Relationships aren’t something you can just whip up on the spot, are they?
If Wen Ying didn’t make the cutoff score, rushing to pull strings with Teacher Lin at the last minute would be far too late. Lin’s mother-in-law only had a handful of admission slots each year, and deciding who got them was always a tricky business.
Deng Shangwei’s point was to lay the groundwork early, so it’d be easier to ask once the exam results were out.
If Wen Ying did well and got into the provincial key high school without backdoor help, that’d be the best outcome.
If she didn’t, having built some rapport, it’d be less awkward to ask Teacher Lin for a favour.
Deng Shangwei hadn’t gone from a fishmonger to a multi-millionaire boss without knowing a thing or two about dealing with people.
“It’s not about taking Little Ying to pull strings. It’s about paying Teacher Lin a visit and asking her to recommend a good tutor. We could find one ourselves, but how could they compare to someone Lin picks?”
That was Deng Shangwei’s groundwork.
Using tutoring as an excuse gave Teacher Lin a heads-up. If Wen Ying flunked her exams, asking for an admission slot later wouldn’t come out of the blue.
Wen Ying caught Deng Shangwei’s subtext instantly, while Chen Li took a moment longer to cotton on.
Having spent years hustling in Shanghai before her rebirth, Wen Ying had dealt with enough sharp characters to see through Deng Shangwei’s ploy. Chen Li, on the other hand, had gradually stepped back from the fray after her youngest, Deng Hao, was born and Deng Shangwei’s business took off, leaving her less quick on the uptake than Wen Ying.
Wen Ying thought Deng Shangwei’s idea was brilliant.
Truth be told, she didn’t need English tutoring—her middle school English exam performance had been off the charts.
With her vocabulary, she could breeze through the college entrance exam.
What she needed help with were the other subjects!
Her English had only improved post-work since it was useful on the job, but subjects like maths, physics, and chemistry—ones requiring formulas—left her utterly lost now.
Nine years after university, only a freak would still remember every bit of school knowledge, right?
Anyway, Wen Ying hadn’t been a top student in her past life, so viewing herself as a dunce now didn’t faze her.
After reassuring herself, she shared her thoughts with Chen Li. If Teacher Lin could help, why not tackle multiple subjects at once? Wen Ying’s excuse was consolidating her middle school basics while previewing high school material.
Chen Li wavered. “Won’t that be too tough? Can your body handle it?”
Wen Ying nodded. “Auntie, let me give it a go.”
Chen Li thought Wen Ying was too sensible for her own good.
Most kids studied grudgingly—few were as proactive as Wen Ying. With this kind of initiative, Chen Ru still wasn’t satisfied? If Deng Jie and Deng Hao were half as driven, Chen Li would be over the moon!
At 3:30 p.m., Chen Li grabbed a big bag of seafood and took Wen Ying to Teacher Lin’s place.
Wen Ying might be a bit chubby, but visiting someone meant sprucing herself up—neat and tidy—so as not to embarrass her auntie Chen Li in front of Teacher Lin.
Teacher Lin lived in the villa section, a dozen or so small villas tucked deep in the complex, shielded by green trees that blocked prying eyes from other residents.
It was the weekend, and Chen Li had called ahead. Teacher Lin was waiting at home for them.
Her villa stood out. Every villa in the complex had a garden out front, and Wen Ying noticed most had been turned into veggie patches or fruit trees. Chinese folks were practical like that—rich or poor, if there was land, they’d plant something. Veggie gardens in villas weren’t rare; later, people would grow crops on balconies and rooftops too!
Wen Ying had even read a news story about Chinese parents accompanying students in the U.S., turning a patch of wasteland at Yale into a veggie plot—proper impressive.
But Teacher Lin’s yard wasn’t for veggies. It was a neatly trimmed lawn, full-on American style, still a rarity in China in 2004.
“Does someone in Teacher Lin’s family study abroad?” Wen Ying asked casually.
Chen Li was taken aback. “How’d you know? Her husband studied in America.”
“Auntie, just a guess.”
“Well, aren’t you clever! Go on, guess again—”
Chen Li was about to tease her when the villa door opened. A woman in her twenties stood there, waving at Chen Li. “Chen Jie, you didn’t have to bring anything!”
“You know my family’s got plenty of this stuff—it’s not pricey, just a little something fresh for you to try.”
This was Teacher Lin.
She had shoulder-length hair, wore glasses, and dressed in brands that were top-tier in 2004—still out of reach for the average white-collar worker in 2019, though the style was understated.
Teacher Lin wasn’t strikingly beautiful, but she had an air about her, with skin as smooth and fair as a peeled egg.
Wen Ying sized her up while Teacher Lin checked her out too.
“Hello, Teacher Lin. I’m Wen Ying.”
Wen Ying was open and confident. Teacher Lin smiled. “Come in quick—it’s hot out there.”
It being the weekend, only Teacher Lin and her nanny were home—no one else around. The nanny brought out a fruit platter, and after some small talk, Chen Li got to the point: finding Wen Ying a tutor.
Money wasn’t an issue—the tutor had to be top-notch. Chen Li trusted Teacher Lin’s picks.
Teacher Lin had a rough idea of Chen Li’s finances—nobody in this complex was hard up.
By 2004, holiday tutoring classes were popping up all over Rongcheng. Some parents sent kids to centres; others hired tutors to come to them, usually uni students. As Sichuan’s capital, Rongcheng had no shortage of students from good schools to pick from.
Teacher Lin asked Chen Li which she preferred. Chen Li looked to Wen Ying.
“Teacher Lin, I’d like a high school teacher like you to tutor me. Even great uni students might not know how to teach. High school teachers like you are the pros.”
Fair point.
If Wen Ying wanted uni students, Teacher Lin could easily snag ones from UESTC or Sichuan University—or even other top schools, given her network.
Not every teacher came from a prestigious uni, but when it came to teaching, pros were the best.
A teacher didn’t need to be a jack-of-all-trades—just ace their own subject!
Wen Ying’s words made Teacher Lin chuckle.
Teenagers weren’t big on flattery—Wen Ying must’ve meant it. Being genuinely recognised by a student warmed Teacher Lin’s heart.
“So which subjects do you want to work on?”
“Maths, physics, and chemistry.”
Wen Ying didn’t just list them—she explained her goal: previewing high school material while shoring up her middle school basics.
Teacher Lin said she’d keep it in mind and let Chen Li know in a couple of days.
After chatting a bit more, Chen Li glanced at her watch and got ready to leave with Wen Ying.
Teacher Lin tried to keep them for dinner, but Chen Li politely declined. As Lin saw them to the door, a tall, skinny youth pushed open the garden gate.
Wen Ying nearly bumped right into him.
When she saw his face clearly, she froze.
…Good heavens, how could it be him?!
