On the commercial street.

The quads ran into their classmates and, by sheer coincidence, also ran into Liu Qing. Tian Tian had just finished her own social practice activity and was now eating a rainbow-shaped cotton candy.

The Fourth Treasure's eyes lit up. "Where did you buy this?"

"Over there!"

The Fourth Treasure immediately looked at Lin Feng with pleading eyes, his intention perfectly clear.

Seeing how much Tian Tian was enjoying her treat, the Second Treasure piped up, "I want one too!"

"Let Tian Tian take you all. I'll sit here for a bit," Lin Feng said.

Zhang Yuxi was also tired from all the walking, so she sat down outside a bubble tea shop. "Want some bubble tea?"

Liu Qing shook her head. "No thanks, I've been on a diet recently."

After Liu Qing's father-in-law passed away, she and her husband had brought Tian Tian back to Yangcheng. Her mother-in-law didn't want to come, and Liu Qing hadn't insisted. Since returning, she had been juggling taking Tian Tian to school and attending her own classes.

While chatting with Zhang Yuxi, Liu Qing checked the messages in their parent-teacher chat group. "Look at this kid, he's amazing!"

Zhang Yuxi leaned over for a look.

In the video, a boy named Rui was conversing fluently in English with foreigners, showing no signs of stage fright. He had an impressive vocabulary, and his pronunciation was excellent.

Tian Tian and Rui had been in the same kindergarten class, so Liu Qing knew a bit about the boy. His parents were all about elite education, enrolling him in all sorts of extracurriculars; he had already won many awards for his violin playing. Rui's musical talent, which his parents were once so proud of, seemed to dim in comparison to the Third Treasure's.

"I heard from other parents that they hired a private English tutor for him, and it costs a fortune."

"They say he also knows fencing, chess, and Muay Thai. He's only in second grade but has already mastered the fifth-grade curriculum."

"I hear he's going to skip a grade as soon as he masters the sixth-grade material."

Zhang Yuxi listened quietly. Every parent had their own way of raising their children, and it wasn't her place to comment.

"And look at this student, she's speaking quite well too..." Liu Qing sighed as she scrolled through videos of several outstanding children. "When we were in the third grade, all we knew was what was in the textbooks!"

Even the most laid-back parents can't remain calm when all the children around them are becoming so exceptional.

Zhang Yuxi thought for a moment before saying, "I believe it's best to let children make their own choices. Parents can offer advice from the sidelines, of course."

"Whenever our kids face a major decision, we let them make the final call."

"If they need our help, we're there for them."

My own path was planned for me from a young age by Zhao Lizhen, so my journey into dance wasn't a happy one. Back then, I couldn't voice my own opinion. I was subtly influenced by her until I believed it was the only path for me. It wasn't until I grew up that I understood what I liked versus disliked, and what suited me versus what did not.

Because of that firsthand experience, she and Lin Feng focused heavily on their children's emotional well-being and hobbies, nurturing their interests to discover their true potential.

Liu Qing sighed. "Tian Tian's dad is more open-minded than I am. After all, she's his precious daughter."

"We'll support her in whatever she wants to do in the future."

"But I'm a woman, and I hope Tian Tian can become an outstanding person in her own right."

As the two mothers chatted, Lin Feng returned with the children, each one holding a cotton candy and wearing a beaming smile. He had even bought one for Zhang Yuxi—a pink, heart-shaped one.

Zhang Yuxi took a single bite before pushing it away. "It's too sweet. You have it."

Lin Feng didn't care for it either. He forced down a few mouthfuls before putting it aside.

The little glutton, the Fourth Treasure, watched for a moment before scampering over. "Daddy, are you going to eat that?"

How could I not know what he's thinking? Lin Feng thought.

"Yes, I am," he replied.

"Then you'd better eat it quickly, or it'll melt."

"It won't melt."

"It will."

"...Alright, fine. In that case, you have it. I'm not eating anymore," Lin Feng finally relented.

"Oh, well, if you insist! I'll eat it then, so it doesn't melt and go to waste," the boy declared triumphantly.

"..."

After an afternoon of fun and food, it was time to go home.

