“I am Sean Foster. Through the Huaxia Charity Federation, I heard you need a home tutor?”

William King quickly put on a smile. “So you’re Teacher Foster, I didn’t expect you to arrive so soon. Please come in, please come in.”

For the sake of her child, she naturally wanted to show her warmest side.

Sean Foster looked a bit shy. He knew how to gain her trust and put her at ease.

As William King let him in, she couldn’t help but notice his tall, handsome figure—though that was secondary. What struck her most was his fresh and easygoing demeanor.

This kind of temperament could only be found in those who had left hardship behind.

“Please have a seat, I’ll go call Amy.”

She brought over some tea, and as Sean Foster accepted it, he noticed her fingernails were trimmed very short, with some calluses, while his own hands were fair—almost as delicate as a girl’s.

Feeling a bit awkward, he quickly took the cup himself and took a sip. The tea was a little bitter. While she was away, Sean Foster looked around.

This was a cramped home. Though there were appliances and furniture, it was obvious they were all secondhand. Two rooms—one for the couple, one for the child. The kitchen and bathroom were both small and dim.

Within a few minutes, someone gently pushed open the door and approached cautiously.

Sean Foster looked over and saw a little girl, her eyes clear and bright, only about twelve or thirteen years old.

He was a bit surprised. He had expected a rebellious child who didn’t like to study, but now it seemed that learning first-level math was actually ahead of schedule.

“Amy, quickly greet Teacher Foster. From now on, you must study well with Teacher Foster.” William King said hurriedly.

Suddenly, he understood.

Once again, it was the hope of a mother for her daughter to succeed, to escape their current situation through education. Many lessons were being placed on the child’s young shoulders. Unconsciously, he felt a trace of pity.

He cleared his throat and said, “Amy Wood, hello, I am Sean Foster.”

Amy Wood gazed into his eyes, then stepped forward and extended her small hand. They shook hands seriously.

“Miss Amy Wood, I’m here to help you study. I hope that in two months, we’ll both have gained something.” As he held her hand, a flash of invisible light passed through the jade ruyi inside his body.

Amy Wood was momentarily dazed, then her eyes cleared and she nodded vigorously.

“Let’s get ready, then. I’d like to see your current level.” Sean Foster said. Just now, he had used a bit of the precious energy from the jade ruyi to cast a minor wishing spell, filling her with goodwill—just for a good start.

Amy Wood nodded, said nothing, and led him into her room.

William King was a bit surprised. Amy Wood was usually quiet and withdrawn, not very sociable. Why was she so close to him now?

But the door was half open, so she could see what was happening inside.

Sean Foster began to ask Amy Wood about her studies, sometimes giving her problems to solve, and immediately bringing up the corresponding teaching materials.

“Natural numbers are the numbers we use naturally, understand? That’s 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… and so on. One after another, to infinity, with no negative numbers.”

“What are negative numbers?”

“Numbers less than zero, marked with a minus sign—. For example, if you have ten yuan, that’s a natural number. If you owe someone ten yuan, it’s recorded as negative ten. As for rational and irrational numbers, we’ll learn those gradually. Now, let’s do another set.”

Outside the door, William King watched through the crack, feeling relieved. She quickly took some meat from the fridge and sliced it into strips.

Not long after, as dusk fell, Gregory Wood came home from work. As soon as he entered, he saw the two studying inside. He immediately moved quietly, helping his wife with the cooking and setting the table, while whispering, “Ah, there’s a teacher here. He looks so young?”

“Heh, he’s a student at the town’s technical college. Look at his profile—he’s only fifteen this year, already at level three in math, and finished level two in all other subjects. For his age, he’s truly an excellent student!”

Gregory Wood carefully read the information on the computer for a long time before saying, “That’s really great! If Amy could be like him, I’d be so happy.”

“Stop looking, hurry up. Let’s make a good meal today. Teacher Foster doesn’t want any payment, but for the first meal, we should make it a bit special. Go to the supermarket and get some more.”

Gregory Wood agreed, gazing at his wife. “William, you’ve worked so hard. Sigh, this year my department said I have a chance for free training. After I finish, my salary will go up by thirty percent. I hope Amy won’t have to suffer like I did, and we can pave the way for her future now.”

When Gregory Wood returned, Amy had already finished her lessons for the day. Taking advantage of the time, Sean Foster had also finished drafting the study plan.

When he brought Amy out, Sean Foster said seriously, “Would you both please come over?”

The couple quickly washed their hands and came to sit on the sofa.

“Mr. Wood, Ms. King, I’d like to confirm—your goal is for her to complete first-level math this year, correct?”

“Yes, Teacher Foster, that’s exactly what I hope for.”