The Tutor's Stand

The child I was tutoring improved from 20 points to 87 points. His mother asked me to lower my tutoring fees, saying the child had made progress and my job was easier. I disagreed. She immediately blocked me and didn't even settle the remaining tutoring fees. Later, when the child's grades plummeted, she called me ten times a day: "Please come back, Teacher Cheng. My child needs you for his studies."

Chapter 1

During my junior year of university, I found a tutoring job. Although the hourly rate was only 100 yuan—not high for a first-tier city—it had the advantage of being close to campus.

The student was in his third year of middle school. After taking him on, I worked on building his foundation, developing his thinking skills, establishing a systematic approach, and organizing error logs. In six months, I improved his scores from the low twenties to 87 on the latest exam.

Xiao Zhi was so excited today that he jumped up and down to greet me at the door.

"Teacher Cheng, look! This Lego set my mom bought me as a reward for my physics progress."

I patted his head. "Congratulations! I hope you'll stay humble and keep working hard to continue improving."

"Definitely. My mom said that if I can score 90 on my final exam, she'll take me to the Maldives. Pretty cool, right?"

"Let's work hard together, and I'm sure we can achieve that. I'm truly happy for you."

"Hehe, Teacher Cheng, don't get too excited yet."

"What?" I asked, confused.

He gave a sly smile. "Nothing."

I smiled but didn't think much of it. Teenagers always had their mysterious ways.

That evening, after sending Xiao Zhi's mother his recent progress report, I received a message from her.

"Hello Teacher Cheng, are you busy now? I'd like to discuss something with you."

"Not too busy, what's up?"

"It's like this—Xiao Zhi scored 87 on his physics exam this time."

"Yes, Xiao Zhi told me. This shows his recent efforts have paid off."

"Teacher Cheng, now that Xiao Zhi's grades have improved so much, you must need to put in less effort. Shouldn't the tutoring fee be adjusted accordingly?"

I was stunned and didn't reply immediately.

More messages followed.

"You teach really well, Teacher Cheng, and Xiao Zhi really likes you. Since Xiao Zhi is already in his third year of middle school, I was thinking that if the fee were lower, I could ask you to continue tutoring him through high school. That way, you'd earn quite a bit too."

Over the past six months, although I only taught on weekends and holidays, I put in considerable preparation time. I would spend hours preparing for each lesson, organizing knowledge systems based on Xiao Zhi's weak points, explaining problems in ways he could better understand, and motivating him.

In S city, the standard rate for university student tutors for middle school students was 120-150 yuan per hour. To be honest, my rate wasn't high. Previously, when I worked at a tutoring center, the prices were much higher, and those weren't even one-on-one sessions.

Xiao Zhi's scores had genuinely improved—from the low twenties when I first took him on to consistently scoring in the seventies or eighties on recent exams, even reaching 87 this time.

So I replied: "Auntie, my rate is already very, very low."

"When I was at the tutoring center, parents paid 400 yuan per class, and those were small group sessions. 100 yuan per hour is already quite low—I only offered this rate because Xiao Zhi is well-behaved and you live close to me."

Xiao Zhi's mother was silent for a moment, then sent me a voice recording.

"Teacher Cheng, I had Xiao Zhi record one of your classes."

"You do teach well, but sometimes you spend a long time talking about unrelated topics, so isn't it natural to slightly reduce the fee?"

Sometimes when Xiao Zhi wasn't in good spirits or hadn't rested well before class, I would tell him about university life or interesting anecdotes to adjust his mood, for maybe five or six minutes at most.

Besides, I didn't rush off the moment the two-hour session ended—I would always finish explaining the current content, usually extending the class by about ten minutes, which more than compensated for the time.

I explained: "Auntie, sometimes I talk about other topics to adjust Xiao Zhi's state of mind."

She replied: "I know."

"But you're spending less time on the actual lesson, so shouldn't the fee be reduced?"

"I'm paying you for lesson time, not for chitchat. Every time you go off on those tangents, shouldn't there be a deduction?"

I felt somewhat helpless but still didn't want to give up fighting for my interests.

"But you've seen the results I've achieved with Xiao Zhi."

"Physics is inherently difficult. I raised his scores from the low twenties to eighty-four. As you can see, this tutoring fee really isn't high."

"Exactly! So if you just lower the fee a bit, we can continue having you tutor him through high school, and you'll earn more in the long run."

Her logic left me speechless.

After a long pause, I typed: "So how much do you think would be appropriate?"

She said: "My colleague's physics tutor only charges 70 yuan per hour."

"Because Xiao Zhi is now highly motivated and working very hard to earn that 87, you'll have a much easier time, Teacher Cheng."

This price was unacceptable to me.

