Section 1

Yang Xiucheng pretended not to see the tears at the corner of her eyes and rang the bell to summon the servants to clean up the ashes on the table

A young woman in her twenties, tall and with a straight back, wore no jewelry at all. Feng Shizhen had a soft and kind oval face, with unadorned, elegant features and porcelain-white skin that was enviably smooth. Her long, thick black hair was styled into a braid and pinned up at the back of her head. She wore a wide-sleeved qipao in a bamboo green color, adorned with a bamboo leaf pattern, which was simple and dignified in just the right measure. She stood there gracefully, exuding a refreshing scent reminiscent of grass after rain.

Feng Shizhen humbly stated: "I do not have the honor of being accepted as a disciple by the esteemed elder. I have only attended lectures given by the elder alongside my senior brothers and sisters and assisted in organizing the collection of books. The elder's wife enjoys the lively company of our younger generation and often invites us over for tea"

I simply do not want to have dinner at the same table as my wife

At this time, it was nearly noon, and Feng Shizhen, who had only consumed a bowl of thin porridge since getting up early, could no longer control the rumbling in his stomach

At that moment, the man finally finished the paper and handed it to Mrs. Rong. Mrs. Rong glanced at it and immediately displayed a satisfied smile

Mentioning her deceased biological son, Mrs. Rong felt a pang in her heart and turned her face away, choking back tears

"So fond of meddling in others' affairs, what are you still doing here? Go join the patrol team at the public security office!" A middle-aged supervisor approached and, with a sharp reprimand, the chattering voices in the kitchen immediately quieted down.

Feng Shizhen let out a sigh of relief, and in an instant, her face lit up with joy, radiating innocence and brightness. "I still need to go home to inform my parents. How about the day after tomorrow?"

Feng Shizhen sat in the bright small side room of the Rong family, engrossed in solving math problems

"Truly a top student from Jinling Women's University, achieving full marks in all subjects!" Mrs. Rong remarked, "Xiu Cheng said he specifically selected difficult problems from foreign university textbooks, and several female teachers who came for interviews before could not answer them. Miss Feng is the first one to get them all right."

Yang Xiucheng crumpled the remaining qualification forms one by one, tossed them into the ashtray, struck a match, and set them alight

Yang Xiucheng flipped through the papers on the table and said to Mrs. Rong, "Auntie, there are still five people here. Shall we schedule a viewing?"

It is said that they have just returned from Chongqing and are not accustomed to the local cuisine.

When Feng Shizhen spoke, Mrs. Rong would nod slightly. Feng Shizhen spoke in a methodical manner, with a hint of a Jinling accent, which made Mrs. Rong, whose family was from Nanjing, feel an unintentional sense of familiarity, and her gaze towards Feng Shizhen gradually softened

In early autumn, a heavy rainstorm swept through, dispersing the gray, fluffy cumulus clouds overhead, revealing a bright and clear blue sky

Mrs. Rong said: "Then it's settled. I will give you twenty dollars each month, and if you teach well, I will increase it for you. If the eldest young master successfully passes the university entrance exam next year, there will be a substantial reward. When would Miss Feng find it convenient to move in?"

Feng Shizhen repeatedly declined politely. Mrs. Rong then had a messenger call for a rickshaw at the intersection to send Feng Shizhen away

"No way." Mrs. Rong lazily leaned back against the sofa, recalling Feng Shizhen's pure, shy yet feigned calm demeanor, and couldn't help but sneer, "It's her. Well-read and sensible, clean and delicate, isn't she exactly the type he likes? Even if she doesn't know how to play the game, she will be enough to annoy the Sun family for a while. Don't think that just because she's pregnant and her brother has become a comprador, she can climb up to be the legitimate wife!"

Feng Shizhen stood by the coffee table and respectfully greeted Mrs. Rong.

The servants of the Rong family walked back and forth in the adjacent corridor, and the spring door of the kitchen opened and closed repeatedly, creaking. Waves of rich aromas from the dishes wafted over, penetrating into Feng Shizhen's nose

To hire a tutor for the young masters and misses, yet to be so picky and even require them to take an exam. This is the first time Feng Shizhen has witnessed such a thing. The demeanor of the Rong family truly stands out on the Bund of Shanghai.

