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Psst! We're moving!
1
During winter break, Xinbao traveled to Sanya and Guangzhou with us. In the first few days after school resumed, she was still struggling to adjust. She found going to school far less fun than traveling. She even fantasized about turning back time to the night before we left for Sanya. I told her, “Learning is a part of life. You should learn to love studying.”
I continued, “Being able to go to school is a blessing. When I was in college, I struggled to pay my tuition fees. To finish school, I worked as a tutor, wrote articles for magazines, and studied hard to earn scholarships.”
Xinbao asked, “Grandpa didn’t have money to send you to school?” That wasn’t quite the takeaway I expected, but I replied, “Grandpa had to support both your aunt and uncle’s education, so he couldn’t afford mine.”
“Back then, I was labeled a ‘poor student.’ Even after I became self-reliant and earned scholarships, article payments, and wages from part-time jobs, I still couldn’t afford good skincare products because people would think, ‘Poor students shouldn’t have such luxuries.’ So, I vowed to work hard and make enough money so that my child wouldn’t have to be a ‘poor student.’”
I thought Xinbao would be moved to tears, considering how hard I’d fought for her to attend school freely. Instead, she said, “I wish I were a poor student—then I wouldn’t have to go to school.”
“...” All my efforts to inspire her went down the drain. The chicken soup lecture was wasted!
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2
With the start of the new term looming, a mountain of homework still lay ahead for little Xinbao. Chronic procrastinator Lin Zhiyi remained unfazed, while I fretted endlessly, hurrying to help her finish her assignments.
Xinbao set herself three tasks. After completing two, she said, “Maybe I’ll read a book before finishing the last one?”
“No,” I urged, “Let’s power through and finish everything first. Have you heard the idiom ‘After hardship comes ease’? Once you’re done, you can do whatever you want!”
Xinbao didn’t respond. She hopped on her scooter for a bit, then came back to me and said, “Mom, have you heard the idiom ‘Balance work and rest’? Ancient people wanted kids to study without too much stress.”
“...” How clever! She was already using my own tactics against me.
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3
One evening, Xinbao asked, “Mom, why do I have to go to school?”
I replied, “Education can change a person’s destiny.”
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“For example,” I explained, “Your dad grew up in a small mountain village. Because of his education, he got into college and moved to the big city.”
“Oh…” Xinbao mused, “But I’m already in the big city. Besides, I think the mountain village sounds nice.”
“The key,” I continued, “is that because of his education, your dad became a man with vision. He met me, and together we had you—a lovely daughter.”
Lin Zhiyi chimed in, “So it seems I went to school just to meet you two.”
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4
One day, Xinbao scored double 100s on her tests at school. That evening, while Lin Zhiyi helped her with homework, she asked, “Dad, did you ever get 100 points on your exams when you were little?”
“Of course,” Lin Zhiyi replied proudly. “I was the class monitor.”
“How many times did you get 100 points?”
“Many times!”
“And how many certificates did you win?”
“I won enough certificates to fill an entire wall.” Lin Zhiyi’s tone brimmed with pride as he reminisced about his achievements.
“Oh…” Xinbao nodded thoughtfully. “So you only won one certificate called ‘An Entire Wall’? That’s fewer than me—I’ve won several ‘First Prize’ certificates!”
Both Lin Zhiyi and I burst into laughter. What Lin Zhiyi meant was that his certificates covered an entire wall, but Xinbao interpreted it as a single certificate titled “An Entire Wall.”
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5
While reading Here and Now by Lung Ying-tai, I came across a sentence that deeply resonated with me: “The only thing I can give in this life is companionship—and it must happen now, because life waits for no one.”
Xinbao was lounging on the couch, engrossed in her phone. I pointed to the line and said, “Look, companionship is the most important thing. Will you keep me company?”
“Sure!” she agreed enthusiastically. I felt a wave of relief.
Then she added, “I’ll keep you company when you’re old.”
“...” I sighed inwardly.
Seeing my disappointment, she said, “What’s wrong? Didn’t Lung Ying-tai also say she’d only start keeping her mom company when she was old? Maybe you misunderstood the book.”
“...” My heart broke a little more.
