Chapter 114: The Five Greatest Mathematical Foes in Er Ya's Eyes

As the year drew to a close, Lin Shi, the mother-in-law, felt it was improper to stay much longer in the affluent A County town, so she returned to the countryside after only a few days.

Lu Kun had wanted her to stay a bit longer, hoping his mother-in-law could enjoy some peace and comfort.

But she was the restless type.

In the end, Lu Kun didn’t press the matter.

With the year-end approaching, matters had truly become overwhelming.

Lu Kun found himself swamped with work, often having to bring it home, no longer able to enjoy the leisurely days he had not long ago.

...

“Oh my god, how can this be so twisted!”

Even in the living room, Lu Kun could hear his younger daughter’s wails.

He craned his neck and peeked into her room.

There she was, wildly clawing at her hair, pounding the table with her tiny fists, grumbling incessantly: “What kind of terrible problems are these! So frustrating! All of them are twisted!”

“Don’t expect your father to speak up for you. Matters at home are my call,” Liu Liping said sharply.

Noticing his daughter glance toward the door, Liu Liping quietly turned around and shot Lu Kun a significant look.

Lu Kun understood immediately, shrugging to indicate there was nothing he could do—his daughter was on her own.

His little girl ground her teeth in frustration.

Unfortunately for her, standing before her was Liu Liping, who remained utterly unmoved.

...

In recent days, the little girl had been acting up quite a bit, emboldened by her grandmother’s presence.

That Liu Liping had waited until now to step in and discipline the child was somewhat unexpected to Lu Kun.

“Grandma, come save me! The monster is about to eat me!” the little girl sobbed, tears welling in her eyes as she glanced at her mother standing nearby.

“What did you say? Say that again if you dare.”

Liu Liping grabbed a feather duster and swung it several times over the small table, clearly about to give the girl a spanking on her little bottom.

“Hey, hey, hey, we can say things, but remember, she’s still young. Let’s not be harsh. Besides, you’re with child now,” Lu Kun quickly intervened, blocking Liu Liping’s hand.

“Look at her attitude, calling someone a monster!” Liu Liping huffed, her face fierce.

“Daughter, apologize to your mother at once!” Lu Kun turned to his daughter, his face stern as he spoke firmly.

Children can be rebellious, but there are limits.

“I... I’m sorry,” the little girl choked out through tears, her face streaked from crying.

It took Lu Kun quite some effort to calm his wife down.

Since his wife became pregnant, her mood swings had become erratic and unpredictable.

One moment she was clear and sunny, the next she could erupt like a thunderstorm.

Sometimes, just as she lay down to rest, she’d suddenly become wild, grabbing Lu Kun’s lollipop and shaking it furiously.

In recent times, Lu Kun had been thoroughly exhausted by the emotional turmoil at home. No amount of recuperation seemed to restore his lost vitality.

...

“All right, all right, no more crying. Daddy promises that if you finish all your homework, you’ll have half the afternoon off,” Lu Kun tried to smooth things over.

He glanced at his wife, who neither agreed nor disagreed, merely emitting a muffled grunt. Taking that as tacit approval, Lu Kun turned back to his daughter.

But the little girl’s reaction was unexpected.

Upon hearing Lu Kun’s words, her face twisted into a grimace. She threw her pencil on the desk and buried her head in her arms, sobbing.

By the end, it looked as if heartbreak itself had settled upon her, evoking tears in anyone who saw.

Lu Kun scratched his head, puzzled. He had thought she might be trying to avoid the homework.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, stroking her sweaty hair and checking her forehead—her temperature was normal.

“The problems are too hard,” she replied, looking up with tear-filled eyes.

“Too hard? Which subject?” Lu Kun probed gently.

“Math,” the little girl sulked, her face full of grievance.

Lu Kun was puzzled.

With her intelligence, even math problems for third or fourth grade shouldn’t be a challenge.

He picked up the worksheet and scanned it once, his expression immediately turning defeated.

There were only five questions, each presented as a small story.

Before long, Lu Kun finished reading them, and his lips twitched involuntarily.

The first was about a bus driver who drove at a constant speed and was never late, requiring a detailed solution.

The second concerned a foreman with clear division of labor and smooth cooperation in road repair, demanding both a solution and a logic diagram.

The third involved a frantic swimming pool manager simultaneously draining and refilling water, again needing a detailed solution.

The fourth was about a peculiar farmer who put chickens and rabbits in the same cage, also requiring a solution.

The fifth depicted a proud boy named Ming who purposely slowed his pace despite leaving home early and late, waiting for his sister to catch up; the problem demanded both a solution and a logic diagram.

Lu Kun felt dizzy.

His daughter was bright, but at five years old, those quirky characters in the stories must have seemed utterly bizarre to her.

Lu Kun looked at the worksheet in his hand, then at Liu Liping standing awkwardly to one side, and couldn’t help but feel speechless.

No wonder Liu Liping had agreed so readily when he suggested that if the girl completed the problems, she could have the afternoon off.

Reflecting on it, her muffled grunt seemed tinged with pride and amusement.

This was truly harsh.

Lu Kun guessed his wife must have put considerable effort into devising this lesson for their daughter.

Otherwise, such an eccentric set of problems wouldn’t have appeared.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. Let Daddy take a look first. I’ll teach you once I’ve solved them,” Lu Kun said confidently.

The girl’s eyes brightened with hope. Her big, watery eyes fixed intently on him, ready to listen carefully.

After all, Lu Kun had always been top of his class in elementary school. Solving a few problems shouldn’t be difficult.

Fifteen minutes later.

“...”

“Uh, I just remembered—I have a file I haven’t read yet. Old Sun was already nagging me about it yesterday.”

Lu Kun stepped out of the room, leaving behind the sound of his daughter’s broken-hearted sobs and Liu Liping’s triumphant laughter.

“So embarrassing,” Lu Kun mumbled, tapping his forehead.

How the matter was ultimately resolved, he didn’t know. But when he returned that evening, his daughter looked like a frostbitten eggplant.

Their eldest daughter stood silently nearby, barely daring to breathe.

The atmosphere was decidedly strange.

Yes, the first round:

Little Daughter versus Liu Liping—Liu Liping wins decisively!