Chapter 829: An Alternative Way to Educate Children

It looks simple, crude, and unreasonable, but in reality, it contains Shi Youxuan's painstaking efforts.

They are sister and brother, with a bond thicker than water; what is most important?

Unity.

How much of a conflict of interest can there be between children?

Is it really that important who is right and who is wrong?

By the time the children grow up—no, they won't even need to grow up—by the next day, they won't even remember why they argued.

But if the parents are unfair, it might cause long-lasting psychological shadows for the children.

So, Shi Youxuan, without distinguishing right from wrong, made them both face the wall for ten minutes!

Ten minutes is enough for the children to calm down and stop feeling so aggrieved and so justified.

Facing the wall.

Sheng Zichen took the initiative—he hooked his sister's hand with his finger and whispered, "Sister, you're hungry, right?"

Shi Ran was still angry; she shook his hand off and wouldn't let him hook it: "Not hungry, I'm full of anger."

"Don't worry, Sister, Fang Jie will save food for us. I reckon Mom can't punish us by not letting us eat. Don't be angry anymore; if you're angry, you won't be able to eat delicious food."

A child's temper really does disappear quickly; the little boy who was crying earth-shatteringly just a moment ago now completely forgets why he was punished, remembering only food!

"Gurgle—"

Shi Ran said she wasn't hungry, but her stomach was very honest.

"Gurgle—"

Sheng Zichen's stomach also "gurgled." He had been hungry for a long time and had started to regret it—regretting that he shouldn't have provoked her, leading to the point where he couldn't eat now.

Being hungry is a small matter.

The big matter is that the food already prepared and kept warm definitely won't taste as good as it would fresh out of the pot; the texture just won't be right.

"Sister, there's sweet and sour pork strips today, sour, sweet, crispy, and refreshing, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside..." Since he couldn't eat it immediately, he could only describe the taste and texture to satisfy his craving.

"Shut up!" Shi Ran spat hatefully.

She wasn't that hungry before he said anything, but now that he mentioned it, she was even hungrier.

She actually regretted it too.

She regretted that she shouldn't have hit her brother.

He is seven years younger than her; she is the older sister, and it is only right for an older sister to yield a little to her younger brother.

She thought this in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face.

"Sister, I'll shut up, can you forgive me?" Sheng Zichen took the opportunity to negotiate terms.

"I can." Shi Ran agreed; in fact, she was no longer angry.

"Alright!"

The little guy happily hopped over to find his mother: "Mom, Mom, Sister has forgiven me, she's not angry anymore, we've made up, please let us go eat."

"Ten minutes aren't up yet, go back." Shi Youxuan was expressionless.

"But..."

"But what but? The time you wasted dawdling here doesn't count toward the ten minutes."

"Whoosh—"

Sheng Zichen ran back instantly to continue facing the wall.

"Sister, Mom is unreasonable. I already admitted my mistake, and she's still being relentless. Let's not be good with her anymore, let's be good with Dad."

Mom was too formidable; he had originally wanted to take a shortcut, but found it impossible, so he could only honestly keep waiting.

"Mm." Shi Ran agreed.

She thought for a moment, then also ran to Shi Youxuan to plead for mercy.

But it wasn't for herself, but for her brother.

"Mom, it was all my fault just now. I shouldn't have hit my brother. If you want to punish someone, just punish me alone. Let my brother go eat, he's hungry."

Shi Youxuan felt gratified inside, but it didn't show on her face.

She didn't have a single expression: "Are you teaching me how to do things? Go back and continue facing the wall, don't try to play tricks in front of me."

"Mom, I'm not playing tricks, I sincerely want to let..."

"Go back and face the wall."

Shi Ran muttered under her breath: "Unreasonable."

But she obediently went back.

The sister and brother stood together again; this time, Shi Ran took the initiative to hold her brother's hand.

"Sister, Mom didn't listen to you either, did she?"

Sheng Zichen started to stand up for his sister: "Sister, you're usually so obedient, and Mom often praises you, but she didn't give you any face at all. She's too mean."

"Exactly, too mean."

The sister and brother stood united against a common enemy.

The two children were indignant, not knowing that this was exactly the result their mother wanted.

Finally, the ten minutes were up.

The sister and brother stood hand-in-hand in front of Shi Youxuan.

Sheng Zichen didn't wait for his sister to speak and took the initiative: "Mom, I was wrong, I was really wrong, I shouldn't have argued with Sister..."

The little guy apologized very proactively, speaking very quickly.

Shi Youxuan knew what her son was thinking and found it funny, but her face remained cold as frost: "You shut up, let your sister speak first."

There is an order of seniority.

Even if apologizing, the rules cannot be disrupted.

Shi Ran: "Mom, please punish me. It is all my fault. I am older than my younger brother, so I should yield to him; I shouldn't have argued with him, and I especially shouldn't have spanked him."

Shi Youxuan already knew the ins and outs of this matter, and indeed, the son was more at fault.

But in front of her daughter, she did not show it in the slightest.

"Are you finished?" Shi Youxuan asked when she saw her daughter stop speaking.

Shi Ran was a bit uncertain; was she finished or not?

It seemed she had said a bit too little; perhaps she should add a bit more.

"I'm not finished. Actually, what my younger brother said makes sense too. I should learn to do some chores and help share the burden at home, but Mom, I don't like cooking. Starting tomorrow, can I be responsible for feeding Xiaoxiaobai and the dairy goat?" Shi Ran was being opportunistic.

Feeding pets counted as chores, but it was something she liked very much.

"That's fine. Additionally, add one more thing: supervise your younger brother so he doesn't run to the kitchen often. Fifteen minutes a day, no more than that."

"Okay." Shi Ran agreed readily.

Sheng Zichen:...

Shi Youxuan said to her son: "Alright, now it's your turn."

Sheng Zichen had a belly full of words to say just a moment ago, but now he just wanted to cry!

Cry loudly, and he still had to protest and object.

The punishment was too harsh.

Being allowed in the kitchen for only fifteen minutes a day was simply not enough to satisfy his craving.

So he began to bargain: "Mom, I have an agreement with Dad..."

"I know, but you don't have an agreement with me." Shi Youxuan was very calm.

Sheng Zichen was dumbfounded; for a moment, he actually forgot to cry.

That's right, he had signed the agreement with his father; it had no deterrent effect on his mother.

What should he do now?

The little guy cast a pleading glance toward his older sister; his sister had many ideas, and at critical moments, he still had to rely on her.

However, Shi Ran had no way to help right now, though she had to think of a way.

But thinking required time, and Mom did not intend to give her time to think of a way to deal with her.

"Eat, it's settled."

Shi Youxuan supported her waist as she stood up, thinking as she walked: Twins are truly exhausting; I really don't know how Wan'er managed to get through it back then?

As for the sister and brother whispering behind her, she ignored them.

Shi Yucheng called to say he wanted to pick up his grandson.

Last time at the Shi Family, Gu Zhihao promised to teach Sheng Zichen how to cook but hadn't fulfilled the promise yet; he had kept it in mind, and today was the day to fulfill it.

He asked his father-in-law to pick up Sheng Zichen, preparing to teach him how to cook.

Shi Youxuan asked her son: "Are you going?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I'm going." Sheng Zichen agreed hurriedly, wishing he could fly out immediately.

Shi Youxuan agreed: "Fine, then go. Let Lao Qi accompany you." She could see that Gu Zhihao couldn't let go and was too reserved in front of them as a couple, so she wouldn't go along.

Lao Qi accompanied Sheng Zichen to the Shi Family.