Back to Three Years Old: Crushing Scumbags on a Parenting Reality Show 179

Chapter 179

In the spacious living room of the hotel suite, a large and a small figure sat, both engrossed in their tasks, only the clicking sounds of buttons being pressed filled the air.

Finally, Shen Jianghe finished his work, he quietly observed his son, who was furiously tapping on his smartwatch, until he finally looked up.

“Since we’re going back to school tomorrow, let’s pack up and go to bed early?” Shen Jianghe said, seizing the opportunity.

“Just a bit longer.” Shen Zilin said, rotating his neck, then returned to his task.

Shen Jianghe: “…”

He Rongzheng, someone Shen Zilin had no connection with, Shen Jianghe had been dragged out of bed by his son that night, demanding to meet him urgently. He couldn’t get any answers out of his son, but he wasn’t one to be used blindly.

Of course, Shen Jianghe investigated. But he only found out that Shen Zilin didn’t use the people he provided, but hired others, people who reported directly to him.

Shen Jianghe didn’t investigate further. Shen Zilin not using his more efficient and reliable resources, instead using his own money to hire others, it was obvious that this was something he didn’t even want to tell him, his father. It was different from the eatery incident, a different kind of matter.

Even between father and son, there should be boundaries, even if the son was only seven years old.

Shen Jianghe just hoped Shen Zilin was handling things, not being used by someone. But even if he was, it wasn’t a big deal, he, as his father, was always there for him. Children, they had to experience setbacks and learn from their mistakes to grow.

Sensing Shen Zilin’s secrecy, Shen Jianghe didn’t investigate the people Shen Zilin hired, but He Rongzheng instead.

From the phone calls and He Rongzheng’s later reaction during dinner tonight, Shen Jianghe had a hunch.

And the people who could make Shen Zilin act so secretively, like a clam, for so many days, there were only a few possibilities.

So, who was it?

If it was what he suspected, shouldn’t it be a good thing? He would be willing to help if they just told him directly, why go through so much trouble…

After thinking for a while, Shen Jianghe gave up. He would find out eventually.

Shen Jianghe leaned back against the sofa, his gaze on his diligently “working” son, his eyes darkening. Whoever it was, they were using them, but at least they didn’t have Shen Zilin directly involved. This was also good, a form of protection, a sign of consideration, and… it made his son’s secretive behavior a little less frustrating.

Just as Shen Jianghe, bored, started to let his mind wander, sipping his tea and thinking about having seafood for dinner when they got back tomorrow, his “workaholic” son finally sighed and looked up, finally having time for his boring old father.

“Dad,” Shen Zilin said seriously, “I have a question for you.”

Shen Jianghe raised his chin, gesturing for him to continue.

“If, there’s a child, a few years old, who has a younger… sister, maybe one or two years old. And his parents, to make him love and care for his sister, leave him and his sister alone at home, using surveillance cameras and voice commands to teach him how to take care of her, for several days.” Shen Zilin said, frowning at Shen Jianghe. “That child, he doesn’t want to take care of his sister, but if he doesn’t, his sister will be rolling around in her own filth, starving, and chewing on the floor, what do you think he should do to escape, ahem, I mean, resolve this situation?”

Shen Jianghe, looking at the tea sloshing in his cup from his shaking hand, carefully placed it back on the table.

Thankfully, he wasn’t drinking while listening; he would have spat it out from that vivid description.

A one or two-year-old child, rolling around in her own filth, chewing… It was truly…

“Is this what’s happening at Wang Zhizhi’s house now?” Shen Jianghe asked, although he was a veteran in the business world, he was still a novice when it came to parenting. “Didn’t they love that daughter the most? Now they’re willing to neglect her just to train their son?”

“Mmm, it’s been several days, Wang Zhizhi didn’t even tell us. It was Auntie Zheng from Baby’s Home Cooking who told me that Wang Zhizhi hadn’t been there for lunch for the past two days, she asked me if he was playing somewhere or what, so I asked in the group chat. Wang Zhizhi said today was the third day, his parents told him to go home early and take care of his sister on the first day, he thought they were joking. So he went to Baby’s Home Cooking after school, and when he got back, he saw his sister alone in the playpen in the living room, crying from hunger, her diaper overflowing… His parents were even yelling at him through the surveillance camera, telling him to take care of his sister.” Shen Zilin said, slumping back onto the sofa, having racked his brain too much recently, he was easily exposed, anyway, this wasn’t a secret, it was fine if his dad guessed it.

“Is Wang Qingchuan okay? He doesn’t think that by doing this, Wang Zhizhi will start liking his sister, right?” Shen Jianghe asked, also shocked. “Who would like a baby just because they have to feed and change her?”

