Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: Don't You Dare Try to Provoke Me!

You dare to touch the daughter of a butcher? Do you believe my dad will let you live?

This was the first thing Jiang Qin said to Fang Yan when they met for the first time. Many years later, the two still laughed heartily when they recalled this scene.

Jiang Qin knew that the small house in the courtyard was rented to someone else, but she had been going out early and coming back late these days, so she hadn't met Fang Yan at all.

Just after school, her mother whispered to her, "Honey, do you know who rented our house?"

"Who? A person, of course."

"Not just any person."

"Then is it a superhero?"

"Brat, how can you talk like that? I'm telling you, the young man who rented our small house is a Chinese teacher at Zhuque Middle School."

Jiang Qin pouted and said, "So what if he's a teacher? What's so great about that?"

"Why can't you understand?" Li Guiying was anxious and poked her forehead. "Haven't your teachers taught you that those who are close to the water get the moon first?"

Jiang Qin widened her eyes and said, "You can't be serious? Mom, you want me to date a teacher?"

"Date? Date your big head." Li Guiying raised the spatula to hit her, scaring her into retreating. "Think about it, if we ask the teacher from Zhuque Middle School to tutor you every day, won't you be able to get into Zhuque High School next year?"

"The son of the prime minister being with the prime minister every day doesn't mean he can become the prime minister, right?" Jiang Qin retorted. "I don't want tutoring. The school already gives us so much tutoring that we can't even finish all the homework."

"No, you must listen to me," Li Guiying declared. "Honey, you're already in the third year of junior high. In another year, you'll be taking the college entrance exam. This is the final year of preparation, and you know how precious time is, right? If you don't get into a good high school, how can you get into a good university? If you don't get into a good university, how can you find a good job? Look at what life is like for college graduates now; they can't even eat hot meals, just instant noodles all day—"

"They're stupid, can't they just soak the instant noodles?"

"You brat, do you believe I'll hit you with the spatula?" Li Guiying was really at a loss with her spoiled daughter. "Anyway, I've already talked to Teacher Fang and asked him to tutor you in Chinese. Your Chinese foundation isn't good, and this is a good opportunity. Every point counts in the college entrance exam, do you know how important one point can be?"

She quickly served the dish and said, "I'll make a seafood soup. Go invite Teacher Fang to have dinner."

"Do it yourself."

"Will you go or not? If not, no pocket money this month."

"Fine, I'll go."

——

After the above conversation, Jiang Qin was sent to invite Teacher Fang to dinner.

The door was slightly ajar, and light shone through.

She gently pushed the door, and it opened.

Then, she saw Fang Yan lying on the bed, half asleep.

"God, no way?" Jiang Qin widened her eyes. "This teacher is too young, right? Impossible, absolutely impossible, how can someone like this be a high school teacher?"

"Scammer, definitely a scammer, specifically to deceive uneducated, unsophisticated old women in the urban village—" Jiang Qin secretly labeled Fang Yan with a very unfriendly tag.

Of course, her view of her mother was even more exasperating.

She took out her phone from her pocket, ready to take a photo of Fang Yan and find out tomorrow if Zhuque Middle School had such a teacher. If not, well, her father's butcher knife isn't just for show.

Her phone's camera was not good, and the photo from a distance was too blurry. So, she decided to get closer—

Fang Yan suddenly jumped up, scaring her half to death.

Worse still, she was bending over to take the photo. Shocked, she lost her balance, leaned forward, and their heads collided hard.

She felt stars in her eyes, and her anger rose like a small furnace about to ignite.

"I didn't touch you," Fang Yan quickly explained. If Aunt Li and her butcher husband misunderstood, things would get complicated.

"This isn't touching?" Jiang Qin pointed to her forehead. "It's red."

Fang Yan finally relaxed. This 'touch' was different from that 'touch.' She meant a bump on the head, while he thought of harassment.

"I didn't mean to—-" Fang Yan thought for a moment and said, "I didn't touch you on purpose. See, my forehead is red too."

"You deserve it if you're red, but I'm red, so you have to compensate."

"That's not fair. This is my room, and you came in without knocking—"

"This is my house, just rented to you temporarily. Besides, I did knock, but you didn't hear it."

"——"

Fang Yan knew the girl was lying. If someone had knocked, how could he not have heard with his sharp senses?

"I want you to compensate, did you hear me?" the girl said in a clear but domineering voice.

"Compensate for what?"

Jiang Qin thought for a moment and had an idea. "Don't be my tutor."

"What?" Fang Yan was confused.

"You're so stupid." Jiang Qin rolled her eyes. "Didn't you agree to tutor me in Chinese for my mom? During dinner, just say you're busy and can't tutor me—push this responsibility away."

"Got it." Fang Yan nodded. "I'll push it off."

"Great." Jiang Qin happily waved her fist.

"Great." Fang Yan secretly felt relieved.

Seeing Fang Yan still looking at her, she glared and said, "What are you looking at? My mom asked you to have dinner."

"Hey—"

"Who's 'hey'? I'm not called 'hey.'"

"I mean, I'm a teacher, why don't you respect me at all?"

"I don't believe you're a teacher." Jiang Qin said. "Even if you are, you're not my teacher. Since you don't teach me, why should I respect you?"

"You can't say that. Being a teacher is a noble profession, a glorious team. I may not be your teacher, but I am a teacher to other students. Like countless other teachers, I selflessly contribute to my students—you should respect me, respect every teacher of every student." Fang Yan patiently explained.

Jiang Qin thought for a moment and said, "So you mean other people's teachers are also my teachers?"

"Yes." Fang Yan nodded.

"If you had a daughter, would you give her money to spend?"

"I would." Fang Yan said. What kind of question is this?

"I'm not your daughter, but I'm someone else's daughter—fathers should cherish all daughters in the world." Jiang Qin extended her white, tender hand and said, "Give me three hundred yuan to spend."

"——"

"Unwilling? Is being a father not a noble profession? Not a glorious team?" Jiang Qin looked at Fang Yan with disdain, pressing him step by step.

"Don't you dare try to provoke me." Fang Yan was angry.

"How will you react if I provoke you?"

"Even if you provoke me, I don't have money to give you." Fang Yan jumped off the bed and quickly walked to the door. "Let's go have dinner, we shouldn't keep the elders waiting."

Jiang Qin giggled behind him and shouted, "Hypocrite."

"——"