In the afternoon, Cen Zhengnian left in a hurry after receiving a phone call.
Chu Xia thought it was about his work, so she didn't ask much.
An'an still wants to run out to sell things with Brother Bang and the others, but she is detained by Chu Xia.
"Have you finished your homework?"
Cen Huai'an rummages through his school bag and finds two notebooks and says, "Look, mom, I finished it at school."
"An'an, I think you spend too much time selling things."
Selling things after school, even when he's on holiday and not thinking about playing, Chu Xia is tired for him.
He's only five; he can relax a bit and do what he wants.
Cen Huai'an doesn't understand what Chu Xia means; didn't mom support him and Brother Bang in selling things? Why is she saying this now?
Cen Zhengnian felt he owed something to Cen Huai'an, so he was indulgent towards him. Except for the requirements when he is practicing and studying, he pampers him more than Chu Xia.
He doesn't know An'an well enough, but Chu Xia knows that An'an still has anxiety in his heart.
She hadn't said anything earlier, hoping that he would change unconsciously, but now she realizes that although he has changed, the hurt deep inside is not so easily gone.
"If you like, you can use selling as exercise after school. But I don't want you to take it up all your playtime. You like to play Five in a Row; how long has it been since you played with the kids in the building? You like doing Sudoku puzzles, but lately you don't do much of that when you get home either."
Cen Huai'an's brows knit up, as if he's seriously thinking about Chu Xia's words. After a while, he muffles his voice: "I like selling things the most."
If he sells things, he'll have money, and with money, he doesn't have to be afraid of anything.
Chu Xia sighed. She knew it was like this. She touches Cen Huai'an's head; his hair has grown out and is somewhere between soft and tangled.
"An'an, I think lately you should be able to feel that mommy and daddy love you. We both support you in doing what you like, but we don't want you to be so young that you only know how to make money. You're only five years old, you haven't been exposed to more things yet, and it's only normal that you should study well, read more, develop other interests, and go out to play more.
Selling things is the grind of life; it shouldn't be the mainstay of your life. With me and dad earning money, you can relax a bit. In the past, mom was bad and made you suffer, but now you can trust mom a little more."
Cen Huai'an looked at his mom; he couldn't help but think of the things he had done with her recently, and he thought of how happy he had been watching the National Day celebration with his mom and dad today.
It felt like he was experiencing his parents' love, which warmed his heart and made him feel like he was about to fly.
"But mom, the little kids in the family complex can't beat me at Five in a Row. I don't want to play with them. I'm done with that Sudoku book; I don't have any other hobbies."
Chu Xia got it; blame her for not realizing that An'an had a high IQ; he needed a higher level of challenge, and of course he would find it pointless to keep abusing the children.
She closes the book and stands up, pulls up Cen Huai'an's hand, and says, "Let's go; I'll take you somewhere."
Chu Xia knew that just talking wouldn't be enough. She had to nurture new interests in Cen Huai'an, using other hobbies to occupy his time so he wouldn't spend all his time selling things.
Cen Huai'an didn't know where his mother was taking him, but he knew that he couldn't sell things with Brother Bang today.
He counted the money in his mind; National Day is the most crowded, he can earn more money than usual, and he realized that he was missing out.
Thinking about this, Cen Huai'an was so heartbroken that he could not wait to insert wings and fly to Brother Bang's place.
In the 1980s, there weren't specialized interest classes everywhere, like in the future, but there were places aimed at cultivating the interests of young people—the Youth Palace.
This is where Chu Xia brought Cen Huai'an.
The Youth Palace offered a wide variety of courses, and it is still a place with a public welfare nature. In addition to cultivating hobbies and interests, there are a lot of facilities to have fun and visit activities related to science, the arts, sports, and more. Parents love to bring their children here to play.
Upon entering the Youth Palace, one could sense the lively atmosphere, with many children playing in the courtyard.
But that's not what Chu Xia is there for; she takes Cen Huai'an and wanders up from the ground floor. In each classroom, there are dozens of students learning things.
