Chapter 114 Home Visit: We Will Adjust Our Educational Methods
Seeing the bitter smile on her mentor's face, Jiang Ling put down her pen, looked up at Professor Ying Xuanji, and her eyes shone with unwavering determination: "Professor, although it's difficult, we must give it a try. Categorized processing, multi-party collaboration, and crime prevention—this is a path that, while somewhat idealistic, is absolutely correct."
Looking at the sense of responsibility in her disciple's eyes that was beyond his years, Ying Xuanji felt both gratified and a little heartbroken.
—This child will only turn 23 this November, an age when youth should be vibrant and love should be enjoyed, yet he has the heart of a bodhisattva to save the world and is working hard and suffering for his ideals.
She gently patted Jiang Ling's hand, her gaze deep: "To convince others, especially to move criminal police officers who are used to the 'arrest' mentality, theoretical analysis alone is not enough. We need to do our work in depth and thoroughly. Let's go! Let's go and see where the root of these children's crimes lies."
Over the next two days, accompanied by police officers arranged by Captain Zhao Gang, Ying Xuanji and Jiang Ling began an intensive series of home visits.
Chen Dong's father, the workshop director who only cared about his child's grades, never his mental well-being, and who would readily "educate" his child with a whip, still maintained a stern face and spoke harshly to the professor and the police: "Spare the rod and spoil the child. This kid just needs to be taught a lesson! Officer, sentence him however you should. Let him suffer a bit and he'll behave."
Although Chen's mother felt sorry for him, she was used to obeying him and sat aside silently shedding tears, not daring to utter a sound.
Jiang Ling produced the "Chen Dong Individual Crime Risk Assessment Report," which she had completed overnight. It clearly marked core risk factors such as "high-pressure authoritarian family environment," "long-term emotional neglect," and "accumulated anger and frustration," and included excerpts of Chen Dong's descriptions of his father's belt and his mother's crying during the interrogation.
Jiang Ling said calmly, “Mr. Chen, Chen Dong’s behavior has violated the law and he must bear the responsibility. However, this report shows that his anger and loss of control are directly related to the long-term communication style and emotional lack in his family. Punishment is necessary, but if the family atmosphere does not change, Chen Dong will lose his life goals after being released from the juvenile detention center and may commit crimes again, or even escalate his behavior and ultimately ruin his life. We hope you can take a look at this, for the sake of the child and for the sake of this family.”
Mr. Chen stared at the few paragraphs highlighted in red on the report.
—All he saw were the machines in the factory and my report card.
—Stir-fried shredded pork with a belt is a common dish.
—In his eyes, nothing I do is right, and nothing I do is good enough.
—My mom? All she does is cry.
—The old man in the park came out and yelled at me, just like my dad yells at me, and I couldn't control myself.
The words, written in red ink, pierced Chen's father's heart like needles. His lips moved, but for the first time he did not refute them. He simply sighed heavily and looked at his weeping wife with a complicated expression.
After a long silence, Mr. Chen said, “I only have one son. It’s hard for me to accept that he broke the law. I suffered because I was uneducated, and I just wanted him to study hard, go to university, and become a government official so that he wouldn’t end up like his mother and me, who were good for nothing. But this child is naturally rebellious and has a lot of ideas. He won’t amount to anything without being disciplined. I didn’t know… I didn’t know he harbored so much resentment towards us.”
As he spoke, Mr. Chen's throat tightened, and he raised his hand to cover his face, trying hard to control his emotions.
Looking at the distressed Mr. Chen, Jiang Ling said softly, "I understand that you are both first-time parents and lack experience. Children have different personalities, and you can't completely educate them according to old experiences. Chen Dong is a sensitive child and is particularly sensitive to emotions. You need to get rid of your irritable and easily angered habits and your tendency to hit people."
Jiang Ling turned to look at Chen's mother, who was silently weeping: "You also need to change your habit of only knowing how to cry."
Chen's mother stopped crying and looked up blankly: "But, I... I can't control myself..."
Chen's mother was naturally timid, and when she felt wronged or sad, tears would fall uncontrollably.
She was a housewife, unemployed, spending her days tending to the pots and pans, her husband, and her children. Mr. Chen had little education, an average income, and was the sole breadwinner, facing considerable pressure. He was also short-tempered, frequently yelling at his wife and hitting the children. Over time, Mrs. Chen's personality was completely suppressed. When her husband beat Chen Dong, she dared not intervene, nor did she know how; she could only secretly slip her son the money she had painstakingly saved.
Aside from tears, she had no other way to vent her grievances and pain.
Jiang Ling's expression was solemn: "If you don't change it, are you going to let Chen Dong continue to commit crimes? Aren't you afraid of what the neighbors will say, or that you'll be too ashamed to face your ancestors after you die?"
Different people should be treated differently.
Jiang Ling had experienced this firsthand with Liang Jiushan. The custody issue for Xiao Yu took a month or so to mediate, but it wasn't as straightforward as when Liang Jiushan "played tricks."
