Lin Zhixia had once said that she found it difficult to forget things she experienced.

Was this talent a blessing or a curse? Jiang Yubai wasn’t quite sure. He hoped her memories would always be filled with laughter and joy. He walked to the front of the sofa, lifted the tablecloth from the coffee table, and only then did Lin Zhixia discover that the glass cabinet inside the coffee table was filled with beautifully wrapped gifts.

“Birthday girl, open a gift first!” Dong Sunqi suggested loudly, “Everyone present, pay attention!”

Ding Yan loudly questioned: “Dong Sunqi! Will Lin Zhixia like what you gave her?”

Dong Sunqi raised one foot and stomped it heavily on the floor. He took a bow stance, planting his feet firmly: “Don’t worry, Ding Yan! As class monitor, I, Dong Sunqi, certainly won’t disappoint everyone!”

The double doors of the glass cabinet were closed, with a hand-carved iron lock hanging at the latch. The key Jiang Yubai had given to Lin Zhixia finally came in handy. Lin Zhixia found the key, inserted it into the keyhole, and with a gentle turn of her fingertips, the iron lock was opened.

Lin Zhixia methodically tore off the wrapping paper from five gift boxes, piling the ribbons together. She saw a music box, a piggy bank, a cat paw lamp, a little rabbit doll, and a classmate’s yearbook.

Dong Sunqi immediately explained: “This classmate’s yearbook is from me! Lin Zhixia! You and Jiang Yubai suddenly skipped grades, and as class monitor, I didn’t have time to organize a farewell party for you!”

Dong Sunqi’s deskmate Wei Rongjie added: “That’s right, Lin Zhixia, you don’t know, but Dong Sunqi coerced the entire class, and everyone wrote a page in the yearbook for you…”

“Nonsense!” Dong Sunqi rarely argued with his deskmate.

Dong Sunqi justified righteously: “How could I coerce anyone? I was chosen by my classmates as the class monitor! I care about every student in our class! Even if Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia have gone to Provincial No. 1 Middle School, they’re still part of our fifth grade (1) class!”

Lin Zhixia opened the first page of the yearbook, which contained Dong Sunqi’s message.

Dong Sunqi had written: Lin Zhixia, in your four years at the Experimental Elementary School, you’ve brought countless honors to our class. When I argue with the class monitor from class two, I just have to mention your name, and the class two monitor can’t hold his head up! I, Dong Sunqi, will remember you for a lifetime! Before, I didn’t dare talk to you, but after Jiang Yubai transferred in, I became brave enough! I don’t know why! Maybe because Jiang Yubai is also very strong!

Lin Zhixia laughed heartily.

She turned to the second page and saw Wei Rongjie’s comment: Lin Zhixia, you read a lot, you’re articulate, you have mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas in your heart, and the vast universe too. Jiang Yubai is the same as you. I wish you both success in your studies in the competition class—from Wei Rongjie, who also loves reading.

Lin Zhixia didn’t finish reading. She decided to take the yearbook home and carefully browse through it from beginning to end.

There was one last unopened wooden box left in the glass cabinet.

Lin Zhixia touched the edge of the wooden box and opened the metal clasp with a “click.”

The classmates present couldn’t help but let out a collective “Wow—ah” of amazement.

Everyone saw that the box contained a model spaceship—this was Jiang Yubai’s handiwork. What amazed everyone even more was that at the stern of the spaceship were engraved the five characters “Captain Lin Zhixia.”

Dong Sunqi deeply regretted not bringing his camera today; he wanted to take a bunch of photos of this ship.

Before Lin Zhixia could express her opinion, Dong Sunqi already had tears in his eyes: “Damn! The military might of the Earth Brigade! Tang Leqin! Did you see it? Lin Zhixia’s command spaceship!”

“My goodness, the cabin door can be pushed open,” Tang Leqin crouched beside the coffee table, “Liu Xingjian should come and see this.”

Lin Zhixia hugged the spaceship model, carefully pushing the cabin door, revealing the interior arrangement to everyone.

Lin Zhixia suddenly looked up at Jiang Yubai: “Thank you, thank you very much! Jiang Yubai!”

“You’re welcome. Lin Zhixia will always be the navigator,” Jiang Yubai stood aside with his hands in his pockets, looking like someone who had accomplished great deeds but sought no fame.

Lin Zhixia unzipped her backpack, trying to stuff all the gifts inside. But her backpack couldn’t fit so many things, especially as the spaceship’s size was severely oversized.

Jiang Yubai suggested: “After we finish eating, I’ll take you home. You can’t take the bus, it’s crowded and not convenient for carrying fragile items. If this ship gets bumped, the glass doors inside the cabin might get damaged.”

Lin Zhixia considered seriously, then nodded: “Alright!”

