Chapter 42: Recruiting a Tutor

Lü Jingwei involuntarily touched the back of his neck. As soon as he withdrew his hand, he heard Su Yuxin's faint laughter, "Could it be that Cousin also wants to learn from Mingxia?"

Lü Jingwei was momentarily stunned but soon understood that Su Yuxin was berating him as a roadblock.

"Since you're obstinate, I won't bother with you," with these words, Lü Jingwei hastily left. He was afraid Su Yuxin might say something embarrassing for him.

Watching Lü Jingwei's awkward departure, a cold smirk flashed in Su Yuxin's eyes. It was merely a beginning.

She had debts from her past life, debts she intended to reclaim, bit by bit.

The bookstore, named "Jia Tianxia," was the largest in Shengjing. The name "Jia Tianxia" represented the best, implying that those who frequented the bookstore would eventually excel in their studies, akin to the top "San Jia."

Su Yuxin wandered around the bookstore, unsure of how to choose a tutor. Just as she was fretting, a bookstore attendant approached her, "Madam, what books are you looking for? What field? I can recommend something for you."

"I'm not buying books," Su Yuxin shook her head. "I'm here to seek a tutor."

"What kind of tutor does Madam seek? The people who visit our bookstore are knowledgeable individuals. I might be able to assist with a recommendation," the attendant inquired.

"I seek someone to teach a child to read and write. Preferably someone with a witty and humorous demeanor, not too stern," Su Yuxin pondered, then spoke, "Do you mind if I browse for a while? Could you assist me in checking?"

After the attendant left her sight, Su Yuxin idled for a while, eventually stopping at a row of medical books. Thinking about Dr. Sun's mention of Xia Zhi's medical talent, she decided to buy some medical books to gift to Xia Zhi.

She had no knowledge of medicine but randomly picked out books. Money wasn't an issue for her.

In no time, Su Yuxin had selected around twenty to thirty books, carried by Qing Que, Chi Yan, and Orange.

"Madam, is this enough? When will Xia Zhi read all these?" Qing Que's eyes were almost covered.

Su Yuxin turned and looked at the three nearly buried in books, realizing she might have taken too many.

At that moment, a handsome young man nearby glanced casually and asked, "May I ask, are these medical books all for one person?"

"Yes," Su Yuxin nodded, humbly seeking advice. "Is there something amiss?"

"If for the same person, the range seems too wide. These two medical books are very abstruse, not easily comprehended even after ten years of practice. And these two are just introductory selections, usually meant for novices," the young man looked at Su Yuxin, "May I know who these are for?"

"For a beginner," Su Yuxin smiled apologetically, "I'm not knowledgeable in this field, so I picked randomly."

"If Madam would trust me, I would be willing to re-select a few suitable ones. It's a pity to buy excessively intricate books, better to leave them for others in need," the young man smiled courteously.

"In that case, I'd trouble you," Su Yuxin nodded, having a favorable impression of him.

The young man quickly picked out four or five books for Su Yuxin and briefly introduced each one.

"Does the gentleman have medical knowledge?" Su Yuxin couldn't help but ask.

"I wouldn't claim that; I only have some superficial understanding," the young man smiled, revealing dimples that made him quite charming.

As they conversed, the attendant who had gone to check the roster returned, "Madam, I found a suitable gentleman. He..."

"What about him?" Su Yuxin was eager to hear more but saw the attendant stop abruptly.

"It's quite coincidental; the gentleman I intended to recommend is right here," the attendant smiled, "This is Mr. Jiang Han, whom I'd like to recommend."

"Recommend?" The young man was momentarily surprised. "May I ask for what reason?"

"Madam is seeking a tutor to teach a child to read and write, hoping for someone humorous and not too rigid," the attendant explained, "I checked the book purchasing record and felt that Mr. Jiang Han would be a perfect fit. Moreover, Mr. Jiang Han recently mentioned his search for a temporary position, so I was planning to recommend him to Madam. It's unexpected that Mr. Jiang Han and Madam would meet here."

"I see," Jiang Han nodded, then bowed to Su Yuxin. "I am from Jingzhou and came to Shengjing to seek relatives. I planned to participate in this year's autumn examination, but my relatives have left Shengjing. I am temporarily residing in an inn, running out of funds. Thus, I intended to find a temporary position to teach and alleviate my financial woes. Though I'm not exceptionally talented, I'm confident in teaching young children. If Madam trusts me, I'm willing to help to the best of my abilities."

Su Yuxin pondered for a moment.

There were still three or four months until the autumn examination. Considering Xia Zhi's intelligence, learning a few thousand characters should not be an issue. Besides, three to four months should be sufficient for the General to find the strange physician. Once that happened, she would ensure that Xia Zhi became the physician's apprentice. After following the strange physician, Xia Zhi could continue learning from them, and the residence wouldn't need a tutor anymore.

Moreover, Su Yuxin had a favorable impression of Jiang Han, so she nodded, "In that case, I'll trouble you for these few months."

"Thank you, Madam. I'll impart my knowledge to the best of my ability," Jiang Han bowed.

"Orange, take the gentleman to the Prefectural Office to process the paperwork, then return to the General's residence and arrange accommodation for the gentleman," Su Yuxin instructed.

"Madam, rest assured, I'll handle it properly," Orange nodded, then turned to Jiang Han, saying, "Sir, let's go."

After Jiang Han bid Su Yuxin goodbye, he followed Orange and departed.

Su Yuxin glanced at the attendant and smiled, "Thank you for the recommendation."

Qing Que promptly handed a purse to the attendant, "This is Madam's token of appreciation."

The attendant received it, feeling its weight, and gratefully bowed, "Thank you for your generosity. Madam, have you finalized your book selection? Would you like me to wrap them?"

"I've finished selecting," Su Yuxin nodded. "Could you wrap them up and settle the bill?"

"Please wait a moment, Madam." The attendant moved swiftly, wrapping the books neatly and offering a discount when processing the payment.

"Madam bought books and hired a tutor. Do you need writing implements? There's a shop named Liu Yun Xuan nearby, offering superior writing tools. Madam might want to take a look," the attendant inquired. 

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness," Su Yux

in smiled, handing a silver piece to the attendant and left with Qing Que and Chi Yan.