I tutored Adam, a low-income student, and his grades improved. But his mother immediately fired me. “Miss Lily, my child has been taking lessons for so long and still hasn’t gotten first place. This shows your teaching skills are inadequate,” she said. “And you charge so much! I see Jessica only asks for $6 a day. How dare you make money off us poor people?” The Jessica she mentioned is my roommate, who has never gotten along with me. Jessica is willing to tutor at such a low price only to win the school’s “Top 10 Outstanding Students” award. Adam’s mother eagerly drove me away, not knowing that once Jessica’s dream of winning the award shatters, she won’t care about them anymore. I’d like to see if Adam can get into high school without my tailored study plan. [Lily, you don’t need to come to our house anymore.] [We can’t afford such a big shot like you!] After finishing this week’s review with Adam, I was exhausted. As soon as I squeezed onto the subway after leaving his house, I received these messages from Mrs. Wilson, Adam’s mom. I almost thought I had misread it. I rubbed my eyes and read it carefully again. No mistake, Mrs. Wilson had unilaterally fired me! Why? I was utterly confused. Since I started tutoring Adam, I had broken down the knowledge points and spoon-fed them to him, helping him sort out concepts he didn’t understand before, cultivating good study habits, and tailoring a study plan for him. Adam’s grades had improved significantly. Previously, he was at the bottom of his class, but in the recent monthly exam, he had leaped to ninth place! Today, when I saw his report card, I was genuinely happy for Adam. But his mom had been frowning the whole time, apparently having already decided to fire me. [Why, Mrs. Wilson? You should at least give me a reason.] I asked, not understanding. I had been diligent and conscientious, and Adam’s progress was evident. Moreover, I knew their family was struggling financially, so my fee was already very low, only charging $10 for a whole day of tutoring. Before each tutoring session, I would spend a lot of time preparing exercises and content, just to truly help Adam improve. I knew that in such an impoverished family, education was the only way out. So I did my best, wanting to help Adam change his life. [You have the nerve to ask?] [You’re not serious in your teaching, what’s with all this heart-to-heart talk with Adam? Isn’t that just wasting lesson time?] [And my Adam is so smart, but he still hasn’t gotten first in his grade. Are you not teaching wholeheartedly? Are you afraid that if Adam gets first in the school, we won’t need you anymore?] [And your price is so expensive. Others only charge $6 a day. How dare you make money off us poor people? I thought you were the cheapest before, but it turns out you’re still profiting. College students are so scheming!] [I’m telling you, people like you with bad intentions will face karma!] I only sent one question, but Mrs. Wilson bombarded me with several 60-second voice messages, like a flood gate opening. Her tone was very hostile. I could almost imagine her furrowed brows and angry glare. I hadn’t done anything wrong, but now I was being misunderstood and even having the results of my teaching denied. During the time I tutored Adam, I would buy some milk and fruit to bring over every time I went to his house. It was because he was from a single-parent family, living in poverty, and always looked thin and malnourished. “Teacher, I don’t want these. I’m just happy you’re tutoring me,” Adam would refuse, pushing the food away. “Your money doesn’t grow on trees either.” “It’s okay, teacher has enough money. Take these to supplement your nutrition. You’re at a critical stage of growth,” I would say. I felt warm inside, feeling that all my efforts were meaningful. I was proud that I could help a good kid. Although Mrs. Wilson often dragged her feet on paying the tutoring fee, I didn’t rush to ask for it. After all, for me, this was preparation for becoming a formal teacher after college graduation, and it was also my initiative to help someone in need. I never expected that now I would be used and discarded, directly fired. [Every child has their limit. Adam and I both tried our best in this exam.] [During the learning process, psychological counseling and encouragement are necessary. This isn’t so-called wasting time.] [Adam’s improvement over this period is evident. Saying I’m not serious in my teaching is simply slander. And about the price, I dare say no teacher charges less than me for tutoring! I even bring milk and fruit for Adam every time, the tutoring fee isn’t even enough to cover that. How am I making money off you?] My hands were shaking with anger as I typed. This was blatant slander. I couldn’t let Mrs. Wilson casually smear me like this. I argued based on reason, but I didn’t expect Mrs. Wilson to hit me with a bombshell— [You’re still denying it? Adam said you don’t teach during lessons. Can a child lie?]
