“Jiang Qiaoxi, what do you want to be when you grow up?” Lin Qile asked him.
She not only asked at night but continued to pursue the question during the day. Jiang Qiaoxi refused to answer.
“What is it? Can’t you just tell me…” Lin Qile persisted.
Annoyed by her constant questioning, Jiang Qiaoxi finally replied, “Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand.”
They were both in fourth grade and Young Pioneers. What did he mean by “you wouldn’t understand”?
This thought made Lin Qile increasingly sullen. She ate shrimp chips glumly, crunching loudly. She tugged at her Bobby doll’s light blue hair in frustration, lay back on the bamboo mat, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes, and then glared at Jiang Qiaoxi sitting nearby.
After dinner, Jiang Qiaoxi leaned against the wardrobe, working on problems next to Lin Qile.
Still lying on her back, Lin Qile unconsciously glanced up at his face.
Jiang Qiaoxi’s eyelashes were long and curled, half-covering his eyes as he looked down. His lips were slightly thin, and perhaps due to his naturally pale complexion, they appeared a very light, delicate petal-like red.
As Jiang Qiaoxi solved problems, not only did his pen move, but his lips also occasionally opened and closed, silently calculating. He checked between his scratch paper and book pages, his eyelashes lifting slightly then falling again.
Suddenly, Jiang Qiaoxi looked up, his black pupils reflecting Lin Qile’s stunned face.
Maintaining her shocked expression, Lin Qile stiffly rolled over on the bamboo mat, pressing her heated face down.
When school resumed after the National Day holiday, the cotton roses were in full bloom. Du Shang yawned while reading the text “Burning Clouds” with his classmates. He tilted his head and noticed Lin Qile staring blankly at her Chinese textbook, not reciting along, just swallowing repeatedly.
Du Shang leaned over to look and realized the text Lin Qile had opened wasn’t “Burning Clouds” at all, but “I Love My Hometown’s Yangmei”.
The Chinese teacher was furious: “Lin Qile! Not only did you fail to complete your holiday homework, but you even brought the wrong textbook after school started!”
Lin Qile stood up to face criticism. Qin Yeyun, sitting behind her, snickered, which led to the teacher calling him out as well.
“Qin Yeyun, you’re laughing! Where’s your homework? You two are quite the troublesome pair!”
Du Shang asked, “Are you still going to play house with Jiang Qiaoxi tonight?”
Lin Qile walked among her friends as they left school, backpack on. She lowered her head, fiddling with the Tamagotchi she had snatched from Cai Fangyuan. She nearly broke the small buttons from pressing them so much, yet the virtual pet seemed unchanged.
Du Shang advised earnestly: “Cherry, you should stop distracting Jiang Qiaoxi from his studies all the time—”
“I’m not distracting him,” Lin Qile protested.
“How can you not be?” Du Shang argued. “You’re always playing next to him. How can he focus on his work?”
Lin Qile glanced back at Jiang Qiaoxi and found him looking at her as well.
She turned away, continuing to fiddle with the Tamagotchi.
When they reached the Workers’ Club entrance, Lin Qile returned the Tamagotchi to Cai Fangyuan and parted ways with them.
Only Jiang Qiaoxi followed behind Lin Qile, taking the same route towards their homes.
Electrician Lin had returned early from work on his bicycle. He called out, “Qiaoxi, your father went to the city post office!”
Lin Qile sensed Jiang Qiaoxi’s steps suddenly halt behind her.
“I couldn’t see clearly what was written on the package slip,” Electrician Lin said with a smile, “but it seemed to be a parcel forwarded from Hong Kong, addressed to you.”
Manager Jiang, Jiang Qiaoxi’s father, returned at seven in the evening. He had gone to the city not only to retrieve the package from the post office but also to buy some fresh fruit for Jiang Qiaoxi to deliver to the student’s parents at the Qunshan construction site. He didn’t pay much attention to his son usually, relying on his coworkers at the site to help look after him.
Lin Qile stood at her doorway, cradling a large bunch of Guangxi bananas. She looked up and said sweetly, “Thank you, Uncle Jiang!”
Then she quietly asked Jiang Qiaoxi, “Who sent you the package?”
Despite his usual reserved and mature demeanor, Jiang Qiaoxi couldn’t contain his joy at this moment. His eyes shone as he replied, “My cousin.”
Lin Qile had never seen Jiang Qiaoxi so happy. “What did he send you?” she asked.
Jiang Qiaoxi answered, “Books, textbooks.”
Lin Qile had expected snacks or toys. After all, it came from Hong Kong—how exciting!
Her eyebrows drooped in disappointment.
