Once the candle was lit, its light was neither glaring nor dim, falling comfortably in a perfect range.

Lao Buyu was mildly surprised but didn’t dwell on it. He picked up Mu Er Pang’s book, ready to begin teaching.

Of the three books, “Bai Jia Xing” was about recognizing surnames, while the other two required understanding beyond mere memorization. Although these materials might not directly apply to exams, they served as traditional primers, imparting common knowledge and life lessons.

While Lao Buyu was eager for Mu Er Pang to excel, he also knew the importance of a gradual approach to learning.

“Today, let’s start with the Three-Character Classic,” he said. “It teaches that humans are born with inherent goodness, but their environment shapes them differently.”

In the comfortable glow of the candlelight, Lao Buyu and Mu Er Pang immersed themselves in teaching and learning, forgetting about everything else around them.

Seeing them engrossed in their lesson, Shen Cui quietly slipped away.

As she was about to leave, Lao Buyu added, “Madam, please prepare a copy of ‘You Xue Qiong Lin.’ I’ll teach Han Shan new characters during the day and read to him at night.”

This was an essential teaching aid. Shen Cui nodded in agreement and helped them close the door behind her as she left.

After leaving the old house, Shen Cui returned home.

Zhou Shi, who had returned earlier, had already lit the stove and warmed the kang (a traditional Chinese bed).

Seeing Shen Cui back, Zhou Shi asked about dinner plans.

“Mu Er Pang is staying with Lao Buyu to study for a while, so he’ll probably eat there. As for us, we’ll just make something simple,” Shen Cui replied.

The delicious dishes on the table during the day had all been packed and given to Lao Buyu by the Shen family.

However, Zhou Shi also didn’t forget to take care of her own daughter. She sent over some extra pancakes and steamed buns from the dinner table for Shen Cui.

Zhou Shi reheated the pancakes and buns, made a simple dish of pickled vegetables, and cooked a warm cabbage soup. It was a humble meal.

After dinner, Zhou Shi quickly washed the dishes and heated some water. She brought in a basin of hot water for Shen Cui to wash her feet.

However, Shen Cui wasn’t in the house; she was busy tidying up the room that used to belong to Mu Yunchuan and Zhou Shi.

Normally, after a busy day like today, she would succumb to her laziness and avoid any unnecessary movement.

Perhaps it was because she had completed the cross-level task today, which significantly advanced her progress in the original tasks, that she felt an indescribable lightness. It was as if she had broken free from some kind of constraint. She didn’t feel lazy at all; instead, she found herself restless.

Zhou Shi found her and hurriedly said, “Mother-in-law, I can tidy up the room myself. You’ve had a tiring day, please rest.”

Shen Cui didn’t argue with her. Since the room hadn’t been touched before and only had a bit of dust, Zhou Shi could indeed clean it on her own.

Shen Cui returned to the main house, followed by Zhou Shi, who wore a conflicted expression.

Mu Yunchuan and Zhou Shi hadn’t spent much time together, and whenever they were together, Zhou Shi was completely focused on him and wouldn’t think about anything else.

So, Mu Yunchuan hadn’t…

Zhou Shi, despite her careful demeanor, couldn’t hide her thoughts well. Shen Cui could easily read from her expression that she was curious about how Mu Er Pang’s study session with Lao Buyu had gone today. Yet, she also felt guilty about prying into every detail, considering it akin to espionage.

Fortunately, these concerns were something they could discuss openly. Shen Cui took off her shoes and socks, soaking her feet in the basin as she casually said, “Lao Buyui taught our Er Pang the Three-Character Classic today, and starting tomorrow, he’ll begin studying ‘You Xue Qiong Lin.’ I know you also enjoy reading. If you have time, you can come and listen too.”

Zhou Shi’s face showed a hint of shame. She was about to say “I’m not worthy to listen,” but remembering Mu Yunchuan’s instructions, she nodded in agreement.

Afterwards, Zhou Shi became increasingly restless. She heated water for Shen Cui’s foot bath, laid out the bedding, and poured hot water for her.

Observing Zhou Shi’s busy actions, Shen Cui understood. Perhaps Mu Yunchuan had instructed Zhou Shi to keep a closer eye on her to prevent any unexpected incidents like today’s.

But surely, they would be disappointed. Shen Cui’s activities with the system were all in her mind, and even a careful observer wouldn’t notice.

Wait a minute, why hadn’t the system made any noise? Normally, whenever she had a thought, the system would immediately respond, but it had been silent until now.

“System, 962464, are you there?”

Immediately, the system’s feeble voice replied, “I’m here.”

“Good, I have many questions for you. Why was this task so generous, giving 300 shopping points all at once? And how did Lao Buyu’s data generate, allowing me to see it?”

“As the difficulty of the system tasks increases, the points that the host can obtain will also increase. And Lao Buyu has officially become a mentor for a nurtured individual, becoming a member of the teaching system, so naturally, he has become an object that the system can monitor. I should have informed you of this earlier, but I didn’t expect you to actually complete this task.”

Surprised, Shen Cui asked, “Wasn’t this task assigned by you? What do you mean you didn’t expect me to complete it?”

“According to data analysis, there are five people in this city with qualifications of at least 85 points who are suitable for teaching nurtured individuals. They are all teachers at Qingzhu Academy, and the academy’s admission criteria are strict. The nurtured individuals fall far short of their standards, so I didn’t know if you would complete this task.”

“But wait, why didn’t you include Lao Buyu in the analysis?”

“According to data analysis, Lao Buyu’s charm has been gradually decreasing with his actions. As long as you spend one day with him, his overall qualifications will fall below the system’s requirements. Furthermore, the system has already analyzed various values ​​between you and Lao Buyu and believes that you have no chance of surpassing him in any aspect.”

Shen Cui nodded slightly, feeling somewhat guilty. Indeed, without the reverse assistance from the system, she wouldn’t have accomplished any of it.

The possibility of winning that competition seemed slim. It seemed that when she thought of ways to compete and prepared to challenge Lao Buyu, the system decided to play dead completely and started working overtime secretly.

But guilty conscience aside, she still had to ask, “What about the money-making task you mentioned earlier?”

“I will continue to adjust for the host. I promise to fulfill what I promised the host.”

The tone of the system’s response sounded just like a corporate drone who had been forced to work overtime for three days and nights by the client.

Shen Cui couldn’t help but feel sorry for it.

“No rush, it’s okay. Just like yesterday, you can release it to me every other day.”

“It’s definitely going to be every other day. What does the host take me for?”

The system’s tone seemed to express a hint of exasperation.