I finally understood what Xiao Zhi hadn't finished saying earlier in class today.

I didn't understand why, when this was clearly the result of both Xiao Zhi's and my efforts, his mother was willing to buy him thousands of yuan worth of Lego as a reward for his academic progress but wanted to dock my 100 yuan tutoring fee.

"In that case, please find another tutor."

The other party sent a long voice message with an unpleasant tone.

"To be honest, my Xiao Zhi was always smart—he just wasn't very motivated before. Now that he's staying up late practicing problems every night, his grades naturally improved. You were just giving him occasional pointers. Every time I saw you teach, you'd spend half the time bragging about yourself. Of course, that doesn't count as lesson time, so the fee should definitely be reduced!"

After knowing each other for over half a year, I still hoped we could part amicably.

So I held back my temper and replied: "Auntie, let's not say such things. Please find another physics teacher for Xiao Zhi. I wish Xiao Zhi success in getting into his desired high school."

She replied "Okay."

"Auntie, I taught two classes this month. Could you please settle the tutoring fee?"

She didn't reply, so I sent her the detailed calculation.

"2 classes × 2 hours × 100 yuan = 400 yuan."

The system showed my message was sent but rejected by the recipient.

Me: ??

"Auntie"

Red exclamation mark.

"?"

Red exclamation mark.

I was nearly in tears—my hard-earned money!

Chapter 2

I wasn't about to let this go.

I wasn't a pushover.

Anyone who bullied me would face consequences.

Previously, as the class secretary, I had visited the counselor's office several times to help with tasks. Later, through my own efforts, I won a national scholarship.

But shortly after, rumors started spreading around campus that I had used my body to bribe the counselor for the scholarship spot, claiming we had engaged in inappropriate activities in the office and had been seen from outside the window.

Such salacious gossip spread quickly around campus.

Later, my roommates started looking at me strangely.

I overheard them discussing in vivid detail how I supposedly slept with the counselor.

I told her not to talk nonsense.

One of them replied to me: "Why pretend? The whole department knows about it."

Fine, fine, the whole department knew, yet somehow I didn't.

In front of them, I dialed the emergency police number.

I said in a panicked voice that I might have been drugged and sexually assaulted without my memory of the incident, and that I had witnesses who could testify.

I dragged my roommate downstairs to wait for the police, insisting they must testify for me.

Soon, a crowd gathered.

My roommate was stunned, and the one who had spoken most eagerly quickly tried to distance herself: "We heard it from the class monitor."

Some enthusiastic students called over the class monitor.

The roommate, eager to clear herself, kept pressing the class monitor to admit it.

The class monitor didn't readily admit to saying it.

The roommate became anxious, explaining that the class monitor had claimed to have personally seen what happened between me and the counselor from outside the window.

They argued back and forth, with the roommate saying she had chat records and group messages as evidence, and the class monitor couldn't deny it.

I begged the class monitor to testify for me, saying I had no memory of ever having that kind of encounter with the counselor and must have been drugged and assaulted.

The class monitor was completely flustered and quickly said no, no, that the counselor hadn't done anything like that to me, that he had made it all up.

When the police arrived, I tearfully explained the situation.

The class monitor kept saying he had made it all up because he hadn't won the national scholarship and was jealous of me, thinking that as a girl, I must have used some improper means.

I continued begging him to tell the truth, not to be afraid.

The class monitor anxiously rubbed his face.

The department leader, who had come with the counselor, tried to reassure both me and the class monitor in front of the police and other students, saying they would definitely investigate thoroughly and told me not to worry.

The counselor was also bewildered: "Nothing like that ever happened."

I said: "I have a witness—the class monitor saw it."

Several students who had helped spread the rumor quickly chimed in, saying they had only heard it from the class monitor, distancing themselves.

The counselor became angry, pointing at the class monitor and saying he would sue him for defamation.

The three of us went to the police station with the department leader to give statements.

At the time, they could only file under sexual assault charges, but without substantial evidence, the case couldn't proceed.

Although the class monitor admitted he had claimed to have personally seen me and the counselor in the office, he argued that he had been confused and said it recklessly.

During the statement, the police asked if the class monitor had fabricated the story, and he admitted it.

But I didn't accept this explanation, insisting that the class monitor was only saying this because he was afraid of offending the counselor.

I kept demanding an investigation, using the excuse that I was afraid it might be true.

The counselor also demanded an investigation: "I can't bear this accusation—it must be thoroughly investigated!"

The department leader who came with us didn't choose to suppress the matter. She patted my head: "Investigate, and not only investigate—we need to announce the findings to the entire department."

