CH 37

Can't Raise Two Children (The Parrot Teacher from Kindergarten...)

Teacher Liu originally left her position for the parrot teacher to provide the children with another outlet for their grievances, aside from just their teachers and parents.

She also wanted to teach the children the importance of respecting animals and life.

However, it seemed like one of her students, Kangkang, had taken things a bit too far.

At first, Kangkang, like a boss making an inspection, approached Ms. Liu in the teachers' lounge.

"Teacher Liu, your painting is pretty good," Kangkang complimented.

The child spoke with an artistic flair, always starting with a compliment to establish a connection.

"This painting is of Little Parrot. Today, I will teach you all how to paint a parrot, and you can even paint it so nicely," Ms. Liu replied.

The child nodded and had a serious look on his face, as if he had come to negotiate an important matter. Ms. Liu couldn't believe her eyes. How could she see this kind of expression on a child's face?

Kangkang then said, "Teacher Liu, the thing is, I talked to Mr. Parrot today and found out that the school isn't giving him the treatment he deserves as a teacher."

Ms. Liu wasn't surprised, perhaps because the child had come in with a negotiating expression.

Ms. Liu managed to negotiate with Kangkang for over ten minutes through her abilities. In the end, he successfully traded an apple for three apples and half a catty of peanuts.

As Kangkang was about to left the teacher's lounge, Ms. Liu, who had listened to the entire conversation, was somewhat amazed, "This kid, his parents must run a business?"

"No, his parents are both gentle young people," replied a nearby teacher.

Ms. Liu thought that was the end of it.

But Kangkang continued, "Teacher, the studio of Mr. Parrot should be changed to a better environment that's more conducive to Mr. Parrot listening to the children."

"Teacher, Mr. Parrot should have a dedicated water cup, because if he talks too much, he needs to drink water."

"Teacher, Mr. Parrot should also have a duty time, and shouldn't stay in the classroom all day, which can easily affect his mental health," Kangkang added.

Ms. Liu thought to herself, "I wish someone would care about my mental health too."

Kangkang praised her, "Teacher, your mental health is great. You're the best teacher I've ever met."

Ms. Liu was stunned for a moment and immediately said, "The water cup, right? I'll get two water cups for him tomorrow."

And so, President Kang secured the perfect office conditions for the working parrot.

The brand new wooden perch came with a small bed on top, providing a cozy spot for rest, and a water cup was added.

The new teacher, the parrot, was much better than the previous Teacher Peppa, as there was interaction this time. In fact, the Teacher Parrot didn't have to do anything, just listen to the children talk.

Many of life's problems can be solved just by talking about them, without needing someone else's advice.

Even young human children have already discovered this truth.

"Alright, kids, when you go home, tell your parents all about the Little Parrot Teacher," said Teacher Liu as class came to an end.

In fact, other parents had already asked about it. After all, the children were a bit curious about the new toys. They would surely tell the story when they got home, let alone a beautiful talking parrot.

So Teacher Liu's WeChat was basically filled with questions from the parents —

"Is it a real parrot?"

The only parents who hadn't reached out were Kangkang's, and Teacher Liu felt that Kangkang was too restrained, so she encouraged him.

Introduce your parrot teacher to your parents?

As a kindergarten student, Kang was anything but ordinary. He rarely mentioned his parents at school like other kids and never brought up anything about school when he got home.

Except, of course, when he needed someone to take the fall for him at the kindergarten.

Holding his mom's hand in one hand and his dad's in the other, Kang suddenly heard the fluttering of wings. He looked up to see his kindergarten teacher, little parrot, flying out of the school and landing on the nearby tree.

The little parrot stood on the tree, his eyes fixed on mom and dad.

Now they have a smart child. They no longer need to send him to a special school.

A young owl who had just learned to fly stood nearby. The young owl and little eagle were hatched from eggs bought from the black market, and when the little parrot met them, they couldn't fly and were kept in a cage by their owner.

The little parrot knew how painful it was for a bird that couldn't fly. After all, he used to be a bird who couldn't fly or speak.

So he taught the owl and the eagle how to spread their wings and speak.

Although their language was limited to soft cooing sounds, the Little Parrot understood them perfectly.

"Why don't you go back to your parents?" the little owl asked.

"They can't afford to raise two children," the parrot chirped in response.

My grandparents told Dad and Mom a long time ago —

"Take a look at the situation, you should have another child."

"In the future, the two children can take care of each other, otherwise, what will you do when you're old?"

Dad and Mom said many times, "Raising one child is enough, we've saved money and he'll always be with us."

"We can't afford another child."

"Raising one child is enough, we really can't afford two."

Dad and Mom could only raise one child. They couldn't afford two.

"Mom, why are you guys starting to pressure us for a second child again?" Yue Qin complained, speaking to the person on the other side of the video call at night.

