Live Stream: Overly Pampered Education Creates Three Superstars in One Family

The range hood in the rented room roared loudly, but it still couldn't remove the pungent smell of cooking oil from the air. Zhou Liying, wearing an apron stained with oil, slammed a plate of stir-fried cabbage covered in murky red oil and a dish of stir-fried green peppers and shredded pork that were clearly blackened and had more chili peppers than meat onto the peeling wooden dining table.

A circle of grease from the bottom of the plate marked the table. Zhou Liying wearily pulled off her apron, pulled out a chair, and sat down, breathing heavily. She had been exhausted all day, enduring her supervisor's disdain at work, squeezing onto the subway during rush hour to get home, and then toiling away for over half an hour in the stuffy, cramped kitchen. At this moment, her patience had reached its breaking point; she was like a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark.

Like a frightened kitten, Wu Jiajia cautiously moved along the wall to the dining table and sat down. Looking at the two plates of bright red, pungent-smelling dishes in front of her, her hand gripping the chopsticks tightened slightly. Zhou Liying had always known that Wu Jiajia had a sensitive stomach and couldn't eat too much spicy food. But Zhou Liying always cooked with a vengeance, adding spices wildly, as if only the spiciness could numb the fatigue of her life, completely disregarding whether her daughter could eat it.

Wu Jiajia lowered her head, ate a mouthful of white rice, and then forced herself to pick up a green pepper and put it in her mouth.

The intense spiciness exploded in her mouth and rushed into her nasal cavity. Wu Jiajia's eyes instantly reddened, and her throat felt like it was on fire. She couldn't help but cough violently, reaching for the water glass on the table between coughs, her voice filled with suppressed grievance and pain: "Mom...it's so spicy, I can't eat it..."

Zhou Liying, who already had a gloomy face, completely lost her temper the moment she heard those words.

"Spicy?! Where's the spiciness?!" Zhou Liying slammed her chopsticks on the table with a loud, jarring sound. "Stop nitpicking! I've worked so hard all day, I rushed home to serve you without even having time for a sip of water, and you're still complaining?!"

Wu Jiajia trembled with fright, large tears falling into her rice bowl. She waved her hands repeatedly, "No, Mom, it's really too spicy, my throat hurts..."

"What's so painful! Why didn't you complain about the spiciness when you bought those junk spicy snacks at the school gate?!" Zhou Liying retorted mercilessly, her voice shrill as if it could pierce the roof. Her logic at this moment seemed incredibly arrogant and ridiculous. "Spicy snacks aren't spicy? How come eating my cooking is spicy? You're just trying to infuriate me! You're such an ungrateful wretch who doesn't understand how hard adults work!"

Faced with her mother's illogical accusations, which were purely for venting her emotions, Wu Jiajia was completely speechless.

She knew that in this family, any attempt to explain would be seen as talking back and would only result in a more violent storm. She could only bite her lip hard, enduring the burning pain in her throat, and mechanically stuff large mouthfuls of food soaked in chili oil into her mouth, swallowing them whole without even chewing.

Her silence was not out of understanding, but out of fear.

This scene was broadcast live to countless households through the program crew's cameras.

The live stream chat exploded with comments, and netizens were arguing fiercely about Zhou Liying's behavior.

Numerous netizens, deeply distressed by Wu Jiajia's plight, furiously typed on their keyboards, their screens filled with condemnation: "Is this even a mother?! Knowing her child can't handle spicy food, she still added so much chili, and the child was scolded like this for saying something—it's utterly unreasonable!" "That phrase 'eating spicy strips makes it less spicy' is the most brain-dead parenting statement in the world; it's a complete fallacy, using the child as a punching bag!" "I could feel the little girl's despair even through the screen; she didn't even dare to cry out loud."

However, amidst these condemnations, there was another group of extremely glaring remarks filled with the superiority complex of so-called "experienced people".

