September 24, 2005, was blessed with perfect weather, sunny and breezy.
It was a peaceful, serene Saturday.
Lin Zhixia held her mother’s wrist, gently making her request: “Mom, Mom, my classmate asked me to go out to play, so I might not come home for lunch. Can I go out now?”
“Who asked you to go out and play?” her mother questioned.
Lin Zhixia described in detail: “My best friend. He was my elementary school classmate, and now he’s my middle school classmate too.”
Her mother, while wiping the shelves, kindly asked: “Where do you want to go play?”
“Provincial No. 1 Middle School!” Lin Zhixia’s tone was very cheerful, “Mom, today is the high school department’s club fair! The senior students have prepared many performances! My friend and I agreed to meet at the school gate, and I plan to treat him to lunch in the school cafeteria today!”
Students in Provincial No. 1 Middle School’s competition class were generally the cream of the crop among outstanding students. Lin Zhixia had unique qualities and needed companionship from peers her age, so she really should make friends with excellent children.
Moreover, Lin Zhixia and her friend would be playing within the familiar campus, which naturally had a higher safety factor. The community where Lin Zhixia lived was close to Provincial No. 1 Middle School, just three bus stops away.
Her mother didn’t hesitate and readily agreed: “Alright, you can go, Xiaxia. Take your phone card with you, and call us if anything happens.”
“Okay!” Lin Zhixia disappeared in a flash.
She returned to her room and put on her favorite light pink cotton t-shirt and dark gray jeans. She also specially braided her hair starting from the top, first dividing it into two sections, braiding down to ear level, then using strawberry hair ties to create two pigtails.
Her braiding technique was extremely sophisticated, demonstrating her dexterity. When her mother saw her, she couldn’t help but praise: “Xiaxia looks so cute and pretty today.”
Lin Zhixia felt even happier. She had always liked hearing her mother’s praise since she was little.
Her mother also said: “Our Xiaxia is growing up and will become more beautiful, more perfect, possessing both wisdom and beauty. Mom can’t find any flaws in Xiaxia.”
“Mm-hmm!” Lin Zhixia nodded with slight shyness.
Her brother happened to pass by. Hearing the conversation between his mother and sister, he scoffed dismissively: “Lin Zhixia, don’t be proud. Don’t you know? Children can grow up crooked.”
Lin Zhixia was in a hurry to leave and had no time to argue with her brother. She rushed out the door, tossing back one last comment: “Brother, if you grow up crooked, you’ll be worse off than me, because you’ll not only lose your good looks but won’t have gained any wisdom either.”
Her brother was left speechless with indignation.
She ran out half a step, then suddenly returned: “Today is the high school department’s club fair, I’m going to school to watch the performances. Brother, aren’t you going?”
“I’m not going,” her brother answered firmly, “I’m staying home to review for exams. The midterm exam is on the 11th of next month. Lin Zhixia, aren’t you reviewing? Your competition class has tests every week.”
“I always rank first in the class! A perfect score is my score,” Lin Zhixia revealed.
She dared to say such an extremely arrogant thing as “a perfect score is my score.”
Her brother was once again rendered speechless.
Lin Zhixia couldn’t sense the intense upheaval in her brother’s heart, like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting. Her mind was full of thoughts about the high school club fair, and also that today happened to be her birthday—Jiang Yubai must have prepared a gift for her!
What would he give her? Exercises, notebooks, or candies and cookies?
Whatever it was, Lin Zhixia would gladly accept it.
Reality, however, transcended her imagination.
When she ran into Jiang Yubai at the gate of Provincial No. 1 Middle School, Jiang Yubai handed her an exquisitely crafted key. The key was as long as her finger, engraved with quantum mechanics’ Dirac notation. Jiang Yubai said to her: “This key can open a lock.”
“What lock?” Lin Zhixia asked with surprise.
Jiang Yubai avoided answering directly. He sincerely wished her: “Happy birthday, Lin Zhixia.”
Lin Zhixia circled him: “Jiang-Jiang-Jiang-Jiang Yubai! Is that lock of yours hidden in the school? Will you give me clues? We’ll be like the protagonists in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark,’ following clues to find treasure!”
Jiang Yubai raised his hand, pointing forward: “Lin-Lin-Lin-Lin Zhixia, the club activities are about to start. Keep the key safe and follow me.”
“I’m coming!” Lin Zhixia grabbed the strap of his backpack.
The campus path was paved with uneven cobblestones, with lush tree shadows falling on both sides of the road. The cool autumn breeze brushed against Lin Zhixia’s cheeks. She felt relaxed and leisurely, as if she were on an autumn outing with Jiang Yubai.
The high school department’s club fair was in full swing. There was a spacious, long street within the campus, and members of various clubs had set up booths along the street, distributing promotional brochures.
