Hope kept calling Thomas Smith "Uncle," and he found it awkward no matter if he responded or not.
According to the family hierarchy, he is genuinely of the grandpa’s generation.
But he has no gray hair and looks sowhat younger than a "typical grandpa." Kids, not knowing much, naturally call him Uncle out of habit, so it’s understandable.
If he agrees, wouldn’t that ss up the family hierarchy?
So he could only vaguely avoid responding directly.
Thomas Smith had difficulty moving his right leg, and when Hope suddenly pulled him, he almost fell. Fortunately, Secretary Little Williams reacted quickly and promptly helped him up.
"Chairman Smith, your—"
Secretary Williams, concerned about his physical condition, was about to remind him, but Thomas Smith raised a hand to stop him and then followed the little girl with a smile.
The two brothers, seeing their sister leading a stranger away, heightened their vigilance and quickly followed.
"Sister, what’s wrong with your eyes? You called him wrong; that’s clearly Grandpa, not Uncle." Ethan corrected his sister.
Noah didn’t say anything, but a look of doubt crossed his handso and youthful face as he kept staring at Thomas Smith, feeling that sothing was amiss.
Hope led Thomas Smith to the activity area, released him, and was about to show off her skills with the ball when she heard her second brother’s words. Her pretty and cute little face lifted slightly, "Hmph! He’s Uncle. I want to call him Uncle, so don’t you tell what to do!"
Ethan understood his sister’s thoughts and stubbornly corrected her: "You don’t call soone Uncle just because they’re handso; they’re Uncle if they’re young. The older ones should be called Grandpa. If you keep calling randomly, people will laugh at you."
"..." Thomas Smith’s expression was both amused and resigned.
It turned out that, in the eyes of this little kid, he was genuinely "old."
After speaking, Hope started bouncing the ball.
She wanted to show off her skills in front of this "handso Uncle" she liked, but the second brother’s chatter caused her to hit the ball against her foot after just seven or eight bounces, sending it flying.
Hope tried to save it but didn’t succeed. Watching the ball roll far away, surrounded by a circle of onlooking kids, and the "handso Uncle" watching her diligently—she froze for a second, then suddenly panicked.
"It’s all your fault! You keep talking to , making it impossible for to concentrate!" She loudly accused, angrily glaring at her second brother, her little face turning bright red.
This sudden scene quickly attracted the teacher’s attention, and Thomas Smith was unexpectedly startled before stepping forward to comfort her: "Baby Hope, it’s okay, we can try again."
anwhile, Secretary Little Williams promptly retrieved the ball.
Thomas Smith handed the ball back to Hope, but being comforted by him, she felt a little embarrassed at first, but now she was directly breaking down crying.
Crying while saying "It’s all my brother’s fault," she rubbed her tears with her hand.
She looked both pitiful and made one want to laugh.
But one couldn’t laugh.
Parents who have raised kids know that children have a sense of pride too; if soone laughs now, that would be disastrous.
The teacher quickly squeezed in, crouched down to hold Hope, and caringly asked what was wrong.
Hope sobbed with hiccups and mumbled, "It’s all my brother’s fault, I don’t like brother anymore..." making it difficult for the teacher.
Noah stepped forward to comfort his sister while scolding his brother: "Why did you make her cry, wait till you go ho and see if Dad doesn’t scold you."
Ethan was stubborn and insisted: "He is clearly Grandpa, and she insists on calling him Uncle, I’m just helping her correct..."
"He’s Uncle. I want to call him Uncle; mind your own business!" Hope cried and shouted.
Thomas Smith couldn’t have predicted his arrival would cause siblings to quarrel, feeling guilty imdiately. Despite his inconvenience, he bent down and picked Hope up from the teacher’s embrace.
"Hope, don’t cry anymore, it’s Uncle’s fault. If you like calling Uncle, then call Uncle, okay?"
Secretary Williams listened and was speechless.
The family hierarchy here is quite mixed up...
The teacher, seeing Hope held by the district leader, suddenly beca nervous, but this "leader" was visiting for the first ti, and she didn’t know him, so she hesitated, lost what to do.
The kindergarten director noticed this scene and imdiately ca over to handle it, "What’s going on?" Seeing the leader holding the crying child, she was also surprised, "What’s wrong, sweetheart? Co, tell Mommy Director..."
The director reached out, wanting to take Hope back, but both Hope and Thomas Smith simultaneously refused—Hope hugged Thomas Smith’s neck, while Thomas Smith conveniently held Hope’s back, turning his body to avoid the director’s hands.
The next second, Chief Johnson tily intervened: "Director Young Master Green, don’t be nervous, the child likes our Commissioner Smith, let him comfort her."
While speaking, Thomas Smith glanced at him in gratitude and decided to carry Hope toward the corridor bench.
The brothers Noah and Ethan followed again.
"Grandpa, thank you, please give our sister back to us." Noah was very cautious, even in kindergarten, he maintained vigilance toward strangers.
He wanted to coax his sister back.
Thomas Smith looked at him, his expression kindly, "Are you the brother?"
Noah didn’t speak or nod.
Thomas Smith understood, smiled, "Grandpa is not a bad person, just really likes you all."
"Um, thank you."
While speaking, Hope had already cald down.
With tearful eyes, she looked at the "Uncle," looking hurt, she sniffled childishly, "Are you really Grandpa...?"
Thomas Smith wanted to say: I’m the maternal grandfather, but held back for fear of scaring the kids.
So he smiled and nodded: "Grandpa is relatively young, right? Hope misunderstood."
"I don’t care, I want to call you Uncle. Grandpas have white hair, beards, and are wrinkled all over; you don’t have any, you’re more like my dad, so you’re Uncle."
Thomas Smith laughed.
In his life, he experienced everything except interacting with children.
Back when Charles was adopted, he was already seven or eight years old and was really mature and sensible, not this innocent.
He never had his own kids, and now Charles is not married, so he doesn’t have grandchildren—this first-ti intimate interaction with kids only felt so novel, soft, fragrant; even their cute talking and little tantrums were so adorably sweet, endearing him deeply.
He didn’t care about the hierarchy anymore and responded repeatedly: "Alright, Hope can call whatever she likes."
Hope suddenly thought of sothing and earnestly said: "Uncle, I can really bounce the ball over a hundred tis, it was just an accident earlier; it’s all second brother’s fault."
Ethan: "..."
"Hmm, Grandpa believes in you."
"Uncle, it’s Uncle."
Thomas Smith felt a bit awkward but still replied: "Hmm, Uncle... believes in you."
Hope then broke into a smile through her tears.
Then, she furrowed her little brows, her round little behind shifted, and she frowned again.
"What’s wrong?" Thomas Smith imdiately asked with concern.
Hope didn’t speak, just felt... her butt was uncomfortable, sitting wasn’t pleasant, so she shifted down from "Uncle’s" lap.
Thomas Smith understood sothing too, his large hand pressing on his right knee, his eyebrows showing suppressed pain.
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