"Netizens these days are too sensitive. Zhou Liying worked hard all day cooking, and her child is a picky eater. What's wrong with scolding her a little?"

"Exactly! We absolutely can't spoil kids with their picky eating habits! If they refuse to eat because they think it's too spicy today, and too bitter tomorrow, what will they do when they go out into the workforce and start ordering takeout based on their own tastes?"

"When we were kids, we didn't even have enough to eat. A little chili in the rice was a delicacy! Kids these days haven't experienced hardship. If their parents aren't tough on them, society will teach them a lesson later!"

"Although Zhou Liying has a bit of a temper, she's on the right track overall. What's wrong with letting children adapt to the harsh realities of society early on?"

This robber logic of "society doesn't tolerate you, so I'll torment you first" sparked fierce debate in the live stream. Countless adults who adhere to the concept of "adversity education" whitewashed Zhou Liying's morbid emotional outburst as "good intentions" for the children's future.

While the internet was abuzz with arguments over this spicy dish, the director switched the camera to another family being observed – Chen Chu's home.

The atmosphere here is completely different from Zhou Liying's lifeless and suffocating rented room.

In the spacious and bright restaurant, warm yellow chandeliers cast a cozy glow. The mahogany dining table was laden with a sumptuous dinner, a feast for the eyes and the palate: steamed sea bass, blanched prawns, a clay pot chicken soup, and several delicately stir-fried seasonal vegetables. The air was filled with the pure aroma of the food, without a trace of pungent cooking fumes.

Chen Chu, wearing an apron with cartoon patterns, was smiling as she used serving chopsticks to put food on the two children's plates.

Chen Xiaoyu, the daughter, sat in a high chair, holding a pair of small children's chopsticks, frowning at the cleanly peeled, red and white shrimp in her bowl. The little one frowned, her lips pouting, and poked the shrimp meat with her chopsticks, protesting with a face full of resistance: "Dad, I don't want to eat this shrimp. It has a strange taste, and it chews like rubber bands. It's awful!"

If this happened at Zhou Liying's house, it would definitely be the fuse for a world war.

But at this table, no one felt like the sky was falling.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ziran, the son sitting opposite, brightened up. He immediately stretched his neck like a little tiger guarding its food, and unceremoniously reached for his sister's chopsticks in her bowl, saying with a grin, "Hey, you little brat, you really don't know what's good for you! These shrimp are so fresh and you're not going to eat them? Fine, don't waste them, let your brother handle them!"

As he spoke, Chen Ziran swiftly picked up the large shrimp and put it in his mouth, chewing it with relish.

Chen Chu was looking at the tablet computer next to him, paying attention to the trend of the comments in the live stream. He naturally saw the comments from the "Yan Chang faction" netizens who were spreading their anger because of Wu Jiajia's experience.

Many people saw Chen Xiayu refuse to eat shrimp and immediately criticized her in the live chat: "Teacher Chen, aren't you spoiling your daughter too much? Children shouldn't be picky eaters. Seafood is so nutritious, you have to force her to eat it!" "A doting father spoils his son. Once a picky eating habit is formed, it's very difficult to correct later. Chen Chu's parenting style is problematic."

Seeing these controlling comments, Chen Chu wasn't angry; instead, he couldn't help but laugh.

He put down his chopsticks, picked up a soup spoon, ladled a bowl of golden, fragrant chicken soup from the casserole, skimmed off the surface oil, and placed it steadily in front of his daughter, Chen Xiayu.

"It's okay if you don't eat shrimp." Chen Chu reached out and affectionately ruffled his daughter's fluffy head, explaining to the camera in an extremely relaxed and matter-of-fact tone, "Eat what you like, and don't eat what you don't like. What's the big deal?"

He looked directly into the camera, his eyes clear and firm, as if giving a lecture on common sense about human nature: "Dear netizens, you're taking the matter of 'eating' too seriously. In this world, if there are no shrimp, we still have chicken; if there is no cabbage, we still have spinach. There is no single food that is absolutely necessary or mandatory to eat in life."

