Chapter 18 Did I scare you? Who are you?
"Fighting? Why did they suddenly start fighting?" Ji Wei looked at the class monitor, her tone full of questions.
"Zhang Xiaojun kept swearing. Gu Chen'an talked to him for a long time, but he wouldn't listen, and then the two of them started fighting," the squad leader explained.
"Let's go take a look first." Ji Wei composed herself. Gu Chen'an usually had a good temper, so she didn't know what the other party had said to make the two of them fight.
Inside the classroom, Gu Chen'an and Zhang Xiaojun were still pulling and tugging at each other, their faces red and necks thick as they grabbed each other's arms, muttering to themselves. Ji Wei quickly stepped forward and said, "Stop it, both of you. Let go of each other first."
Seeing Ji Wei approach, Gu Chen'an finally let his tears flow, his voice full of grievance: "He insulted me first."
“Regardless of who started the insults, both of you should let go of each other and come with me to the office to deal with this,” Ji Wei said, looking at the two of them.
Both of them looked resentful, but under Ji Wei's gaze, they let go of each other and followed her to the office one after the other.
Looking at the two people standing in front of her, Ji Wei first asked about their injuries. After confirming that they were both alright, she turned to Zhang Xiaojun and asked, "Tell me why you two were fighting?"
“Gu Chen’an started it first, Teacher Ji. You can’t side with him just because you’re his stepmother now,” Zhang Xiaojun said, looking indignant.
Ji Wei laughed in anger: "I haven't even said anything yet, and asking you about the cause of the matter is considered bias?"
“Well, you’re his mother, so you’ll definitely side with him,” Zhang Xiaojun continued.
“At school, I only have one identity, and that is a teacher. Since you are unwilling to talk about it, then Gu Chen’an, you tell the teacher why you two fought?” Ji Wei turned to look at Gu Chen’an.
"I was talking to my deskmate about yesterday's holiday, about how my mom took me fishing, and he started saying that my mom ran off with some other guy, that my dad is useless and can't keep his wife, and that I'll run off with someone else someday too. I told him to shut up, but he wouldn't listen and kept talking really loudly, so I grabbed his clothes to try and make him shut up. But then he started pushing me, and we started fighting." Gu Chen'an finished speaking and glared at Zhang Xiaojun next to him.
Ji Wei looked at Zhang Xiaojun with a somewhat unpleasant expression. It was hard to imagine that these words came from a child's mouth. He must have heard them from the adults around him. She looked at Zhang Xiaojun and asked in a serious tone, "Is that what Gu Chen'an said?"
Zhang Xiaojun wanted to say something, but seeing Ji Wei's unpleasant expression, he lowered his eyes and whispered, "I was the one who said it, but he attacked first."
“I only grabbed your clothes; you pushed me first,” Gu Chen’an retorted.
“Zhang Xiaojun, have your teachers ever told you to be friendly to your classmates? What you said about Gu Chen'an's family is wrong. You should apologize to Gu Chen'an first.” Ji Wei said sternly.
"I knew you'd be biased." Zhang Xiaojun's voice was soft, but everyone around him heard it.
“If you feel the teacher handled it poorly, then we’ll have both sets of parents come to the school to resolve the issue,” Ji Wei said calmly.
"I'm sorry, Gu Chen'an, I shouldn't have said bad things about your family." Zhang Xiaojun didn't want his parents to be called in; his mother would definitely beat him up, so he quickly apologized to Gu Chen'an beside him.
Gu Chen'an snorted lightly; he would never forgive him.
“Gu Chen’an, it was wrong of you to grab Zhang Xiaojun’s clothes. Now it’s your turn to apologize to him,” Ji Wei continued.
Zhang Xiaojun was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head in shame. After hearing Gu Chen'an's apology, he nervously tugged at his fingers. This time, without Ji Wei saying anything, he blurted out, "Gu Chen'an, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you."
Normally, when dealing with this kind of situation, Ji Wei would let the other party shake hands and make up in the end. But today, she couldn't bring herself to say anything about making up. She looked at the two of them and said, "Since you have both apologized to each other, whether or not you shake hands and make up is up to you."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaojun looked at Gu Chen'an, only to see Gu Chen'an turn his head away. Seeing this, Ji Wei said, "Alright, you guys go back to the classroom first."
