CH 48

Did They Have an Accident? (Who Had an Accident?...)

Mr. Kang wasn't out of temper or upset.

Children who are upset just want attention and might resort to hunger strikes.

But Mr. Kang was different. He was an adult, and he just wanted to be alone for a while.

That's why he even scooped some mutton and radish soup and rice for himself to prove his maturity and that he wasn't throwing a tantrum.

Who would have thought that the milky white soup turned out to be spicy soup? Who could have imagined that?

Mr. Kang's eyes were tearing up from the spiciness. The young couple had already come in, and the big father was pouring milk for his child. Xia Sheng was standing by the side, feeling both distressed and amused. The little parrot was perched on her shoulder, tilted his head, and sang a song to the crying boss –

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star..."

Mr. Kang was so embarrassed that he couldn't even eat his meal. He took a few sips of milk that the big father handed him, and his mouth wasn't as spicy anymore. Then he hid under the blanket.

After hiding under the blanket, he found his nose was running, so he came out and grabbed a tissue to wipe away his tears and snot.

He was really pitiful.

"I'll take care of it," Yue Qin said to his wife.

Xia Sheng nodded. She really wasn't good at handling this kind of thing. When she was a child, she was beaten for such things.

Fortunately, Yue Qin was good at it.

In the room, only the big father was left to clean up the mutton and radish dish that the child had only taken two bites of. He took out the spicy soup and brought a new bowl of non-spicy soup back.

"Do you want to talk?" he asked quietly.

The child shrank inside, but didn't refuse to chat.

"Is it because Little Parrot Teacher has perfect pitch?" Yue Qin asked softly.

He had actually heard the child sing a few words just now.

"Others have it, but I don't. It really makes me uncomfortable."

The child turned over and said, "Who would be upset about something they've never had before?"

"You're quite philosophical for someone so young," Yue Qin said, "When I was young, I didn't have your level of understanding. There was a kid in our neighborhood who had a children's bicycle…"

"What is there to envy about a bicycle?" The child pouted.

"When you grow up, you'll realize there's nothing to envy about perfect pitch," Yue Qin smiled.

As for President Kang, who was already grown up, he didn't envy anyone for having perfect pitch.

Speaking of bicycles, they actually shared the same childhood. There was a time when bicycles were very popular in China.

He had also seen a group of boys riding bicycles around, but he didn't envy them at all because there was a row of bicycles piled up in his house. It's just that... he never rode one.

In most cases, other kids learn to ride a bicycle with their dad or mom helping to maintain balance by holding on to the back.

Looking at the child's expression, Yue Qin could tell he was clearly upset. This was perfectly normal though, as psychologists have said that children at this age are in a stage of narcissism where they believe they are the center of the universe and the best child in the world, surpassing all others.

Suddenly discovering that someone else has perfect pitch while they do not can be a huge blow to a child's confidence.

But this is also the first step in building relationships with others and the world. Only by taking this step, recognizing and accepting the existence of others, will they realize that other people in the world are just as important as they are, and that others also deserve to have some talents.

"You don't have perfect pitch, but would you like dad to give you something else?"

At seven o'clock the next morning, Mr. Kang was promptly lifted out of bed by his father and presented with a gift –

A small bicycle.

"I don't want it," Mr. Kang shook his head.

He still remembered the first time he rode a bicycle and fell off, causing him to tear the bicycle apart in frustration.

In the end, he was so angry that even the asphalt on the road was changed.

Child's bicycle was short and different from the big bicycle he rode, but he still didn't want it.

"Give it a try," Yue Qin picked up the fully armed child and put him on the seat.

"Didn't you say to respect everyone's choices?" the child shouted.

"Dear child, as parents, we not only respect your decisions but also push you to do things that you may not necessarily want to do," said Yue Qin confidently.

"Otherwise, according to your preferences, you would never have tried rice balls, sukiyaki, or mutton…"

"Let's try it first. If you really can't learn it or really don't like it, we won't do it anymore." Yue Qin said, "My child cannot give up without trying."

Yue Qin held the small bicycle steady.

At first, the bicycle was stable, and Mr. Kang felt somewhat at ease while riding it. But soon, the person behind him let go, Mr. Kang panicked –

"Daddy! Daddy!"

"Don't be afraid, pedal harder. If you fall, Daddy can pull you up in advance."

However, this did not comfort him at all. The child went straight into the nearby shrubbery.

