Chapter Fourteen: The Parent-Teacher Meeting

As soon as he got home, Lin Nan excitedly shared his results with his parents.

Lin Lang, however, remained calm, as if everything had unfolded as expected.

Ye Xinlan was utterly astonished. Her son had actually broken into the top two hundred, though the score itself seemed rather peculiar.

They had agreed that if Lin Nan reached his target rank, she would no longer interfere in his studies. Yet Ye Xinlan couldn’t help but voice her concern to Lin Lang: “This English score is really unreliable! He did exceptionally well in Chinese and math this time, but what about next time? You still need to find a way to help him improve his English.”

Lin Lang gently placed his hands on Ye Xinlan’s shoulders and replied softly, “Don’t worry. Didn’t we agree? You’ll leave things to me now. Trust me, I will guide Lin Nan well.”

Parents always act out of love for their children. Even at the cost of breaking her word, Ye Xinlan needed to express her worries.

Lin Lang fully understood her feelings, but he had his own plans.

Who could say for certain that Lin Nan’s outstanding scores in Chinese and math were nothing more than a stroke of luck?

Under Lin Lang’s guidance, Lin Nan’s academic performance had improved dramatically over just one month. And in the following month, his progress would be even more pronounced, for the method Lin Lang employed grew only more effective over time—except, of course, in English.

The reason Lin Lang refused to tutor Lin Nan in English wasn’t merely his own aversion to the subject. It was also a matter of future strategy.

There is a difference in attention given to a student who excels in every subject versus one whose English lags far behind.

Every year, there are top scorers in the high school and college entrance exams. But as far as Lin Lang could remember, never had a newspaper reported on a student who aced every subject but failed spectacularly in English.

When the time came, Lin Nan would become the key figure in Lin Lang’s grand educational plan—a living testament to the belief that “interest is the best teacher.”

Rules are made to be broken. Given this second chance at life, Lin Lang was determined to usher in a new era in education, to carve out a different historical legacy. In time, everything he did would be proven right.

...

Friday evening, 6:00.

After the final class, most of the students in the class packed their bags and left, nerves on edge.

That night was the parents’ meeting. After the inevitable comparisons between adults, those children whose performance lagged behind would bear the brunt of the outcome.

Several class officers stayed behind to clean the classroom, serve tea, and prepare for the parents’ arrival.

Usually, such an honorable task would never fall to Lin Nan, but this time, Mr. Mei specifically called on him to help.

Gripping the mop, Lin Nan scrubbed the stains from the classroom floor. Though he felt a bit tired, his spirits were high.

After all, this parents’ meeting would no longer make him anxious—in fact, he might even be singled out for praise.

The thought filled Lin Nan’s heart with delight.

Nearby, Zhang Yuxin, busy pouring tea, kept casting curious glances at Lin Nan as he worked.

She had a distinct sense that something had changed about this quiet boy in their class, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. It wasn’t merely that his grades had improved; it felt more like a newfound confidence, or perhaps something else she couldn’t name.

Meticulously, she continued her “observation.”

Not far away, Li Zhe was wiping down the lectern. Standing at the podium, he felt a sense of commanding view, realizing that from this vantage, everything below was in plain sight.

He noticed Zhang Yuxin watching Lin Nan, while Lin Nan seemed completely unfazed. The scene irritated him.

Half an hour passed. The classroom was spotless, each desk bearing a cup of warm water at the top right corner. Parents began to arrive one after another.

Once everyone was seated, Mei Xiabing ascended the podium, smiling yet dignified.

She first summarized the results of the monthly exam, then outlined the academic plans for the final semester.

The main message was that, although the high school entrance exam wasn’t as significant as the college entrance exam, it was still a crucial milestone for the students.

She urged parents to spend more time with their children in the coming semester, to provide a better environment for study, but not to place undue pressure on them.

Lin Lang appeared to listen attentively, but inwardly he was preparing his own speech for the stage.

What should he say?

Although Mei Xiabing hadn’t mentioned inviting him to speak—and typically, it was Zhang Yuxin’s mother who addressed the meeting—Lin Lang was confident this time the honor would fall to him.

He refused to believe the homeroom teacher wasn’t curious about the transformation in Lin Nan.

On stage, Mei Xiabing had the very same thought. Yet, as was customary in their country, all the formalities needed to be observed, all the speeches delivered, even if she had recited these words dozens of times before.

After speaking for half an hour, Mei Xiabing finally finished.

She took a sip of water, paused, and then said, “Now, let’s invite Lin Nan’s parent to come up and say a few words. In this monthly exam, Lin Nan advanced over two hundred places, taking the top spot in Chinese and math across the whole school. I believe everyone is eager to know how Lin Nan managed to improve so much in just one month. As his homeroom teacher, I am also very curious. Please join me in welcoming Lin Nan’s parent with a round of applause!”