After the two left, Ji Wei recalled Gu Chen'an's aggrieved expression and his retelling of Zhang Xiaojun's words, guessing that the two families probably knew each other, or even had a grudge. This guess surprised Ji Wei herself; could someone like Gu Zhiyuan really have a grudge against someone else? She was filled with curiosity.
Ji Wei rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of a headache, as she spent most of her ten-minute break between classes on this.
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As Gu Chen'an came out of the office, he glanced at Zhang Xiaojun next to him and emphasized earnestly, "Zhang Xiaojun, Teacher Ji is my mother, not some stepmother."
In Gu Chen'an's mind, stepmother is not a good word, and he doesn't allow others to say that about Teacher Ji.
“She’s a stepmother, I didn’t say anything wrong.” Zhang Xiaojun was still holding a grudge against him for not shaking hands and making up earlier.
“I said no, and that’s final,” Gu Chen’an said, raising his voice.
"If you say it's not true, then it's not true. Anyway, it wasn't me who was hit by my stepmother." After saying that, Zhang Xiaojun made a face at him and ran away.
Gu Chen'an stared at his back with hatred. Zhang Xiaojun was really annoying, just like his mother. Don't think he didn't know that his mother wanted to introduce his younger sister to his father for marriage, and his father refused, so they held a grudge against him.
"Gu Chen'an, class is about to start, hurry up and go into the classroom." The class monitor said to Gu Chen'an, who was still standing in the corridor.
"Oh, coming right away." Gu Chen'an replied, and when he walked to the class monitor's side, he heard the class monitor say to him, "We all know that Teacher Ji is a very good person, so don't mind Zhang Xiaojun."
“Of course, Teacher Ji is the best mother. He’s just jealous of me.” Gu Chen’an realized at this point that Zhang Xiaojun was definitely jealous of him.
"Yes, just ignore him," the class monitor said gently.
The fight didn't cause much of a stir in the class. However, at lunchtime, Lulu suddenly pointed to the faint bloody mark on Gu Chen'an's cheek and said to him, "Brother, it doesn't hurt anymore, the pain has flown away."
"Brother, it doesn't hurt. It'll be fine in a few days," Gu Chen'an said nonchalantly.
Ji Wei glanced at him more because of their conversation. Compared to Zhang Xiaojun, Gu Chen'an was obviously much thinner and weaker. He was also at a disadvantage in the fight today. It seems that in addition to studying, he also needs to exercise.
"Mom, why are you looking at me like that?" Gu Chen'an asked in a low voice.
“No matter what happens, fighting is the worst thing to do. It’s best to outsmart your opponent. Also, you should insist on doing morning exercises with your dad every day. You’re too thin, and you’re too easy to get taken advantage of,” Ji Wei said.
The words "outsmarting?" were repeatedly pondered by Gu Chen'an.
"Yes, smart people use words, not fists. Did you and Zhang Xiaojun have any conflicts before?" Ji Wei asked casually.
“No, we don’t play together much. Oh, wait, when we first moved here, we went to school together every day and played together after school. But then his mom forbade him from playing with me, and we haven’t played together for a long time,” Gu Chen’an explained.
"Why doesn't his mother let you play together?" Ji Wei asked, puzzled.
Gu Chen'an glanced at her, hesitating, unsure whether he should tell her about it.
"It's okay if you can't say," Ji Wei said understandingly, noticing his predicament.
"Yes, you can say it, but you can't be angry if I tell you, Mom," Gu Chen'an quickly said.
"I promise I won't get angry." Ji Wei was genuinely curious now.
"It's because Zhang Xiaojun's mother wanted to introduce her younger sister to my father so that she could be my new mother. I didn't want to, and my father didn't want to either. Then his mother wouldn't let Zhang Xiaojun play with me anymore." Gu Chen'an emphasized that he really didn't like Zhang Xiaojun's aunt.
“Okay, I understand. Everyone has the freedom to make friends. If you want to continue hanging out with him, we won’t stop you,” Ji Wei stated her position.
"I'm not playing with him anymore." Gu Chen'an's eyes were full of resistance as he recalled Zhang Xiaojun's words today.
"Then play with other people. Don't be so impulsive in the future, or you'll suffer. Does your face still hurt? Are there any other injuries besides your face?" Ji Wei asked with concern.
