Chapter 83: Little Genius
So, early the next morning, Ling Anxun took the day off. He got up at six-thirty and waited for Shanshan to wake up.
When she finally shuffled out, rubbing her eyes and dragging her slippers, Ling Anxun spoke.
"Starting today, from nine to eleven every morning, I’m going to personally check your schoolwork. Flashcards, pinyin practice, arithmetic problems—we’re not skipping a single thing."
He flipped open the study schedule he had already prepared.
"From now on, playtime is cut in half. Studying comes first. No exceptions for anyone."
Shanshan may have been young, but the girl was incredibly bright.
She spoke clearly and logically, her reactions were quick, and her reasoning skills far surpassed other children her age.
So Ling Anxun, drawing on his own experience, went ahead and scheduled a few simple mini-lessons for her.
He had originally thought a pop quiz would surely stump her.
That way, he’d have a legitimate reason to keep her locked at home to "catch up" on her studies.
But guess what happened?
Not only did she answer everything correctly, but she even got all the riddles he’d thrown in as a joke.
What was even more ridiculous was that she started extrapolating on her own, explaining her reasoning with perfect logic.
Ling Anxun was stunned speechless.
He always knew his daughter was smart, but he never expected this level of genius!
’Why is she waiting for school to start?’
’She could go straight into first grade!’
She could probably wipe the floor with kids several years older than her.
A smile tugged at the corners of Ling Anxun’s mouth, but it vanished a second later, replaced by a frown.
’This child is too exceptional. Will she be ostracized in the future?’
At the dinner table, he casually mentioned sending Shanshan to school.
But the moment the words left his mouth, the entire family turned to stare at him in unison.
Ling Zhenkang was the first to jump up.
"Are you crazy? She’s only four! You have the heart to send her away? What kind of father are you?"
The old man’s face was red with anger.
His granddaughter, whom he had helped raise since she was a baby, was suddenly being sent away. It felt like his heart was being torn out!
Shanshan bounced over to her grandfather’s side.
"Grandpa, don’t be mad~ Shanshan wants to go! Dad said there are lots of other kids there, and we can play on the slide, draw, and sing together. I can even make friends! There are block castles, a rainbow trampoline, and a Teacher Bear who tells stories! Please say yes~" She tilted her head up, leaning it against her grandfather’s shoulder and nuzzling him.
"Grandpa, you love me the most. Shanshan will be good and not cause trouble. I’ll go to school, and when I come back, I’ll give you kisses and hugs and ask you to lift me up high~"
How could Ling Zhenkang possibly resist that?
He sighed, reached out to ruffle his granddaughter’s hair, and then shot Ling Anxun another glare.
"Fine, fine, fine! Go, go, go! You can go! But Anxun, you have to make this crystal clear to the teacher! Our Shanshan is still little. Her grades don’t matter. What matters is that she’s happy, doesn’t cry, and isn’t scared! No making her stand in the corner, no locking her in a dark room, and no ignoring her! If she comes home and says one word about the teacher being mean, I’m going to have a talk with the principal!"
He had only meant to bring it up casually, never expecting both the child and the old man to agree so readily.
Ling Anxun froze for a moment.
’What just happened?’
’I think... I don’t want her to go anymore.’
’Will she cry in a strange place?’
’What if she can’t make any friends and just sits in a corner all by herself?’
But he had already said it. How could he take it back now?
He could only bite the bullet and nod.
"Okay, Dad. I’ll go talk to the teacher tomorrow. I’ll handle it personally and make sure Shanshan is well taken care of."
Across the table, Ling Zhiwei, who had been burying his face in his rice bowl, let his gaze drift over.
He watched wistfully as Shanshan was coddled by their grandfather and doted on by their father.
And him?
Last night, he had fallen flat on his butt and was bawling his eyes out in pain, but his grandfather didn’t even look up. He just said one thing.
"You’re a man. What’s a little fall!"
’When will it be my turn to get that kind of treatment?’
He chewed on the end of his chopsticks, grumbling to himself.
’Waaah...’
’My butt still hurts!’
But Shanshan had no idea.
After finishing her dinner, she clung to her grandparents, playing with them for a while longer.
It wasn’t until Ling Anxun had prompted her three times that she reluctantly went back to her room to brush her teeth and wash her face.
Before leaving, she didn’t forget to turn back and wave at her grandparents.
"See you tomorrow! I’ll miss you!"
Lying in bed, she suddenly noticed that her father wasn’t humming her favorite lullaby to coax her to sleep like he usually did.
She blinked, turned her head, and looked at Ling Anxun, who was sitting by her bed.
"Dad, even if I make a hundred friends at school, you’ll always be my favorite and most important daddy!"
Hearing those words, Ling Anxun’s heart instantly melted.
’Oh, whatever. I give up.’
He gently reached out and pulled her small body into a warm embrace.
Shanshan took the opportunity to snuggle against his chest.
"Mm, Dad knows."
"We’re father and daughter, connected by blood. No one can compare."
The two of them snuggled like that, whispering to each other for a while, before Shanshan curled up in his arms and drifted off into a deep sleep.
Early the next morning, Ling Anxun was up and bustling about.
He dug out all sorts of documents, contacted the school’s teachers, and worked tirelessly to handle Shanshan’s enrollment procedures.
「A few days later, the new semester officially began.」
Shanshan, wearing a brand-new pink backpack, skipped happily beside Ling Anxun.
She had always been popular, and the moment she stepped into the classroom, she was immediately surrounded by a group of children.
But amid this warm welcome, there were also some whispers.
A few of the slightly older kids were huddled in a corner, muttering quietly.
"She’s so little. Why’d they send her to school already? Since she’s so young, maybe something bad happened at home? That’s so pitiful."
"Her parents must not love her. Otherwise, who would just dump a kid this young in school and make her face all this alone?"
Another child whispered in agreement.
The children who cried and screamed every morning about not wanting to come to school just couldn’t understand.
’Why is she so happy to be here?’
"She’s so young, she definitely won’t be able to keep up with the classes. She probably doesn’t even know all her characters. How can she understand what the teacher is saying? Sooner or later, she’ll be exposed. That’ll be a good show."
But no one could have expected what happened after the first monthly exam. When the results were announced, the entire class was in an uproar.
Ling Xueshan had placed first in the entire class!
"Ling Xueshan, you’re awesome!"
"You got a perfect score in every subject, you didn’t even lose a single point on the word problems! I have to learn from you. You’re a little genius!"
Children at this age are simple-minded.
As long as someone treats them with sincerity and offers a little guidance, they won’t go astray.
「At noon on the first day of school.」
Most of the children were taking a quiet afternoon nap in their classrooms or dorms.
Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps echoed from the stairwell.
Immediately after, a tall, skinny boy burst into the classroom like a whirlwind.
"Ling Xueshan! Your big brother is here to see you!"
"Fourth Brother, don’t be so loud!"
Shanshan’s face turned beet red as she quickly glanced around.
Seeing that many of her classmates were looking their way, she quickly grabbed Ling Zhiwei’s arm and pulled him toward a corner of the school building.
Ling Zhiwei looked down at her flustered expression and couldn’t help but burst out laughing. "HAHA!"
"Coming to see my little sister on her first day of school is a perfectly normal thing to do. What’s there to be shy about? Are you afraid people don’t know that I, Ling Zhiwei, have an adorable little sister?"
"Ugh, it’s just embarrassing!"
Shanshan stomped her foot in frustration.
She pouted, shaking Ling Zhiwei’s arm.
"Fourth Brother, I’m begging you! From now on, unless you’re picking me up after school, please don’t come here, okay?"