With that, Mei Xiabing stepped down, applauding, and took her place by the front door. The classroom erupted in a chorus of applause and lively chatter. Parents whose children hadn’t done well whispered among themselves, wondering how this boy named Lin Nan had made such a leap—and whether they might glean some tips for their own children.

Soon, everyone watched as a poised and striking young man rose and walked to the podium.

Clad in a black trench coat, his short, neat bangs gave the thirty-something Lin Lang an energetic air.

He stood by the lectern, and with a simple gesture—his hands raised, palms down—the noisy room quickly fell silent.

In that moment, Lin Lang seemed every bit the successful professional, preparing to address an important gathering.

Mei Xiabing and the parents were drawn in by his presence, instinctively maintaining absolute silence.

Then, a deep, magnetic voice resonated through the still classroom.

“Good evening, parents and Teacher Mei. I am Lin Nan’s father, Lin Lang—as in ‘Wolf of the Steppe.’

“As Teacher Mei just said, Lin Nan improved by over two hundred places in a single month. This is indeed curious. Even a month ago, neither Lin Nan nor his mother believed it possible. But as his father, I never doubted it for a second.”

Lin Lang’s words captivated Mei and the parents, all eyes fixed on him, hanging on his next sentence.

He paused, then continued, “It all began with an article I read a month ago.

“The article was called ‘The Spirit of the Craftsman,’ and it recounted the history of Louis Vuitton.

“I’m sure everyone knows LV. Since 1854, Louis Vuitton has been passed down from generation to generation, becoming a symbol of the art of fashionable travel, renowned for its quality, creativity, and craftsmanship.

“Many people can’t fathom why a bag that costs only a few hundred yuan to make can sell for twenty thousand once it bears the LV logo. That’s a markup of nearly twenty times! I imagine many small brands in the industry envy this kind of easy profit.”

Many parents below, following Lin Lang’s account, began to dream of such wealth, only to have their illusions shattered by his next words.

“But what I want to say is, envy is all they’ll ever have. Because the value created by the spirit of the craftsman isn’t something one can obtain through mere envy.

“Louis Vuitton himself started out as an ordinary craftsman. It was his relentless pursuit of perfection and his design philosophy that elevated LV to its present heights. I won’t go into the details of its development tonight; those interested can look it up at home. Tonight, I want to talk about what the craftsman’s spirit inspired in me.

“The ancient sage said: ‘Great undertakings always begin with what is easy; great affairs are always carried out in detail.’ If you approach every simple task with care, it becomes extraordinary. If you approach every ordinary task with devotion, it becomes remarkable.

“When I read these words, I realized the true essence of the craftsman’s spirit. Truly, the wisdom of our ancestors is profound—they always had a way to make these truths clear and accessible.

“So I immediately thought of my son Lin Nan. His grades were average, ranked in the four hundreds. With that ranking, there was no way he could get into Qingshui No.1 High School. If he wasn’t cut out for academics, perhaps he could become a craftsman in the future.

“But it was only then that I realized I had only ever cared about Lin Nan’s studies, never about his other interests.

“Coincidentally, the next day was New Year’s Day, January first, also Lin Nan’s thirteenth birthday.

“My wife and I decided that, for this holiday, we wouldn’t force him to stay home and read. Instead, we took him out and about.

“Over the next three days, I introduced him to car engines, we fixed a broken lightbulb together back in our hometown, watched fireflies behind the mountain, played games, and watched basketball videos.

“In the end, Lin Nan discovered what he liked—basketball.

“Well, basketball it was. If he could become a basketball player in the future, that’d be wonderful. So for the next month, every weekday evening after school, I took him to practice basketball.

“To my surprise, on Saturday morning, he went to his desk on his own, opened his physics book, and started looking up information online. He said the engine and lightbulb had sparked an interest in physics.

“The first time I saw that thirst for knowledge in his eyes, I knew he would make progress in the next exam—though I hadn’t expected quite so much.

“That’s the story. But what I want to say is this:

“Perhaps, in a child’s growth, studying should be part of their journey, but getting into college shouldn’t be their life’s goal.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t study, or that children should go learn a trade early.

“But in every class, there will always be students who do well, and those who struggle. We must remember, the school years are a golden age for learning.

“Shouldn’t children be learning more than just academics at this stage?

“Take Lin Nan for example. When he encountered the engine, and wanted to understand it more deeply, he found it was full of physics knowledge. Naturally, he was motivated to study physics well.

“That’s just one example—I hope parents can take it as a reference. After all, I am a first-time father, making my first attempt at raising a child.

“Life is like archery; dreams are the target. If you can’t even find your target, what is the point of drawing your bow every day?”

When Lin Lang finished, the parents and Teacher Mei by the door all fell silent, lost in thought.

Perhaps children truly shouldn’t devote all their energy solely to studying?