Jiang Qiaoxi’s cousin had included a letter, saying this was his first time sending books to inland Qunshan City and he wasn’t sure if it would arrive smoothly. If successful, he promised to send new books and materials from Hong Kong every month: “I hope you study hard there and seize your future!”
Lin Qile sat on the bamboo mat next to Jiang Qiaoxi. She couldn’t understand the English textbooks from Hong Kong, but she could comprehend the short letters written in traditional Chinese characters.
Jiang Qiaoxi’s cousin had beautiful handwriting.
“How much older is your cousin?” Lin Qile asked.
“Sixteen years,” Jiang Qiaoxi replied.
Lin Qile was confused for a moment. Sixteen years older?
Shouldn’t he be called “uncle” then?
“He’s twenty-five?” Lin Qile calculated.
Jiang Qiaoxi explained, “My brother is fourteen years older than me. He was originally my brother’s cousin, then became my cousin too.”
Lin Qile blinked, deciding not to ask further.
Lin’s mother entered with a plate of tangerines and sliced apples. “He sent so many things?” she remarked.
Jiang Qiaoxi stood up quickly, saying, “I’m sorry, Auntie. I’ll tidy up.”
“Cherry put away your comic books,” Lin’s mother instructed, “so Qiaoxi has somewhere to put his books. Otherwise, how will you two study?”
Study, study. In adults’ eyes, it seemed studying was all children should do every day.
In late October, Lin Qile walked to school, noticing many adults sighing over newspapers around her.
The Chinese stock market was still plummeting. It had been three months since July, with no sign of improvement.
Lin Qile didn’t understand what “stock market” meant. She had only seen those red and blue lines on blackboards on TV, which caused adults’ expressions to change constantly due to their unpredictability.
“Cherry!” Uncle Cai once exclaimed while dining at Lin Qile’s home, pointing at the financial news on TV. “Recommend a stock for uncle to buy!”
Lin Cherry sat on an adult’s lap, eating boiled edamame. She couldn’t understand the TV program or the adults’ conversation. She watched the scrolling stock names on the screen for a moment.
“Taishan Tourism!” she suddenly said, pointing.
“What?” Uncle Cai asked for confirmation. “Taishan Tourism?”
Uncle Yu, peeling peanuts nearby, said, “You can’t just tell people to buy. You need to explain why!”
Lin Cherry couldn’t explain. Adults teasing children was nothing new; they just wanted to hear silly, naive responses.
Lin Cherry continued peeling edamame: “I’ve been to Mount Tai. It’s beautiful! And crowded!”
Now, Lin Qile stood on tiptoe at the newsstand, trying to see the financial pages. This was the only newsstand near the Qunshan construction site, frequented by workers. The owner spotted her and laughed, “Cherry, are you playing the stock market too?”
Lin Qile politely asked, “Uncle, has Taishan Tourism gone up?”
Her serious inquiry amused the surrounding adults. Someone even checked the newspaper for her: “It’s down! Let me tell you, all these lousy stocks are falling.”
Lin Qile left the newsstand, returning to her friends with undisguised disappointment.
During class breaks, Jiang Qiaoxi overheard her muttering beside him: “Uncle Cai loves money so much. I hope I didn’t cause him to lose money…”
Not everyone could hear Lin Qile’s quiet unhappiness. Du Shang continued reading “White Horse Neighing in the West Wind” in the classroom. He seemed to have abandoned his study of the Kamehameha and instead focused on mastering the inner strength techniques from Jin Yong’s martial arts novels. Yu Qiao was betting with the boys in class: the Jia A League was entering its next round, and Yu Qiao’s national football idol—Liaoning forward Qu Shengqing—had already scored 16 goals in the previous 23 rounds.
There was little doubt he would be the top scorer this year.
Due to his height advantage, Yu Qiao was often dragged to the podium by the female class monitor to clean the blackboard. As he cleaned, he told the football-loving boys from the neighboring class outside the door that Liaoning Fushun would be the football league champion this year. If not, he, Yu Qiao, would buy next year’s “Sports Weekly” and lend it to everyone in the school!
Cai Fangyuan turned back from his seat in front, playing with his Tamagotchi. He whispered to Jiang Qiaoxi and Lin Qile: “If Yu Qiao loses again this time, he’ll be buying until graduation.”
“Why?” Lin Qile asked.
Cai Fangyuan explained, “He already lost once with the Champions League. I’m telling you, Yu Qiao has been particularly unlucky this year for some reason.”
Yu Qiao’s luck was indeed poor that year. On December 5, 1999, the Chinese Jia A League entered its final round. Shandong Luneng Taishan defeated Wuhan 5-0 at home, while Liaoning Fushun drew with Beijing Guoan.
In the end, Luneng Taishan won the league championship by a one-point advantage.