Nearby grew a patch of flourishing osmanthus trees, with flower buds blossoming in the beautiful autumn scenery of September. The delicate fragrance of the flowers drifted with the wind, a subtle yet pleasant scent. Lin Zhixia took a deep breath and sighed: “Since ancient times, autumn has been associated with sadness and loneliness, but I say autumn days surpass spring mornings. This is from Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi’s ‘Autumn Words.’ Have you heard of it?”
Before Jiang Yubai could respond, a high school senior standing nearby suddenly rushed over: “Young schoolmate? Are you a junior student? You look so young! You just recited a poem! Are you interested in learning about traditional Chinese poetry and culture?”
Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai both stopped in their tracks.
The senior patiently explained: “We are Provincial No. 1 Middle School’s Classical Literature Club! Our club has a good atmosphere, many activities, and fair rules. We use ‘Flying Flower Decree’ to select each term’s president and vice president…”
Before he could finish, Lin Zhixia exclaimed with delight: “Flying Flower Decree!”
“Yes!” the senior raised both hands, extending them to the side, and formally introduced, “I’m in tenth grade this year, and our new president just entered ninth grade. She’s from the advanced class of ninth grade, also the school beauty of ninth grade, classmate Luo Ying, beauty Luo Ying… President Luo Ying!”
Luo Ying?
That name was very special.
Lin Zhixia looked up and saw a girl who appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years old—the president of the “Classical Literature Club,” the legendary senior Luo Ying.
Luo Ying sat to the left of the “Classical Literature Club” sign, wearing a dark green long-sleeved dress. Her elbow rested on the table, a mechanical watch on her wrist, her snow-white slender hand supporting her chin, all her attention focused on Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia called out in a sweet voice: “Hello, Senior Luo Ying.”
Luo Ying smiled slightly at her: “Hello, are you a junior middle school student?”
“Yes. I’m in the mathematics competition class in seventh grade,” Lin Zhixia admitted.
Luo Ying handed her a brochure: “When you reach eighth grade, you can also join our club. Little junior, what’s your name?”
“My name is Lin Zhixia,” Lin Zhixia said honestly, “the ‘Lin’ from forest, the ‘Zhi’ from knowledge, and the ‘Xia’ from summer.”
“What a beautiful name, befitting the person,” Luo Ying commented.
Many high school boys continually surged toward the Classical Literature Club, like endless waves rushing forward on a beach. Luo Ying played “Flying Flower Decree” with them, like Zhuge Liang verbally battling a group of scholars, Senior Luo Ying fought one against a hundred, defeating countless opponents.
Luo Ying also asked Lin Zhixia: “Have you played Flying Flower Decree before?”
Lin Zhixia was about to answer when Jiang Yubai interrupted: “The Astrophysics Club is recruiting. They’ve listed the ye-yo universe explosion model.”
The “ye-yo universe explosion model” drew Lin Zhixia’s longing interest.
She immediately abandoned the Classical Literature Club and rushed to the Astrophysics Club across the way.
The president of the Astrophysics Club held up a large sign, introducing “Hypotheses of Universe Formation” to the many passing students. The president wore a pair of heavy black-framed glasses, with a head of messy short hair, tirelessly narrating: “Fellow schoolmates passing by, please come and take a look! This is the Astrophysics Club! The universe has developed from the quantum gravity era to the stellar era, and spacetime may have originated from quantum information!”
Lin Zhixia raised her hand to ask: “Is the quantum information you mentioned related to quantum error correction codes? The academic English term is quanturrorrrede.”
“That’s right!” The president of the Astrophysics Club revealed a subtle expression. After traveling thousands of mountains and rivers, experiencing all aspects of life, he had finally found a kindred spirit!
The president then looked at Jiang Yubai: “Do you both want to join the Astrophysics Club? Young brother, do you understand quantum information?”
Jiang Yubai modestly expressed his opinion: “The content you’ve written on your promotional board reminds me of topological quantum field theory in fixed spacetime and n-dimensional spacetime.”
Ever since Jiang Yubai acknowledged his friendship with Lin Zhixia, his bedtime reading material had changed from “Middle School Mathematics” to “Quantum Computing.” His team of tutors had also included a physics teacher. That physics teacher often answered his questions.
So, he had a general understanding of some terminology.
He continued walking forward with Lin Zhixia.
The president of the Astrophysics Club was left behind by Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia.
That poor president with his deserted booth could only gaze distantly at the backs of the junior students.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhixia was still questioning Jiang Yubai: “Jiang Yubai, have you studied topological quantum field theory?”
“No,” Jiang Yubai walked beside her, “I just read a basic introductory book.”
“Did you understand it?” Lin Zhixia asked again.