Afterward, Lin Zhixia sat at the dining table, eating with her many classmates. The waitress cut the strawberry cream cake, and everyone received a generous portion. The cake tasted wonderful—soft, sweet, and moist, with a rich milky flavor. The fragrance of strawberries lingered between the teeth, refreshing and satisfying, giving people a sense of pleasure in both body and mind.

On the table were also sauce-glazed cod, matsutake steamed chicken, shrimp paste with fish roe, osmanthus stewed three snows… and other dishes Lin Zhixia had never seen before. Although she enjoyed eating, her appetite was rather small, and she was full before long.

Lin Zhixia held her spoon, deep in thought. She secretly asked Jiang Yubai: “When my brother had his birthday last year, he invited classmates to eat in the school cafeteria. Now that it’s my birthday, I should treat others too, right?”

“No,” Jiang Yubai denied Lin Zhixia’s statement.

Lin Zhixia humbly asked for guidance: “What’s wrong with that?”

Jiang Yubai’s uncle had already given him advice beforehand. Jiang Yubai took a sip of mango juice before calmly answering: “This meal is part of the memory, a testament to our friendship.”

“Is that so?” Lin Zhixia’s tone was uncertain.

“Of course,” Jiang Yubai was certain.

Lin Zhixia raised no more doubts. She solemnly said, “Jiang Yubai, you know that I won’t forget things I remember. I promise you…”

Jiang Yubai couldn’t help but look into her eyes. She said: “On your eighteenth birthday, I’ll prepare an even bigger surprise for you. I guarantee it!”

“Why eighteen?” Jiang Yubai asked.

Lin Zhixia made a prediction: “By then, I’ll be in college, with more mature thinking, broader horizons, and should be wealthier. Also, eighteen-year-old you will be an adult… If we’re still classmates together, I’ll plan activities carefully, organize our classmates, and help celebrate your birthday.”

Jiang Yubai caught the key point: “Lin Zhixia, we will always be classmates.”

“Mm!” Lin Zhixia firmly believed his words.

After the birthday party ended, Lin Zhixia shouldered her bulging backpack, hugged the spaceship model, and got into Jiang Yubai’s family car.

On the way home, Lin Zhixia felt a bit drowsy. She turned her head, with the back of her hand against her face, secretly yawned, and Jiang Yubai asked her: “Lin Zhixia, have you signed up for the training camp?”

The “training camp” Jiang Yubai referred to was the mathematics competition winter training camp of Provincial No. 1 Middle School’s junior high section. As long as they passed the winter and summer vacation intensive training and obtained a first prize in the provincial competition area, they would have the hope of getting an internal recommendation from the school to represent the school in the National Mathematics League.

When Lin Zhixia heard Jiang Yubai mention winter vacation training, she began to have difficulty: “Every winter vacation, my parents take my brother and me back to our hometown.”

“Back to your hometown?” Jiang Yubai asked her, “Where is your hometown?”

Lin Zhixia honestly said: “In the countryside.”

She described in detail: “My maternal grandmother’s house has many animals. Have you ever fed chickens? I have! I’ve also picked up eggs from small holes in the corner. My grandfather’s house has a flock of mountain goats, and I’ve seen baby lambs born in winter. It was snowing heavily that day, the weather was very cold, and the temperature in the sheep pen was very low. My brother and I were both afraid the lambs would freeze to death, so we wrapped the little lamb in old clothes and brought it into the house. The mother sheep was bleating outside, making a very miserable sound…”

The four words “countryside life” were beyond Jiang Yubai’s range of understanding. He quietly listened to Lin Zhixia’s words, then asked her: “Did the mother sheep know you took the lamb?”

“She knew,” Lin Zhixia said with absolute certainty, “I’m very sure that the thinking of some animals is quite complex.”

After speaking, Lin Zhixia returned to the original topic: “If I sign up for the training camp, and my parents go back to our hometown, then there will be no one at home.”

Jiang Yubai persuaded her: “It doesn’t matter, you don’t need to attend the training camp.”

“But I want to go to school with you,” Lin Zhixia sighed sincerely.

Jiang Yubai leaned tightly against the back of the seat: “You can go home first and ask your parents. Maybe you don’t have to go back to your hometown for the New Year. I read the newspaper the night before last, and it said next winter will be very cold.”

“That makes sense!” Lin Zhixia revealed, “Besides, I don’t like going back to my hometown.”

Jiang Yubai glanced at her: “You’re not used to countryside life?”

Lin Zhixia shook her head: “My grandmother has issues with me. My brother always does household chores at home, and my grandmother thinks housework is for girls. My existence has created a burden for my brother.”

The relationship between Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia was getting better and better, and he tended to be more biased toward Lin Zhixia in his words. He tactfully expressed his view: “Lin Zeqiu often does household chores; he must have formed a habit.”

Lin Zhixia propped up her cheek with one hand but didn’t respond.

