IN eastern China, a teenager has dropped out of school after making 10,000 yuan (approx. RM6,086) in just 10 days from running a snack stall.
This decision was influenced by his mother, Deng, who wanted him to understand the value of hard work.
Deng’s 17-year-old son, Shen, saw his grades slip at a vocational school, prompting Deng to take action.
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When Shen expressed he “didn’t want to go to school anymore”, saying “studying is meaningless,” Deng decided to teach him a lesson about the real-world challenges of earning a living.
Deng, who has been running a fried chicken stall in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, for over three years, believed that exposing Shen to the rigours of work would motivate him.
“He didn’t want to face the struggles of school, so I wanted him to tackle the challenges of real life instead. Making money isn’t easy,” she told South China Morning Post.
Under her guidance, Shen set up a snack stall using a modified electric bike. To Deng’s surprise, Shen quickly adapted to the demanding routine.
He earned 10,000 yuan in just 10 days, working from 9am to prepare food and then selling it from 4pm until 3am, after a 13-km ride to the stall location.
Deng attributed Shen’s success to his hard work and the support of loyal customers. Shen’s new goal is to save enough money to buy an electric tricycle.
Despite Deng’s efforts to persuade him to stay in school, Shen chose to continue working.
“He is very diligent. I didn’t expect him to get so addicted to the work.”
“A 17-year-old child has independent thoughts. As parents, all we can do is provide our support,” she said.
“If he can’t live the life he wants, he won’t be happy. My priority is for my son to be healthy and happy. I only need to guide him to not do anything illegal.”
The 17-year-old boy’s decision to drop out of school to run a snack stall has ignited discussions on social media about different parenting approaches in China.
One Weibo user remarked: “School is not the only path in life. If someone lacks interest in studying, mastering a skill to earn a living is also a valuable option.”
Another user noted: “Compared to traditional ‘tiger mums’, Deng respects her son’s thoughts instead of forcing him to study.”
In China, “tiger mums” and “wolf dads” are terms used for strict parents who enforce rigorous academic expectations.
Recently, a growing number of young Chinese parents are adopting a “Buddha-like” approach, focusing more on their children’s overall well-being rather than solely on academic achievement.
