Futile Devices Scans

The adults were chatting animatedly inside the house when suddenly a startling burst of crying erupted from the children playing together in the courtyard. Several loud wails overlapped, truly shaking the place. The adults immediately rushed outside and saw the Shen family’s grandson’s wife hurrying over to pick up her own son and daughter.

Wang Cheng walked toward Kun Kun, who was sitting in the sand absentmindedly playing with it. He was the only child who hadn’t cried, giving the strange impression that he might have been the one who caused the others to cry—but Wang Cheng knew that wasn’t possible.

After asking around, they learned that the fifth son’s child and the fourth son’s child had been fighting over a toy. Neither was willing to give in, and the two naughty kids ended up pushing each other. The fifth son’s child accidentally sat on a small stone, hurting his bottom, and immediately burst into tears. Hearing him cry, the fourth son’s child also began crying loudly—the loudest of all. Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought he had suffered a great injustice. The other children were influenced by their crying, and so the scene everyone had witnessed came to be.

“Kun Kun is still the best. Every time this bunch of little brats cries and fusses nonstop, the only one who stays calm is Kun Kun. He doesn’t cry or make trouble—what a worry-free child,” said the Shen family’s fifth son, glancing at his own son and then at Kun Kun, who remained calm as if nothing had happened. He couldn’t help but feel envious every time. If only this child were his! Of course, he only dared think it—once he had accidentally said it out loud and ended up being punished by his wife to kneel on a keyboard. It was truly miserable!

At first, Wang Cheng had simply thought Kun Kun was a sensible child. Now, with comparison, he felt even more strongly that Kun Kun was especially obedient and lovable.

Old Master Chu and Old Master Shen came out. By then, the children had gradually calmed down, though their mothers felt somewhat embarrassed. In front of others, having their children outperformed was a bit painful. Fortunately, Old Master Chu didn’t intend to stay long. He called for Wang Cheng and Chu Yifeng, and they soon left.

As they walked out of the Shen family’s gate, Old Master Chu’s smile grew even wider. He kindly patted Kun Kun’s little head. “Kun Kun did very well today. This is the great-grandson of me, Chu Guoyi, hahaha!”

Wang Cheng suddenly had a suspicion—the old master might have brought them here just to outshine Old Master Shen’s great-grandchildren. Although he couldn’t compete in numbers, the quality clearly surpassed theirs. A trace of cold sweat appeared on Wang Cheng’s forehead. Truly shameless for someone of his age.

By the time they returned to the Chu family, it was almost ten o’clock. Old Master Chu went upstairs, while Wang Cheng went to the kitchen to bring out a small bowl of mashed potato for Kun Kun. The moment Kun Kun saw it, his eyes lit up. Before Wang Cheng even reached him, he had already sat up properly.

“Since you were very well-behaved today and made your great-grandfather proud, I’ll reward you with a small bowl of mashed potato.”

Seeing this, Chu Yifeng said, “If you do this, he’ll repeat the same behavior to earn your rewards and sympathy. Smart kids are quite cunning.”

Just like before—Kun Kun used to cling to Chu Yifeng. One time, for some reason, Shen Qing couldn’t get him to eat no matter how she tried. In the end, she had no choice but to ask Chu Yifeng for help, and Kun Kun finally ate. After that, he tried the same trick again. Shen Qing and Chu Wenting didn’t notice, but Chu Yifeng did.

“It’s fine,” Wang Cheng said without turning around. “The same trick only works once with me.”

Kun Kun blinked.

Chu Yifeng couldn’t help but laugh.

Wang Cheng let Kun Kun eat by himself, then sat beside Chu Yifeng. Using a toothpick, he picked up a piece of apple and fed it to Chu Yifeng. Only after he ate did Wang Cheng pick up another piece for himself.

Chu Yifeng suddenly remembered something. “Did you forget the three-day deadline your grandfather gave you? Today is the last day. Have you figured out how to reply to him?”

The piece of apple on Wang Cheng’s toothpick dropped to the floor.

Chu Yifeng chuckled. “You really forgot?”

“Why did you have to remind me? If I forgot, just let me forget,” Wang Cheng said, immediately losing his appetite for fruit. He picked up the fallen apple and threw it into the trash, then curled up on the sofa, looking utterly lifeless.

Not long after, the Old Madam and the two daughters-in-law finally returned. As soon as they entered the living room, they saw Wang Cheng lying there with a blank expression, staring vacantly at Kun Kun playing across from him, as if his soul had wandered off. They thought something had happened.

“What’s wrong?” the Old Madam asked Chu Yifeng, who was idly watching TV.

Chu Yifeng answered cryptically, “Today is the last day.”

The Old Madam immediately understood. “Then think it through carefully.”

“Mom, what are you and Yifeng talking about?” Chu Lei’s wife, Wang Xiuli, asked curiously after helping the Old Madam sit down.

