The next morning at seven forty, Jiang Yubai brought his self-criticism letter and stepped into homeroom teacher Ms. Wu’s office.

As it happened, Wei Rongjie and Liu Xingjian had also arrived.

The three students—Jiang Yubai, Wei Rongjie, and Liu Xingjian—lined up in a row, standing obediently before their homeroom teacher.

Ms. Wu accepted their three self-criticism letters and began reading them on the spot. Her eyebrows furrowed tighter and tighter, and her facial expression grew solemn.

Jiang Yubai felt a bit nervous. Last night, he had copied the self-criticism letter by hand. He kept Lin Zhixia’s original manuscript at home and submitted his copied version to Ms. Wu.

Without doubt, Lin Zhixia’s writing style was quite distinctive. Her vocabulary was extremely rich, and her skill with words and sentence structure was second to none.

In comparison, Jiang Yubai’s Chinese language proficiency still had much room for improvement. Jiang Yubai worried that Ms. Wu would discover the self-criticism letter was written by Lin Zhixia.

Ms. Wu had been teaching for many years and possessed a discerning eye.

She was the homeroom teacher for a key class at the Provincial Experimental Elementary School. She had taught many students and surely knew all the little tricks elementary students tried to pull.

Jiang Yubai began to consider how he might explain if Ms. Wu saw through the truth, in a way that wouldn’t implicate Lin Zhixia.

Before he could figure out what to say, Ms. Wu suddenly spoke: “Liu Xingjian, Wei Rongjie, did you two seriously write your self-criticisms yesterday? An 800-character self-criticism with the same words repeated over and over—what’s the meaning of this? Your attitude is very improper.”

Liu Xingjian’s face turned pale, words caught in his throat.

Wei Rongjie stammered, “Ms. Wu… I, I couldn’t write it…”

He sniffled, quietly sucking back his mucus.

Jiang Yubai felt some sympathy for Wei Rongjie.

Yesterday morning, Jiang Yubai himself had agonized and struggled repeatedly just to squeeze out 13 characters.

Without Lin Zhixia’s help, Jiang Yubai wouldn’t have been able to produce an 800-character self-criticism even if he’d stayed up all night.

Why was that?

Perhaps because deep down, Jiang Yubai didn’t believe he had committed a terrible mistake. Drawing comics and playing games with the whole class wasn’t an unforgivable offense. Lin Zhixia had even shown the entire class the wonders of the world, the beauty of physics, the mysterious charm of astronomy, and the significant meaning of economic models.

Jiang Yubai nodded slightly. That’s right, his self-criticism was merely due to circumstances. He still had a heart that yearned for “Exploring the Universe.”

“Jiang Yubai,” Ms. Wu praised him at this moment, “your self-criticism letter is well-written. Ms. Wu can feel that you truly regret your actions, recognize your mistake, and have corrected your attitude.”

Ms. Wu handed Jiang Yubai’s self-criticism letter to Liu Xingjian: “You should learn from Jiang Yubai’s good quality of correcting mistakes when he recognizes them. I criticize you for your good. If I didn’t care about you, that would be doing you harm. Liu Xingjian, Wei Rongjie, submit another 800-character self-criticism to me before eight o’clock tomorrow morning. Correct your attitude, alright? Don’t let me see repeated sentences, don’t write the same sentence ten times over. That’s just going through the motions for your teacher, and you haven’t correctly recognized your shortcomings.”

Liu Xingjian and Wei Rongjie could only meekly agree.

After leaving the office, Wei Rongjie quickly caught up with Jiang Yubai and asked, “Jiang Yubai, why is your self-criticism written so well? You didn’t drag other classmates down or say bad things about others…”

Jiang Yubai replied, “A self-criticism letter is about reflecting on myself. I wouldn’t implicate others.”

“Jiang Yubai,” Liu Xingjian suddenly called out to him, “stop right there!”

Jiang Yubai sprinted into the classroom. His athletic jacket was slightly open, flowing like a swordsman’s garment as he ran. He tossed a reply to Liu Xingjian: “Why should I listen to you?”

Liu Xingjian was provoked by him once again.

Liu Xingjian had originally intended to humble himself and personally ask for advice on how to write a good self-criticism—this was Jiang Yubai’s only opportunity to curry favor with Liu Xingjian.

If Jiang Yubai had patiently tutored him and been sufficiently polite, Liu Xingjian would have forgiven Jiang Yubai for all his previous mistakes.