For people like Mr. and Mrs. Chen, who are not highly educated, face and ancestors are the most important things. Talking to them about mental health and family upbringing is like reading a foreign language; you'd be better off talking about how the neighbors will perceive them and how they will be treated after they die.
Mr. Chen put down his hand and yelled at his wife, "Cry, cry, cry! All you do all day is cry! You've cried away all your good fortune!"
Jiang Ling glanced at Chen's father: "You are the head of the family, and you control the atmosphere of this home. If you don't yell at her or hit your son, she won't cry! The reason Chen Dong rebels against you is because he can't stand you yelling at his mother at home. He is sensitive and loves his mother, but you always act like a domineering parent at home. If you cherish your wife and this loving partner who has given everything for the family, Chen Dong's personality wouldn't be like this."
Jiang Ling emphasized, "A father is a role model for his son! In this incident, Chen Dong was the most ruthless, beating an unarmed old man to a skull fracture. He's just following your example!"
Feeling embarrassed at being lectured by a young woman in her twenties, Mr. Chen took a deep breath and replied perfunctorily, "Okay, okay, I'll listen to the police. From now on, I won't hit him or yell at him, is that alright?"
Jiang Ling took out a guarantee and handed it to Chen's father: "Okay, then sign and put your fingerprint on this."
Mr. Chen stared blankly at the large characters on the guarantee.
—I promise not to hit Chen Dong, not to yell at Chen Dong, not to act like a parent, and to present the facts and reason with him…
"This, we won't need it, will we?" Chen's father, who was cautious all his life and had experienced the Great Movement, was most afraid of signing documents and dealing with paperwork.
Jiang Ling, however, had a cold expression: "Words are no proof; let's put it in writing. We will conduct home visits from time to time. If you don't comply, you will be forced to participate in community service. If the situation is serious, we will report it to your workplace and have the factory leaders talk to you. If you lose your job then, don't blame others."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Chen's expression immediately changed: "Fine, fine, I'll sign, I'll sign!" He scribbled his name on the guarantee and pressed his fingerprint on it.
Jiang Ling looked at Chen's mother, who was startled and hurriedly waved her hand, saying, "I, I will try not to cry. I don't need to sign a guarantee."
The guarantee is made in triplicate.
Jiang Ling handed a copy to Chen's mother: "Keep one copy at the community neighborhood committee, one at the police station, and this one for you. If your husband yells at you again, tell the community officials and the police officers at the police station to send him to labor reform."
Chen's mother's eyes brightened. She wiped her hands on her clothes again and again to make sure they were clean before reaching out to take the guarantee. Looking at her husband's signature and red fingerprint on it, she couldn't hold back her tears again.
She hurriedly wiped away her tears and explained, "I, I won't cry." With her husband's guarantee and the police's support, Chen's mother finally calmed down.
As they left Chen Dong's house, Ying Xuanji couldn't help but chuckle and patted Jiang Ling on the shoulder: "You kid, you've got so many tricks up your sleeve."
Jiang Ling put the guarantee into his backpack: "I worked at the police station for a while and I know that families with such a strong patriarchal style need to be dealt with severely. They are not afraid of being scolded or punished, but they are afraid of signing a guarantee. If it weren't for the tight schedule, I would have made him write the guarantee by hand. With his handwriting that looks like earthworms crawling, he would definitely remember it for the rest of his life."
The police officers accompanying them couldn't help but give them a thumbs up: "No wonder they come from the grassroots level, their experience is truly rich."
The atmosphere was completely different when I arrived at Zhou Xiaoyang's house.
Chen Dong's family is simple and unassuming, and his parents have great respect for the police, so the mediation went smoothly.
But Zhou Xiaoyang's family was different. His father and mother were both university teachers, one a professor and the other an associate professor. They were well-informed and experienced, and when the police came to their door, their faces were full of resistance.
Sitting in the living room, which is filled with the scent of books, the atmosphere is very oppressive.
Professor Zhou and his wife were heartbroken, and even more so disappointed and bewildered by their son's "self-destruction."
"How much have we sacrificed for him? The best resources, the highest expectations! If his sister can do it, why can't he?"
“He’s a top student, how could he be hanging out with a bad student like Chen Dong? He must have been led astray by him! You must investigate this thoroughly, whether someone is deliberately instigating him? Yangyang is usually very well-behaved at home.”
Jiang Ling presented Zhou Xiaoyang's crime risk assessment report, highlighting "excessive academic pressure," "lack of emotional expression," "abnormal desire for freedom," and "seeking recognition and release within a group."
At the same time, Zhou Xiaoyang's confession was also presented.
My parents only care about whether I can get first place in the next exam and get into Tsinghua or Peking University. I study all day long; even watching a movie is a luxury.
—I really tried my best, I really worked hard! But I just couldn't do it…
—Only Chen Dong praised me for being amazing and envied me for getting such a high score.
—Finally, I rebelled. It was incredibly exciting and liberating.
—I feel incredibly satisfied when I smash things!
Mr. and Mrs. Zhou looked at each other, speechless for a long time.
