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After the internet was properly installed, Ye Zhou finally felt alive.
As for the eye-burning things in the USB drive, Ye Zhou immediately formatted it in a fit of rage.
There were two months of summer vacation and Shang Jin and Ye Zhou, with nothing to do, thought about working part-time.
“Your matter has also made me feel a sense of crisis. Now, making money is the top priority.” Ye Zhou typed on the computer and looked up information on part-time online tutoring. “What about becoming a private tutor?”
Shang Jin was leaning on the bed when he thought of something and put down his book. “Private tutor? I have a way.”
Growing up, Shang Jin was a mythological existence both at school and in the community. After all, there wasn’t a family without a child. As long as there was a child, there was no way they wouldn’t know about the eternally first Shang Jin.
When Shang Jin became the college entrance exam champion, the community had pulled out a glorious banner, proclaiming that this was the literary city where the champion lived.
At that time, there were some parents with middle school children who wanted to ask Shang Jin to be their tutor. Shang Jin disliked troublesome things, so he’d evaded.
But those parents wouldn’t give up so easily. Until now, during summer and winter vacations when they saw Shang Jin, they’d probe and ask if he’d tutor.
“Locals are good.” Ye Zhou leaned next to Shang Jin and said, “Help me to pull in a client too.”
Shang Jin looked at the contacts in his phone and cast him a glance. He said, “What compensation do I get for helping you?”
Ye Zhou encircled Shang Jin’s neck, kissed his face firmly and said, “With my body!”
“Deal.”
The name ‘eternal second’ didn’t sound good, but able to get second time after time was just as precious as getting first test after test. Shang Jin didn’t have to spend too much effort and was able to draw in several parents to fight over them. And for parents who weren’t lacking in money, as long as their children’s performance could be improved, the price didn’t matter at all.
Everything seemed to be going well, but when Ye Zhou heard that the parents lived in the same community as Shang Jin’s family, he couldn’t laugh.
“What if we meet your family?”
Shang Jin indifferently said, “If we meet, then we meet.”
Ye Zhou was entangled for a while and eventually bowed down to the charm of money. He could only comfort himself, “As they say, don’t air your dirty laundry in public. Your family probably won’t spread our matter around.”
On the first day, Shang Jin and Ye Zhou drove the Shang Ye number to the foot of where Ye Zhou would be tutoring. From far away, they could see a young adolescent girl standing in front of the gate.
“This is the child you’ll be tutoring. She’s almost in her third year of middle school and in her rebellious period. Although the pay is high, but it’s also not easy to handle. Can you?” Although it was a question, but Shang Jin wasn’t worried at all.
Ye Zhou snorted and said, “I can even conquer you, so how can I not handle a mere middle school student?”
The little girl’s face was cold. When she saw two people coming over, she immediately looked up impatiently and was stunned.
“Little Qiu.” Shang Jin pushed out Ye Zhou and said, “This is Ye Zhou, my friend.”
Ye Zhou hurriedly smiled and greeted, “Hi, Little Qiu. My name is Ye Zhou.”
Quicker than words could tell, the little girl’s hostile air was completely put under wraps. The rebellious girl turned into a shy flower in a second, and with a blushing face, she said, “Hi, Brother Shang Jin, Brother Ye Zhou.”
Ye Zhou raised his lips. “These two months will have a lot of advice.”
Shang Jin saw that there wasn’t any problem and put down his heart. He patted Ye Zhou’s shoulder and said, “Then I’ll go first. After the tutoring, give me a call.”
“Brother Ye Zhou, please come in. Bye, Brother Shang Jin!” Little Qiu’s family lived on the first floor. She opened the door and called out in an unusually sweet voice, “Mom, the brother tutor is here. Where’s my textbooks!”
At that moment, Little Qiu’s mother looked at her daughter like she was an alien.
Half a month later, the matter of Shang Jin and Ye Zhou being private tutors was passed to the Shang family.
“Riding a pedicab everyday, who’s he showing it to?” Shang Qingping slammed the table loudly. “Isn’t he ashamed to bring his boyfriend with him! I think he’s just showing it to me. I have neglected him for so many years, so he found a guy to anger me.”
Qin Fei couldn’t let it pass and indignantly said, “You, as his father, should know best what kind of person Shang Jin is. Although I haven’t known him for long, even I can see that Shang Jin isn’t an impulsive person. You still can’t see it?”
Shang Qingping couldn’t refute and gave a heavy grunt.
Qin Fei persuaded, “I’ve inquired and Shang Jin’s friend is called Ye Zhou. Sister Zhang who hired Ye Zhou was full of praise for him. Not only does he teaches well, his character is without question. The key is that he’s really knowledgeable. Even the Zhang family’s big brother who usually has eyes on top of his head would look at Ye Zhou twice and even asked him if he was interested in joining his company after graduating. It’s not like you don’t know how willful Little Qiu is. Now, she listens to Ye Zhou the most. I heard that year that Ye Zhou was D City’s runner-up. Even if Shang Jin wanted to find someone to anger you, a kind of person like Ye Zhou wouldn’t go along with it. The two people’s feelings must be serious.”