"That's all, I beat them back pretty badly too." Gu Chen'an quickly said that he hadn't suffered any losses either.
"Go back tonight and ask your dad if he has time to teach you and Lulu military boxing." It can not only improve your health, but also protect you in critical moments.
"Does Dad have time? He comes home so late every day." Gu Chen'an's tone was a little disappointed as he said this. Rationally, he could understand Gu Zhiyuan's busy schedule, but emotionally, he still hoped that his father could spend more time with him like other fathers.
“Besides every day, there are also weekends. He leaves early and returns late every day to earn money to support his family, so we should understand him, okay?” Ji Wei said gently.
Gu Chen'an met Ji Wei's gentle eyes, and he suddenly remembered that woman complaining every day that her father was not at home. All she did was complain and curse. His beloved Teacher Ji was indeed different from others.
"I know Dad works very hard, and Mom works very hard too." Gu Chen'an nodded to show his understanding.
"Good that you understand. Then hurry up and eat, and go to bed early after you eat." Starting today, Ji Wei will have them eat lunch at home every day. She will steam rice in her big lunchbox at school every day, and all they need to do at home is cook vegetables for lunch.
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"Mom, I'm afraid to sleep alone." At the door, Gu Chen'an looked at Ji Wei pitifully, hugging his pillow. He wasn't lying. Since his father came back, he had never slept alone again. At noon, he would take a nap with his classmates at the classroom desk.
"Come in first," Ji Wei sighed, letting the people in first.
"Mom, I didn't mean to. I'm just afraid to sleep alone. Before, when Dad hadn't come home from get off work, I would stay downstairs with the lights on and watch TV while waiting for him to come home," Gu Chen'an apologized softly.
Ji Wei recalled how his birth mother had locked him in the storage room, and a flash of heartache crossed her eyes: "Let him sleep here tonight."
"Then I'll sleep on the floor?" Gu Chen'an suddenly had a new idea.
"No need, you can sleep on the bed." Ji Wei planned to bring the wire bed from the dormitory back to the room later, and he could sleep on it. Speaking of which, that wire bed was left by Xie Fei before, so she was making the most of it now.
"Thank you, Mom." Seeing that Lulu was already asleep on the bed, Gu Chen'an couldn't help but move more gently.
"Go to sleep, I'm right here," Ji Wei said gently.
Sleeping between them, Gu Chen'an felt incredibly safe and content, closing his eyes with a satisfied expression. Soon, his breathing became long and even. Ji Wei glanced over to make sure they were all covered with light blankets before closing her eyes herself. Unfortunately, she wasn't sleepy at all. She hadn't expected Zhang Xiaojun to live nearby. She figured his swearing that morning must have come from his family. It was just a failed blind date, yet they were badmouthing her behind her back. Because of those words that morning, Ji Wei's impression of Zhang Xiaojun's parents plummeted.
Ji Wei couldn't remember when she fell asleep. When the alarm clock rang, she felt a splitting headache. The two little ones next to her, hearing the alarm, squirmed and writhed in bed like insects, unwilling to get up. Seeing this, Ji Wei smiled and said, "Get up quickly, or you'll be late."
Upon hearing this, Lulu, who was receiving her first little red flower today, immediately sat up in bed and exclaimed, "I don't want to be late!"
"Get up quickly if you don't want to be late," Ji Wei urged.
"Brother, wake up." Lulu called out to Gu Chen'an.
After they both got out of bed and put on their shoes, Ji Wei took them downstairs to wash their faces. When they got to school, she realized that she had been in a hurry to go home at noon and forgot to pick up the four-piece bedding set from Huang Jing's dormitory. It seemed that she would have to get it in the afternoon.
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Zhang Xiaojun, who had just left the office that morning, quickly put aside his earlier guilt. Seeing that Gu Chen'an ignored him, he began to feel uneasy. What if Teacher Ji still wanted to call his parents? His mother would definitely give him a beating if she found out. He only breathed a sigh of relief when the bell rang for the first class in the afternoon and Teacher Ji still hadn't called him. He turned his head and saw Gu Chen'an over there. A flash of jealousy crossed his eyes, but he quickly stared at the textbook on his desk.
