Chapter 76: The Unexpected Tutor

During lunch, Yue Renhui came downstairs, stifling a yawn. He chuckled upon seeing Wang Linshu diligently spraying water on the fruit display.

“Little Wang is here again? Perfect, tell the neighbors to send over another lunchbox.”

During the meal, Yue Renhui inquired about something from Wang Linshu. “Did your grandfather arrange any cram school classes for you this weekend?”

Wang Linshu quickly put down his chopsticks and replied earnestly. “No special cram school, but a one-on-one private tutor comes on Saturday and Sunday afternoons for lessons. Since I’m learning so much right now, and cram schools are too specialized, I heard this way will be more effective.”

“A private tutor, huh…” Yue Renhui mused, then turned to Lin Duo. “Daughter, don’t you think you should find one too? After all, your exam rankings last semester weren’t ideal, and it’s clear you weren’t satisfied yourself.”

“Hmm… if it’s one-on-one tutoring, it might actually help, right?”

The school’s curriculum was progressing too quickly, and Lin Duo was indeed struggling to keep up. She couldn’t entirely rely on her classmates for help, so she thought a private tutor might be a better fit for her situation.

Yue Renhui slapped his chopsticks down with a decisive ‘snap.’ “Alright, it’s settled then! We’ll aim for a top student from a prestigious university; there won’t be much of a generation gap between you, making communication easier.”

After lunch, Wang Linshu had to leave for his own matters. Before departing, he cast several reluctant glances at Lin Duo.

As the Yue couple wasn’t very tech-savvy, the task of finding a tutor fell to Lin Duo herself. Fortunately, she always brought her laptop home, allowing her to search for information while sitting at the cashier’s desk.

Ultimately, Lin Duo chose a highly-rated online agency and called them directly. “Hello, is this XX Tutoring Agency?”

“Yes, yes! From your voice, you sound like a student, right? Are you looking for a tutor for yourself?” a young woman’s voice came from the other end of the line.

“Yes, I’m a freshman in high school. I’m falling a bit behind in my classes and would like a comprehensive tutor for one-on-one lessons every weekend.”

“First year of high school… Have you been assigned to a specific track yet?”

“Yes. Science track.”

“Alright, let me see what I can find for you…” A flurry of mouse clicks followed on the phone. After about ten seconds, the young woman spoke again. “I have an excellent tutor here. They’re a current student at Nan’an University of Technology, achieved very high scores in all subjects on the college entrance exam, and are known for their patient teaching. Previous clients have given great feedback.”

It sounded promising, but Lin Duo still harbored a slight reservation. “Could I have a trial lesson first? If it works out, we can then discuss a long-term arrangement.”

“Of course, no problem! Please leave your home address and phone number, and I’ll check with the tutor for their availability. I’ll notify you once a time is set.”

Approximately fifteen minutes after hanging up, the agency called back. They had arranged for the tutor to come for a trial lesson tomorrow at 1 PM. Payment would be made only if Lin Duo was satisfied, at a rate of 80 yuan per hour, settled on the same day.

****

The following afternoon, the private tutor arrived punctually. Lin Duo was upstairs preparing questions, so Wu Bijuan greeted him instead.

“Oh, you must be the brilliant student from Nan’an University of Technology, aren’t you? Hehe, you truly are a handsome young man. My daughter is upstairs, waiting for you. I’ll take you up right now.”

“You’re too kind, Auntie,” the young man replied with a polite smile, then ascended the stairs.

In the living room, a clean small table and two chairs were set up. Wu Bijuan first went to the kitchen, washed a bowl of grapes, and placed them before the young man. “Our family runs a fruit shop, so feel free to eat any fruit you like! Daughter? The teacher is here, come out quickly!”

From the bedroom, Lin Duo responded with a soft affirmation. She pushed open the door, carrying a stack of books, and froze when she saw the private tutor.

Wu Bijuan had business to attend to downstairs, so she didn’t notice this subtle reaction. “Well then, you two take your time studying. I’ll head downstairs now. Just call me when you’re done.”

Only after her adoptive mother went downstairs did Lin Duo speak, a look of surprise and doubt on her face. “How could it be you?”

“I was actually thinking the same thing,” the young man said, the corners of his lips curling into a slight smile. “It seems we truly are fated, Student Lin.”

“Indeed,” Lin Duo replied, her large eyes curving into beautiful crescents. “Should I call you Teacher Yuan now?”

Yuan Dingchu, however, waved a dismissive hand. “You can call me whatever you like. Speaking of which, how were your exam rankings last semester?”

“Mm… just passable, I suppose…” Lin Duo mumbled, telling a small lie. She was mainly afraid that he would look down on students with poor grades.

Yuan Dingchu, being perceptive, didn’t press for details. “Actually, the first year of high school is just the beginning; it’s mostly about learning new knowledge, so rankings aren’t that important.”

He added, “By the way, since your parents are here, it seems you really are a local, aren’t you? But why do I remember your accent leaning towards northern when I met you on that long-distance bus?”

This was precisely the question Lin Duo had always dreaded. Her pearly teeth gently bit her crimson lips, and she spoke softly. “There are some things I don’t want to talk about right now. Big Brother, could you please not ask?”

Yuan Dingchu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Alright, consider me nosy. But despite being acquaintances, I won’t take your family’s money for nothing. Let’s get straight to reviewing.”

Lin Duo placed a stack of books on the table, sat opposite Yuan Dingchu, and opened one of them. “How is this physics formula derived? And how exactly should it be applied?”

“Let me see…” Yuan Dingchu took the textbook, glanced at it for a few moments, and began to explain. “It goes like this here… and then like this…”

As they were sitting opposite each other, the textbook could only be held vertically to both their lines of sight, making it awkward for both of them. Lin Duo, being more perceptive, moved her chair next to Yuan Dingchu’s.

However, no sooner had she sat down than her nose twitched slightly. “Hmm? Is that the smell of tobacco on you?”

Yuan Dingchu sniffed his own sleeve. “I didn’t expect the smell to linger even after a whole night. You see, I went out for dinner with colleagues from my internship unit last night and ended up smoking a few cigarettes with them.”

“Smoking, huh…” Lin Duo frowned slightly. “I don’t find guys who smoke attractive at all, and it’s not good for your health either.”

Unexpectedly, Yuan Dingchu let out a faint laugh. “Are you concerned about me? Don’t worry, I only took ‘mouth puffs.’ After all, in those situations, everyone else was smoking, and I didn’t want to be too much of an exception.”

“‘Mouth puffs’? What’s that?” Lin Duo blinked her large eyes curiously.

“It’s the kind that doesn’t get you addicted and doesn’t harm your health,” Yuan Dingchu explained concisely. “By the way, I haven’t finished explaining this problem yet. Could you at least show some respect for me as your teacher and not interrupt arbitrarily?”

“Pfft, alright, alright, you old man, please continue!…”

In this manner, Lin Duo brought up all the questions she had accumulated for a long time, one by one. Yuan Dingchu, with exceptional patience, answered each of them, ensuring Lin Duo thoroughly understood before moving on to the next problem.

Thus, the two became so engrossed in their books and discussions that they completely lost track of time.

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