He saw the situation clearly as well. Han Tingting shared his surname, Han; she was family. He couldn't count on his son anymore, but if his granddaughter was successful, she could always marry a man into the family. That way, he'd have someone to look after him in his old age.
So, how many fools were there in this world? The only real fools were probably the former Han Tingting and the current Tan You. But that was fine. Tan You would mature over time.
This time, besides going to the school to check on her grades, Han Cunming was also there to bring her bedding and luggage home. There was no way she could manage it all on her own.
Their first stop was naturally the boarding house. The place was bustling, mostly with parents helping their children pack their belongings. Almost all the parents had heard of Han Tingting's reputation, and as soon as they saw Han Cunming, they pulled him aside to praise him endlessly for raising such a good child.
"Uncle Han, you've done a wonderful job with your granddaughter. Your Tingting's grades are excellent now."
"My kid told me that Tingting used to be at the bottom of the rankings. Then, in just the last two months, she suddenly got serious, and now she's even first in her grade."
"That's so impressive! I heard she studies with the ninth-grade girls until midnight every night. She's working incredibly hard. Is that true?"
"If my kid worked that hard, I'd sell everything I own to make sure she could keep studying!"
"Exactly! What else is a kid her age supposed to do besides study? Especially since Han Tingting's grades are so good."
Listening to the parents' praise, Han Cunming froze. 'First in the grade? Are they mistaken? Wasn't Han Tingting always at the bottom of the rankings before? How could she possibly be first now?'
Han Cunming managed to keep his composure. He didn't ask right then and there; he'd find out soon enough when he saw her grades. But in the half hour they spent packing her things, all Han Cunming heard was endless praise for Han Tingting.
The landlady was especially effusive. "Your Han Tingting is destined for great things! Other kids are always thinking about going out to have fun, but she starts studying the moment she gets back and keeps at it until midnight every single night."
"She's always so well-behaved and acts so maturely! You must continue to support her education."
Han Cunming nodded along. "Don't you worry. As long as she's willing to learn, I'll definitely support her education."
The landlady thought for a moment, then suddenly pulled Han Cunming aside. "My cousin is the Dean of Academic Affairs for the high school division, and I mentioned Han Tingting to him once. He looked at her report card and said that if she can maintain these grades, there's a very high chance she can get a school scholarship."
"Her tuition and fees would be completely waived, and the school would even give her a monthly living stipend. Of course, that's all on the condition that Han Tingting's grades remain this excellent."
"I will work hard to earn that spot," Tan You suddenly spoke up. She had vaguely heard about this possibility, but now, hearing it confirmed by the landlady, Tan You firmly committed the goal to memory.
The landlady smiled. "As long as you work hard, I'm sure you can do it."
Han Cunming also committed this to memory. 'If my granddaughter really gets this scholarship, she can definitely continue on to high school. As for whether she actually gets into a university... well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.'
His mind wandering, Han Cunming followed her to the classroom. After arriving in this world, Tan You hadn't changed seats; she still sat in the last row. Everyone else had a deskmate, but she had a desk all to herself.
Han Cunming sat down on her small stool. "You're still sitting in the back row? Don't good students usually sit up front?"
Tan You, busy wiping her desk, replied, "I don't get along well with the others, and we don't have much to talk about. Sitting alone is fine."
Han Cunming didn't press the issue. He was just an ordinary old man from the countryside and knew nothing about handling relationships with classmates. His own social standing in the village wasn't great either, so he really had no wisdom to offer his granddaughter on the matter.
The classroom was bustling today, as many parents had come. It was the end of the term, and they all wanted to hear about their children's academic performance. Of course, most of the visitors were grandparents. There were some mothers and fathers, but they were in the minority.
Han Cunming didn't speak to anyone, but he couldn't stop other parents from approaching him. This was especially true after they learned he was Han Tingting's grandfather; the parents around him were eager to ask for his tips on raising children.
Han Cunming stammered, "She… she's just self-disciplined. I can't really help her. All she ever does when she comes home is study."
"She used to want to watch TV and go out to play, but now she doesn't touch any of it. She just studies."
One parent asked in confusion, "She studies even when she's home on break? She doesn't try to catch up on sleep?"
Han Cunming thought of his granddaughter burning the midnight oil when she was home on Saturday. "Mhm. I'll wake up in the middle of the night and she's still studying. On Sundays, she's always up at six. She never sleeps in."
A father slapped his son on the back of the head. "Did you hear that? Now that's what I call diligence!"
The boy grimaced. "I heard you, I heard you! Dad, I can't study like Han Tingting."
The father retorted, "As long as studying doesn't kill you, you study like your life depends on it! A little girl can do it, so why can't a big guy like you? Starting today, you're studying until midnight every night, too!"
Han Cunming, having unintentionally thrown these students under the bus, fell silent. 'Did I say something I shouldn't have?'
Around nine o'clock, Wang Lanfeng came in holding the grade sheets. The moment she entered, the classroom fell silent. Tan You stood just behind and to the side of Han Cunming, her back against the wall, her gaze on Wang Lanfeng perfectly calm.
'I seem to be a naturally aloof person,' she thought. 'Even knowing what Wang Lanfeng had thought in the past, I can't bring myself to feel any real animosity toward her. Is it because I'm not the real Han Tingting, so I can't empathize?'
Plenty of students were standing at the back of the classroom. Each only had one stool, so if a parent was sitting, the student had to stand. A boy who often asked Tan You for help with his studies nudged her elbow. "Old Wang looked at you first. I bet you did really well this time."
"You can drop the 'I bet'," a girl next to them whispered. "Ever since Tingting hit number one, she's never left that spot. She's definitely first again this time."
Tan You, however, was perfectly calm. "I'm not sure. We'll know when the results are announced."
Wang Lanfeng was indeed in a very good mood. She placed the student evaluation forms and the grade sheets on the lectern, her eyes sweeping over the parents. Her gaze paused for a moment when it landed on Han Cunming.
"This final was a joint city-wide exam. The difficulty level was very high, and some students' scores were not ideal." She paused for a dramatic breath. "However, one student in our class had a particularly outstanding performance."
The boy to Tan You's right muttered, "She means you, right?"
The girl to Tan You's left said, "It's definitely Tingting!"
Sure enough, Wang Lanfeng continued, "Our very own Han Tingting placed ninth in the entire city on this joint exam, making her number one in the eighth grade."