There were music learners, dance learners, drawing learners, and students watching the teacher do a little physics and chemistry experiment.
It was as if Cen Huai'an had suddenly opened the door to a new world, so this was what his mother had been talking about; this was something he had never been exposed to before, and the light of exploration was regathering in his eyes.
Cen Huai'an was a bit hesitant to go in to see the science experiments, and before he could think about it, his mother took him to the next classroom, where he saw two people with black and white disc pieces playing a game he didn't know how to play.
Although he had never learned it before, Cen Huai'an was instantly fascinated, as if he could understand it, and lay down on the classroom window and watched in fascination.
When Chu Xia wanted to take him for another stroll, Cen Huai'an immediately pointed to the two people playing a game inside and said, "Mom, I like this one!" He's afraid that if his mom takes him away, he'll never be able to watch such a game like this again.
"This is Go, little friend; do you like it?"
"Like it." When Cen Huai'an finished speaking, he didn't even realize that it wasn't Chu Xia who asked this question, but a middle-aged man who appeared here at an unknown time.
The man wanted to say something, but Chu Xia put a finger to her lips, signaling him not to disturb Cen Huai'an and letting him focus on watching.
That game of Go was played for half an hour; Cen Huai'an and Chu Xia watched from outside for an hour, and the man remained there the entire time, gazing lovingly at the children playing.
The two children playing Go walked out; a seven- or eight-year-old girl saw the man; her eyes revealed a happy smile; she ran all the way over and hugged the man's waist: "Little uncle."
Another boy close to ten years old walked over, smiled, and shouted "Hello, Teacher," with the same tone of moistening intimacy.
The man stroked the two children's heads and turned to Cen Huai'an, who was looking at him curiously. "Little friend, I'm the one who taught the two of them Go, do you want to play a game with me?"
Cen Huai'an doesn't have the usual shyness and withdrawal that children have when they meet strangers; he looks up at Chu Xia and asks for her opinion.
Finding that his mother's gaze was one of soft encouragement, with no intention of stopping him, he asked the man earnestly in a childish voice, "I don't know how to play Go; can we play Five in a Row?"
"Sure."
The group of people return to the classroom. Chu Xia stands behind Cen Huai'an and watches him play. The two children also stand behind him; their gazes are filled with curiosity and inquiry, as well as the arrogance of a veteran looking at a beginner.
Cen Huai'an's spine was straight, so the man asked him to play first.
He glances at him. The black disc falls in the middle of the board, and the two of them fight it out on the board with five pieces.
Chu Xia noticed that as soon as he started playing Five in a Row, the man's aura changed, from generous and harmless to sharp and compelling. Even when facing a small child, he didn't say that he was looking down on him and completely treated Cen Huai'an as a formal opponent.
Cen Huai'an was very good at playing Five in a Row; the ten or so year olds in the family complex couldn't beat him, but he only lasted about ten minutes under the man's hand, and then he panicked, and in the end, he didn't block the man's white pieces and lost.
He frowned and looked at the board for a while. His eyes showed a defiant light. He pursed his lips, looked up, and said to the man, "Let's play another game."
"Good," the man said smilingly, without the slightest comment.
This game, Cen Huai'an lost even faster. The man picked up the pieces, looked at him, and asked, "Play again?"
Cen Huai'an shook his head and said, "I can't beat you." There was still unwillingness in his voice, but he already knew the ending; playing again was still losing; there was no need.
"Do you know where you just lost?" The man asked.
Cen Huai'an tried to recall and shook his head, as if he felt wrong from the beginning, as if he played wrongly from the middle again.
"Five in a Row looks simple; you need a layout if you want to win, From the time you started to fall, I have already started to set up traps, look... "
The man recovered the board between the two step by step patiently, and Cen Huai'an said where he jumped into the trap.
The boy and girl, who had been listening attentively, seemed just as engaged in the game. For a while, Chu Xia feels out of place in the atmosphere of this classroom; she is the only one who is idle.
