The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 411: Chapter 411: A Loving Father and a Filial Son

Pingping and An’an listened to Yao Ziqian’s clear, gentle singing, bobbing their heads and clapping softly.

Han Xiaoqing smiled. It wasn’t just her who hadn’t forgotten; many others hadn’t forgotten either.

Their generation wouldn’t forget, and the next generation wouldn’t either!

Han Xiaorui was surprised. She watched as, under the osmanthus tree, the adults were using their actions to teach the children about the nation’s suffering and the deep-seated hatred born from past wrongs.

However, all of this was well-founded and not just fabricated nonsense.

”Ye Feng, do you see? The people have hope, and the nation has a future,” Han Xiaorui said with a smile, thinking of how Ye Feng was often so anxious he couldn’t sleep at night, wishing he could fix everything in one go.

Ye Feng smiled too, more relaxed than ever before. ”Yes. As long as the children remember, there’s hope.”

Over the following days, Han Xiaoqing, as the team leader, formed a summer homework project group and took them to do research.

Ye Feng arranged for a car to take Han Xiaoqing, his two younger brothers, and Yang Minmin on a very meaningful educational trip.

Ye Zheng was busy with work, but he finally had a trip scheduled to Shencheng.

Although Xiao Zheng often called to report on Ye Chen and Ye Ling’s situation, Ye Zheng suspected Xiao Zheng might be deliberately exaggerating his praise for the two brothers and didn’t take it too seriously.

When he came this time and saw his two sons, he found that not only were they diligently doing their homework, but they were also actively discussing topics with Han Xiaoqing and Han Xiaorui, presenting their points logically. They had made great progress.

He was especially astonished by Ye Ling, whose summer project was filled with both pictures and text.

Ye Chen was also doing very well and had improved a lot.

”Xiao Rui, are you feeling alright?” Ye Zheng looked at Han Xiaorui, overjoyed that she was pregnant and hoping she would have a safe delivery.

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Dad, I’m doing great. You brought me so many nourishing supplements; you really shouldn’t have spent so much.”

Some of the items were things that money couldn’t necessarily buy, and Han Xiaorui was grateful for her father-in-law’s kindness.

”You’re the one going through the hardship, being pregnant. If I had known you were pregnant, I wouldn’t have had Xiao Zheng bring Ye Ling and Ye Chen over. We must have been such a bother to you during this time!” Ye Zheng said with a laugh, feeling more and more pleased with his daughter-in-law the more he looked at her.

Han Xiaorui gave a hearty laugh. ”Dad, we’re all family, there’s no need to be so formal! I have a lot of kids at home anyway. Ye Chen and Ye Ling have been very well-behaved since they got here, not mischievous at all! They even help me look after Pingping and An’an!”

Ye Zheng mused, ’A virtuous wife brings fortune to three generations.’

He had previously felt that Han Xiaorui, having been married and having had children before, wasn’t good enough for Ye Feng. But now, it was clear his son had excellent judgment.

Han Xiaorui’s conduct, her words and actions, and her character were all excellent.

Every time he spoke with Ye Ling and Ye Chen on the phone, all he heard was ”sister-in-law this” and ”sister-in-law that.” They clearly loved staying here.

Ye Chen sidled over hesitantly. ”Dad, we still have twenty days until school starts! Let us stay and play here for another half a month!”

Ye Zheng thought for a moment. ”You can stay for another half a month, but your second brother can’t.”

Ye Ling, who had been eavesdropping on his younger brother and father’s conversation, was instantly displeased. ”Dad, why can he stay, but I can’t? I’m not going back! I’ll go back when school starts!”

Seeing Ye Ling act this way, Ye Zheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ”Ye Chen’s schoolwork isn’t as demanding, but you’re in middle school now, and your classes are very busy! Your mom signed you up for a tutoring class to get a head start on your second-year material. If you don’t come back with me, your mother will be angry.”

Hearing this, Ye Ling’s eyes lit up. ”You mean just previewing the second-year material? My sister-in-law already borrowed the books for me, and Sister Xiao Jing has already been helping me go over it!”

