Many middle school students in the live stream said that watching their live stream was better than hiring a private tutor. They highlighted key points very accurately, and their problem-solving methods were concise and clear. Plus, they followed the textbook from the first year of middle school onwards, so all middle school students could learn everything again. The only problem was that they never taught math. At first, some people were puzzled, until one time Xu Zifan asked Yan Yaru a very difficult math problem. After Yan Yaru solved it for him, he applied the solution to solve two more difficult problems. Everyone then realized that this young man was actually very good at math, no wonder he didn't need a female tutor.
They earned 1,000 yuan in a week of live streaming. Kids these days have money and are quick to tip. This amount isn't much, but it's a good start for them. Xu Zifan gave all the money to Yan Yaru, saying it was his live streaming income and his tutoring fees. Yan Yaru disagreed and insisted on splitting it equally with him. In the end, they agreed on a 20/80 split, with Xu Zifan keeping 200 and giving her the remaining 800.
The first thing Yan Yaru did after receiving the money was to buy a 300-yuan bicycle. Taking the bus every day was the most unbearable time for her. However, she couldn't ride a bicycle. The Yan family was grooming her as their heir and valued her highly; she had always been driven around by a chauffeur since childhood and had never touched a bicycle before, so she had to learn by brute force.
After Ji's mother taught her twice without success, she asked Xu Zifan to teach Yan Yaru. Xu Zifan was a very patient teacher. He explained to Yan Yaru how to use all parts of her body when riding a bicycle, and then encouraged her to try. Yan Yaru gripped the handlebars and rode forward a couple of times, but the bicycle suddenly tilted to the side. Xu Zifan quickly grabbed her arm and straightened her, saying, "You'll get the hang of it after a few tries. It's actually very simple; practice makes perfect. Try again."
Yan Yaru fell twice while learning from Ji's mother, bruising her arms and legs, and she was a little scared. But thinking of the bus, she stepped on the pedal again and started riding. This time, she rode for two meters before the bike fell over again, and Xu Zifan caught her in time, laughing and saying, "You've made progress. As long as you're a little bolder and more relaxed, you can maintain your balance. Don't be afraid, I'll hold onto the back seat for you."
Yan Yaru nodded and rode forward again. With Xu Zifan holding onto the back seat, the bicycle was much more stable. She gradually relaxed, and when she wobbled again, she simply stretched her legs out and put them on the ground to steady herself. She breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly realized, "I was too nervous before. If I had been more careful, I wouldn't have fallen at all."
Indeed, those who are tall and have long legs can stand up as soon as they put one leg on their side. But beginners are often nervous and afraid, unable to react in time, like someone learning to swim who falls into the pool and forgets to stand up. Now, with Xu Zifan helping and protecting her, Yan Yaru has become much bolder and less nervous. She got on the bike again and again, riding farther and farther, until one time she rode for dozens of meters without falling over. A smile unconsciously appeared on her face, and she happily said, "Xu Zifan, I can ride!"
After she finished speaking and didn't hear Xu Zifan's voice, she turned her head slightly to look back and saw that Xu Zifan was actually standing still without holding onto the back seat. She was immediately startled, and the handlebars veered off course, heading straight for the bushes! Yan Yaru screamed and quickly put both feet on the ground. After staggering a couple of times, she managed to stop, and the bike fell over.
She patted her wildly beating heart and said to Xu Zifan, "Why didn't you help me?"
Xu Zifan strolled over slowly with his hands in his pockets, smiling as he said, "See, you can ride now, right? If I had been holding you the whole time, you wouldn't even know you could ride. Try again if you don't believe me, you'll definitely be fine this time."
Yan Yaru felt a surge of joy as she recalled how she had ridden the bicycle entirely on her own. Eager to try again, she mounted the bike. This time, she knew Xu Zifan hadn't helped, but she also knew she could ride, which boosted her confidence. She carefully and slowly began to pedal, and the bicycle glided smoothly forward. Her body relaxed, and she mastered that wonderful sense of balance. She rode a lap back to Xu Zifan without any problems, and for the first time, a genuine smile appeared on her face. She suddenly felt a great sense of accomplishment!
She happily said to Xu Zifan, "Thank you! You've helped me again!"
Xu Zifan smiled and said, "It's nothing. Let's practice some more. Practice turning and braking as much as possible and try to become more proficient."
"Okay!" Yan Yaru nodded and happily practiced riding her bicycle around and around. It was more like playing than practicing; riding a bicycle, which she had just learned, was indeed a lot of fun.
Xu Zifan shook his head with amusement, found a bench to sit down and watched her silently recite her Chinese text, not wasting a single moment. Yan Yaru practiced intermittently throughout the afternoon, only stopping at dinnertime. Xu Zifan handed her a bottle of water and advised, "Go back and rest early later; riding for so long must have been quite strenuous."
"Okay, thank you." Yan Yaru nodded, took the bottled water, and said a little embarrassedly, "I'm sorry, I forgot to check the time and kept you up all afternoon."
Xu Zifan waved his hand, "It's okay, I've been memorizing the texts and reviewing all the senior year Chinese textbooks."
Yan Yaru looked at him speechlessly. If he loved learning so much, how come his foundation was so poor before? He's really a strange person. Besides, it felt a little odd that he was reciting texts beside her while she was riding her bike.