After a whole afternoon, Gu Chen'an had released all the grievances he felt that morning. He even dreamt about walking home from school with Zhang Xiaojun. When he woke up, he was still a little confused. They used to be good friends, so how could he say such things to him? On his way to school, he suddenly remembered that woman. Yes, she used to like to meddle in who he befriended. It seemed that Zhang Xiaojun's mother was just like her. He had already broken free from that control, but Zhang Xiaojun hadn't. He was so pitiful. Thinking of this, Gu Chen'an decided to forgive him, but he wouldn't continue to play with him.
Ji Wei was unaware of the intense inner thoughts between the two. She was in the office apologizing to Huang Jing for forgetting to pick up the bedding set at noon. Huang Jing said it didn't matter: "It's okay, the child's matter is more important. So, has the fight been resolved?"
"It's been resolved." Ji Wei nodded.
"It's good that it's resolved. If it's not, you can consider having Gu Chen'an transfer to another class," Huang Jing suggested.
"No need for that." Ji Wei understood that she meant well, but considering Gu Chen'an's sensitivity, she still shook her head and refused.
"As long as you know your limits, that's fine. The problem is that some people might use this position to make a fuss and say you're biased towards them," Huang Jing reminded her to be prepared for this.
"Let's leave it at that for now. As long as we're in the same school, this kind of thing is probably unavoidable. As long as I have a clear conscience, that's enough." Ji Wei thought that fortunately, the relationship between home and school was still relatively harmonious at this time, and only a very small number of people were in extreme situations.
"That's true. By the way, there's an open class next week, and I heard it's for people from the city." Huang Jing quietly revealed the inside scoop she had heard to her.
"Is it confirmed to be next week?" Ji Wei asked, somewhat surprised.
"Probably. I reckon the director will be looking for you soon. In our grade, it'll probably be just you and Teacher Ding," Huang Jing guessed.
"Then I'd better prepare properly." Ji Wei's expression became serious. She wanted to be transferred to the city center, and these few open classes were especially important.
"You've already prepared enough. If you prepare any more, how will anyone else survive?" Huang Jing laughed and punched her.
"It's always good to be prepared." Ji Wei had been working hard before, but preparations for this public lecture hadn't even begun.
"Okay, don't forget to come pick up the four-piece bedding set this afternoon," Huang Jing reminded her again.
"I'll definitely remember this time," Ji Wei replied with a smile.
Aside from class time, Ji Wei spent the rest of her time in the office preparing for the open class. Sure enough, during the last class, the director found her and told her that she would be teaching the open math class for second graders.
"I understand, Director Wang. I will do my best."
"We still have faith in Teacher Ji's abilities. Prepare well these next couple of days," Director Wang said, offering a string of encouraging words before leaving.
Kindergarten dismisses twenty minutes earlier than primary school. Ji Wei glanced at the time and realized she didn't need to continue preparing for her open class; she had to go to the nearby kindergarten to pick up Lulu first. From afar, she saw Lulu's red eyes and couldn't help but feel anxious: "Lulu, what's wrong?"
"I miss my mom." Lulu rubbed her eyes, her voice a little hoarse. After saying that, the little guy rushed into her arms and hugged her neck tightly.
"Weren't you happy this morning? Didn't you have lots of friends at kindergarten to keep you company?" Ji Wei wiped the little pearls off her cheeks.
"But I haven't seen my mom in so long," Lulu said, sounding a little aggrieved.
“Now when you go to kindergarten, it’s just like when you were at Grandma’s house. Mom will come home after get off work. And isn’t kindergarten much more fun than Grandma’s house? You’ll see Mom after school. Big kids have to go to school. You’re a big kid now, right?” Ji Wei coaxed her gently.
Without comparison, there is no harm. Compared to the Ji family, kindergarten is definitely much better. Lulu's little mind worked quickly. Finally, she rested her chin on her mother's shoulder and said with a helpless tone, "Mom, I know."
“Once you get to know your classmates, you’ll like kindergarten. Come on, let’s wait for your brother to get out of school and go home together.” Ji Wei said, picking her up in her arms. Usually, she let Lulu walk by herself, but today was an exception.
