The mother decided to teach the schoolboy a lesson with hard work, but having earned a lot of money, he dropped out of school (3 photos)

10 September 2024

A young man in eastern China has dropped out of school after earning 10,000 yuan ($1,400) in just 10 days. The decision was influenced by his mother, who decided to teach him a lesson by asking him to sell snacks to show him that physical labor is hard.





In an interview with the Post, the mother, surnamed Deng, said she came up with the plan when her 17-year-old son's grades at culinary school began to slip.

When she asked him about his poor grades, her son, Shen, said he didn't want to go to school anymore because he thought studying was pointless.

Deng, who had been selling fried chicken at a street stall in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, for years, believed that working under difficult conditions would help her son take his studies more seriously.

"He didn't want to face the difficulties of studying, so I wanted him to face the real difficulties of life. It's not easy to earn money (through physical labor)," she said.

Under Deng's guidance, her son Shen adapted an electric bicycle to create his own snack stall and, to his mother's surprise, quickly got to work.



Shen earned 10,000 yuan in 10 days, and Deng attributed his success to the support of loyal customers and his hard work.

According to Deng, Shen would get up at 9 a.m. every morning to start cooking. He would set up his stall at 4 p.m. after driving 13 kilometers to a place where he sold chicken all night. He would return home at 3 a.m.

“He’s very hard-working. I didn’t expect him to be so dedicated to his work,” Deng said.

Ironically, Shen’s success prompted him to drop out of school. Deng tried repeatedly to persuade him not to give up on his studies, but he was determined.

“A 17-year-old has his own thoughts. As parents, we can only support him,” she said.

“If he can’t live the life he wants, he won’t be happy. My priority is for my son to be healthy and happy. I just need to guide him not to do anything illegal,” she added.



The case quickly went viral on social media in China.

One Weibo user commented: “School is not the only path in life. If someone is not interested in studying, learning a skill to earn a living is also a valuable option."

"Compared to traditional 'tiger moms' ('old school' or 'strict rules'), Deng respects her son's thoughts rather than forcing him to study," wrote another.

In China, the terms 'tiger moms' and 'wolf dads' refer to strict parents who use harsh methods to force their children to study harder.

In recent years, many young Chinese parents have adopted a 'Buddha' approach, prioritizing their children's health and mental well-being over grades and academic achievement.

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