Chapter 231: A Lot More Cheerful

Su Zhaozhao looked over at Li Weichuan as well.

With just one glance, she could see the change in the young man before her.

The last time she saw Li Weichuan, he seemed completely oblivious to the people around him.

Only things that truly interested him could elicit any excitement.

Most of the time, he was like a stone—impossibly calm.

But now, as he looked at her, Su Zhaozhao could see a light in Li Weichuan’s eyes.

When he saw Su Zhaozhao, he even called out, "Sister Zhaozhao."

Su Zhaozhao was momentarily stunned. ’He actually greeted me!’

’Looks like it really is helping.’

Li Weichuan walked up to her. "That book of math problems you gave me—I finished all of them. It was really interesting."

"That’s good."

Su Zhaozhao handed Li Weichuan another book, and the young man’s eyes instantly grew even brighter.

"Thank you, Sister Zhaozhao."

"Keep up the good work. If you need more, I can help you find them. School starts in a few days, right? You’ll be able to sign up for the math competition then."

"Yes, my parents agreed too," Li Weichuan said with a smile.

He was no longer sullen like before. When he smiled, there was a softness to him, and his eyes shone with a pure light.

Like a puppy.

Li Tiantian also grabbed Su Zhaozhao’s hand and said, "Zhaozhao, really, you’re our family’s lucky star! Thanks to you, Wei Chuan has become so much more cheerful. Let me tell you, he really listens to you. He chats with me every day now. It was a little awkward at first, honestly, but he’s a man of his word. After we kept at it, he started talking more and more."

Su Zhaozhao smiled. Her gaze fell on Li Weichuan, who squirmed a little under her stare and explained, "I was just doing what Sister Zhaozhao said."

"Alright, alright, time to eat," Wang Anning announced.

"I did some of the cooking today. You have to eat a lot!" She looked at Su Zhaozhao with a beaming smile.

"Wow, I’m sure anything Aunt Wang makes is delicious. I’ll definitely eat a lot," Su Zhaozhao said, looking at Wang Anning with pleasant surprise.

She knew they had a chef in their household, so Wang Anning most likely rarely cooked.

The fact that she had cooked specially today showed how much this meal meant to her.

"Then you must eat up. Every time I see you, you eat so little." Wang Anning pulled Su Zhaozhao to her seat.

She turned to look at Su Zhaozhao. The girl was as beautiful as ever, and it seemed to her that after some time apart, Su Zhaozhao had grown even more beautiful.

It was probably because she was living a better life in Jiang City. Just look at that healthy glow, that fair skin with a rosy blush, and those sparkling eyes.

’She’s so endearing!’

Wang Anning felt a pang of regret. ’If only Su Zhaozhao hadn’t married Xie Huaizheng,’ she thought, ’then my son might have had a chance.’

When Li Tiantian had brought this up before, Wang Anning had scolded her for talking nonsense.

Back then, she hadn’t entertained the notion, but now, Wang Anning genuinely had this thought.

’But alas, if Su Zhaozhao weren’t Xie Huaizheng’s wife, I never would have met her in the first place.’

So it was a thought best left to herself.

Xie Huaizheng sat down next to Su Zhaozhao.

Li Tiantian wanted to sit with Su Zhaozhao too, but her mother was on one side of Zhaozhao, and Xie Huaizheng was on the other.

There was no way for her to sit close to Su Zhaozhao.

Li Tiantian couldn’t help but frown, and in the end, she could only sit next to Li Weichuan.

During the meal, Wang Anning kept putting meat on Su Zhaozhao’s plate.

To Su Zhaozhao’s surprise, there were even hairy crabs!

"Someone gave them to us as a gift. I figured since you’re from Jiang City, you’d probably like them, so I saved them."

Wang Anning placed one on the small dish in front of Su Zhaozhao.

Su Zhaozhao looked at the large crab. The top shell had already been partially removed, revealing the roe inside. Each one looked incredibly plump and rich.

"Thank you, Aunt Wang, but you don’t have to worry about me. Please, you all eat too, or I’ll feel awkward." Su Zhaozhao really wasn’t used to being waited on.

"Alright. Eat as much as you want. Just make yourself at home."

The atmosphere during dinner was very harmonious.

Li Tiantian asked Su Zhaozhao about her recent trip back to Jiang City, so Zhaozhao told them she had transferred her household registration to her maternal grandparents’ address.

And that she had formally cut ties with Su Dashan and Zhang Fengxia.

"Good for you, Zhaozhao! A wonderful girl like you shouldn’t be tied down by those two bastards!" Li Tiantian said.

As soon as she finished, Wang Anning shot her a glare. "You’re a proper young lady. Don’t use such foul language!"

"They bullied Zhaozhao so badly, so what if I say it?" Li Tiantian retorted.

"It’s okay. They’ve gone to jail and have already paid the price. Tian Tian, don’t be angry at them. It’s not worth wasting any emotion on them."

"Zhaozhao, you’re right!"

"Now that this matter is resolved, Zhaozhao, what are your plans?" Wang Anning asked her. "I think you’re so capable, you could go back to being a psychologist at the military district hospital, couldn’t you?"

Hearing this, Su Zhaozhao immediately laughed. "No, my current academic qualifications aren’t quite up to snuff. My plan is to probably continue my studies to improve my credentials. And besides, I’ve already promised the military district’s elementary school that I would teach English for them."

"That’s wonderful!" Wang Anning’s gaze was filled with even more admiration for Su Zhaozhao. "A school is a great place to work. You get off early, you have winter and summer breaks, and weekends off. It’s much better than a hospital."

Hospitals sometimes require night shifts and rotating days off; it’s not nearly as good as a school’s fixed schedule.

Su Zhaozhao smiled. "Yes."

Su Zhaozhao then looked at Li Weichuan. "What about you, Wei Chuan? How’s your English?"

Li Weichuan, who had been eating quietly, paused when Su Zhaozhao called his name. He answered honestly, "Just above average."

Li Tiantian answered for him, "He means barely passing."

"If you need tutoring, you can come to me. Friends-and-family discount!" Su Zhaozhao said to Li Weichuan.

"I’m not interested in English," Li Weichuan said, frowning.

It was clear he really disliked it. Su Zhaozhao understood; some people just have very lopsided skills.

She had a friend in her world who was the same—a total genius in the sciences but could only score a 50 or 60 in English. If he could have just passed English, his grades were good enough for Qingbei.

"It’s true, interest is the best teacher. Don’t worry about it. It’s fine to just master math for now."

Listening to Su Zhaozhao, Li Weichuan could hardly believe it. This girl was only three years older than him, so why was she so mature?

It was as if she understood everything, had experienced everything, and that’s why she was always so emotionally stable.

Just like a real teacher.

Li Weichuan stared at Su Zhaozhao, captivated.

Suddenly, he felt an icy gaze on him. Li Weichuan turned his head and saw Xie Huaizheng’s cold, pitch-black eyes fixed on him.