Sweet Nostalgia of the 80s

”Punishment? Dad, how do you plan to punish me?” Ning Chenyang looked up at Qin Jian, his big, dark eyes filled with worry.

”Go run laps on the playground,” Qin Jian said, ”for an hour without stopping!”

”Dad!” Ning Chenyang got anxious the moment he heard ’an hour.’ ”I’m not even six years old!”

”Not yet six?” Qin Jian raised an eyebrow, looking at the kid who was almost 1.4 meters tall and said, ”But you’re as tall as a seven-year-old. Your mom’s been feeding you well all these years! With all that training, I don’t think running for an hour is any problem for you.”

”But... ”

”That’s an order, you must comply!” Qin Jian growled lowly.

”I’m not your soldier.” Ning Chenyang had been running all day today, and he was already very tired; he didn’t want to run another step.

”Do you want to be a soldier in the future or not?” Qin Jian scolded his son back, ”This is your punishment for doing something wrong. It’s to make you reflect! There’s no room for negotiation!”

”No! I’m already exhausted today. If Mom were here, she wouldn’t make me run,” Ning Chenyang had already learned to resist.

At this age, they’ve just entered the stage of becoming a little troublemaker.

Their way of thinking and ideas have formed, and they’ve learned to do things their way.

”Your mom’s not here right now,” Qin Jian raised his eyebrows, ”and while she’s not, you still have to run if I say so! You need to understand that when you do something wrong, there are consequences! Go outside now, as your father, my work keeps me very busy, and I haven’t been able to supervise you as much as I should, so it’s partly my fault. That’s why I’ll run with you.”

”I don’t want to! I’m exhausted! I want to sleep.” Ning Chenyang refused to move.

Qin Jian grabbed him by the collar and headed outside.

”Dad, you’re so ruthless. Am I really your son? Am I your own flesh and blood?”

”...”

”Qin Jian! When Mom comes back, I’m telling her, and don’t think you’ll get into her bed!”

”You little brat! Who taught you to say that? Now hurry up and run! For every extra word of backtalk, we’ll add another minute of running!”

...............

The next morning, during free time at kindergarten, a few kids gathered together.

”Chenyang, did your dad deal with you?” Bean Sprout walked over, rubbing his backside and limping.

”He did.” Ning Chenyang sat on the ground, rubbing his legs that were sore beyond belief, ”Yesterday I even started to doubt if I’m really my dad’s biological son.”

”Why?” Bean Sprout asked.

”My dad punished me by making me run on the playground for an hour. I was about to pass out!” Ning Chenyang said with a face full of grievances, ”And like that wasn’t enough, he was even happily chatting on the phone with someone, saying an hour wasn’t long enough. He suggested trying an hour and ten minutes if I mess up again next time!”

”Your dad’s not so bad.” Sheng Xiaoguang said with a wry smile, ”I’m surely not my dad’s biological child either.”

”What did your dad do? Made you run too? Or did he hit you?” Bean Sprout asked.

”No, my dad didn’t make me run or hit me! He made me go stand in the hallway!” Sheng Xiaoguang said.

”Stand? What’s the big deal about that? Isn’t it just standing for a bit?” Bean Sprout grimaced, ”I almost got kidnapped, isn’t that tragic enough? My dad didn’t comfort me; instead, he whacked me hard with the sole of my shoe.”