“Parents who have spent their entire lives in mediocrity and incompetence gain absolute power over another person for the first time.”
“Only in front of their own children can they wield life-and-death authority like emperors. Their children cannot say anything, either; if they argue back, their parents accuse them of being unfilial.”
“There’s something wrong with that mother. A seated ticket costs the same as a standing ticket, so she can’t stand seeing her daughter do well, right? Why didn’t they walk home together? That would have made her suffer even more.”
“There are many parents who simply do not love their children, and some parents really do envy their own children. Mothers in particular envy their daughters, because most of them had difficult childhoods. They envy their daughters and think, ‘Why are you so happy?’”
“For wealthy people, a suitable amount of hardship can lead to success. But ordinary people already suffer enough in their lives; they do not need you to create more.”
“I complained to my parents about what happened to the mother in the Video. They said that being able to afford a ticket was a skill, and that if I lacked the ability to earn money, what right did I have to buy a Seated Ticket? P.S. I’m not yet an adult.”
“Then tell them that when they are old, you will not support them either. After all, if they lack the ability to earn money, what will they eat and what will they buy?”
“There is nothing wrong with hoping your child will amount to something, but it is sick to demand that they must succeed. Two pheasants expect to give birth to a phoenix!”
“Suppressive education is annoying. When you take exams at school and do well, they tell you not to become arrogant. When you do poorly, they scold you for being so stupid. They never praise you.”
“Exactly. They will also go out of their way to belittle you, claiming it is to keep you from becoming complacent. But when you belittle me in front of outsiders, are you thinking the same way? Are you proud and happy to let others know that I’m a terrible person?”
“Some people say that parents are becoming parents for the first time, so their mistakes can be forgiven. Yes, they are parents for the first time—but are they children for the first time? They grow up and inflict the grievances they suffered as children on their own children. They cannot stand seeing their children do well.”
“Just because you gave birth to me, I have to be grateful forever? Did I beg you to give birth to me? You had children so someone could support you in your old age and secure your life in the Future Era!”
“I once saw a news report about a ten-year-old genius who missed admission to a top 985 university by one point in the National College Entrance Examination. He would definitely have gotten in if he had repeated a year, but his parents wanted to preserve his title as the youngest prodigy, so they sent him to a Second-tier university.”
At thirteen, he became the youngest graduate student. His supervisor recommended that he go to Germany for further study, but his parents feared he would not return and insisted that he stay. At sixteen, he became the youngest Doctorate student. Before pursuing his doctorate, he demanded that his parents buy an apartment in City B. His calculations showed that housing prices had hit rock bottom and would certainly multiply several times over in the future. His parents agreed outwardly but rented an apartment instead. His parents ruined all three opportunities he had to change his fate. After that, he gave up, stayed at home, and refused to work.”
“Parents like these are something else. They believe their son is the smartest person, yet refuse to believe he is the smartest person in the family. Fools should listen to a genius, but instead they insist on putting on the foul airs of a parent. They deserve to be poor.”
“Some parents can provide neither material support nor spiritual guidance. They lack both money and love. They also think like Creditors: they raise children expecting them to repay them in the future. ‘Raise children to support you in old age’—I hate that saying. If people raise children to support themselves in old age, there is no need to praise parental love as great and selfless, because that idea treats parenthood as a purposeful exchange of equal value. —Luo Lü.”
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This video completely overturned the understanding of the People of Ancient Times.
After all, the Ancient Era believed that only those who endured the greatest hardships could rise above others. They considered both suffering and loss blessings.
Moreover, filial piety meant they rarely voiced dissatisfaction with their parents’ behavior. Even when they were dissatisfied, they could only bury those feelings in their hearts and endure them, unless they were ruffians who cared nothing for their reputations.
When the emperors saw the phrase “like emperors,” they frowned. This was the second time. The Common People of the Future Era seemed to hold little reverence for Imperial Authority.
The other Common People reacted to the video differently depending on their age. Some parents and elders did not agree with it. They genuinely thought the behaviors criticized above were normal.
How could one become successful without experiencing hardship? Those who had smooth, trouble-free lives all became spoiled wastrels.
Although parents were not as intelligent as their children, they had more than a decade of additional life experience, so the children had to listen to them. It was only three setbacks, after all. If the child could not overcome them, that proved he was incapable.
Some also felt that the statements made sense.
Especially the line about ordinary people having suffered enough hardship in their lives.
That was true. The Common People suffered from the moment they were born. Why would they need to seek out more suffering? Only wealthy families would do such a thing.
They did not understand the mother’s situation in the video. When they saw that Seated Tickets and standing tickets cost the same, they were practically itching to curse someone.
If a ticket without a seat had been cheaper, that would have been one thing. But if it cost the same, why not sit? The Common People of Ancient Times thought anyone who refused a bargain must have something wrong with their head.
As for the example of the person whose parents ruined his chance to rise to prominence three times, everyone was heartbroken when they saw it.
“What a sin! How did he end up with parents like that?”
“If I had a child like that, I would cherish him and do whatever he wanted!”
“If he has a chance to climb higher, why not let him go? Once the child becomes successful, could he really forget his parents? As long as he cares about his reputation, he could never do such a thing.”
“The parents were also doing what they thought was best for the child. Surely they would not deliberately harm their own child.”
“That’s right. The parents thought the child was still young and lacked life experience, while they themselves had struggled for so many years. Naturally, they believed it was better to listen to themselves. They meant well but ended up doing harm.”
“Oh, please! Not attending a good school and going to a poor one instead—what experience could that possibly come from? I think they couldn’t stand seeing their child do well.”
“Not attending a 985 university and going to a second-tier university instead—isn’t that like refusing to attend the prefectural academy and sending him to study at a private school run by a Licentiate? They ruined the man’s future!”
Although they did not know what 985 was, its tone made clear that it was a good school, perhaps even better than a First-tier university. A Second-tier university was already worse than a First-tier university, so it was worse still than 985. The Scholars were furious enough to spit blood. Putting themselves in the child’s place made them want to die of anger. The child merely refused to strive upward, which was bad enough.
However, most people did not agree with the final statement. In their hearts, they had given their children life. Regardless of the reason, that meant they had shown their children a great kindness. So what was wrong with demanding repayment from them?
But someone took those words to heart. A young man stared blankly at the Video on the Heavenly Screen for a long time, then laughed aloud.
That was right. If his parents treated him well, they were parents; if they treated him poorly, they were merely Creditors. Giving them money was enough. Why stay behind and endure their beatings and curses?
After reaching this conclusion, he took only a little silver, several articles of clothing, and his identity documents, then left home.
When his parents returned home, they saw only the silver he had left on the table. They were overjoyed at first, but then noticed the letter beside it. They were illiterate, so they asked a Tongsheng scholar from the village to read it. The scholar told them that their son had left and would have someone send money for their support at regular intervals, but that he himself would never return.
They were stunned. They wanted to look for him but had no idea where to begin, so they could only return home in tears. When people saw them on the road and learned what had happened, they all shouted that the couple deserved it.
Their son was so outstanding. They could have accepted their unhappiness, but instead they beat and cursed him every day as though he were an enemy. If the father and son had not looked so much alike, people would have thought the boy was adopted.
Now they understood why. It was probably as the Heavenly Screen had said: because their own youth had been full of hardship, they envied their son for living a good life. Their son had been driven away!
Some families took this as a warning and reflected on whether they had unconsciously envied their children. Those who realized they had corrected their attitudes at once. Whatever they thought in their hearts, they at least had to maintain appearances. Some children’s lives improved considerably.
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