At this point, I was stunned. My first reaction was that Mrs. Wilson was making it up. In my eyes, Adam was a good kid who was poor but ambitious. He studied hard, wanting to change his fate. He was also very respectful to me, always politely calling me “Miss Lily” whenever I came to tutor. He wasn’t one to just take without giving back. Every time I brought him milk and fruit, he would blush and refuse, even washing them clean and insisting I eat some too. Adam and I got along very well. Otherwise, given how often Mrs. Wilson delayed paying the tutoring fee, I wouldn’t have stayed on. Or you could say, the reason I persisted in tutoring him all this time was entirely for Adam’s sake. [Don’t use the child as an excuse. I want to talk to Adam.] I replied to Mrs. Wilson like this, and the next second, a video call came through from the other side. Adam’s face appeared on the screen. “Adam, is what your mom said true?” I asked. “Do you think I’m not teaching seriously and just wasting time?” Even at this moment, I believed Mrs. Wilson was making things up. I couldn’t believe this would be Adam’s thoughts. But to my surprise, Adam nodded. “I said it. There’s no point in holding back anymore,” he said. “I only ranked ninth in the class this time. My deskmate also has a tutor, so how come he can get first place?” “My grades are improving so slowly, you must not be teaching wholeheartedly. The fact that I could go from the bottom to the top ten in the class shows that my IQ is high, so it must be a problem with your teaching method.” “And your fee is so expensive, but the results are so poor. Luckily I’ve found someone cheaper now, otherwise I would have been fooled by you and had to endure who knows how long?” Adam’s eyes were full of complaints and contempt, as if I were some unforgivable criminal. I couldn’t believe it. “Adam, what are you talking about? You know very well that every time I tutor you, I bring you good food – bread, milk, fruit. When have I ever missed a time?” “The things I buy already exceed $10, more than the daily tutoring fee! I’m practically paying to tutor you. How can you say this about me?” Adam raised his eyelids slightly, very dismissive of what I said. “Who’s the fool in this world? If you were really losing money, would you be willing to teach me?” “You bring me milk and fruit just because you want to make money from my family for a long time. You want to see me every day, so you’re nice to me and treat me well.” “You think I can’t see through your tricks?” Hearing him say this, my heart went completely cold. If Mrs. Wilson had misunderstood me, I could still tolerate it. But Adam’s words completely pierced my heart. I tutored him without wanting anything in return. I just wanted to help him. Because I had once suffered from poverty, and it was kind people who helped me successfully get into college. I know how important education is, and now that my family’s situation has improved a lot, I wanted to pass on that kindness. But this is the questioning I face. It turns out that the obedient and polite Adam from before was just “enduring humiliation.” It turns out that my kindness to him, in his eyes, was seen as a way to make money. My lips trembled with anger. The young man in front of me seemed so unfamiliar, I could hardly recognize him. “Oh my, you just had to push it,” came a familiar voice from the phone, mocking and arrogant. “Just admit you’re making dirty money. You had to confront Adam, and now look, you’re the one who’s embarrassed.” “You have no self-awareness at all.” I couldn’t mistake that voice— It was my roommate, Jessica. How could she be at Adam’s house? I suddenly remembered that not long ago, Jessica had repeatedly asked me which family I was tutoring. “What’s there to be so secretive about? Just tell me. If there’s one student in that neighborhood, there must be others who need tutoring. Let’s go teach students together.” “Hey, how much do you charge per day for tutoring? Tell me for reference.” I didn’t want others to know about Adam’s status as a low-income student, so I didn’t answer. But unable to resist Jessica’s persistent questioning, I only told her the neighborhood where Adam’s family lived. “There are indeed quite a few middle and elementary school students in this neighborhood. You can ask around if any other families need tutoring.” Tutoring at Adam’s house was by no means a lucrative job. It meant going out early and returning late every weekend, and not making a penny in the end. It was all out of the goodness of my heart. But Jessica kept asking about it with great interest. Just two days ago, she suddenly stopped asking. I had just thought things had quieted down, but I didn’t expect she was waiting for me here. “So the cheaper tutor you mentioned, who only charges $6 a day, is her?” I asked directly. There was a moment of silence on the other end, then Mrs. Wilson spoke up righteously, “Yes, it’s her. What about it?” “She’s $4 cheaper than you! That’s several meals for us! Only you, this black-hearted student, would make so much money off us.” “Miss Jessica is truly kind-hearted, serving us!” In the video frame, Jessica waved at me smugly. I didn’t understand where her hostility towards me came from. This was a completely unprofitable job. Even $6 wasn’t enough for round-trip transportation and meals for the day. That’s right, Adam’s family lived in a rather remote area, and tutoring for a whole day didn’t include meals. Every time, I had to find a snack stand at the entrance of the neighborhood to grab a quick bite. Since Jessica liked it so much, she could have this “lucrative job.” I wanted to see how much money Jessica could make after all this trouble. I also wanted to see how much of a breakthrough Adam could achieve with Jessica’s tutoring, without my tailored study plan!