Feng Shizhen said: "Madam, rest assured, I have tutored middle school students during my studies, and I have been teaching at tutoring centers for the past few years, particularly excelling in exam preparation"

A beautiful woman in her thirties is sitting leisurely in a high-backed sofa, savoring her black tea. Behind a large oak desk sits a man dressed in a gray long gown.

The man, barely in his twenties, was handsome and refined, yet he was not one to smile easily. He looked over Feng Shizhen through his gold-rimmed glasses, then lowered his head to examine the paper she had completed. Mrs. Rong had her fashionable short curly hair styled and wore a narrow cheongsam in dark purple with gold accents, the hem of which was stylishly shortened by half an inch, revealing her slender, snow-white ankles.

Feng Shizhen put away the scroll and followed the steward through the resplendent hall of the Rong family. The door to the study opened, and a woman dressed in a deep blue dress hurried out, not glancing at anyone, clutching her bag tightly, and walked away without looking back

Feng Shizhen revealed a shy smile and lowered her head, saying, "You are too kind."

"Madam is at home, yet she doesn't come down to eat?" an old maid remarked, "Madam is busy interviewing a tutor for the eldest young master; he should come down to take a look as well"

Feng Shizhen smiled lightly and said, "I have also taught male students preparing for university entrance exams. If one adopts the demeanor of a teacher, it can still command a certain level of respect."

The steward knocked on the study door, and surprisingly, a male voice responded from within

Has Auntie read the story of Wu Zetian

This young lady was interviewed for the position of tutor before Feng Shizhen, and it is evident that she was not selected

Mrs. Rong agreed and immediately advanced ten yuan of wages to Feng Shizhen, called in the maid to measure her for a uniform, and allowed Feng Shizhen to have lunch before leaving

"Miss Feng, please take a seat." Mrs. Rong was still somewhat polite, instructing the servant to pour tea for Feng Shizhen. "I see you have a letter of recommendation from the esteemed Mr. Pei Dongren; are you one of Mr. Pei's disciples?"

I know what you are worried about," Mrs. Rong chuckled, "If my Jiaxin were still alive, he would probably be taller than me. I also have a son. It was his father who could not keep him safe

Mrs. Rong nodded and said, "The other children at home are doing well, but the eldest young master requires more of your effort. He has missed quite a few classes. I am concerned that you are not much older than him, and I fear he may not accept your discipline."

The steward turned and entered the side hall, addressing Miss Feng Shizhen: "Miss Feng, the lady requests your presence in the study."

Feng Shizhen said: "Originally, my family had a Chinese and Western medicine shop in Wenchunli, Hongkou, which my father operated. Unfortunately, it closed down due to poor management. After graduating from university, I have been teaching at a women's tutoring class at Muer Hall, where I teach English, French, and Mathematics. Later, I also taught evening classes in Mathematics at the tutoring class organized by Tongwen Academy. I have taught from elementary school to high school, and I am also capable of tutoring one or two university courses."

So what? In any case, one has to go abroad eventually

Mrs. Rong nodded and said, "Mr. Pei is highly respected and a leading figure in the literary world. Although our Rong family is a business family driven by profit, we hold him in great esteem. Where does Miss Feng live, and what do her parents do?"

The study of the Rong family is quite spacious, with tall bookshelves arranged along three walls, and a large floor-to-ceiling window facing the lawn at the back.

With a loud clatter, the cook shouted at the assistant: "You little rascal, the young lady is allergic to seafood, and you peeled the shrimp shells just to mix them into the salad. Are you trying to kill her?"

The servant hurriedly ran through the corridor and stood at the kitchen door, shouting: "The young master is not coming down for lunch; send a bowl of fresh shrimp wontons up, and add an extra spoonful of chili."

The old woman pushed open the door, and a gust of wind rushed in, carrying the ashes from the ashtray, rising like black butterflies spreading their wings, flying towards the unknown world outside the door

Mrs. Rong set down the examination papers and looked at the innocent young girl before her, saying: "Miss Feng should not be aware of our family's situation. The eldest son has been studying at a military academy in Chongqing and only returned last month. The child fell behind in his studies in Chongqing and does not have sufficient grades to enter university. The eldest daughter is now sixteen, and the second daughter is half a year younger; both wish to enroll in the Chinese-Western Girls' School and need to take English tutoring. The younger children are still small and do not require teaching for the time being.