After lingering a while at the kindergarten gate, and with five minutes left before elementary school dismissal, Ji Wei took Lulu to the office. The other teachers, seeing Lulu's red eyes, jokingly teased, "Are you shedding golden tears?"
"She didn't cry this morning, so it seems I was too complacent." Ji Wei smiled as she placed Lulu in her seat and gave her some warm water to soothe her throat.
Being teased by so many adults, Lulu started to feel embarrassed. She reached out and covered Ji Wei's mouth, saying, "Mom, don't say it."
“Okay, our Lulu is the bravest, that’s why she didn’t cry, right?” Ji Wei knew that the little one was starting to care about her image.
“Yes, I got a little red flower this afternoon too.” Lulu’s tone carried a hint of pride.
"Wow, Lulu is amazing." Ji Wei clapped along. Lulu pursed her lips, looking quite satisfied.
When the bell rang, Ji Wei packed up her lesson plans and waited for Gu Chen'an to come so they could go home together. Soon after, Gu Chen'an appeared at the office door with his schoolbag on his back. Both siblings had been "injured" today, so Ji Wei decided to cheer them up.
"Lulu, did someone bully you?" Gu Chen'an immediately noticed Lulu's reddened eyes.
"No, she rubbed her eyes until they were red. Come on, I'll take you to the convenience store today," Ji Wei told them the good news.
"What are you going to buy?" Gu Chen'an asked curiously, and Lulu looked up at her.
"Let's go buy two packs of spicy strips." A childhood without eating spicy strips is incomplete. Ji Wei always finds the smell of spicy strips delicious, even when she occasionally smells them near the school gate.
"Mom, I want to eat spicy strips too." At home, Lulu usually finds dishes with a little chili spicy too, but she doesn't find spicy strips spicy at all. Even the snot and tears from her nose can't stop her from wanting to eat spicy strips.
"Let's go, we'll eat this once every two weeks from now on." Ji Wei quickly set the rules for them. It's impossible to completely ban this kind of thing, and it's okay to eat a little bit in moderation.
"Yay!" Lulu said happily. Gu Chen'an, standing next to her, remained expressionless, but he was still a little heartbroken. Since his father came back, he could eat spicy strips almost every week, but now he could only eat them once a week. It was such a pity.
The two bags of spicy strips brought joy to the two children, and Ji Wei also got a few. Sure enough, junk food, though unhealthy, is delicious.
After returning home, Gu Chen'an helped Lulu with her homework while Ji Wei went to the kitchen to cook. She had just warmed Gu Zhiyuan's food in the pot when there was a noise at the front door. Gu Chen'an, who was doing his homework in the yard, heard the noise, looked up and saw the person at the door, and said happily, "Dad, you're here so early today."
"Hmm, it's a bit early today." Gu Zhiyuan pushed his bicycle in, then went to the well to fetch water to wash his hands. After doing this, he walked over to the two of them and looked at the scratch marks on Gu Chen'an's face: "What happened here?"
"He caught me in the fight with Zhang Xiaojun." In everyone else's eyes, he lost the fight today, since he was injured, so he was a little embarrassed.
"Why are you fighting?" Gu Chen'an remembered that they hadn't been in contact for a long time, so why were they fighting again?
"Who told him to swear? Oh, don't ask anymore. Mom has already taken care of it. Mom even said that you should teach me and Lulu military boxing so that we won't be at a disadvantage in future fights." Gu Chen'an hadn't forgotten Ji Wei's words.
"Did she really say that?" Gu Zhiyuan asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, she said I'm too thin and I'll be at a disadvantage." To show the truth of her words, Gu Chen'an even showed him her thin arms and legs.
"Okay, you can continue with your homework." After saying that, Gu Zhiyuan looked at the little girl drawing next to him and asked, "Lulu, did you have fun at kindergarten today?"
"It was fun, and I even got two little red flowers." Although Lulu was still young, he knew that it was embarrassing to cry in kindergarten, so he automatically hid the fact that he had cried.
"Lulu is really great," Gu Zhiyuan praised.
Hearing his praise, Lulu looked up and smiled at him, "Mom thinks I'm great too." Just as he got up to go to the kitchen to help, Ji Wei's voice came from inside the kitchen: "Chen An, Lulu, dinner is ready."
"Put away your homework, then go wash your hands over there. I'll go to the kitchen to get the bowls," Gu Zhiyuan instructed.
