Chapter 398

Breaking the popcorn into pieces to feed the little ones; as long as he was careful, they wouldn't choke.

When the little ones tasted the new food, they shook their heads and wiggled their little feet.

The occasional loud "bang" went from being terrifying at first to something they were accustomed to.

The old man popping the popcorn wore a simple, honest smile and answered almost every question; the scene was peaceful.

After Lu Lao Zu's batch of popcorn was finished, everyone packed up and took the children home to make lunch...

Lu Lao Zu held a child in each hand, in a very good mood, teasing the little ones from time to time—

"Are you happy?"

"Happy!"

Lian Lian answered readily, walking and stopping with her little friend Si Si; her pockets were full of white, plump popcorn, and she wanted to take it back for her mother to eat!

As for her little brother, he could only drink milk, so she wouldn't give him any!

The carefree childhood of children is the meaning of adults' hard work.

Of course, not every parent is a qualified one...

Jiang Ye also saw a parent kicking and hitting a child, the child's crying and screaming incessant.

But he had no standing to stop or interfere.

If he overlooked it once, there was no guarantee there wouldn't be a next time.

Was he supposed to intervene in every injustice he saw?

In that case, wouldn't he be the same as that Mr. Lu?

He wasn't such a bleeding heart that he would let his own happy family fall apart and give bad people an opportunity.

What he cherished was only his wife, his children, and his elders.

As for others, everyone has their own fate; it wasn't his place to manage them.

"Dad, why is that auntie hitting that little brother?"

Xiao Mantou hugged his father's neck, a look of confusion appearing in his dark eyes.

He didn't understand why a mother would hit her own child, and hit so hard that the little brother was crying.

"Don't be afraid. With Dad here, I won't let anyone bully you.

Of course, Mom, Dad, and the elders won't hit you casually, unless you do something wrong..."

"Oh, what did that little brother do wrong?"

Xiao Mantou was still puzzled; he usually played at home with his sisters and rarely went out, so he hadn't experienced such scenes much.

For a moment, he was confused as to why the uncles and aunties outside were so fierce.

"Because the little brother wanted to eat popcorn, but his mother didn't want to buy it for him and didn't want to spend money on it, so the little brother cried and made a scene wanting the popcorn, and that's why he got hit."

Jiang Ye didn't downplay the issue, avoid the question, or fool his son; instead, he used language his son could understand to describe the situation, so his son would have some concept of it.

"The little brother wasn't obedient, so he deserved to be hit?"

Xiao Mantou asked again, is that how it is?

"Not entirely; his mother also has a part in it."

Jiang Ye shook his head and patiently explained to his son:

"If conditions permit, I think any parent would be willing to buy their child the items they want.

It's just that some families aren't as well-off, and the things the child wants might exceed what the parents can afford, so the parents can't buy the items for the child all at once.

If the child can be understanding of their parents at such times, the parents' financial pressure will be much less, and they can make it up to the child when their financial situation improves."

"Oh, I see."

After listening to his father's explanation, Xiao Mantou fell into deep thought, half-understanding.

The little person already had facial features that clearly resembled his father's silhouette.

Unlike his sister's ignorance and youth, Xiao Mantou already had his own thoughts—in short, he had become enlightened.

He began to wonder why his mom and dad were so good to them, while other children's parents were sometimes good and sometimes not.

Why did other people look at his dad differently, speak in lower voices, and observe his dad as if checking his mood?

Why did his family have a television to watch, while other children's families didn't?

Why did he and his sisters have toys to play with, new clothes to wear, and delicious snacks, while other children didn't?

Oh, he couldn't say they didn't have any at all, just not as many, not as sweet, and not as delicious as theirs.

This was something he had chatted about while playing with other children just now.

His father's explanation seemed to have told him why, but a voice in his little head told him it still didn't feel like enough, and he wanted to think about it more, and more...

"Alright, stop thinking about it. Tomorrow, Mom and Dad will take you on a trip to another city. We'll ride on a big vehicle, and Dad will take you to visit the zoo and big shopping malls..."

As soon as Jiang Ye said this, the children clapped and cheered.

Only Lian Lian and Si Si were completely confused, as bewildered as could be.

Pei Lao Ye Zi changed the subject and started talking about what to eat for lunch.

It was already tiring enough for his disciple and his wife to travel with two babies; if they took his great-granddaughter along, she would be a burden.

For the sake of his disciple and his disciple-in-law's family-of-four trip, he decided he would be the bad guy!

Jiang Ye was still very grateful to his master; it was called a family-of-four trip, but in reality, after lulling the two children to sleep, they could put them into the sub-space, which wouldn't hinder their couple's time.

Even if they encountered danger, the children's safety could be guaranteed.

Lian Lian wouldn't work; she wasn't his and his wife's biological child, so she couldn't be directly taken into the sub-space.

If they really encountered danger, they would be too busy to look after themselves, so how could they protect Lian Lian from harm?

Therefore, the best way was not to take her.

Sigh, Jiang Ye already anticipated how big of a temper Lian Lian would throw after they left; the elders' hair would probably turn white from it.

What Jiang Ye could think of, Lu Lao Zu and Pei Lao Ye Zi could naturally think of as well.

They could only keep it from Lian Lian for now; otherwise, if the little one found out her brother and sister were going on a trip with her aunt and uncle without her, she would definitely blow a fuse!

In the distance, the little boy whose bottom had been beaten red looked at his little friends surrounded by happiness, his heart filled with deep envy.

The other children's parents and grandparents were all willing to buy them snacks, so why did his mother not only refuse to buy them but also beat him?

Wuwuwu, he must have been picked up from a trash heap by his parents!

One day, when he grew up, he would leave this home!

He would find his real parents!

He would never return to this home that constantly hit and scolded him!

Children who grow up in an environment of hitting, scolding, suppression, and complaining-style education are taught to be cold-blooded, heartless, and unattached to home...

Parental education is the cause of acquired lack of love and independence in adulthood; the seeds for this were already sown when the child was young...