The idea was born in his mind, and the more Zhu Tong thought about it, the more he felt that this idea was a brilliant one.
It’s not right to mooch off free food all the time!
Shao Ming has taken care of him so much, even if it’s not for the favorability gauge’s sake, he should give back in return.
He was planning in his mind when the system coldly doused his excitement, ‘Are you sure you can cook?’
Zhu Tong: “…”
–Growing up, he never really knew what a kitchen looked like. Maybe, he couldn’t even discern sugar from salt.
He was discouraged for a second, but quickly regained his firm will, ‘No… I can learn. I can learn things very quickly.’
The system said, ‘Do you know how to use a gas stove?’
Zhu Tong: “…”
‘I’m going to learn how to use it now.’
As he said that, Zhu Tong put away his phone, got up and walked into the kitchen. As soon as he arrived at the door of the kitchen, a strong fragrance filled his nostrils.
It smelled so delicious, so today’s lunch must be scrumptious.
Zhu Tong was so moved by the smell of the food that he couldn’t help swallowing his own saliva in reflex.
When Shao Ming heard his footsteps, he happened to see him swallowing like a hungry cat. He couldn’t stop a small laugh from escaping his mouth, teasing, “Hungry?”
“No…”
—He came here to learn how to use the gas stove.
The young master did not forget his own goal. He looked down at the blue flame burning under the boiling pot.
Then, with a “click“, Shao Ming skillfully turned off the gas stove. He raised his hand to turn off the range hood, took out two large bowls from the disinfection cabinet, and placed them next to the stove, “It’s all right, go out. Wait for a while, it’s still too hot.”
He made a series of actions in one go, so fast that Zhu Tong couldn’t clearly see how he did them.
Zhu Tong: “…”
Shao Ming seemed to have learned all of this from his self-sufficient lifestyle.
If he couldn’t steal the skill from the teacher, Zhu Tong wouldn’t ask, as he felt a bit too embarrassed to directly ask. Plus, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he asked Shao Ming!
He should go to the Internet to search for tutorials and learn by himself.
Today’s learning to cook was temporarily stopped, and two bowls of Huajia noodles were brought to the dining table.
Zhu Tong is now quite proficient in eating hot soup. He used chopsticks to put the noodles into the spoon, blow it lightly twice, and then put it into his mouth in one bite. Slurping it down accompanied by the thick soup, it tasted delectable.
“Is it delicious?” Shao Ming immediately asked for praise.
Zhu Tong said without hesitation, “It’s delicious.”
It’s better than what his home’s Auntie chef made!
The Auntie remembered Zhu Tong’s doctor’s instructions, and she became afraid that she would use too much of the seasonings. In order to avoid trouble, sometimes she just didn’t use them at all.
As long as the food was nutritious, the taste never mattered.
But indeed, it’s his poor health that limits how the Auntie could cook.
Zhu Tong smiled bitterly in his heart, then looked up at Shao Ming again.
‘Why does Shao Ming’s cooking suit me so well?’ he wondered.
Although the ingredients he used were very common, and the seasoning was moderate, the final taste was good. Plus, it was still healthy food.
‘Is it a matter of care?’ Zhu Tong scooped a spoonful of soup into his mouth and paused.
He remembered that Shao Ming liked spicy food, but when the two of them had lunch together, Shao Ming was almost always taking care of his taste. He cooked non-spicy foods, and all of them were easily digested.
‘How could Shao Ming treat me so well?’
‘…I really should have cooked a meal for Shao Ming in return.’
Zhu Tong silently kept this matter in his heart.
They went back to school in the afternoon. After the monthly test, the class content of all the classes were very uniform – all of them focused on explaining the hard questions on the exams.
After all, the holidays were just around the corner. It’s natural that most students couldn’t really focus on new learning materials, so the school might as well just lecture them on the exam they already had an idea about.
At dinner time, the results of the monthly test were also announced.
Shao Ming was still the unshakable number one. He used his strength to prove that other people’s worries about his performance were absolutely unnecessary.
What was surprising was Zhu Tong’s score. Zhu Tong’s total score this time was 507 points, which was 106 points more than the last time.
In just over half a month, his score has increased by more than 100 points, and his ranking leapfrogged 200 places to the 100s. Such progress was simply amazing.
Shi Wenshu was very pleased, especially after hearing that Shao Ming had persuaded Zhu Tong that there would be no more blank answers in the next exam.
If this continues until the college entrance examination, there may be one more Qingbei1popular acronym for China’s most famous top colleges: Tsinghua and Beijing University. student in his class.
“Zhu Tong, you can do it. You’ve almost caught up with me with your overall score. You won’t pass me in the next exam, will you?”
Tang Nuan’s total score for this exam was very special: exactly 5202internet slang for “I love you” points.
Zhu Tong’s total score was 507 points. This was still under the circumstance that he had so many blank answers. If he could get a few multiple-choice questions right by luck, plus the step points for partial answers, his overall score definitely would be more than hers.
