To please others? It's better to please yourself.

The parents across from me were wearing work clothes that read "City Soap Factory".

Wu Wei also rushed over from work. He wiped the sweat from his brow, not daring to argue with the teachers or principal, and immediately bowed his head in apology: "This was my child's fault for being ignorant. I'll give him a good talking to when I get home!"

The two parents arrived and apologized immediately without trying to shirk responsibility. Even though Principal Li was furious, he couldn't just keep a long face and remain silent.

"Children this age are full of energy and mischievous. If it were just a broken piece of glass, I wouldn't be making such a fuss! Everyone grows up like this; I understand all of that!"

"I was really scared," Principal Li said, pointing to the wall near the door. "See? There are still ball marks on the wall!"

The principal's office had just been painted white before the start of the semester, and the dark ball marks were immediately noticeable. You can imagine how powerful the balls were back then.

Shen He habitually surveyed the entire office, which was littered with shards of glass. Even without taking a step, one could hear the creaking sound of glass scraping against the floor.

This is undoubtedly the scene of the incident!

Wu Wei picked up the cloth bag at his feet and handed it to the principal.

"I came in a hurry and only brought some soap and laundry detergent. They're nothing special, so please don't be put off. They're all defective products from the factory. They may not look nice, but they're perfectly usable."

The principal and teachers quickly declined. "Mr. Wu, please don't be so polite..."

Upon hearing the parent speak, Shen He immediately searched his entire body. Apart from the handcuffs around his waist, he had no money in his pockets.

Where did this Public Security Bureau get its special products from?

He thought for a moment, then said, "Principal, I took a look, and your office window doesn't have any security bars. It's not very safe."

If it won't interfere with your work, can I have someone install the glass for you when you get the new windows replaced?

Principal Li's expression brightened. "Shen Yan's father, you don't need to go to so much trouble!"

Shen He hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, this child has caused trouble for the school. Besides, it won't take much effort, it's just a quick thing."

"Principal Li, Teacher Zhang, when children do something wrong, we adults shouldn't be the only ones worrying. They're the ones who get away with it? I think it's better to let them take responsibility for their actions."

He winked at Wu Wei across from him and pointed to the mess on the ground.

Wu Wei immediately understood, turned around and went out, calling in the two "door gods" standing at the office door.

He then chimed in to the two children, "Look at you, how can you possibly stay in this room?"

"Principal, have those two kids clean the office! It'll be a good opportunity for them to reflect on their actions!"

……

After some polite back-and-forth refusals, the matter was finally settled. The two of them, along with their child, quickly cleaned the office spotless.

After Wu Wei and Shen He apologized to the principal and the homeroom teacher repeatedly, they left with their two children.

Shen Yan and Wu Chuang overheard the entire conversation between the parents and the principal while standing at the office door. Already feeling uneasy, the two were deeply distressed to see their father behaving so humbly before someone.

Shen Yan had never seen Shen He bow his head to anyone (excluding his own mother) since he was a child. In his heart, he always felt that his father's figure was so tall and upright!

At this moment, he deeply understood what it meant to be a father who fails to raise his children properly, and what it meant for a father to pay for his son's debts!

Shen He couldn't care less about Shen Yan right now; he waved to his son to hurry home. He was busy finding someone to replace the glass and install railings. The cost of the glass would be split between the two families, but he would have to pay for the railings himself.

……

There's an old saying: "Teach your son in the hall, teach your wife in bed; prescribe the right medicine for the illness, and tailor the clothes to your body."

After dinner, Shen He took his son out for a walk, taking the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart talk.

As he walked, he reached up and scratched his hair. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but it seemed like his hairline had been receding recently.

Recalling his childhood experiences, Shen He now somewhat agrees with some of his father's actions back then.

Children's energy levels exceed parents' expectations. If not handled properly, it can quickly create a lot of trouble.

He now has only one realization: if fathers don't let their sons down, then it's the sons' turn to let their fathers down!

Since someone has to fall into the pit, let the children show their filial piety as much as possible. Let their father stay on the shore while they remain at the bottom!

Shen Yan followed behind without saying a word.

Shen He tried to keep his voice down: "Dad is indeed busy right now and hasn't had time for you. That's Dad's fault. Let's just let this matter drop! Let's talk about what to do in the future."

Shen Yan hung her head: "From now on, when I play with my classmates, I won't go near the teaching building! Stay away from dangerous areas!"

Shen He nodded: "Son, do you have any plans for your future? What do you want to be when you grow up? Your uncle wanted to be a soldier, and I wanted to be a policeman."

"A person needs to have a goal, right? You can't just live one day at a time."

Shen Yan thought for a moment: his favorite thing was a small airplane model assembled from bullet casings. "Dad, I want to be a soldier, an air force soldier."

Shen He nodded; his son's answer was exactly what he expected. "Son, everyone has dreams, but very few are willing to fight tooth and nail to pursue them."

"To realize your dreams, you need action and courage. If you just stand still, you're like a bird without wings—you can't fly at all!"

"Then let's get started!"

The moment the chicken soup was poured, Shen Yan's eyes lit up: "Great!"

That evening, Shen Yan received a seemingly perfect schedule. It was packed with activities from 6:30 in the morning to 9:00 in the evening.

Most importantly, younger siblings are also included.

Shen He said, "As a father, I can't be biased; I must treat everyone equally." When everyone gets busy and tired, they stop causing trouble.

The three children run, practice boxing, recite texts, and practice calligraphy every day...

Shen Yan now knows what it means to fall asleep instantly!

The neighbors suddenly felt this scene was so familiar! Wasn't this just like Shen Yue's old tricks? Who among Shen Yue's generation hadn't lived in his shadow?

Shen Yue is the perfect child! He's the top star among his peers!

To be honest, these days, you can't expect too much from being a parent. Mr. and Mrs. Shen are just ordinary people.

It's already a blessing for a couple to be able to feed and clothe their child, let alone plan for the child's future, tutor the child, or care for the child's mental health.

In the Shen family, Shen Yue is truly different. It's as if he has undergone a genetic mutation; from a young age, he sets goals, plans for the future, and does things according to his own plans every day.

When Shen Yue is mentioned, who among his acquaintances wouldn't give him a thumbs up and say "good"?

It was through Shen Yue's actions that his parents realized that children could be raised in this way.

They began to make demands of Shen He in the same way that Shen Yue had done.

Other people's children can at least hide somewhere, but where can Shen He, as the younger brother, hide? It can be said that Shen He grew up in Shen Yue's shadow!

Why was he so popular as a child, with so many friends playing with him? It was all out of pity!

Shen He originally wanted the children to have a perfect childhood, to make up for his own regrets. But now it seems the children have too much energy, so let's keep them busy!

The term "herd effect" is frequently used in economics. It is what we often call the herd mentality.

Suddenly, every family had the exact same schedule. Parents poured all their energy into ensuring their children didn't fall behind. The surrounding children were immediately plunged into a cacophony of wailing and howling.

This scene is even more familiar!

When Shen Yan felt tired and wanted to relax, he found himself being elevated to a position he couldn't escape. Moreover, he was surrounded by eyes watching him from all sides.

Shen He said that he would have to repeat the same mistakes he made with his son.

Isn't this better than getting beaten up?