In Yiwu, Zhejiang, China, a 14-year-old boy got into a dispute with his father over his studies and angrily retorted, "At worst, I'll just become a food delivery rider." Unexpectedly, his father didn't scold him, but instead really took him to the streets to experience life as a delivery worker for 20 days during the sweltering summer heat. This "summer challenge," originally arranged for the son to appreciate the hardships of working life, ultimately didn't instantly turn the boy into a model student, but unexpectedly dissolved a longstanding rift between father and son.
According to Chinese media reports, a series of videos titled "Slacker Son Accompanies Laid-back Dad to Experience Food Delivery" has recently gone viral on social media. The 14-year-old, Xiao Hao, is currently in his first year of middle school, has average academic performance, and lacks a clear plan for his future. One day, when scolded for his academic issues, he blurted out "At worst I'll deliver food" in a moment of emotion.
His 40-year-old father, Hao Jie, didn't argue with him further, but instead decided to let his son experience being a food delivery worker firsthand.
He only gave his son 100 yuan RMB (about 60 ringgit) as starting capital. Everything after that—from taking orders to planning delivery routes and managing income—was left entirely to Xiao Hao to decide. Hao Jie rode the electric scooter to drive his son around but did not step in to help with the work arrangements.
Once the job began, Xiao Hao soon discovered that food delivery was not as easy as he imagined. It was peak summer locally, with temperatures reaching nearly 40°C (104°F), and the boy would rush around under the scorching sun every day delivering food. Along the way, he encountered issues such as his phone overheating and becoming unusable, getting penalized for late deliveries, and sometimes even being refused entry by certain restaurants while waiting for orders.
To keep his expenses low, Xiao Hao sometimes chose to skip lunch. After 20 days of firsthand experience, he gradually learned how to calculate his income and expenditures, and began to understand that earning money is not easy. When the experience ended, he even used his earned money to buy 30 cups of lemonade to give to other delivery workers working on the street.
However, in Hao Jie's eyes, the greatest unexpected gain from this experience wasn't that his son "worked hard and suddenly became studious," but rather the obvious improvement in their father-son relationship.
In the past, the father and son would often be at a standoff due to academic issues and even felt distant from each other. But during these 20 days, riding the scooter together and delivering food every day, they actually gained a lot of time to communicate.
Xiao Hao admitted that before, he would feel nervous or even afraid when he saw his father, but now, their interactions are much more relaxed. He’s also more willing to actively discuss problems with his father.
Meanwhile, Hao Jie also took the opportunity to reflect on his parenting methods. He revealed that comments and messages from netizens made him realize that he had been too strict with his son before, yet failed to give enough companionship.
He now believes that raising a child shouldn't rely on constant lecturing, but rather, "less nagging, more companionship" should be the basis of education.
It's worth noting that Xiao Hao also said that since he was able to endure such a tough job like food delivery for 20 days, he hopes to give studying a real try in the future.
This experience sparked much discussion among parents when shared online. Supporters believe that rather than repeatedly telling children "society is tough," it’s better to let them personally understand how hard work can be, letting them build a sense of responsibility through real experience.
However, some people had different views, arguing that letting a 14-year-old minor do strenuous work in hot weather raises concerns about safety and whether such actions comply with relevant regulations. Some parents also worry that if children earn money from such work, they might become interested in making money and grow even less motivated to study.
Additionally, some internet users have questioned whether the entire experience was staged as a "scripted drama" designed to attract attention.
In response, Hao Jie stated that this experience was a very valuable memory for both him and his son, and not a "continuous drama" made just for clicks.