Ever since the second-child policy was introduced, relatives have been having second children all the time. Today, it must be someone else's relative who had a second child, celebrated a little and got his mom excited, so she called him for a video call at night.

"Look at Kangkang’s condition, it's good now. Don't you have time and energy now? Why not have another one? In the future, if there are two brothers or two siblings, they'll have someone to rely on." On the computer screen, Kangkang's grandmother, a gentle woman, said, "In the future, they will grow up together, playing and causing trouble, and they'll know how to get along with peers of their age. Plus, the pressure of old age won't be too much."

"Kangkang, do you want a younger brother or sister?" The grandfather next to her asked.

Kang replied, "No, I don't want one." He wanted to go back. When the real Kangkang comes back, he'll find that his parents gave half of it to someone else.

The grandmother said, "If you have a younger brother or sister, they'll look up to you, learn from you, and tell everyone that their elder brother is the coolest. Don't you want to have a younger sibling who says that every day?"

"There's also a possibility of having a younger brother or sister who would compete with me for things, like toys, computers..." Compete for the company, compete for resources.

No capitalist wants a younger brother or sister!

President Kang, the master of persuasion, said, "A child is like a young seedling. The love and resources from the parents are like water. We haven't even watered this seedling enough, and we want to plant another one? Be careful, both trees will grow crooked."

The grandmother on the other side was speechless, and the grandfather couldn't help but say, "This analogy is good. Who taught you that?"

"One of my kindergarten classmates said it."

Despite this, Kang still couldn't share the story of his kindergarten teacher, the little parrot, with his parents before bed. It was as if... as if by sharing it with them, he would become one of the little kids in the kindergarten.

After taking a shower, Yue Qin saw Xia Sheng sitting on the balcony, drinking rice wine.

Yue Qin thought it was because of the recent second child discussion, so he said, "I am not ready for another child."

In the past, parents always encouraged having another child, so that the second child could take care of the first if there were any problems.

The young couple could not bear it. They could not bear the fact that the reason for having a second child was because the first had a disability, and they could not bear the responsibility of the second child having to take care of the first.

They also didn't want to burden their son, Kangkang. Having another child would require even more of their energy and attention, since the second child would be younger.

So they had long ago rejected the idea.

"That's just how their generation is, always hoping for two more children."

Xia Sheng turned around and hugged Yue Qin, "It's not because your mom feels uncomfortable, but because my mom called me today."

"Ah?" Yue Qin was a little puzzled: "Why did she suddenly call you?"

Yue Qin knew how much his wife hated her mother, so he rarely mentioned her.

"She said my grandmother had become senile in old age and asked if I wanted to go see her," replied Xia Sheng.

"If you don't want to go, then don't go. It's okay," Yue Qin said.

Xia Sheng sighed: "My grandmother has four daughters, and every daughter has given birth to daughters."

This was also why Xia Sheng felt that she would definitely give birth to a daughter.

"My mother says that my grandmother still has her senses and wants to see her great-grandson." Xia Sheng said with a hint of frustration. "She's asked me not to be so stubborn and to fulfill my grandmother's final wish. But when I was born, she didn't even bother to come and see me because I was a girl. Instead, she focused on teaching my mom how to have a son." Xia Sheng couldn't express the feeling of irony and discomfort.

She was not important, but having a son made her valuable.

Yue Qin thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we give our baby two small pigtails and a hairpin?"

Xia Sheng was originally angry and upset, but she was amused by her husband: "Don't! what I'm most afraid of right now is that our child will think I don't respect his gender."

"Don't think like that. It's normal for a little boy to have braided hair. My mother braided my hair when I was a kid too. Lucky for me, I was fast enough that day, otherwise you would have seen a picture of me in a skirt, just because they were playing a prank. I didn't feel that they disrespected my gender."

Xia Sheng chuckled, then sighed: "I don't know if I'm too sensitive. I had a fight with my mother, and she accused me of being too sensitive. The old lady just wanted to see her great-grandson, and this makes me seem petty."

Yue Qin embraced his wife and spoke softly, "You shouldn't let others push you around so easily. Next time your mother calls, I'll handle it. I'll tell her that the baby can go see her, but he has to braid his hair and wear a skirt."

Kang, who had only gotten up to use the bathroom, ended up hearing the last sentence.

What a great dad!

Then, he felt like he could use a drink too.

The way the characters interact with each other and their relationships were so real and genuine, it was both stunning and emotional. The chapter delves into complex themes that are both deeply impactful and thought-provoking, leaving me with a lot to reflect on.

What was your favorite part of this chapter? Did it make you laugh or remind you of your own family drama? Share your thoughts!

Please note that in the previous chapter, there was an error in the translation. "old eagle" was used to describe one of the characters, however, the correct reference should be "little eagle." We apologize for any confusion this may have caused and have corrected this mistake.