Ningjiang Middle School had three teaching buildings from south to north, one each for the first, second and third years.
The first-year building was closest to the school gate, but farthest from the cafeteria.
Covered walkways connected the buildings, and the offices for teachers of the secondary subjects were located along them.
The teachers of the main subjects, meanwhile, had offices between the classrooms.
This made it easier for them to manage their classes and for students to find them whenever they had questions.
So Ningjiang Middle School had fitted out a small office between every two classrooms, each with just enough room for three or four teachers.
Class 5, for example, was by the eastern staircase on the second floor of the first-year building. Its front door was right at the top of the stairs, while the office of its Chinese, math and English teachers was next door to its back door.
Zhang Zhidong, who taught Chinese to Classes 5 and 6, Song Minggui, who taught math, and Jiang Wenpei, who taught English, usually worked in this little office.
Teacher Zhang was also Class 5's homeroom teacher, while Song Minggui was Class 6's.
Xu Zhuoyue had delayed Song Yunshen for a few seconds, so by the time he chased after Xia Yunuo through the classroom's back door, she had already entered the office.
He wasted no more time, casually knocking on the closed office door before pushing it open and stepping inside. He shut it behind him.
Zhang Zhidong, sitting at the desk by the door, looked up at Song Yunshen. Seeing that he wasn't coming over, he lowered his head and resumed working.
Song Yunshen didn't disturb Lao Bao either. He glanced at Xia Yunuo, who had already reached his uncle Song Minggui's desk, but instead of rushing over, he went to Jiang Wenpei at the next desk.
Xia Yunuo had been about to ask about tutoring, but when she saw Song Yunshen follow her in, her mind went blank, and she forgot what she had meant to say.
"Did you need something?" Jiang Wenpei had been secretly watching a show. When she saw Song Yunshen approach, she hurriedly closed the window on her computer, but didn't have time to put away the potato chips in her hand.
Making himself right at home, Song Yunshen grinned and peered over, then reached out, grabbed two chips and popped them into his mouth. "I missed you, Teacher Jiang. Can't I just come over to see you?"
"Smooth talker," Jiang Wenpei said irritably. "You'd be better off using that tongue of yours to memorize a few more words."
"No words could look as good as you, Teacher Jiang."
"Say what you like, but can you slow down with your mouth and your hand?" Jiang Wenpei held the chips protectively to her chest. "I've barely had a few bites, and you've already grabbed several handfuls."
"It's nearly noon, and I'm hungry." Seeing that he couldn't get at the chips, Song Yunshen fixed his eyes on the lollipops scattered across her desk.
Jiang Wenpei promptly slapped his thieving hand away. "Don't touch those. Did I say you could take one? You don't respect your teacher at all."
"Every time I come to the office to ask a question, I can take a lollipop." Song Yunshen withdrew his hand sheepishly. "Didn't you say that yourself, Teacher Jiang?"
"Did you ask one?"
"I just did."
"I meant an English question!" Jiang Wenpei said irritably.
"All right." Song Yunshen had no choice but to ask, "Are the results from this English exam out yet? Do you know, Teacher Jiang?"
"Not yet. Wait until next Monday." Teacher Jiang waved a hand. "Did you do really well this time? You're actually asking about your results on your own."
"You said I had to ask an English question, and I did." Brazenly, Song Yunshen reached out and grabbed two lollipops.
"That counts as an English question?!"
"Asking about my English score is an English question." Song Yunshen chuckled and dodged Jiang Wenpei's outstretched hand.
"Even so, you can only take one!"
"The other one's for Xu Zhuoyue," Song Yunshen replied. "He said he'd score over ninety this time, so he's getting his reward in advance!"
"If he doesn't, I'll make him stand through an entire class!" Jiang Wenpei said, glaring.
"It's a deal!"
While Song Yunshen was clowning around with Jiang Wenpei,
the atmosphere at the next desk was much quieter.
Song Minggui still had a little work on hand. When Xia Yunuo came over, he first told her to wait a moment. Once he was done, he turned and asked, "What is it? If you're asking about your math score, it isn't out yet."
"No." Xia Yunuo shook her head. Hearing Song Yunshen joking around next to her eased much of her nervousness. "I wanted to ask you about something related to tutoring, Teacher Song."
Now that she had finally said it, Xia Yunuo breathed a sigh of relief.
But then she began to grumble inwardly.
Does Song Yunshen tell every pretty girl he meets how good-looking she is? He won't even spare Teacher Jiang.
Teacher Jiang already has a boyfriend. Isn't it rude to say that?
But that bag of Teacher Jiang's chips looks really tasty.
"Tutoring?" Song Minggui raised an eyebrow. "You want to find a math tutor to give you extra lessons, right? Actually, if you..."