Zhu Tong didn’t have much concept of grade rankings, but he also had a sense of accomplishment after getting 100 points more than the previous exam.
It’s thanks to Shao Ming’s tutoring.
He honestly said, “My deskmate helped me a lot.”
Tang Nuan followed his words to look at the said deskmate, just to see Shao Ming’s lips curled up in satisfaction.
Tang Nuan: “…”
She seemed to smell the greasy stench of dog food, and even felt it was quite… fragrant.
At this moment, she heard a chatter outside the window, making her turn her over. She exclaimed in surprise, “Zhou Rui really dropped out, huh?”
In the corridor, Zhou Rui was walking towards the stairwell holding a cardboard box full of books.
His expression was ugly, and compared to yesterday, he really looked more disheveled. “
“It doesn’t seem like he dropped out, it’s more like he’s transferring to another school,” A person in the classroom said, “His brother really dropped out, though. I heard that the debt collectors went to their house again this morning. His father couldn’t stand it and called the police, and he was involved in a bunch of other things too.”
“In this case, his father owes so much money, and his brother can no longer support them now. Who will pay for his tuition?”
Work-study? Scholarship? Zhou Rui was not like a person who could support himself.
“Maybe he got a student loan. When I went to the teacher’s office today, I heard his homeroom teacher talking about this. It seems that someone else helped him handle his tuition money. Did he meet a kind-hearted person?”
During the discussion in the classroom, Shao Ming heard “kind-hearted person” and suddenly looked at Zhu Tong.
Student loan application, approval and transfer procedures were all processed overnight, which was not something ordinary people can do.
Just yesterday, he said to Zhou Rui that he “couldn’t help Zhou him”.
Zhu Tong glanced at the corridor, then withdrew his gaze. He suddenly noticed something, and turned his head to meet his deskmate’s smiling gaze.
“…”
Shao Ming looked as if he had seen through Zhu Tong, making him feel awkward. He muttered, “The loan also has to be repaid by himself.”
He didn’t actually do anything.
Zhou Rui could also apply for the student loan by himself, but it might be a little slower.
As for transferring schools, it was also Zhou Rui’s decision.
His father did some unpleasant things at school. His brother was investigated by the police because he made profits from unknown – even perhaps illegal – channels. Even if he stayed in the No. 1 Middle School, he would have been in the spotlight all the time, surrounded by unsavory rumors and half-truths. It’s better for him to move away to a new, fresh environment.
Zhu Tong didn’t know if he was doing the right thing, but he just wanted to do it, so he asked Uncle Liu to arrange it.
While hesitating, Shao Ming suddenly said, “You did nothing wrong, just do what you want to do with a clear conscience.”
Zhu Tong’s eyes brightened. “Really?”
“Yup, really.”
Zhu Tong was relieved immediately. Seeing his palpable relief, Shao Ming’s lips pursed in a smile.
Although it’s a bit of a hassle, he knew that this would clear up any chance of regret forming in the future, and he could return to his day-to-day life in peace.
Just as he was thinking, there was another commotion in the classroom.
“Hey, Zhu Tong, he’s looking at you.”
“…”
Zhu Tong turned his head again and saw Zhou Rui standing in the corridor, holding the book and bowing in the direction of his seat.
He was suddenly shocked, and quickly retracted his gaze.
On the other hand, other people in the classroom figured out something from Zhou Rui’s actions, but they tacitly didn’t ask any more questions.
Shao Ming even took a paper and diverted Zhu Tong’s attention.
Zhou Rui transferred schools. After a long discussion about him in the classroom, the name “Zhou Rui” was no longer in the center of the school’s topic.
In the last evening of self-study before the National Day, almost no one in the class actually studied. They were all discussing how to play the National Day.
Some said they wanted to travel, some said they were perfectly happy to lay down all day in their home, and some wanted to go out part-time on a whim and get extra pocket money.
It was a bit noisy in the classroom, hindering Zhu Tong’s learning progress. He was about to turn on his mobile phone to search for how to use the gas stove. Before he clicked into the search engine, he received a message from his cousin.
<Young Master Cheng’s Love of Crime 2>: I heard that you got 507 in the monthly exam this time?
<Young Master Cheng’s Love of Crime 2>: That’s good. That’s how your dearest cousin used to score.
Zhu Tong:…
Why does his cousin feel so proud that he got 500 points?
<Zhu>: How do you know my grades?
<Young Master Cheng’s Love of Crime 2>: I know everything about my dearest cousin, duh.
<Zhu>: …
<Young Master Cheng’s Love of Crime 2>: How is it? What do you want to do on National Day? I will take you there.
<Young Master Cheng’s Love of Crime 2>: Forget it, don’t let your little life go to waste.
Zhu Tong:…
<Young Master Cheng’s Love of Crime 2>: Anyway, what are your plans?
Zhu Tong could be said that he had no plans.
The only thing he had that can be called a “plan” was to cook a meal for his deskmate.
–And he didn’t even understand how to use kitchen appliances.
