I asked you to write a light novel, but you wrote about living?

"Mr. Yu."

Chen Jianjia snapped out of her thoughts and nodded slightly.

"I'm sorry to bother you today."

"We invited you here, there's no disturbance at all."

Yu Wen gestured for her to sit down.

"I should have treated you to this meal a long time ago, but I've been too busy these past few days, so I kept putting it off until now."

"I haven't had any free time these past few days."

Chen Jianjia sat down on the sofa and said in a gentle and natural tone, "Since both of us are busy, it's not a question of who delayed whom."

"Then let's not stand on ceremony," Yu Wen said with a smile.

Yu Yin sat down next to Chen Jianjia and continued talking about the new school that she hadn't finished discussing on the way there.

She said the classrooms at the new school were very large, and the library had many paper books.

She also said that after her classmates found out that her brother was Yu Huashi, they always liked to pester her to ask what her next work would be about.

Chen Jianjia listened quietly.

After chatting for a while, Chen Jianjia looked at Yu Wen.

"How are you feeling?"

"Has the surgery date been set?"

"A few more tests are needed."

Yu Wen replied:

"If all goes well, it should be soon."

"Then you should get some rest during this time."

Chen Jianjia glanced at the manuscript screen that had just disappeared.

"I can't let writing ruin my health."

Before Yu Wen could speak, Yu Yin nodded earnestly beside him.

"Teacher Chen, he wrote until very late again yesterday."

"Yinyin."

Yu Wen glanced at his sister helplessly.

"I'm telling the truth."

Yu Yin made no attempt to cover up for her brother.

Chen Jianjia didn't say much, but just looked at Yu Wen with a smile.

At this moment, Aunt Zhang came out of the kitchen with a plate of freshly cooked dishes and placed the last dish on the table.

"Let's eat first."

The atmosphere at the dinner table was more relaxed than Chen Jianjia had expected.

Aunt Zhang cooks simple, home-style dishes without using any expensive ingredients, yet she caters to everyone's tastes.

After dinner, Aunt Zhang cleared the table and cut a small plate of the snacks that Chen Jianjia had brought, then brought it to the living room.

Yu Yin sat down next to Chen Jianjia on the sofa.

She was clearly still thinking about something else, and as soon as she sat down, she asked:

"Teacher Chen, what about the royalties for 'The Little Prince'?"

Chen Jianjia smiled.

"You still remember?"

"Um."

Yu Yin nodded seriously.

Last time, Chen Jianjia only told her that the royalties were substantial, but did not specify the exact amount.

She remembers it now because she wants to see it with her own eyes.

Chen Jianjia took out an encrypted electronic settlement document from her file bag and handed it to her.

"Since Yinyin relayed our message last time, you can deliver it to your brother this time too."

Yu Yin carefully took it.

A light screen unfolded in front of her, displaying a dense list of settlement items.

She couldn't understand most of the content, only recognizing the prominent string of numbers at the bottom.

She stared at it for a while, then her eyes slowly widened.

"elder brother."

Yu Yin handed the document to Yu Wen.

"It seems like there really are a lot."

Yu Wen took the settlement documents and quickly scanned them.

"That's quite a lot."

"After The Little Prince was published, it attracted more readers than Midtown Observer had initially anticipated."

Chen Jianjia explained:

"In addition to the initial publication fee, there is also a portion of the revenue generated from subsequent reprints."

"You need to personally verify the author's identity and the payment account."

Yu Wen didn't operate immediately, but instead looked up at her.

Yu Yin told me that you wanted to apologize to me for what happened with "The Little Prince".

Chen Jianjia's smile faded slightly.

"The Little Prince is your work."

"I told the story to others without your prior consent, and it was later published in Midtown Observer."

"While the result did help you, it doesn't mean my approach was without flaws."

She spoke frankly, without trying to evade the fact that she had crossed any lines just because she meant well.

Yu Wen shook his head.

"You were trying to help me back then."

"And it's not a bad thing for me that more people can see 'The Little Prince'."

He said earnestly:

"So there's no need for an apology."

"To be honest, I should be the one thanking you."

Chen Jianjia looked at him for a moment, and after confirming that he was not just being polite, she did not insist.

"it is good."

"Then let's leave it at that."

Yu Wen completed the identity verification on the document and submitted the receiving account.

Yu Yin, standing to the side, looked at the string of numbers and couldn't help but ask:

"Was all of this money earned by your brother writing 'The Little Prince'?"

"Yes."

Chen Jianjia said:

"Some people like this story, and the platform that published it gains readers as a result, so the author should receive appropriate royalties."

Yu Yin nodded as if she understood, then secretly glanced at the string of numbers again.

Yu Wen saw through her thoughts.

"rest assured."

"We have enough money at home."

Yu Yin gave a soft "hmm" and then stopped staring at the document.

Chen Jianjia looked at her and remembered what Yu Yin looked like when she was still in the Xiacheng District school.

The echo was so quiet at that time that it was almost imperceptible.

Even when speaking to her own brother, she habitually speaks softly, as if making any additional request would add to the burden on the family.

Now, she waits for him at the entrance of the community, enthusiastically introduces his new home, and openly asks how much money his brother has made.

This change is naturally gratifying.

But Chen Jianjia knew very well that there were still many children in the Xiacheng District who did not have such an opportunity.

They are equally sensible and equally hardworking.

How far a child can go often does not depend on how hard he tries.

Chen Jianjia picked up her teacup, her gaze lingering on Yu Yin for a long time.

"Teacher Chen?"

Yu Yin looked at her with some confusion.

"It's nothing."

Chen Jianjia smiled.

She looked away, but for some reason, she suddenly remembered Yu Wen's first live broadcast.

That day, he talked about his mother, about death, and about why a person continues to live after losing a loved one.

Those words weren't fancy.

Yu Wen spoke calmly.

That's precisely why it's so unforgettable.

From then on, Chen Jianjia could no longer regard him as just a young author who could write stories.

Some of the problems that had been troubling her for a long time made her subconsciously think that perhaps she could listen to Yu Wen's opinion.

"Mr. Yu."

Chen Jianjia suddenly spoke.

"Um?"

"What do you think...?"

She paused for a moment, as if considering how to ask the question.

"How much can a teacher actually change in a child?"

Even Chen Jianjia herself was somewhat surprised when she finished speaking.

She had never asked anyone this question.

I never imagined that I would ask this question to someone who had never been a teacher.

Yu Wen did not interrupt her.

After a moment of silence, Chen Jianjia continued:

"There are many children in the lower district."

"They may be very smart and willing to study hard, but even if they finish their studies, they may not be able to leave that place in the end."

"The knowledge that teachers impart to them may not change their background, nor can it solve the problems they face in life."

She looked down at the tea in her cup.

"Sometimes I think, knowing all this, I still stand on the podium and tell them that reading makes life better..."

"Is this giving them hope, or is it saying something even they themselves aren't sure about?"

The living room gradually quieted down.

Yu Yin also raised her head and looked at her brother.

Yu Wen understood that Chen Jianjia's question was not just about how to teach.

What she really wanted to know was whether everything she did still had meaning when a teacher couldn't change reality.

He thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed:

"I've never been a teacher."

"I don't know how to answer that question either."

Chen Jianjia looked at him without saying a word.

Yu Wen continued:

"However, I can tell you a story."

"A story of a rural teacher."