Shen Zilin, finding a comfortable position on the sofa, sighed. “Wang Zhizhi still doesn’t like his sister. But he couldn’t bear to see a little baby crying from hunger, covered in… So he’s been taking care of his sister for three days, rushing home after school, until his parents come back at 10 PM. And they even praised him… Saying they knew he could be a good brother, that he was just unwilling before, he should thank them for giving him a chance to learn and grow. Taking care of the baby is one thing, but their words disgusted Wang Zhizhi so much… He can barely eat at kindergarten these past few days, let alone having extra meals. Dad, if you were Wang Zhizhi, what would you do?”

“What about the nanny? They should have a nanny to take care of the baby, right? And the driver who picks Wang Zhizhi up from school…” Shen Jianghe, habitually, thought of using money to solve the problem, then he paused, realizing something. “Oh, Wang Qingchuan and his wife definitely wouldn’t let the nanny or the driver help.”

Shen Zilin nodded. “Yes, they’re not helping, the nanny even quit, and the driver isn’t allowed to enter the house.”

“That’s too much, Wang Zhizhi is only five, still in kindergarten.” Shen Jianghe said, his brow furrowed. “Wang Zhizhi has grandparents, right? They can’t just let his parents do this.”

“So, Dad, your solution is to contact Wang Zhizhi’s grandparents?” Shen Zilin asked, sitting up, seeking confirmation.

“Yes.” Shen Jianghe said seriously. “If the parents are unreliable, the grandparents have to step in. Is Wang Zhizhi taking care of the baby now? Tell him to call his grandparents. Even if they can’t come immediately, they can at least call and talk to Wang Qingchuan and his wife, how can they force a five-year-old to take care of a baby just to improve their sibling bond…”

“No need.” Shen Zilin said, waving his hand, seemingly tired. “It’s already resolved, I was just asking for your opinion.”

“Right, the elders have to intervene. Tell Wang Zhizhi to also tell his grandparents about how they don’t make him the food he wants at home.” Shen Jianghe said seriously.

Shen Zilin shook his head. “I didn’t contact his grandparents.”

“Mmm?” Shen Jianghe asked, confused.

“After Wang Zhizhi told us what happened in the group chat…” Shen Zilin paused. “I was thinking of asking the staff at Baby’s Home Cooking if anyone was available to help after work, we could pay them separately… and if Wang Zhizhi’s parents continued like this, we could hire a live-in nanny for his sister, Wang Zhizhi has shares in the business now, he has money, it’s worth spending some money for peace of mind.”

“Mmm, that’s also a good idea. Just like with Baby’s Home Cooking, it’s more reliable to have things under your own control.” Shen Jianghe nodded in agreement, then added, “But raising his sister isn’t Wang Zhizhi’s responsibility, I still think he should talk to his grandparents first, if they’re the same as his parents, then paying for a nanny is also a good solution. If there’s someone at home to take care of his sister, Wang Qingchuan wouldn’t be able to force Wang Zhizhi.”

“But…” Shen Zilin said with a wry smile. “I’m slow at typing, I hadn’t even finished typing when someone else came up with a better solution. Not yours, not mine.”

Shen Jianghe quickly went through the list of suspects in his mind.

And Shen Zilin, not wanting to keep him in suspense, continued, “Maomao said, call the police, she saw on TV that leaving young children home alone is illegal… And now it’s two young children, doubly illegal…”

“It seems… right, but…” Shen Jianghe was a bit shocked.

“And Yan Yan said, have Wang Zhizhi call the police from his room, if he was seen on the surveillance camera in the living room, his parents would come back immediately, and the police might think he was making a false report.” Shen Zilin said, twitching the corner of his mouth.

“Ah… this…” Shen Jianghe didn’t know what to say.

Indeed, cutting off the problem at its root, the police’s intervention might be even more effective than the elders’… But turning a family matter into a legal issue, Wang Zhizhi’s life afterwards…

Well, it wasn’t very good now anyway, it couldn’t be worse than being left alone to take care of a baby… but this wasn’t something people usually did, it felt like a point of no return, were they truly cutting ties at such a young age…

Before Shen Jianghe could weigh the pros and cons, his son suddenly changed the subject.

“Dad, I don’t want to skip a grade anymore.” Shen Zilin said seriously.

“Mmm?” Shen Jianghe asked, almost missing the shift in topic. “Didn’t you just say you wanted to a few days ago?”

“Mmm, I’ve changed my mind.” Shen Zilin said, grabbing a pillow and hugging it tightly.

A few days ago, Cheng Tingyan’s clear and meticulous plan had shocked him. They were the same age, but Cheng Tingyan’s thoughts and actions seemed to be on a different level… Shen Zilin, after thinking for a long time, concluded that it must be the power of knowledge. Yan Yan was already in third grade, while he was still a second-grader! He had to catch up, or he would be left behind by his friends! So he asked Shen Jianghe to have him take the placement test at school after they went back, to see if he could skip a grade.

But today, Maomao, who was still in middle kindergarten class, taught him another lesson.

Some brilliant minds weren’t defined by their grade level; they were… just inherently brilliant!

