She led the whole village to prosperity by raising koi fish.

Chapter 66 The Tutor Arrives

In the bustling, vibrant capital city, the village chief's chubby, good-natured nephew and the plump, outgoing woman were huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. The nephew, his brow slightly furrowed and a hint of concern in his eyes, said softly, "Plumpy, look at my little brother, he's still so young, but we have to plan for his future, don't we? How about we hire him a tutor? If he studies hard and becomes proficient, maybe he can land a decent official position in the capital! Then we'll both benefit!"

Hearing this, the chubby girl blinked her big eyes a few times, then slapped her thigh and replied loudly, "No problem! Leave it to me! It's just hiring a tutor, no big deal! But I'll pay for the tuition, since we're such good friends! But finding a tutor is up to you, you have to find a reliable and capable teacher for your brother!" After saying that, she winked mischievously at the village chief's nephew.

The village chief's nephew smiled and agreed, then took his younger brother's hand and went to the job market to look for a teacher.

The first interviewee was an elderly man with graying temples. His kind smile was very heartwarming. The village chief's nephew was impressed with him and asked Tianshuo for his opinion, "Brother, what do you think of this old man? He's old, so he must be very knowledgeable and talented."

The old man politely replied, "Hello, I am the teacher of the current emperor Zhao Shouyi. My name is Ji Boxue, I am eighty years old this year, and I have fifty years of teaching experience."

"Oh no, the old man seems to have poor eyesight, and he walks unsteadily. I'm afraid we've invited an old man instead of a master." The boy waved his hand and refused.

The two brothers then continued their journey through the bustling job market with light steps. Suddenly, a figure caught their eye—a middle-aged woman dressed in a brightly colored robe and wearing platform shoes. She walked briskly, exuding an air of decisiveness and efficiency.

Seeing this, the village chief's nephew couldn't help but curl his lips into a sly smile. He turned to his younger brother beside him and said, "Hey, little brother, look at that lady. She looks like a formidable character! They say strict teachers produce outstanding students. Why don't you consider choosing this beauty as your teacher? Maybe you can learn a lot of real skills from her!" As he spoke, he winked at his brother, his eyes full of teasing.

The boy shook his head again in refusal. "No. My mother is already fierce enough, and this woman looks even fiercer. I don't want to cause trouble for myself."

As the boy walked, his light steps suddenly stopped. He stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief. In the bustling, crowded job market, he had spotted a familiar figure—Chestnut, the village chief's nephew's ex-girlfriend. Chestnut was standing in front of a recruitment booth, earnestly introducing herself.

A bright smile instantly bloomed on the boy's face. Like a joyful little bird, he ran towards Chestnut and then leaped into her warm embrace. He looked up at Chestnut with his clear, bright eyes and sweetly called out, "Hello, Sister Chestnut!" His voice was crisp and clear, as if it could penetrate the entire noisy job market.

Chestnut was startled at first, but when she saw that the person was a cute little boy, she couldn't help but smile. She reached out and gently pinched the boy's chubby cheeks, her eyes full of tenderness and affection, and asked softly, "Little brother Tianshuo, what brings you here?" Her tone was as affectionate as if she were talking to her own younger brother.

The boy replied with a smile, "Sister Chestnut, my brother brought me here to find a tutor. I haven't seen you in so long, I miss you so much! Sister, will you be my tutor?"

Chestnut Girl looked troubled, her cheeks slightly flushed, and replied somewhat embarrassedly, "Oh dear, little brother, this is a really tricky problem. You see, your brother and I have already broken up. If I were to tutor you again, how awkward would that be! And your brother has a new sister-in-law now, she would definitely be unhappy if she knew about this. So, I really can't continue to be your tutor, I'm so sorry."

Upon hearing this, the little boy immediately raised his rosy and adorable face, revealing a bright and sweet smile like sunshine. In his childish yet earnest voice, he pleaded, "Sister Chestnut, in my heart, you have always been the best and kindest sister in the world! I don't want to listen to anyone else's lessons except yours; I only want you to teach me. Please, dear sister, please grant my request! I'll do anything you ask!"

At this moment, Chestnut Girl and Tianqi exchanged a glance and greeted each other awkwardly, "You're here. How have you been lately?"

The village chief's nephew's fair ears instantly flushed red, and he replied somewhat shyly, "Um... I'm fine, but I'm quite worried about Grandma's health. Uncle told me that Grandma was sick, and I've been thinking about it ever since. I wonder how she's been doing lately?"

Chestnut Girl smiled gently, her smile as warm and gentle as the spring sun. She answered softly, "Oh dear, it's all thanks to Fatty's father for his timely help! After some treatment and care, Grandma is now out of danger and her condition is gradually improving."

Upon hearing this news, the village chief's nephew's tense expression finally relaxed, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's good, that's good! We really have to thank Fatty's dad, and we also hope that Grandma can recover her health soon."

Just then, the little boy timidly walked over, gently tugged at the village chief's nephew's sleeve, and pleaded in a sweet, melodious voice, "Big brother, please~ could you help me ask Sister Chestnut to be my tutor? I really like Sister Chestnut and want her to teach me to read and write." After saying that, the little boy blinked his big, watery eyes and looked at the village chief's nephew expectantly.

The village chief's nephew squinted, a disdainful smile playing on his lips, and retorted dismissively, "Her? Just a wild girl from the mountains. What kind of education could she possibly have? In my opinion, having her as your tutor is utter nonsense! You'd be much better off teaching him yourself; you'd be far better than this uncultured mountain brat. Take my advice, we should find a proper, reliable tutor. Don't waste our time and energy on such an unreliable person!"