Chen Chu's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a gentle power that could soothe the anxiety in people's hearts: "Adults have dietary restrictions; some don't eat cilantro, some don't touch garlic. Why must children be turned into machines that can digest anything? Food is meant to provide nutrition, but more importantly, it's meant to bring pleasure. If a meal is filled with fear and compulsion, then even if it's the most delicious food, it's a slow poison for the stomach and the mind."

"When we raise children, we are raising people with independent interests and flesh and blood, not livestock that must meet certain feed ratios to be sold quickly."

Chen Chu's words were like a gentle spring breeze, instantly dispelling the resentment that had been building up in the live stream because of Zhou Liying.

Countless netizens resonated strongly with this, and the live chat was instantly flooded with likes and exclamations:

"My goodness, Teacher Chen is so open-minded! I almost cried listening to her."

"The phrase 'Nothing is absolutely necessary to eat' has truly healed me! I was beaten countless times by my dad when I was little for not eating celery, and I still have a phobia of celery to this day."

"There's no harm without comparison. Both are parents, but Zhou Liying treats mealtimes like torture, while Chen Chu treats them as enjoyment. That's why Chen Xiayu dares to openly say she doesn't like something, while Wu Jiajia wouldn't even dare to say it's spicy!"

"Chen Chu respected the child's basic rights as a 'person'! This is true education, not trying to satisfy the ridiculous controlling desires of parents!"

Two families, two completely different dinners, are like a cold mirror, reflecting the cruelest disparity in modern family education.

……

The next day, the city's No. 1 Primary School.

Wu Jiajia walked silently along the tree-lined path leading to the teaching building, her head down and carrying her slightly faded schoolbag.

It got colder today, and the wind felt chilly. She was wearing an extremely old-fashioned, dull-colored, khaki cotton coat. This coat was an old one that Zhou Liying had gotten from some relative; the sleeves were a bit long, and there were patches on the shoulders. On the thin Wu Jiajia, it looked out of place, bulky, and comical.

In Zhou Liying's mind, children grow quickly, and wearing new clothes is a waste of money. As long as they are warm, it doesn't matter what they wear. In fact, the more worn out their clothes are, the more it reflects the maturity of "poor children learn to be independent early." She completely overlooked the fact that in the hearts of children at this age, self-esteem is more important than anything else.

Wu Jiajia tried to stay close to the corner of the wall, attempting to minimize her presence. But in this campus filled with comparison and adolescent sensitivities, her outfit made her look like a moving target.

As soon as she entered the classroom, before she could even put down her schoolbag, several girls who usually liked to form cliques surrounded her.

The girl in the lead had an elegant princess hairstyle and wore the latest pink designer down jacket. She looked Wu Jiajia up and down, exaggeratedly covered her nose, and let out a shrill laugh: "Oh my, Wu Jiajia, what are you wearing today? Is this some kind of unearthed artifact picked out of a garbage dump?"

A girl next to her immediately chimed in, laughing hysterically, "Yeah, this color is disgusting! It looks like a pile of poop. My grandma wouldn't even wear such tacky clothes to work in the fields!"

"Jiajia, is your family so poor you can't even afford to eat? Should we organize a fundraiser for you in class? Hahahaha!"

The classroom echoed with sarcastic laughter, with some students joining in the commotion while others stood by indifferently.

Wu Jiajia stood rooted to the spot, her face instantly turning bright red, the redness spreading to her ears. She felt as if all the gazes in the classroom were cutting into her like knives. Her hands gripped the hem of her khaki cotton coat tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She wanted to argue back, to loudly proclaim that she wasn't poor, and to shut them up. But just as the words were about to come out, Zhou Liying's curse, "Look at you, so useless! What can you do besides spend money?" suddenly echoed in her mind.

