Chapter 675 - 542: Third Watch

"Except for not liking pork, my mom isn’t really picky about food." Thinking of this, the girl couldn’t help but sigh, "Her way of thinking has nothing to do with being picky about food; she’s just critical. She thinks nothing others do is good, only her own things are good. It’s been like this for decades. My brother and I know her too well. She’s like this, always focused only on her own thoughts, thinking her ideas are right, her cooking is delicious, and everything she does is justified. Everything others do, she thinks is wrong or bad."

Ning Youguang thought for a moment and asked, "Is your mom a full-time housewife?"

"Not exactly. She helps with accounting for my dad’s construction crew," the girl said.

"So your mom’s social circle is relatively limited?"

"Yes," the girl nodded. "For decades, it’s the same people, the same things. She doesn’t like reading or learning. Sometimes I find great courses online and share them with her, encouraging her to learn. She always says she can’t learn it. I suggest we learn together so she can ask me questions if needed, but she just says she’s old and tired and needs to sleep..."

The more the girl talked, the more agitated she became—

"The problem is, how is she old? She’s not even fifty. I think she’s just resistant to learning! Other than matters related to my dad’s construction crew, she just watches TV or plays mahjong with people around her."

"Mom’s post-marriage growth space seems very limited."

"It’s not that the space for growth is limited; it’s that there’s been no growth at all!" The girl looked somewhat tired, "Mr. Ning, before going to college, I didn’t realize this staying with my parents all the time. But after studying psychology, when I went home during breaks, I realized my parents haven’t grown at all—neither their mindset nor intellect or concepts have matured."

"Many parents are like this; their whole life is just marriage, having kids, raising them, then waiting for them to marry and have their own kids. They raise grandchildren and grow old; that’s their whole life."

"I think such a life is terrifying," the girl couldn’t help but shiver, "What’s the difference between such a life and the reproduction of animals?"

"That’s human nature," Ning Youguang said, "Human nature boils down to two things: survival and reproduction."

"..." The girl didn’t quite understand what Ning Youguang said, "But what about dreams? What about realizing one’s self-worth in life? Are these all about survival and reproduction?"

Ning Youguang said, "It depends on whether the pursuit of dreams and self-worth aligns with goals of wealth, sensual pleasures, fame, food, or sleep. If so, it still falls under human nature."

The girl felt a bit confused: "Is motherhood human nature? Is the love of beauty human nature? Is flaunting wealth human nature?"

"All are human nature," Ning Youguang said. "A mother sacrificing herself to protect her child is for the sake of reproduction. Some people love beauty for the sake of enhancing their chances of reproduction. Some men and women flaunt wealth like a peacock displaying its feathers, ultimately seeking to attract the opposite sex and gain reproductive opportunities."

"Teacher, based on what you said, I understand now." The girl’s face calmed down slightly. After a moment, she asked, "Then, is gratitude and forgiveness human nature?"

"No, that’s morality," Ning Youguang said. "Morality is not an intrinsic demand of human nature. In many cases, morality is even contrary to human nature."