After dropping off Yu Xiangyang and Yue Rujuan, Feng Haidong took his son on the last bus back home.

On the way, the father and son were silent for a while.

Then it was Feng Haidong who broke the silence between the father and son.

"How's Feng Qifan's studies going lately?"

Hearing his father's question, Feng Qifan looked up at his father.

Seeing the smile on his father's face, Feng Qifan smiled too: "My grades are still the same. I can still maintain a perfect score of 100 in math and over 95 in Chinese."

Feng Haidong nodded and said, "Great, your son is much better than his father was back then."

Feng Qifan asked curiously, "Dad, didn't you say before that you always got perfect scores when you were in school?"

Feng Haidong chuckled and said, "Actually, all of that was just your dad lying to you. When I was in school, I first attended primary school in the provincial capital for two years, and then I transferred to a primary school in the town. With all that back and forth, how could my grades possibly be good?"

Feng Qifan was somewhat surprised: "Dad, were your grades bad back then?"

Feng Haidong said, "When Dad was in the provincial capital, his grades were okay. Later, he moved back to the town with your grandparents. At first, he had some trouble adjusting, and his grades started to drop. Then, he matured later than his classmates in the town's primary school, and his grades got even worse."

Feng Qifan asked, puzzled, "Dad, why did your grades get worse after you became more familiar with your classmates?"

Feng Haidong said, "Because I was familiar with my classmates, I started spending all my time going up the mountain to raid bird nests and catch rabbits, and going down to the river to fish for shrimp and fish. How could I concentrate on studying?"

Feng Qifan laughed upon hearing this: "Hahaha, so Dad was playful when he was a kid too?"

Feng Haidong said, "Yes, when I was a child, I was very playful. I would play with the kids in town and often play until very late before going home, and then I would get a good beating from your grandma."

Feng Qifan asked, "Dad, what about Grandpa? Doesn't Grandpa hit you?"

Feng Haidong said, "Grandpa rarely hit us. Neither your eldest uncle, eldest aunt, second aunt, third aunt, uncle, nor your father were ever hit by Grandpa. But Grandma hit us many times."

Feng Qifan thought for a moment and said, "Dad, this seems to be the same as me. I was also hit by Mom, but you have never hit me."

Feng Haidong said with a smile, "Mom hits you because you did something wrong. Dad doesn't hit you because Mom has already hit you, so Dad can't hit you back. Instead, he wants to reason with you, make you understand what you did wrong, and urge you not to do it again."

Feng Qifan nodded: "Yes, I know."

Feng Haidong then asked, "Do you practice your violin and calligraphy every day?"

Feng Qifan said, "I'm practicing. Now, Teacher Yan says my handwriting is already very good. Teacher Yan also said that I can start trying to practice penmanship."

Feng Haidong said, "Very good, son, you must practice your handwriting well. Look at how bad my handwriting is. You should learn from your mother and practice your handwriting to be very beautiful."

Upon hearing this, Feng Qifan couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Dad, why do you always say that you weren't good at school and that your handwriting wasn't good either? You used to tell me that you were really good."

Feng Haidong said with a smile, "Isn't Dad amazing? Dad opened a shop in the provincial capital, and the business is so good."

Feng Qifan said, "No, I mean, Dad, the way you talk about your childhood now is different from what you used to say."

Feng Haidong said, "Then Dad wants to apologize to you. In the past, in order to encourage you, Dad always exaggerated what Dad was like when he was a child. Actually, Dad was just like you when he was a child. He was very naughty and liked to play. He didn't like to study most of the time."

After saying all this, Feng Haidong earnestly admonished his son: "So Dad hopes you won't follow Dad's example, okay?"

Feng Qifan then asked, "Dad, if you didn't do well in school, did you have any strengths when you were little?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Haidong couldn't help but smile and gently pat his son's head.

"You brat, what? You still think your dad was really inferior to you when he was young?"

Putting everything else aside, Dad had a great voice when he was young, and from elementary to middle school, he was a key member of the arts and culture group. And wasn't Dad a good painter? He was responsible for creating all the bulletin boards at school. He even took the entrance exam for the provincial art school; if he hadn't underperformed, he might be a star there now.

After saying all this, Feng Haidong asked his son, "So? Do you still think you're better than your dad was when he was a kid?"

Feng Qifan said, "Dad, you were really amazing when you were little, but I will work hard to catch up with you."

Feng Haidong said, "Actually, you've already caught up with your dad, but I hope you won't be arrogant. You must work hard to maintain it and continue to be positive. Do you remember the promise you made with your dad?"

Feng Qifan immediately said, "I remember, Dad promised me that if I did well on my elementary school graduation exam, he would take me directly to the provincial capital for middle school."

Feng Haidong said, "That's right, so you need to work even harder. When you get to the provincial capital, you'll likely face more competitive classmates. They're all learning all sorts of things in the provincial capital and have excellent teachers there. If you don't work hard, you might fall behind."

Encouraged by his father, Feng Qifan said earnestly, "Dad, I will definitely work hard."

Feng Haidong said with satisfaction, "That's right. When you come to the provincial capital for middle school, let your mother bring your younger sister along. Dad will buy a house, and our family will live in the provincial capital. Your sister will also attend kindergarten in the provincial capital, and then go directly to primary school in the provincial capital."

Feng Qifan smiled and said, "Dad, then we should work hard together."

Feng Haidong said, "Yes, let's work together."

The father and son talked about quite a lot along the way.

Feng Haidong candidly told his son about some of his shortcomings when he was a child, while also telling his son about his strengths, constantly encouraging his son to work hard.

Having been given a second chance at life, Feng Haidong doesn't know if educating his son in this way can change his son's personality.

Could this change my son's life in the future?

But seeing the smile on his son's face and his increasingly confident demeanor, I was amazed.

Feng Haidong still hopes to see his son be as confident and lively as he is.

Feng Qifan was indeed greatly influenced by his father at this time. When his father talked about how he was not as good as him in many ways when he was a child, Feng Qifan did not become arrogant. Instead, he admired his father even more.

In Feng Qifan's heart, he felt that his father was an honest person and also a very hardworking person.

Even though Dad was playful when he was young, he wasn't as good at studying or writing as he is now.

But Dad kept trying. Even though Grandpa and Grandma didn't support him, he still borrowed money and came to the provincial capital alone to take the provincial art school exam.

As Feng Qifan listened to his father talk about these things, he admired his father very much and felt that his father was a very hardworking and ambitious person.

Therefore, as a son, Feng Qifan felt that he should take his father as an example and always strive to make progress.