The analysis was completed, and Lin Yue released her embrace of Hermione, mechanically stepping out of her arms. Her lifeless gaze swept across the entire room but did not find a broom, mop, or anything of the sort.
"What are you looking for?" Hermione turned to Lin Yue, asking in confusion.
"A broom, mop, rag; your room needs cleaning," Lin Yue said expressionlessly, catching Hermione off guard.
Coming back to her senses, Hermione quickly raised her hand and waved it, "I can do it myself, you don't need to clean. Just rest over there for a bit; you seem a bit overheated."
After saying that, she reached out and rubbed Lin Yue's head, indicating that cleaning the room was not her concern.
Lin Yue shook her head, her tone flat, "I'll help you."
With a helpless sigh, Hermione decided not to argue with Lin Yue any further. If she wanted to help, then she might as well let her.
Thinking this, Hermione took Lin Yue's hand and led her out of her room and into the bathroom on the second floor, where the broom and mop were stored.
Before Hermione could say anything, Lin Yue had already picked up the mop and mop bucket. Considering the water-fetching, carrying the bucket, and mopping the floor, it was basically the most exhausting task, and she took on the job of mopping without a second thought.
Placing the bucket under the faucet to fill it with water, Hermione picked up the broom and, watching Lin Yue's back as she filled the bucket, asked, "Do you need me to help you carry the bucket?"
That bucket gets pretty heavy when filled with water; every time she used it, her arms would ache from lifting it.
Lin Yue instinctively calculated the maximum capacity of the bucket in her mind, then turned to look at Hermione and shook her head, responding in a mechanical voice.
"No need, I can do it."
"Alright." Hermione pressed her lips together and walked out of the bathroom with the broom.
Returning to the room with the broom, Hermione slowly swept the floor, but most of her attention was still focused on the bathroom on the second floor outside the room. She listened carefully for any sounds from there, fearing that Lin Yue might encounter some trouble alone.
That bucket, even if it wasn't completely full, was still heavy. What if she accidentally fell while carrying the water? What if she accidentally strained her arm?
Or... what if she accidentally got her clothes wet while wringing out the mop? Would she catch a cold?
Hermione's mind was filled with various worries, one after another, while Lin Yue was not as "dangerous" as she imagined.
Noticing that the water in the bucket was sufficient, Lin Yue reached out to turn off the faucet.
At that moment, the water in the bucket was just enough to completely wet the mop without causing any splashes, precisely measured as if it had been poured out with a graduated cylinder.
Picking up the mop beside her, Lin Yue bent down and skillfully dipped the mop, then wrung it out.
With the mop in her right hand and the bucket in her left, Lin Yue exerted force and, in the next moment, steadily lifted the bucket, walking confidently out of the second-floor bathroom and back to the door of Hermione's room.
Hermione had almost finished cleaning her room. Lin Yue walked in with a mop and began to mop the floor carefully and earnestly, putting a lot of effort into each stroke, visibly cleaning very thoroughly.
After all, she was only eleven years old. After sweeping the floor, Hermione felt a bit tired and straightened up, leaning against the wall by the door to catch her breath for a moment.
As a result, she saw Lin Yue swiftly finish mopping the floor, even remembering to clean under the bed. Without stopping, Lin Yue came over again to grab the mop for a second round.
Seeing a hint of sweat on Lin Yue's forehead, Hermione felt her heart race, as if she was worried about Lin Yue, but it seemed... it was more than just concern.
She reached out and pressed her hand on Lin Yue's shoulder, speaking gently, "Lin Yue, take a break before continuing."
Lin Yue shook her head stiffly, her voice flat, "No need, I'm not tired."
After saying that, she took the freshly dipped mop, left her slippers at the door, and walked into the room in a pair of black short socks to start mopping a second time.
Hermione watched Lin Yue work diligently, biting her lip. She put the broom at the door and hurried downstairs to find Mrs. Granger for a cloth to wipe the desk and windowsill.
If Lin Yue was working, she couldn't just rest, could she? She couldn't wait for Lin Yue to finish mopping the floor while leaving all the other chores for herself to do alone.
Seeing Hermione run downstairs into the kitchen, Mrs. Granger, who was talking to Mr. Granger about Lin Yue's situation, paused her conversation. She noticed the slight sheen of sweat on Hermione's forehead and her eyes flashed with understanding.
She took a tissue and walked over to wipe Hermione's sweat, "Are you cleaning your room? Why did you come down?"
Hermione, a bit embarrassed, raised her hand to touch her nose, "Lin Yue is helping me clean too. She's mopping the floor, and I came up to get a cloth to wipe the desk and windowsill."