She was also a woman, and she knew that without conclusive evidence, I would always carry this stigma. Without proof, even if the rumor was debunked, people would say I had chosen to compromise and not pursue it.

So the police conducted a preliminary investigation to determine if the counselor had committed any crimes.

They investigated starting from the times mentioned in the rumors, checking daily schedules and office surveillance.

Every piece of evidence showed that the counselor and I were innocent.

The counselor was unwilling to be falsely accused and wanted to sue the class monitor for defamation.

The class monitor then broke down, crying about academic pressure, how much he had wanted that scholarship, and how jealous he had been of me.

After leaving the police station, I talked with the counselor.

Although the counselor kept sighing about being in an interrogation room for the first time, he turned to comfort me, saying he was very proud of me for bravely fighting the rumors and protecting myself.

Later, the department issued a notice of punishment for the class monitor and also released a statement proving my innocence.

Chapter 3

After that incident, I learned something.

When you can't solve a problem yourself, you need to seek help from professionals—like the police, or—

And now I stood before the community mediation office.

After hearing my story, the community mediators found it hard to believe.

An older aunt spoke her mind: "They already have two nannies—one for cooking and one for cleaning. How can they still shortchange a student's wages?"

A middle-aged man said: "You don't understand. They wouldn't dare shortchange the nannies' wages because the nannies would make a fuss if anything happened. Some people just take advantage of students' lack of social experience and their reluctance to make trouble, wanting them to quietly accept the loss."

Sister Lin, who was in charge of mediation, patted my shoulder: "Don't worry, we'll definitely get your rightful wages back for you."

When Xiao Zhi's mother was notified to come by the community workers, her attitude was terrible.

"You little girl, making such a big deal out of something so small."

"What's so small about it? The student worked hard tutoring your child to earn some living expenses, and you won't even settle her pay."

"Did I say I wouldn't pay her? Am I the type of person who doesn't pay what they owe? Everyone in this neighborhood knows our family's situation—would I really not pay what I owe?"

"Fine, then hurry up and transfer the money to her."

"I just think she shouldn't charge so much. She's not a professional teacher to begin with, so she's not that skilled."

Sister Lin became angry: "Your Xiao Zhi is in the same class as my daughter, right? Everyone knows how much his grades have improved. What does that tell you? It means Teacher Cheng's teaching is effective."

As she spoke, she looked Xiao Zhi's mother up and down, her tone softening somewhat: "Auntie, it's not that you can't afford it. We all see your family's spending—we know it's not about the money. You're all respectable people; it's not worth causing unpleasantness over something like this, is it?"

Xiao Zhi's father had a high position and salary. Their family cared most about saving face.

So even though it pained them, they lived in the villa district, drove luxury cars, hired nannies, but wanted to dock 30 yuan from the tutor's pay.

Xiao Zhi's mother smoothed her hair: "That's true."

"So hurry up and settle with her. It's not easy for a student to earn some living expenses."

"Fine, I'm only doing this to give you community workers face."

Sister Lin waved at me, and I quickly held out my payment code.

Behind her back, I secretly gave Sister Lin a thumbs-up.

Truly professional.

As I left, Xiao Zhi's mother was still muttering: "College students these days, so petty about money, so lacking in grace."

I deliberately waited a few minutes before leaving the mediation room, not wanting to run into Xiao Zhi's mother outside.

I hadn't gone far when Sister Lin caught up from behind.

"Teacher Cheng, would you be willing to take on another tutoring job? I can pay you 300 yuan per hour."

Chapter 4

Sister Lin invited me to her home for a trial lesson.

I was somewhat hesitant, but thinking of how Sister Lin had helped me today, I agreed.

Sister Lin's child, Xiao Fei, was a quiet girl who smiled shyly when she met me.

When she heard I had been Xiao Zhi's previous tutor, her eyes lit up.

After we got to know each other a bit better, she talked more: "Teacher Cheng, I've seen the error logs and notes you organized for Xiao Zhi. They looked really useful."

But she quickly lowered her head: "My scores on that unit test improved a lot too, but later Xiao Zhi wouldn't lend me his notes anymore."

I felt a pang of sympathy. I took her hand: "It's okay, I'm here now."

Children being children, she immediately cheered up: "That's right! Mom is really amazing, she actually found you."

Only then did I learn that after she told her mother, her mother had asked Xiao Zhi's mother for my contact information.

But was refused.

"She's just an ordinary college student tutor, not that great at teaching. Why would you want her?"

I believe she genuinely thought this, but even so, she was unwilling to help others.

"Besides, college students don't have much free time. Teaching one child is already a stretch. If she teaches another child, won't she have less energy to spend on my child?"

But in front of me, she always told me that if I taught well, she would recommend me to other parents and told me to teach with dedication.

