Chapter Seventeen: English Prodigy

The next day was Saturday. Zhang Wenhao had planned to sleep in, but at seven-thirty in the morning, he received a call from his homeroom teacher, Song Yanni. She told him to bring his English textbook and arrive at the gate of Jiangcheng Lijing Community by eight-thirty.

It was only then that Zhang Wenhao remembered Song Yanni had promised to tutor him in English. He was genuinely grateful for this, but—

But Zhang Wenhao had already redeemed English skills from the Super Learning System. His current level was more than enough to teach college students in China; was it really necessary to learn some basic grammar and vocabulary from Song Yanni now?

After considering for five seconds, Zhang Wenhao made his decision.

Go!

A beautiful, sophisticated teacher was offering him extra tutoring. Only a fool would refuse. Moreover, since Song Yanni had asked him to come to Jiangcheng Lijing, it seemed she intended for him to study at her home.

Well, although he was just a kid in her eyes, everyone appreciates beauty. Spending a leisurely weekend accompanied by a stunning woman was an excellent way to pass the time.

After hanging up, Zhang Wenhao hurriedly got out of bed. It was seven-thirty; he could wash up, grab something to eat, and still make it in time. The community was only a few miles from school and no more than half an hour’s ride from his home.

Seeing Zhang Wenhao come out of his room, his mother, Song Huafang, was surprised. “Wenhao, why are you up so early? Sleep a bit more. You finally have two days to rest.”

From Song Huafang’s perspective, Zhang Wenhao’s recent performance had far exceeded her expectations. She always reminded him not to overwork and to rest. On weekends, she would rather he slept until noon.

Zhang Wenhao grinned. “Mom, our new homeroom teacher teaches English. She called and asked me to go to her house for tutoring.”

“English?” Song Huafang nodded, pleased. “It seems your new homeroom teacher is quite responsible. You’re still a bit weak in English, and with her helping you privately, your grades should improve.”

She added, “Wenhao, don’t push yourself too hard. Balance work and rest.”

Zhang Wenhao replied with a smile, “Don’t worry, Mom. I know what I’m doing.”

After breakfast, Zhang Wenhao took the bus to the gate of Jiangcheng Lijing Community, arriving at exactly eight-twenty. He called Song Yanni, and she soon walked out from the community.

Song Yanni was dressed casually, wearing a pink thickened pajama set under her down jacket, and a pair of Hello Kitty cotton slippers on her feet. The look was completely at odds with her usual mature, professional attire.

That morning, Song Yanni had only washed up, skipping her usual light makeup. Yet, she looked just as stunning as ever, if not more approachable due to her bare face.

She approached Zhang Wenhao, smiling. “Not bad, you’re on time.”

Zhang Wenhao stared at her slippers for a moment, then looked up and chuckled, “Ms. Song, I didn’t expect you to be so childlike.”

“Am I?” Song Yanni glanced at him, puzzled, then looked down and realized she had worn her home slippers out. Her face grew a bit embarrassed. “Well, these are my sister’s slippers. I just grabbed them without thinking.”

Zhang Wenhao seemed to see through her, smiling, “Ms. Song, your accent doesn’t sound local. Is your sister working in Jiangcheng as well?”

“Uh—” Song Yanni was momentarily at a loss, then feigned annoyance. “Why so many pointless questions? Come on, let’s go.”

Song Yanni had considered where to tutor Zhang Wenhao. The school was out of the question, as the education bureau strictly forbade teachers from giving weekend lessons to students in any form, whether for profit or not. That left only Zhang Wenhao’s home or her own; her place was certainly more convenient, so she decided to tutor him at her home.

Zhang Wenhao followed her inside. Most apartments in Jiangcheng Lijing were one-bedroom, hotel-style units; simply and elegantly decorated, small but well-equipped—very popular with young professionals.

The living room contained only a double sofa and a small coffee table. By the floor-to-ceiling window stood a white maple desk, beside it a four-tier bookshelf filled with all kinds of books.

Sitting at the desk, Zhang Wenhao glanced over the bookshelf and found most of the books were in English. Previously, he wouldn’t have recognized a single title, but now he could easily identify every name, as effortlessly as reading Chinese.

“Evil Under the Sun.”

He was drawn to this book, pulled it out, and skimmed the author’s introduction on the title page. Across from him, Song Yanni smiled, “That book is called ‘Evil Under the Sun.’ It’s a classic detective novel.”

Zhang Wenhao nodded, replaced the book, and joked, “The title has four words—I only recognize two.”

Song Yanni paused, sighed, “Under, the, sun—those three words should be familiar even to middle schoolers. Looks like your English really needs some work.”

Zhang Wenhao nodded in agreement. Song Yanni took out her English lesson plan. “If there were enough time, I’d love to start you from the first-year English textbook. But with only a little over three months to the college entrance exam, if I cram too much into your head, it might affect your memory for other subjects. After all, English accounts for only one-fifth of the exam.”

She continued, “Let’s focus on senior-year English. You have a great memory, so vocabulary shouldn’t be an issue. The main focus is grammar, spoken English, and listening. Let’s start with the first lesson—I’ll read a sentence, and you repeat after me.”

Zhang Wenhao opened his textbook and earnestly followed her, reading line by line.

After only a few sentences, Song Yanni noticed something unusual. Zhang Wenhao’s pronunciation differed from hers—not because he was wrong, but because his accent was remarkably pure and natural.

Students usually memorize the pronunciation of each word mechanically, so their English, to a native speaker, sounds like a robot reciting words—lacking any tone or inflection. Zhang Wenhao’s accent, however, was almost indistinguishable from authentic American English.

It was involuntary for Zhang Wenhao; after mastering the English skills, American pronunciation had become second nature.

Song Yanni couldn’t help but praise him, “Zhang Wenhao, your English pronunciation is truly excellent. I just don’t understand—given your memory and such a standard accent, why aren’t your English grades higher?”

Zhang Wenhao scratched his head and replied, “I picked up the accent from movies. Sometimes I repeat lines along with the actors, but I don’t actually know what they mean—just like when I was a kid, I could say ‘Baga Yarou’ without knowing what it meant.”

Song Yanni nodded gently, “Having a standard accent will be a huge advantage for you in the future.” She added, “Let’s finish this lesson, and then I’ll explain all the grammar points it covers.”

The morning passed quickly. Song Yanni was once again amazed by Zhang Wenhao, and in her heart, she gave him a new label: English prodigy.

In her view, she had never seen a high school student with such comprehension and linguistic talent. Every time she explained a grammar rule, Zhang Wenhao could produce correct examples almost effortlessly; all the knowledge points in the lesson were mastered in a single go.

Song Yanni was once more astonished by Zhang Wenhao’s formidable learning ability, and in her eyes, the hope of him becoming the city’s top scorer in the college entrance exam had grown even stronger!