Likewise, someone who earns excellent grades may still need time to develop professional confidence and practical skills.
Shen's story challenges the assumption that weak academic performance always indicates a lack of discipline.
His mother described him as hardworking once he began operating the food stall.
His reported schedule required substantial commitment.
He prepared food during the day and sold it late into the night.
He traveled to his selling location and continued working despite the demanding hours.
Those actions suggest that he was capable of sustained effort when he found the activity worthwhile.
This does not mean his decision to leave school was necessarily wise.
It means his academic difficulties should not automatically be confused with an inability to work hard.
For parents and educators, that distinction can be useful.
When a young person becomes disengaged from school, understanding the reason may be more productive than simply increasing pressure.
Does the student struggle with the material?
Are they uncertain about their goals?
Do they prefer hands-on learning?
Are there social or emotional difficulties affecting their performance?
Or do they need help understanding how education connects to their interests?
The answers can vary considerably.
In some cases, practical projects may help restore academic motivation.
In others, students may benefit from different educational programs or career guidance.
Shen was already attending a vocational school focused on culinary arts, making his situation particularly interesting.
He had access to an educational pathway related to the food industry.
Yet he preferred operating a stall.
That raises the possibility that the format of learning, rather than the subject alone, influenced his attitude.
A structured training environment and an independent business can teach related skills in very different ways.
The challenge is finding a balance between practical enthusiasm and the broader knowledge that may support long-term development.
The Importance of Vocational Education
Shen's experience also highlights a common misunderstanding about education.
Education does not have to mean following a purely academic route.
Vocational programs can prepare students for practical careers in fields such as cooking, hospitality, manufacturing, construction, technology, and healthcare support.
These programs may combine classroom instruction with workshops, practical training, and workplace experience.
For someone interested in operating a food business, vocational education can be especially relevant.
Learning to prepare food is only one part of running a successful operation.
Food safety, ingredient storage, hygiene, equipment maintenance, budgeting, and customer service all matter.
Training can help young entrepreneurs develop those skills systematically.
It can also introduce them to industry standards and career options beyond a single small business.
For example, someone who begins by selling fried chicken may eventually want to manage a restaurant, develop a catering service, work in commercial food production, or train other cooks.
Those ambitions can require additional knowledge.
Business owners may also benefit from understanding accounting, marketing, inventory management, and applicable regulations.
Some of these skills can be learned through experience.
Others may be easier to acquire through structured instruction.
The two approaches are not mutually exclusive.
A young person can work while studying.
They can pursue practical training after gaining business experience.
They can return to education later in life.
Or they can combine formal courses with independent learning.
The most important point is that education and entrepreneurship do not have to be opposing choices.
Shen's enthusiasm for selling food could potentially have been connected to his vocational studies.
His practical experience might have helped him understand why certain subjects were useful.
And his studies might have helped him improve the business.
The original reports do not establish whether he eventually explored such a combination.
But the possibility demonstrates why the story should not be reduced to a simple message that business is better than school.
A more useful interpretation is that learning can occur in multiple environments.
The challenge is choosing a path that supports both immediate motivation and long-term opportunity.
The Difference Between Making Sales and Building a Sustainable Business
Shen's 10-day success was impressive enough to attract media attention, but it also provides an opportunity to examine what makes a small business sustainable.
A successful beginning is encouraging.
It can demonstrate that customers are interested in a product and that the owner is capable of attracting sales.
However, long-term business success requires more than one strong period.
A street-food vendor must consistently provide food that customers want to purchase.
The quality needs to remain reliable.
Prices must cover expenses while remaining acceptable to customers.
Ingredients must be available.
Equipment needs to function properly.
And the owner must be able to manage the physical and financial demands of operating the business.
Customer loyalty is particularly important.
Deng attributed part of her son's early success to supportive regular customers.
That suggests that personal relationships and repeat purchases may have played a role in the stall's performance.
For a food business, repeat customers can provide a valuable foundation.
Someone who enjoys a meal may return and recommend the stall to friends.
Consistent quality can strengthen those relationships.
But customer demand can also change.
Weather, competition, location, seasonal patterns, and economic conditions may influence sales.
A vendor who earns substantial revenue during one period may experience slower business during another.
That uncertainty is one reason why financial planning matters.
Business owners need to understand their expenses, manage cash flow, and prepare for unexpected costs.
A mobile stall may require equipment repairs.
Food prices may rise.
Transportation costs can change.
And some products may remain unsold.
These are normal business risks, but they become more serious when someone depends entirely on the business for income.
For Shen, learning to manage those challenges would be an important part of developing his entrepreneurial ambitions.
The ability to work hard is valuable.
So is the ability to attract customers.
But a sustainable business also requires planning, judgment, and financial discipline.
His early success suggested potential.
It did not establish that the business would remain profitable indefinitely.
That distinction is especially important when discussing the future of a 17-year-old.
Why His Mother's Experience Was an Important Advantage
Although the story centers on Shen's surprising performance, his mother's role deserves recognition.
Deng had been selling fried chicken for more than three years before introducing her son to the business.