The sudden wave of “involution” hit Deng Shangwei hard, leaving him bewildered.
Going from a fishmonger to a boss was already tough, and now, as a boss, he had to keep improving himself. Deng Shangwei was trying to adapt.
He hadn’t achieved much academically himself, and now he had to tutor his kids’ homework… Deng Shangwei felt so exhausted he wanted to give up. Qin Xianming gave him a stern lecture: “You think paying school fees and sending your kids to all sorts of tutoring classes means they’ll magically become top students?”
What else, then?
Deng Shangwei thought he’d already done plenty.
While many small-time bosses were out partying, Deng Shangwei had learned about “school district housing,” understanding the impact of a good living environment on kids. He’d bought a house in a high-end neighborhood.
When Deng Jie and Deng Hao asked for toy money, Deng Shangwei might say yes eight out of ten times. But if they wanted books, any kind, he’d hand over the cash without hesitation!
Qin Xianming used his own son and daughter as examples. Qin Yi studied in Shanghai, and Qin Jiao in Beijing, both at prestigious universities. Such kids weren’t raised just by spending money.
When Qin Yi and Qin Jiao were young, Qin Xianming’s wife closely supervised their studies until they finished junior high. Only then did she loosen the reins.
By then, good study habits were formed, and Mrs. Qin could focus on the big picture without micromanaging. Deng Shangwei met Qin Xianming during this phase, secretly copying their parenting methods—but he only saw the later half, missing the earlier years of effort!
Without years of persistent care, the Qin siblings’ “easy” success at top schools wouldn’t have happened.
“Ease” is what outsiders see; they don’t see the parents’ sacrifices behind it.
Sure, there are kids like Xie Qian, with exceptional IQs, casually acing exams without seeming to need parental effort.
But how many are like Xie Qian?
Most kids have average intelligence!
For ordinary kids, the first half of life’s race depends on their parents.
It’s not about wealth or status but the effort parents put into raising them. Like farmers tending fields, carefully cultivated land might suffer from natural disasters, but that’s rare. Neglected fields, however, are almost guaranteed to yield poorly!
Qin Xianming said bluntly, “Even Xie Qian, I bet, was strictly disciplined as a child. Early impressions shape a person for life. His overall qualities are high; you can tell his family background isn’t ordinary, right?”
High IQ, if not nurtured, can waste talent—let alone for kids with average intelligence.
Realizing he’d only scratched the surface and taken it as gospel, Deng Shangwei felt ashamed. “Brother Qin, I was so superficial, thinking I was clever!”
Qin Xianming thought Deng Shangwei was already quite smart. True “fake smarts” are stubbornly refusing to admit mistakes.
After their talk, Deng Shangwei resolved to take on tutoring his sons.
Didn’t know how to solve problems or forgot textbook knowledge?
No problem, he’d learn from scratch!
He hadn’t lost money in business, so he refused to believe he couldn’t handle primary school math word problems!
Deng Shangwei didn’t want to be so intense, but with Chen Li splitting tutoring duties, he feared that at term’s end, if Deng Jie, whom he tutored, lagged too far behind, Chen Li wouldn’t let him off… Another person with shaky family status was Wen Dongrong.
Living in the same neighborhood, the brothers-in-law were close, and Wen Dongrong knew all about Deng Shangwei’s moves.
Deng Shangwei’s actions had dragged Wen Dongrong into the fray.
Wen Dongrong didn’t need to tutor Wen Ying anymore, but he had his own exams!
In a blink, last year’s failed exam was approaching again. The first attempt was full of confidence; the second was nerve-wracking.
If he failed again this year, he’d have no status at home!
The two brothers-in-law studied together, sighing in unison.
When studying got tough, Wen Dongrong could only find some pride with Old Li, who saw him as a clear life winner and had fully embraced a “lying flat” mindset.
But Old Li’s submission didn’t bring Wen Dongrong much joy.
