I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times

Chapter 3: Choosing a Study Attendant Again

Zheng Fa and Wang Chen finished lunch and went straight back to the classroom.

The classroom was quiet, with more than half the seats empty; the day students had gone home to rest, and a few remaining students were napping at their desks.

Wang Chen initially planned to take a nap too. For high school seniors who started self-study at seven in the morning, being sleep-deprived was normal. Not to mention, a full stomach after lunch made one even sleepier.

Just as he laid his head down, he noticed that Zheng Fa, seated slightly behind him, had taken out a book and was mumbling to himself as he read.

"D***..." Wang Chen muttered under his breath, "You're grinding again? You might as well memorize every textbook!"

After being classmates with Zheng Fa for so many years, Wang Chen was well-acquainted with his odd habit—memorizing textbooks.

For subjects like Chinese and English, which required memorization, it made sense. But even for math and physics, Zheng Fa insisted on memorizing.

"That's insane!" Wang Chen cursed again at the thought.

"That's more human," Wang Chen said, relieved, as he lay down. "Weren't you memorizing before?"

"I finished."

How was he supposed to sleep after that?

Wang Chen sat up and, with a trembling hand, flipped through the book in Zheng Fa’s hands:

*300 Advanced Conic Section Problems*...

"You're not human!"

Seeing Wang Chen's incredulous expression, Zheng Fa felt a bit embarrassed. "It's something to do when I'm idle."

"F***!"

Zheng Fa watched as Wang Chen grabbed the morning's newly distributed test paper and started working furiously.

"Aren't you going to sleep?"

Wang Chen shot him a sidelong glance. "You tell me, why wouldn't I?"

...

After memorizing for a while, Zheng Fa looked up and saw Wang Chen had fallen asleep on his test paper. He chuckled and put away his book.

To Zheng Fa, memorizing textbooks was a necessary but clumsy method.

When he first came to this world, he had nothing but an identity; his mind was practically empty. His knowledge base was so poor that, even in his original world, he’d be considered illiterate, let alone in this modern one.

As a middle schooler, he might not have even qualified for a kindergarten diploma.

When he first arrived, he scored single digits on several exams.

Luckily, the teachers and classmates assumed his drop in grades was due to major family issues. And middle school was mandatory education; as long as he wanted to learn, he wouldn’t be expelled.

Zheng Fa naturally wanted to improve and catch up. However, with only average talent and so many gaps in his foundational knowledge, ordinary methods weren’t enough.

So, he decided to take the extreme approach—rote memorization.

He started with elementary school textbooks, not caring whether he understood them, memorizing word for word, page by page.

He spent seven days memorizing in this world, then used seven days in his original world recalling and attempting to understand it mentally.

The only advantage of this method was that it effectively doubled his time. It was perfect for his situation.

After learning some biology, he dubbed this technique "the ruminant method."

At first, it wasn’t very efficient. His memory was not naturally outstanding; in the beginning, he retained less than ten percent after seven days.

But as he picked up memory techniques, like the method of loci, and got used to this study routine, he could now remember around eighty to ninety percent after reading a book two or three times.

Compared to the truly skilled students’ study techniques, this method was undoubtedly stupid and tiring.

Yet it built an exceptionally solid foundation. His grades steadily improved. Although entering Qingshui High School may have been due to his parents’ legacy, staying in the top twenty of his class was his own effort.

After all, while others had studied for five years, Zheng Fa had effectively studied for ten.

The hardships and effort he put in were beyond others’ understanding.

...

Seven days later, back in the Xuanyi Realm, Zheng Fa returned not only full of food but full of knowledge. Even while listening to his mother, his reactions were delayed.

It wasn’t until his little sister's loud cheers brought him back to reality.

“Madam really won’t let Wang Gui return as the study attendant?”

Zheng Fa was taken aback. This wasn’t a trivial matter.

Although it seemed like just a study attendant position, for tenant farmers on the estate, it was a leap in social status.

“Yes, I heard that Steward Wang has been pulling strings everywhere these past few days, but Madam has already said she’ll choose a new study attendant and won’t pick from his family again,” Zheng’s mother recounted the latest estate gossip.

The estate was small, and people had envied Steward Wang’s former prestige. Now, the news that his son, Wang Gui, wasn’t going back was a hot topic.

Zheng Fa thought deeper than his mother and sister.

To him, Steward Wang was ambitious and shrewd. In just five years, he had become the estate steward and gained the favor of Madam, even making his son the young master’s study attendant. It was impressive.

It was not unthinkable that he could become a trusted ally of Madam and the young master in the future.

Now losing the study attendant role was minor; offending Madam, however, was what worried the family.

“Madam must have realized Wang Gui is a bad guy!” said his sister, Zheng Shan, beaming with joy.

“Yes, Madam is kind-hearted. She even gave us ten taels of silver when your father passed away,” Zheng’s mother said, a hint of gratitude in her voice.

“Madam is great! The greatest!” Zheng Shan nodded enthusiastically.

Seeing the reverence in their expressions, Zheng Fa was reminded of a quote from his original world:

“…the era of content slaves and the era of those who vie to be slaves.”

It was a sharp, unsettling truth that stung but was undeniable.

He nodded along with his sister, pretending to be moved by Madam’s “justice.”

After all, voicing such thoughts aloud wouldn’t help and might even endanger his family.

His sister continued dreaming aloud, “It’d be amazing if Madam picked brother as the study attendant!”

“Then let’s see if Wang Gui dares bully us again!”

“I heard being a study attendant comes with a monthly stipend!”

“And you’d get to learn martial arts from the guards!”

“Then brother would be the strongest in the estate!”

As Zheng Shan’s eyes sparkled with excitement, she added, “If Madam picks brother, she’s the greatest in the world!”

Zheng’s mother glanced at Zheng Fa and gently stroked Zheng Shan’s head. “If your brother doesn’t become a study attendant, does that mean he’s not great?”

His sister, clutching Zheng Fa’s arm, said obediently, “Brother is already the best, but he could be even better!”

Later, after Zheng Shan fell asleep, their mother came to Zheng Fa’s door.

“Your sister is young and doesn’t understand. Don’t take her words too seriously…”

“Mother?” Zheng Fa looked up.

“This business of study attendants... we don’t need to hope for it. When Wang Gui came back, he was so beaten he could barely move, and he still hasn’t recovered. If you ended up like that… your sister and I wouldn’t know how to go on.”

“I understand.”

Watching his mother leave, he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

A study attendant, huh?@@novelbin@@

Despite his mother’s disapproval, he couldn’t deny he was tempted.

Did he not know the benefits his sister had listed?

With a stipend, their family wouldn’t have to ration meat.

They wouldn’t face scorn from others on the estate.

And he’d have the opportunity to pursue something he’d long been curious about—martial arts, or even cultivation.

Competing for the chance to be a slave...

The next morning, as Zheng’s mother scrubbed laundry at the door, a familiar tenant came running over. “Old Zheng’s wife! Old Zheng’s wife! Big news!”

“What is it?”

“Madam is choosing a new study attendant, and she said she wants an older, more dependable one this time. Your family’s Fa fits the bill perfectly!”