Everything had been going according to Cheng Xing's plan. Given his past academic record, his father would undoubtedly choose to hire a private tutor rather than send him to a tutoring center. A tutor at home would allow his parents to closely monitor his studies, ensuring that he was making progress and staying dedicated to his schoolwork.
Sending him to a tutoring center, on the other hand, would make it difficult for them to keep tabs on him. They wouldn't have the time to visit regularly, and verifying his study habits would be a challenge.
With a tutor at home—especially on weekends when his mother was less busy—Cheng Xing would at least be compelled to pretend to study, even if he had no real interest in it.
Cheng Chuan didn't expect Cheng Xing to excel academically. He would be satisfied if Cheng Xing could get into a second-tier or even a third-tier university, or perhaps a junior college.
Cheng Xing's academic performance had been abysmal in the past. He had barely managed to score 300 points on the junior high school entrance exam. As a result, Cheng Chuan had pulled some strings and spent a considerable amount of money to get him into the top high school in the city.
It was rare to find someone who needed to overcome such a significant academic gap. Cheng Chuan felt embarrassed and ashamed when he had to ask others for help.
Fortunately, the education system in Ancheng was less competitive, and it was still possible to get into a good school with a little help. In larger cities with stricter admission requirements, it would have been nearly impossible for Cheng Xing to gain access to a top high school with such a low score.
"Alright, let's do it. When do you want to start your review?" Cheng Chuan asked.
"The sooner, the better. I've fallen behind quite a bit," Cheng Xing replied.
"Your mother and I will visit some tutoring agencies tomorrow morning to see if we can find a suitable tutor," Cheng Chuan said.
"Dad, Mom, I'd prefer to choose my own tutor. If you pick one for me, I might not like them. There are a lot of tutors hanging around the Xinhua Bookstore on Xuezi Street. They're more reliable and dedicated, as they're working independently and have a vested interest in their students' success. I'll find someone from there, and you can vet them later."
"That sounds reasonable. We don't know your preferences, so it's better if you choose someone you like. Just make sure you pick a good one," Deng Ying said.
Cheng Chuan nodded in agreement. "That's fine. You can make the decision yourself."
He added, "Don't choose a mediocre tutor. Since you're serious about studying, find a good one. Don't worry about the cost. We'll cover it."
Cheng Xing nodded.
"It's great that Cheng Xing wants to study hard. But let's not talk about studying right now. We haven't had a family dinner in a while. Little Xing, what do you want to eat tonight? Your dad will treat us," Deng Ying said with a smile.
"Since Dad's treating, let's go to Xiangyu Restaurant. Their fish dishes are really good," Cheng Xing suggested, smiling.
"Alright, Xiangyu Restaurant it is," Deng Ying agreed.
Xiangyu Restaurant was a well-known local spot, famous for its fish dishes. It held special significance for Cheng Xing—it was where he had shared his last meal with his classmates before the college entrance exam and where he had asked Chen Qing out for the first time.
Xuezi Street, Xinhua Bookstore
Jiang Luxi wiped the sweat from her forehead. Despite it being autumn, the afternoon sun still beat down relentlessly, pushing the temperature close to 30 degrees Celsius.
She had finished the bottle of water she had brought from home, but not a single person had approached her for tutoring services—not one inquiry.
Looking up at the sun, Jiang Luxi sighed. It wasn't the heat that bothered her, but the fact that it was already past three in the afternoon. The sun was beginning to set, and she had been standing in the same spot all day, wasting her time.
As Ancheng's largest street, Xuezi Street, also known as Scholar Street, was usually bustling with people, especially at night. Maybe, if she stayed a little longer, someone would come by to ask for tutoring, and she could earn a few hours of work.
But she couldn't afford to wait much longer.
If she couldn't find a student by five, she would have to give up and head home. Her grandmother was waiting for her, and she needed to return before it got too late.
The two-hour ride home by bicycle meant that if she left at five, she wouldn't get there until seven. Her grandmother would be worried if she was late.
Another hour passed in what felt like the blink of an eye, and soon, it was five o'clock.
Still, no one had come.
Jiang Luxi wiped the sweat off her face with her sleeve, packed up her sign, and placed it in the basket of her bicycle before riding back home.
By the time she arrived, it was completely dark.
She parked her bike in the yard and walked into the house.
"Grandma, it's dark outside. Why didn't you turn on the light?" Jiang Luxi asked, concerned.
"It doesn't matter. Why waste that money?" replied the old woman, her face yellowed and her body hunched with age.
"What if you trip?" Jiang Luxi quickly stepped forward to help her. "It doesn't cost much to turn on a light. You're getting older, and it's so dark at night. If you don't turn on the light, you might fall. Why don't you listen to me?"
Jiang Luxi sighed, her heart heavy. "You just want to make me angry. When you make me angry to death, you will be happy."
"Okay, okay, grandma knows. I'll turn on the light next time. Don't be angry," Jiang Luxi's grandmother said with a smile, patting her hand gently.
Feeling the frailty of her grandmother's skeletal hand, Jiang Luxi's heart ached. She blinked away tears, her voice barely a whisper. "Grandma, don't move. I'll go turn on the light."
"Okay, I won't move," her grandmother said, smiling softly.
Jiang Luxi rose and walked into the hall, flipping on the light. The yard was instantly illuminated.
She moved a chair into the room and said, "Grandma, sit here for a while. I'll go cook."
She entered the kitchen, where she turned on the dim light and went to the well to draw water. After pouring it into a pot, she added chunks of sweet potato and set the steamer in place, then broke an egg into a bowl and chopped up some green peppers.
Just as Jiang Luxi was about to add firewood to the stove, her grandmother entered the kitchen.
"I'll take care of it. You go do your homework for a while," Jiang Luxi's grandmother said.
"Grandma, be careful," Jiang Luxi replied.
"Don't worry, I can still manage to cook simple meals," her grandmother reassured her with a smile.
"En." Jiang Luxi nodded, then left the kitchen.
However, instead of sitting down to study as her grandmother suggested, she took the chicken feed to the yard and began feeding the chickens.
Watching Jiang Luxi bustle around even after leaving the kitchen, her grandmother sighed deeply.
"Jiang Cai, why didn't you take her with you when you left? Why leave her here to suffer on her own?" The old woman, who had seen so much hardship in her life, couldn't hold back her tears.