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Mrs. Granger nodded, reached for a cloth and carefully rinse it twice before handing it to Hermione.
"Why are you still letting her help you with your work?"
Hermione playfully stuck out her tongue, "I tried to stop her, but it was no use; she insisted on helping."
"She really is a good child..." Mrs. Granger sighed, feeling even more critical of Lin Yue's parents in her heart.
What a wonderful child and look at what they have turned her into.
Hermione took the cloth, and hearing her mother praise Lin Yue made her feel uncontainable happy, so she turned around and excitedly went upstairs again.
"Our Hermione seems much more lively compared to that child..."
Mrs. Granger turned to her husband, unable to help but express her thoughts. After all, Hermione used to have the image of a bookworm in the eyes of her teachers and classmates at school.
Mr. Granger smiled and wrapped his arm around his wife, "After all, we have always respected Hermione's own wishes and life."
So, while Hermione may seem a bit reserved because she loves reading, she is quite confident and optimistic.
Madam Granger nodded in agreement; they were also first-time parents and believed there were still many things they were doing wrong or inadequately. However, compared to what Hermione said about Lin Yue's parents... they suddenly felt that perhaps they were doing okay.
Returning to the room with a cloth in hand, Hermione originally thought Lin Yue would still be mopping the floor, but to her surprise, Lin Yue had already finished. Even her own desk had been tidied up by Lin Yue. All the books were placed within easy reach for Hermione, and some books that were clearly unfinished were placed at the very front of the desk. The entire desk was organized and looked very convenient to use.
Hermione stood there in a daze, staring at the spotless floor that Lin Yue had cleaned and the neatly arranged desk, utterly astonished.
Swallowing hard, Hermione couldn't help but think that Lin Yue's cleaning skills... were almost on par with a professional housekeeper. With how dedicated she was to her studies... how could she still find time to learn to do housework, and do it so skillfully?
Wait, hold on, Lin Yue had said that her parents didn't allow her to waste time on housework, so when did she learn to do it, and how did she manage it? With her level of proficiency, Hermione really didn't believe that she didn't do housework often.
Holding two cloths, she took off her slippers at the door and walked to her desk. While wiping the table, Hermione casually asked Lin Yue, "Lin Yue, you seem so professional at doing housework. Did your parents teach you?"
Lin Yue naturally pulled another cloth from Hermione's hand and turned around to carefully wipe the windowsill.
"I learned by myself from reading books."
"Oh." Hermione nodded in understanding, not feeling surprised.
After all, Lin Yue had been like that in the Hogwarts library, going through the books on the shelves one by one, equally "not letting go" of any book, regardless of what they said or whether they were useful to her.
One could say she was engaging in super-saturated learning, relying on her quick thinking, strong memory, and short breaks.
"Then you," Hermione paused slightly, preparing herself mentally before continuing to ask, "when did you do housework at home?"
Lin Yue quickly cleaned the windowsill and was already ready to wipe the window.
"After school, during holidays."
Hermione frowned, just about to raise her head to ask how her study time was not filled with everything except eating and sleeping, and how she managed to squeeze in time for housework. According to the rules set by her parents that she couldn't delay her study time, wasn't that contradictory?
But when she looked up, she saw Lin Yue already had one foot on the windowsill, ready to climb up.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat; the windowsill in her room was not low at all. She immediately forgot about wiping the table, threw down the cloth, and rushed to Lin Yue's side, supporting her waist.
"You don't need to wipe the window! Get down!"
Hearing Hermione's words, Lin Yue slowly lowered the foot she had on the windowsill and turned to look at her.
"I don't need to wipe the window?"
"No!" Hermione shook her head firmly.
"Okay," Lin Yue nodded, her gaze moving calmly to Hermione's bed, "Shall I help you change the sheets and duvet cover?"
Lin Yue naturally pulled another cloth from Hermione's hand and turned around to carefully wipe the windowsill.
"I learned by myself from reading books."
"Oh." Hermione nodded in understanding, not feeling surprised.
After all, Lin Yue had been like that in the Hogwarts library, going through the books on the shelves one by one, equally "not letting go" of any book, regardless of what they said or whether they were useful to her.
One could say she was engaging in super-saturated learning, relying on her quick thinking, strong memory, and short breaks.
"Then you," Hermione paused slightly, preparing herself mentally before continuing to ask, "when did you do housework at home?"
Lin Yue quickly cleaned the windowsill and was already ready to wipe the window.
"After school, during holidays."
Hermione frowned, just about to raise her head to ask how her study time was not filled with everything except eating and sleeping, and how she managed to squeeze in time for housework. According to the rules set by her parents that she couldn't delay her study time, wasn't that contradictory?