She said this, and Sister Lin didn't press further.

Actually, Sister Lin had found other tutors for Xiao Fei, including some professional teachers, but the results weren't very good.

Actually, I knew it wasn't that I taught better than other teachers, but that I used the advantage of being closer in age to the children, having less psychological distance, plus I could adjust my teaching style based on the child's personality.

I first gave Xiao Fei a small test to understand her knowledge level, then chatted with her to learn about her study habits and personality.

When we finished, Sister Lin wanted to transfer the trial lesson fee to me, but I refused.

But Sister Lin insisted: "You spent your time, you should get paid. This is what you deserve."

I explained to her that I hadn't formally taught today, I was just assessing the situation.

But she insisted: "Didn't that also take your time and energy? Don't treat yourself as cheap labor, Xiao Cheng. When you do work, getting paid is right. Don't be shy with me."

Her words suddenly enlightened me, and I accepted.

"How about this—you come teach Xiao Fei 1-2 times a week, specifically according to your schedule and when Xiao Fei doesn't have classes. I'll let her coordinate with you. Is 300 yuan per hour okay?"

"Th-three hundred, that's too much."

"Not at all, you're worth that much."

Although very tempted, I couldn't accept this in good conscience.

I told Sister Lin that the standard rate for middle school tutoring in S city was 120-150 yuan per hour for university students, while professional teachers charged 250-400 yuan per hour.

"Value isn't determined by whether you're a professional teacher or not. You teach well, the child can understand you, that's what matters."

"I like listening to Teacher Cheng's lectures. She's very patient." Xiao Fei chimed in.

I was incredibly moved and grasped Xiao Fei's hand, determined: "Okay, Sister Lin, rest assured. I'll definitely help Xiao Fei's grades improve dramatically."

Xiao Fei: "Ah! Why do I feel like my days ahead are going to be tough?"

Chapter 5

While teaching Xiao Fei, I discovered she was a very intelligent child.

Strangely, many very basic concepts, she didn't understand.

But once I explained them, she remembered quickly, and even more difficult concepts she grasped immediately.

I didn't understand why such a smart child could have such poor grades at school.

After reporting Xiao Fei's learning situation and my questions to Sister Lin, she sent me an 800 yuan red envelope and a long voice message.

"Teacher Cheng, it's very considerate of you to notice the child's problems."

"This child, like me, is very competitive and unwilling to communicate many things with me."

"Her other subjects are all good, only physics is poor. I've asked her about it, and she told me she just hates physics and would rather compensate with other subjects."

"I know this child has something on her mind, but she won't say, and I can't do anything about it. Teacher Cheng, as someone closer to her age, if you can help her open up and trust you, I would really appreciate it."

I became even more dedicated to this matter.

I could see that Xiao Fei had very little confidence in her physics learning.

Sometimes when I gave her new types of problems, even though she could eventually solve them, she would start by undermining her own confidence: "This problem is too difficult, I've never seen this type before, I might not do well, Teacher."

"How do you know if you haven't tried?" I encouraged her.

"Because I'm a girl, my logical thinking ability is worse..."

"That's nonsense." I was pained to hear her speak this way about herself. After calming down, I thought about how to subtly change her thinking. "I'm a girl too, and I'm majoring in physics. Do you think I'm worse than any boy?"

She shook her head.

"Who told you those things?"

"...My physics teacher."

"What else did he say?"

"She told me to spend more time on other subjects, that physics is difficult for girls to learn well."

"Fucking bastard, does he have any professional ethics!?" I couldn't help but curse.

Xiao Fei hesitated before telling me: "The physics teacher is a woman..."

"Then she shouldn't be putting down female students' confidence like that!"

Xiao Fei told me that actually, she used to admire the physics teacher the most.

Students tend to develop crushes on young, beautiful, charismatic female teachers, not to mention this teacher often used evening self-study time to show them movies and spent her own money to buy students candy and milk tea.

The entire class liked this teacher.

At first, Xiao Fei studied very well. Even just wanting to live up to the teacher she admired, she paid close attention in class, and her physics scores were often first in the class.

But grades inevitably fluctuate. Whenever Xiao Fei's scores dropped slightly, this teacher would heavily praise the new top student in class.

"Girls really are no match for boys. Boys just develop later, but as long as they're willing to work hard, getting first place is easy."

"Some students, despite trying their hardest, still don't get the results they want. But that's okay, don't be discouraged—just recognize the difference between yourself and others."

Xiao Fei couldn't stand it and ran to the office to argue with the teacher: "Teacher, you're a girl yourself, why do you say girls aren't capable? One test doesn't represent everything."

