In the afternoon, Cen Zhengnian left hurriedly after taking a phone call, without explaining where he was going.

Chu Xia assumed it was something related to his work and didn’t ask further questions.

Cen Huai’an wanted to go out and sell things with Bangzi and the others, but Chu Xia stopped him.

“Have you finished your homework?” she asked.

Cen Huai’an rummaged through his backpack, took out two notebooks, and said, “Mom, look, I finished it all at school.”

“An An, I think you’ve been spending too much time selling things,” Chu Xia said.

After classes, he was selling things; even during holidays, instead of thinking about playing, he was still selling.

Chu Xia felt tired on his behalf.

He was only five years old and should be able to relax a little, doing what he truly wanted to do.

Cen Huai’an didn’t quite understand what Chu Xia meant.

Didn’t his mom support him selling things with Bang Ge? Why was she saying this now?

Cen Zhengnian felt guilty about Cen Huai’an, so he always pampered him, except when it came to practicing calligraphy and studying.

In this way, he was even more indulgent than Chu Xia.

Moreover, he didn’t know Cen Huai’an as well as Chu Xia did.

Chu Xia understood that Cen Huai’an still had insecurities deep in his heart.

She hadn’t mentioned it before, hoping it might change subtly over time.

But now she realized that even though Cen Huai’an had changed, the deep-seated damage couldn’t be so easily undone.

“If you enjoy it, you can treat selling things as an extracurricular exercise. But I don’t want it to take up all of your playtime. You like playing chess. How long has it been since you last played with the kids in the compound? You like solving Sudoku puzzles, but recently you haven’t been doing them much at home.”

Cen Huai’an frowned, as if carefully considering Chu Xia’s words.

After a while, he mumbled, “I like selling things the most.”

When he sold things, he had money, and when he had money, he had nothing to fear.

Chu Xia sighed.

She knew it would be like this.

She stroked Cen Huai’an’s head.

His hair had already grown out, somewhere between soft and prickly.

“An An, I think you might have felt recently that both Mom and Dad love you. We both support you in doing the things you like, but we don’t want you to focus only on making money at such a young age. You’re only five years old. You haven’t been exposed to many things yet. You should study hard, read more books, develop other interests, and play more—that’s what’s normal.

Selling things is a way to toughen up in life, but it shouldn’t be the main focus of your life. With both Mom and Dad earning money, you can relax a bit. I wasn’t a good mom before and made you suffer, but now you can trust Mom a little more.”

Cen Huai’an looked at his mom.

Scenes from recent activities with his mom flashed in his mind, and he thought about the happiness of watching the National Day celebrations with both his mom and dad today.

He seemed to feel his parents’ love, like a warm, swelling feeling inside that made him feel as if he could fly.

“But Mom, the kids in the compound can’t beat me at chess, and I don’t want to play with them. I’ve already finished that Sudoku book, and I don’t have any other hobbies.”

Chu Xia understood—it was her fault for not noticing.

Cen Huai’an had a high IQ; he needed more challenging activities.

It was natural he would find it boring to keep defeating weaker opponents.

She closed the book, stood up, and took Cen Huai’an’s hand. “Come on, I’ll take you somewhere.”

Chu Xia knew that just talking wasn’t enough.

She needed to help Cen Huai’an develop new interests and occupy his energy with other activities, so he wouldn’t spend all his time selling things.

Cen Huai’an didn’t know where his mom was taking him, but he knew he wouldn’t be selling things with Brother Bang today.

He mentally calculated the money.

The National Day period was when the most people were out, and he could earn more than usual, but now he wouldn’t be able to.

Thinking about this, Cen Huai’an felt a pang of regret and wished he could sprout wings and fly over to Bang Ge.

In the 1980s, there were no interest classes everywhere like in later years, but there were still places dedicated to nurturing the interests of young people—the Youth Palace.

Chu Xia took Cen Huai’an there.

The Youth Palace had a wide variety of classes, and at that time, it was still a public welfare institution.

In addition to fostering hobbies, it had many recreational facilities and hosted exhibitions on science, art, sports, and more.

Parents loved to bring their children here to play.

As soon as they entered, they could feel the lively atmosphere inside, with many kids playing in the courtyard.

However, that was not Chu Xia’s destination.

She led Cen Huai’an up from the first floor, passing by classrooms where dozens of students were learning different things.

Some were learning music, some dance, some painting, and others were watching a teacher conduct a small physics and chemistry experiment.

It was as if a whole new world had opened up for Cen Huai’an.

So this was what his mom meant by “interests.”

These were things he had never been exposed to before, and his eyes sparkled with a renewed curiosity.

When they came across a classroom where a science experiment was being conducted, Cen Huai’an hesitated about whether to go in.

Before he could decide, his mom had already taken him to the next classroom.

There, he saw two people holding black and white chess pieces, playing a game he didn’t know.

Although he had never learned it, Cen Huai’an was instantly captivated.

It seemed as if he could understand it just by looking.

He leaned against the classroom window, utterly absorbed.

When Chu Xia tried to take him to explore further, Cen Huai’an quickly pointed to the two people playing chess inside and said, “Mom, I like this!”

He was afraid that if his mom took him away, he would never get to see this kind of game again.

“This is Go, little one. Do you like it?”

“Like it.” Cen Huai’an said this without realizing that the question was not asked by Chuxia, but by a middle-aged man who had appeared here at some point.

The man seemed ready to speak further, but Chuxia put her finger to her lips, signaling him not to disturb Cen Huai’an and to let him focus.

The game of Go lasted half an hour, and Chuxia and Cen Huai’an watched from outside for an hour.

The man stayed there the whole time, looking at the chess players inside with a loving gaze.