However, the man's speech is easy to understand; she can also understand, so she also looked at the board game to concentrate on listening.
The man stopped after talking about the game and asked Cen Huai'an, "In this current position, where would you place your next piece?"
"Here," Cen Huai'an said without a bit of hesitation. This was one of the ways the man had just said to break the game; he remembered it very clearly.
Now the man's face showed some surprise. "You remembered everything I just said?"
Cen Huai'an didn't think it was anything and nodded his head.
The man's eyes revealed surprise, and he asked a few more things that he had just talked about, and An'an was able to answer without a single mistake.
He was even able to bring up places he felt confused about, which meant that not only did he listen and understand, but he also dispersed his thoughts to think and would be able to learn by example.
This was an excellent potential student for learning Go—someone with interest, dedication, and natural talent.
The man stopped talking about the game and looked at Cen Huai'an, who was still looking at the board seriously and thinking. He didn't hold back an impulse to come up and open his mouth to ask, "Do you want to learn Go with me? I'm the teacher of the Youth Palace. If you want to learn, you have to come here every Sunday to learn with me."
Chu Xia also froze; she guessed out that the man should be the teacher of the Youth Palace, or else he doesn't have the right to occupy a classroom to let his students play Go.
She also sensed that the man should want An'an to learn Go with him, but she didn't expect that the teacher would accept students so easily.
Cen Huai'an probably also didn't expect the man to suddenly ask him; hesitation showed in his eyes, wanting to follow and learn, but he still looked at Chu Xia, waiting for her to speak.
The teacher can't help but ask directly, showing that An'an does have a talent for learning Go, Chu Xia's heart bursts with pride; his son is so outstanding!
But she doesn't immediately agree with the teacher to let An'an follow. She looks at the teacher and says, "Hello, I'm his mother; my surname is Luo. I'd like to ask, are the Go classes at the Youth Palace only introductory or do they go from introductory all the way to in-depth? If he learns from you, does he have to pay? How much to pay? How many lessons per week?"
These are things that should be clarified. After all, he would be the child's Go teacher, and if it turns out that the timing or something else isn't suitable, changing teachers later might be an option. However, the most important thing is that it may affect Cen Huai'an's interest in learning.
"My little uncle was a champion even in Japan! How many people want to follow my little uncle to learn he won't even accept it? You guys hurry up and say yes."
Before the man could say anything, the little girl following him jumped out and said in a proud tone, with a face like Cen Huai'an had picked up a great bargain!
"Ling Ling! Don't talk nonsense!" The man chides and turns his head to look at Chu Xia and Cen Huai'an in embarrassment.
"Little kids don't know any better; my name is Guo Lin. I did forget to introduce myself just now. If you guys want to get to know the teachers, here's an introduction to the teachers at the Youth Palace. There's no charge to study at the Youth Palace; one lesson a week; and classes are held on Sunday afternoons."
What Guo Lin didn't say was that the Youth's Palace doesn't accept students indiscriminately; either the school recommends them or the teacher recommends them, and they have to be children with talent and a love of learning.
He led Chu Xia and Cen Huai'an to the outside of the classroom, where the profiles of three Go teachers were posted on the wall, among them Guo Lin.
The profiles listed the various awards he had won, all at the national level, the heaviest of which was the one he had won in Japan. He was a really, really good Go player that inspired admiration.
And his profile, also specially marked, is that of the special teacher of the Youth Palace, only on holidays free to come to take a lesson.
Chu Xia is really surprised at this time; she didn't expect An'an to be so lucky that he would directly run into such an excellent teacher.
If there were only two people at home right now, Chu Xia and Cen Huai'an, Chu Xia might have agreed to let An'an follow the lessons today.
But now that Cen Zhengnian is at home, An'an should discuss with him learning Go.
This is what she said to Guo Lin: "Sorry, I need to discuss with his father about learning Go. Can I give you an answer in a couple of days?"
