“Mm, first-level mathematics, with 200 teaching hours. Given Amy’s current level and condition, I believe it can be completed within two months. Three hours of instruction per day, plus several hours of homework. I’ve already made a plan for this—please read it.”

“Two months?” The two of them looked at each other in surprise. That seemed a bit short; normally, it would take a year to learn this. Even with intensive teaching, it would take half a year.

Gregory Wood took Sean Foster’s computer and looked at it. The densely packed teaching plans made his eyes blur, but he felt a bit more confident in Sean Foster’s arrangements. “Teacher Foster, you’re the professional, so we’ll leave it to you. As parents, we’ll definitely support you.”

“A child’s learning ability has its limits. Completing this in two months is already a very tight schedule. I will allow for necessary rest time, so please do not arbitrarily add more lessons.” Sean Foster said seriously, “This is my only requirement. Otherwise, you’ll have to find someone else.”

Currently, the power of the jade ruyi is very weak, but it can sustain three hours of deep learning, after which full rest is necessary. So this condition is a must.

“Of course, of course.” The couple quickly agreed.

“In that case, please sign here!” Sean Foster printed it out on the home printer.

The two looked at each other, then signed.

And so, the matter was settled. After a light dinner, Sean Foster took his leave. Instead of going straight home, he went to the An Yi Quiet Society. After all, he had kendo practice every day.

To be honest, early kendo training is basically just fundamental exercise. The core principle is that the mind and hand move as one, and to train neural reaction speed. If you can slash or thrust as you wish, with steadiness, power, and accuracy, that’s about it.

Many people train for three months and then declare their basic kendo training complete, but Sean Foster planned to train for a full year. Of course, if things go as expected and the jade ruyi can accumulate power, the process could be sped up.

Chapter 7: The Banquet (Part 1)

Charles Thompson, Sean Foster, and Thomas Miller gradually became familiar with each other. Sometimes, they would chat idly, always sitting on the sofa—Charles Thompson and Sean Foster on the long sofa, and Thomas Miller opposite them. They talked about everything under the sun, and slowly, their relationship did improve. Of course, there was still a fundamental gap before they could be called close friends.

Although Sean Foster hadn’t been at school long, he was slowly gaining a bit of a reputation for his academic performance. You know, most kids don’t finish the third level until they’re eighteen, but Sean Foster had almost finished the intermediate courses already. The fourth level was considered advanced education. Plus, he was charming and handsome. Although he didn’t know how to make girls laugh, his calm demeanor and unique temperament, rare for a young boy, made him popular with some girls.

Until the third weekend of September, when Charles Thompson’s cousin was getting engaged, and the two of them were invited to attend.

By this time, Sean Foster had already gained the trust of the The Wood Family and was allowed to take Amy Wood out to play for a while.

“Go ahead and have fun, and eat whatever you like.” The cousin was only seventeen, probably happy at heart, so she seemed to glow with joy. She spoke cheerfully, then turned in surprise to Amy Wood, “Oh my, whose child is this? So adorable!”

“Cousin, if you like kids so much, just have a daughter of your own in the future.” Charles Thompson said with a chuckle.

At these words, the young woman’s face immediately flushed red. She quickly protested and chased after him, while her fiancé, already working, seemed pleased but said nothing.

Although greeting the elders and giving gifts was a bit troublesome, things became much more relaxed afterward. The event was held at the cousin’s mother’s house—a whole villa with a small garden, quite spacious, easily accommodating over a hundred people, with plenty of room to spare.

The villa was warm and bright, and the balcony faced the park across the way. The lake in the park was shrouded in mist, like an ink painting. The setting was indeed lovely.

Every room in the villa was filled with flower baskets. There were several buffet tables, not just one. The napkins were spotless, and the tables were laden with food and drinks. The only thing was, since it was a private engagement, there were no servers—you had to help yourself.

All the guests were relatives and friends: well-dressed gentlemen, smiling ladies, lively and adorable children. These groups formed small circles based on their relationships, chatting about various topics. Most were dressed in traditional Chinese attire.

Traditional Chinese clothing is beautiful, but with long, flowing sleeves, it’s not very practical for daily work. So it’s usually only worn on occasions like this. Of course, that’s not all—over the past few decades, as life has become more relaxed, more people, especially women, have started wearing traditional clothing in daily life.

At this moment, Sean Foster recalled more and more of his family traditions. In the main hall, there was a wide variety of food—this was a buffet, with Western-style snacks, desserts, nuts, cakes, salads, and so on.

There were also Eastern dishes, of course, all served in small disposable plates so you could finish them in one go and then toss the plate in the trash.