Chapter Summaries

Zhuang Chaoying returned home after grading the restored college entrance exams and shared stories about the experience with the alley’s neighbors. He told Huang Ling he wanted Zhuang Tunan to prepare for a top secondary school, leaving the family to consider a new emphasis on education.

• Zhuang Chaoying arrived at the courtyard, reunited with his children, and learned that the school had publicly announced his work grading the entrance exams.
• Zhuang Chaoying entertained the neighbors with stories about the candidates and the grading, while Lin Dongzhe asked for empty toothpaste tubes and received the one Zhuang Chaoying had brought home.
• Zhuang Chaoying described how candidates had written poems, thank-you notes, and slogans on their papers, though those answers earned no marks.
• Zhuang Chaoying told Huang Ling he planned to have Zhuang Tunan take the entrance exams for No. 1 Middle School or No. 10 Middle School and wanted all the children to focus more on their education.

Huang Ling learned that Zhuang Chaoying’s family planned to visit just after she had bought meat for the New Year, and she feared they would take food from her children. She hid the ribs and prepared a large meal from vegetables and a little pork, while her anger toward the Zhuang family deepened.

• Zhuang Chaoying told Huang Ling that his parents wanted to visit and see the children, then hurried out of the kitchen.
• Huang Ling put the ribs away and remembered how the elder Zhuang family had neglected her and the children while favoring their younger son.
• Song Ying asked Huang Ling about the finely sliced meat, and Huang Ling explained why she resented her in-laws.
• Huang Ling spent the morning preparing four large basins of dishes with shredded radishes, pumpkins, and a little pork.

Huang Ling served the Zhuang family a stingy meal and resisted their attempt to send two boys to stay with her family over winter break. When Zhuang Chaoying argued that he owed his family, Zhou Cheng challenged him, and the quarrel nearly turned violent before Song Ying and Lin Wufeng intervened.

• Huang Ling served the visiting Zhuang family vegetables with only slivers of meat hidden among them, and Granny Zhuang proposed sending Zhuang Zhen Dong and Zhuang Zhen Bei to stay with Zhuang Chaoying over winter break.
• Zhuang Zhen Dong and Zhuang Zhen Bei refused to stay, and the Zhuang family left after lunch as rain began.
• Zhuang Chaoying confronted Huang Ling about treating Zhuang Yanzhou better, and Huang Ling defended her choices and recounted the Zhuang elders' past unfairness.
• Zhuang Chaoying said he owed his parents and siblings for supporting his education, but Zhou Cheng argued that he should repay them without making his wife and children suffer.
• Zhuang Chaoying raised a hand toward Zhou Cheng, but Huang Ling blocked him and Zhou Cheng warned that his father could not beat him.
• Song Ying and Lin Wufeng came over, with Lin Wufeng pulling Zhuang Chaoying away as Song Ying urged him not to hit Zhou Cheng.

After a quarrel with Zhuang Chaoying, Huang Ling took her three children to stay with her parents in Changzhou. Father Huang delighted in the children and began to discover Zhou Cheng’s exceptional academic and calligraphic talent.

• Huang Ling left home with her three children and traveled to her parents’ home in Changzhou.
• Father Huang and Mother Huang welcomed them, and Father Huang learned that Zhou Cheng had ranked first in his grade.
• The Huang family spent several days exploring Changzhou together, allowing Father Huang to observe the children’s personalities and abilities.
• Father Huang taught Zhuang Tunan and Zhou Cheng brush calligraphy, and he was astonished by Zhou Cheng’s beautiful writing.

Zhou Cheng stunned Father Huang with his hidden calligraphy skill and beat him at chess, while Zhuang Tunan felt overshadowed by his younger brother. Back home, Song Ying and Lin Wufeng invited Zhuang Chaoying to dinner and urged him to understand why Huang Ling had left, leaving him to confront their advice about his family.

• Zhou Cheng wrote two pieces of wild cursive that amazed Father Huang, who recognized his grandson's extraordinary talent.
• Zhuang Tunan saw Father Huang's reaction and felt disappointed that Zhou Cheng was surpassing him in school and calligraphy.
• Zhou Cheng beat Father Huang at chess, while Zhuang Tunan earned praise despite losing his games.
• Song Ying and Lin Wufeng invited Zhuang Chaoying to dinner after seeing how badly he and the household were faring without Huang Ling.
• Zhuang Chaoying vented about the hardships he had endured, and Lin Wufeng told him not to make his children suffer for the sacrifices of earlier generations.

Zhuang Chaoying returned to Changzhou and reconciled with Huang Ling, who brought the children back to Suzhou. As the family celebrated the New Year, Zhou Cheng learned that Zhuang Chaoying had lied to the Old Zhuang family about beating him after the table-flipping incident.

