The people present had peculiar expressions upon hearing this. They found it hard to believe that someone would make such a young child study so much, questioning if there was any childhood left for him.
While other children spent their weekends watching TV or being taken out by their parents for fun, enjoying a balance of work and rest, Song Yicheng's childhood seemed to be entirely consumed by studies, or the path to them.
Looking at Song's mother, who was still chattering excitedly, Yun Duo'er couldn't help but interrupt, "Mom Song, Yicheng is so young, are you sure he can digest so much learning?"
Mom Song cast a proud glance at her son. "Other children might not be able to handle it, but my child is different. He's willing to learn anything I ask him to, and the results are always good. Otherwise, how could he be a genius and be selected for the 'Super Brain' program! I'm also confident that my son will defeat the other contestants. Teacher Duo'er, you've made the right choice by selecting my son."
Yun Duo'er smiled, her agreement uncertain.
"You've asked your first question, so what's your second?" Mom Song had endless topics when it came to her son.
"It's about Yicheng learning so much every day. Aren't you afraid he'll get tired? Even machines have their breaking points. Yicheng is so young, spending his days solely on studying. I think he should have some personal time, to do whatever he wants, to balance work and rest."
Unexpectedly, her words were met with strong opposition from Mom Song. "Time is precious, how can it be wasted! Children must be disciplined from a young age. If you don't supervise him for a day, he can change, you know? A day's change can be rectified, but two, three days, a month, two months… when other children are progressing, how can you catch up if he stagnates? You're still young and haven't had children, so you don't understand how much effort goes into raising one. It's normal not to understand."
Her casual remark instantly reminded Yun Duo'er of Tongtong, causing her expression to become awkward. She wasn't childless, but she hadn't been very involved in his upbringing. Usually, the nanny took care of him. She was rarely home, and her son wasn't very close to her. Therefore, she couldn't understand parents who pressured their children to study in every way possible for their future success.
Finally, she could only reply blankly, "Learning is important, of course, but it can't be just endless studying. Won't the child be too tired?"
Both the director and the cameraman agreed with her words. They had initially assumed Song Yicheng could solve high school math problems at such a young age due to his high intelligence. They never imagined that this was how geniuses were made, and they couldn't fathom what Song Yicheng's days were like.
If the audience knew that to cultivate a genius child, parents would monopolize all their available time, force them to learn various subjects, and end up with such peculiar personalities, perhaps most parents would not do this.
"I don't make my son study all the time. Sometimes, when he's tired from studying, I let him watch TV or play chess. Isn't that relaxing too?"
Mom Song's answer made everyone recall Song Yicheng's earlier words. Indeed, he watched TV, but it was only documentaries, never the cartoons he liked. And when playing chess, it was with the goal of achieving higher ranks, not purely for relaxation.
Mom Song didn't believe she was wrong; instead, she was very proud. "I must say, my son is a rare genius. Look at him, only nine years old, and he's proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Others can only envy him."
After speaking, she walked over to Song Yicheng, took the pen from his hand, and said, "Good son, you can write the test later. Play the piano for everyone now."
Song Yicheng, his pen taken away, was about to get angry. But when his mother's sharp gaze swept over him, he got scared and dared not say anything more. He obediently stood up, ready to go to the living room to play the piano.
After taking a few steps, he noticed his shoelace was untied and said, "Mom, please tie my shoelace."
"Okay, Mom will tie it for you!" Mom Song immediately crouched down and tied her son's shoelace.
The onlookers exchanged bewildered glances. Song Yicheng was nine years old, so he should be able to tie his own shoelaces. Having his mother do it for him indicated a level of pampered indulgence.
However, Mom Song's words after tying the shoelace completely shattered their perception of reality. "I make my son focus all his energy on studying, so I do everything for him, like dressing, tying shoelaces, and eating. But this approach does have its benefits. When my son eats, I feed him while he recites the Xinhua Dictionary. You know how thick the Xinhua Dictionary is, with so many pages of knowledge. He has memorized it all, and can recite it backwards. If you don't believe me, I'll show you the dictionary later. You can open any page, and he can accurately tell you its contents."
Mom Song spoke with immense pride.
Yun Duo'er's eyes widened. This child, unable to dress or eat by himself at this age, lacking basic life skills, how would he survive without them? Was he a genius or an idiot? She began to doubt. However, the program was a competition of brains, not life experience, so Song Yicheng might still achieve a good ranking.
The director secretly shook her head. If she posted this video, Mom Song would be heavily criticized for ruining her son. What was the point of being able to solve problems or knowing many things if it wasn't for a better life? But Song Yicheng probably had no survival skills at all and couldn't take care of himself. They were young now and could manage his daily life. But what about when they were old, or gone? Who would care for Song Yicheng as meticulously as she did? Even with money, one could hire a nanny, but there were many cases of nannies abusing their employers in real life. Therefore, Mom Song's actions were not helping Song Yicheng, but harming him.
Later, everyone moved to the living room, where a white grand piano was placed. "To help my son learn the piano well, I specifically bought an imported piano with excellent sound quality. This piano alone cost me over three hundred thousand yuan!" In the living room, Mom Song inadvertently flaunted her wealth. Thirty thousand yuan was enough to buy a house outright in a small county town. Few ordinary people would spend so much on a piano. But for Mom Song, this was just an initial investment, which would eventually yield returns of tenfold or even a hundredfold.
Afterwards, she asked Song Yicheng to play Pachelbel's Canon, a piece with considerable difficulty. Song Yicheng played it exceptionally well, without a single mistake. However, it lacked the unique emotion, sounding merely like cold music.