The cool wind subsided, the car slowed down, the scenery outside the window no longer receded, and the car stopped at the entrance of Ancheng Community.

Lin Zhixia opened the car door, turned to wave at Jiang Yubai: “See you Monday!”

Jiang Yubai responded: “See you Monday!”

After saying goodbye to Jiang Yubai, Lin Zhixia hugged the spaceship model with both hands, exerted force with her feet, and ran wildly home. She jumped through the front door like a little rabbit and, while her brother was still studying in his room, Lin Zhixia ran to her bedroom and hid the spaceship in her cabinet—if her brother saw the ship, he would bring up the issue of “girls shouldn’t make boys their best friends.”

Lin Zhixia emptied all the other items from her backpack. She made a bit of noise, attracting Lin Zeqiu. Lin Zeqiu leaned against her bedroom doorway, looking down at her: “Hey, where did you get all this stuff?”

“Birthday gifts from classmates for my tenth birthday,” Lin Zhixia picked up a cat paw lamp. “This was given to me by a female classmate.”

Lin Zeqiu taught her: “Remember to give something in return, don’t take advantage of others.”

Lin Zhixia obediently agreed: “Mm! Brother is right, I’ll reciprocate.”

Her brother walked closer and stuffed a small box into her hand. She opened it to find a sports watch inside.

“A gift chosen by Mom and Dad,” her brother said.

“What about yours?” Lin Zhixia looked up at him, “Don’t you have anything for me, brother?”

Her brother’s palm rested on her head: “Lin Zhixia, don’t ask people for things, that’s very impolite. You should mind your manners at home too, especially when talking to me.”

Lin Zhixia angrily turned her head: “Let me tell you, Lin Zeqiu, don’t put your hand on someone else’s head, that’s even more impolite! Lucky for you, I have a good temper! If you did this to someone else, they would jump up and hit you!”

Lin Zeqiu gently stroked her hair, still with the attitude of smoothing a kitten’s fur. Lin Zhixia’s gaze gradually changed. At first, she glared at him fiercely with a vicious look, but later, her eyes became clear, bright, and watery.

“Happy tenth birthday,” he said.

Lin Zhixia reached out to him.

He took out a “Hebrew Dictionary” from his pocket and placed it in Lin Zhixia’s palm.

“One night when I was coming home, someone was setting up a stall at the school gate. This book is ninety percent new, no one had flipped through it, no one could understand it, isn’t that quite suitable for you?” he said.

Lin Zhixia indeed liked this gift. She opened the first page, murmuring to herself: “Hebrew is the language of the Jewish people. After the Jews re-established Israel, Israel designated Hebrew as one of its official languages.”

“Don’t tell me these things, I don’t want to hear them,” Lin Zeqiu said lazily.

Lin Zhixia suddenly closed the book: “By the way, brother, I’m not going back to our hometown next winter vacation. I want to participate in the school’s intensive training.”

Lin Zhixia didn’t seek her brother’s consent. She was merely informing him of this matter. She also ran to her parents, articulating her views with reason and evidence.

She said that since she had been admitted to the competition class, she should follow the rules of the competition class, strive for the opportunity to represent the school in battle, participate in provincial-level competitions, and compete with the top students in the province.

Her father asked her, “Xiaxia always ranks first, do you still need intensive training?”

“Xiaxia needs training,” Lin Zhixia sincerely expressed, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; great rivers are formed from small streams. I can’t give up the opportunity to train just because the training seems simple.”

Actually, in Lin Zhixia’s view, the winter training camp was the same type of activity as an “aquarium autumn tour.”

Moreover, Provincial No. 1 Middle School’s competition training camp didn’t charge a penny. As long as students could earn a training spot through their abilities, the school would waive all miscellaneous fees.

Provincial No. 1 Middle School was so great!

She could see her classmates and friends throughout the winter vacation! Lin Zhixia also didn’t have to go to the countryside for the New Year, didn’t have to face her grandmother, uncle, and cousin. This was her favorite Spring Festival.

Her father and mother discussed quietly for a while. Her father was still hesitating, but her mother had already made a decision: “We won’t go back next year for Spring Festival. Xiaxia, we’ll all stay at home, the four of us will celebrate the New Year together, okay?”

“That’s great!” Lin Zhixia clapped her hands.

When she went to school on Monday, Lin Zhixia couldn’t wait to share the good news with Jiang Yubai.

Jiang Yubai was immersed in the world of problem-solving. After nearly a month of intensive special training, his problem-solving thinking and abilities had improved significantly. Each of his tutors had rich competition experience. Many hands make light work, and Jiang Yubai was like a raging wildfire, determined to illuminate the campus of Provincial No. 1 Middle School.

Even when he went to the playground during breaks to hang from the horizontal bar, he was thinking about the types of problems in mathematics competitions.

