At the end of September 2006, the teachers at Provincial No. 1 Middle School received the list of first-prize winners for the High School Mathematics Competition at the provincial level. Lin Zhixia’s name was prominently displayed on the list. She had just turned eleven years old and had already won first prize in the high school competition.
The students in the high school competition class were the first to hear this news. They found it difficult to express their shock in words and were simply filled with curiosity about Lin Zhixia. Several students from the Year Two competition class even made a trip to the middle school section, standing at the door of Class 17, Year Two, like a group of bewildered prairie dogs.
Jiang Yubai had a strong sense of territory. Looking at those uninvited guests outside the window, he pulled the curtains without any hesitation.
The Year Two senior simply called out from outside: “Lin Zhixia? Who is Lin Zhixia? I need to speak with you! I want to ask about your study methods!”
Just as Lin Zhixia was about to stand up, Jiang Yubai grabbed the hem of her clothes: “Ignore them.”
The senior continued to call noisily: “Lin Zhixia! Lin Zhixia!”
Jiang Yubai walked out of the classroom. He seemed to have transformed into Lin Zhixia’s secretary, politely greeting them: “Lin Zhixia is very busy. I’m her deskmate. Whatever you want to tell her, I can pass it on.”
Jiang Yubai’s manner was learned precisely from his father’s secretary. Jiang Yubai was most impressed by the secretary-general of the Jiang Group. He believed he had imitated the secretary-general’s words and actions perfectly.
However, the seniors from the Year Two competition class looked at Jiang Yubai with complex expressions.
After about two or three more seconds, a senior told him: “Lin Zhixia has won a first prize in the High School Mathematics Competition!”
Jiang Yubai showed not the slightest sign of surprise. He was as calm as if he had just heard today’s weather forecast. He even asked: “Is there anything else?”
The seniors collectively fell silent.
A first prize in the High School Mathematics Competition…
Wasn’t that a big deal?
Jiang Yubai put his hands in his pockets: “I’m going back to class.”
He turned around stylishly and walked back to Class 17, Year Two.
The bell for class had just rung, and the corridor was in chaos, with students running and shouting: “Class is starting! Class is starting!”
This class was an art class for Class 17. Lin Zhixia had prepared her watercolor pens early. She spread a white paper on the desk, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the art teacher.
The art teacher had an especially gentle personality and was beautiful with a good temperament. She was one of Lin Zhixia’s favorite teachers. As soon as the art teacher stood on the podium, Lin Zhixia called out happily: “Class, stand up!”
Many classmates shouted in unison: “Hello, Teacher!”
The art teacher bowed slightly: “Good morning, everyone.” She raised her hand, tucking a strand of long hair behind her ear: “Please turn to Unit Two in your textbooks. The student assignment for this unit is to copy a natural landscape painting…”
Lin Zhixia picked up a blue watercolor pen, and Jiang Yubai suddenly blurted out: “Lin Zhixia, you’re a provincial first-prize winner in the High School Mathematics Competition.”
Lin Zhixia nodded: “I might get to participate in the National Middle School Students’ Mathematics Winter Camp.”
Students who ranked high in the High School Mathematics Competition results had the opportunity to participate in the National Middle School Students’ Mathematics Winter Camp. Outstanding performers in the winter camp would be selected to become members of the national training team and make their mark in international competitions.
Jiang Yubai encouraged her: “Keep it up, Lin Zhixia.”
Lin Zhixia held her paintbrush and painted the sky, beach, and ocean. The sea in her drawing was blue and vast, reflecting glimmering light. She also sketched two human figures on the beach with a pencil. She said: “This is Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai.”
Jiang Yubai asked her: “What are we doing at the seaside?”
Lin Zhixia insisted firmly: “Looking at the sea.” Then she revealed: “I’ve never been to the seaside.”
Before Jiang Yubai could respond, Lin Zhixia said enthusiastically, “Jiang Yubai, when I grow up, I want to go to the seaside with you. Do you know what fun activities there are at the seaside?”
Jiang Yubai described without reservation: “My uncle likes jet skiing on the sea. My mother often enjoys the sea breeze on cruise ships, and my father goes lure fishing with his friends on speedboats.”
“Lure fishing?” Lin Zhixia pondered.
Jiang Yubai explained: “The bait used in lure fishing is a bionic fake bait. When the speedboat moves, the fake bait also moves. Large fish mistake the fake bait for small fish and lunge to bite the hook.”
“I want to go fishing with Jiang Yubai.” Lin Zhixia expressed her wish straightforwardly.
Lin Zhixia wasn’t reserved at all. She would just say whatever she wanted to say.
Jiang Yubai was already accustomed to Lin Zhixia’s style of doing things. He spread out his drawing paper, outlined a small boat with only two people on it. He marked a thin line with a ruler and declared: “This is your fishing line, Lin Zhixia.”
Lin Zhixia picked up another piece of drawing paper: “Jiang Yubai, look, look at the fish I caught!”
The tip of her pen quickly constructed lines, revealing the shape of a grouper on the page.
Jiang Yubai immediately said: “I see it. You’re very skilled, catching a grouper on your first fishing trip.”
Lin Zhixia was immensely proud.
Lin Zhixia loved art class!
She rolled this drawing into a tube shape and handed it to Jiang Yubai: “The grouper is for you, Ji-Ji-Ji-Jiang Yubai.”
Her eyes were bright and her cheeks were flushed red. Jiang Yubai didn’t reach out to take her drawing. He politely declined: “Thank you, but you don’t need to give it to me. You’ve drawn it well; you can keep it for yourself.”