Jiang Yubai paused for a second, then honestly said: “No.”
Lin Zhixia burst out laughing, “Ha ha ha ha.” Then, with sparkling eyes looking at him, she encouraged: “You attempted! This is one of Jiang Yubai’s many strengths—Jiang Yubai is fearless, and Jiang Yubai always tries! I couldn’t understand academic papers when I first read them either. I also have to start learning from the basics. When I encounter a completely new subject, I must first browse its basic theories and introductory knowledge.”
She stood on tiptoe, flattening her palm and gradually raising it higher: “A pyramid is built layer by layer. Both Jiang Yubai and I will build our pyramids.”
Jiang Yubai’s hands were tucked in his pockets, and under the cover of the pocket fabric, he slightly clenched his fists, his emotions surging, filled with anticipation for adult life. He believed that someday, years later, both he and Lin Zhixia would climb to the highest point of their professional careers.
Jiang Yubai was thinking further ahead than Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia only noticed the Western Music Club right in front of her.
The Western Music Club’s scene was extremely grand. They had cordoned off a square area, set up instruments, and invited passing students to play. To join the Western Music Club, one must possess a certain musical foundation.
“An upright piano, they brought an upright piano!” Lin Zhixia tugged at Jiang Yubai’s backpack strap, “Jiang Yubai, I’ve never heard you play the piano. I want to hear it.”
Lin Zhixia often expressed her inner thoughts in straightforward words. When spending time with Jiang Yubai, she completely lacked any sense of “tactful indirectness.” Jiang Yubai felt a bit embarrassed, after all, he had never played the piano in public before.
However, when he thought about how, after playing a piece, Lin Zhixia would genuinely praise him for being super awesome… he involuntarily stood in front of the piano.
Even though he still had some reservations and was secretly thinking: I should be low-key, I shouldn’t show off… his fingers had already touched the black and white keys. He slowly sat down, made slight adjustments, and smooth, beautiful piano notes leaped from his fingertips.
The notes were coherent and rhythmic, interwoven into a melodious and magnificent piece. The melody rose and fell with emotion, each small section striking a chord in the listeners’ hearts.
From Lin Zhixia’s perspective, Jiang Yubai’s technique was very exquisite and practiced. Even though she was a layperson, she could guess that Jiang Yubai must have received guidance from top masters since childhood.
The club members around stopped their work. Passing seniors spontaneously formed a circle. Jiang Yubai naturally became the center of everyone’s attention. He seemed born to adapt to this uniqueness. In any case, he wasn’t affected by the exclamations of passersby. The piano music remained vibrant, magnificent, and full of power, just like his unchanged original intention.
As the performance neared its end, the president of the Western Music Club took the lead in applauding for him. The president repeated the word “good” three times: “Good! Good! Good! Junior, which grade are you in? Come over and sign up with me. You don’t need to pay club dues, I’ll pay them for you.”
However, Jiang Yubai thanked the president, said “excuse me,” then picked up his backpack and gradually walked away with Lin Zhixia.
The president of the Western Music Club stood rooted to the spot like a wooden chicken. How many students at Provincial No. 1 Middle School tried every means to join his club? All were coldly and mercilessly rejected by him. Yet the first time he actively extended an olive branch to a junior, all he got was an “excuse me.”
*
Lin Zhixia wandered and walked to the end of this long street.
At the end of the street stood a bulletin board.
The bulletin board was filled with various campus announcements. She saw a blue piece of paper with Dirac notation and a quantum mechanics calculation equation. She immediately calculated the answer and, according to the hint on the back of the paper, solved for a predetermined direction and coordinates.
She turned around, her gaze meeting Jiang Yubai’s.
“That place, is it the restaurant next to the school?” Lin Zhixia probed.
Jiang Yubai showed her his watch: “It’s now eleven fifty in the morning.”
“Time for lunch?” Lin Zhixia hesitated slightly. She took a step, then suddenly began running at full speed, almost catching Jiang Yubai off guard.
Near the south gate of Provincial No. 1 Middle School was a very high-end restaurant doing brisk business. Outside the main entrance of this restaurant stood two greeters dressed in suits year-round. Their presence immediately made passersby understand the average spending level inside the restaurant.
Lin Zhixia, carrying her backpack, stopped at the steps of the restaurant. She said to Jiang Yubai: “Jiang Yubai, I brought forty yuan today, which is my saved allowance. I wanted to treat you to lunch in Provincial No. 1 Middle School’s cafeteria. If you prefer to eat here, I probably can’t afford it… But that’s just for now, because I’m only ten years old, and employing child labor is illegal. When I can earn money in the future, or when I start participating in competitions this year and win prize money, we can come here to eat.”