Jiang Zhuqing, sitting nearby, also looked equally curious.

The Old Madam didn’t know what she was thinking, but she actually told the two daughters-in-law about the reason for Wang Cheng’s worries. By the time Wang Cheng came back to his senses, he saw the two elders staring at him with bright, intent eyes, which made him feel even more awkward.

“Zhou Cheng, actually, children are very adorable. Look at Kun Kun—you’ve only taken care of him for a day or two, right? Isn’t he very cute, well-behaved, and obedient? You might not like children much right now, but once you have your own child, you’ll realize that children are like angels to their parents,” Wang Xiuli patiently persuaded him. Her voice was gentle, and when she spoke softly, it felt like a spring breeze brushing against one’s face, making her words especially convincing.

“……”

Wang Cheng: Did I miss something?

“What’s wrong?” Wang Xiuli asked when she saw his speechless expression, thinking she might have said something wrong.

Wang Cheng quickly shook his head. “No, I just think Kun Kun is indeed very well-behaved.”

Wang Xiuli smiled. “Right? What you’ve seen is only the tip of the iceberg. Weren’t you surprised last night that even though Kun Kun’s parents weren’t around, he didn’t cry or fuss looking for them?”

Wang Cheng nodded.

“Actually, as long as children are taught the right way, they’re quite easy to care for. Take Kun Kun, for example—his parents aren’t like other parents who stay by their child’s side all the time. Sometimes, they even deliberately leave him with a nanny or someone else for a day or two. At first, the child may not get used to it, but over time, things improve. Later on, even if his parents aren’t around, he won’t go around crying for them.”

“Is that so?” Wang Cheng thought about it carefully. Kun Kun’s behavior at the Shen family’s house today had indeed been much more worry-free than that of the other children.

Jiang Zhuqing also chimed in, “What your third aunt said is right. If you don’t know how to raise a child in the future, you can always come back to the Chu family and ask Shen Qing for advice. If a child learns independence from a young age, it saves the adults a lot of trouble later on. Unlike other families, who still have to worry about their children’s rebellious teenage years.” Her speaking up surprised everyone, and the Old Madam even nodded with a smile.

Wang Cheng had thought Jiang Zhuqing didn’t like him, but hearing this, it seemed she no longer had any prejudice against him. He immediately smiled. “Both aunts make very good points.”

“There’s a saying: having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Actually, having a child in the family can also be a treasure. Children bring a lot of joy to adults. Life is going to pass anyway—wouldn’t having a child make things livelier?” Wang Xiuli and Jiang Zhuqing took turns speaking, and both made very reasonable points. Wang Cheng imagined it for a moment and felt that having a child at home did seem quite nice. No one interrupted his thoughts. Meanwhile, after Kun Kun finished the mashed potato in his bowl, he carried a cup over to Wang Cheng.

Wang Cheng glanced at the cup, then at Kun Kun’s mouth, which was smeared with mashed potato. Resigned, he helped pour him water and wiped his mouth clean.

Seeing this scene, everyone smiled knowingly.

What Wang Cheng didn’t realize was that he was actually quite suited to being a parent. He was patient and attentive. Under his care, Kun Kun had been improving steadily. Although Kun Kun seemed easy for adults to manage, children like him were actually harder to raise. Because they were intelligent and sensible, they weren’t as lively as ordinary children. When they wanted something, they wouldn’t express it directly. A child lacking childlike innocence might be mistaken as having a withdrawn personality. If their feelings were ignored, they might even develop into an autistic child. Of course, Kun Kun didn’t currently show such tendencies, but that didn’t mean he could be overlooked. Since Wang Cheng arrived, Kun Kun had become noticeably more lively—for example, pretending to sleep and trying to sneak out of the room, something he wouldn’t have done before.

After dinner that evening, Wang Cheng handed Kun Kun over to Chu Yifeng and went out into the courtyard alone. He spent half an hour pacing back and forth, trampling the lawn countless times. Finally, he let out a sigh and made an important decision. Then, when he saw no one around, he secretly took out his phone and called his older brother, asking him to pass the phone to their grandfather. The old man didn’t have a mobile phone, but he usually stayed in fixed locations, so he could be reached through people around him.

Tonight was the final day of the three-day deadline. The old man wasn’t surprised to receive Wang Cheng’s call. He asked Zheng Jing’en to step out before speaking. From the other end of the line came Wang Cheng’s hesitant voice. In truth, he had already guessed the answer—if Wang Cheng didn’t agree, he wouldn’t have made this call.

After hanging up, Zheng Heng recalled what had happened a few days earlier when the Old Madam from the Chu family had come to see him. The two had talked for more than ten minutes. No one knew they had met, and even if someone did, they wouldn’t be able to guess what they had discussed. He had never imagined that his grandson would have such capability. The stern, weathered expression on his face slowly softened into a faint smile. So be it. Then he picked up the room’s telephone and dialed a number.

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