Chapter 10 Tutoring "Children"
Friday afternoon.
The orange sunlight of the evening jumped onto the wall, the wind blew the leaves of the sycamore tree, making a rustling sound, and the temperature was cool and pleasant.
The bell for handing in papers rang.
The last geography exam ended, which also marked the end of this monthly exam.
Yan Ning placed his answer sheet on the stack of papers that came from the back, sorted them out, and then handed them to the invigilator on the podium.
Coming down from the podium, Yan Ning went to her examination seat to get her pencil case. Before leaving the classroom, she subconsciously looked towards the first row of seats at the front door.
The seat is empty.
Lu Chen was no longer there.
Ever since that math test.
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve confirmed that I can submit the paper early.
Lu Chen always arrived ten or twenty minutes early, casually raised his hand, waited for the invigilator to come, handed in the paper, then picked up the two pens on the table for answering questions, calmly put one hand in his pocket, walked out of the classroom, and disappeared.
When passing by his examination seat, Yan Ning lowered his eyes and looked at the table quietly again.
Coming out of classroom one.
The sky is high and the clouds are light, and there is a faint scent of osmanthus in the air.
The corridor was a little noisy. The students who had returned to class after the exams no longer looked worried because of the exams, but were chatting and laughing in groups of two or three.
Yan Ning looked up at the blue sky and let out a breath.
The monthly exam is over.
Finally, she could relax a little.
Class 2 wasn't too crowded. Because of the exam, the desks and chairs were all spread out.
Yan Ning returned to his seat, put his pencil case on the table, and was about to move the table back.
Then, from the other side of the door, Xin Jing's excited voice came:
"Ning~Ning~Ah!"
Yan Ning turned around and saw Xin Jing rushing in from the classroom door like a cannonball.
Xin Jing supported herself on the table with one hand, gasping for breath, and barely managed to brake.
Yan Ning used a little force to steady the slipping table leg, and then moved the examination supplies file bag that Xin Jing had placed on the edge of the desk inside.
When Xin Jing had almost calmed down, she began to pull Yan Ning aside and complain bitterly:
"Ningning, you don't know what I've been going through these past two days. I just finished my composition when the bell rang, I almost didn't get to the last page of physics questions, and math was so hard I wanted to lie down and pretend to be dead..."
As she spoke, she and Yan Ning tacitly restored the table and chairs to their original positions.
After a long babble, Xin Jing looked up to the sky and sighed:
"I'm finally back—alive!"
Yan Ning patted her shoulder gently in a soothing tone, "Thank you for your hard work."
Xin Jing nodded vigorously. "It's too hard! However, I have tried my best this time. At least I have written down everything I can. Now it depends on whether God will bless me.
May God and Earth help me, can I go to the concert this time?"
Yan Ning was amused by Xin Jing's deliberately exaggerated and funny prayer at the end. Then, she also clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and said seriously:
"God bless you, Xin Jing will definitely be able to go to the concert this time!"
Xin Jing rushed over and hugged Yan Ning, shaking him. "Wow, my Ning Ning is always the best to me!"
Yan Ning also let her sway, a small dimple appeared on her lips, and she reached out and gently held Xin Jing's arm.
The textbooks were still in the lockers on the side of the classroom. After playing for a while, Yan Ning and Xin Jing walked over to get the books while chatting.
Once the cabinet door was opened, Yan Ning could easily take out the neatly arranged pile of books before the exam, but Xin Jing's cabinet was more messy and had to be tidied up first.
Yan Ning decided to move his own things first and then come back to help Xin Jing.
Yan Ning was holding a book and had just walked halfway when suddenly a tall figure blocked his way.
He is the sports commissioner of Class 2, Fang Bai.
He smiled and raised one hand, palm facing upwards. "Student Yan Ning, it's so heavy, can I help you carry it?"
It's a bit heavy.
But now she was only a few steps away from the desk, and she could reach it if she persisted a little longer.
Yan Ning shook his head and declined the other party's proposal:
"Thank you, no, I can do it myself."
But Fang Bo obviously didn't think so.
"Don't be polite to me."
He took another step forward, as if pressing forward, and suddenly stretched out the hand he had just raised, as if he wanted to take Yan Ning's book directly.
Yan Ning subconsciously took a big step back.
