CHAPTER 388: CHAPTER 388: FIGHTING IS COMMUNICATION

Yuan Shixiang turned around in surprise when she heard someone approaching and immediately smiled upon seeing Xu Xiuxiu. Her gaze then landed on Song Chengguang, whose head was shaved clean, and she curiously reached out to touch his head with a laughing remark, "Chengguang has actually gone bald! Did your mom make you shave your head? But, Chengguang, you look really cute and handsome with a bald head." After complimenting Song Chengguang genuinely, Yuan Shixiang then looked up and said with an expression that said I knew you would come looking for me, "You came because my rascal dragged Chengguang into some mischief, right?"

"Indeed," Xu Xiuxiu nodded with a smile.

"Xiuxiu, you really have such a good temperament. If it weren’t for my little troublemaker, a well-behaved child like Chengguang wouldn’t get into a fight! And you’re not even mad at me. I thought you came to tell me that you forbid Shi Yu from playing with Chengguang anymore!" Yuan Shixiang had dealt with many parents because of Shi Yu, and although relationships started harmoniously, they often broke down suddenly after the children, led by Shi Yu, got into a fight, making things very awkward among the adults.

Today, when she heard that Shi Yu had taken Song Chengguang to fight, she felt a bit worried and was mentally prepared; after all, Xu Xiuxiu was a mother who cared deeply for her child. However, seeing Xu Xiuxiu’s calm and smiling attitude, she knew she had met a charming friend who could distinguish right from wrong.

"I know Shi Yu is a good kid, so I don’t think I need to stop him from associating with Chengguang!" Xu Xiuxiu seriously shared her thoughts. You could say that Shi Yu was usually noisy and even fought, but when he and Chengguang played at home, they were also noisy and rowdy, yet Xu Xiuxiu could still see that Shi Yu was a good kid, just a bit strong-willed.

"I came to talk about how to deal with this morning’s incident. After all, Chengguang and Shi Yu made five other kids cry, so we should at least go and apologize," she said.

"You really don’t think Shi Yu is a bad influence on Chengguang?" Yuan Shixiang didn’t respond to what Xu Xiuxiu had said but asked with some astonishment about her main concern.

Xu Xiuxiu casually shook her head, "I don’t think so."

Seeing this, Yuan Shixiang immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "Xiuxiu, you just relax! These kids fighting really isn’t a big deal. I’m used to Shi Yu fighting, and besides, the children in the military district are quite tough, and the parents aren’t that meticulous. Even the girls are raised roughly. Besides, kids bumping into each other is normal, right? Don’t worry too much. When you bring Song Chengguang to apologize later, just take my little rascal with you as well." Yuan Shixiang had handled many such incidents, making them routine for her.

Previously, when Shi Yu had his first fight, she was also nervous and earnestly brought gifts to apologize in person. But after repeatedly going through this process, her heart had grown numb, and now with Xu Xiuxiu—someone with a good temperament and plenty of patience—around, and since Shi Yu and Song Chengguang got along well, she felt she could comfortably leave the matter of her son’s fights to Xu Xiuxiu in the future.

"And besides, the other side had five people, and Qiu Tongbing was bigger than both our kids combined. The key is he also had four helpers. Five against two, and they still lost. If you’re going to make a big deal out of that, the other side should have some shame! Who would boast when their skills are inferior?" It couldn’t be denied that Yuan Shixiang and Song Yuanhuan had identical views regarding kids fighting, with Yuan Shixiang’s description of Qiu Tongbing being that of the chubby kid who got beaten up.

"It’s normal for kids to fight, but not everything can be resolved through fighting. The children are all still young. We need to remind them and instill the correct thoughts in them—constantly fighting is not a solution!" Xu Xiuxiu knew that Yuan Shixiang let Shi Yu grow up loosely, but she hadn’t expected this woman to go so far with her son’s free-range upbringing.

"Xiuxiu, don’t worry! Our two children are both good." Yuan Shixiang had full trust in Shi Yu. "I know what kind of temperament Shi Yu has so I give him full trust. Your Cheng Guang is the same, smart and sensible. Don’t think fighting is bad; fights among children are actually a part of growing up. As parents, besides showing them full trust, we just need to guide them properly. Besides, it’s not like they beat someone up without a reason?" Yuan Shixiang wasn’t preaching but simply expressing her own views.

"Look at why they took on five with two today. It’s because that little chubby kid was running his mouth, and they just dealt with him," Yuan Shixiang pointed out the crux, "Put yourself in their shoes. What would we do if we were verbally insulted? We’re adults, we know how to behave, but we would still strike back, only our way as adults is to reason out; the so-called ’gentleman uses his words, not his fists.’ But they are still children; only a few years old. Do you really expect them to reason out when wronged? No, their way of reasoning is through fighting, and fighting is their way of communicating."

"There are no children in this world who don’t fight. Even the most well-behaved and sensible child will fight, and it’s alright as long as it’s not intentional harm. As long as they are in the right, I won’t stop them or be harsh on them because if we forcibly stop them, that’s stifling their nature. I don’t want my children to feel wronged and helpless," Yuan Shixiang straightforwardly stated her point of view.

She knew very well that being too permissive with her children could end up causing issues, but as adults, it’s not feasible to monitor every action of their children all the time. Nor is banning fighting necessarily the most appropriate educational approach. Letting go a bit and worrying less, the children will naturally grow up, plus, it’s not like their father isn’t around!

"Alright then!" Xu Xiuxiu felt persuaded by Yuan Shixiang’s laissez-faire approach.

She knew Song Chengguang was a good kid and worried about him picking up bad habits. Yet, hearing Yuan Shixiang’s carefree attitude, she somehow felt that her own worries might be unnecessary. She should trust Song Chengguang, trust that he already had the ability to discern right from wrong.

"I’ll be taking Cheng Guang home now," she thought and decided to take Song Chengguang home.

"Okay, take care on your way," Yuan Shixiang nodded, and as if remembering something at the last second, she called out to Xu Xiuxiu’s departing figure, "You could also ask Shi Yu’s father how he handles things. Our family reached a consensus on parenting long ago. Incidents like today are generally handled by Shi Yan Ting." It seemed she added that last part lest Xu Xiuxiu thought she was too indifferent or forcibly argumentative.

"Alright." Hearing this, Xu Xiuxiu suddenly smiled as she walked away.