Chapter 037: Attending the Parent-Teacher Meeting as a Substitute

This story is entirely fictional.

Dujuan finished her work and returned home early. As she prepared some appetizers for dinner, she watched television.

Chi Zhaoming came home from work, set down a few dishes he’d brought from Mingyue’s house, changed into his cooking clothes, and tied on an apron. He took a small stool, sat beside Dujuan, and helped her pick vegetables.

Dujuan stood up, stretched languidly, and sighed deeply. “You take care of it. My back hurts terribly!”

“If your back hurts, just rest. Let me handle these things,” Zhaoming said with concern. “Do you have any free time this week? If so, let’s go together to check out Yongli’s new apartments.” Dujuan looked at Zhaoming.

As soon as Zhaoming heard about house hunting, he quickly replied, “I’ve got time, definitely.”

Just then, Xiyu came home, carrying his backpack.

Seeing his son home early, Zhaoming was surprised. He got up and asked, “You usually don’t get out of school until after eight. Why are you home so early today?”

“There was a parent-teacher meeting at school today, so we were dismissed early,” Xiyu answered.

“When was the meeting? Neither your mother nor I went. Why didn’t you tell us in advance?” Zhaoming was puzzled.

“Yesterday, Uncle Zhezhe came to school on official business to investigate a murder case. I heard the victim once attended our elementary school. At noon, while I was playing soccer at school, Uncle Zhezhe saw me. When I mentioned I had to notify my parents about the meeting, he told me not to. He’s been at our school these past two days, and today he went in your place to attend the meeting.”

“You really know how to seize opportunities. Are your grades slipping and you didn’t want us to find out? I’m going to ask Uncle Zhezhe about this!” Zhaoming teased.

“You can call Uncle Zhezhe. I can’t fool you about this.” As he spoke, Xiyu connected Zhezhe’s phone.

As soon as the parent-teacher meeting ended and Wu Zhengzhe stepped out of the classroom, he saw Xiyu’s call. He answered immediately, and Xiyu’s voice came through: “Uncle Zhezhe, my parents don’t believe me, so they want to ask you.”

Xiyu handed the phone to Zhaoming. Taking the phone, Zhaoming said, “Zhengzhe, it’s Zhaoming. I heard you attended Xiyu’s parent-teacher meeting for us. I thought maybe Xiyu’s grades had dropped and he didn’t want us to come. Thanks!”

“No need for thanks between brothers! I was really happy today. For the first time, I played the part of a parent and absolutely stole the show!” Wu Zhengzhe’s voice boomed with excitement.

“How did you steal the show? Was it good or bad? Tell me,” Zhaoming asked anxiously.

“Xiyu really made me proud today—his grades have jumped into the top fifty in the grade and top ten in his class. The teacher couldn’t stop praising him, and he even won the Most Improved Award. The teacher said that with grades like these, he should have no problem getting into a top high school next year. But I also ended up making a bit of a fool of myself,” Wu Zhengzhe said with a hint of regret.

“What happened? Was it embarrassing?” Zhaoming asked, while Dujuan leaned in to listen.

“Some parents saw Xiyu’s grades shoot up and asked me for advice—insisted I share my experience. I was forced up onto the stage, but once there, I didn’t know what to say. I felt so awkward! Even in front of a thousand people, I’ve never felt as nervous as today—stammering and embarrassed,” Wu Zhengzhe replied.

“In the end, I just said I was Xiyu’s uncle, but I couldn’t admit I didn’t know him well. So I managed to say a few words,” he added.

“What did you say? Tell us,” Dujuan interjected.

“I said, honestly, I’m not as experienced as the other parents. All I know is that Xiyu has grown up in a relaxed environment. No matter whether his grades go up or down, we never blame him. Our guiding principle is not to put pressure or burden on him. Unlike other families where kids run from one cram school to another, always buried in study—grades improve, but their health collapses, their glasses get thicker, their backs hunch, their eyes become confused, their minds muddled, and worst of all, they lose their spiritual backbone. These things worry us most. I said, children are at an age when their bodies are growing and learning how to be a person—this is more important than anything,” Wu Zhengzhe spoke passionately.