Unfortunately, Jiang Yubai wasted this precious opportunity.

Liu Xingjian slammed his fist against the classroom door and said ominously, “Jiang Yubai! Just you wait!”

At these words, the entire class involuntarily looked toward Jiang Yubai.

Jiang Yubai completely ignored Liu Xingjian. He hurriedly returned to his seat and reported the good news to Lin Zhixia: “Ms. Wu accepted the self-criticism. She didn’t make me rewrite it.”

Lin Zhixia remained unruffled: “That’s great.”

Jiang Yubai opened his backpack and took out a “Fourth Grade Mathematics (First Semester)” textbook for the next class.

He pretended to be reading the content in the math book. After mulling it over for a while, maintaining a proper sitting posture, he sincerely and formally said: “Lin Zhixia, thank you for your help.”

“What did you say?” Lin Zhixia put one hand to her ear. “I didn’t hear you.”

Jiang Yubai smirked: “If you didn’t hear, then never mind.”

Lin Zhixia mimicked his smirk: “Hahaha, Jiang Yubai, are you feeling shy?”

Jiang Yubai hadn’t been feeling shy, but when Lin Zhixia asked him like this, he inexplicably felt a bit embarrassed. He changed his sitting position to face another direction, further away from Lin Zhixia.

Lin Zhixia called out to him: “Jiang-Jiang-Jiang-Jiang Yubai!”

Jiang Yubai immediately retorted: “Lin-Lin-Lin-Lin Zhixia!”

Lin Zhixia made a surprised sound: “Hmm! I thought you would say, ‘You’re crazy.'”

Jiang Yubai insisted: “Those words are a bit offensive. The more you want me to say them, the less likely I am to say them.”

As the two were bickering, the Educational Director’s voice suddenly came through the school broadcast system.

The Educational Director asked the fourth-grade class monitors and deputy class monitors to immediately go to the printing room to collect important materials, and the homeroom teachers of each class must also coordinate upcoming work.

The Educational Director announced over the broadcast: “Adhering to the principle of voluntariness, students in each class, you should inform your parents and independently choose whether to receive the hepatitis B vaccine.”

Hepatitis B vaccine!

Hearing these four words, Lin Zhixia’s face turned pale.

She was most afraid of getting shots!

Just seeing a needle would fill her with fear. All thoughts of universal truths, Nietzsche’s hypothesis, and Type II string theory would be thrown from her mind. That sharp and pointed needle would become her entire world—a world that was, of course, gloomy, terrifying, and devoid of light.

What about Jiang Yubai?

Was Jiang Yubai afraid of getting shots?

Lin Zhixia suddenly turned her head and stared at Jiang Yubai without saying a word.

Jiang Yubai felt uneasy under her stare and couldn’t help asking, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Zhixia’s eyelashes blinked lightly twice. How could she tell Jiang Yubai how much she hated getting shots?

In the “Exploring the Universe” comic series, Jiang Yubai had portrayed Lin Zhixia as the “God of Truth, First Strategist, Universe Navigator.” These extraordinary titles had given Lin Zhixia a certain idol burden. She was embarrassed to admit that she would cry and plead at the sight of a needle.

As the Universe Navigator, Earth’s First Strategist, and the God of Truth at the Orion Base, Lin Zhixia wasn’t strong at all. A mere hepatitis B vaccine was enough to make her feel endangered.

But if Jiang Yubai was also afraid of shots, Lin Zhixia could gain his empathy. Lin Zhixia indirectly asked: “Jiang Yubai, did you hear the broadcast just now?”

Jiang Yubai very calmly said: “I heard it.”

“Do you have any thoughts about it?” Lin Zhixia cautiously probed.

“I don’t have any thoughts,” Jiang Yubai removed the cap from his pen and began working on the math homework assigned by his home tutor. “I got the hepatitis B vaccine last year.”

So, this time, Jiang Yubai didn’t need to get vaccinated again?

Lin Zhixia envied him.

She asked directly: “When you got the shot, did you cry?”

“Why would I cry?” Jiang Yubai was confused. “You just endure it for a moment and it’s over.”

Lin Zhixia’s questioning ended there. She had confirmed that Jiang Yubai didn’t care at all about getting shots. Like a defeated soldier who had lost her ally, she spent the entire day in a daze.

But she still clung to one last hope—the hepatitis B vaccine wasn’t free. Not only was it not free, but it was also somewhat expensive.