Competitors need to be evenly matched to make it fun. When the gap is too wide, and Old Li was thoroughly outclassed, it got boring after a couple of times!
Wen Dongrong sought new thrills in life.
He didn’t expect the thrill to come so fast!
On Saturday, Chen Ru invited Song Shao to dinner. The Wen family arrived early at the chosen restaurant, while Song Shao and Song Foxiang arrived later.
Song Foxiang still had shoulder-length hair, wearing white, exuding a middle-aged literary vibe.
Song Shao wore a beige hoodie, a refined young man with excellent presence.
Attending with his nephew, Song Foxiang seemed quite subdued.
He had to be. Song Foxiang wanted to ask Wen Ying about mastering the bestseller market, hoping to ensure his daughter Song Chan could study abroad worry-free. The poet was ready to humble himself for a living—when seeking help, you need the right attitude. Song Foxiang was carefree, not foolish.
Chen Ru had met Song Foxiang when Wen Ying went to Shanghai for the New Concept Essay Contest finals.
Song Foxiang remembered Chen Ru well.
This was a woman whose words could be a bit sharp; best keep some distance.
His first impression of Wen Dongrong was decent. The man had presence, but once Wen Dongrong spoke, his bureaucratic tone hit Song Foxiang like a suffocating wave.
Song Foxiang couldn’t fathom how Wen Ying, with a banker mother and a government worker father, neither showing literary flair, had developed her writing talent.
Wen Ying and Song Shao chatted a lot, with Chen Ru joining in. Chen Ru genuinely liked Song Shao, finding him calm and reliable, a trustworthy young man.
While talking with Song Shao, Wen Ying kept an eye on Song Foxiang.
The poet was truly well-behaved tonight, and Wen Ying nodded in approval.
Wen Dongrong and Song Foxiang, two middle-aged men, made small talk. Wen Dongrong played the doting father, asking about Wen Ying’s serialized novel.
“*Searching for Yong* is very popular with readers. Barring surprises, it’ll be another blockbuster bestseller.”
*Searching for Yong* had been serialized in *Spark* for several issues. Wen Ying had laid out the Nine Cauldrons series’ backdrop, with the story hitting thrilling peaks. Unlike *Teen Idol* or *Starry River and You*, it had overcome early skepticism and was now in a reader acclaim boom.
One hit book might be luck; three hits were pure skill.
This was why Song Foxiang was willing to humble himself to consult Wen Ying.
As the topic reached this point, Song Foxiang seized the chance to ask, “I’ve always been curious—how did you nurture Wen Ying’s creativity?”
Song Foxiang was low-key today, flattering Wen Dongrong, who got a bit smug. “We didn’t overly push her. I think it’s mostly genetics. When I was young, I loved writing too, a true literature enthusiast!”
Genetics?!
Song Foxiang sat up straight.
If it’s about genetics, his own writing talent should have passed more to Song Chan!
This bureaucratic old fox claiming to be a literature enthusiast felt like a massive insult to Song Foxiang. “Oh, Brother Wen loves literature too? We’re kindred spirits, then. Speaking of genetics, I’m a bit puzzled. I always hoped my daughter would inherit my writing ability, but her writing’s average. Her studies, though, are great—she just got accepted to Yale this year… Sigh, I’d rather her grades were average so we wouldn’t be separated across countries!”
The word “Yale” instantly struck a nerve with Wen Dongrong. Even Chen Ru turned her gaze to Song Foxiang.
Chen Ru’s eyes gleamed. “Editor Song, you’re saying Song Chan got into Yale? May I ask what exactly she did?”
Oh no.
Wen Ying groaned inwardly.
Song Shao felt a headache coming.
Before Song Shao could tug Song Foxiang’s sleeve, the poet flicked his hair. “Oh, nothing much, just applied casually and got accepted by Yale!”
Chen Ru found the words oddly familiar.
Wen Dongrong’s face grew stern.
This Song Foxiang had stolen his thunder, taken the spotlight he meant to claim. What was he supposed to do now?!