Lin Zhixia negotiated nicely with Jiang Yubai. Her gaze was clear as water, without a trace of impurity. Jiang Yubai couldn’t even look her in the eye.
“This, this is…” Jiang Yubai inexplicably stammered, “My family’s restaurant.”
The silence in the air continued to lengthen, then Jiang Yubai revealed the truth: “A chain restaurant operated by my mother. The headquarters opened in the provincial capital in 1999, with branches in Beijing and Shanghai.”
Lin Zhixia tilted her head slightly.
The restaurant’s hall manager had already walked out through the glass revolving door. She wore a neat suit with a skirt and a pair of black high heels. She politely received Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai: “Please follow me.”
Jiang Yubai was particularly forthright: “The private room for the birthday party has already been booked. My uncle booked it for me. When he heard about your birthday, he helped me come up with a way to celebrate.”
“Your uncle?” Lin Zhixia repeated.
“My uncle has a deep impression of you,” Jiang Yubai relayed word for word, “He told me to fulfill my duty as a friend, do my best to host you, and contribute to the advancement of human science.”
Lin Zhixia made sense of the uncle’s logic: “You host me, be my friend, and then you can contribute to the advancement of human science?”
“That’s what my uncle said,” Jiang Yubai inadvertently betrayed his uncle.
Under the guidance of the restaurant’s hall manager, they walked through a long corridor and entered a spacious private room. After pushing open the door, Lin Zhixia discovered that several of her elementary school classmates were sitting in the room, including Dong Sunqi, Ding Yan, Wei Rongjie, Gan Shuli, Tang Leqin, plus Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai, making a total of seven children in the private room.
As soon as Dong Sunqi saw Lin Zhixia, he immediately cheered: “The birthday girl is here! The birthday girl is here! Everyone, let’s do what we just rehearsed!”
Dong Sunqi stood in front of a soft sofa, raising both hands high. His expression was solemn, his attitude meticulous, as if he had suddenly descended upon the Golden Hall in Vienna, becoming a professional orchestra conductor with rich knowledge.
Observers might think that Dong Sunqi was about to conduct a complex Beethoven symphony. In reality, he was just organizing everyone to sing a “Happy Birthday” song.
Under Dong Sunqi’s direction, the classmates present—all six people except Lin Zhixia—sang loudly: “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you… Lin Zhixia is forever happy!”
“Good! Hold it!” Dong Sunqi was very satisfied.
Ding Yan leaped over, putting his arm around Jiang Yubai’s shoulders: “Damn, I missed you so much! Jiang Yubai! How are you and Lin Zhixia doing in the new school? Lin Zhixia, are you still at the top of your grade?”
The deputy class monitor, Tang Leqin, chimed in: “Do you even need to ask? Lin Zhixia must be at the top of her grade.”
Gan Shuli grabbed Lin Zhixia’s wrist: “Lin Zhixia, how have you been lately?”
“Pretty good,” Lin Zhixia nodded vigorously, “I, I…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence. After a couple of seconds, she asked in return: “Are you all doing well?”
Wei Rongjie, with his hands behind his back, strolled over like an elderly cadre: “Lin Zhixia, Jiang Yubai, without you two in fifth grade class (1), the reading atmosphere in our class isn’t what it used to be.”
“Wei Rongjie,” Dong Sunqi jumped out to refute, “many classmates ask to borrow books from me every day.”
Tang Leqin, with her hands tucked in her sleeves, gazed at the ceiling: “Lin Zhixia, you and Jiang Yubai both skipped grades. In the first week of school, during the fifth-grade baseline test, the top of the grade became the study committee member from class two… Our class’s top scorer didn’t make it into the grade’s top three.”
“No, don’t say it!” Dong Sunqi let out a low, faint cry, “Don’t let Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai hear about this! We can’t let them worry about us!”
Dong Sunqi’s tone was so funny that Lin Zhixia felt like laughing. The corners of her mouth turned slightly upward, and there was also amusement in her eyes. At this moment, she turned her head and noticed a strawberry cream cake placed on the table. She had to use the term “tier” to describe that cake because it had three layers, each layer lined with a circle of plump, rosy, fresh strawberries, which captivated Lin Zhixia’s soul.
“So many strawberries!” Lin Zhixia sat down at the spot closest to the strawberry cake.
The hall manager personally served them, and various dishes were successively brought out by the waiters. Lin Zhixia thought this was already a perfect birthday party when Jiang Yubai told her, “You can open your gifts before the meal.”
“There are more gifts?” Lin Zhixia murmured.
“Of course,” Jiang Yubai said solemnly, “This is your tenth birthday. I want to give you a memory.”
“I understand,” Lin Zhixia said with a beaming smile, “What you’re giving is happiness. Thank you, Jiang Yubai! I’m really happy today! I will cherish this memory in my mind.”