But Shao Ming, he should go home on the holiday, right? If Shao Ming doesn’t live in the homestay, what can he do for him?
He reacted abruptly and turned to look at Shao Ming.
“You… what will you do for the National Day?”
He suddenly spoke, and Shao Ming was slightly startled.
Zhu Tong blinked and explained, “I mean, what did you do during your previous National Day holiday? Did you go home?”
Shao Ming succinctly replied, “Nope.”
“…”
Oh, he didn’t go back.
Zhu Tong breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly raised his head and asked, “Not going back?”
How can anyone not go home during the National Day holiday? Why doesn’t he go home?
Shao Ming asked back, “How about you? Are you going home?”
Zhu Tong: “…”
There was really someone who doesn’t go home on National Day – himself.
It’s not that he doesn’t want to go home, it’s just that when he returns to his grandfather’s house now, he would definitely be questioned, and he would have to undergo various health check-ups.
Absolutely horrible.
“I…” Zhu Tong hesitated to answer. “My home is too far away, so I don’t plan to go back.”
Shao Ming: “…”
Nowadays, transportation is very convenient. Furthermore, Zhu Tong’s hometown wasn’t even that far away. It’s silly for him to use such an excuse to not go home.
But since Zhu Tong said that, it must be because he didn’t want to go back.
‘Haven’t dealt with his family affairs? Did his father investigate the things his step-brother did?’
Shao Ming’s eyes darkened, but he kept his smile on his face. “Oh, that’s good, I thought that I was going to be alone during the National Day holidays.”
Zhu Tong: “…”
‘Why is he talking as if he was left alone in the boudoir? Wait, is that term can be used casually?’
‘Nah, he must be just joking again.’3clarification: Zhu Tong wonders if Shao Ming was joking about being left alone (in the boudoir) like an unfavored wife.
Zhu Tong tactfully changed the subject, “If it’s National Day, the milk tea shop will be very busy, right? Do you want to go back and help?”
If Shao Ming goes to the milk tea shop to help during the day, then he could stay home and actually try to cook.
Shao Ming replied, “I’m very busy, do you want to help?”
“Huh?”
Zhu Tong didn’t expect that. He was stunned. “Are you particularly busy?”
“Yeah,” Shao Ming said casually, “Thanks to that endorsement from a big-name celebrity, the store is jam-packed every day.”
Zhu Tong: “…”
He suddenly felt guilty.
Big-name celebrity Zhuo Yunan, this is his cousin’s fault!
As the saying goes, a father’s debt must be paid by his son, and an older brother’s debt must be paid by his younger brother. So he had no way to refuse.
“But what if I can’t make milk tea?”
Shao Ming smiled at him. “You don’t have to do it, you can help by manning the cashier. You can enter the amount to the counter, and let the customer scan QR to pay, can’t you?”
Zhu Tong: “…”
He could only agree. How can he say no when the conversation already got into this topic? Even if he wanted to practice cooking, he could only nod!
–So, he nodded, “happily”.
The corners of Shao Ming’s mouth were out of control again.
He was pleased by this arrangement – the young master will no longer be lonely during the National Day, and he will be placed near Shao Ming. Two birds, one stone.
Zhu Tong has already lowered his head and sent a message back to his cousin.
<Zhu>: I’m celebrating National Day by getting my first part-time job!
He must use that exclamation mark to express the importance, and also his emotions.
Zhu Tong was really a little excited. It was the first time that he had a decent vacation without spending time in the hospital. Not only that, but he also has a “job”.
However, his cousin didn’t quite believe it.
<Young Master Cheng’s Love of Crime 2>: You? Part-time job? You’re seeking death?
Zhu Tong: …
<Zhu>: It is a very simple job. I’ll just help collect money in a milk tea shop.
Last time during his visit to the milk tea shop, he saw Luo Suo and Lu Zheyu working there. So he had some idea what kind of job he would be doing – there’s no need for him to actually mix the drinks.
This time the cousin paused for a while before replying.
<Young Master Cheng’s Love of Crime 2>: That Shangming milk tea shop?
<Zhu>: Yup!
<Young Master Cheng’s Love of Crime 2>: With your friends?
‘Friends? Does he mean Luo Suo?’
Zhu Tong turned his head towards Shao Ming’s direction and asked, “Will Luo Suo and Lu Zheyu also work during the holidays?”
Shao Ming replied, “Yes, plus the pay during holidays is doubled.”
Zhu Tong lowered his head to reply again.
<Zhu>: Of course!
<Young Master Cheng’s Love of Crime 2>: Then this cousin of yours will go to Gongshui County to visit you. When you get off work, I’ll invite you and your friends to dinner.
Zhu Tong: …
Fuck, he doesn’t want that.
He hasn’t settled accounts with his cousin about Zhuo Yunan!
<Zhu>: No, the world of us high-school students is too out of tune with you.
<Young Master Cheng’s Love of Crime 2>: …
After rejecting his cousin, Zhu Tong sent another message to his sister, and then turned off his phone.
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