Ji Wei came out carrying bowls in both hands. She was a little surprised to see the man in the yard: "You're back so early today?"
"Well, they were quite cooperative today, so we can leave work a little earlier." Gu Zhiyuan said, turning to go into the kitchen to get the remaining bowls.
On weekdays, Gu Chen'an would usually just cook himself some noodles for dinner. But now that Ji Wei is here, they've started to change their dinners. Sometimes it's noodles, sometimes it's rice. He loves rice the most, and starting today, he's going to eat more of it.
Gu Zhiyuan was used to eating quickly in the army. After putting down his chopsticks and waiting for Ji Wei to finish eating, he hesitated before asking, "Chen An just said that you asked us to teach them military boxing?"
"Yes, don't you know how?" Ji Wei's eyes were full of surprise.
"No, I'm just curious why you suddenly thought of this?" Gu Zhiyuan said, looking at her and waiting for her answer.
“They’re both so skinny, like bean sprouts. Learning this can help them stay healthy, so that if they get into a conflict with someone in the future, they won’t suffer like they did today.” Ji Wei gestured towards the wound on Gu Chen’an’s face.
"You're right, I didn't think it through enough." A flash of disgust crossed Gu Zhiyuan's eyes as he thought of Zhang Xiaojun's family, but since Chen An said she had already taken care of it, he didn't need to ask any further questions.
"Speaking of which, it's partly your fault that they're fighting. Was it because you rejected them too bluntly before?" Ji Wei couldn't help but guess, otherwise most people wouldn't be so extreme.
"No, I just said it wasn't suitable, but Sister Zhang thought I was looking down on her sister because she's too old and a spinster." Gu Zhiyuan shook his head. He didn't say anything else hurtful. Sister Zhang was too materialistic. He didn't want relatives like that. More importantly, Chen An was indifferent to them.
"Then he's probably just angry and embarrassed, thinking that even a young, unmarried woman like you doesn't mind being divorced, and you're still acting all high and mighty." In her previous life, Ji Wei was forced to go on many blind dates and saw all sorts of people.
This time, Gu Zhiyuan was genuinely surprised, his eyes mirroring Gu Chen'an's last expression: "How did you know?"
"Looks like I was right." The shock on his face made her smile.
Gu Zhiyuan thought, this wasn't just accurate; it was almost word for word. No wonder Chen An thought she was amazing.
"You can clear the dishes and help them wash up later. I have a public lecture next week, so I need to prepare for it these few days." Even though they are business partners, Ji Wei doesn't intend to take on all the household chores.
"Okay, you go ahead and do your work. Leave this to me." Gu Zhiyuan turned around, indicating that he could rest assured that the matter was in his hands.
After Ji Wei went upstairs, the two little ones finished their meal. Gu Zhiyuan told them to continue doing their homework while he went to wash the dishes. If there was still enough time later, he could teach them some basic movements of military boxing.
"I'll finish writing soon," Gu Chen'an said hurriedly. He wanted to study military boxing well so that no one could beat him in the future.
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Ji Wei selected the content for the open class, and based on her experience from her previous life, wrote down the key teaching points and areas for interaction. About half an hour later, she got up to stretch her limbs and looked out the window. As soon as she opened the window, she heard Gu Chen'an's somewhat pained voice: "Weren't we supposed to be learning military boxing? Why do we have to stand at attention?"
It was so uncomfortable to be completely still. Gu Chen'an felt itchy all over his body whenever he was made to stand at attention, but he just couldn't move.
"If you want to learn, you have to listen to me." Gu Zhiyuan glanced at him. This guy was either shaking his leg or playing with his fingers. Only when he did this would he be serious. Besides, it's not advisable to do strenuous exercise within half an hour after a meal.
"Okay," Gu Chen'an said somewhat reluctantly. Although Lulu's standing posture wasn't perfect, the little one's belly was round and plump from eating, sticking out like a pumpkin. This sight made Ji Wei chuckle softly. It was this chuckle that made the people "teaching" below instantly look up at her. Their eyes held a sharpness Ji Wei had never seen before, a gaze so aggressive that Ji Wei felt as if her heart had stopped beating.