“Brother Zhou Zhou?” Shang Youyou just heard Ye Zhou’s name as she was coming downstairs. She bounced and skipped over to say, “Brother Zhou Zhou is really good. It was Brother Zhou Zhou who bought Princess Elsa for me last time.”
Shang Qingping was in a temper. Who knew that the two people in the house would inexplicably instigate a rebellion and help the enemy. He said to Shang Youyou in a poor tone, “What do children know! Go up!”
Shang Youyou pouted her lips and hmphed. “Daddy is an idiot!”
“Hmph, I think he’s a fox spirit!” The soldier fighting alone, Shang Qingping, furiously said, “Else, how would you all be bewitched by him out of your senses!”
The next few days, he didn’t know how but Ye Zhou’s name often appeared in his ears.
On this day, Ye Zhou finished the session and declined Zhang family’s good intention to invite him to stay for dinner. He went the community’s exercise center near Shang Jin.
In the evening, many people had eaten and were exercising here.
Shang Qingping inquired about the time and went home early. He sat down at the stone bench farthest from Ye Zhou and watched Ye Zhou greet the people around him.
Obviously, he’d been here for over half a month tutoring, but how did it feel like he’d been living here for a few years?
“Little Zhou, waiting for Shang Jin?” Grandma Wang carried two watermelons and was about to set them down on the ground to rest.
The watermelons hadn’t set down yet, Ye Zhou came over and hastened to help her. He enthusiastically said, “Grandma, let me help you carry them.”
Grandma Wang smiled. “This child, I have to trouble you every time.”
“It’s nothing, just the lift of a hand. But Grandma, next time, don’t buy too much at one time.”
Halfway through, a group of half-grown boys with a basketball surrounded Ye Zhou and said, “Brother Ye, come play a while?”
“Next time. Shang Jin’s coming.”
One of the children asked puzzledly, “Brother Shang Jin’s family lives here. Why is he living outside?”
Ye Zhou placed the two watermelons in one hand and used the empty hand to rub his head and said, “You don’t understand this. A man has to start his independent life!”
Not long after Ye Zhou left, Shang Jin arrived at the appointed place. Seeing that Ye Zhou wasn’t there, he was sure that Ye Zhou was definitely helping others. He was going to find a bench to sit down when he ran right into Shang Qingping’s line of sight during his search.
His dad was a busy man and certainly wouldn’t sit in the community without reason.
Shang Jin confidently walked over, but Shang Qingping was like he’d been caught in the act and was somewhat guilty.
“What are you doing here?”
“Cooling off.”
“Then you continue.” Shang Jin was about to leave and was stopped by Shang Qingping.
Shang Qingping patted the stool next to him and said, “Sit.”
Ye Zhou may come back at any moment. Shang Jin said absently, “I like to stand.”
Shang Qingping was aware of losing face, and he said enigmatically, “What? You want me to look up to you?”
In a public place, Shang Jin also didn’t want things to get too ugly. He could only sit down, but his eyes still kept looking around.
Shang Qingping said in an unpleasant tone, “Where do you live now?”
“Rent an apartment.”
Shang Qingping put a key and card on the table and said, “Take it.”
Shang Jin didn’t even look and said straightforwardly, “I don’t want it.”
Shang Qingping took a deep breath and said, “I never said that I had to cut off your financial source.”
“No.” Shang Jin looked directly at Shang Qingping and said, “I just think that what Ye Zhou said is quite reasonable. After all, what I obtain by myself is different from what others give me.”
Shang Qingping angrily said, “Am I an other person?”
“It’s still not what I relied on myself to obtain.” Shang Jin pushed the key and the card to Shang Qingping’s hand and said, “Dad, I’m not angry. I just feel that if I want to get the life I want, I must rely on my own hands to get it. I know what I want and I’m also confident that I can live the the life I want.”
Hearing these words, Shang Qingping lost spirit.
This child wasn’t the least bit like him or Liang Jingmin. He was so young, but he seemed exceptionally mature. His voice wasn’t loud, but it held conviction.
Shang Qingping sighed. As Shang Jin had said, Shang Jin hadn’t gotten anything from him since childhood. Now, he wasn’t qualified to intervene in his choice.
Shang Qingping collected the things on the stone table, stood up and said in displeasure, “Passing by the door everyday, but don’t know to go home for dinner.”
“I can. I’ll bring Ye Zhou with me.”
“Don’t go too far!” Shang Qingping’s mask broke again. “You must give me time to adapt!”
“That’s fine. Ye Zhou likes to eat flavorful dishes. When the home makes it, then I’ll go home again.”
Shang Qingping didn’t speak again and left before Ye Zhou returned.
After two minutes, Ye Zhou walked over, swinging his arms, and said, “The two watermelons are really a little heavy.”
“Who made you get into the habit of being Lei Feng?” 1
“I carried it and even I’m a little tired, not to mention Grandma Wang.” Ye Zhou smacked his lips and said, “I also want to eat watermelon.”
Shang Jin raised his eyebrows and said, “You helped Grandma Wang carry the watermelons for so far and she didn’t give you a piece to eat?”
Ye Zhou proudly said, “Don’t take from the masses a single needle or thread! Haha, we’ll buy one later and then you can bring it home.”
“Yeah, let’s go home.”
Lei Feng (雷锋): Model of altruism and dedication for the Communist Party