Chapter 286: Chapter 296: In ’Nurturing’, Giving Up Halfway Is Taboo

In the afternoon, Holly Winslow had three math classes back-to-back, from three o’clock until six. It was just enough time to go over an entire exam paper.

The class she was teaching was normally Sandra Marshall’s. It was considered an intermediate-level class at the tutoring center, with forty students whose grades were neither particularly good nor bad.

When the bell rang, the students were still whispering amongst themselves, but as soon as they saw her walk in, they immediately sat up straight.

She entered the room and placed the graded math papers on the desk. In a voice that wasn’t overly strict, she began her analysis, "The results from this test weren’t great across the board, but don’t be discouraged when you see your scores."

"You’ve only just been introduced to first-year high school material, so this is completely normal."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "I’ll be going over the test in a bit. Please listen carefully, see where you went wrong, and don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything you don’t understand."

She called out their names without announcing the scores. After they had collected their papers, she began explaining the questions. "The first multiple-choice question in math is usually quite simple. It’s a freebie."

"This question involves set theory. Everyone, open your supplementary materials to the second page. The key concepts of set theory are right there."

"Look at the problem. It’s asking for the intersection. If you’re having trouble with problems about intersections, you can always draw a diagram to find the intersection of A and B."

Shannon Vance watched from the doorway for a while. Holly Winslow’s performance truly exceeded her expectations. She showed none of the flustered awkwardness of a new teacher; in fact, her teaching was even better than that of some of the younger instructors who had been there for years.

She knew it was because of Holly Winslow’s excellent attitude.

...

By the time her three classes were over, it was six o’clock.

Some students hadn’t understood a few of the problems, so they crowded around to ask Holly Winslow questions. About seven or eight of them surrounded her, and she explained the concepts to them one by one.

Mortimer Quincy got off work at five. Knowing Holly Winslow wouldn’t be done with class until six today, he put in an extra hour of overtime, then got up and went downstairs at six on the dot.

He waited at the entrance of the tutoring center for a few minutes, but didn’t see Holly Winslow come out. Jeanette Shaw, who had already finished work, saw him and said, "Teacher Winslow is still explaining problems to her students. You can go inside and wait."

Mortimer Quincy nodded. "Thanks."

He had been to Holly Winslow’s classroom once before. It was the first one on the right from the main entrance. The door was open, offering a clear view inside. He saw her focused profile as she clearly and articulately explained the problems to her students.

The students asked questions over and over, but she didn’t show the slightest hint of irritation.

’At home, she’s like a pampered little kitten that gets its fur ruffled so easily.’

’The moment something doesn’t go her way, she just huffs and puffs.’

’The "Humph" Teacher.’

He pressed his lips into a light smile, his eyes filled with tenderness. Then, he took out his phone, snapped a few pictures, and casually posted a status update: The "Humph" Teacher.

Summer Wind liked it.

Mortimer Quincy’s hand paused. He suspected his father-in-law was paying very close attention to his status updates.

He quickly put his phone back in his pocket, walked over, and leaned down slightly to ask, "Does Teacher Winslow need any help?"

When Holly Winslow saw him, her eyes lit up as if she’d just met her savior. She then pointed two students in his direction, signaling for him to help. "Hon—... Mortimer, please explain it in detail."

Mortimer Quincy nodded, and the two of them split up to explain the problems separately.

They stayed in the classroom for over half an hour before the students finally left. Holly Winslow stretched languidly, rolled her neck, and sighed, "The nurturing is over."

Mortimer Quincy reached up and undid his top button, giving her a meaningful look. "The *real* ’nurturing’ hasn’t even begun."

Before Holly Winslow could react, he added, "We’ll start after dinner."

"Honey, eat your fill. When it comes to ’nurturing,’ the worst thing you can do is give up halfway."

Holly Winslow, who understood his meaning perfectly: "..."

She shot him an exasperated glare. Deciding that wasn’t enough, she gave him a light kick before standing up and declaring "viciously," "In that case, I want to order the most expensive king crab!"

King crab was truly expensive; a single one cost around seven or eight hundred yuan.

That was more than half of Mortimer Quincy’s allowance.

She thought this scoundrel, Mortimer, would back down in the face of such a challenge. But somehow, he summoned the courage to agree without a moment’s hesitation with a "Okay."

Holly Winslow eyed him for a few seconds. Something felt very off. This guy didn’t seem at all like someone living off an allowance.

She narrowed her eyes. "Quincy the Puppy, who gave you the courage to eat king crab?"

Before he could answer, she continued, "Where’s your secret stash of money? If I find it, you’re dead meat."

The secret stash was brought up yet again. Mortimer Quincy: "..."

’Damn that Zeke Zane to hell.’

Back at the university, Zeke Zane sneezed several times for no apparent reason. He rubbed the tip of his nose, then went back to soaring through the world of legal knowledge.

...

「The next morning.」

Holly Winslow had two long lectures starting at nine, so they both slept in until eight.

Mortimer Quincy drove her to the campus gate first, waiting until he saw her go inside before driving away.

Serena Shaw and the others hadn’t seen her in a few days, so they gathered around her to chat. Serena had a woeful look on her face. "Holly, English is going to be the death of me! Look, I’m going bald from stress. If I’d known, I would have studied with you back then instead of cramming at the last minute."

Holly Winslow opened her book and replied with a grin, "I told you guys a long time ago: study hard and aim high. Now you see how tough it really is, don’t you?"

Autumn Underwood chimed in, "Right now, I feel like it’s made of diamond. It’s so hard I can’t even make a dent."

Holly Winslow laughed out loud, then comforted the three of them, "There’s still plenty of time. If you really focus, you’ll be fine."

"I’m just short of tying my waistband around my neck," Serena Shaw said, sticking her tongue out.

Simone Quincy had dark circles under her eyes from staying up late. She yawned. "Holly’s got it good. While we’re struggling, she’s off being all lovey-dovey."

Holly Winslow: "..."

Ahem. ’There’s no refuting that.’

Senior year meant fewer classes and even fewer people attending them. Only thirty or forty students showed up for the large lecture. Many seniors were either doing internships off-campus or in their dorms studying for certification exams.

After class, as the professor was gathering her books, she suddenly said to Holly Winslow, "Holly Winslow, come with me to my office."

Serena Shaw and the others watched her go with envious expressions. Everyone knew what this was likely about: a recommendation for graduate school.

But they couldn’t bring themselves to be jealous. Holly Winslow worked very hard, so it was only natural for her to get a recommendation.

Holly Winslow followed the professor into her office. After gesturing for her to sit, she asked with a smile, "Have you made any plans for grad school?"

Holly Winslow shook her head and replied with a faint smile, "Professor Lynch, I’m planning to go back to my home county to be a teacher after graduation."

"I’ve already been in contact with a school there."

The professor was a bit surprised to hear this. After all, Holly Winslow’s academic background and grades were top-tier among her peers.

It wouldn’t be difficult for a student like her to find a high-paying job at a state-owned enterprise.

She asked curiously, "Why? Is it because of the cost?"

Grad school would cost at least seventy or eighty thousand yuan.

Holly Winslow shook her head again. "No, that’s not it. I just prefer teaching to pursuing a graduate degree."

The professor thought it was a real shame for her not to go to grad school and tried to reason with her. "If you get a graduate degree, you could become a university professor yourself."

"Professor" certainly sounded better than "teacher." It was undeniably better, not just in terms of salary but also in prestige.

If this had been the Holly Winslow from her past life, she might have chosen grad school without hesitation. But having been reborn, she wanted to do something meaningful that was within her capabilities.

And to finally receive the recognition she should have had in her previous life.