Just as he was about to go in, a big hand pulled him back.

After going back and forth a few times, Mr. Kang suddenly realized that his father could always pull him back every time he was about to fall. So, the further they went, the more courageous he became, and the more relaxed his body was, and he was able to balance.

The last time he rode out, several people were watching, "This kid has good balance!"

"Awesome, I'm so old, and I still can't ride a bicycle, and this little kid can already do it."

Mr. Kang rode the bicycle with a blissful feeling, as it was the first time he had overcome a great difficulty.

When he rode up to his big, burly father, he said, "Now you have a skill that others don't, I still don't know how to ride a bicycle."

Mr. Kang was a little overwhelmed, "You don't even know how to ride, and you're teaching me?"

"Just mastered the theory, it's not that hard," said his father.

Mr. Kang sighed inwardly. Every time he thought he understood his big, burly father and violent mother, they would always find a way to surprise him.

It made him realize that people have many facets.

When they returned, the little parrot finally woke up.

Mr. Kang looked at the parrot with some guilt and whispered, "I'll teach you how to ride a bicycle in the future."

"Boss?" The little parrot didn't quite understand what the boss was talking about.

The parrot had been happy these past few days. His parents hadn't recognized him, so he didn't have to worry about going to elementary, middle, or high school.

He used to be a bird that couldn't speak or sing with his mother, and he couldn't even fly.

But now he could talk and sing with her and even perform high-flying tricks.

Mr. Kang saw the parrot, who didn't understand anything, and thought it was the perfect picture of a capitalist's ideal worker.

But even though he was a heartless capitalist, he wouldn't steal a child's parents.

The next day at school, Teacher Liu approached Kangkang early in the morning and said, "Kangkang, it seemed like you were looking forward to the rehearsal for the art show last week. We're starting this week."

Basically, all the children in the class were going to participate.

Of course, there wouldn't be any rankings, just performing different acts. Their class was going to perform "Spring is Here", which had trees, flowers, and even little bees.

"I don't want to play a flower," said Mr. Kang.

Teacher Liu wasn't surprised at all. Mr. Kang was different from the other boys in the class. When the other boys found out they had to play a flower, they didn't react much.

It was because they hadn't formed a fixed mindset yet.

Boys were trees and little bees, and girls were flowers. It was embarrassing for boys to play girls.

Teacher Liu thought this was unnecessary and had everyone draw their own roles. Whatever they drew, they would play. Girls could play trees, and boys could play flowers.

"We agreed that we play whatever role we draw," said Teacher Liu with great enthusiasm. As a teacher, she couldn't be convinced by a child.

"People should have a rebellious spirit," the child said. "Don't you want to cultivate us to be people who dare to protect our own interests?"

"But this time, Teacher has to play the evil role. This way, you'll understand that it's okay if your occasional resistance isn't successful," Teacher Liu said.

Mr. Kang couldn't help but lean in a little closer and said, "Let's make a deal."

"You help me change my role to the tree or the little bee. Then I can--"

The child lowered his voice, whispering like a devil, "Help you ask the principal for a raise."

Ms. Liu's eyes widened in disbelief. This kid...

Thirty minutes later, Mr. Kang was still playing a flower with the other kids.

Mr. Kang recited his lines with a blank expression, even stretching his arms out for a lazy yawn–

"The flowers are all awakening–"

The other teachers chuckled at the scene.

Mr. Kang stood on the stage, feeling that there was nothing more miserable in the world than this.

When school ended in the afternoon, Ms. Liu suddenly walked over.

"Kangkang, would you like to come over to my place with Teacher Little Parrot today?"

Mr. Kang took a step back, looking at his kindergarten teacher. "My dad said that little boys also need to learn to protect themselves outside and can't go to strangers' homes."

Mr. Kang had been joking, but he found that his kindergarten teacher didn't laugh and didn't look at him with that expression that used to want to hit him but couldn't.

Ms. Liu looked at him with a pitying gaze, the kind of –

The gaze that said, this child has no idea what a tragic thing has happened to him.

He had experienced this kind of gaze too many times.

"Such a young child, what use is money? Both parents are gone."

"Alas, it's so pitiful."

"I heard there's a big bunch of relatives too, who knows who will inherit the family property."

The child's hands trembled, and his voice shook as he looked at Ms. Liu in front of him and asked, "Did either Yue Qin or Xia Sheng have an accident? Or did they both have an accident together?"