Shen Zilin realized again that instead of trying to catch up with his already brilliant friends… he could, from a different perspective, make them even more brilliant, together.

“Dad, I think it’s time for Baby’s Home Cooking to expand.” Shen Zilin said, his earlier dejection gone, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Shen Jianghe. “I heard from Auntie Zheng and the others that many adults passing by are envious of our nutritious meals for babies. But for the safety of the little ones, our two locations only serve kindergarten and elementary school children. Do you think… we can open a ‘Big Baby’s Home Cooking,’ so every adult can be a baby again?”

Come, let’s further intertwine our fates, my excellent shareholders~~~

Some were reborn, full of energy and drive.

And some…

“You shower first; Grandma will make you some porridge.” Chen Sujuan said, pushing Cheng Tingyan and her schoolbag into the bedroom. “Rest after your shower; Grandma will call you when the porridge is ready.”

“Didn’t you say we were having curry tonight?” Cheng Tingyan asked, she wasn’t in the mood for porridge.

“Curry has too many spices, it’s spicy. Didn’t you have a stomachache today? Teacher Tang said you spent over ten minutes in the bathroom the last time. Have some porridge, be good, Grandma will make curry for you in a few days.” Chen Sujuan said, stroking Cheng Tingyan’s head. “Are you feeling better now? Do you need any medicine?”

“I’m truly better, I think I can eat curry. Or the leftover dumplings from yesterday…” Cheng Tingyan said, trying to negotiate.

“Dumplings are also not good, they have fried pork fat and cabbage filling, too greasy, you’ll have a stomachache again.” Chen Sujuan said, unable to refuse her directly, then her gaze landed on a certain spot in the room, her expression softening. “Yan Yan, you’re the older sister, you have to set a good example for your younger sister, if you’re not feeling well, you should have porridge, not greasy or spicy food.”

Cheng Tingyan didn’t understand at first, but she could tell from her grandma’s smile.

Following Chen Sujuan’s gaze, Cheng Tingyan saw… a certain someone lying on the beanbag chair in the corner…

Help!

Last time she was accused of being constipated, this time she used diarrhea as an excuse to leave…

Truly her grandma…

“Yan Yan, you just said you wanted to eat…?” Chen Sujuan asked with a smile.

“Porridge, I’ll have porridge.” Cheng Tingyan said, giving up, speechless.

Chen Sujuan, satisfied, left, she even gave the silly little chubby baby a thumbs up before leaving.

Cheng Tingyan: “…“

It’s okay, a four-year-old baby had a short memory, she would forget soon! She definitely wouldn’t remember such trivial things!

Cheng Tingyan comforted herself.

Then…

Night deepened.

Cheng Tingyan, lying in bed after showering, eating porridge, and finishing her homework, ready to sleep, felt a warm, chubby paw on her belly.

“Yan Yan, I’ll rub your tummy, then you won’t have diarrhea anymore.” The little chubby bunny next to her said seriously, pressing her paw against her belly again.

Cheng Tingyan: “…“

Okay, maybe she wouldn’t forget that quickly.

“We have school tomorrow, aren’t you going upstairs to sleep?” Cheng Tingyan asked softly, turning to pinch the little chubby face next to her.

“I want to sleep here tonight, is that okay?”

In the darkness, the little chubby bunny’s voice sounded soft and pitiful.

Cheng Tingyan smiled slightly, this little one, always acting cute and pitiful.

“Okay, go to sleep.” Cheng Tingyan said, she pulled the blanket over the little chubby belly.

Why not? The head of the He family should be verifying the information now. Maybe in a few days, the family upstairs would be moving out, this adorable little chubby bunny… This might be their last night sleeping together.

They were truly in sync.

Thinking of this, Cheng Tingyan felt a pang of sadness.

But this little chubby bunny would have a better, safer future, even if they had to part… it was worth it.

“Maomao…”

“Yan Yan…”

They spoke at the same time, Cheng Tingyan chuckled. “You go first.”

Wei Maomao hummed, she wasn’t being polite, she had already been through enough today, and she knew there would be more to come if the anonymous message didn’t work.

“Yan Yan, will you always like me?”

“Yes.”

“Will you still like me no matter what I become?”

“Of course.”

“What if I’m not what you see now, will you still like me?”

“No way, is your chubbiness fake? Glued on to look cute?”

“Ahhh!! Yan Yan!!!” The enraged little chubby bunny rolled over and attacked.

Cheng Tingyan, pretending to be defenseless, chuckled and pleaded, “Ah, I like you, I like you, I like your soul, it’s okay even if your chubbiness is fake.”

“Hmph!”

“But it’s better if it’s real, speaking of which, is this your waist? The part that sticks out…”

“Ahhh!!!”

…

The reluctance to part, the thought of becoming an adult again.

The reluctance to send the bunny away.

They all turned into warm, chubby bunny rolls and soft hugs on this night of secrets and decisions.