• Lin Wufeng persuaded Zhuang Chaoying that his nephews’ stay would leave his own children short of food, and Lin Dongzhe’s remark about Xiaoting needing enough to eat finally moved him.
• Zhuang Chaoying went to Changzhou, where he humbled himself before Huang Ling and stayed with her parents; the next morning Huang Ling and the children returned to Suzhou with him.
• Zhuang Xiaoting shared biscuits and stories about her visit with the alley children, while Zhou Cheng reflected on Wu Shanshan and Wu Xiaojun’s hardship and asked Shanshan to complete his winter homework.
• The family celebrated New Year’s Eve and visited the Old Zhuang family on the first day of the new year, where Grandpa Zhuang teased Zhou Cheng about flipping the table again.
• Zhou Cheng learned from Zhuang Tunan that Zhuang Chaoying had told Father Zhuang he had beaten Zhou Cheng and that the dispute was settled.

At a New Year gathering, Huang Ling accidentally gave Lin Dongzhe a treasury bond in his red envelope, angering Song Ying. Zhou Cheng explained the mistake and offered replacement money, leaving Song Ying ready to accept it.

• At the Lin home, the Zhuang, Lin, and Wu families discussed the college entrance exam and exchanged red envelopes.
• Song Ying discovered that Lin Dongzhe had received a treasury bond instead of cash and angrily blamed Zhang Amei.
• Huang Ling admitted that she had meant to put the bond in Zhang Xiaomin’s envelope, but Zhuang Chaoying had handed it to Lin Dongzhe by mistake.
• Zhou Cheng went to the Lin home and told Song Ying the treasury bond had come from the Zhuang family.
• Zhou Cheng offered Song Ying a one-yuan banknote to replace the mistaken gift, and she began to reconsider her refusal.

Zhou Cheng received a magazine’s reply to stories he had submitted, and his family discovered that one had been accepted with a payment of eighty-two yuan and forty cents. Zhuang Chaoying was stunned by his ten-year-old son’s success and began to see him as a prodigy.

• Zhou Cheng gave Song Ying Zhuang Yanzhou’s New Year money, and she sent him home with the Lin family’s can of yellow peaches, resolving the misunderstanding between the families.
• Huang Ling visited Song Ying, and the women chatted after setting aside their concerns about the New Year gifts.
• A postman delivered a letter addressed to Zhuang Jingcheng, and Zhou Cheng explained that he had sent stories to magazines after reading their calls for submissions.
• Song Ying and Zhuang Chaoying saw that the magazine had enclosed a money order for eighty-two yuan and forty cents.
• Zhuang Chaoying read the formal acceptance notice and realized Zhou Cheng had earned more than his monthly salary from his writing.

Zhou Cheng’s family learned that he had earned more than eighty yuan in manuscript fees, and Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling reacted with pride and concern. Zhou Cheng insisted the money go to his mother, leaving Zhuang Chaoying embarrassed when he pointed out how the old family had shared money.

• Zhuang Chaoying worried Zhou Cheng might have plagiarized, but Zhou Cheng showed that he had kept a manuscript of his fairy tales.
• Song Ying told the children about Zhou Cheng’s earnings, and Zhuang Tunan felt the gap between them while Zhuang Xiaoting celebrated.
• Zhou Cheng refused to hand his Money Order to Zhuang Chaoying and said he would give it to Huang Ling, pointing out that money had been shared with Zhuang Zhen Dong and Zhuang Zhen Bei.
• Zhuang Chaoying read Zhou Cheng’s stories, recognized their quality, and stopped arguing over the Money Order.
• Huang Ling accepted that Zhou Cheng had earned the money, while she and Zhuang Chaoying discussed keeping his success quiet and Zhuang Tunan watched with envy.

Zhou Cheng collected his manuscript earnings, let the alley believe his later submission had been rejected, and secretly received a much larger payment. Meanwhile, Lin Dongzhe ignored warnings to leave the Zhang family’s home and continued watching television late into the night.

• Lin Wufeng and Song Ying discussed Zhou Cheng’s eighty-yuan manuscript fee, and Lin Wufeng concluded that Zhou Cheng had exceptional talent.
• Huang Ling collected Zhou Cheng’s money order, gave him two yuan forty as pocket money, and promised to save the rest for him while treating all three children equally.
• Neighbors flocked to the Zhuang family after hearing about Zhou Cheng’s earnings, but a public rejection letter eased their envy and reduced the attention on him.
• Zhou Cheng secretly received a money order for three hundred twenty-seven yuan and fifty fen for a novella, then hid it and showed only a rejection letter.
• Lin Dongzhe went to watch television at Grandpa Zhang’s house despite Zhou Cheng’s warning, and he stayed after the other viewers left.