But when she looked up, she saw Lin Yue already had one foot on the windowsill, ready to climb up.
Hermione's heart skipped a beat; the windowsill in her room was not low at all. She immediately forgot about wiping the table, threw down the cloth, and rushed to Lin Yue's side, supporting her waist.
"You don't need to wipe the window! Get down!"
Hearing Hermione's words, Lin Yue slowly lowered the foot she had on the windowsill and turned to look at her.
"I don't need to wipe the window?"
"No!" Hermione shook her head firmly.
"Okay," Lin Yue nodded, her gaze moving calmly to Hermione's bed, "Shall I help you change the sheets and duvet cover?"
Hermione paused for a moment and nodded, "Okay."
Lin Yue received permission before walking over to Hermione's bed, reaching out to unfold her blanket and preparing to take off the old duvet cover.
Watching Lin Yue's smooth movements, Hermione sighed helplessly in her heart. This girl was both adorable and heart-wrenching with her rigid demeanor; politeness and etiquette seemed to be ingrained in her bones.
Following Lin Yue to help take off the duvet cover, Hermione turned around and opened her wardrobe to take out a new duvet cover and bed sheet.
Lin Yue took the duvet cover and, without waiting for Hermione to help, quickly changed it in no time. Hermione silently changed her own bed sheet, and Lin Yue seamlessly laid the new sheet on top.
With the room completely tidied up, thanks to Lin Yue's professional-level skills, the two of them only took sixteen minutes in total. Sitting together on her bed, Hermione took a tissue and focused on wiping the sweat from Lin Yue's forehead and neck.
"Lin Yue, besides the time you spend sleeping and eating, isn't all your time for studying? Where do you find the time to do housework?"
Lin Yue replied expressionlessly, explaining without any emotion, "Housework and studying can be done simultaneously; I can memorize knowledge points while doing chores."
"Anyway, you need to check if you've memorized the knowledge points firmly, so why not just do housework while memorizing? If you can focus on doing housework without getting the knowledge points wrong, doesn't that prove you've learned them by muscle memory? That's true learning."
She handed the broom in her hand to the expressionless girl in front of her. Her daughter had cleaning skills that rivaled professionals, even better than a cleaning robot, so why spend tens of thousands on one?
After all, her daughter would ensure her grades didn't drop.
Gently pinching Lin Yue's cheek, Hermione felt an indescribable pain in her heart.
So Lin Yue's parents not only forced her to study all the time but also relied on her for daily life?
What exactly did they provide for Lin Yue? Probably just material things, which is to say, money...
A bittersweet feeling filled Hermione's heart, but fortunately, Mrs. Granger's voice interrupted her thoughts just in time.
"Hermione, Lin Yue, it's time to eat."
Hearing Mrs. Granger's call, Hermione took a deep breath, stood up, and took Lin Yue's hand to walk out of the room. "Let's go, it's time to eat downstairs."
"Okay." Lin Yue nodded expressionlessly and followed Hermione downstairs.
The dining table was already set for four, and a sumptuous dinner was laid out on the table.
Lin Yue stared at the utensils and food on the table for a moment, then her brain quickly processed that this must have been prepared by Mrs. Granger. Sitting down at the table with Hermione, Lin Yue placed her hands calmly on her lap, quietly waiting. Next to her, Hermione, who hadn't tasted her mother's cooking for an entire semester, eagerly picked up her knife and fork. Noticing that Lin Yue was still sitting there properly, she turned to her in confusion.
Lin Yue remained composed and sat upright until Mr. and Mrs. Granger also sat down and picked up their utensils. Only then did she reach for her knife and fork, causing Hermione to look at her in surprise.
Is this the dining etiquette from Lin Yue's side? Hermione wondered, but ultimately her desire for food overcame her curiosity. She used her knife and fork to take a piece of steak and placed it on her plate.
Lin Yue, sitting next to her, after the initial waiting, immediately entered a state of rapid eating.
Sure enough, Hermione shook her head helplessly and gently reached out to stop Lin Yue's hand that was bringing the fork to her mouth. "Eat slowly, okay? No one will rush you in our house."
Lin Yue paused for a moment, then mechanically put down her fork. "Okay."
The Granger couple couldn't help but tighten their lips at the scene. This child really was just as Hermione said, unable to eat peacefully.
Mrs. Granger gently pushed a small portion of thick soup in front of Lin Yue, "My cooking is quite good, you know. Hermione really likes it, so can you take your time to enjoy it, Lin Yue?"
Lin Yue looked up; her eyes vacant as she stared at Mrs. Granger. "Okay, thank you, Auntie. I will savor it."