I tutored Adam solely because he approached me himself. At the time, I had just started doing part-time work and asked in a tutoring group chat if any families needed tutoring. Soon, someone added me as a friend. [Teacher, can you tutor me?] [I see your profile says it’s your first time tutoring. I don’t mind that you don’t have experience.] Because it was my first time tutoring, I didn’t quote a high price. I was very happy that someone was willing to trust me. So that weekend, I went to the address Adam gave me. After wandering around, I finally found his home, only to discover that this so-called home was just a garage rented out by someone else. Adam and his mother lived in this dark and narrow garage, filled with the damp smell of mold. I gave Adam a trial lesson. When I asked him afterwards how he felt and if he needed me to tutor him, this thin boy’s eyes welled up with tears. “Teacher, you taught very well…” “I’m sorry, I lied to you. I don’t have money to hire you at the hourly rate in your profile.” He cried as he told me about his family’s tragic situation. It turned out that Adam’s father had died in a crash with a large truck while trying to evade creditors. The compensation was all taken by the creditors, and now he was in a single-parent family, living only with his mother. His mother had no education and could only find a job as a community cleaner, but she earned very little, barely enough to keep them fed. All their relatives and friends looked down on them, so Adam wanted to study hard, get into a good high school, then a good university, so he could help his mother. But after transferring from a rural school to this one, he couldn’t keep up with his studies and was only third from the bottom in his class. He wanted to improve himself, so he joined the group chat hoping to find a tutor. But he didn’t expect the hourly rate to be so high. Others were charging $20 an hour, which he couldn’t afford at all. “Teacher, I don’t mind that you’re new. I’m willing to be your practice student. Please teach me.” “I can’t pay too much. Can you lower your price a bit more?” I’m a normal school student from a top-tier university. Even if it was my first time tutoring, there were plenty of parents who wanted to hire me at $20 an hour, let alone the $16 an hour I had quoted. During the time I was talking with Adam, many more parents sent me friend requests. Looking at Adam’s tear-reddened eyes and his mother silently wiping away tears beside him, I couldn’t help but think of my own middle school years. My grandmother had fallen seriously ill, and we spent all our savings to save her, nearly causing me to drop out of school. It was kind-hearted people and my homeroom teacher who helped me then, allowing me to successfully go to college. Fortunately, in my sophomore year, my father made some money in business, and our family’s situation finally improved. We had weathered the storm. I empathized with Adam’s situation and couldn’t help but soften my stance. “Alright… I’ll teach you. How much can you pay for tutoring?” Hearing me say this, Mrs. Wilson immediately looked up, her eyes shining. “Ten dollars. We can’t pay any more than that. What do you think?” I thought she meant $10 per hour, which I could accept, so I agreed. So the next week, I officially started tutoring Adam at his home. But when it came time to settle the payment, Mrs. Wilson only sent me $10. [Mrs. Wilson, I tutored for a total of 8 hours today. It should be $80.] [What $80? Didn’t we agree on $10 per session? Are you trying to kill me?] That was the first time we had a disagreement. Tutoring fees are generally charged by the hour. I had assumed it was $10 per hour, but Mrs. Wilson seized on this point and wouldn’t let go. [I never said it was $10 per hour. $10 is for a whole day, no more.] Her behavior left me feeling helpless, with a lump in my throat that I couldn’t express. [Miss Lily, I’m sorry. My mom’s words misled you. If $10 isn’t enough, you don’t have to teach me anymore. I won’t force you. Thank you for what you taught me today. I benefited a lot.] Adam sent me a message. Such sensible content made me waver. Although Mrs. Wilson was unreasonable, Adam was innocent. He wanted so badly to get into a good high school, and he was in the crucial final year of middle school, preparing for the high school entrance exam. He wanted to change his fate, just like me a few years ago, studying for the college entrance exam with tears in my eyes, hoping for a bright future. My heart softened, and I chose to compromise. I told my parents about tutoring Adam. They were very supportive of me helping out. “Daughter, now that our family is doing better, it’s time to give back to society. Help if we can. They can just pay a token amount for the tutoring fee.” My parents were kind-hearted. They even sent me local specialties from home to help boost Adam’s health. But I never expected the boomerang to come back and hit me so quickly. Like father, like son. Perhaps this mother and son were playing good cop, bad cop from the beginning, fooling me into compromising! The $10 tutoring fee was already something they shamelessly begged for. Now they were turning the tables, accusing me of making dirty money!