Although Guo Lin's heart is moved by the sight of a good seedling, what Chu Xia said is also human; he nods his head and says, "It's okay."
Chu Xia leads Cen Huai'an outside, and Guo Lin still can't help but say more to the two: "I'll be at the Youth Palace tomorrow after two o'clock in the afternoon, so you guys can come over and look for me directly when you're done discussing."
"Okay, thank you, Teacher Guo."
Waiting for the two of Chu Xia to walk away, the girl immediately beeps her mouth unevenly and says, "Does she know how many people want to follow little uncle to study ah, she doesn't say yes right away, she still needs to go home to discuss what ah!"
"Ling Ling! Who did you learn to be so proud from?" Guo Lin frowned and looked at his niece, "There are always people better than us. I'm not the best Go player either. Your parents put a lot of thought into you learning from me. It's normal for people to discuss things at home, right? Don't say things like this in the future."
"Teacher, Ling Ling, she just feels aggrieved for you." The boy looks at Ling Ling being lectured and about to cry out and helps her out.
Guo Lin: "You shouldn't think about these things; it affects the heart of learning Go. I'm the one who wanted to take that kid; he's really talented!"
Speaking of this, Guo Lin couldn't help but have a happy look in his eyes, the kind of excitement that only a good teacher would show when he sees a good seedling.
"Teacher, is he good?" The boy asked, a little unconvinced. How old was he? He had only played two games of Five in Row; he hadn't even touched Go. Where was his talent?
"He's not good now, not necessarily in the future," Guo Lin said.
***
After Chu Xia leads Cen Huai'an out of the Youth's Palace, she sees that his eyes are still looking back fondly. She touches his head and asks, "Do you want to learn Go?"
Cen Huai'an nodded without the slightest hesitation and said, "Yes."
"Then do you like that teacher just now? Do you want to learn from him?" Chu Xia asks him again. No matter how good the teacher is, he has to be liked by An'an himself.
Cen Huai'an thinks for a while and says, "He's very good; I like listening to him talk about Go."
Chu Xia understands.
"Okay, let's go buy a Go set first. When we get home and talk to your dad, we'll bring you to learn."
Chu Xia took Cen Huai'an to the Xinhua bookstore, which had the latest Sudoku books and Go set for sale.
While buying the book and Go set for Cen Huai'an, Chu Xia said, "The Go set is a gift from Mom. But for the Sudoku books, you bought two, so you'll need to use your red flowers to exchange one book. Would you like a comic book as well?"
Cen Huai'an asked her warily first, "Do I have to use the little red flower to redeem it?"
"Not the first book, the second one," Chu Xia said.
"I want one book."
"You pick it yourself."
Chu Xia looked at the books in the children's section again and found two English bilingual books for children.
The stories in these books were unfamiliar to her, accompanied by illustrations that captured the characteristics of the current era, much like the style seen in the "Journey to the West" animated series. The illustrations were intricate, and, most importantly, the content, whether in English or translation, was authentic and well-suited for children's learning.
This book is said to be a series, Xinhua bookstore salesman said, and they are in high demand. Some people buy many of them at once.
Chu Xia didn't buy that many, as she had already bought a lot of books today. She would wait for Cen Huai'an to finish them one by one.
In the end, she bought two original English books, "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "Anna Karenina," and also got an introductory book on Go. The two of them carried their books and went to the checkout.
Cen Huai'an sat on the bus and couldn't wait to open the Journey to the West comic strip, which he picked out himself.
Chu Xia sat next to him and closed it for him: "You can't read on the bus; it hurts your eyes. You can read it at home if you want to."
Just now at the Xinhua bookstore, Cen Huai'an flipped through the book and read a few pages. He felt like it before he bought it.
Now, he was anxious to read the rest of the story, but his mother didn't allow it. He couldn't do anything about it; he could only turn his head to look at the scenery outside the window.
Looking past the rows of trees, Cen Huai'an thought to himself: It's fun to come out with his mom too; it's a different kind of fun from selling things.
