Chapter 21: What on Earth is the Multiplication Table?

"Mom, I want the yellow one and the blue one, Qianqian, do you still have those metal rings for the keychains? I want to make one and hang it around my neck," He Wenyu said as he clung to Mother He, jumping around happily.

"Godmother, if you're bored, you could make more that we can sell," Luo Qianqian suggested playfully as she cuddled with the little bear.

"It's not much trouble, as the materials are readily available. I'm idle anyway, so when I have time, I'll make some for you kids to play with," Mother He said nonchalantly, not taking her goddaughter's entrepreneurial comment to heart, thinking it was just child's play. She hadn't realized that all three kids were seriously intent on making money.

"Thank you, Mom," He Wenyu said happily, hugging Mother He's leg and cooing affectionately.

"Go study now. Mom will make you a 'Unwashed Patchwork Bear' to play with, but you can only have it if your brother praises you; otherwise, Mom will keep it and not give it to you. Did you hear me?" Mother He gently patted He Wenyu's bobbing head, half-threateningly cajoling her own daughter. Of course, she knew that since having Qianqian as a playmate, her daughter had learned a lot. Just the other day, she had proudly traded memorized poetry for a ring pop she had been craving. But scaring her was the only way to get her to study—it had become her daughter's habit to get serious when enticed by something.

"Qianqian, quick, quick, bring me paper and a pen, and go play over there, no disturbing my studies. Let's continue from where we left off, learning about International Women's Day," He Wenyu urged, oblivious to her mom's teasing smile and Luo Shufan's resigned expression, as she eagerly directed Qianqian, who obviously had nothing else to do, to assist her in her 'study task.' When studying turned into a task, it inevitably made one more serious, especially when there was a desired reward ahead.

"Luo Qianqian, as your brother, I must warn you not to cause any more trouble!" Luo Shufan pushed his sister, who had already brought paper and a pen, towards the fan to read the newspaper, while he and He Wenyu started to learn the multiplication table at the dining table.

She was quite comfortable in her spot; otherwise, she would have continued causing trouble. Luo Qianqian sat in front of the fan, daring not to disturb any further, as she was no longer an ignorant little brat.

Luo Shufan occasionally swung He Wenyu's arithmetic book from a few days before in front of his sister, worried about her feeling left out, but ended up being scorned and received eye rolls for blocking the breeze.

Her brother, except for English, was capable of skipping grades in other subjects, but English was a big problem. There were no tutors available now, and with the money they were earning, they could only afford maybe ten or eight lessons. Mom had changed jobs recently and might have an easier life ahead, but the English problem persisted—without solving it, her brother would struggle to carry on until middle school. His middle school reportedly had a particularly excellent English teacher; she wondered if her brother could manage to be taught by him.

Maybe we should try selling some 'Patchwork Bears' at the high school gate later, using the bears as compensation. Perhaps buying but not affording a good result in English might motivate a high school student to trade teaching English for the latest 'God Luo' products? Let's start with the "Patchwork Bear" for the first season. It seems, for my brother's future, we need to think more about popular, sellable items and get a good price upfront. Right, I should be able to register on Penguin now, better snatch a good number quickly.

Right, the patchwork bear made of assorted fabrics should also look attractive. Luo Qianqian thought this as she turned off the fan and glanced at the earnest study duo, softly pushing open the door to Luo's Mom's studio, which was also He Wenyu's bedroom.

"Godmother," Luo Qianqian whispered gingerly, afraid to startle Mother He, who was deeply engrossed in her work, like a monk in meditative trance, unaffected by any disturbance.

Feeling somewhat helpless, she began searching through the fabric basket for ideal patchwork bear materials. The basket was filled with bits and pieces of fabric, each no bigger than a palm, intended for making shuttlecocks.

"Hmm? Eh? Qianqian, what are you doing here?" Mother He reached out for navel and ear fabric pieces but was startled by a soft, warm hand she unexpectedly touched.

