Cen Huai’an often brought Heizi to Bangzi’s house, so both Heizi and Huangzi were familiar with them and weren’t shy.

Bangzi frowned at Chopstick’s affectionate behavior toward the puppies, then glanced at the account book, his frown deepening.

Cat and Gray also sneaked over to look at the puppies, clearly distracted.

Who wouldn’t like lively, cute, and smart puppies like Heizi and Huangzi?

The most amusing thing was that they would find hidden places to relieve themselves and never went to the toilet carelessly.

After they were done, if you didn’t clean up, they would bite your pants to stop you from leaving.

Bangzi glanced at Catboy, then at Cen Huai’an, and handed him the pen. “Little Scrap, accounting is your strong suit. You handle it.”

He then picked up Huangzi and started to cuddle it. Chopsticks and Gray also gathered around. “Bangzi, let me pet it, let me pet it.”

Cen Huai’an looked at the pen in silence.

He had only come to show off the puppies, and now he was inexplicably assigned accounting duties.

“Bangzi, don’t keep holding them. They want to run and play by themselves.” As he spoke, he sat in Bangzi’s previous spot, frowning at the messy handwriting in the account book.

He couldn’t understand how Bangzi wrote so poorly.

Fortunately, the numbers were clear, so Cen Huai’an started calculating.

He was quick at calculations.

For numbers within a hundred, he could do them mentally, as it was his favorite subject and he had solved many Sudoku puzzles, making his calculation skills strong.

Bangzi and the others took the dogs outside to play, and Cen Huai’an immersed himself in calculations, not noticing them.

It wasn’t until Bangzi’s grandmother came in and saw that Bangzi and the others weren’t there that she handed a steamed bun to Cen Huai’an. “Where are Bangzi and the others?”

Cen Huai’an snapped out of his calculations, shook his head, and said, “I don’t know. Grandma, I’m not eating. My mother is cooking.”

Bangzi’s grandmother put her hands on her hips and scolded, “You little rascal, leaving you alone to do the accounts while you run off to play! Just wait until I get back and teach him a lesson! Take it and eat it; there’s no need to be polite in my house!”

Bangzi’s grandmother was generally kind to the children, which was why Chopstick and the others spent so much time at Bangzi’s house.

They only went home to sleep and ate at Bangzi’s house.

Of course, they would secretly give Bangzi’s grandmother money for meals.

Sometimes they didn’t go home, but since they were poor children, their families didn’t mind whether they came back.

Cen Huai’an took the steamed bun, took a bite, and found it a bit rough.

However, since he rarely ate steamed buns that rough, he still enjoyed it.

Bangzi’s grandmother shouted in the yard with a voice that could be heard from far away.

Soon, Bangzi and the others came running back with their hair tousled by the wind, panting heavily.

Bangzi’s grandmother slapped Bangzi on the back. “Where did you go to play? Leaving An’an alone to do the accounts, you’re so lazy!”

“Grandma! We weren’t playing!”

Bangzi ducked away from his grandmother’s hand.

Cen Huai’an came out with the steamed bun, took the leashes from Catboy and Chopsticks, and waved to Bangzi’s grandmother. “Grandma, I’m going home to eat. Bangzi, you finish up the rest.”

After saying this, he ran off with the dogs, while Bangzi’s grandmother’s voice continued to scold Bangzi in the background.

Cen Huai’an always followed the principle of sharing both joy and hardship with good friends, which Bangzi had mentioned during their playtime.

He thought the steamed bun tasted good. Seeing the puppies eyeing the food, he broke off a couple of small pieces and fed them.

The puppies were very greedy.

They caught the pieces as soon as he threw them, swallowed them without even tasting, and continued to beg for more.

By the time they reached home, they had shared one steamed bun.

After dinner, Chuxia and Cen Huai’an began writing a letter to Cen Zhengnian.

Chuxia never kept any family matters from Cen Zhengnian, including any difficulties she faced.

Cen Zhengnian was part of the family, and even if he wasn’t home, he needed to know that life wasn’t smooth for her and An’an.

They supported his work, and he needed to understand their struggles.