But the physics teacher replied: "Yes, I'm a girl too, and that's why I know even better that girls aren't capable. My university classmates are all working in research institutes now, while I'm here teaching in this small middle school, and I have to deal with rude students like you coming to question me."

Because of that teacher's words, Xiao Fei always studied physics with a strong sense of shame and lack of confidence.

She was afraid she wasn't good enough, and afraid that even when she tried hard, she would still face ridicule.

Her educational environment shouldn't be like this.

The next day, I brought Xiao Fei to my campus.

I had her sit in on a regular physics class for majors. On the lecture platform, a female professor taught vividly and interestingly to a full classroom.

I took her to the library. Knowledge is the most fair thing—it accepts everyone unconditionally, regardless of gender.

I introduced her to several outstanding senior and junior female students, talking with them to understand their world.

I showed her the honor roll on the campus website, showing her the outstanding women there.

"You see, although there are few female students in our physics department, they are all exceptionally outstanding. Do you see anywhere we fall short compared to male students?"

"I know your physics teacher was truly out of line. Perhaps she herself walked this same path. Along the way, she may have experienced unfair treatment and contempt, but she shouldn't have projected that onto you, shouldn't have started oppressing her own kind."

"I hope you won't become discouraged and stagnant because of others' doubts. We must have a scale in our own hearts, knowing what kind of person we are and clearly recognizing our own value."

How we see ourselves is far more important than how others see us.

Xiao Fei looked up at the sky and threw a punch: "I'm going to get first place and slap her face hard!"

"Good, but before that, it doesn't mean we have to endure it."

I had her gather several girls in her class who had faced similar discrimination, compiled what the physics teacher had done, and submitted it to the Education Bureau.

The same day, investigators came to look into the matter. After confirming the facts were true, the Education Bureau gave her administrative disciplinary action, and the school dismissed her, replacing her with a new teacher.

Several parents who learned about this felt heartbroken that the children hadn't spoken up earlier, but were also relieved that the children had successfully resolved it through their own efforts.

Chapter 6

Word somehow reached Xiao Zhi's mother that I was tutoring Xiao Fei.

When school let out, she held forth at the school gate.

"The tutor we rejected is actually being treated like a treasure by someone else. It's laughable."

Someone replied: "It's a mutual arrangement between them. What are you making a fuss about?"

"I'm just a warm-hearted person who can't stand to see injustice. And that sucker isn't just anyone—it's a parent from our class!"

"Do you know how shameless that tutor is? She charged me 100 yuan per hour but charges Little Lin 300 yuan."

The people around couldn't resist their gossiping curiosity: "Whoa, triple the rate!"

"I hired a one-on-one tutor for my child at about that price. Actually, as long as the child's grades genuinely improve, this price is still acceptable."

"Acceptable, my foot! Just a college student, not even a professional teacher—how can they have the nerve to charge such high fees? If I hadn't been smart enough to cut her salary, that sucker would have been me."

"Does Little Lin know there's such a big price difference?"

The people around suddenly fell silent.

"Yes, she knows, and I was the one who offered 300." Sister Lin had arrived.

The people around fell silent in embarrassment.

Only Xiao Zhi's mother continued: "Little Lin, no wonder I said you were being taken for a ride. I know you feel sorry for these college students working part-time, but there's no need to pay such high fees."

Sister Lin deliberately raised her voice: "I remember your son scored in the low twenties last semester. What was it last time, 87?"

The surroundings fell silent for a moment.

This school was known for being highly competitive, with parents enthusiastic about pushing their children.

Immediately, some people surrounded Sister Lin: "Little Lin, would it be convenient to recommend that teacher's contact information to me?"

"You said the teacher is a college student—she should have plenty of time for tutoring, right?"

Sister Lin smiled: "Let me first ask for the teacher's opinion. If she's willing, I'll refer you all to her."

Xiao Zhi's mother snorted beside them: "You'd think she was something special from the way you're all carrying on."

A parent glanced at her: "Xiao Zhi's mother is interesting—use the teacher and then discard them?"

"If my child had improved that much, I'd be willing to treat the teacher like royalty."

Xiao Zhi's mother became unhappy: "Do you really think this teacher is that amazing? Just a college student, not even a professional teacher—how good could she possibly be? My son just had a breakthrough and started working hard himself. My child stays up late practicing problems every night, loves self-study—even without a tutor, his grades would still be good."

"If he's so smart, why bother with school? He could just study at home." Someone couldn't stand her attitude.

"Is that any way to talk! Your own child is stupid, so you can't stand to see someone else's child be smart, is that it!"

When Xiao Zhi came out, he saw his mother almost getting into a fight with other parents at the gate.

Seeing her child come out, Xiao Zhi's mother immediately went over to him.