Seeing that the person upstairs seemed surprised, Gu Zhiyuan opened his mouth apologetically. He forgot that he was not in the army. When he looked up again, the person who had been standing by the bed was gone. He frowned. Was she alright?
Ji Wei was in a bad state, not at all. Gu Zhiyuan's gaze was too sharp just now. If looks could kill, she would probably be dead several times over. She patted her chest and waited for her racing heartbeat to gradually calm down before continuing to prepare her lesson.
"Dad, what are you looking at? How much longer do I have to stand here?" Gu Chen'an felt he couldn't hold on any longer.
Gu Zhiyuan glanced at the time; it had been forty minutes since they finished eating. He nodded and said, "Rest for a bit, I'll teach you later." With that, he turned and left.
Seeing that he had left, Gu Chen'an quickly looked at Lulu beside him: "Lulu, are you tired?"
"It doesn't feel comfortable here." Lulu pointed to her legs. She had never stood for so long before, so her legs were a little sore.
"Does it hurt?" Gu Chen'an asked with concern.
"It doesn't hurt, it just feels uncomfortable." The little one's vocabulary was limited, so she didn't know how to describe the feeling. Gu Chen'an, whose legs were also sore, quickly understood, so he pulled over two stools and let her sit down so he could massage her legs himself.
Ji Wei was engrossed in writing in the room when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around in surprise and asked, "Weren't you teaching them military boxing?"
"Did I scare you just now?" Gu Zhiyuan asked.
"It's alright." Ji Wei said somewhat awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, I just returned from my military service not long ago, and I haven't changed some of my habits yet. I'll pay attention to that in the future."
"It's alright, it was my fault for being presumptuous first." Ji Wei only realized then that this person had come up to apologize to her on purpose.
"I'm glad you're alright. I'll go downstairs to check on them." At this moment, Gu Zhiyuan also noticed the awkward atmosphere in the air, so he suggested leaving.
"Okay, let them move around more, so they can sleep better at night." Ji Wei thought it was a good idea after saying that.
"But I can't always get home this early every day," Gu Zhiyuan said apologetically.
"It's okay. While you're not back, they can review the previous movements. It would be even better if you could give them some small tasks every day," Ji Wei suggested.
"That's a good idea, I'll try it, thank you." Since returning, Gu Zhiyuan has tried his best to mend his relationship with Gu Chen'an. To outsiders, Gu Chen'an seemed very close to him, but only he knew that there seemed to be something between them. He had no experience in interacting with children and could only try to change their relationship on his own. But Ji Wei's words always gave him a sense of enlightenment. Just like now, whether it was teaching them military boxing or assigning them small tasks every day, he and Chen'an had new interactions every day, even if Chen'an was already asleep when he came home from work.
Ji Wei was a little confused about the meaning of his thanks. Before she could figure it out, he had already turned and gone downstairs. Ji Wei was too lazy to think about what his thanks meant. The most important thing in front of her now was the open class.
Military boxing was much more tiring than the two kids had anticipated, especially Gu Chen'an. His body was still sore when he woke up the next morning. He rubbed his arms and asked Lulu next to him, "Lulu, is your whole body sore?"
Lulu swallowed the steamed egg in her mouth and shook her head: "It's not sour."
"What's wrong? Did you practice too hard yesterday?" Ji Wei looked at Gu Chen'an. Lulu was so tired last night that she was snoring. Of course, her sleep quality was also better than the previous few days.
"My legs and arms feel so sore and I'm so tired as soon as I get up," Gu Chen'an said, sounding a little hesitant.
"It's probably because your arms and legs aren't used to such a high level of exercise. Stretch them out before you finish tonight, and you'll get used to it in a few days," Ji Wei comforted her.
Gu Chen'an, who was about to back out, gripped his chopsticks tightly upon hearing this: "Is that so? Then let's try again tonight."
"If I don't come back, you should have your sister practice yesterday's moves a few more times," Gu Zhiyuan instructed.
"Is there a reward for completing the task?" Gu Chen'an asked.
Gu Zhiyuan paused for a moment before asking, "What reward do you want?"
"Can I have the stickers from the school store?" Gu Chen'an asked, intrigued.
“Okay, but I should set the rewards next time.” Gu Zhiyuan thought the reward mechanism was quite good.
"That works too." For Gu Chen'an, as long as there's a reward for completing the task, that's all that matters.