Perhaps Cen Zhengnian might even have some ideas to help.

Chuxia’s letter detailed that she and An’an had raised two puppies and the troubles that came with their growth.

She also mentioned wanting to rent a house outside but had not yet found a suitable one.

Of course, she also wrote about happy things, like her top scores in the school’s final exams and this semester’s exams, and An’an’s participation in a Go competition.

The letter was long, covering two full pages, and even then, she had a lot more to write.

Cen Huai’an wrote less, mainly about the family’s puppies and mentioned Liu tian.

Liu tian had continued coming to school, and her mother had paid the tuition.

Although the child was still very young, Cen Huai’an’s homeroom teacher, though stern, was very caring.

Liu Tian told Cen Huai’an that the class teacher had visited her home.

She had secretly hidden in her room and listened to the teacher talking with her parents about many things, most of which she didn’t understand.

However, after the discussion, her mother reluctantly agreed to let her attend school.

Liu Tian was very happy and thanked Cen Huai’an for telling her that she could seek help from the teacher.

When Chu Xia learned about this, she was also happy for Liu Tian.

In the future, education would become increasingly important, and attending school was the only path for ordinary children.

At the end of the letter, Cen Huai’an added a note about what his mom had said: that they would be moving to Beijing to find his dad.

Chu Xia didn’t read Cen Huai’an’s letter, respecting her child’s privacy.

Fathers and sons always had some private words they wanted to share.

She sent the letter, along with the shirts and pants she had bought for Cen Zhengnian, and the gifts for Grandpa, as well as Huai’an’s writing, to Great-Grandpa’s home in Beijing.

By now, Huai’an’s writing was quite good.

He hadn’t learned calligraphy but had practiced writing with a pencil using Cen Zhengnian’s penmanship booklet.

Huai’an told Chu Xia that his teacher often praised his handwriting in class, and his assignments were always rated as excellent.

Two days after sending the letter, Huai’an’s Go competition time arrived.

Chu Xia took Huai’an to the city gym early on a Sunday morning.

Although she felt she had arrived quite early, many people were already there.

Most of them were parents bringing their children, as many families came together on Sundays.

Some even brought along grandparents. Of course, there were also people like Chu Xia who brought their children alone, and some children came by themselves.

Cen Huai’an found Guo Lin, who had arrived with Xu Lingling and Zheng Duoping.

Originally, Guo Lin had been invited to be a judge for the competition, but he had declined, saying he had students competing and wanted to avoid any conflict of interest.

In addition to Cen Huai’an, Xu Lingling and Zheng Duoping were also competing today.

They were both quite young, not yet ten years old.

It was possible that Guo Lin’s three students might draw lots and end up facing each other.

Guo Lin had often praised Cen Huai’an, especially after teaching him.

On the way back, he always mentioned Cen Huai’an, saying he was improving quickly and had a strong talent for Go.

Zheng Duoping, hearing this frequently, felt frustrated.

After all, he had been the teacher’s favorite before.

Although Xu Lingling had talent, she was younger and less steady, not studying as diligently as he did.

As the competition approached, Zheng Duoping hoped to draw the same number as Cen Huai’an.

If he defeated Cen Huai’an, the teacher would see that he was still the best.

Xu Lingling also wanted to face Cen Huai’an.

She mainly disliked him, feeling he was showing off.

A little kid who studied so seriously and made her uncle use him to teach her a lesson made her want to defeat him and bring him down.

Zheng Duoping and Xu Lingling’s feelings were quite normal for children.

Everyone wants the teacher’s attention and recognition.

Their thoughts were similar to being surpassed in class and wanting to catch up.

They only thought about defeating Huai’an in Go, which was like trying to surpass someone who had outperformed you academically.

Cen Huai’an was unaware of Zheng Duoping and Xu Lingling’s thoughts.

The two children were polite in front of Chu Xia but showed their competitive spirit when looking at Huai’an.

Chu Xia was talking with Guo Lin, asking about the competition process and how it would be conducted.

Huai’an, meanwhile, was thinking about the Go knowledge he had learned.