"Son, what did you score on physics this time? Say it loud, so certain petty people don't think you can't succeed on your own."

Xiao Zhi's face darkened.

Without a word, he pulled his mother to leave.

But she persisted: "Speak up!"

A helpful classmate nearby answered for him: "I know, he scored 62."

Xiao Zhi's mother's face changed.

She snatched the report card from another student's hand, found Xiao Zhi's ranking, and jumped up angrily: "What happened? Did the teacher grade it wrong!"

The classmate muttered as he snatched back his crumpled report card: "Why are you grabbing mine? He has his own."

"Wait, let me see what score Xiao Fei got again?"

The classmate had finally retrieved his wrinkled report card and naturally was unwilling to give it up again.

Xiao Fei was just about to go home with Sister Lin.

Hearing this, she turned around and generously told her own score.

"Not that great either, still lower than my son's."

"What does this prove? It proves that college student tutor is useless."

Xiao Fei looked at her seriously and replied: "Auntie, even I know you can't become fat in one bite. Even when making progress, you need to take it step by step. My mother and I aren't anxious about it—why are you?"

Although Xiao Fei struggled with physics, she was always considered one of those "other people's children" in class—good grades, well-behaved and polite.

Plus she often helped classmates and was willing to share her learning experiences, so immediately someone spoke up for her:

"Exactly, even the child understands this."

"Xiao Fei is still in the top five of the class even with her physics score."

Middle school students are thin-skinned, and Xiao Zhi was even more embarrassed hearing these things, yelling at his mother: "Are you leaving or not! If not, I'm going back by myself."

Only then did they leave in disgrace.

Chapter 7

The next day during class, Xiao Fei told me exactly what had happened.

I asked her: "Your score on this test doesn't show obvious improvement compared to last time. Will you blame me, Teacher?"

Progress takes time, especially since Xiao Fei had fallen so far behind before.

She shook her head seriously: "No."

"I know for myself that first, the questions were more difficult this time; second, last time there were more multiple-choice questions, many of which I guessed on. This time there were more problem-solving questions, and while doing them, I could clearly feel that many concepts were clearer than before."

Seeing my nervous expression, she smiled: "Teacher Cheng, why are you getting impatient just because you can't see immediate results?"

"I'm just worried that even you might doubt me."

Xiao Fei hugged my arm playfully: "I would never, I like Teacher Cheng the most."

...

Although she said this, I still felt somewhat embarrassed.

Xiao Fei was understanding, but I didn't know what Sister Lin thought.

I knew Sister Lin had hired me hoping I would help Xiao Fei improve her grades. Now after a month of tutoring, I couldn't show any results.

I felt too embarrassed to ask Sister Lin for the tutoring fee.

But right after class ended, Sister Lin proactively transferred the money to me.

It was even more than a month's tutoring fees—with cents included.

"Sister Lin, it's too much."

"Four classes, two hours each, you've given me 724 extra yuan extra."

I tried to transfer it back, but she declined.

"Keep it. I know what I'm doing. Every time you scheduled two-hour classes, several times when the content wasn't finished, you would unconditionally extend the time. I had Xiao Fei keep track of the time."

"I know you're unwilling to take more, but I won't allow you to take less. You should be paid for however much time and energy you put in. You haven't even started working formally yet—don't get into the habit of working for free. This is my first lesson to you."

Actually, Sister Lin didn't know that I had also done internships.

But the boss at my internship company always said: "Young people should strive more. Overtime is a blessing."

And their corporate culture was: "Our company least welcomes employees who leave right on time."

Treating leaving work on time as if employees had done something excessive, despite the internship salary being minimal and the work being exhausting.

I had actually thought society was like this.

So when Sister Lin said this, I was so moved my eyes were about to bubble with emotion.

I decided I would be Sister Lin's loyal servant for life!

Chapter 8

After changing physics teachers, Xiao Fei no longer resisted the school's physics instruction.

I taught her to mark key and difficult points during preview, pay attention to the teacher's teaching emphasis and tone changes during class, and organize mind maps during review.

I bought her an error correction printer to develop the habit of recording mistakes; I cultivated her habit of solving problems independently and analyzing physical processes, teaching her how to categorize problem types; I encouraged her to boldly ask teachers questions about things she didn't understand in school.

Over several months, Xiao Fei's backlog of lessons was finally caught up, and they entered the intense review period.

I focused on providing Xiao Fei with weekly review content and time arrangements, reminding her to合理安排 rest time.

Xiao Fei completely fell in love with physics. She wanted to ask her mother to add 2 more hours of class each weekend.

I refused.

She needed to learn not just physics but other subjects too. Besides studying, her life had many other aspects. I advocated for a balance between work and rest.