Lin Dongzhe’s family reconsidered their dispute with the Zhang family, while Zhou Cheng returned to school and dealt with a classmate who reported his copied homework. When the children visited the Youth Palace to audition for classes, Zhou Cheng guided them around and explored its other activities.

• Lin Dongzhe told Song Ying and Lin Wufeng that Zhou Cheng had predicted the Zhang family’s complaint, prompting his parents to realize their son had stayed too late to watch television.
• After the New Year, the alley received running water, and Zhou Cheng confronted and beat the classmate who had reported his copied homework.
• Wu Shanshan, Lin Dongzhe, Zhuang Xiaoting, and the other children joined the crowds auditioning for singing and dancing classes at the Youth Palace.
• Zhou Cheng advised Lin Dongzhe to try dancing, while Wu Shanshan worried that her younger brother Wu Xiaojun was too young to be accepted.
• Zhou Cheng took Lin Dongzhe and Zhuang Xiaoting to watch the auditions through a window, then followed Lin Dongzhe as he explored the Youth Palace’s other classrooms.

Lin Dongzhe and Zhou Cheng visited the Children's Palace's Go and table tennis classes, where Wang Xun mocked Lin Dongzhe's school and challenged Zhou Cheng to play. Zhou Cheng stunned the room with a powerful return, and Wang Xun demanded another chance, now taking him seriously.

• Lin Dongzhe and Zhou Cheng found the Go and ball sports classrooms open, while the art, calligraphy, and science classrooms remained locked.
• Wang Xun looked down on Lin Dongzhe and the other singing and dance applicants, prompting Lin Dongzhe to defend his school and boast that Zhou Cheng was better at table tennis.
• After the students laughed at Lin Dongzhe's claim, Zhou Cheng accepted Wang Xun's challenge and took a paddle at the center table.
• Wang Xun served, and Zhou Cheng struck the ball past his ear with a sharp, fast return that left the room stunned.
• Wang Xun dismissed his failed response as being unprepared, then retrieved the ball and took a more serious stance for another serve.

Zhou Cheng beat Wang Xun and Huang Hao at table tennis and won a pair of paddles before returning to the Children's Palace with the children. Zhuang Xiaoting and Lin Dongzhe passed their selections, Wu Shanshan gave up her place, and Teacher Liu heard about Zhou Cheng's skills and remained doubtful.

• Zhou Cheng defeated Wang Xun with powerful, precise returns, then accepted Huang Hao's challenge for a pair of paddles.
• Zhou Cheng beat Huang Hao and left the ball sports room carrying the paddles, while Lin Dongzhe proudly told Zhuang Xiaoting about the match.
• Zhuang Xiaoting passed the vocal music selection, Lin Dongzhe passed the folk dance selection, and Wu Shanshan passed vocal music but gave up her place; Wu Xiaojun and Zhang Min failed their assessments.
• Huang Ling saw the paddles and listened as Lin Dongzhe recounted what had happened.
• Teacher Liu scolded the table tennis students, then heard Huang Hao and the others describe how Zhou Cheng had beaten Wang Xun and Huang Hao.

Huang Ling and Song Ying enjoyed a rare day off while their children attended the Youth Palace, and Song Ying praised Zhou Cheng's many talents. The chapter ended when Song Ying returned with the children and called Huang Ling outside.

• Teacher Liu learned that Zhou Cheng had defeated Huang Hao at table tennis, but arrived too late to find him.
• Huang Ling made denim overalls for Zhou Cheng and Zhuang Tunan, while Zhou Cheng continued writing stories and earning money.
• Teacher Liu asked Huang Hao and Wang Xun about the gifted child, and Wang Xun said he had seen the child's younger brother in the Dance Class.
• Huang Ling and Song Ying chatted as they hung out seasonal clothes, and Song Ying praised Zhou Cheng's writing and table tennis.
• Song Ying picked up the children from the Youth Palace and called Huang Ling from the gate.

Liu Xian visited the Zhuang family to recruit Zhou Cheng for the Youth Palace table tennis team, but Zhou Cheng refused because competitions offered no prize money and he wanted to save for a refrigerator. He then claimed he could lead any team he joined to a championship within six months, leaving Liu Xian to reconsider his worth.

• Song Ying introduced Liu Xian, the Youth Palace table tennis coach, to Huang Ling and explained that he had come to recruit Zhou Cheng.
• Liu Xian invited Zhou Cheng to join the Youth Palace team, but Zhou Cheng refused and asked whether competitions offered prize money.
• After learning there was no prize money, Zhou Cheng said he wanted to buy a refrigerator, while Liu Xian and Huang Ling reacted with surprise.
• Zhou Cheng asked Liu Xian whether he thought him arrogant and foolish, then claimed he could win a championship for any team he joined over the next six months.