The class monitor and deputy monitor had gone to the printing room to collect hepatitis B vaccine brochures. These brochures were distributed by the class monitor to every student. On the brochures, it was written in black and white: Our school has established cooperation with a provincial tertiary hospital to ensure the safety, reliability, effectiveness, and stability of the hepatitis B vaccine. The hepatitis B vaccine costs 72 yuan per person, 24 yuan per dose…

Reading to this point, Lin Zhixia had a flash of inspiration.

Yes, she knew that the hepatitis B vaccine required at least three shots.

One shot was 24 yuan, three shots were 72 yuan.

Indeed, 3 times 24 equals 72.

However, last time when they had to pay 76 yuan for the autumn field trip, her mother had been reluctant.

This time, for the 72-yuan hepatitis B vaccine, her mother would not want to accept it!

If her mother hadn’t given her the money, Lin Zhixia wouldn’t have had to get a shot!

That evening, as the setting sun bathed the earth and the cool autumn breeze carried a chill, Lin Zhixia shouldered her backpack, burst through the door, and confidently handed the “Hepatitis B Vaccine Brochure” to her mother.

She behaved especially well, especially quietly, just waiting for her mother to say: “Xiaxia, we don’t have the money. Can we skip this 72-yuan vaccine?”

Then she could happily answer: “Okay, Mom. Xiaxia doesn’t want to get a shot.”

However, things didn’t go as planned.

After carefully reading the “Hepatitis B Vaccine Brochure,” her mother loudly called for Lin Zhixia’s father.

Father and mother discussed for a while, then father suggested: “Xiaxia got the hepatitis B vaccine when she was born. She’s nine years old now, and the brochure says antibody levels weaken year by year. Why don’t we let her get vaccinated again at school?”

Mother readily agreed: “Alright, let her get it at school. We can trust the doctors from the tertiary hospital. We’ll take Xiaxia back to our hometown next year for the New Year. The elderly in the countryside aren’t very particular, and with people coming and going at home, we should make preparations in advance.”

“We haven’t been back home for a year,” father sighed. “Your parents said on the phone that they miss Qiuqiu and Xiaxia…”

Mother snorted coldly: “Enough. Your mother has been partial for years. She only has eyes for her grandson, where’s the granddaughter in her mind?”

“In front of the child,” father pointed at Lin Zhixia, “don’t talk to me like that.”

Mother opened the money box, found 72 yuan, and gave it to Lin Zhixia. Mother also coaxed her: “Xiaxia, you’re nine years old now, you’re a big girl, you can’t be afraid of shots anymore. Getting vaccinated is a good thing, you understand more than mom does, so I won’t say more.”

Lin Zhixia’s expression was wooden. She silently accepted the 72 yuan and walked slowly toward her bedroom.

She recalled her childhood experiences of getting shots, as if experiencing the scene from years ago all over again. She wrapped the 72 yuan in a handkerchief, tied a knot, and then stuffed the handkerchief into her backpack.

*

The night sky was vast, the evening breeze gentle, and the faint moonlight shone through the glass windows, yet was completely overshadowed by the bright indoor lights.

Lin Zhixia held a rice bowl, sitting at a round table, quietly eating her dinner.

The television was playing “Big Windmill,” and tonight’s program was an animated version of “Journey to the West.” Sun Wukong wielded his golden cudgel, leaped into the air, and with one strike, smashed the White Bone Demon to ashes—how impressive!

Lin Zeqiu cheered: “Well struck!”

He turned his head to look at his sister: “Lin Zhixia, what’s wrong with you? You’re eating with no energy.”

Mother placed a chicken wing in Lin Zhixia’s bowl: “Xiaxia, what are you thinking about?”

Lin Zhixia bit into the chicken wing but didn’t respond.

Tonight’s chicken wings were braised ones carefully prepared by mother, with tender, delicious meat cooked just right. As Lin Zhixia ate, she wondered how many good days like today she had left before she would have to get the hepatitis B vaccine.

Her sister’s unusual behavior caught Lin Zeqiu’s attention.

Lin Zeqiu put down his rice bowl, leaned slightly forward, moved close to Lin Zhixia’s ear, and shouted: “Hey! Lin Zhixia!”

Lin Zhixia was startled out of her wits.

Mother angrily scolded: “Lin Zeqiu, what’s wrong with you, scaring your sister like that! You’re her brother, you don’t act like a brother at all!”

