Chapter 161: It Turns Out You Are the Homeroom Teacher (Seventh Update)

The "aunt" He Huifen mentioned was naturally He Guoping's wife, her sister-in-law Zeng Xiuhong.

Zeng Xiuhong was in her early forties, an age when she should have been full of energy and vigor. However, due to lingering illnesses and a frail constitution over the years, she was barely able to do any physical work.

After much effort, she managed to secure an early retirement slot through connections at her workplace, but she would still have to wait until she turned forty-five to receive a monthly retirement pension of seventy or eighty yuan.

Compared to Zhao Guoyang's family, the uncle and aunt only had two children to support, but both children were still young and far from being able to earn their own living.

As a result, the entire financial pressure of their household fell squarely on He Guoping's shoulders.

The uncle's daughter, He Hui, was the same age as Zhao Zhao Jing and was also in the second year of senior high school. He Hui's grades were excellent, on par with Zhao Xiaojing's, and getting into university would practically be a sure thing for her.

As for the younger cousin, He Wei, he was even younger than Zhao Xiaoyong, just starting his first year of junior high this year, and had always been mischievous. He caused trouble every couple of days; simply put, his skin would itch all over if he didn't get a beating for a day.

This time, having broken a classmate's handheld video game console, the whole family was probably worried out of their minds.

Listening to his mother's endless nagging, Zhao Guoyang thought for a moment and offered some comfort: "Hey, Mom, it might not be as troublesome as we think. Who knows, that game console might still be fixable."

"How about this? In a couple of days, I'll find some time to visit my uncle's place. If there's any way I can help, I certainly will," Zhao Guoyang added.

He Huifen now hung on every word her son said, and upon hearing this, she nodded repeatedly.

While the mother and son were talking, the sound of Zhao Xiaojing whispering with another woman came from outside the courtyard.

Zhao Guoyang blinked and asked He Huifen, "Mom, is that Xiaojing and her homeroom teacher coming?"

He Huifen was slightly stunned, then nodded vigorously. "Ah, yes, yes, it must be them. Quick, quick, Xiaoyong, help your brother move all his things into the east room, don't just stand there getting in the way..."

Zhao Xiaoyong had just carried a pile of food back into the house and hadn't even caught his breath before he was ordered around by He Huifen again.

Seeing his younger brother's aggrieved expression, Zhao Guoyang couldn't help but chuckle.

"Mom, I'm back!" Zhao Xiaojing quickly walked into the courtyard accompanied by a pretty woman in her twenties.

Before He Huifen could greet her, the pretty woman smiled gently and said, "Hello, Auntie! You must be Xiaojing's mother. I am Zhao Xiaojing's homeroom teacher; my name is Murong Jing."

"Oh, Teacher Murong, hello, hello!" Taking Murong Jing's hand in hers, He Huifen beamed from ear to ear.

"Murong Jing?" Hearing this name, Zhao Guoyang, who was busy unpacking his things nearby, paused slightly. This name sounded vaguely familiar!

Upon seeing her older brother, Zhao Xiaojing's eyes immediately lit up.

This older brother of hers had always been a source of immense pride, and now, standing in front of her homeroom teacher, she naturally wanted to introduce him properly.

"Oh, right, Teacher Murong, let me introduce you," Zhao Xiaojing chattered excitedly. "This is my older brother, Zhao Guoyang, a top graduate from Jinling University of Technology, who just graduated less than a year ago!"

When Murong Jing turned her gaze toward Zhao Guoyang upon hearing this and clearly saw his face, she was also taken aback.

Although Zhao Guoyang's impression of her was somewhat hazy, her memory of Zhao Guoyang was crystal clear.

Back then on the bus, Murong Jing had indeed bought a hairclip from Zhao Guoyang. Strictly speaking, she could be considered the small workshop's very first customer.

"Oh, it's you!" Murong Jing couldn't help exclaiming.

By then, Zhao Guoyang had remembered who the person before him was. He scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. "Ah, so you're my sister's homeroom teacher! Had I known, I wouldn't have charged you for that hairclip last time..."

Murong Jing gave a faint smile and casually tossed her long, dark, wavy hair.

Seeing that her older brother actually knew the beautiful homeroom teacher, the flame of gossip in Zhao Xiaojing's heart instantly roared to life.

"Brother, judging by your tone, it sounds like you've known Teacher Murong for a while?" Zhao Xiaojing asked, feigning surprise. "That's strange, though. Teacher Murong was just assigned to our school this year from Guangling Normal University, and you've always been studying in Jinling. How on earth would you know each other?"

Once Zhao Xiaojing posed this question, both Zhao Guoyang and Murong Jing found themselves somewhat embarrassed.

Their meeting had been entirely accidental, and explaining it really wasn't all that easy.

He Huifen, standing nearby, noticed the lingering, sparkling glances exchanged between her precious son and this pretty Teacher Murong, and her heart instantly flared with excitement.

She thought to herself: "No wonder this kid Guoyang keeps turning down the matchmaking offers from neighbors and friends—turns out he's already set his heart on someone... Not to mention her looks, Xiaojing's homeroom teacher dresses very fashionably, looks like she comes from a well-to-do family, and she's a teacher, educated and cultured. She's just right for my son!"

Just as she was daydreaming happily, He Huifen heard Zhao Xiaojing ask yet another embarrassing question.

Without missing a beat, she reached out and ruthlessly pinched Zhao Xiaojing's ear. "Adults are talking, is a little girl like you supposed to meddle? The teacher has been here for so long, and you haven't even invited her inside for tea. Do you have any manners at all?"

"Ouch, ouch, Mom, it hurts!" Tears almost welled up in Zhao Xiaojing's eyes from the pinch.

She cried out with utmost grievance, "Mom, I get it! I won't ask anything else, okay?! Teacher Murong, save me!"

Murong Jing was usually very fond of this lively, smart, and top-performing little girl in her class. Seeing her pitiful state now, she smiled amusedly and said, "Your mother is right, Xiaojing. Sometimes you're just a little too clever for your own good! Wasn't that why you lost points on the math bonus question in this exam?"

While speaking, Murong Jing turned with a smile to Zhao Guoyang and said, "Comrade Zhao, you must have tutored your sister quite a bit, right? She is exceedingly smart and has a very strong learning capacity..."

Zhao Guoyang waved his hands with a smile and said, "Teacher Murong, you've got it wrong there. Xiaojing's academic performance really has nothing to do with me. I don't even live at home most of the time, so how could I possibly find the time to tutor her..."

"Oh? It seems Xiaojing has the same natural talent for learning as you, Comrade Zhao," Murong Jing said with a beaming smile.

"Oh, Teacher Murong, please stop calling him Comrade Zhao this and Comrade Zhao that. You two are around the same age, just call him by his name directly, no need to be so polite!" Hearing their conversation, He Huifen couldn't help interjecting.

Following their unexpected encounter on the bus, Murong Jing's home visit this time naturally transformed into a lively and engaging conversation with Zhao Guoyang.

From hairclips for women to unisex accessories, and onward to Tang poetry, Song lyrics, and the Four Great Classical Novels, the two of them chatted with great rapport, feeling a strong sense of having met each other too late.