When the two children who were playing chess came out, a seven or eight-year-old girl saw the man and her eyes lit up with a happy smile.

She ran over and hugged the man’s waist, saying, “Uncle.”

Another boy, close to ten years old, walked over and also smiled as he greeted, “Hello, teacher,” with a tone of admiration and familiarity.

The man patted the children’s heads and turned to the curious Cen Huai’an, saying, “Little friend, I taught these two to play Go. Would you like to play a game with me?”

Cen Huai’an didn’t show the usual shyness or hesitation of a child meeting a stranger.

He looked up at Chuxia, seeking her opinion.

Seeing her gaze full of gentle encouragement and no sign of disapproval, he asked the man seriously, “I don’t know how to play Go. Can we play Gomoku instead?”

“Of course.”

Everyone returned to the classroom.

Chuxia stood behind Cen Huai’an, watching him play.

The two children also stood behind him, their eyes full of curiosity, exploration, and the pride of more experienced players watching a beginner.

Cen Huai’an sat up straight as the man allowed him to make the first move.

He glanced at the board, placing his black piece in the center.

The two began their battle on the Gomoku board.

Chuxia noticed that as soon as the game started, the man’s demeanor changed from warm and harmless to sharp and intense.

Even though he was facing a child, he didn’t show any condescension and treated Cen Huai’an as a serious opponent.

Cen Huai’an was quite skilled at Gomoku, defeating children around ten years old in the family compound.

However, against the man, he struggled within ten minutes.

His moves became frantic, and he eventually lost when he failed to block the man’s white pieces.

He frowned as he studied the board, a look of determination in his eyes.

Pressing his lips together, he looked up at the man and said, “Let’s play another game.”

“Sure.” The man replied with a smile, showing no objection.

In the second game, Cen Huai’an lost even faster.

As the man picked up the pieces, he asked, “Do you want to play again?”

Cen Huai’an shook his head, “I can’t beat you.” His voice held a hint of frustration, but he realized that continuing would only lead to more losses, so it wasn’t worth it.

“Do you know where I won in the last game?” the man asked.

Cen Huai’an tried to recall, shaking his head.

He had felt something was off from the beginning but couldn’t pinpoint it.

“Gomoku may seem simple, but winning requires strategy. From the moment you started placing your pieces, I began setting traps. Look…”

The man reconstructed their game and patiently explained to Cen Huai’an where he had fallen into traps.

The boy and girl listened attentively.

For a moment, Chuxia felt out of place, like a bystander in the classroom.

But since the explanations were clear and understandable, she also paid attention to the game.

After explaining one game, the man asked Cen Huai’an, “We’re still at this board position. Where would you place your next piece?”

“Here.” Cen Huai’an responded without hesitation, indicating a method the man had just described.

He remembered it clearly.

The man was surprised, “You remembered everything I just said?”

Cen Huai’an saw nothing unusual about this and nodded.

The man’s eyes revealed his amazement.

He asked Cen Huai’an a few more questions about what he had just explained, and An An answered them all correctly, without mistakes.

He even pointed out areas where he had doubts, showing that he not only understood but had also thought critically and extrapolated.

This was a promising student in the art of chess—interested, dedicated, and talented.

The man stopped discussing the game and looked at Cen Huai’an, who was still intently analyzing the board.

Unable to resist his impulse, he asked, “Would you like to learn chess with me? I’m a teacher at the Youth Palace. If you want to learn, you would need to come here every Sunday to study with me.”

Chuxia was also surprised.

She had guessed the man was a teacher at the Youth Palace; otherwise, he wouldn’t have the authority to occupy a classroom for his students to play chess.

She also sensed that the man wanted An An to learn chess with him, but she didn’t expect the teacher to offer to take on a student so easily.

Cen Huai’an might not have expected the man to ask him suddenly.

He showed hesitation in his eyes, wanting to learn but still looked at Chuxia, waiting for her response.

The teacher’s direct offer suggested that Cen Huai’an had genuine talent for Go, and Chuxia felt a surge of pride.

Her son was truly exceptional!

However, she didn’t immediately agree to let An An study with the teacher.

She asked the teacher, “Hello, I’m his mother, Luo. I’d like to know if the Youth Palace Go classes range from beginner to advanced levels. If he studies with you, is there a fee? How much is it? How many classes are there each week?”

These details needed to be clarified, as the choice of a child’s Go teacher could impact An An’s interest in learning.

If the schedule or other aspects were unsuitable, it would be important to consider changing teachers to avoid affecting his enthusiasm.

“Uncle is a champion in the Country! So many people want to learn from him, but he doesn’t take them on. You should agree quickly!” The little girl beside the man spoke proudly, with an expression as if Cen Huai’an had struck a great deal!

“Lingling! Don’t speak out of turn!” The man scolded, turning to Chuxia and Cen Huai’an with an apologetic look.

“The child doesn’t understand,” he continued. “I’m Guo Lin. I should have introduced myself earlier. If you want to learn about the teachers, there’s an introduction to the Youth Palace teachers here; you can take a look. Learning at the Youth Palace is free of charge, with one class per week, on Sunday afternoons.”

What Guo Lin didn’t mention was that the Youth Palace didn’t accept just anyone.

Students needed to be recommended by schools or teachers and must show both talent and eagerness to learn.

He led Chuxia and Cen Huai’an outside the classroom, where there were three Go teachers’ profiles posted on the wall, including Guo Lin’s.

The profiles listed various national-level awards he had won, including the prestigious competition in Japan.

His accomplishments were truly impressive, earning him admiration.

His profile also highlighted that he was a specially invited teacher at the Youth Palace, only available for classes during holidays.