Because the book was held directly in front of her chest, the position was a bit sensitive, and Fang Bo's sudden reach out without any explanation made Yan Ning feel a little uncomfortable.
She pursed her lips and looked up at him with a serious look.
"I said, no."
"If you really want to help, you can go help others."
Then Yan Ning ignored this person, turned around, changed the route, and walked towards the seat.
Fang Bai looked at her back and sneered.
But still with interest, he used the tip of his tongue to touch the side of the canine.
-
In the evening, Yan Ning returned home.
The lights in the living room were on, and a few cram school brochures were spread out on the coffee table, but there was no sign of Lin Xinci. Lin Xinci's indoor slippers were also missing from the shoe cabinet.
Yan Ning put on her own pair and called out "Mom?" several times.
Then I went to the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and balcony and looked everywhere, but couldn't find anyone.
Yan Ning was puzzled and a little worried. She was just about to find her long-unused cell phone and call her mother.
Just then.
Lin Xinci's voice came from outside the door.
"Okay, okay. Then I'll trouble Teacher Zhao for my Ningning. I'll bring her to see you tomorrow!"
Her voice was higher than usual and she sounded very happy.
Yan Ning hurried to the door and opened it.
Only then did I see the scene outside——
Lin Xinci was not on the phone.
Instead, he stood in the corridor, facing Room 302 opposite, talking to the person inside the door.
Lin Xinci was wearing her pair of light-colored cotton slippers, obviously, she had just come out from the opposite side.
The sound of Yan Ning opening the door caused the voice-controlled light, which had just been turned off, to light up again after a moment.
Lin Xinci still had a smile on her face. She turned around and as soon as she saw Yan Ning, she immediately pulled her over.
"Ningning, come quickly and say hello to Grandpa Zhao and Grandma Cen."
Without any obstruction to his vision, Yan Ning could finally see the people in Room 302 clearly.
They were an elderly couple. Grandma Cen was wearing a knitted suit, a silk scarf around her neck, and had dyed black-brown hair, which looked very delicate.
Grandpa Zhao was wearing casual clothes, had silver hair, and wore silver-rimmed glasses. He looked energetic.
Yan Ning greeted politely, "Good evening, Grandpa Zhao and Grandma Cen."
Grandpa Zhao nodded kindly.
Grandma Cen smiled and took Yan Ning's hand, "Hey, my dear child, I liked you the moment I saw you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Grandma Cen's eyes moved around Yan Ning's face, and she said with some surprise:
"I say, this kid, why does he look familiar to me?
A few days ago, Lao Zhao and I came back to get our luggage, and you came to help us by holding the sensor door. You are such a sensible and warm-hearted child! "
Lin Xinci hadn't expected this to happen. When she heard her daughter being praised, she couldn't stop smiling. "This is what she should do."
We exchanged a few more pleasantries.
Seeing that it was getting late, Lin Xinci took the initiative to change the subject: "Then I won't disturb you two elders to rest. Ningning will be in the care of Teacher Zhao tomorrow!"
The information available was limited, and Yan Ning, who was standing nearby, sounded a little confused.
Grandma Cen noticed it.
She still held Yan Ning's hand, patted it gently, and explained:
"Lao Zhao was a physics teacher before he retired. After retirement, he started a free teaching class for nearly ten years. However, in the past two or three years, we have been traveling frequently, so we basically stopped the class."
Grandma Cen smiled, exchanged glances with Grandpa Zhao, who had been serving as a backdrop, and continued:
"He's been teaching for his whole life, and he's pretty good at it. Ningning, if you have any questions about physics, you can always come over and ask him."
Yan Ninggang nodded.
Lin Xinci took over the conversation, "That's too much of a bother. I'll ask her to come over at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Is that a good time for you two elders?"
Grandma Cen smiled, "Old Zhao has all the time."
"But," she looked at Yan Ning again, "Ningning, do you think the time is right?"
Yan Ning was suddenly called by his name, startled, and then nodded quickly.
"I can do that, too."
Grandma Cen smiled again, "Okay, then it's settled."
-
The door of Room 301 was closed.
Lin Xinci couldn't suppress a smile on her face. "I never thought we would be so lucky!"