Zhou Cheng challenged Liu Xian to a table tennis match to prove his ability, and his powerful shots stunned the former provincial athlete. Liu Xian was left eager to continue playing, with Zhou Cheng’s potential clearly demonstrated before the gathered crowd.

• Zhou Cheng persuaded Liu Xian to test his table tennis skill at the court, and Lin Dongzhe’s shout drew a large crowd from the alley.
• Zhou Cheng served a ball that struck a spectator, and Liu Xian recognized its explosive sound as a rare cannon crack.
• Liu Xian served with tricky spin, but Zhou Cheng returned the ball with another powerful crack.
• Zhou Cheng drove three more blistering shots past Liu Xian, who missed the fourth and struggled to catch his breath.
• Liu Xian ignored the crowd’s chatter and urged Zhou Cheng to keep playing, watching him with amazement and longing.

Zhou Cheng joined the Su City Junior Table Tennis Team after Liu Xian secured special rewards for his competition results. When a group of exam candidates asked Zhuang Chaoying for more tutoring, Zhou Cheng defended his family’s study time, and Li Yiming admitted they were at fault.

• Zhou Cheng beat Liu Xian at table tennis, prompting Liu Xian to invite him to join the Su City Junior Table Tennis Team and negotiate special terms.
• Liu Xian returned with an agreement promising Zhou Cheng cash rewards and a refrigerator purchase voucher for success at the National Junior Table Tennis Championships, and Zhou Cheng joined the team.
• The announcement that the college entrance examination would take place in late July disrupted Zhuang Chaoying’s plan to tutor Zhuang Tunan on Sundays.
• Li Yiming brought exam candidates to seek tutoring, then asked Zhuang Chaoying to teach them on weekday evenings, but Zhuang Chaoying refused.
• When one visitor claimed the college entrance examination mattered more than elementary school studies, Zhou Cheng rebuked him, and Li Yiming acknowledged that they were at fault.

Zhou Cheng helped settle a dispute over tutoring by arranging weekly group study sessions, then impressed Li Yiming, Song Xiangyang, and Zhuang Chaoying with his explanations. After the courtyard families began harvesting snake gourds, Zhou Cheng left with Liu Xian’s team for the National Junior Table Tennis Championships in Shenyang, beginning his first long journey away from home.

• Zhou Cheng rebuked Song Xiangyang for pressuring the household, then proposed that Li Yiming and Song Xiangyang review basic material together and bring difficult questions to weekly sessions.
• Zhuang Chaoying agreed to tutor Li Yiming and Song Xiangyang for two hours each week, and Zhou Cheng later explained their questions so clearly that even Zhuang Chaoying was impressed.
• Huang Ling and Song Ying planted snake gourds with help from Lin Wufeng, and the families began eating the abundant harvest in May.
• Zhou Cheng boarded a train for Shenyang with Liu Xian’s team to compete in the preliminary rounds of the National Junior Table Tennis Championships, while his family tearfully saw him off.

Liu Xian and Wang Jianping reunited while traveling with their teams to the National Junior Table Tennis Championships in Shenyang. After a grueling journey, Zhou Cheng remained unusually composed, making Wang Jianping begin to suspect Liu Xian’s claims about the young player.

• Liu Xian reunited with Wang Jianping at Nanjing Station and learned they were both taking teams to the championships.
• Wang Jianping questioned why the much younger Zhou Cheng was with Liu Xian’s team, and Liu Xian said Zhou Cheng was their undisputed starter and ace.
• Liu Xian told Wang Jianping that Zhou Cheng had demanded a refrigerator and earned a special bonus to join the team, but Wang Jianping remained skeptical.
• The two teams endured a long journey with train changes before reaching Shenyang and checking into a guesthouse.
• Wang Jianping noticed that Zhou Cheng was still composed while the other players were exhausted and began to think the boy might be unusual.

Zhou Cheng dominated a practice match against Wang Jianping’s Provincial Team, revealing his astonishing speed and leaving the veteran coach eager to recruit him. Wang Jianping learned how Liu Xian had brought Zhou Cheng onto the Su City Team, but by then it was too late to poach him.

• Liu Xian and Wang Jianping agreed to hold a loser-steps-down practice match, with the losing coach buying everyone soda.
• Huang Hao defeated his first Provincial Team opponent but lost to the next, while two other Su City players were quickly eliminated.
• Zhou Cheng overwhelmed the Provincial Team players with extraordinarily fast shots, defeating them one after another.
• Wang Jianping asked Liu Xian where he had found Zhou Cheng, and Liu Xian proudly recounted how he had recruited him.
• Wang Jianping looked at Zhou Cheng with a strong desire to recruit him, but realized he had missed his chance.