Chapter 21: Have Zhong Yi and Tian Yulan Reconciled?

“Junior brother, Teacher Zhang, this is a decision my wife and I have discussed and made together,” Zhou Chen said gently. After all, Zhang Xue’er’s intentions were sincere and not ill-meaning; it was just that he didn’t quite agree with her way of thinking.

Zhong Yi, on the other hand, was very supportive.

“Senior brother, I think it’s absolutely right that you recognize the importance of focusing on the child’s studies. A child’s primary task should be studying. Just like us back then—if we couldn’t get into a good school, we’d be stuck in some small place with no prospects. Only by doing well academically can you get into a good university and have more choices in the future.”

“But senior brother, to improve grades, it’s not necessarily essential to hire a tutor. You can send her to a cram school. If you’re worried about that, you can leave your daughter with me after school; I’ll take her home and give her proper guidance.”

Zhong Yi felt that since he was already tutoring several students, taking on one more, Huanhuan, wouldn’t be a problem.

At that moment, Nan Li spoke up.

“We appreciate Teacher Zhong’s kindness. The reason we want to hire a tutor is that both of us will be very busy in the coming days and won’t be able to pick up and drop off our child on time. So we are looking for a one-on-one tutor who can come to our home.”

“Oh.”

Zhong Yi understood; this was a very common issue. Both Zhou Chen and his wife had respectable jobs and were certainly busier than teachers.

Attending cram school isn’t just about the child attending; the parents have to arrange transportation, which isn’t a one-time thing but an ongoing commitment.

“Senior brother, as for good educational institutions and top-tier cram schools, I know some. But when it comes to one-on-one home tutors, I’m honestly not very familiar and don’t know anyone.”

“From what I know, the big-name teachers who offer home tutoring are usually very busy and unlikely to take on such jobs. Most home tutors are university students because they have enough free time. But university tutors vary greatly in quality—some are good, others not so much. There’s no guarantee they can help your child.”

Zhou Chen said, “Because of these concerns, we don’t dare to hire just anyone. Since you work in education and know more than us, I wanted to ask if you could help us find a suitable tutor. Price is not an issue.”

Zhong Yi was a practical man. Hearing Zhou Chen’s assurance, he immediately replied, “I must help you, senior brother. I think as long as the price is right, we can find a suitable teacher. I’ll help you look.”

“Thank you very much. Let’s do this.”

Watching Zhong Yi and Zhou Chen address each other so familiarly, Zhang Xue’er wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.

As Huanhuan’s homeroom teacher, she liked this student very much. Perhaps Huanhuan’s grades weren’t outstanding, but she was cheerful and warm-hearted, often helping classmates and eagerly participating in all kinds of class activities.

She believed that at Huanhuan’s age, children should be happy, developing both mind and body, not just focusing solely on academics.

But since it was the parents’ wish, and though she was the homeroom teacher, she had no authority to oppose it. She only hoped to comfort Huanhuan well once she was at school.

In the blink of an eye, the weekend passed.

That day, Nan Li told Zhou Chen that at work, Tian Yulan mentioned that Zhong Yi was running a cram school outside and had leaked exam questions to the students in his tutoring classes.

Since they had asked Zhong Yi for help, Nan Li hoped Zhou Chen would bring up this matter with Zhong Yi and try to resolve it properly.

Zhou Chen didn’t hesitate. If Zhong Yi could avoid being fired, perhaps many subsequent problems could be averted. So he immediately called Zhong Yi.

Knowing the gravity of the situation, Zhou Chen spoke sternly on the phone, urging Zhong Yi to have a good talk with Tian Yulan. Otherwise, with Tian Yulan’s personality, she would definitely report him to the education bureau.

Though Zhong Yi was stubborn, he was not someone who refused to listen.

Perhaps Zhou Chen’s warning worked, as Zhong Yi agreed to talk things over with Tian Yulan.

The result of that conversation exceeded Zhou Chen’s expectations. No one knew exactly what they discussed, but in the end, they reconciled. The reason was simple: Zhong Yi’s cram school gained a new student, Yan Ziyou.

Zhou Chen only learned of this a few days later, through Nan Li, who heard it from Tian Yulan.

This outcome left Zhou Chen dumbfounded. Really? It could be like that?

But on reflection, it seemed quite normal. Given Tian Yulan’s high expectations for her son’s grades, she placed academic success above all else. For her son, she could put aside pride and reconcile with Zhong Yi without hesitation.

However, Zhou Chen found Tian Yulan’s behavior somewhat double-faced.

If Zhong Yi hadn’t talked to her, she would have reported him to the education bureau straight away. But since he did talk and agreed to accept Yan Ziyou as a student, her attitude flipped completely. Not only did she not make a fuss, she didn’t pursue the matter further.

One had to admit that Tian Yulan was quite formidable, putting interests above principles entirely.

Still, this might be a perfect solution: Zhong Yi didn’t have to worry about being fired over the cram school issue, and Tian Yulan secured a good cram school for Yan Ziyou. Best of all, perhaps they wouldn’t have to continue their feud in the future.

With this, the storyline changed entirely, and Zhou Chen could no longer foresee how things would unfold.

Regarding the tutor search Zhou Chen entrusted to Zhong Yi, Zhong Yi replied that he had found a student from the Normal University—a top scorer from their own county—but the final decision on hiring still rested with Zhou Chen and his wife.

Using the contact information provided, Zhou Chen got in touch with the female university student and arranged for her to come for a trial class over the weekend.

On Saturday, Zhou Chen and Nan Li were both off work and met the tutor candidate, a plainly dressed young woman in her early twenties with average looks.

Her name was Chen Xiaoqin. She was very humble and said she could tutor initially for free, with payment to be decided after Huanhuan’s next monthly exam based on her progress.

This approach surprised Zhou Chen and Nan Li. Such a proposal implied either great confidence or arrogance.

But judging from Chen Xiaoqin’s sincere attitude, she was clearly not arrogant.

In the end, Zhou Chen and Nan Li decided to give Chen Xiaoqin a trial period.

In truth, this was a choice made out of necessity. They didn’t want to send Huanhuan to a cram school, so hiring a tutor was the only option.

Although they had asked Zhong Yi for help, Nan Li hadn’t fully let go and had explored many other avenues privately.

But as Zhong Yi had said, good teachers were incredibly hard to find, and most were unwilling to provide home tutoring. So, in the end, they could only try Chen Xiaoqin—the county’s top scorer in the college entrance exam.