He could vaguely appreciate what his mother was talking about when she said experiencing different interests, but he couldn't tell exactly what it was.
Back home, Cen Huai'an didn't say anything more about going to sell things; instead, he took the comic book and concentrated on it. In the middle of it, if it weren't for Chu Xia reminding him to rest his eyes, he wouldn't have taken a break at all.
However, he didn't need to talk to Chu Xia; he stopped and continued to read it, took the Go set and the introductory Go book, and pondered it by himself on one side.
Chu Xia strangely asks him, "You liked it; why did you stop reading?"
Cen Huai'an: "I finished reading it today. If I finish it today, I won't be able to read it tomorrow. I want to read a little bit every day, so it'll last many days."
Chu Xia smiles, rubs his head, and compliments, "Quite smart."
At night, Cen Zhengnian comes back, all dusty, carrying a piece of beef in his hand, not knowing where he bought it from.
"Let's eat beef stew with tomatoes today," Chu Xia said.
Cen Zhengnian washes his hands and has no opinion. "Okay, I'll go take a bath."
Now that the day is not too cold, Cen Zhengnian didn't want to go to the bathhouse; he washed inside the house.
When he comes out, water beads hanging from his hair, water beads falling low on his white collarbone, sliding down the collar, Chu Xia takes one look and hurriedly averts her gaze.
"You go and mop up the water in the house."
Cen Zhengnian takes the mop and goes inside. When he comes out, Chu Xia says to him, "Our house is still a bit small, and it's not very convenient for taking showers. By the way, we need to get a bed for An'an. As he grows, he'll need to start sleeping on his own."
Cen Zhengnian's hand rubbing his hair stops; he does feel the inconvenience of the home. He nods and says, "Okay, I'll do this."
Chu Xia lets him help over to play the hand she looks at the tomato beef stewing in the casserole and says, "Today I took An'an to the youth palace..."
She told Cen Zhengnian what happened today: "An'an really likes Go; you saw it when you came back; he sat there alone and played; his appearance was more focused than he was selling things. Mr. Guo Lin, I read the introduction of the Youth's Palace, a very powerful teacher; I'm not sure about the rest. He wants An'an to learn Go from him; what do you think?"
Listening to Chu Xia softly talk to him about An'an, the smile in Cen Zhengnian's eyes grows thicker; he likes the current life.
Their everyday tasks, chores, and responsibilities seemed to dissolve in Chu Xia's voice. His heart was immersed in this warmth, as if it wanted to stay forever in this moment
"If An'an enjoys playing Go, then we should let him learn. I don't know much about Go, but my grandfather is interested in these things. I'll give him a call later and ask for some advice. Learning more about Go wouldn't hurt An'an. If this teacher is good, we can let An'an continue learning with him."
A smile appears on Chu Xia's face.
She had never raised a child before, and she often worried about making mistakes. Now, with Cen Zhengnian's support, she felt much more relaxed, as if some of the burdens had been lifted from her shoulders.
The tomato-beef stew that Chu Xia had been simmering was now ready. The beef was tender and flavorful, and the broth was rich and balanced between sweet and sour. Served with a bowl of thick white rice, even Cen Zhengnian, who usually ate little, found it hard to resist and remarked after the meal, "Chu Xia, your cooking is too good; always let people accidentally eat too much."
Chu Xia laughingly says, "Then I can't help it; I just do it casually."
Cen Zhengnian sighs tersely, "If it's so delicious even if you just do it casually, then don't do it seriously; I'm afraid I'll eat even more."
Chu Xia can't help but laugh, thinking that Cen Zhengnian talking in a serious manner is even more delightful than some people who specialize in coaxing people.
Cen Huai'an looks at his dad, then at his mom; the corner of his mouth can't help but curl up in a small arc as well. He likes his dad and mom now, and it would be nice if his dad could be home all the time.
After Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai'an cleaned up the after-dinner mess together, they took him down with Chu Xia to digest the food.