It was impossible not to be nervous, so he focused on memorizing game records to distract himself from the competition.

Soon, at 8:30, the draw for the competition began.

Parents were moved to the side, and tables with Go boards were set up in the gym.

Only the children were allowed in the competition area.

The competition was held in rounds.

After drawing lots, players competed in pairs, with the winners advancing to the next round and the losers finishing their games.

Since it was not possible to complete all the matches in one day, the competition was held with one round in the morning and another in the afternoon.

Remaining matches would continue the following Sunday.

Chu Xia stood outside, watching Huai’an.

She had only exchanged a few words with him before his match and wondered if he was nervous.

Cen Huai’an, having drawn his lot, took his place at the table.

His opponent was a young girl who looked quite nervous, her eyes fixed on the board.

Once seated at the Go table, Huai’an was no longer nervous, his focus solely on the game.

The match began with the girl playing black stones first, followed by Huai’an with white stones.

As he became more engrossed in the game, Huai’an didn’t notice that the girl was sweating profusely and had tears in her eyes.

Huai’an thought the girl’s skill was not as strong as his father’s, but he remained serious and did not let up.

Soon, the girl cried out, “Dad! Mom, I don’t want to play anymore!”

Huai’an looked at her in confusion.

She wasn’t in a losing position yet, so why was she quitting?

And why was she crying over a game?

He glanced at the board, puzzled.

At this moment, a staff member came over, followed by the judge, who announced Huai’an as the winner.

The staff member carried the girl away to find her parents.

The judge looked at the board in surprise.

A child so young with such a fierce playing style was rare.

No wonder the girl had cried; she had probably never encountered such a rigorous approach.

The judge admired Huai’an’s strategic play and was impressed by his understanding of game tactics at such a young age.

He nodded and smiled at Huai’an, saying, “Well done.”

Cen Huai’an thanked the judge and left the table, waiting for the afternoon to return for his next match.

He wasn’t the first child to finish, but he finished early.

Xu Lingling and Zheng Duoping were still competing.

Guo Lin asked Cen Huai’an to review the game with him.

He knew Cen Huai’an had the ability to recreate the game move by move.

“You could have played this move here…”

Guo Lin began teaching Huai’an using his game.

Chu Xia watched from the side, understanding none of it.

However, seeing Huai’an nodding seriously and occasionally sharing his thoughts like a little adult was interesting to her.

Soon, Xu Lingling and Zheng Duoping finished their matches, both having won.

They were both sweaty, as playing Go not only taxed the mind but also the body.

Sitting still for long periods was tiring.

At lunch, Guo Lin wanted to treat Chu Xia and Cen Huai’an, but Chu Xia refused and paid for the meal, including Guo Lin’s, Xu Lingling’s, and Zheng Duoping’s.

Guo Lin felt embarrassed and wanted to give Chu Xia the money, but she refused.

“Teacher Guo, it’s my treat. You teach Huai’an without charging, so this meal is on me. Please don’t refuse.”

Guo Lin seriously replied, “Mom of Huai’an, don’t say that. I get a salary for working at the youth center and don’t charge extra for teaching others. You’ve already given us gifts before, so you must accept the meal money. I can’t take advantage of you.”

After back and forth, seeing that Guo Lin would be upset if she refused, Chu Xia finally accepted the money.

Chu Xia was truly grateful for Guo Lin’s efforts with Huai’an and felt that she should cover the cost of the meal.

But Guo Lin was too principled to accept even a small benefit.

Of course, Chuxia didn’t charge extra, and she didn’t let Guo Lin treat her and An’an to a meal.

In the afternoon’s competition, Cen Huai’an’s opponent was a little boy a few years older than him, about the same age as Zheng Duoping.

Chuxia couldn’t help but frown when she saw the opponent, worried that Cen Huai’an might lose.

A child of this age would have been learning Go for a longer time than An’an.

Just like Zheng Duoping, who started learning Go at six and had been studying for three years under a prestigious teacher like Guo Lin, his skill level was quite impressive.

However, competitions are like this; you never know how strong your opponent is.

The only way to avoid fear is to make yourself strong.