After this incident, I was in a bad mood and simply fell asleep as soon as I got back to the dorm. I had just dozed off when I heard a loud door slam. “Sigh… tutoring is so tiring. Not like some people who lost their job and are having a great time in the dorm.” I opened my eyes to see Jessica looking at me smugly. “What’s so interesting? Is there some treasure at Adam’s house that you had to push me out to be happy?” I asked pointedly. “Tutoring for $6 a day? I’ve never seen you be so generous before. You just have to compete with me on everything, don’t you?” I got straight to the point. Jessica and I hadn’t been on good terms for a long time. She always thought I studied too seriously. Whenever she saw me studying, she would make sarcastic comments and lament how she underperformed on the college entrance exam. If she hadn’t slacked off usually, she would have gotten into a top university like Harvard or Yale. She always tried to compete with me for awards and honors, and when she couldn’t win, she would maliciously report me, though it never succeeded. “What are you pretending for, Lily? $10 a day, would you be willing to do it without an award?” Jessica said aggressively. “Acting like a saint here, you’d almost move people who don’t know better!” Jessica’s tone was confrontational, but I was stunned. What award? I had no idea what she was talking about. I listened in confusion as Jessica accused me of being hypocritical, and only then did I learn that the school and city government had organized a “Top 10 Outstanding Students” competition. It aimed to find excellent college students in both character and academics. It was a city-level award with quite a bit of prestige, and there was also a generous cash prize. Having this award would give more weight when becoming a teacher and advancing in one’s career in the future. “I don’t know how you promoted yourself, but even the principal knows you’re tutoring a low-income student at a low price. Appearing to not seek returns, but actually being purely profit-driven. Hypocrites like you make me sick just looking at you.” Jessica’s tone was extremely disdainful. The fact that I was tutoring Adam at a low price was something Mrs. Wilson often boasted about to the uncles and aunties in the neighborhood. “I think she just knows my son is smart, a genius, so she’s trying to get in our good graces early,” Mrs. Wilson would say rudely. The old lady next door couldn’t stand it and had told me about this several times. But I didn’t want to pay attention to it. I was willing to come tutor purely for Adam’s sake. I basically didn’t like interacting with Mrs. Wilson. As time went on, all the elderly people in that area knew me as a kind-hearted child helping Adam. Coincidentally, the principal’s mother was retiring in that neighborhood. She was a gentle old lady who, when she caught me to chat, asked which school I was from. I honestly told her my school, and the old lady nodded repeatedly on the spot. “No wonder, so you’re from N University. I knew it, such a good child must be excellent in studies too.” Opportunities come just that coincidentally. I became a candidate in the principal’s eyes, and this award was basically a sure thing for me. “If I hadn’t passed by the office and overheard the teachers chatting, I wouldn’t have known you were so scheming. I didn’t even know about this award, but you were already about to win it!” Jessica said smugly. “But what use is that now? Adam’s family has already fired you!” “I’m the one helping them now. Even if the school still chooses you in the end, I’ll report you, saying you never actually tutored. I believe Mrs. Wilson will definitely cooperate.” I finally understood why Jessica was willing to tutor for as little as $6, just to push me out. She always had to compete with me, but I had always gone with the flow, never intending to go against her. I didn’t expect that in Jessica’s eyes, I had long become her arch-enemy.
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