Lin Zeqiu lowered his head and shoveled rice into his mouth. After two mouthfuls, he said: “I saw her daydreaming all the time…”

Lin Zhixia refused to admit it: “I wasn’t daydreaming!” She gripped her chopsticks and poked at the rice in her bowl: “I was just thinking about getting the vaccine.”

“You’re nine years old and still afraid of shots?” Her brother predictably mocked her without mercy. “Girls are just delicate. When I was seven, I got in a fight and split my knee open, and I didn’t make a sound.”

Lin Zhixia scoffed: “When you were seven, you wet the bed once.”

She described the situation in detail: “When Mom and Dad took us back to our hometown, you were afraid to use the countryside toilet. You were scared there might be bugs in the dry toilet. Boys are so brave… With a brother as brave as you, seeing just one bug makes you extremely panicked.”

Lin Zeqiu, having his sore spot poked, hit back hard: “Were you any better when you were seven? You were afraid of the dark, afraid of ghosts, afraid of aliens coming to get you, always asking Mom to go to your bedroom and coax you to sleep. I’ve never seen a more timid and cowardly girl than you!”

“So what!” Lin Zhixia’s face immediately flushed from green to red. “Mom likes me, Mom is willing to comfort me! Brother always argues with me, Mom is even less likely to comfort you!”

Lin Zeqiu heavily put his bowl down on the table: “You think everyone’s like you! I don’t care!”

Lin Zhixia gazed at his expression: “No, I can see it, you’re very envious of me.”

Mother gently patted Lin Zhixia’s shoulder: “Xiaxia, stop talking and eat quietly. The food is getting cold.”

Then, mother turned her head and warned her brother: “Lin Zeqiu, don’t cause trouble at the dinner table, let your sister finish her meal. She’s only nine years old this year, you’re three years older than her, can’t you give in to her a little? You have to argue with her about everything! Your sister is so young and thin, how can she be healthy if she doesn’t eat well?”

Lin Zeqiu dully responded with an “Mmm.”

The indoor light shone on him, his short hair slightly disheveled, hiding the emotions at the corners of his eyes and brows. He maintained a restrained silence, eating without making a sound.

Lin Zhixia stared at his profile. After a moment, she secretly picked up the largest chicken wing and placed it in Lin Zeqiu’s bowl, even pouring a little sauce over it.

He started with cold remarks again: “Who wants your chicken wing?”

Mother glared at him, and he dryly changed his tone: “It’s… It’s delicious.”

After dinner, Lin Zeqiu washed dishes in the kitchen while Lin Zhixia read books in her bedroom.

On Lin Zhixia’s desk was a book titled “Computer System Architecture.” This book was borrowed from the Provincial Library, a new book published in 2003, particularly popular and well-received, with many people queuing for it.

Lin Zhixia had been waiting, and it was finally her turn the day before yesterday. The librarian called the Lin family to notify them, and Lin Zhixia went to the Provincial Library that same day, bringing the book home.

Last night, she had found time to read a large portion, and this morning, she had finished the entire book.

This book mainly describes computer system architecture. Lin Zhixia had been researching in this direction recently. She very much wanted to make PCB components herself, design circuits, operate FPGA electronic boards, and personally create a computer CPU.

Her ideas were wonderful, but reality was unsympathetic. To fulfill this wish, first, she needed money. Second, she should have a workshop. Both points were not easy to achieve at home.

Lin Zhixia temporarily forgot about the hepatitis B vaccine.

In the kitchen, Lin Zeqiu finished washing the last bowl and wiped the water droplets with a clean towel. He tidied up the cabinets and finally had time to complete today’s homework.

Passing by Lin Zhixia’s room, Lin Zeqiu saw that Lin Zhixia was sitting blankly at her desk, seemingly racking her brains over something important.

He gently knocked on her door and called: “Lin Zhixia.”

Lin Zhixia answered impatiently: “What?”

Lin Zeqiu walked into his sister’s bedroom: “Are you still thinking about that vaccine?”

He shouldn’t have mentioned it. As soon as he did, he immediately stirred up Lin Zhixia’s worries.

“I don’t care…” Lin Zhixia tried to convince herself. “I don’t care at all.”

Halfway through her sentence, she left her desk, found a plush penguin toy, and hugged it tightly to her chest.

She buried her entire face in the penguin’s gray fur, which reminded Lin Zeqiu of her mother’s words—your sister is only nine years old this year, can’t you give in to her a little?

Indeed.

Although Lin Zhixia had a good memory, strong comprehension, and high intelligence, she was after all only nine years old. She still feared the dark, ghosts, aliens, strangers, and getting shots at the hospital.