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6
This week, Xinbao missed a day of school due to a cold. When she returned home after classes resumed, she said, “Every day in bed feels blissful; no matter who calls, I don’t want to get up. With toys at home, school fades from my mind.”
After hearing this, I laughed and asked, “Where did you hear that?”
“I made it up myself!” she declared proudly.
“Well, you certainly inherited your dad’s talent for impromptu poetry,” I teased.
Lin Zhiyi smirked, “That’s right! Words flow effortlessly from my lips.”
I could already foresee that I wouldn’t stand a chance against Xinbao in verbal sparring in the future.
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7
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our Spring Festival holiday was spent entirely at home. My daily routine revolved around taking care of Xinbao. During the day—
“Mom… come help me with my homework!”
“Mom… let’s draw together!”
“Mom… recite Tang poems with me!”
At night—
“Mom… come brush teeth and wash face with me.”
“...” I felt like I’d been reduced to a housekeeper.
“Mom” and “housemaid” might sound similar, but their meanings are worlds apart!
“Call her properly—she’s still my little girl,” Lin Zhiyi defended me.
“Alright… little Mom,” Xinbao compromised.
“...”
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8
One evening, Xinbao was sitting at the table doing her homework when, out of nowhere, she announced, “I want bubble tea!”
“It’s too late for bubble tea—it’s not healthy,” I said.
“No! I want it!” Xinbao insisted. “Dad, buy it for me!”
“Bubble tea isn’t nutritious. Drinking it often isn’t good for you,” Lin Zhiyi added.
“No! I want it! Buy it for me!” Xinbao pouted stubbornly.
When neither of us budged, she pulled out her ultimate weapon—lying down on the floor in protest.
Here we go again… I sighed. Wasn’t this the same trick I used as a child? The first time she tried it, I saw flashes of my younger self. Back then, whenever I argued with my parents, I’d lie on the floor until my father’s stern hand forced me to get up.
One day, while lying on the floor sulking in front of Grandma, I heard the familiar ring of my father’s bicycle bell signaling his return from work. I scrambled to my feet in lightning speed—but it was too late.
“Why were you lying on the floor earlier?” he asked.
“I was playing!” I fibbed.
It became a family joke for years.
Last time, I asked Xinbao, “Do you think lying on the floor is a good idea?”
“Yes! It’s very relaxing. I can communicate with heaven and earth,” she replied philosophically.
“...” Each generation surpasses the last—her reasoning was far more sophisticated than mine.
Now, her antics disrupted my ability to focus on reading.
I asserted my parental authority: “If you keep this up, I can’t stay in this house anymore.”
“Then leave!” Xinbao shot back without hesitation.
“...” Wasn’t I the homeowner here?
“You go to the room and read,” Lin Zhiyi intervened, sensing the tension escalate. “I’ll handle her.”
After some time, cheerful laughter drifted from the living room. I heard Xinbao exclaim, “This tastes great!”
Curious, I wondered how Lin Zhiyi had resolved the situation. Had he caved and bought her bubble tea?
When Lin Zhiyi entered the bedroom, he handed me a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. “Drink this. Vitamin C will help your cold.”
I gulped it down and asked, “Did you give her bubble tea?”
“Nope,” he grinned. “Just orange juice.”
“But she wanted bubble tea!”
“You didn’t see the real issue. Getting angry means you fell into her trap.”
“What?” I was confused.
“The essence of her demand wasn’t about bubble tea—it was about avoiding homework. If we gave in, we’d reinforce bad habits. If we argued, she’d have an excuse: ‘I’m upset, I won’t do my homework, and tomorrow morning, you’ll still have to tell me the answers before I leave for school!’”
“You’re brilliant!” Despite my cold-fogged brain, I marveled at his insight. “We see through it but don’t call it out.”
Lin Zhiyi smiled knowingly, the epitome of “No one knows our child better than us.” He took the empty glass and walked out.
“Dad, make mango juice for me this weekend!” Xinbao chirped, clearly having forgotten all about bubble tea.
I silently thanked the heavens for Lin Zhiyi’s high emotional intelligence. Without him, I’d surely lose every battle against this little monster.
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