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Zhu Jia changed into a set of comfortable pajamas and went downstairs to move a pile of packages from the doorway into the living room.

Xiao Wen was only a week away from turning 11 months old, and in just another month, he would celebrate his first birthday. At this stage, babies benefit from engaging in more developmental games, so buying educational toys seemed like a great idea.

Sitting on the carpet in the living room, Zhu Jia picked up a box cutter and started opening the packages. She quickly unboxed one package, revealing a cartoon-patterned box.

It was a shape-matching block set. The wooden box had various shaped cutouts on its sides, including triangles, hexagons, and semicircles, accompanied by corresponding blocks. The goal was for the baby to match each block with the right cutout.

Zhu Jia inspected the toy’s size and material. At Xiao Wen’s age, children tend to explore the world with their mouths, so toys shouldn’t be too small (to prevent swallowing) and should be made from safe, chewable materials.

Next, she opened a thinner package, which contained several large, colorful posters. These could be hung on the walls of the children’s room.

Zhu Jia laid the posters out one by one. Each featured a different theme: family members, occupations, animals, fruits, vegetables, numbers, etc. Pressing the pictures triggered a voice to read out the corresponding word aloud.

Zhu Jia had first seen such posters at a friend’s house when she accompanied her foster mother for a visit. Though they looked somewhat tacky and weren’t aesthetically pleasing on the wall, Zhu Jia found them practical and intuitive—perfect for toddlers learning to talk.

In addition to the posters, Zhu Jia also bought some “push-pull books” and “sticker activity books.” She had realized that once she started buying picture books, she couldn’t stop; the variety was simply too tempting.

The “push-pull books” featured interactive mechanisms. By sliding the tabs, children could reveal different images. One page, for example, showed a little boy brushing his teeth; sliding the tab made the toothbrush move up and down. Zhu Jia found it quite amusing.

The “sticker activity books,” on the other hand, allowed for interactive games such as “Find and match the corresponding fruit stickers to the right spots.” They looked perfect for keeping a child entertained. Zhu Jia smiled faintly.

She carefully wiped down all the newly purchased toys and books with disinfectant wipes before placing them in the children’s room.

The next morning, Xiao Wen discovered a bunch of new toys in his playroom. His eyes lit up, and he eagerly crawled over to them, babbling excitedly to Zhu Jia.

He picked up a magnetic worm-catching woodpecker toy and examined it curiously.

“Xiao Wen, this is a woodpecker. Its beak is sharp and straight, and it loves eating bugs. This is the woodpecker baby—it’s hungry. Can you be the woodpecker mommy and feed it some worms?”

Zhu Jia demonstrated, using the “woodpecker mommy” to pick up a magnetic worm from the tree trunk and then feed it to the “woodpecker baby.”

“Did you see that, Xiao Wen? The woodpecker baby says it’s still hungry. Can you feed it some more?” Zhu Jia handed the “woodpecker mommy” to Xiao Wen.

Xiao Wen blinked and mimicked Zhu Jia’s actions, attempting to pick up a worm. After a few tries, he succeeded in lifting the worm into the air!

“Great job, Xiao Wen! Now feed it to the woodpecker baby,” Zhu Jia encouraged, patting his head.

Although his movements were uncoordinated at first, with more practice, Xiao Wen became increasingly skilled at catching worms and feeding the woodpecker baby.

The system chimed in: “Host, this toy is excellent for improving Xiao Wen’s hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. The more he practices with his hands, the better his brain development will be.”

Zhu Jia nodded in agreement. After playing with the woodpecker toy, she introduced Xiao Wen to a fruit and vegetable cutting set.

As the name suggests, this toy involved slicing wooden fruits and vegetables. Each piece could be cut in half, and Zhu Jia guided Xiao Wen’s hand to hold the wooden knife.

“Xiao Wen, this is a kiwi. It tastes sweet and tangy. Let’s cut it open.”

With a “crack,” the knife sliced the kiwi, revealing green “flesh” and black “seeds” inside.

The system commented, “This toy is great too! It teaches kids about fruits and vegetables while providing hands-on learning. When Xiao Wen is older, he can use it for pretend play.”

Xiao Wen was fascinated by the cutting set. He eagerly sliced strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon, and carrots, all with a satisfying “crack.” Of course, he couldn’t resist putting the pieces in his mouth to “taste” them.

Zhu Jia frowned as she wiped the “carrot” with a tissue. “Don’t put things in your mouth. It’s unhygienic.”

The system suddenly chimed in again, “Host, your points have reached 2.5 million! You’re just a few days away from completing the 3-million-point task!”

Zhu Jia opened the system panel, which she hadn’t checked in a while. The progress bar for her points was nearly full, and she smiled with satisfaction.

The system continued, “Host, you’re the most talented person I’ve seen when it comes to raising kids! Have you ever considered making early childhood education your career?”

“Early childhood education?” Zhu Jia was taken aback.

“Yes! Our data shows that while this city has many nurseries and early education centers catering to preschoolers under three, none of them have scaled up successfully. Most only target nearby residential areas, and their programs are disorganized and lack a cohesive system.”

The system paused before adding, “I think you’d excel in this field. First, opening a large-scale early education center requires substantial funding, which you happen to have.”

Zhu Jia: …

“More importantly, you genuinely enjoy learning about children. From the start, I noticed your extraordinary patience and meticulous care. Your tolerance for the messy aspects of childcare is remarkable, and your high standards for yourself make you especially suited to work with kids.”