Originally, Chestnut Girl had never intended to tutor Tian Shuo, as she had many other things to attend to. However, when she heard the village chief's nephew's disdainful and contemptuous words, a surge of anger ignited within her. She bit her lip tightly, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists, her previously calm face now extremely serious, her eyes revealing determination and fury. Then, she took a deep breath, straightened her back, and responded firmly and deliberately:

“Tianqi, don’t look down on me. People should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation. I didn’t have much knowledge before, but later, I came to the capital with Brother Jundong to work. He taught me to recognize a lot of characters. Also, the escort agency has a library, right? I’ve read thousands of ancient books in there. So being a teacher for the little brother is no problem at all! I’m willing to teach him to read and write.”

"Great! Hahaha! My sister's willing to tutor me!" The boy's face flushed with excitement, and he waved his hands in the air as if trying to grasp this joy. He cheered and jumped around like a happy little rabbit.

"Brother, are you really going to choose Chestnut Girl as your tutor?" The village chief's nephew frowned, a hint of worry and doubt in his eyes, and asked again with unease.

The boy nodded without hesitation, a determined smile on his face: "Of course! Miss Chestnut is gentle, beautiful, and knowledgeable. I've decided she's the teacher! Nobody can change my mind."

"Alright then." Seeing the boy's resolute attitude, the village chief's nephew could only nod helplessly in agreement. But he couldn't help adding, "However, let me make this clear from the start: I have conditions. By the summer solstice, I want to see you in the top fifty in the whole city in your exams, and you also need to be able to recite the *Three Character Classic* and the *Thousand Character Classic* fluently. Otherwise... hmph, you know the consequences!" After saying that, he deliberately put on a stern face, pretending to be serious.

Chestnut Girl readily nodded in agreement, "Okay, it's a deal! No going back on your word!"

"It's a deal!" the village chief's nephew replied helplessly.

Then, the village chief's nephew and Chestnut Girl stood on either side of Tian Shuo, their faces beaming with smiles. Hand in hand, they led Tian Shuo happily towards the gym. The warm and harmonious scene resembled that of a real family of three.

At that moment, the chubby girl happened to witness this scene. When she saw the village chief's nephew leading Chestnut Girl over, her anger flared instantly, as if a raging fire was burning in her chest. Her eyes widened, her face contorted with rage, and she strode aggressively to the village chief's nephew, demanding an explanation without any politeness:

"Tianqi, are you deliberately messing with me? You were the one who suggested hiring a tutor, but in the end, you brought your ex-girlfriend along! What do you mean by this? Are you trying to show off your relationship in front of me? Or are you trying to provoke me? Humph! Let me tell you, I'm not paying a single penny of this tuition! Don't think I don't know, it's not about the money, it's that I simply can't tolerate this kind of deception!" The chubby girl said, waving her arms and becoming increasingly agitated.

The village chief's nephew quickly pulled the chubby girl aside to explain, "Sweetie, I didn't lie to you. You're the only one in my heart, and you're the only girlfriend I have. Besides, I didn't invite Chestnut Girl. Our little brother Tianshuo chose her himself. I couldn't let him cry in public, so I reluctantly agreed to let Chestnut Girl be his tutor."

The chubby, round girl asked with a suspicious look, "Is this true? Don't try to fool me! What if you still have feelings for that Chestnut Girl?" Her already small eyes widened as she stared intently at the village chief's nephew, as if trying to find the slightest flaw in his expression and words.

Upon hearing this, the village chief's nephew's expression instantly became extremely solemn. He quickly extended his right hand, raised it high above his head, and made a vow-like gesture, while solemnly replying, "If I still harbor even the slightest lingering affection for Miss Chestnut, may I suffer the torment of being struck by lightning!" His voice was loud and firm, as if this vow had been deeply imprinted in his heart.

Seeing this, the chubby girl's heart tightened, and she quickly reached out to stop him, saying coquettishly, "Oh dear, stop talking nonsense! You are the one I've chosen to spend my life with, of course I believe you." As she spoke, a shy blush rose on her rosy cheeks, making her look as lovely as a ripe apple.

Upon hearing the chubby girl's words, the village chief's nephew's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed, and a radiant smile bloomed on his face, as warm as the spring sun. He said joyfully, "That's wonderful! As long as you trust me, that's enough. I swear to you, for the rest of my life, I will only be devoted to you wholeheartedly, without any second thoughts!"

Afterwards, the chubby girl called the chestnut girl aside to her lounge for a private talk.

"Miss Chestnut, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to tutor my brother. Tianqi and I have discussed it and will give you ten taels of silver each month as tuition, plus one meal. However, my brother is still too young and at the age where he is still playful, so you only need to tutor him for two hours each day. You can do other work in the rest of the time, and we will not stop you."

“Okay, no problem!” Chestnut Girl readily nodded in agreement.

"One more thing, you absolutely must keep a certain distance from Tianqi. After all, he's already dating me, so I don't want to see you make any wrong decisions. Of course, I also sincerely want to be good friends with you from the bottom of my heart." The chubby girl said with a serious face and an extremely solemn expression, earnestly instructing her word by word.

Upon hearing these words, Chestnut Girl's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile as warm as the spring sun: "Don't worry, I know very well where I am. The past is gone with the wind, and I will never go back."

"That's good." Seeing Chestnut Girl's expression, Fatty nodded with satisfaction. Then, as if remembering something, she said to her, "By the way, from now on, you will tutor Tianshuo. As for me, I'm going out to have dinner with Brother Tianqi. We'll bring you dinner when we come back."

"Okay, thank you so much!" Chestnut Girl replied very politely.