Zhou Yuwen, Do You Want to Be Class Monitor?

That morning, he helped his mother tidy up his dorm room.

He had told her more than once that he might not stay in this dorm for long, so there was really no need to help him tidy it up.

But his mother insisted. Before leaving, she also made sure to leave a few bags of snacks from their hometown, reminding Zhou Yuwen to share them with his roommates.

"Make sure you get along well with your roommates."

"Mm."

Zhou Yuwen smiled and agreed.

At noon, he had a simple meal with her in the cafeteria, then drove her back to their relatives' home in Jiangbei. His mother said she wanted to spend another two days in Nanjing. Zhou Yuwen said, "All right. See where you want to go, and once I've taken care of things at school, I'll come keep you company."

"I don't need you to keep me company. Just take care of your own business."

"Ah, after all those days of hard work, I'm finally free! I won't have to think about cooking for you every day anymore!" His mother looked delighted to be free in the back seat.

Zhou Yuwen laughed. "You haven't cooked that many meals for me, though, have you?"

"How can you say something so heartless?"

Everyone saw things differently. As Zhou Yuwen saw it, his mother really hadn't cooked many meals for him. In elementary school, he had eaten at relatives' homes most of the time.

In middle school, he had eaten at the cafeteria.

As for high school, he had evening study until ten every night, so naturally he had even fewer chances to eat his mother's cooking.

Still, his mother really had worked hard.

He dropped her off at their relatives' home, then headed back to school.

Before he left, he met his mother's eyes in the car. This little old lady's eyes were clearly full of reluctance to part, yet she still forced a smile and waved at Zhou Yuwen with an air of nonchalance. "Go on!"

"Take care of yourself and get along with your classmates."

"You can date, but you need to keep your mind on your studies."

"Tell me if you don't have enough money."

"Don't forget to give the things in the trunk to Teacher Yao."

His mother gave him one reminder after another, and Zhou Yuwen nodded to each one, saying he'd remember.

Only after the car had left the residential complex did Zhou Yuwen let out a long breath.

Finally...

Free...

Though it hadn't been easy for his mother to raise him, there came a day when every child left home. Besides, this wasn't the first time.

What awaited Zhou Yuwen next was a brand-new world.

Zhou Yuwen had remembered his mother's reminder. Taking advantage of the lunch hour,

Zhou Yuwen called Yao Lan and told her he had just dropped his mother off at their relatives' home and thought he'd take the opportunity to bring his teacher the local specialties his mother had prepared.

Yao Lan naturally declined, hastily saying over the phone that there was no need.

But Zhou Yuwen said it was a gesture from his mother.

Besides, over the next four years, he would inevitably have to trouble his teacher.

Zhou Yuwen was so insistent that Yao Lan really couldn't refuse, so she gave him the name of her residential complex.

"I happen to be nearby, Teacher. I'll be there in about five minutes."

"Oh, wait a moment, then. I'll meet you at the entrance."

"There's no need. I'll just drive straight to your building."

"Oh, but our complex is a bit confusing. I'm afraid you won't be able to find it."

"It's all right."

Zhou Yuwen knew the way like the back of his hand. Before Yao Lan had even come downstairs, he had already driven up to her building.

When Yao Lan came downstairs and saw Zhou Yuwen, she couldn't help asking, "Zhou Yuwen, have you been to our complex before?"

Zhou Yuwen said it was nothing.

"I was born with a pretty good sense of direction."

With that, Yao Lan took Zhou Yuwen upstairs. Zhou Yuwen's mother had prepared two boxes of local specialties for Yao Lan, all inexpensive local goods.

On the way over, Zhou Yuwen had also stopped at a tea shop and bought two elegant white tea gift sets, costing around 1,600 yuan.

Zhou Yuwen's mother wasn't the first parent to think of giving the homeroom teacher a gift, and this wasn't Yao Lan's first year as a homeroom teacher. She wasn't opposed to receiving gifts from parents, but when she saw the white tea gift sets, her expression did change somewhat.

She said, "You came all this way. Why did you bring something so expensive?"

"No one in our family drinks much tea, though your Teacher Ye does enjoy it." The Teacher Ye whom Yao Lan mentioned was her husband, who also worked at the school. He was from Jiangxi and had married into Yao Lan's family years ago.

Yao Lan had two daughters, both of whom had taken the surname Yao.

When Teacher Ye was young, he had been penniless and had no job.

Only after marrying Teacher Yao had he been given a teaching position at the college and thus settled down in Jinling.

It was midday, and Teacher Yao's husband wasn't home. Their two daughters were also away playing at their maternal grandmother's home in the countryside.

Yao Lan was alone at home, so it wasn't appropriate for Zhou Yuwen to stay long. They only chatted briefly.

Yao Lan still couldn't resist asking Zhou Yuwen a somewhat personal question: was he really that good at writing novels?

It looked like he had made quite a lot of money.

Zhou Yuwen said he was doing all right. He had caught the rising wind and had indeed made quite a lot.

"Your mother told me your Mercedes-Benz cost over 200,000 yuan?"

Zhou Yuwen said, "My mom doesn't know cars. If she knew the actual price, she'd be upset about the expense. I'm young, after all, and I was a bit too showy. I actually regret it a little now. I keep thinking I should have listened to my mom and bought a used car to practice with for a few months."

"Young people are all like that. Your Teacher Ye was the same when he was young. He thought nothing of anyone and looked down on others because of his talent. Otherwise, how could he still be a lecturer at the school?"

At that, Yao Lan sighed.

When she was young, she too had been captivated by her husband's talent, but now she found him a little too inflexible.

Zhou Yuwen merely chuckled when he heard that. He said Teacher Ye had the upright character of a man of letters.

"That character won't put food on the table." Yao Lan sighed and, before she knew it, began complaining to Zhou Yuwen about her household affairs.

"Moving house, the children's schooling-you'll understand when you get married. There are a heap of things to take care of at home, and your Teacher Ye can't help with any of them.

"Big or small, I'm the only one who has to deal with it all.

"Now the college also wants me to teach and take charge of a class.

"I didn't want to take a class in the first place, but I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving you all to a teacher who's new to the college."

Teacher Yao rambled on and on, while Zhou Yuwen simply listened.

Teacher Yao really did serve different dishes to different guests. If a student in the class came from a poor family, she would have them help her move or tutor her children, using them as free labor.

As for students from well-off families, she wouldn't bring up such things.

Just as now, Yao Lan had spoken at length to Zhou Yuwen in a familiar manner, but she hadn't said, "Oh, you're so good at writing essays. Why don't you come tutor my daughter in essay writing?"

She deliberately cultivated a relationship with Zhou Yuwen, telling him how hard things were for her: she had a class to manage, a household to run, and an academic promotion to work toward.

"Zhou Yuwen, you'll have to help me out in the future.

"I can tell you're dependable and responsible. You need to help me manage this class.

"Zhou Yuwen, do you want to be class monitor?"