Ji Wei listened quietly to the conversation between the father and son. Suddenly, she remembered that Lulu had accused her of never giving him pocket money in elementary school, which caused her to feel inferior throughout her elementary school years. Thinking of this, she looked at Gu Zhiyuan and asked, "Do you give Chen An pocket money?"
"No, I just buy him whatever he needs." Gu Zhiyuan grew up in a rural area and had no concept of pocket money.
"How about we give each of them a dollar of pocket money every day from now on?" Ji Wei suggested.
"Since you say so, you must have your reasons." Gu Zhiyuan nodded in agreement without much thought.
Ji Wei chuckled lightly: "You do believe me."
"Of course, if you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them." Gu Zhiyuan's dark eyes were full of seriousness. Since he had chosen her, he would trust her.
"Mom, do you mean that Lulu and I will have a dollar of pocket money every day from now on?" Gu Chen'an's tone was filled with excitement, and he was already calculating how much he could buy with a dollar.
“Yes, one yuan a day as pocket money to cultivate your money awareness. You can choose to spend it or save it to buy what you want. Anyway, once the money is in your hands, you can do whatever you want with it.” Ji Wei glanced at Lulu as she spoke. At this time, Lulu did not have a clear concept of money, but she knew that money was a good thing and laughed foolishly with Chen An.
"Wow, Mom, you're so kind!" Gu Chen'an knew that some people in his class had pocket money, and everyone looked at him with envy when they talked about it. He never thought that he would also have pocket money in the future, and one yuan every day. His mother was so generous.
"Of course, there are conditions for giving you pocket money; we need to agree on three rules," Ji Wei reminded her.
"What three rules?" Gu Chen'an asked quickly.
"I still need to think about the specific terms, so this will be implemented starting tomorrow." Ji Wei said, urging him to eat quickly, as he had to go to school later.
Once he calmed down, Ji Wei looked at Gu Zhiyuan beside her and said, "If you have any suggestions on where you don't want him to spend his money, you can tell me, and I'll compile them all together later."
Her businesslike attitude reminded Gu Zhiyuan of his colleagues in the office, and he suddenly felt as if he was working from home. Noticing the doubt on her face, he quickly put aside these random thoughts and said, "I'll give it to you tonight."
After breakfast, Ji Wei took the two of them to school. When they were crossing the road, Gu Chen'an suggested that they take Lulu to kindergarten first and then go to school. Ji Wei glanced at the time and realized they still had enough time, so she readily agreed to his suggestion.
"I'd like you two to pick me up at noon too." Lulu felt very proud to have the two of them pick her up.
“That won’t do, my brother gets out of school later than you.” Ji Wei shook her head.
"Lulu, I take you to school with Mom every morning, can you pick me up from school with Mom every day?" Gu Chen'an quickly came up with a solution.
His words were like a tongue twister. Although Lulu didn't quite understand them, she still nodded and smiled, saying okay.
"Hurry up and go in, your brother will be late." Ji Wei said, waving to her. The little one smiled and waved back, it seemed that the shadow of yesterday afternoon had disappeared.
That day, Ji Wei spent her time either teaching or preparing materials for her open class. Just as busy as her was Ms. Ding, the homeroom teacher of the class next door. One taught math and the other Chinese. When Ms. Ding asked about her progress, Ji Wei smiled and said, "I've just started preparing. What about you, Ms. Ding?"
"Me too. By the way, my class is scheduled for the second period on Tuesday morning, and yours is the third period," Teacher Ding reminded her. This way, they could basically determine which class it was in and prepare in advance who to call on to answer questions.
Ji Wei glanced at the class schedule on her desk: "It seems they've all assigned us to their own classes, which is fine."
“I think so too.” The two chatted about the open class for a while until the bell rang, and then they hurriedly parted ways.
The day passed quickly. On the way back with the two little ones, Ji Wei reminded them not to forget to review Ji Shengzhou's military boxing movements from yesterday. Gu Chen'an was thinking about the reward and was very excited.
The three had just arrived home when someone started banging on the gate. This noise annoyed Ji Wei, who had just entered the kitchen. She strode out of the kitchen and, seeing the woman standing at the gate, asked with a hint of confusion, "Who are you?"
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