Xia Minmin, Tang Meng, Gu Fei, and Xi Ang said goodbye at the school gate.

Tang Meng patted her frightened heart. "Today was really tough. I was almost scared to death. I thought Teacher Lu was going to give us a lot of homework."

"Teacher Lu was really strict when school started, but it's much better now. Many punishments have become much lighter. Teacher Lu was just joking with you earlier. Teacher Lu's tone is completely different when she gets angry."

As the class monitor, Xia Minmin had the most contact with Teacher Lu, and she knew best what changes Teacher Lu had undergone.

Tang Meng felt relieved after hearing Xia Minmin's words, no longer worried that Teacher Lu would bring up past grievances.

Tang Meng asked, "You're on vacation, what are you planning to do?"

"What else can I do? Of course, I have to study physics, biology, and chemistry. My science skills are far inferior to Xi'ang's, so I have to work harder."

Xia Minmin mentioned that she was also struggling with science subjects. There is indeed a difference between talented and untalented people. She is only learning junior high school knowledge now, and she expects it will be even more difficult when she gets to high school.

Tang Meng said, "If you're worried about your science subjects, then I'm even more worried. I'm bad at both humanities and science. I'll probably be taking tutoring classes all winter break. My mom has already hired a tutor for me, and classes start this afternoon."

Tang Meng's face was devoid of any smile. She was very similar to Xia Minmin in her previous life, and the daily tutoring life left her exhausted.

Xia Minmin seemed unable to offer any words of comfort. Her grades were excellent, and no matter how she phrased it, it would sound like she was showing off.

Xia Minmin asked, "Where are you going later? Are you going to eat at the convenience store with me?"

Tang Meng shook her head. "I'll just grab a quick bite at home. I still need to study later, and the teacher will be here this afternoon. I want to learn as much as I can now so I can ask the teacher questions when she arrives."

Good luck!

Just like in sixth grade, the two said goodbye at the entrance of the residential area.

Xia Minmin walked into the small supermarket looking dejected.

Xia Jianguo asked, "What's wrong? Who upset you?"

"Mengmeng, you're starting tutoring today. It's really not easy to get into junior high school."

Xia Jianguo pondered for a moment, "There's nothing we can do about it. Mengmeng didn't have a solid foundation in elementary school, so she can only catch up through tutoring. She can still catch up in junior high now, but it will be difficult in high school. It's like building a house; if the foundation isn't solid, the building on top will easily collapse."

Xia Minmin nodded, "I understand the reasoning, but I just feel that after she started junior high school, she doesn't smile as much as before, and she's become more silent."

Xia Jianguo said, "This is the price of growing up. The older you get, the harder it is. You two are good friends, so you should encourage her and help her become the best version of herself. If she's unhappy, you can do something to make her happy and comfort her. Painful times are always short-lived. Look at your sister Qing, she's in college now and she's so happy every day."

“Dad told you before that the harder a person works, the more opportunities they have. We must always be prepared, because opportunities are fleeting, and you can let them slip away if you are not careful.”

Xia Minmin nodded. "I understand. For example, right now, I don't know what major I want to study, but I know that I have to get into a good university first. This university will be my stepping stone to finding a job in the future. People will give me extra points because of my school, even if I'm not good enough."

This was the first time Xia Jianguo had heard Xia Minmin say these words.

"Then don't worry about it. Let's just do our best in our own way. No matter how we succeed or fail, we won't have any regrets. Do you want to go visit your sister Qing? She got home this morning."

Xia Minmin was overjoyed when she heard this, as she hadn't seen Li Qing for a whole semester.

"Dad, I'm going to go play with Sister Qing now, I won't be back for lunch." Xia Minmin prepared to put down her schoolbag and leave the small supermarket.

Xia Jianguo quickly grabbed her, "When you visit someone's home, shouldn't you bring something?"

Xia Minmin slapped herself on the forehead, and when Xia Jianguo heard the sound, he felt a headache coming on.

Xia Minmin skillfully carried shopping bags and shopped at the tiny supermarket, which had become like her private warehouse.

...

When Tang Meng returned home, there were already people there.

"Mengmeng is back. Quickly wash your hands. Mom bought you some snacks."

Luo Yang took a plate of neatly arranged wife cakes and a pot of black tea from the kitchen and placed them on the coffee table.

Tang Meng washed her hands and came out. Luo Yang patted the sofa next to her.

"Sit here, let's have a tea party today, just the two of us, mother and daughter."

Tang Meng felt uneasy; she didn't seem to have made any mistakes recently.

Luo Yang pushed the wife cake in front of Tang Meng, "This is the shop where you and Xiao Min often buy wife cakes. Try it and see if it tastes the same as before?"

Tang Meng picked up a piece of wife cake and chewed it.

"It's still as delicious as before. I feel like I haven't had it in a very, very long time."

Since starting junior high school, she has become incredibly busy. She has extracurricular classes on Saturdays and tutoring on Sundays, leaving her no time to go out and find delicious food with Xia Minmin. Even watching TV has become a luxury.

"Mengmeng, Mom and Dad know you're working hard. If you feel tired, we won't have to go to the tutoring classes during winter break. Let's get some rest too."

Tang Meng shook her head, "I will. Mom, I improved by five places in this final exam. If I can get into the top ten, I can probably relax a little."

“Everyone in my class works very hard. If I’m not careful, I’ll fall behind. If everyone ahead of me is working so hard, what reason do I have to be lazy?”

Luo Yang looked at his obsessed daughter and said, "Haven't you noticed that your emotions have been a bit off lately? The night before the last two exams, you didn't sleep well and tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep. Although you didn't say anything, your father and I have noticed it."

Tang Meng always thought she had hidden it well, but she never expected that her parents would find out so early.

Tang Meng nodded, "I really didn't sleep well. Before junior high school, I thought studying was easy and that as long as I worked hard, I would be rewarded."

"After entering junior high school, I realized that talent is really important. Many of my classmates don't work hard. As long as they pay attention in class, they can get good grades. But even though I work so hard, I only improved by five places."

Luo Yang thought for a moment and said, "Why compare yourself to those gifted students? Everyone has their own talents. Just like Xiaomin, she dropped out of the elementary school math Olympiad class. The math Olympiad teacher said everywhere that she wasn't smart, and that she skipped grades by rote memorization. She couldn't keep up in junior high."

This was the first time Tang Meng had heard such a statement. "How could a teacher be like this?"

"So, do you think Xiaomin has been affected by these comments?"

Tang Meng shook her head. "No."

Luo Yang continued, "Do you know her greatest strength? She never makes things difficult for herself. For things that require talent, we just need to work hard, and if it doesn't work out, we can switch to another track. There are top performers in every profession, and there's bound to be one that suits you."

Tang Meng thought of her best friend's current achievements, which were the result of her daily hard work and dedication. She had never heard her complain and was always optimistic and positive.

"Mom, I will adjust my mindset and not worry you and Dad."

Having figured things out, Tang Meng ate snacks and drank tea with a relaxed expression on her face.