Reaching the age of thirty, my income randomly doubled

Just like Song Wu before him, Chen Qi could only return disappointed.

This can't really be blamed on Chen Pingsheng; compared to Song Chaoqun's previous actions, Hu Qilin's behavior could only be described as even more deplorable.

Under such circumstances, it was natural not to yield any good results.

As usual, Chen Pingsheng took Little Ji Ye out to play, not even giving Hu Qilin a glance, showcasing his disappointment in him.

Little Ji Ye was about to go to kindergarten soon, and Chen Pingsheng decided to intensify his nurturing efforts.

He even invited educational experts and intentionally brought in some little neighbors for Little Ji Ye.

Like the equally smart, adorable, and studious Little Zilin, as well as Duanmu Bao, who was about the same age and particularly sensible.

As the old saying goes, Mrs. Meng moved three times for her son's sake.

Those who associate with virtue become virtuous, those who associate with vice become vicious.

The influence of good neighbors is no less significant than that of teachers.

Among the kids in urban villages, not to mention those of the same age as Little Ji Ye, even those a few years older aren't as sensible or clever as he is.

Kids in urban villages are similar to rural kids, generally raised in a laissez-faire manner.

So-called laissez-faire means parents lack planning and only provide some punitive education when their children err.

They have no idea how to properly guide their children to grow up, or how best to cultivate their children's character.

Everything is left to take its course until the children grow up and face the harsh realities of society, which is when they rapidly mature.

And the cost of such maturation is often exceedingly brutal.

Little Ji Ye, however, is different; his future direction has been set, everything guided towards that path.

No need to try too hard, just needing a grandfather with righteous values and extraordinary wisdom, along with a group of good neighbors, as well as Liu Qingqing, a poverty-stricken graduate from Qingbei living at home to reverse fate, to teach him.

With such a setup, it might truly be possible to cultivate a qualified heir.

This illustrates how difficult it is for poor families to produce a distinguished child.

After the rooftop swimming pool at home was completed, Little Ji Ye no longer had to sneak into his mom's villa to swim; he could happily paddle at home.

He couldn't be happier.

Kids are so easily satisfied and find happiness so simple.

At the end of August, Chen Pingsheng took him to register for kindergarten, and An'an also came over.

Kindergartens nowadays aren't like before; earlier, one had to think of ways to secure a spot in a good kindergarten.

Nowadays, it's just a matter of paying the fees, with the amount determining the dedication of the kindergarten teachers.

After over a decade of development, the birth rate continues to steadily decline.

The rate of decrease varies yearly, and many believe that a smaller population would lead to improved welfare benefits in various areas.

Even the degree of societal pressure would greatly diminish, but that's wishful thinking.

In the 1990s, the country's rapid development heavily relied on population welfare.

After all, looking globally, no one is more diligent, more willing to work overtime, and lacking union organization as much as Huaxia people.

We're talking about places where incomes are so low they're practically negligible; that's how the world's factory came to be.

Subsequent developments involved real estate driving domestic demand, improving infrastructure and living conditions.

Without real estate, cities couldn't be built so beautifully, nor could rural areas have roads everywhere.

Later came the internet, which waged an information war, essentially shifting industry funds from one sector to another.

It's still an economy driven by domestic demand.

Until the country strongly supported new energy, tilting massive resources toward technology to complete industrial upgrades.

This marks the advent of genuine global competition.

To truly become developed in the full sense requires achievements in global trade, including the technology sector.

The long-term impact of decreasing birth rates is overwhelmingly negative rather than positive.

At least, that's how Chen Pingsheng saw it.

But it's a problem that's unavoidable; young people are under increasing life pressure, too scared to have children, or unable to afford having them. These have been pressing issues for over a decade.

The kindergarten Little Ji Ye attends costs more than fifty thousand a year in tuition.

If additional costs are factored in, it's no less than eighty thousand a year.

And this isn't even a well-known kindergarten, just one considered good in their area.

Wanting to live in such a mega-city, even if a couple only raises one child, without a combined annual income of twenty to thirty thousand, the pressure is immense.

To get their child into the best schools and win on the so-called starting line, a million annual salary is just an entry fee.

Adding varied interest classes is another bottomless pit.

Countless young and beautiful mothers have committed absurd acts prompted by the saying about winning on the starting line.

Up until now, Chen Pingsheng remembers a young mother who willingly became the principal's lover.

She was one who could be summoned at will and dismissed just as easily.

Who knows whether her child, when grown, might be psychologically affected.

And such incidents aren't isolated.

The kindergarten Little Ji Ye attends can only be considered low-tier; it can't really match his true status.

But compared to kids in urban villages, it's the best treatment he could have.

Paying over fifty thousand a year in tuition isn't something the average family can afford.

Some kindergartens offer twenty-four hour care, also called boarding.

Busy parents would naturally send their kids to kindergarten.

After Little Ji Ye starts kindergarten, he'll surely gain a lot of new friends.

And he'll also have more time during the day.

Chen Pingsheng planned to give himself some additional responsibilities, aside from taking care of his child, by spending more time on his agricultural projects, including those involving his son, Chen Lu.

He can't really let his only son work in the HR department for too long.

That's just too inconsistent with his status.

Once Chen Lu adapted, he quickly got along with his colleagues.

He even liked his current job, helping interns and recent graduates, was quite fulfilling for him.

This sense of fulfillment was something Chen Lu had been lacking for ages, so he enjoyed it.

Chen Pingsheng rode a little electric scooter to find his son, totally dispelling any notion of him being a corporate connection.

When Chen Lu came downstairs to meet his father, he was accompanied by a female colleague.

The girl quite liked him, but Chen Lu directly told her he was married.

As for her reasons for liking him, they were quite simple; not because he had outstanding job skills, but because he wore a million-dollar watch.

It's just as straightforward as that.

In Peng City, people come and go, mostly workers wandering about.

Bosses generally sit in offices enjoying air conditioning, or are in various upscale locations.

Retired old guys like Chen Pingsheng riding little electric scooters aren't unheard of.