The competition class had tests as numerous as the hairs on a cow, with minor tests every two days, major tests every three days, and the monthly midterm exams were the most crucial of all. This was because the homeroom teacher, Teacher Zhang, would arrange the class seating based on the midterm exam results—Jiang Yubai vowed that this time he would not let Duan Qiyan rank ahead of him.

Before the midterm exam in mid-October began, Duan Qiyan was still chatting with Lin Zhixia outside the exam room. He asked: “Lin Zhixia, if I rank second in the class, could you sit next to me as a deskmate?”

Lin Zhixia was ruthlessly blunt: “No.”

Duan Qiyan was slightly hurt. He then moved over to Shen Fuxuan and asked: “Shen Fuxuan, if I rank third in the class, will you be my deskmate?”

Shen Fuxuan smiled warmly: “No way.”

In the desolate cold wind of autumn, Duan Qiyan’s eyes grew deep and dark as he displayed a cold smile: “I’ll rank first in the class, making you all unworthy to associate with me.”

Jiang Yubai interjected: “You’re dreaming.”

Jiang Yubai stood outside the classroom holding a water cup, waiting for the proctoring teacher inside to clear the room. Most of Jiang Yubai’s clothes were in mature solid colors like deep black, light white, military green, and navy blue. Combined with his relatively tall stature and outstanding temperament, he gave Duan Qiyan a sense of peer competition pressure.

How could that be?

Jiang Yubai was two years younger than Duan Qiyan, and his grades were also worse than Duan Qiyan’s. Duan Qiyan stepped across to Jiang Yubai, venting his suppressed anger: “Jiang Yubai, what qualifications do you have to be arrogant with me?”

Jiang Yubai confronted him head-on: “Because I am your Teacher, Jiang. And what qualifications do you have to be arrogant with a teacher?”

“Hahahahahahaha.” Shen Fuxuan, who was listening to their conversation, burst into joyful laughter.

Duan Qiyan was furious with embarrassment, his face turning purple-red, quite a spectacular sight. He unbuttoned his jacket, stood on the ceramic tiles at the base of the corridor railing, and with the howling wind lifting his coat tails, he said with great flair: “Jiang Yubai, last time you bet with me, you used Lin Zhixia. You are still a mess. I call you Teacher Jiang because Lin Zhixia’s total score exceeded mine, but yours didn’t surpass mine. Borrowing someone else’s power to intimidate others, are you clear-headed?”

Lin Zhixia was about to rush over, but Jiang Yubai stopped her. Jiang Yubai said to Duan Qiyan: “For this midterm exam, if my total score is lower than yours, I will, on the first day of the winter vacation training camp, in front of all the classmates, respectfully address you as Teacher Duan.”

“Always mentioning ‘teacher,’ it’s boring,” Duan Qiyan slightly raised his head, “You have to call me, Emperor Duan Qiyan, stand at attention and bow to me. I will also ask you, who are you, and you must answer that you are my subordinate, how about that? If I lose, I’ll do the same, calling you emperor.”

Han Peng listened from the side, feeling suffocated: “Oh my god, you two shouldn’t go that far. In our school’s winter vacation training camp, there are not only senior brothers and sisters from the eighth grade but also students from two other middle schools… Think about it, in a classroom of over a hundred people, shouting ’emperor’ would be like having water in your brain! Embarrassing beyond belief.”

Jiang Yubai ignored him. He only looked at Duan Qiyan: “Agreed.”

Duan Qiyan and Jiang Yubai high-fived to seal the oath.

Jiang Yubai confirmed repeatedly: “Don’t go back on your word, Duan Qiyan.”

Duan Qiyan leaned against the railing, laughing loudly: “Jiang Yubai, listen carefully, even if I had to crawl from the first floor of the teaching building to the third floor barking like a dog, I wouldn’t go back on my word.”

The proctoring teachers inside the exam room had already checked the classroom once. The teachers stood at the door, calling all the students, who immediately fell silent and entered the classroom in an orderly manner.

Jiang Yubai’s exam seat was in the first row of the first group. The seat numbers were randomly assigned, and Jiang Yubai sat in the ventilated area near the door, which wasn’t a good omen. Duan Qiyan provocatively raised his eyebrows at him, but Jiang Yubai seemed not to notice, sitting quietly in his seat like an old monk in meditation.

The proctoring teacher used a paper cutter to open the test paper package. This exam’s mathematics paper had a total of sixteen pages, with complex questions and an astonishing amount of content. Fortunately, Jiang Yubai had already learned how to calculate mentally, so he didn’t feel any tension.

“Students, relax,” the proctoring teacher began distributing the papers, “Everyone focus on doing the questions, and absolutely no funny business.”

Jiang Yubai received his test paper, uncapped his pen, and threw himself wholeheartedly into this battle.