The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 418: Chapter 418: Disciplining the Son and the Wife

Ye Zheng gave Ye Ling a meaningful look, signaling for him to hurry back to his room as well.

Ye Ling got his dad’s hint and scurried off.

Wang Liwen felt incredibly wronged. She sat at the table, sulking. ”I work so hard for them, but what do I get? They find fault in everything I do.”

This time, she didn’t have the nerve to bring up Han Xiaorui.

Ye Zheng raised an eyebrow. ”No matter what, you’re their mother. That’s not going to change. They don’t actually dislike you; they just think you should focus more of your energy on yourself.”

”They’re older now and know right from wrong. You can’t discipline them the same way you used to; it’ll only backfire. Look, your sons bought you so many gifts. That’s very thoughtful of them.”

Hearing Ye Zheng’s consoling words, Wang Liwen carefully looked through the items on the sofa. She had to admit, the blue dress was quite beautiful.

And the hair clip—the color was perfect for a woman her age, both elegant and stylish.

You couldn’t find this style in Beijing; at least, she’d never seen anyone else wear one like it.

’Am I really being too petty?’ she wondered. ’But aren’t all mothers like this?’

Ye Zheng continued to reason with her. ”Didn’t I just tell you? The kids are older and have their own ideas now. As adults, our job is to guide them and correct their thinking and behavior when necessary. For everything else, we should let them grow freely.”

”Being too controlling and too strict really isn’t good for them. Look at Ye Feng. Even though he and I didn’t have a great relationship back then, that doesn’t mean he didn’t turn out to be a successful man!”

”Just think, wouldn’t you be happy if your two sons grow up to be as successful as Ye Feng? Raising boys isn’t about nagging or being long-winded.”

”I know it makes you uncomfortable to talk about Xiao Rui, but I have to admit, she’s better at raising children than either of us. If Xiao Rui told your two sons to chase a chicken, they would absolutely never go after a dog. Have you ever wondered why that is?”

Wang Liwen was silent for a moment. ”Isn’t it just because Xiao Rui gives those two little rascals whatever they want? She just indulges their every whim, right?”

Ye Zheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at her response. ”In the past, you beat those two until they were black and blue. Did they do their summer homework then? Not only did they not do it, they couldn’t even be bothered to copy the answers!”

”Their grades used to be utter crap. But now, aren’t Ye Ling and Ye Chen in the top ten of their class? Sometimes even the top five or top three?”

”And let’s talk about right now. Their summer homework is done perfectly. They’ve also reviewed all of last semester’s material and even studied ahead for the new semester!”

”If Ye Ling and Ye Chen had stayed home, would you have been able to get them to do all that? Could you have made them sit down and obediently review and study ahead?”

Confronted with Ye Zheng’s questions, Wang Liwen fell silent.

She had no such confidence at all.

In the past, she’d gotten so angry over their homework that she’d nearly passed out.

”Alright, stop pouting. From now on, I’ll handle the boys. You just focus on your work. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

Wang Liwen was taken aback. ”You’re so busy with work. Can you really handle these two troublemakers?”

Ye Zheng smiled, looking rather pleased with himself. ”I couldn’t before, that’s true. But now, I have a trump card! If they want to go to Shencheng, they have to listen to me.”

”Besides, the boys are growing up. It’s good for them to be a bit closer to their father. By teaching them through my words and actions, they can grow into upstanding men.”

”These days, medical exchanges between China and the West are very common. You studied Western medicine. Whether you want to study abroad, join an aid mission to the western regions, or go to Africa, you should just go.”

”Don’t let the family hold you back. We have a nanny at home to take care of the kids’ meals and daily needs. I can keep an eye on their studies and their personal development. You really don’t have to handle every single thing yourself.”

Wang Liwen blinked. ”Really? You’re not just saying that so you can fool around after I leave, are you?”

Hearing this, Ye Zheng shook his head and chuckled. ”How old do you think I am? I’m going to be a grandfather in two or three months! Do you really think I’d be up to some shameless old man’s antics?”

”Besides, my character isn’t that bad! I cherish my reputation and certainly wouldn’t do anything to ruin it in my later years.”

”This is just my suggestion. Take it or leave it, it’s up to you. Your life doesn’t belong to me or the children. Your value isn’t just defined by your family, but also by your career.”

”In short, don’t spend all day looking up from the bottom of a pit. You need to stand on high ground and look down. It’s like the poem says: ’When I reach the very summit, all other mountains will look small.’ Only when you stand tall can you see far, and only then can your achievements be even greater.”

Wang Liwen was a very talented doctor and extremely dedicated to her work.

However, she was shortsighted and narrow-minded, prone to letting her imagination run wild with anxieties.

If she had put that same energy into her career, her achievements would have been far greater than they were now.

It was for the sake of his family, for an easier life for himself, and for the healthy growth of his children that Ye Zheng had taken such pains to say all this.

He had said everything that needed to be said.

Whether Wang Liwen could come around was now up to her.

A little later, Ye Zheng found his two sons. ”Ye Ling, Ye Chen, even if what you said was the truth, she’s still your mother. Even if she isn’t beautiful, you can’t look down on her.”

”After all, there’s a saying: ’A son doesn’t mind his mother’s homeliness, and a child doesn’t mind his family’s poverty.’ It’s wrong for you to be so critical of your mother’s appearance. She may not be a beauty, but she isn’t ugly either. Besides, when you get to know someone, it’s their character that matters. Looks are secondary.”

”Actually, your mother is an incredible person. Her medical skills are excellent. If it weren’t for you two, she would have had more opportunities to study and would have achieved even more. If you don’t want her to nag, then stop doing things that annoy her.”

Ye Ling nodded. ”I understand, Dad. I’ll take my brother to apologize to Mom.”

Ye Chen nodded too. ”That’s right, we were wrong. We shouldn’t have said those things about Mom. We were immature before and made her worry. From now on, we’ll be more mature. We won’t be naughty, and we won’t make her worry or get angry.”

Seeing this, Ye Zheng nodded. ”Good. That’s my boys. In the future, even when you’re praising your sister-in-law and older brother in front of your mom, try to be a bit more tactful. You know your sister-in-law is great, and that’s what matters.”

”Okay!” Ye Ling and Ye Chen agreed, and went to apologize to Wang Liwen.

Wang Liwen was delighted that her two sons actually came to apologize. As a mother, she wasn’t one to hold a grudge against her children.

That afternoon, Wang Liwen triumphantly put on the blue dress and the hair clip her sons had bought for her, and went out shopping for groceries.

After receiving compliments from her acquaintances, Wang Liwen was in a wonderful mood. That evening, she personally cooked dinner for her husband and sons, and the family enjoyed a harmonious and joyful meal together.

Ye Chen and Ye Ling had found a way to get along with their mother, and they had become more mature than before.