"No, no..." Hearing this, Xia Yunuo realized she hadn't explained herself clearly. She hurriedly waved her hands and went on, "I'm not looking for a tutor. I, I... I wanted to ask if I could work part-time as a tutor over summer vacation?"
"Huh?" Song Minggui froze, momentarily unable to process what she had said. "You want to work part-time as a tutor?"
"Mm..."
"Why did you think to ask me about this?" Song Minggui was a little puzzled. "Shouldn't you be asking Teacher Zhang?"
After all, Zhang Zhidong was Class 5's homeroom teacher.
"Huh? Well..." Xia Yunuo was at a loss for words, wondering whether to give Song Yunshen away.
By then, Song Yunshen had finished teasing Teacher Jiang. He came over with the two lollipops, leaned toward Song Minggui and cut in. "Teacher Song, don't you know people at a tutoring agency? You could recommend her to them."
Song Minggui glanced at his nephew. As soon as he heard those words, he knew whose rotten idea it had been.
"May I ask why?" Song Minggui asked. "And Teacher Zhang should be told about this too."
Zhang Zhidong, at the desk in front of them, had clearly heard their conversation. He had already turned his chair to look at Xia Yunuo. "What's going on?"
With the homeroom teachers of both classes looking at her, Xia Yunuo nervously clutched the hem of her uniform jacket. She lowered her head, at a bit of a loss.
She wanted to say that her family was too poor, so she wanted to ease some of her mother's burden, just as her older sister did.
But now that the moment had come, the words seemed stuck in her throat, and she couldn't get them out.
She felt so ashamed.
"Why so many questions, Teacher Song? If she wants to do it, let her. It's not illegal." Song Yunshen casually took over from the side. "A part-time job is a good thing too. She can gain some experience. Even I want to try it for fun."
"Go make yourself useful somewhere else." Song Minggui shot him an annoyed glare. "Don't interrupt."
Song Yunshen whistled a couple of times to ease the awkwardness, but he didn't leave. He stubbornly stayed right where he was to watch the show.
That made Xia Yunuo feel much more at ease, and she seemed to gain a little courage. She finally opened her mouth, intending to explain what she thought.
But Lao Bao spoke up first. "Teacher Song, if you know of a suitable opportunity, recommend her. Her parent mentioned it to me before too. They just want her to gain some experience over summer vacation."
Since Zhang Zhidong had said so, Song Minggui asked no more. He nodded and made a note of it. "All right, I'll ask a friend later, but I can't guarantee there'll be anything suitable."
"Mm-hmm!" Seeing that Teacher Song had agreed, Xia Yunuo quickly nodded and thanked him. "Thank you, Teacher Song."
Then she remembered something and immediately turned to Zhang Zhidong. "Thank you, Teacher Zhang!"
The two students left the office.
Zhang Zhidong looked at Song Minggui and said, "Don't find her a boy to tutor. She's pretty, so we need to be careful about her safety."
"Mm, I know." Song Minggui nodded calmly. "But I really can't say whether there'll be a suitable student. I'll have to ask first."
"It's fine. Just help her out," Zhang Zhidong said. "Want to have lunch together?"
"Sure."
"Xiao Jiang, come along too."
"Huh?" Jiang Wenpei, who had gone back to secretly watching her show, hurriedly swallowed the chips in her mouth when she heard her senior call her. "Lunch? Sure, sure."
After they came out of the office, Song Yunshen slipped a lollipop into Xia Yunuo's palm.
Xia Yunuo blinked, still remembering his conversation with Teacher Jiang. "Isn't this for Xu Zhuoyue?"
"Is he worthy?" Song Yunshen chuckled. "I just said that off the top of my head. I wanted to swipe the chips too, but Peipei was guarding them too closely. I couldn't get my hands on them."
The corners of Xia Yunuo's mouth curved up, but she quickly suppressed the smile and lowered her head to look at the lollipop in her palm. "What if he doesn't score ninety?"
"For the sake of the organization, a little sacrifice is only right," Song Yunshen said with a perfectly straight face. "He should be honored."
Xia Yunuo quickened her pace.
She was afraid that if she went any slower, Song Yunshen would see the smile she couldn't hold back.
He's so bad.
Huh? Why was she calling him names again?
Song Yunshen noticed her shoulders trembling slightly. She was probably having a hard time holding back her laughter.
Just laugh if you want to. Why hide it?
Oh no, he had noticed.
Xia Yunuo's cheeks flushed, and she hurriedly fled to the classroom.
By the time Song Yunshen followed her to the back door, Xia Yunuo had finally managed to stop laughing. She suddenly remembered something and turned to look at him.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, it's just..."
Xia Yunuo wanted to thank him, but felt that words were too cheap.
After thinking it over, she recalled how she had kept hearing Song Yunshen's inner voice talking about summer homework in the classroom earlier, so she said, "It's better to do your summer homework yourself."
"But if you insist on copying, then, then..."
"Then I'll let you copy mine."