At Lin Yao's call, the kids immediately put aside all their playfulness. With a cheer, they rushed to wash their hands and sit down for dinner.
It's fair to say that Lin Yao had changed a great deal over the years. The clueless dad who used to just order takeout or dine out with Miaomiao had gradually learned to cook, and he was actually quite good at it.
Every time the kids dropped by for a meal and tasted Lin Yao's cooking, they were deeply touched.
They couldn't tell if it was the aura of his high - profile status or something else, but they always felt that Lin Yao's home - cooked meals were even better than those in five - star hotels, even though they were just ordinary home dishes.
"Potato shreds, Mapo Tofu, steamed yellow croaker... Uncle Lin, did you know we were coming? It's so sumptuous!" Cheng Ruan counted the dishes on the table and said enviously.
Since childhood, she had never even tasted a bowl of porridge cooked by her mom!
Of course, her mom didn't know how to make porridge. Even if she did, Cheng Ruan might not dare to eat it.
Cheng Ruan thought her mom's cooking must be the originator of the dark cuisine world.
"These are all Miaomiao's and Teacher Xiao's favorite dishes. I didn't know you naughty kids were coming. I didn't prepare your favorite food. Next time you come, tell Uncle in advance. Uncle will definitely cook more of your favorite dishes for you."
Lin Yao said with a smile as he watched the kids gobbling down their food. He took a sip of his tea. After just cooking, he was covered in the smell of cooking oil and had no appetite to eat with them.
Miaomiao had gotten tired of restaurant food since the third grade. Even this foodie started to resist eating when she got home every day.
From that time on, Lin Yao decided it was better to cook by himself. Home - cooked meals were different from restaurant food. People might get tired of restaurant food, but not of home - cooked food. It didn't matter even if it was the same few dishes every day.
Although he had struggled at the beginning when learning to cook, he was really happy after getting more proficient.
Every time he finished cooking, Lin Yao felt a sense of satisfaction and achievement from the bottom of his heart, especially when he saw Miaomiao gobbling up the food and smiling at him, saying, "Dad, it's delicious. Dad is awesome."
His happiness index soared.
"Uncle Lin, I think we might have to trouble you every day for the next month," Cheng Ruan said with a glint in her eye, a bit embarrassed.
"What?" Lin Yao didn't quite understand what Cheng Ruan meant and asked.
"Ah, Uncle Lin, it's like this. We've discussed it. Since we really want Miaomiao to get into the same junior high school as us, we've decided to ask for leave for Miaomiao for the next month. We'll tutor her at home. We'll do an intensive review based on all her strengths and weaknesses to help her pass the final exam smoothly," Yao Mingxuan took over Cheng Ruan's words and explained for her.
"Really?" Lin Yao raised his eyebrows slightly.
These kids were really brave. After seeing Miaomiao's academic performance for the past six years, they still had hope for her studies. They were really courageous...
"Which junior high school are you planning to apply for?" Lin Yao thought it was necessary for him to make some preparations in advance.
Previously, Lin Yao had been quite laid - back. He thought Miaomiao could just go to whatever school she got into. There was no specific plan. Now that these kids were so dedicated to helping Miaomiao get into the same junior high school, as her father, he couldn't just sit back and do nothing.
"If there are no accidents, we should apply for No. 1 Middle School. But it might be really hard for Miaomiao to get in even if she tries hard. So we've decided to meet at No. 3 Middle School. The teaching resources are similar, but the admission score is much lower," Yao Mingxuan replied.
This was the conclusion they reached after researching all the junior high schools in Nancheng.
"No. 3 Middle School? That's okay. Starting tomorrow, come to our place to tutor Miaomiao. Uncle Lin will take care of your meals."
Lin Yao approved of the kids' plan.
After dinner, Lin Yao urged the kids to go to Miaomiao's room to start tutoring.
As soon as Cheng Ruan entered the room, she took out her math textbook, which was densely marked with key points. It made Miaomiao's scalp tingle.
"Can't we start with Chinese or History first?" Miaomiao pouted and said pitifully, trying to persuade her friends to change the subject.
Her big eyes fluttered, emitting a cute wave.
"Absolutely not. Don't even think about it. Leave the subjects you're better at and can memorize for last. Your memory will be more profound that way. For the first half of this month, we'll focus on your weakest subjects, math and English. Don't try to escape. There's no room for negotiation."
Cheng Ruan turned into a devil who crushed the flower. She pressed Miaomiao's head into the math book, making her immerse herself in the ocean of knowledge.
Throughout the night, in Miaomiao's room, there were either Miaomiao's screams or Cheng Ruan's desperate wails.
This night, both of them were almost driven crazy by the math problems. Lin Yao carried the drinks for the kids and listened outside the room. He couldn't help but snicker for a while.
He couldn't go in. If he did, his daughter would grab him like a life - saving straw. It was rare to have such an intense learning environment, so he'd better let his daughter study for a while longer.
Lin Yao put the drinks at the door and left silently. The kids would see them when they got thirsty and opened the door.
"Ruan Ruan, do we really have to keep studying? I can't take it anymore. I really can't," Miaomiao pleaded, grabbing her hair.
"I can't take it either. I don't know why, but tutoring you is a hundred times more tiring than tutoring myself. Okay, let's call it a day," Cheng Ruan said weakly, hanging her head. But she was determined not to give up. For a wonderful junior high school life in the future, she had to persevere.
But it was only the first day!
"Oh, it's already 11:00. Should we go home or just stay here at Miaomiao's place?" Yao Mingxuan looked up at the clock on the wall and asked.
"Let's stay here. It's already this late. We'd get home at around 12:00. We have to get up at 6 o'clock tomorrow morning and come back to tutor Miaomiao. Time is money now. We can't waste a single minute. I'll call my mom. I'm staying with Miaomiao tonight!"
Cheng Ruan said seriously, but the excitement and eagerness in her eyes were hard to hide.
"I think you're not just doing this for Miaomiao. You have other motives," Yao Mingxuan squinted at Cheng Ruan.
"Don't expose me. We're still good friends. Okay, I won't talk to you anymore. I'll call my parents first."