When talking to such intellectuals, it would be more appropriate for Ying Xuanji, who is also a university professor, to step forward. Her language has a touch of academicism, and her tone is very serious.
"Zhou Xiaoyang is undoubtedly excellent academically, but his psychological pressure is severely excessive. What he craves is not higher scores, but to be seen, understood, and allowed to breathe. This report shows that this high-pressure environment is a major factor that led him astray. If we don't pay attention to children's mental health, even the highest scores can become a boulder that crushes them."
Zhou's mother had tears in her eyes.
Professor Zhou looked at the report intently, his expression one of deep concentration and anguish, his hand trembling slightly as he held it. After a long pause, he finally spoke: "I understand what you mean, and I thank you for your concern for Xiaoyang. I admit, we've pushed him too hard."
Ying Xuanji spoke frankly with them: "I am also a mother, and I understand your desire for your children to succeed. However, every child is a different individual, and we must respect the facts. Zhou Xiaoyang's sister's success in becoming the city's top student is related to your education, but it is also due to her own talent for learning. You cannot apply the same methods you used to raise her to Zhou Xiaoyang. You are teachers, so you should also know the principle of teaching according to individual aptitude, right?"
Zhou's mother could no longer control her emotions. She cried and hit her husband, saying, "I told you, I told you! Xiaoqing is smarter than Xiaoyang, and she can sit still more. You can't force Xiaoyang like that. Now look what's happened, your son is in trouble, are you happy?"
Ying Xuanji's attitude was very gentle: "Boys and girls are very different. Girls have stronger language skills and self-control than boys, so classroom teaching that requires a high level of concentration is more suitable for girls. Boys, due to the secretion of testosterone, need to release excess energy through sports, otherwise it is difficult for them to concentrate."
Zhou's father, being a researcher, listened attentively to Ying Xuanji's theoretical analysis. He leaned forward and politely asked, "Professor Ying, what should we do next?"
Ying Xuanji said, "First, don't judge him by your sister's standards."
Zhou's mother nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, we will definitely be careful."
Ying Xuanji: "Secondly, he is over 16 years old and must be held responsible for both intentional injury and intentional damage to property. Considering that this is his first offense, his good behavior at school, the special nature of his criminal motive, and his relatively good attitude of remorse, you can actively compensate the victim for the losses and obtain their forgiveness, so he should be given a lighter sentence. The court will give him the opportunity to reform and continue his studies."
Upon hearing this, Zhou's father was no longer as indifferent and resistant as before: "Alright, alright, we'll contact Old Zhang's family right away and do our best to gain their understanding."
After pointing them in the right direction, Ying Xuanji said earnestly, "One last thing: you must give Zhou Xiaoyang more care. Remember, love is not a constraint. You must respect his thoughts, listen to his feelings, be his friends, make him realize that freedom is not about venting or destruction, and guide him onto the right path."
Mr. Zhou asked, “What you just mentioned about gender differences in education makes a lot of sense. In the past, when the idea of valuing sons over daughters was very strong, girls didn’t have many opportunities to receive education, so the male-to-female ratio in our school was seriously imbalanced, with boys far outnumbering girls. But in recent years, with the advancement of reform and opening up, people’s economic income has been increasing, and their thinking has also progressed. When people have enough to eat, they know how to be polite.”
Zhou's mother gently nudged Zhou's father, who, realizing he was nitpicking again, coughed somewhat sheepishly: "What I mean is, girls have more and more opportunities to go to school now, and the male-to-female ratio at our school has changed, with more and more girls going to university. Then I found that girls are much more focused and willing to concentrate on reading and research than boys. Boys are more innovative, but they find it hard to settle down. So... Professor Ying, I'd like to ask you, how can we make appropriate adjustments to address gender differences in our children's early education?"
Ying Xuanji said, "Teaching and learning through sports will be more effective than sitting in a classroom and studying by rote."
Mr. Zhou nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you."
After exchanging parenting tips for a while, Ying Xuanji said, "You are intellectuals, university teachers, but while teaching and conducting research, don't forget the importance of family education. You both possess the research mindset of identifying, analyzing, and solving problems; similarly, you should apply this research spirit to your child's education. If we let Zhou Xiaoyang continue down this path, this child may go astray and never be able to turn back. Now, it's not too late; you must, you absolutely must take this seriously!"
Ying Xuanji raised her voice as she spoke, and by the end, each word was heavy with weight.
Mr. and Mrs. Zhou fell into deep thought, pondering Ying Xuanji's words repeatedly in their hearts.
After a long silence, Zhou's father solemnly shook hands with Ying Xuanji: "Professor Ying, your words are more valuable than ten years of study. You are an expert in criminal psychology and also an expert in youth education. We will listen to you! Please rest assured, we will adjust our educational methods and will definitely cultivate Xiaoyang into a useful member of society!"
After leaving the Zhou family home, even the accompanying police officers remarked, "They really are educators; they're quite reasonable."
With Zhou Xiaoyang's parents' promise, Jiang Ling's steps became much lighter. But when she arrived at Wang Qiang's house, her heart sank again.
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