She held onto the top of the shoe cabinet with one hand, even forgetting that she was wearing indoor shoes. She didn't even go into the house. Standing at the entrance, she turned around impatiently and said to Yan Ning:
"This Mr. Zhao was a top-notch physics teacher at No. 1 Middle School before he retired. I heard that several of the city's top scorers were his students. We originally decided to move to Huize just for him. Who could have imagined that he happened to be traveling these past few years? Your father and I are so saddened..."
Now it’s all good! Teacher Zhao is back. With him here, you don’t have to worry about your physics subject anymore! "
Yan Ning stood by, lowered his eyes, and listened quietly.
The shoe cabinet door was half open, and Lin Xinci became more and more happy as she spoke:
"I've got my eyes on everything. There's a math teacher named Zhang who has taught students who scored perfect marks on the college entrance exam. He's very accurate in predicting the exam questions. There's also a chemistry teacher named Zeng, your brother Fang Liang used to take tutoring classes with her. I heard his grades improved a lot. And there's biology..."
After introducing all the famous teachers that she had carefully selected these days, Lin Xinci paused, leaned over, and prepared to get the shoes.
Yan Ning finally had the chance to speak and reminded her, "Mom, you changed your shoes."
Lin Xinci: "Oh, look at me, I'm too happy."
His thumb and index finger unconsciously twisted the side line of his school uniform.
Yan Ning hesitated for a moment, but still chose to ask:
"Should I attend all the tutoring classes given by these teachers?"
Lin Xinci paused as she closed the shoe cabinet, her smile faded a little, and she said earnestly:
"Mom knows you're very busy with schoolwork, but these extracurricular tutoring sessions are also very helpful."
"Tutoring classes are on Saturdays and Sundays. As long as you work hard and finish your homework at school and on Friday night, there will definitely be enough time."
"Mom, too. I hope you can get better."
The light in the entrance hall was not on.
The incandescent ceiling light in the living room radiates here, and the light is limited.
Yan Ning's slightly pursed lips and the words he wanted to say but stopped were silently drowned out in the darkness.
One second later.
Yan Ning finally nodded, "I understand."
-
Saturday, 2 p.m.
Yan Ning followed Lin Xinci with a notebook and exercise book, and rang the doorbell of Room 302 opposite on time.
Because Teacher Zhao's teaching was free, Lin Xinci asked Yan Ning to stay at home in the morning to organize her physics notes. She drove to an imported supermarket in the city center and bought two expensive gift boxes of fruit.
As soon as the door opened, Grandma Cen and Grandpa Zhao appeared at the door.
Lin Xinci came forward with a fruit gift box and exchanged a few pleasantries.
The main speaker on the other side was still Grandma Cen.
Although she didn't refuse, when she learned that Lin Xinci was not going to the store today, she clapped her hands and said:
"Hey, Xinci, why don't you tell me the specific steps for making the crucian carp soup you mentioned yesterday? Let's not disturb Ningning's studies. Let's go across and talk while we eat."
The reason why Lin Xinci met the two elderly people next door yesterday was because she went to the supermarket downstairs to buy some onions. When she was queuing to pay, the two elderly people in front of her happened to have their cell phones go black and couldn't pay. Lin Xinci was kind-hearted and helped them pay without saying a word.
Coming out of the supermarket, we walked and chatted all the way, only to find out that the two families lived across from each other, and that the "Old Zhao" wearing glasses was actually Teacher Zhao, whom Lin Xinci had missed so much...
After Grandma Cen said this, Lin Xinci certainly would not refuse.
The two of them took the two boxes of fruit and went back to Room 301.
The living room of 302.
In the room, you can see signs of being used for teaching.
Next to the sofa, near the balcony, there was a square desk. Next to it was an erasable whiteboard on wheels. The board had been wiped clean, but there were many tiny scratches on the metal frame, indicating that it had been used for a long time.
At Grandpa Zhao's signal, Yan Ning took his notebook and walked to the square table and sat down.
After putting the notebook and pen in place, Yan Ning placed his hands on his knees and asked politely:
"Is it okay for me to call you Teacher Zhao during class?"
Grandpa Zhao smiled and said, "Of course."
Teacher Zhao’s teaching is very different from that of general training institutions.
He did not ask Yan Ning to do the questions first and then explain the knowledge points based on the questions. Instead, he was very casual, as if chatting, and asked and answered questions with Yan Ning. He used life phenomena to explain the knowledge points in an easy-to-understand way, and then expanded outward to the next knowledge point.
