Fake Slackers

Chapter 55: Considering buying you a treatment plan

There were many threads on the topic, and Xie Yu clicked into a recent one.

This question had been asked three days ago.

The poster had gone off on a long tangent, praising his boyfriend so excessively he didn't even seem human anymore, before he got to his point: But his grades aren't very good. He places second to last in every exam. How can I improve his attitude toward studying?

The most popular reply: How about setting a goal? For example, an improvement of a number of points or setting a target university to get into.

The OP had replied, It doesn't need to be all that great. Tsinghua or Peking U is fine.

"......"

The words 'second to last' made Xie Yu's eye twitch, and he felt like the OP's tone was somewhat familiar.

He didn't think more on it, scrolling down instead to the topics with subjects like, 'What to do with a child who doesn't like to study.' The parents in these threads were all anxious, resulting in the conversations eventually turning into parenting discussions.

Where are you working now?

State-owned enterprise. There's a lot of competition. It's tough.

"Dinner's ready." Gu Xuelan carried the last dish from the kitchen to the dining room before removing her apron and saying, "Put down your phone. Don't carry it everywhere..."

Xie Yu hit the off switch and the screen immediately darkened. "Got it."

Four dishes and a soup, all common home cooked dishes.

Zhong Guofei ate at home if he got off work on time. He was probably out entertaining tonight, so Xie Yu and Madam Gu were the only ones at the table.

Xie Yu ate a lot of every dish then put down his chopsticks to go upstairs. But Gu Xuelan was still staring at him.

"You ate so little." Madam Gu always felt her son didn't eat enough. "Are you full? How about another bowl of soup?"

Every parent probably fed their children like they were raising pigs.

Xie Yu took another bowl of red date and egg soup. When he was nearly finished, he said, "Mom, I'm going to Aunt Mei's tomorrow."

Gu Xuelan's hand stilled on the soup ladle, but she did not comment further. "Be careful and don't make trouble. Come back early."

Gu Xuelan didn't like him visiting Black Water Street so often.

From her perspective, they had only lived under those conditions out of necessity and had been fortunate to meet good people. But their outlooks on life were not the same. Lei's mom and Aunt Mei showed affection through scolding and yelling, and the two even sometimes smoked together outside.

Gu Xuelan had imagined that after moving away, after one or two years, or two or three, their ties to Black Water Street would fade.

But Xie Yu, a child of few words who seemed to care about nothing, had developed feelings.

In the evening, Xie Yu searched again for 'what to do if you don't like to study.' After digging through the internet, he didn't find any good ways of fostering a love for studying, but he did find a lot of questionable ways. For example, injuring one's head in a car accident or getting struck by lightning. Some were even selling quack medicine.

—Miracle knowledge pill! New high-tech product. Increase your intelligence, develop both the left and right brain, and easily raise your grades. No need for car accidents or lightning strikes! One thirty-day course!