Chapter 979: Different Children Require Different Educational Methods

"Take out your homework for me to check." Shi Youxuan said with an expressionless face.

Litian's chubby little face immediately flushed bright red, and he hugged his schoolbag tightly, refusing to hand it over: "No need to check, today, today's homework hasn't been written yet."

"Did I say I was checking today's homework? Take it out and let me see the previous ones. I haven't been home for half a month, and I've been lax in managing your homework. Let me see."

"The previous homework has all been handed in, you don't need to check it."

Sheng Litian was originally an honest child, but later, after spending a long time with Sheng Zichen, he also learned that slick-tongued style.

"Less nonsense. Do you hand in your homework one sheet at a time? Don't try to be slippery in front of me; your little tricks aren't enough for me to look at. Take it out quickly."

She had already urged him three times; there was no reason to refuse anymore.

Litian, unwilling and reluctant, fumbled to open his schoolbag.

From time to time, he looked toward the direction of the washroom...

Of course, Sheng Zichen was not in the washroom at this moment; he was standing at the door of his grandparents' room, his head buzzing.

They weren't actually home!

What should he do now?

At a critical moment, an emergency, his only life-saving grandparents were not home. This was a disaster; he would definitely be dealt with very severely.

"No need to look, he will be over in a moment." Shi Youxuan picked up her tea, took a sip, and said calmly.

Sure enough, Sheng Zichen came over, dejected.

"Mom, I was wrong."

"Mom, I was also wrong."

Litian did whatever he saw him do.

"Wrong where?" Shi Youxuan didn't even lift her eyelids, and one couldn't see any emotional change from the expression on her face.

"You tell me, where was I wrong?"

Sheng Zichen had an extra bit of caution; instead of answering, he asked back.

He still harbored a fluke, hoping that his mother didn't know too much.

"Do you have no idea in your heart about what you have done? Sheng Zichen, I'm telling you, don't play little tricks in front of me. Those little thoughts of yours are all things I played with long ago. Confess honestly, and I will decide how to punish you based on your attitude."

Sheng Zichen shivered.

He knew that having a good attitude when admitting mistakes didn't necessarily mean he would be forgiven.

But if he tried to be clever or refused to admit it after his mother's warning, he would definitely receive a very severe punishment!

"I was wrong. I shouldn't have incited Litian to forge a parent's signature on the report card."

Shi Youxuan: "Tell me, why did you do that?"

"Because Grandpa and Grandma are old and in poor health, I was afraid they would get upset if they saw our grades."

"Heh..."

Shi Youxuan sneered: "So, I have to thank you for being considerate of the elderly, is that it?"

"You're welcome, this is all what I should do..."

Shi Youxuan raised her voice: "Giving you an inch and you want a mile, right? Give you a little color and you're ready to open a dye shop? Still 'you're welcome'? Do you have any shame? Go face the wall, write an eight-hundred-word self-criticism and hand it to me. If it's not up to standard, you're not allowed to eat dinner."

Sheng Zichen:...

Not allowed to eat, and writing a self-criticism—these two things were what he hated most, in no particular order.

Yet, his mother wanted to do both of these heaviest punishments together; it was simply life-threatening.

"Mom, if you make me face the wall, I can't write the self-criticism. How about this? I'll stand on one leg to reflect on my mistakes, and then I won't have to write the self-criticism. Can I just stand until dinnertime?"

He thought he had proposed a "best of both worlds" plan.

But he didn't expect it to be counterproductive, making his mother even angrier.

"Stop bargaining with me. Take your self-criticism and go stand by the wall to write it. If you don't finish it, you aren't allowed to eat."

Sheng Zichen had no choice now; he could only honestly take his notebook and go to the wall to write the self-criticism.

Litian followed suit, also taking out his notebook, preparing to stand by the wall to write his self-criticism.

"You don't need to go."

Shi Youxuan called him back: "Take out your homework book. This is the fourth time I've reminded you."

Litian could only hand over his homework book.

Math: Sixty-one points.

Chinese: Nineteen points.

English: Six points.

Shi Youxuan's head ached.

Only in the third grade of elementary school, and they got these grades?

"Is Sheng Zichen's score a few points higher than yours?"

There was no need to look at Zichen's homework book; it was probably thrown away on the way home from school.

Sheng Litian: "Older brother is better at English than me; he's five points higher."

Shi Youxuan:...

Out of a hundred, what was there to brag about with a score in the teens for English?

Shi Youxuan adjusted her breathing, trying hard to calm herself down.

She didn't preach big principles and suddenly changed the subject: "Litian, what is your ideal for when you grow up?"

Huh?

Litian looked up in astonishment.

He had originally thought that a harsh scolding today was inevitable, but the result was completely unexpected.

Mom didn't lecture him, but instead asked him about his dreams for when he grows up?

"What, you don't have a dream?"

"I do."

Litian said: "When I grow up, I want to be a captain, steering the biggest and most majestic ship on the ocean, riding the wind and waves, forging ahead..." His face was full of longing.

"Very good, is there anything else? Is that your only dream?"

He thought for a moment, then shook his head: "No more, that's the only dream."

Shi Youxuan: "Very good, Litian, your dream is very grand. A captain is a very impressive profession, but do you know what essential skills are needed to become a qualified captain?"

"I don't know."

She was just about to speak, but Sheng Zichen, who was facing the wall writing a self-reflection, protested: "Unfair! Why do I have to face the wall and write a self-reflection, while Litian gets to talk about his dreams?"

"Write your self-reflection honestly. It will be your turn in a moment, what's the rush?"

Although Mom still didn't give him a pleasant look, at least there was still a chance, right?

So Sheng Zichen shut his mouth.

Shi Youxuan continued: "If you don't know, I'll tell you. To become a captain, a strong physique is far from enough; you must also have culture and knowledge. A captain is the leader of a ship, and everyone on board must listen to the captain."

"And on a large ship, there will be many foreign crew members, and you will also go to various places all over the world. If your English isn't good, you can't be a captain."

Sheng Litian:...

He had never thought of that.

"Mom, is it still in time for me to learn English now?"

"It is in time, my son. As long as you start learning, it is never too late. But just learning English isn't enough; your Chinese and math grades also need to come up, okay?"

"Mm."

"Go back and do your homework."

Litian hesitated a bit: "What about Brother? Is he going to do homework with me?"

Sheng Zichen pricked up his ears to listen from the side, thinking his younger brother was really a good guy for not leaving him behind.

Shi Youxuan smiled like a flower and said gently: "You don't need to worry about him, go study."

When Litian passed by his brother, he looked at him with worry, and then walked away.

Sheng Zichen said in a mournful voice: "Mom, you are biased."

"Have you finished writing your self-reflection?"

"No."

"Oh, so that means you don't want to eat dinner..."

"I do."

"Then what are you wasting your breath for? Hurry up and write."

She drank tea, cracked melon seeds, and even turned on the TV to watch a variety show.

The show was very lively, and Sheng Zichen wanted to watch it too, turning his head frequently.

Shi Youxuan: "You don't want to eat dinner, right?"

Sheng Zichen:...

"Mom, you can't be like this, it's too much."

"It's not fair at all, how can you treat the same children differently?"

Shi Youxuan: "So you are reminding me that I should make your younger brother face the wall with you for it to be called fair, is that right?"