There are quite a lot of people down at the residential building, and when they see the three of them, Chu Xia smiles and greets them.
Cen Huai'an took Cen Zhengnian's hand in one hand and Chu Xia's hand in the other, stepping on the leaves on the ground. His heart was already so full of joy that it was going to overflow.
In the past, when he saw other children with their moms and dads like this, he couldn't help but secretly fantasize in his heart that one day he too could be held by his mom and dad together as they walked around the family complex, and today it finally came true!
Walking to the corner store, Cen Zhengnian said he would go in and make a phone call to his grandpa, and Chu Xia asked An'an to follow him while she waited outside.
After a short while, Cen Zhengnian came out with a bag full of snacks—Meiji chocolate, fruit leather, spicy chips, and more.
Chu Xia looked over one by one, then looked at Cen Zhengnian speechlessly: "You shouldn't have bought him so many snacks; he can't finish them all. And he's not supposed to eat spicy chips right now; he's still on medication; you forgot."
Chu Xia confiscates all the snacks and only leaves Cen Huai'an with a tangerine fruit leather. "This one can be eaten. Next time dad buys you a snack, you have to refuse it; otherwise, if you eat randomly and get an upset tummy, I'll deduct your little red flower."
Cen Zhengnian helplessly glanced at Cen Huai'an, indicating that there was nothing he could do and that he had to listen to his mother as well.
Cen Huai'an looks at Cen Zhengnian, then at the snacks, and silently eats the fruit leather.
"Don't be angry; I'll listen to you; I won't buy any more in the future."
Chu Xia also didn't hold onto this; it wasn't a big deal in the first place. She changed the topic and asked him, "What did Grandpa say?"
Speaking of this, the smile on Cen Zhengnian's brows is even more intense, and Chu Xia says what was just on the phone.
"Grandpa is very happy that An'an likes Go; he said that if you guys are in the capital, you don't even need to learn from other teachers; you can just be taught directly by him. He's sad that you guys aren't in the capital."
This Chu Xia can't do anything about it. "I work in Liangzhou; how can I go to the capital?"
Cen Zhengnian: "That's what I said. Grandpa said that he knows Guo Lin, a rising star in the Go circle, and Grandpa and his teacher also know each other, so An'an can follow him for enlightenment. Grandpa also said that if you guys go to the capital in the future, you must learn Go from him, not from anyone else."
Chu Xia didn't hold back a laugh, thinking Zhengnian's Grandpa was very funny. She nodded her head and said, "Okay."
The next day is still a day off; Chu Xia has already adapted to her biological clock, waking up at her usual time.
When she got up, Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai'an were not in the house; presumably they went to buy food.
She didn't care; she washed herself and picked up her Chinese book to take advantage of the morning to memorize a few more pages.
Chu Xia usually just memorizes Chinese and politics in the morning; it's a good time to remember and memorize quickly.
After she finished her study session, Cen Zhengnian and Cen Huai'an returned, each carrying items like steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and tofu pudding.
After eating, Chu Xia is about to take out her math test paper and do it when Cen Zhengnian suddenly pulls out three cinema tickets, looks at Chu Xia, and says, "My friend gave me three cinema tickets; let's go watch a movie today."
An'an also looks at Chu Xia with anticipation in her eyes.
When Chu Xia went to the cinema alone before, he wanted to go with his mom.
Now that his dad is also there and talking about watching a film, he can't help but want to go even more in his heart.
He had never watched a film with his mom and dad before.
"Okay."
Chu Xia naturally has no opinion. Seeing Cen Huai'an sigh in relief, his eyes showing happiness, she can't help but pinch his nose: "Last time I went to the movies alone, you weren't happy about it. Are you especially excited today? Both your dad and I are taking you."
Cen Huai'an's ears turn a little red at Chu Xia's words. He lowers his head and lets out a "hmm", He seems to be really happy.
The film that Cen Zhengnian picked was a comedy film, "The Joyous Gate", which is also a classic film.