The two locked the car and went upstairs together. Just then, Mrs. Ji was about to call them for dinner. As soon as she saw them, she smiled and said, "Zifan, come and eat with us. Your mom and I cooked together. There's fried pork tenderloin and chicken stew with mushrooms, which you like. Go and call your dad."
"Okay, sure." Xu Zifan went back into the house and called out to his dad. He then went to the kitchen to cut a fruit platter, grabbed some wine and drinks, and took them to the Ji family's house.
Upon seeing this, Mrs. Ji immediately complained, "Why are you being so polite, child? Are you still going through that old ritual of never arriving empty-handed?"
Xu Zifan laughed and said, "Auntie, this isn't just polite talk, you..."
"Make me something delicious to eat, I have to show you some respect too. I specially picked your favorite fruits and cut them up, try them and see if they're sweet."
Mrs. Ji was all smiles as she was coaxed. Mrs. Xu came out of the kitchen, glared at him, and said with a laugh, "You're getting better and better at talking. I've cooked for you too, so why don't you show me any filial piety?"
"Don't you and your aunt have similar tastes? I'm being filial to both of you. Come on, have a bite of apple. I tasted it when I cut it, and it's so sweet." Xu Zifan used a toothpick to pick up a piece of apple and fed it to his mother. He then pushed her to sit down and said, "I'll serve the rest of the dishes. Mom and Dad, Uncle and Aunt, please sit down."
Seeing this, Yan Yaru quickly got up and went to the kitchen with Xu Zifan to get the dishes. In the Yan family, servants had always done these things, and she had never realized she needed to help her parents with these tasks. Watching Xu Zifan's actions, she thoughtfully thought, "So this is what it means to be filial to your parents." She particularly admired Xu Zifan's interactions with her elders; a few words were enough to make them happy. She felt she should learn from Xu Zifan.
During dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Ji, upon hearing that Yan Yaru had learned to ride a bike, thanked Xu Zifan profusely. However, they were also somewhat worried about the potential dangers of Yan Yaru being a beginner, so they asked Xu Zifan to accompany her to and from school and keep an eye on her. Xu Zifan readily agreed, saying that going to school alone was still going to school, and going together would allow her to ask questions, so it was no problem at all.
He suddenly thought of something else. According to the original plan, after the Yan family severed ties with Yan Yaru, she was tied to a telephone pole. He had previously thought that since the Yan family now treated Yan Yaru as an adopted daughter, they were still protecting her, and no one would dare harm her like this. But after hearing the concerns Ji's parents expressed for Yan Yaru, he suddenly realized that the plot had changed. Who knew if this would still happen, or even sooner? After all, Yan Yaru's previous status was high and she surpassed others in every way; it was inevitable that a few idiots would want to see her in an even more wretched state. Letting Yan Yaru go out alone was indeed a bit dangerous; it would be safer for them to travel together.
At night, Mr. and Mrs. Ji lay in bed talking, and they felt a pang of sadness when they mentioned Yan Yaru. They were both content people, not very ambitious, always feeling that as long as they were fed and clothed, that was enough. But when they thought about how Yan Yaru used to ride in a car, but after coming to their house, she switched to a bicycle, which she bought herself, they felt that they, as parents, were incapable and hadn't given their daughter a sense of security, causing her to suffer.
Comparisons are easy to make things difficult to bear. They hadn't given their biological daughter any care in eighteen years, and now they just wanted to make it up to her, even developing a desire to strive for success in middle age. After discussing it, they decided that Mr. Ji would quit his job to go into business, while Mrs. Ji would continue working to earn a stable salary as a backup plan. This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. Mr. Ji had run small businesses in his youth and had a good head for it, but he disliked that kind of busy, striving life, and he didn't like a life filled with strong self-interest, so he chose a stable job and gave up the business.
Now that he's reunited with his biological daughter, he suddenly feels a surge of determination. The Yan family wanted to keep both daughters back then because they were wealthy and could afford more for their children. Now he wants to fight for her, to ensure his daughter never regrets leaving the Yan family and choosing them, and that they can provide her with a better life. Mr. Ji is also incredibly passionate about making money. Even if he could never match the Yan family's wealth, he's willing to work hard for his daughter. So he begins a careful and meticulous plan. He has good connections, and he believes this decision won't be too difficult.
The monthly exam at No. 1 High School finally arrived. Xu Zifan entered the exam room with confidence and answered all the questions he knew correctly. Of course, he left the questions he didn't know blank. Time was too short, and he was already very satisfied with his performance.
During this period, he slept at 2 a.m. and got up at 5 a.m. every day, spending all his time studying. He has a good memory; he can memorize things three times and then never forget them. He also remembers formulas clearly. So, although he had just finished junior high school, he did quite well on the exam this time by memorizing key knowledge and classic question types.
He's almost catching up with the senior year's math pace, scoring 110 points. He's always been good at English, and after understanding the key points, he scored 136. Chinese wasn't difficult for him either, and he scored 133. All three subjects are out of 150, so he did very well. For the remaining three subjects, out of 100, he scored 67 in physics, 49 in chemistry, and 88 in biology, for a total of 583 points, ranking first in his class!
The monthly exams were conducted separately for each subject, which made his progress in each subject very obvious. Compared to his previous total score which never exceeded 300 points, it was an incredible leap forward!