Later, the teacher made a point to praise the Second Treasure for her performance in the English oral practice class.

"Honey, our Second Treasure seems to learn languages faster than the other kids," Zhang Yuxi remarked that evening.

Lin Feng thought about it. "You know, I think you're right."

The Second Treasure had always been loud, talkative, and a sweet-talker. Her aptitude for language was noticeable, but Lin Feng hadn't given it much thought. The Second, Third, and Fourth Treasures all had incredibly distinct personalities right from the start.

「In the blink of an eye.」

It was time for midterm exams, and the school held a parent-teacher conference.

The message from both of the children's classes was essentially the same: have the kids play fewer video games.

"Several students in our class have started wearing glasses this semester, and they're only in the second grade!" Teacher Yue said. "I hope all the parents will pay close attention to this. Please limit your children's time watching TV and using phones. They can watch for a little while after finishing their homework, but you must set a strict time limit, like half an hour."

Teacher Yue then smiled with satisfaction. "On the other hand, some students hardly use their phones at all, like our own Lin Yuanyuan. Now, let's have her parent come up and tell us how they manage to raise a child without relying on a phone. As far as I know, her grades are excellent, and she has very little homework over the winter and summer holidays. What do you do with her on weekends and holidays?"

Lin Feng, who had just been called out, was a bit stunned. He stood up and said humbly, "My children mainly have their own things to do. Aside from very specific situations, they don't use phones or computers."

"Our Eldest and Fourth Treasures are learning Taekwondo."

"Our Third Treasure is studying music, and our Second Treasure is always tinkering with her own arts and crafts projects."

"During the winter and summer breaks, whenever I have free time, I take them skiing, diving, or ice skating. We visit science centers, museums, and so on."

"Their schedules are always packed! And when they're busy with their activities, my wife and I make sure to find our own fun alongside them."

"They do want to use phones and play games sometimes. But perhaps because neither my wife nor I are interested in those things, we haven't really encouraged it."

"When they get that urge, I take them to read all sorts of books instead. They've loved storybooks since they were little, so I buy piles of them, along with books on popular science and other scientific topics. If I come across a book online at night that I think they'll enjoy, I print it out for them to read."

The other parents were speechless.

"..."

Teacher Yue nodded in approval. "That's an excellent approach. I'm sure you've all seen his children; they are all quite exceptional."

One parent muttered under their breath, "That's easy for you to say. You're rich. We're all drowning in work. Where are we supposed to find time to spend with our kids?"

Others quickly chimed in.

"We're dead tired after a long day of work. We just don't have the energy to play with our children."

Lin Feng's brow furrowed slightly. "I admit that I'm financially comfortable, but… even if I didn't have money, I would still spend all my time outside of work with my children!"

"The biggest lesson my children have taught me is how quickly time flies. Before you know it, they'll be in the third grade. Yet some parents have never heard their child speak their first word or seen them take their first wobbly steps."

"How many of us can remember what our child looked like at just a few months old? How many remember the scene from their first day of kindergarten?" Lin Feng's voice was soft but firm.

"I know a family, a very ordinary family, that has never once skimped on spending time with their child. No matter how busy or tired they are, they always come home to read storybooks, play games, and do chores together."

"They skip a few meals out, save up that money, and use it to take their child on fun weekend trips."

"A family trip to Sanya might cost around fifteen thousand. If you want to stay in a nicer place and eat better food, it could be thirty thousand. To save up that thirty thousand, the father quit smoking and drinking. He stopped going out with his friends and stayed home with his child instead. The mother bought fewer clothes and started selling some on the side at the entrance to their community, with her husband and child there to keep her company. They saved every penny for a year to take their child to the Sanya they had been dreaming of! The whole family had an amazing time and made beautiful memories."

"Many parents, no matter how difficult their circumstances, will do whatever it takes to keep their children by their side. They don't seek to provide the best material things, but they ensure their children are spiritually enriched."

After he finished speaking, Lin Feng slowly sat down. All around him, the parents exchanged uneasy glances.

Even without the System, I would give my children two hundred percent of my love. Even if I were exhausted and struggling, I would still make time to be with them. If I don't spend time with them now, they'll be grown up before I know it!

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