Episode Summary
Liu Xiangshang and Dai Jing learn that their daughter Guobao's "procrastination" is due to misunderstandings, not laziness. After a revealing parent-teacher conference focused on student mental health, Dai Jing apologizes to Guobao. To teach his son Guoning a lesson about responsibility and the value of money, Liu Xiangshang tasks him with babysitting Guobao for a day, which proves to be a chaotic and expensive experience that gives Guoning a much-needed dose of reality.
Spoiler Alert
The Problem with Guobao (and Guoning)
A Parent-Teacher Wake-Up Call
The episode starts with Liu Xiangshang getting called into school. His daughter, Liu Guobao, has a procrastination problem according to her teacher, Ouyang. She’s so slow on her tests that she can’t finish them in time. This is obviously tanking her grades.
So, the parents decide to handle their two problem children separately. Liu Xiangshang talks to his son, Liu Guoning, about the hard realities of money. It’s a practical approach. It actually seems to make Guoning think for a second.
Dai Jing, on the other hand, tries to talk to Guobao. She uses a gentle tone, but she’s really just repeating the teacher’s criticism. She doesn’t ask why Guobao is slow. She just tells her she needs to be faster. This, of course, backfires completely. Guobao gets angry and throws her mom out of her room. She then refuses to eat dinner.
The Real Reason for the Slowdown
The next morning, Guobao bolts out of the house without eating breakfast. Liu Xiangshang sends Guoning after her with some cash for food. This is where things get interesting. While they’re out, Guoning calls his dad and lets him listen in on his conversation with his sister.
We finally learn the truth. Guobao isn’t just being difficult. She ate slowly one day because she had the hiccups. She ran to the bathroom during cleaning duty because drinking a bunch of water gave her a stomach ache. No one bothered to ask her what was wrong. They all, including her own mom, just jumped to conclusions and blamed her. Hearing this, you can’t really blame her for being mad.
A Lesson in Reality
The Teacher's Gambit
At school, Teacher Ouyang holds a special class focused on mental health. He creates a safe space for the students to finally say what’s on their minds. They get to talk about all the things they don’t understand about their parents and are too afraid to say. He then has each student write down one sentence they wish they could say to their parents.
Later, at the parent-teacher conference, Ouyang puts these anonymous messages into a presentation. He shows the parents what their kids are really thinking. He wants them to see how important communication is. The parents are all pretty moved. Ouyang does admit he feels guilty for breaking his promise to the students to keep their words secret.
The Babysitting Disaster
Back at home, Dai Jing apologizes to Guobao for not listening. Guobao forgives her, which is a nice moment. But the other kid, Liu Guoning, still doesn’t seem to get it.
So, Liu Xiangshang comes up with a plan. He gives Guoning 200 yuan and puts him in charge of babysitting Guobao for the entire day. The deal is that Guoning can keep whatever money is left over. Dai Jing even throws in a potential 100 yuan bonus if he does a good job.
Guoning has no idea what he’s in for. The day is a complete nightmare. Guobao sleeps in late. She insists on having pizza and fries for lunch. Then she refuses to do her homework until he buys her new stationery. The 200 yuan disappears fast. By dinnertime, the money is gone. Guoning gives up and just makes them both oatmeal porridge.
The Point Is Made
When the parents get home, Guobao immediately starts crying and tells them everything. Guoning is just as frustrated. He complains to his dad about how difficult his sister was all day.
And that was the whole point. Liu Xiangshang’s plan worked perfectly. Guoning finally got a small taste of how hard life can be.