"I'm not tired, Teacher Cheng. I just want to spend time with you. After a week of classes, I'm so tired. Being with you recharges me."

This was easy to solve?

Besides the two hours of teaching, I would spend another two or three hours taking her out for sports, walks, meditation, exhibitions, playing with cats and dogs...

These activities didn't take up too much time but effectively relieved stress and improved mood.

They also made her look forward to the world after growing up.

You see, the world is vast and beautiful.

Everything you're working hard for now is laying the foundation for a beautiful future.

Chapter 9

With a good balance between work and rest, Xiao Fei's learning efficiency became even higher.

Her grades jumped to first in the class, top five in the grade.

Xiao Fei's deskmate now comes to Sister Lin's house every weekend to study with Xiao Fei, doubling my tutoring fees.

The two parents had discussed it and felt that having the two children study together could motivate each other and progress together.

The two children made a pact to attend the same university.

As for Xiao Zhi, I heard his mother found him a new tutor, also a college student.

But she never found one for 100 yuan per hour again.

I learned this from Xiao Fei's deskmate, who vividly told me that Xiao Zhi's mother had scolded him several times in front of many parents and classmates: "I'm paying you 150 yuan per hour for tutoring, and you learn like this? Do you have any conscience?"

I shook my my head as I listened.

Xiao Zhi had always had strong self-esteem. When I taught him, I always encouraged him, which helped him regain confidence in his studies. Now his mother had returned to her demoralizing approach.

From their report cards, I saw Xiao Zhi's grades continue to fall, now only scoring in the teens.

Xiao Fei told me that Xiao Zhi had begun to hate studying, always sleeping in class and often failing to turn in assignments.

I sighed with emotion.

Chapter 10

Later, Xiao Zhi's mother contacted me again.

Asking me to return to tutor Xiao Zhi.

On the phone, her tone was very pleasant.

"Teacher Cheng, why don't you come back to teach Xiao Zhi? I'll give you a raise—150 yuan per hour, okay?"

After I politely declined, she asked: "Is it too little? How about I pay you the same rate as them, 300 yuan per hour? That's a bit expensive, but actually not impossible, but you need to guarantee me that my son's grades will improve..."

Thinking that Xiao Fei would still be in the same class with Xiao Zhi for a few more months, and not wanting to cause trouble for her, I held back my temper and politely declined her.

But she wouldn't give up, calling me ten times a day.

One day I finally couldn't help telling her: "Auntie, it's not about the money. My abilities and energy are limited, and I'm afraid I can't teach such a smart child as Xiao Zhi."

She finally lost it: "What do you mean by that? Do you think Xiao Zhi can't manage without you? Let me tell you, there are many tutors better than you."

"In that case, please find someone more capable." I said and hung up the phone.

The other end was still saying something loudly, which I didn't hear clearly and didn't care about.

I blocked Xiao Zhi's mother's number.

...

But she showed up at my door.

That day, I was reviewing Xiao Fei and her deskmate's weekly test papers when suddenly I heard pounding on the door downstairs.

Sister Lin happened to be home that day and opened the door.

"Little Lin, move aside. I'm here for that college student Xiao Cheng—to make her pay me back."

Sister Lin blocked the doorway, not letting her in.

"What pay back? How could Xiao Cheng possibly owe you money?"

"If it weren't for me, how could Xiao Cheng have found such a high-paying tutoring job? She needs to pay me the tutoring agency fee!"

I had just come downstairs when I heard Sister Lin giving her a thorough scolding.

"Have you no shame! How dare you ask Xiao Cheng for an agency fee. Let me ask you—did I ask you to recommend her? Do I get it? When your son was making progress and I asked you to recommend her to me, you were extremely reluctant. Later, I asked Xiao Cheng myself, right?"

"It was truly Xiao Cheng's misfortune to have tutored at your house. Use people and then discard them, low pay, plus emotional manipulation."

Xiao Zhi's mother wanted to retort, but Sister Lin asked me: "You still have the teaching records, grade improvement records, all saved, right?"

"Yes."

"Good." Sister Lin turned to Xiao Zhi's mother and said: "I'm telling you, I'm still trying to save you some face. If you keep harassing Teacher Xiao Cheng, I'll post what you've done in the neighborhood group chat and let everyone see what you've done."

With that, she slammed the door shut.

I looked at Sister Lin with admiration.

So cool.

Chapter 11

After that, no one came to cause trouble anymore.

Xiao Fei's grades maintained steady improvement, and as expected, she was admitted to the best high school in the city.

She didn't attend any middle-to-high school bridge classes during the summer vacation. Instead, she traveled the world with Sister Lin.

