As they were speaking, the sound of a car ca from outside.
A mont later, the crisp and tender voices of the children drifted in.
"Great-grandma, I’m back!"
"Great-grandmother, I’m back too."
Ivan and Jimmy both shoved their backpacks into Julia’s hands and happily ran towards the Main House.
Auntie i laughed heartily as she chased after them, calling out, "Be careful, you two little ancestors."
"Hey, Daddy, you’re back!" Ivan Horne ran in. Seeing Glades Horne, he beca even happier, quickly running to Glades’s side and diving into his arms, nuzzling against Glades, his handso little face flushed from running, utterly adorable.
"Daddy, I missed you." Ivan climbed from Glades’s embrace onto his lap and, sitting on his father’s thigh, turned to his great-grandmother and said with a smile, "Great-grandma, I missed you too."
Holding his precious son, Glades’s expression softened considerably; their relationship was very solid, as long as it wasn’t nightti.
"You little charr, your words are getting sweeter," Glades chuckled, lowering his head to cradle his son’s small face and planting a kiss on it.
The great-grandmother also chuckled and stroked Ivan’s head.
Jimmy laughed too as he wriggled into Glades’s embrace; without a daddy to cuddle with, he could only snuggle up to his uncle along with his cousin.
Julia ca in carrying the two little guys’ backpacks.
Seeing them playing so happily with Glades, she couldn’t help but laugh too. She sat down beside the great-grandmother, then opened Ivan’s backpack, took out his weekend howork, and did the sa for Jimmy’s. With a smile, she said to them, "Alright, stop horsing around. Co on, finish your weekend howork before you play."
Jimmy obediently slid out of Glades’s embrace, ca over, took his howork from Julia’s hand, and then went into the Side Hall to dutifully begin his work.
Ivan, thoroughly enjoying playing with his father, casually responded to Julia’s words, "Mommy, I don’t have school tomorrow. I’ll do the howork tomorrow." After all, it was just a little bit of howork; he could finish it in under ten minutes.
Tomorrow was Saturday, and the day after was Sunday, aning two full days off from school; there was no rush to finish such a small amount of howork.
It was quite normal for a child to be playful and think this way.
"Ivan, be good. Co on, finish your howork first, and then you can play, okay?" Julia sat down next to Glades, intending to take her son from his arms as she spoke.
It was important to instill in the children the habit of finishing the day’s tasks on the sa day. She couldn’t indulge him and let him do whatever he pleased. Although both children were highly intelligent and had already learned the preschool curriculum by the age of two, if they were to grow up like normal children, developing such good habits was necessary.
"Mommy, I don’t want to do it. Those assignnts are too easy; there’s no challenge," Ivan said indifferently, hugging Glades’s neck.
He had already learned material up to the third-grade level of elentary school; making him do kindergarten assignnts was really boring and a waste of ti.
"Julia, if he doesn’t want to do it, just let him be," Glades said, holding his beloved son and casually defending him. "We both know what our son has learned. We sent him to preschool mainly so he could get used to group life. Besides, tomorrow and the day after are days off, so it won’t be too late to do it then."
Julia narrowed her almond eyes slightly, glaring at the father-son duo.
At that mont, Glades’s handso face was full of tenderness and indulgence. Affection softened his features; even his hair seed to exude doting. As long as it wasn’t nightti, he was very indulgent with Ivan Horne. He held his son, constantly playing and teasing him, making Ivan laugh non-stop. The room filled with the joyous sounds of family.
"Mr. Glades Horne, is this how you educate your son?" Julia asked with a faint smile, glancing at Glades. If Glades had looked closely, he would have seen anger smoldering in the depths of her eyes.
When it ca to educating their son, the couple was usually in agreent, but occasional friction was inevitable, just like at this mont.
Glades Horne looked up at his wife. Seeing the anger in her eyes, he gently released his son, setting him down beside him. He said gently, "Julia, Ivan is still young. It’s normal for children his age to love playing. As long as the howork gets done, it doesn’t necessarily have to be right now." Besides, our son is so smart; the things he’s learning at school now are too boring for him. There’s no need for her to be so strict. Howork is just a formality, sothing to satisfy the teachers. The new material from the private tutor is what truly matters.
"Exactly, Mommy! It won’t be too late if I do it on Sunday night," Ivan Horne chid in, not yet realizing his mistake. He added with a proud look, "It’s howork I can finish in less than ten minutes. Mommy, you don’t need to be so... um, serious."
Glades Horne smiled. "See? Even our son says you don’t need to be so serious."
Julia placed her son’s howork books on the coffee table and said sternly, "Mr. Ivan Horne, take your howork to the Side Hall imdiately and finish it! Right now! No matter when, if there’s howork, it must be finished before you can play. Tasks for the day must be completed on that day. Absolutely no procrastinating until tomorrow, the day after, or even the day after that. This is about forming good habits, and since you’re still young, you must develop them from an early age!"
Glades Horne’s smile gradually faded, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Ivan pursed his lips unhappily.
He and Daddy were having such a great ti, and Mommy just had to make him do howork. So annoying! Daddy even said it was fine as long as he finished it eventually, but Mommy is forcing him to do it right now. Daddy is definitely the best!
The little guy couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.
No matter how smart a child is, or how composed they appear, it does not change the fact that they are still a child.
"Ivan, listen to Mommy and go do your howork quickly, alright?" the great-grandmother said, sensing the tension and quickly speaking to her precious great-grandson.
Ivan glanced at Julia’s stern, pretty face, then at his father, who was frowning and silent. Resignedly, he picked up his howork books and walked into the Side Hall.
When he entered the Side Hall, Jimmy had already finished his weekend’s small assignnt and was taking it out for Julia to check.
"Very good, Billy is such a good boy," Julia said with a tender smile to the obedient Jimmy, rewarding him with a kiss.
Jimmy was delighted. He put everything away and ran outside to play.
Soon, a children’s rcedes toy car zood around the paths in the Courtyard.
Boys do love their cars.
Julia stood up, didn’t even glance at Glades Horne, and walked into the Side Hall.
"Julia."
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