Yu Qiao claimed Luneng’s victory was pure luck. However, a week later, in the second leg of the FA Cup final, Luneng Taishan defeated Dalian Wanda Shide 4-3, clinching the FA Cup championship as well.
Yu Qiao was devastated. But apart from him, almost everyone—all the sports channel hosts, all the young people at the Qunshan construction site—was celebrating China’s first “double crown” in football history: Shandong Luneng Taishan team. A national football legend was born.
Cai Fangyuan’s father even managed to obtain a football signed by Luneng Taishan’s striker Su Maozhen and coach Santrac. He proudly displayed it at home, inviting Electrician Lin, Team Leader Yu, and other old coworkers to admire it.
At the end of 1999, Zhongneng Power Plant Elementary School began its first semester-end exams. Cai Fangyuan lamented, “The world is about to end, yet we still have to take final exams!”
The school wouldn’t allow students to escape early. Everyone had to sit in the classroom and complete their exam papers diligently.
Jiang Qiaoxi, who had entered the school with only ten points and was said to have been admitted to the fourth grade of the power plant elementary school through “connections,” surprisingly achieved the school’s first “quadruple crown” in this final exam. Out of only four exams, he scored perfect marks in all. “Even better than Luneng!” the homeroom teacher praised.
That day after school, Lin Qile ran home excitedly, shouting from afar: “Dad, we got our results!!”
Hearing her commotion, Lin the electrician became expectant too, asking, “How did you do?”
Lin Qile reached him and announced: “Jiang Qiaoxi got four hundred! The teacher called him the ‘quadruple crown’!”
Lin the electrician paused, then chuckled: “That’s great…” He then asked, “So how much did you score?”
Yu Qiao and his three friends happened to be passing by Lin the electrician’s house with their backpacks. Yu Qiao, unhappy himself, deliberately tried to spoil Lin Qile’s mood. He shouted: “Uncle Lin, Lin Qile got a hundred too!”
Lin the electrician asked, “Really?”
Yu Qiao yelled: “A little over a hundred for all four subjects combined!”
Amidst Cai Fangyuan’s laughter, Lin Qile, backpack on, dashed out of the house to chase them. Yu Qiao ran much faster than her. In the vast Qunshan construction site residential area, during the after-work rush, the roads were filled with uncles and aunts, workers cycling to the canteen for dinner. Yu Qiao weaved through them like the wind, with Lin Qile desperately chasing behind.
She panted heavily, unable to catch up or hit him. Lin Qile’s competitive spirit was strong; she refused to give up.
Many adults stopped their bicycles to tease Lin Qile: “Cherry, hurry up and throw a brick at him!”
Others called out: “Yu Qiao! How dare you run so fast!”
Jiang Qiaoxi walked past Lin Qile’s house to the intersection. He saw that just across the street, Yu Qiao had stopped, seemingly letting her catch up on purpose.
Lin Qile approached and landed a heavy punch on Yu Qiao’s stomach.
Cai Fangyuan asked nearby: “When are you going back to the provincial capital?”
Jiang Qiaoxi replied, “I don’t know.”
Cai Fangyuan said idly: “I’m also going to the provincial capital for winter break. My mom wants me to attend the same tutoring class as you.”
Jiang Qiaoxi nodded upon hearing this.
“You’ll have to teach me then,” Cai Fangyuan pleaded with a worried expression. “How would I know what they study over there?”
“Just you?” Jiang Qiaoxi asked. “Aren’t they going?”
Lin Qile, having finished punching Yu Qiao, waited for him to feign pain before considering it settled. She adjusted her backpack and walked back with Yu Qiao, seeing Jiang Qiaoxi and Cai Fangyuan waiting for them at the intersection from afar.
Lin Qile suddenly smiled: “Jiang Qiaoxi!”
Our Generation – Chapter Notes:
- “Electronic Chicken”: A handheld toy launched by the Japanese company Bandai in 1996, originally named “Tamagotchi.” It became a global sensation.
- “From July to now”: On July 1, 1999, the Securities Law of the People’s Republic of China came into effect. The Chinese stock market plummeted 7.61% on that day, with nearly all stocks hitting their lower limits. Six months later, it had fallen to 1341 points.
- “He only lost once in the Champions League”: In the 1999 UEFA Champions League final, Manchester United of the English Premier League scored two goals in stoppage time to defeat Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga 2-1, winning the championship. This dramatic match is considered a classic in football, and even a miracle beyond the realm of football and sports.
- In the 1999 Jia-A League, although the Liaoning Fushun team regrettably finished as runners-up, forward Qu Shengqing topped the scoring charts with 17 goals and simultaneously won both the Footballer of the Year award and the Golden Boot. This marked the peak of his professional career.