Zhaoming and Dujuan exchanged glances, their brows furrowed. “Who would’ve thought Wu Zhengzhe would make such a good parent? From now on, let’s have you attend the meetings as uncle. You can teach those parents who keep piling pressure on their kids a thing or two. Enough talk—I’m going to prepare some good dishes for drinks. If you’re free, come over for a few.”

“I still have work at the station, so I won’t make it,” Zhengzhe said, then hung up.

Zhaoming put down Wu Zhengzhe’s phone and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jin was at home, engrossed in watching an E-League football match. He shouted loudly at times, then slumped in disappointment, occasionally cursing, “Damn, what a lousy shot!”

In the kitchen, Jin Yan was cooking. When she brought the dishes to the table, she went to the living room to call Xiao Jin for dinner, muttering, “All you care about is that stupid football—our daughter is about to take her college entrance exams and you don’t care at all. She’s not home yet. This year, everyone else’s kids are heading for Peking and Tsinghua, while yours can’t even get into a vocational school. How will you face people?”

“Wasn’t our daughter’s grades always good? With her abilities, getting into a top-tier university shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, even if she doesn’t get in, it’s not a big deal for us. With my earning ability, you don’t need to nag me about it. What do you know about football anyway?”

Jin Yan retorted, “I may not know football, but I know you’re obsessed with it. Can football put food on the table? Can it get our daughter back into the top ten? At the last parent-teacher meeting, which I attended, the teacher asked me to share parenting tips as always. But do you know where your daughter’s grades ranked? Two hundred and fifty. With those grades, she’d be lucky to get into a fourth-tier vocational school.”

Hearing this, Xiao Jin leapt from the sofa. “What? Two hundred and fifty? That’s it, it’s over. I used to brag to colleagues about how well my daughter was doing, and now her ranking is a joke. I’ve noticed she’s been acting strange lately—is it you who made her rebellious, wife?”

“Her grades dropped and you don’t reflect on yourself. You immediately blame me for making her rebellious. Why don’t you consider your obsession with football as the problem?” Jin Yan countered.

“Today, I attended the parent-teacher meeting, but the teacher didn’t ask me to speak this time—because Xiao Yi’s grades have dropped significantly. You don’t know how embarrassed I was.”

“It’s not your face that she lost, it’s your own. Always wanting to show off in front of others—look at the result,” Xiao Jin said.

“Besides, her grades slipping isn’t mostly my fault. Sure, I love football, but it’s never affected her studies. When you weren’t home the other day, she was concerned about me, asking about our relationship. I told her we were doing well, but her tone was odd. I can’t say what’s strange, but it feels like the cause isn’t me—maybe it’s some outside factor, or maybe you’re putting too much pressure on her?” Xiao Jin argued back.

“I give her pressure, otherwise how could she stay in the top ten? Without pressure, how could I always have experience to share at meetings? Without pressure, how could you be carefree all year round?” Jin Yan was proud of her strict parenting.

“Hmph, what a laugh. Do you know how many times our daughter has cried in front of me? Sure, you gained face from your speeches at meetings, but do you know what her classmates say about you? They call her ‘Experience Mom,’ and no one wants to be friends with her. Do you think her past three years have been easy? All that talk about carefree life, Tsinghua, Peking—those are just your wishful thinking. Our daughter simply wants to live happily, quietly, without the burden of top rankings. The pressure you give her is too much. She’s told me more than once she wants to leave this home, wants to grow up healthy and happy like other kids without academic burdens. As her mother, you understand her less than I do, care for her less. You’re always forbidding this or demanding that, but you don’t realize how harsh you are. All you give her is burden. You need to wake up, wife.” Xiao Jin shook his head, firing questions rapidly, as if releasing everything he’d kept inside.

Jin Yan had never seen her husband so confrontational. When it came to their daughter’s education, she’d never let him worry. Unexpectedly, their daughter had confided in him multiple times, while she remained oblivious.

Still feeling smug, Jin Yan suddenly realized after Xiao Jin’s words that she may have failed as a mother in her daughter’s education.

(Serial ongoing)