When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 18: Tingting 16

Tan You wasn’t just staring at the money; she was very busy, too. Besides juggling her homework, she also had to tidy up and clean the house. Watching Tan You huff and puff as she washed the bedsheets and duvet covers, Han Cunming fell silent.

The next day, a semi-automatic washing machine appeared in the house. ’His granddaughter’s hands are for writing, not for this kind of manual labor!’

Tan You hadn’t expected this gesture from the old man, but she had to admit, the washing machine really made her life much easier. In less than three days, the Han family’s courtyard was hung full of bedsheets, duvet covers, and heavy clothes.

Meanwhile, Tan You had cleaned the house until it was spotless. Although it was still the same old house, it looked completely different from before.

In the morning, Tan You did her homework while keeping an eye on the washing machine. She had already finished her math and was now working on physics. Just as she was getting absorbed in her work, a voice called out from outside the courtyard.

"Han Tingting, they’re dividing up the fish at the pond this afternoon. You going?"

Tan You looked out into the courtyard. Three boys were standing there—the very same Yang Shun, Han Peng, and Han Wei she had seen before. Come to think of it, she and Yang Shun hadn’t spoken in the two months since she’d refused to walk to school with him.

So, Tan You found it a little strange that Yang Shun had actually come looking for Han Tingting.

"I’m not going. I’m busy." Tan You was a very aloof person. She didn’t like hanging out in groups or being around other people; she preferred to be by herself.

Yang Shun, true to his caustic nature, shot back, "What could you possibly be busy with? Still pretending to be a good student?"

Tan You had no desire to argue with Yang Shun. "I really am busy. My grandpa can go get the fish; that’s good enough."

Han Cunming watched as his granddaughter coolly turned down the boys. Only then did he speak up. "Tingting has chores to do at home. Besides, there’s nothing exciting about dividing up fish."

Since Han Cunming had spoken, the three boys couldn’t press the issue and had no choice but to leave the Han family’s home.

Han Wei was a little angry. "Seriously, what’s gotten into Han Tingting? I saw her studying last time, and she’s doing it again now. How good could her grades possibly be? Isn’t she still at the bottom of the class?"

Han Peng, ever the honest and simple type, didn’t say anything, merely looking at Yang Shun in confusion.

Han Wei asked, "You go to the same school as Han Tingting. What did she get on the final exam?"

Yang Shun was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say? He had deliberately avoided talking about Han Tingting’s transformation in the village, but these two were his close friends. He had to tell them even if he didn’t want to.

"She got a 430." Yang Shun finally managed to say after a long silence.

"Just 430?" Han Wei scoffed. "Then what’s with the good-student act? I got a 660 this time, and you don’t see me bragging, do you?"

Yang Shun shot Han Wei a look. "That 430 was for Chinese, Math, English, and Physics combined. The school doesn’t include the other four minor subjects in the total score, but she got over 90 on every single one of them."

"Then her total is almost 800," Han Peng exclaimed. "Her grades are that good now? I haven’t heard my parents say anything about it."

Yang Shun said, "She never mentioned it. Her grandpa didn’t know either until he went to the school for the parent-teacher conference."

Yang Shun normally couldn’t talk about this with anyone, and he’d been holding it in for a long time. Now that his childhood friends were asking, he couldn’t help but let it all out. "For this joint final exam, the city-wide ranking was based only on the main subjects. Our homeroom teacher said she placed ninth in the entire city."

"Wow, that’s amazing," Han Peng marveled sincerely. "I saw her studying last time, too."

Han Wei’s mood soured as he listened. His own score for the four main subjects was less than 350. He had always been the one to look down on Han Tingting; how had the tables turned so that she was now the one looking down on him?

Yang Shun was just as frustrated. "My mom went to my parent-teacher conference and heard how well Han Tingting did. She came home so angry she couldn’t even eat. Now she’s on my case 24/7, making me study, just so I can surpass Han Tingting. As if I could ever get a score that high!"

Han Peng said, "It’s no surprise your mom thinks that way. I mean, Han Tingting is just that good now. When did she start getting so smart?"

"Around the time we asked her to go fishing, I guess," Yang Shun said, his voice listless. "She’s gotten really strange."

The three teenagers chatted animatedly, completely unaware that walls have ears. Only after they had roughhoused their way into the distance did a woman emerge from behind the courtyard wall.

She had just come to the vegetable patch to dig up a couple of plants for dinner. Who would’ve thought she’d overhear something like this?

"Hey, let me tell you something! I heard Han Cunming’s granddaughter, Tingting, placed ninth in the whole city on her exams!"

"Really? Ninth in the entire city? That’s incredible!" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"For real? How come I haven’t heard anyone talking about it?"

"Yang Shun’s mom certainly never mentioned it."

"You think she’d have the nerve to say it? She’s so petty. Admitting it would be like admitting her son isn’t as good as Tingting. When it comes to studying, Tingting’s the real deal. I’ve never seen her be this impressive before."

"Well, she’s just grown up, that’s all."

"Isn’t that the truth? When you can’t rely on your own parents, you have no choice but to rely on yourself."

In less than two hours, the news that Han Tingting had placed ninth in the city spread through the entire village. Tan You, at home making lunch, was completely oblivious. She was busy frying meatballs; what time did she have to pay attention to anything else?

Every New Year, Cheng Wenhui would fry meatballs. It was the time of year Tan You looked forward to the most. Now that she was in this new world, Tan You decided to fry a batch herself, as a way of reminding herself that the New Year was approaching.

Han Cunming leaned against the stove, feeding the fire, as content as an old cat. ’His granddaughter is so self-sufficient now,’ he thought. ’She’s a good student, manages everything inside and outside the house, and does it all so methodically.’

He casually picked up a meatball and popped it in his mouth, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction. "These would go great with a bit of wine."

Tan You said, "I bought you a bottle. You can have it tonight. I’ll make a few extra dishes to go with it."

"Deal," Han Cunming chuckled. "I’ll just wait to be spoiled by my dear granddaughter."

After lunch, Han Cunming headed for the fish pond. Along the way, people kept asking him about Han Tingting’s grades. Han Cunming was a little puzzled by the sudden interest, but it wasn’t a secret.

He didn’t exaggerate, simply telling the truth. He answered whatever they asked, and soon, everyone knew the news was real.

"You’re set for a comfortable life, Uncle Cunming. Tingting is so capable now!" In the countryside, it seemed ’capable’ was the go-to compliment for a child. But if you thought about it, the word always sounded a little strange in this context.

Han Cunming squinted. "She is... she’s very good. Especially efficient."

He remembered what the restaurant owner’s wife had told him: praise Han Tingting more, so she wouldn’t be tricked and lured away by some outsider’s sweet talk. The humble words on the tip of Han Cunming’s tongue vanished. ’Only when your own family values you will others value you, too.’

After Han Cunming left for the fish pond, Tan You went back to her studies as usual. ’What else is a student supposed to do but study? No one would even hire me for a part-time job at this age.’

’Besides, for a kid from a poor family, education is truly the only way to change your life.’ Thinking this, Tan You suppressed the restless urge to go out and have fun, and turned to a new page in her workbook.