"Who else is in your family?"
"I also have an older brother and an older sister."
"Are they college students too?" asked Fifth Sister-in-law, standing behind Aunt Hua.
"Yes! My eldest brother also graduated from military academy, and he's now a deputy battalion commander in a military region. My second sister also graduated from military academy, but she's a military doctor."
"So you're the only one in your family who isn't a college student!"
"Yes, if my parents hadn't sacrificed their lives, I would be going to university this fall."
How old are you?
"14?"
"You can go to university at 14!"
"Yes, so what if my older siblings all started university at 14? Oh, and there's another condition for becoming my sister-in-law: you have to graduate from university before you're 20, otherwise it'll affect the next generation."
"What does 'affecting the next generation' mean?" Fifth Sister-in-law asked, not understanding.
"It affects the next generation. How should I put it? Let's take an example. For instance, if a perfectly good girl marries a dim-witted man, the child she has might also be dim-witted, or perhaps lack a bit of common sense in certain situations. But, in reality, they'll seem no different from ordinary people."
"Oh, is that so? Does that mean they can't have a smart child?"
"That's possible! But the odds are extremely small."
"So, does that mean all your older brothers and sisters have to marry college graduates? No, not necessarily! You can also find someone even more capable than a college graduate."
What's even more impressive than a college student?
"Graduate students, professors, etc."
"Then their requirements must be even higher."
"yes"
"Do you think he would be interested in your older brother and sister?"
"This shouldn't be a big problem. My older brothers and sisters are all in the military, with impeccable family backgrounds. Plus, they're still young, and their future prospects are better than most. Getting married a few years later isn't too late."
"It's still a few years later. How old is your older brother this year? Don't let him be in his thirties or forties and still not married."
"No, no, it just so happens that you're only 22 this year, not old at all."
"He's only 22 and already a deputy battalion commander."
"yes!"
"It's not too late to start a few years later. By then, you'll be at least a battalion commander or something, and it'll be easier to get married."
"Too"
"Let's see how old your two older brothers are this year."
"Third brother is 18, fourth brother is 16."
"It's not that big."
"Yes, it's not a big deal, so there's no rush to get married."
While working in the fields that day, everyone was talking about how Li Mianmian's older siblings were all college students, and how amazing their children were. Some even said that if Li Mianmian hadn't gone to the countryside, she would have been in college this fall. Someone who didn't believe it came over and asked me, "Mianmian, I heard that if you hadn't gone to the countryside as an educated youth, you would have been in college this fall. Is that true?"
Really?
"You're just bragging. According to Uncle Gu's daughter, Cuicui, getting into university is incredibly difficult."
"It is difficult, but if you've always gotten first place in every exam since you were a child, it shouldn't be too hard, right?"
Always ranked first in exams
"Yes, I started first grade when I was 5 or 6 years old, and before I went to the countryside, I always got first place in both big and small tests."
"Really?"
"Really? Should I go back and get my old test papers so you can see them?"
"You actually have exam papers?"
"Yes, I have all the exam papers, my elementary school diploma, my junior high school diploma, and even my high school diploma!"
But you're only 14 years old.
"Yes, so what if she's 14? Can't a 14-year-old take the college entrance exam?"
"But going to school is so hard!"
Is it difficult? No, it's not difficult at all.
"I couldn't understand the lessons the teacher gave when I was in school."
"Yes, my son is too."
"Mine is like that too."
"Didn't you look for other reasons?"
"Is there another reason?"
"Yes, for example, if you don't listen attentively in class, don't do your homework properly, don't review or preview, and go off to play after class, never taking what the teacher says in class or the homework seriously, you'll definitely know nothing during the exam."
"You know what, I've never seen the boy do any homework at home."
Me too.
"My sons are the same."
"Then what do you suggest we do, Li Zhiqing?"
"How did you do it before?"
"Give them a beating"
"Yeah, I always get such low scores after exams, or even a zero. I always end up scraping by."
"Okay, but haven't you noticed that beating them up doesn't work?"
"Who can argue with that?"
"So, how did your family handle the situation, Li Zhiqing?"
"The older ones help the younger ones"
Isn't that how it is?
"It means that the older child goes to school and teaches the younger child what they have learned. When the younger child is old enough to go to school, they can take an exam to see if they can be in the same grade as the older child. If they can't, they can be in a lower grade. If they can, they can be in a higher grade. In this way, when the older child sees how capable their younger siblings are, they will study hard on their own, because they don't want to be the same age as their younger siblings. Otherwise, their peers will definitely laugh at them."
Another reason is that this method teaches the younger children, saving them a year's tuition when they reach school age. This way, all the children in the family will study diligently.
Is this really okay?
"That's how it is in our family, but the most crucial point is that parents need to keep a close eye on things. They can't just punish the child every time there's a problem; instead, they should praise the child for certain things, like giving them rewards."
"What reward? We're barely getting enough to eat at home!"
"So you want to scrimp and save to send your child to school, only for them to get a zero on their exams?"
"That's true!"
"What kind of rewards did your family give to Li Zhiqing (educated youth)?"
"Back when my eldest brother was young, my mom rewarded him with something I can't even remember, maybe it was practicing boxing or something, anyway, all boys dreamed of becoming great heroes. When my second sister was young, she envied my eldest brother when she saw him going to school, so my mom gave her the task of completing it, and if she did, she could go to school too. My third and fourth brothers each had a slingshot back then."
"And what about you?"
"I?"
Yes, what about you?
“From the time I could speak, my older siblings started teaching me to read. When I was 5 years old and started school, I didn’t find it difficult to study. But when I got into high school, my parents gave me a watch as a reward.”
No wonder your children are so good at studying!
"It's alright. Actually, the most important thing is that not only should children study, but parents should also study. When we were little, our parents would read with us every day while we did our homework."
"But we're all blind!"
"That's easy, you can have your own kids teach you!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com