Her pride, already shattered by her mother's daily relentless suppression, was utterly incapable of supporting any resistance at this moment. She could only lower her head deeply, burying her chin in her wide collar, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, letting those vicious words overwhelm her.

Just then, the front door of the classroom was suddenly pushed open.

Ms. Zhang, the homeroom teacher, walked sternly to the podium with her lesson plan in hand. She had already heard the commotion in the classroom from the hallway. Ms. Zhang was a middle-aged female teacher with a strong sense of responsibility and zero tolerance for wrongdoing; she would never allow such egregious bullying to occur in her class.

"Shut up, all of you! Go back to your seats!" Teacher Zhang slammed the lesson plan down on the lectern, her sharp gaze sweeping over the girls who were still laughing.

The entire class fell silent instantly.

Teacher Zhang strode down from the podium and went directly to the two girls who had led the mockery of Wu Jiajia. Her tone was extremely stern: "What were you saying just now? Is this how classmates attack and ridicule each other? Can clothing and appearance represent a person's character? Where has your manners gone?!"

The two girls were startled by the teacher's sudden outburst of anger and lowered their heads, not daring to utter a sound.

"Apologize to Wu Jiajia immediately!" Teacher Zhang ordered without room for argument.

Under pressure from the teacher's authority, the two girls reluctantly turned around and whispered to Wu Jiajia, "I'm sorry."

If the matter ended here, it might be a good thing for Wu Jiajia. At least the teacher helped her out of a difficult situation and protected her dignity.

However, Ms. Zhang clearly felt that such a perfunctory apology was insufficient to correct the girls' egregious behavior. In her traditional educational philosophy, incidents involving school bullying required parental intervention to garner sufficient attention.

Teacher Zhang returned to the podium and solemnly announced, "This kind of behavior must not be allowed to spread in the class. You two, come to my office after class. I'm going to call your parents and have them come to the school to see for themselves the wonderful daughters they've raised!"

Upon hearing that the teacher was going to call their parents, the two girls turned deathly pale.

However, what Teacher Zhang said next plunged Wu Jiajia into an abyss of no return.

Teacher Zhang turned to look at Wu Jiajia, who was still trembling with her head down. Her tone softened slightly, as if she were standing up for her: "Wu Jiajia, don't be afraid. Why didn't you tell the teacher if your classmates bullied you? This is a very serious matter. The teacher will not only call their parents, but I will also call your mother, Zhou Liying, and ask her to come to school. The three of us parents must resolve this issue face-to-face. We absolutely cannot let you suffer in vain!"

The moment I heard the name "Zhou Liying".

Wu Jiajia's body suddenly stiffened.

At that moment, the stares of her classmates, the bullies' mockery, and even Ms. Zhang's righteous defense all quickly faded from her perception. Only a frantic alarm bell rang in her mind: the teacher was going to call her mother to school.

For the two girls who were bullying the other girl, having their parents called in might mean getting a scolding at home and having their allowance confiscated.

But for Wu Jiajia, asking Zhou Liying to come to school was tantamount to a catastrophe.

She knew her mother too well. Zhou Liying would never blame those who bullied her. Zhou Liying would only think that Wu Jiajia was the one who caused trouble at school, that Wu Jiajia was the one who was cowardly and incompetent and that's why she was targeted, that Wu Jiajia was the one who made her take leave from work, and that Wu Jiajia was the one who made her lose face in this lousy school!

Her mother's distorted face, her vicious curses, and her hysterical roars seemed to have pierced through the void and struck her prematurely.

Wu Jiajia slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with a fear a thousand times greater than the despair she felt when her classmates mocked her. Her lips trembled violently; she wanted to beg the teacher not to make the call, but extreme fear gripped her throat, preventing her from uttering a sound.

She could only watch in despair as her teacher turned and left, waiting for the storm called "mother" to tear away her last shred of dignity.