This was something Sister Lin had promised her long ago.

Sister Lin had been somewhat hesitant about whether this would affect her high school progress, but I persuaded her that this trip wasn't just "sightseeing" but an irreplaceable form of life education.

I suggested Sister Lin could start a thematic study tour—learning while playing, playing while learning.

After hearing what I said, Sister Lin immediately invited me to join them.

"Teacher Cheng, you've played an enormous educational role in Xiao Fei's growth. This is my first time being a mother, and I hadn't considered many things thoroughly. You helped me think of them all. Sister is truly grateful and really needs your help."

Hearing this, I no longer declined.

After attending Xiao Fei's graduation ceremony, we set off.

Before the weathered murals of Dunhuang Mogao Caves, we opened history books, touching the temperature of the ancient Silk Road;

We stood on Iceland's black sand beach gazing at basalt columns, and the abstract "plate tectonics" from geography books instantly materialized as roaring waves beneath our feet;

We observed star trails in the Sahara Desert, and Saturn's rings through the telescope ignited curiosity more than cramming for exams could ever do;

We carried pH test paper to test river water quality in various countries, observing soil microorganisms at different latitudes under microscopes;

Sister Lin and Xiao Fei's parent-child relationship also deepened—they stood together atop Swiss peaks overlooking seas of clouds, got lost riding bicycles in Kyoto, and those shared moments of surprise and embarrassment would become emotional bonds supporting Xiao Fei at any time in her life.

During the travels, Xiao Fei learned to better understand the world. She contemplated the lessons of Inca civilization's disappearance at Peru's Machu Picchu,

Designed environmental solutions through research on Southeast Asia's garbage beaches, comparing water management wisdom between Venice's water city and Jiangnan's ancient towns.

From the first day of travel, our route planning and budget planning were all handled by Xiao Fei.

I only provided guidance and helped her look up materials, while Sister Lin provided financial support.

Sister Lin was a very open-minded parent—she was willing to accept different viewpoints, wasn't afraid of "distractions," encouraged her child to explore, and provided fertile ground for growth.

Xiao Fei's experiences would be like seeds planted in life—one day, these seeds would break through the soil, growing into resilient trees capable of handling the complex world of the future.

Chapter 12

On a weekend after high school started, we saw Xiao Fei's deskmate again.

"I'm so envious of you—you've been to so many places."

"You have no idea—I spent the entire summer in classes."

She held the souvenir gifts Xiao Fei brought back for her, feeling the small muscles on Xiao Fei's arms developed from exercise, looking at Xiao Fei's sun-tanned skin, flipping through Xiao Fei's photo album, full of admiration.

"By the way, did you know Xiao Zhi moved away?"

After Xiao Zhi failed the high school entrance exam, his mother used connections to find an active physics teacher to tutor him.

When school started, his mother took lesson recordings and transfer screenshots and reported the teacher to the Education Bureau.

After learning he had been reported, the teacher voluntarily returned all tutoring fees, and both the intermediary and the teacher each took out an additional 2,000 yuan to request a private settlement and withdrawal of the report.

Xiao Zhi's mother agreed and took the money but ultimately didn't withdraw the report.

So the teacher was ordered to make a self-criticism and couldn't receive merit awards or advanced positions for three years.

Although the teacher couldn't do anything to Xiao Zhi's mother, this incident spread quickly.

Xiao Zhi was immediately ostracized by teachers and classmates upon starting high school. Their family also faced subtle rejection from neighbors, who pointed and whispered.

After two days of classes, Xiao Zhi insisted on dropping out, unwilling to go to school anymore.

Xiao Zhi's father's superior, fearing backstabbing, also secretly gave him a hard time, cutting his salary and demoting him.

His father's salary could no longer afford the rent in the villa district, so they moved and transferred schools this weekend.

Chapter 13

Speaking of which, Xiao Fei's deskmate felt some regret: "It's a pity they moved away. I wonder how they'll turn out."

The two children chattered away discussing possibilities.

After her deskmate left, Xiao Fei saw I hadn't reacted much and asked me: "Teacher, aren't you curious about what will happen to them?"

"Not really."

"Why? Don't you dislike them?"

"Although I hope bad people get what they deserve, after all, life isn't a TV series."

"Spending time paying attention to them is like raising a venomous snake in my heart that jumps out to bite me from time to time.

"Why bother?"

Xiao Fei thought for a moment and nodded.

"You're right, Teacher Cheng. I refuse to let these boring people occupy my heart."

"My time is so tight—I'll spend it on people who deserve my concern."

Yes, why waste time on meaningless people.

I watched Xiao Fei lift her head, smiling brightly in the sunlight.

I knew she would have a wonderful future.

And so would I.