"But he was a good father, a competent one. When we made mistakes, he never punished us harshly with a rod like my classmates' fathers did. Instead, he would bring himself down to our level, patiently explaining what we did wrong, why it was wrong, and teaching us how to handle it the next time.
"Most adults are obsessed with saving face, myself included, but my dad wasn't like that. I remember when I was five, I asked him why our family was so poor we couldn't afford meat while my classmates could eat it every day.
"I can still recall how he looked at me with a hint of guilt and said, 'Zhiming, I'm sorry. That's my fault. But I'll work hard to make money so my good boy can eat meat every day.'
"He was a great father, wasn't he? I, on the other hand, am not a qualified father. I don't know why I didn't inherit that quality from him."
005 remained silent, continuing to listen quietly with no intention of offering an opinion.