"Godmother, do you think a 'Patchwork Bear' made of various colored patchworked fabrics would look good?" Luo Qianqian raised the fabrics she had selected, different in colors and patterns, looking innocently curious as she asked Mother He.

However, Mother He, who always took her goddaughter's words seriously, didn't notice Luo Qianqian's childish act. She decided to play along with this charade.

"We can try. You can't tell just by looking at the fabric. Let me finish this first, then I'll make the all-patchwork 'Patchwork Bear' you mentioned. And if it doesn't look good, you are not allowed to complain because you said everything Godmother makes looks good," Mother He took the fabrics from Luo Qianqian's hands, formed a circle with her thumb and index finger, and flicked her forehead gently with her middle finger: "Go play now. Keep an eye on Xiao Yu, and tell her she won't get the bear without being praised."

Luo Shufan looked at his little sister, who had been staring at Xiao Yu's study results on the table since a moment ago, and was somewhat dumbfounded. When had his sister, who cared about nothing but money, ever been so interested in academic issues? This was unscientific; there must be some scheme behind it.

But as clever as Xiao Yu was, she was ultimately just a child and it took her quite a while to memorize everything, and by that time, the short hand of the clock was already nearing 'five'.

"Wow, not bad—deserves praise, yes, praise." Luo Shufan, looking at the three large pages of crooked multiplication tables, could only sigh that his little sister was precocious. The handwriting looked like that of a five-year-old. Usually, when talking with his sister about any issue, he felt no sense of pride, forcing him to pick up increasingly difficult and obscure books just to see a surprised expression on his sister's face, and only then did he feel like a big brother.

"Oh yeah, time to ask mom for Little Bear." Counting the times from when Luo Shufan had praised his sister for being able to drink milk as a child to praising her for eating an extra bite of rice, he rarely complimented others. Hearing his praise now, He Wenyu happily burst into the room: "Mom, brother praised me, where's my Little Bear?"

Who has seen Annie's Little Bear? Luo Qianqian silently added in her heart. Then, observing her brother's face looking like a deeply aggrieved wife, she said, "Brother, you've never praised me though."

Do you need my praise? Luo Shufan widened his eyes. His sister's tone was just like it wasn't she who had solved the sixth-grade math problems, wasn't the one who spoke great truths, and wasn't the one whose brain, like a black hole, came up with all sorts of brilliant ideas: "I used to praise you often, hmm, before you bumped your head, like when you finished your meals or went to bed on time at seven. Ever since your fall, you've become so sensible, where do I need to praise you?" I feel as though a thousand-year-old monster lives inside you. If I hadn't watched you grow up from a baby, I would definitely call the police and have you locked up because you must be the reincarnation of a monster.

Must say, brother, you hit the nail on the head.

"Xiao Yu is so impressive, huh? The blue Little Bear is right here." Mother He pulled out the slightly bigger Little Bear from a pile of probably around a dozen or twenty bears: "But first, tell mom what all you've learned?"

"Multiplication tables, the largest is nine nines are eighty-one, the smallest is one times one is one." He Wenyu raised her little head and said proudly, she had given up her playtime with Qianqian to memorize this.

"Then, let mom test you; if you answer correctly, mom will make a nice chain to hold your Little Bear, how about that?" Mother He had always felt fortunate that her daughter met the Luo siblings and had silently decided in her heart to treat the Luo siblings as her own children.

"Yes, yes, test me, test me, and if I get everything right, mom has to make a chain for Qianqian too." He Wenyu closed her eyes, recalling the times tables she had just memorized.

"What is two times eight?"

"Sixteen."

"What is four times nine?"

"Uhh... one times nine is nine, two nines eighteen, three nines twenty-seven, four nines equals... thirty-six!"

"Very good, very good. Last question, what is eight times four?"

"Eight times four? There is no eight times four..." He Wenyu scratched her head, pondered for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes before she trudged over to the dining table and picked up the pages she had written the multiplication tables on: "There is no eight times four, if it's not there, it's not there, there's none, wah, wah, wah..."