Chapter 1056: Aiming to Surpass Daddy

Ms. Jiang clearly hadn’t expected such a young woman to be the mother of two boys. With a slightly apologetic smile, she said, “You look far too young! Well, here’s the situation–earlier, that boy came in because his grandmother insisted he take lessons. At first, he was full of confidence, but after just one session, he absolutely couldn’t take it anymore. No matter what we said, he refused to continue and is now running around saying he wants to have us ‘executed’.

“If you’re considering enrolling your children in this class, they need to be prepared. Art may seem glamorous on the surface, but the learning process is grueling. To achieve any level of competence, one must be diligent and hardworking. Many of our younger students struggle with this–just like that boy earlier. They throw small tantrums daily, big tantrums every three days, and some even sneak away entirely.”

Ms. Jiang sighed, a weary smile appearing on her face.

Gu Zi nodded in understanding. “I see your point. But personally, I believe choosing an extracurricular activity should be up to the child. I won’t interfere. So, do either of you want to sign up for this class?” She glanced at her two sons before adding, “Let me make this clear–once you sign up, you’re committed. At the very least, you’ll stick it out for the entire summer.”

Gu Zi had already decided to let her sons make their own choices. She wouldn’t interfere, but the rules had to be set–once they made a decision, they had to take responsibility for it.

The moment Su Li heard his mother’s question, he thought back to the boy who had run out crying just moments ago. He had no idea what had driven the boy to flee, but that wailing had shaken him to his core.

This class must be terrifying!

Instinctively, he took a step back–there was no way he was learning the accordion.

In contrast, Su Bing stepped forward confidently. “Mom, I want to enroll.”

Unlike his brother, Su Bing wasn’t concerned about why that boy had fled in tears–it had nothing to do with him. He had already made up his mind before coming here. He wanted to take an arts-related class.

He had noticed that in her free time, his mother loved listening to classical music on the radio. She must adore elegant, cultured artists.

If he could embody more of the qualities she admired, maybe she would love him even more. The accordion counted as an art form, didn’t it? Then he would learn it.

Ms. Jiang was taken aback. This boy, still so young, was making a decision with unwavering determination, completely unfazed by external influences. Clearly, he was independent-minded and had the perseverance needed to endure hardship.

And judging by his overall demeanor, he had the makings of a true artist.

Ms. Jiang had always valued talent, so she wasted no time in ushering them inside. She handed over the enrollment form, eager for Su Bing to fill in his details. She had a strong feeling–this student would be one of her best!

Once Su Bing finished signing up, Su Li also found a class he wanted to join.

To Gu Zi’s mild astonishment, her mischievous younger son, who usually sought out the most entertaining activities, had bypassed all the fun-looking options and signed up for… calligraphy.

Gu Zi raised an eyebrow but didn’t say much. She was curious to see just how long he would last.

With both boys enrolled, their summer vacation had officially begun. Gu Zi had no concerns about Su Bing quitting midway as his resolve was unwavering.

Instead, she turned her attention to Su Li, wondering how long it would take for him to crack under the pressure of calligraphy lessons. But as the days went by, to her surprise, that moment never came.

A week passed, and not once did Su Li complain or try to drop out. In fact, he seemed even more committed than before. After coming home from class, he would voluntarily spend an extra hour in the study practicing his strokes.

Gu Zi’s curiosity got the better of her. One evening, she finally asked, “Su Li, what’s with this sudden passion for calligraphy?”

Su Li glanced around to make sure no one else was listening before leaning in conspiratorially. “Mom, you have to promise not to tell anyone… I want to surpass Dad. You once said his handwriting was beautiful, right? Well, I’m going to make mine even better!”

Originally, Su Li had wanted to learn butchering–yes, butchering. If he could be the best butcher in the family, that would be the most direct way to surpass his father.

But after scanning the available extracurriculars, he quickly realized there wasn’t a single class dedicated to the art of slaughtering pigs.

However, when he spotted the calligraphy course, he suddenly remembered his mother’s praise for his father’s elegant handwriting. That sealed the deal–if he couldn’t outdo his father with a cleaver, he’d do it with a brush!

Gu Zi didn’t fully grasp the bizarre competitive logic behind her younger son’s decision, but if it kept him focused and driven, then why not? She patted his head and said, “Well then, work hard and surpass your dad.”

Little did she know, those words would ignite a fire in Su Li.

The next morning, as Gu Zi came downstairs, she heard Su Bing’s voice. “Mom, Su Li didn’t sleep in his room last night. He’s fast asleep in the study.”

Gu Zi paused. That silly boy… Had he seriously stayed up all night practicing calligraphy?

She grabbed a small blanket and headed straight for the study.