’re not going to have a preschool class, are they?]

[I agree. Ian’s not smart enough for first grade; it’ll be too hard for him. I love the kid, but I’m just telling it like it is.]

[Ian should just go into acting when he grows up. He’s got the cute face for it. As for running a business or something… forget it. He’s really not cut out for it!]

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