Lin Zeqiu sat in a chair and said to her: “Hey, Lin Zhixia.”

Lin Zhixia looked up at him: “Are you going to scare me again?”

“What are you doing, always thinking I’m so bad?” Lin Zeqiu said impatiently. “Let me tell you, when you’re getting a shot, don’t stare at the needle like a dumb goose. Can you close your eyes?”

Lin Zeqiu recalled past events: “Two years ago, when you were seven, Mom and Dad took you to the hospital for a shot, and I was there too. The nurse held your hand, and you kept staring at the needle, sobbing non-stop. Who gets a shot like you, staring intently at the nurse?”

Lin Zhixia felt extremely wronged: “I…”

She couldn’t form a complete sentence.

“Take a deep breath,” Lin Zeqiu instructed her. “Before getting the shot, take a deep breath, close your eyes, and trust the nurse. It’s something that takes less than a minute, but is it worth worrying about until now? Don’t waste your precious time on something so meaningless.”

Lin Zhixia held the little penguin toy’s two wings: “Brother.”

Her brother’s tone was gentle, though his words were rough: “Speak quickly if you have something to say.”

Lin Zhixia asked him: “Brother, are you comforting me? Thank you, brother! When you feel scared, I’ll help you too. For example… next time you see a bug, I’ll come help you kill it.”

Lin Zeqiu neither acknowledged nor denied it. He stood up and left Lin Zhixia’s room.

“You’re ignoring me again,” Lin Zhixia accused.

Lin Zeqiu stood in her doorway and said: “Please, I need to do my homework. Tonight I have a math test paper and an English test paper to complete. I’m not like you, I can’t solve a problem in one second. Stay put, don’t bother me, don’t cling to me.”

“I don’t want to talk to you either,” Lin Zhixia declared.

“That’s great,” Lin Zeqiu replied, “I don’t have anything to say to you either.”

After speaking, Lin Zeqiu returned to his bedroom. He turned on the desk lamp, dumped his homework out of his backpack, and arranged the books one by one on the desk.

The desk lamp was bright, casting a pale yellow glow, creating a warm atmosphere.

Lin Zeqiu pulled back the curtains; the night blurred the city lights, and a few lonely stars were faintly visible in the night sky. He pulled out a chair, sat down casually, picked up a black pen, and concentrated on his math homework.

Today’s math homework was a test paper.

Lin Zeqiu spent forty minutes and reached the last problem, where his thinking suddenly hit an obstacle.

The last problem was a bonus question, with a very flexible problem type. Lin Zeqiu suspected this problem exceeded the junior high school mathematics outline.

He pondered for twenty minutes before remembering he still had English homework to complete. If he spent too much time on mathematics, he would have to go to bed very late tonight.

But he was the math representative for the class.

Early tomorrow morning, the homeroom teacher, who was also their math teacher, would have the whole class exchange test papers for peer grading. The homeroom teacher would correct the test papers while introducing solution methods.

Giving up on the bonus question was feasible. However, Lin Zeqiu would lose face as the math representative.

He let out a light sigh.

Outside the bedroom door, Lin Zhixia’s voice floated in: “Brother.”

Lin Zeqiu turned sharply: “What do you want?”

Lin Zhixia ran into his room: “Twenty minutes ago, I came out to get water and saw you daydreaming. Twenty minutes later, you’re still daydreaming… Why, brother?”

“No reason,” Lin Zeqiu covered his test paper. “Don’t waste words, mind your own business.”

Lin Zhixia brought over a chair and placed it next to his position. She sat at the table without ceremony, trying to peek at Lin Zeqiu’s math test paper.

Lin Zeqiu was very firm, refusing to let go even if it killed him. Lin Zhixia grabbed his fingers and read the question through the gaps between his fingers.

She hadn’t even seen the complete problem statement but had already guessed the test-setter’s intention.

She earnestly reminded him: “This problem can be proven using mathematical induction. After all, junior high school math isn’t very difficult, and induction is sufficient. You transform this proposition to… For every element in the set of positive integers n in the problem, there exists a corresponding ordered array of real numbers a. When n is less than 2, the condition holds. When n is greater than or equal to 2, the newly added array data c should be…”

Lin Zhixia wrote out a concise and easy-to-understand equation.

Lin Zeqiu caught a flash of insight in his mind. With his sister’s guidance, he spent four minutes and completed this bonus question.