Ye Zheng, of course, didn’t believe him. How could Ye Ling, who usually had to be pushed and prodded to study, possibly be learning on his own initiative?

”Dad, you don’t believe me?” Ye Ling grew anxious. ”Wait a second, I’ll go get my bookbag! I’ve even taken a lot of notes!”

After Ye Ling ran off, Ye Zheng asked Han Xiaorui, ”Is that true?”

He didn’t believe his son’s words, but he trusted Han Xiaorui.

Han Xiaorui nodded with a smile. ”Of course, it’s true. It’s not good to just run around playing wildly all day. So I borrowed the second-year textbooks from Sister-in-law Xiao Yu’s daughter, Nannan. Ye Ling has been very diligent with his preview work. Whenever he doesn’t understand something, Xiao Jing explains it to him. He’s already halfway through the second-year curriculum.”

Ye Zheng was astounded. ”In the past, getting those two brothers to study was so difficult. I tried hitting them, I tried scolding them, but nothing had much effect.”

Han Xiaorui smiled. ”Actually, none of that is necessary. Once children understand why they’re studying, they’ll work hard on their own. Ye Ling and Ye Chen are both very smart. As long as they’re guided properly, their grades will be excellent.”

”Lately, they’ve been following Xiao Jing around Shencheng doing research, helping Yang Minmin with her summer project on the Songhu resistance and the Battle of Songhu. They’ve visited many places and even interviewed people who experienced it firsthand.”

”Only by having them get personally involved can they understand how hard-won our current lives are. Our predecessors shed their blood and sacrificed their lives so that we could have the peace we enjoy today. To avoid being oppressed by foreign powers, we must continue to strive and secure a place for future generations to live. That’s the reason they’re working so hard to learn.”

”Usually, these are just big, empty words that go in one ear and out the other. But after they experience things for themselves, it leaves a deep impression on their hearts and motivates them to push forward.”

Ye Zheng smiled. ”Good. That’s excellent. When we usually try to teach our children, we just talk at them and rarely consider things from their perspective. Your method is great. I’ll try doing that in the future.”

Ye Ling had already brought his bookbag down and pulled out his preview notebooks. ”Dad, these notebooks are in my handwriting. Take a look.”

Ye Zheng took them and looked them over carefully. ”This is indeed your handwriting. Not bad, very good. You’re showing strong initiative in your studies. In that case, you can stay here. In half a month, I’ll have Xiao Zheng bring you two back.”

Hearing this, Ye Ling was overjoyed. ”Thanks, Dad.”

Even though it was only for half a month, it was still better than going back now.

”Ye Chen, what about you? Have you been slacking on your studies?” Ye Zheng asked.

Ye Chen chuckled. ”My composition is weak, so I’ve been writing in a journal every day. This is my journal. I finally don’t have to make up stories about helping old ladies cross the street.”

Every year, the most common story among classmates was helping an old lady cross the street, followed by finding a penny and giving it to a police officer.

Although, a penny is a bit too little nowadays; some classmates had already upped the amount they ’found’ to ten cents.

There were too few meaningful things to write about, so most of it was just made up.

But here in Shencheng, at his sister-in-law’s house, there were interesting things happening from the moment he opened his eyes. And if he really had nothing to write, he could always write about the delicious food they made at home.

All in all, it was much more interesting than being back in Beijing.

Ye Zheng held the thick journal his youngest son had written. Not only that, but it sometimes even included photos.

From these journal entries, Ye Zheng could see that his two sons were living a very fulfilling, comfortable, and interesting life here.

No wonder these two little rascals didn’t want to leave.

Ye Zheng patted his two sons’ heads. ”Since you like it here, you can stay. I’ll talk to your mother.”

”Thanks, Dad! You’re the best, Dad.” The two boys, one on each side of him, wouldn’t stop flattering their father.

Back in Beijing, you would never see such a heartwarming scene of a loving father and his devoted sons.