Twenty minutes of relaxing chat.
Yan Ning not only sorted out the knowledge context, but also intuitively saw some of the things that she usually did not master firmly.
It feels like a sudden enlightenment.
Then, Teacher Zhao pointed to the workbook she brought and said, "I'll help you draw a few questions. Try them."
Yan Ning hurriedly handed it over.
After handing the booklet back to Yan Ning, Teacher Zhao thought for a moment, turned around, went to the bookshelf next to the sofa, and took out a physics book.
Although the cover is clean and looks new, the sides of the pages are slightly yellowed, so it must be an old book.
Teacher Zhao put the book next to Yan Ning and said, "There are a few questions that are slightly beyond the syllabus. You can refer to the textbook and try to answer them."
Yan Ning nodded seriously, "Okay."
After writing questions one after another for a while, the door of Room 302 opened again.
Yan Ning was so engrossed in writing her homework that she didn't notice until a plate of freshly washed grapes appeared at the edge of her vision.
Yan Ning raised his eyes and saw Grandma Cen putting down the plate and walking quietly.
"When you get tired of writing, eat some grapes and take a rest."
Yan Ning nodded, "Thank you, Grandma Cen."
Grandma Cen praised again, "Oh my, Ningning is so well behaved, grandma won't disturb you from studying anymore."
His train of thought was slightly interrupted, and Yan Ning's attention was unconsciously distracted to the surroundings.
The room was very quiet, and Grandma Cen's voice was very soft:
"Old Zhao, I'm going back to my room to sleep for a while."
"good."
The sound of slippers took two steps towards the bedroom and then turned back.
"Oh, by the way, there's a kid coming to do homework later, remember to open the door, Lao Zhao."
"good."
Last night, Yan Ning heard Lin Xinci say that, aside from her, Teacher Zhao wasn't accepting any new students. Only a few of her former students might come. Teacher Zhao's tutoring classes had previously accepted not only high school students, but also middle school, elementary school, and even kindergarten students.
Teacher Zhao is very knowledgeable and has extensive knowledge in all areas. He can teach everything and is particularly specialized in physics.
After finishing one question, it is time to read the next question.
Yan Ning couldn't help but distract himself a little bit to think about it——
kid.
How big will it be?
Although Yan Ning is the youngest child of the same generation on both sides of his parents.
But she actually likes children.
When I used to go to my grandmother's house, the neighbor's twin boy and girl, who were four or five years old, also liked to play with her and would stick to her almost every day.
So, with this little kid today.
She should be able to get along well...
The afternoon is long.
Grandpa Zhao was sitting on the sofa reading a thick professional book.
Yan Ning finished the last two questions.
At this time, the doorbell rang.
Yan Ning stopped writing and Grandpa Zhao stood up to open the door.
As soon as the door opened.
There was someone outside, and a muffled voice said, "Good afternoon."
The friendly smile on Yan Ning's face froze at his lips the moment the man walked in.
Why?
kid--
Could it be a tall boy who is almost as tall as the door frame, wearing a sleeveless basketball jersey, sneakers, and carrying a black cross-body bag?
Before Yan Ning could digest this huge gap.
Sunlight poured in from the floor-to-ceiling windows on the balcony. The man turned his head, and his appearance was depicted as clearly as possible.
He has black hair and black eyes, with a low-key and bold look between his eyebrows, yet he looks very youthful.
Yan Ning was completely stunned.
This "little friend"...
it turns out.
It's Lu Chen! ?
The air in the room seemed to freeze.
The two people's eyes met exactly.
There was silence for a second.
Grandpa Zhao came back after locking the door and saw this scene. He introduced the two people to each other.
"Ningning, this is Lu Chen."
Yan Ning hid the emotions in her eyes, which she didn't know what to call, and hurriedly stood up and asked, "Hello."
"Lu Chen, this is..."
"I know."
Before Grandpa Zhao could finish his words, he was interrupted by Lu Chen.
Yan Ning was stunned again.
Their eyes still met in the air, and between his brows there was that usual faint smile.
He pronounced her name clearly, word by word.
"Yan, Ning."
Yan Ning nodded subconsciously, before she could react or say anything.
"The two of us,"
Lu Chen took over again, the smile in his eyes deepened.
"It's a classmate from the next class."
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