Lin Zhixia extended a finger, moving slightly forward, just a tiny bit short of touching Tang Tingting’s back.
Then, Lin Zhixia probed: “Jiang Yubai, do you not want it? I’ll have to give this fish to the classmate in front. I guess Tang Tingting might like it.”
Lin Zhixia often used this tactic on Jiang Yubai, and it had never failed.
This time was no exception.
Jiang Yubai snatched away the drawing of the grouper. He didn’t say a word, but Lin Zhixia was overjoyed. In her “Human Observation Diary,” she wrote: The more Jiang Yubai conceals his inner thoughts, the more I want to know what he’s thinking…
Jiang Yubai caught a glimpse of this line. He was about to rebut: I wasn’t thinking anything, but such a defense was extremely weak and unconvincing. So he fell into silence again, still clutching the rolled-up drawing. He flattened the paper and folded it neatly—the fold lines avoided the body of the grouper. He tucked the drawing paper into the inner compartment of his backpack, placing it with his wallet and phone.
Art class was the fourth period on Wednesday morning. After this class, students were supposed to go home. However, on Monday morning, Teacher Zhang had told everyone during morning reading that at noon this Wednesday, he would treat the entire class to a meal at the teachers’ cafeteria to celebrate Class 17, Year Two winning first prize for their school anniversary program.
It was said that the Provincial No. 1 Middle School’s teachers’ cafeteria had hired chefs from five-star hotels, offering a rich variety of dishes that were generous in portion and delicious in taste, far exceeding the standards of ordinary cafeterias.
All students from Class 17, Year Two, followed Teacher Zhang to the teachers’ cafeteria.
Jiang Yubai originally didn’t want to attend this celebration. But he was the male lead in “Transformation,” and Lin Zhixia was the female lead. Lin Zhixia had run to the teachers’ cafeteria with great joy, and Jiang Yubai didn’t want to leave her alone, to make her a solitary female lead. So he could only blend into the crowd of classmates and step through the doors of the teachers’ cafeteria.
Teacher Zhang had reserved seats. He asked everyone to sit around a long table. He clasped his hands together, rubbing them slightly. Colleagues from the middle school section passed by him, asking: “Teacher Zhang, are these your students?”
Teacher Zhang smiled and answered: “Yes, I’m treating the whole class to a meal.”
A young teacher immediately became animated. He placed his hand on Teacher Zhang’s shoulder and called out: “Class 17, Year Two, your Teacher Zhang just received a bonus this month. Don’t be polite with him. Order dishes! Order several more dishes! That counter over there sells seafood; have your class monitor bring several more bowls.”
Teacher Zhang didn’t stop him at all, but instead asked: “What does everyone in our class like to eat? Go take a look yourselves. The dishes here are sold by the bowl. If you see something you like, just take a bowl and tell the cafeteria aunty my name. It will all be charged to my account later.”
Other classmates rushed toward the seafood section, pastry section, and cooked food section.
Lin Zhixia stood apart from the crowd. She skipped over to the beverage section, sweetly saying to the cafeteria lady: “Sister, Sister, could you give me a glass of freshly squeezed strawberry juice? Thank you, Sister.”
The cafeteria lady at the beverage section had been working at Provincial No. 1 Middle School for five years. She had never heard any student or teacher call her “Sister.” Generally, Teacher Zhang would call her “Aunty.” She lowered her head, meeting Lin Zhixia’s pure, expectant gaze. She made up her mind, scooped a large spoonful of strawberries into a glass, and squeezed out a full glass of strawberry juice.
Lin Zhixia carefully picked up the strawberry juice and slowly shuffled to her seat. Jiang Yubai was still sitting next to her.
Jiang Yubai had brought back a beef pie. He didn’t want to grab the pie and take big bites in front of Lin Zhixia; that didn’t match his usual image. So, he picked up his chopsticks, cut the pie into pieces, then picked up a piece, and ate slowly and methodically. His dining etiquette was very good, very elegant. The group of classmates to his right was frantically eating, making him stand out as particularly different.
In front of Lin Zhixia was a plate of Yangzhou fried rice and a glass of strawberry juice. Before starting to eat, she first called out: “Thank you, Teacher Zhang!”
Teacher Zhang was sitting nearby. Hearing Lin Zhixia’s voice, he smiled with a radiant face: “Everyone, listen to me, I have good news to tell you. Our class’s Lin Zhixia has won a first prize in the provincial High School Mathematics Competition. There are only sixty first-prize winners in the entire province, and Lin Zhixia has been selected for the provincial team. We will receive the official notification tomorrow morning. This November, Lin Zhixia will represent our province in the national Mathematics Olympiad competition.”
As soon as Teacher Zhang finished speaking, the atmosphere at the dining table froze.
The light in the cafeteria was complex, and the aroma of food wafted through the air. The small steamed bun in Duan Qiyan’s mouth suddenly lost its flavor. He chewed with difficulty, his heart churning with surging emotions. When he looked up at his classmates again, he found that most of them wore calm, numb expressions.
Duan Qiyan raised his head, gulping down a glass of milk. He put down the cup, with white milk traces still on the corners of his lips. His eyes were cold and clear as he tried to stay composed: “Lin Zhixia, you’re only eleven years old, and you’re going to participate in the National High School Mathematics Olympiad?”
He knew Lin Zhixia was strong. But he hadn’t expected that Lin Zhixia would enter the provincial team so quickly.
Lin Zhixia, with a straw in her mouth, took a sip of strawberry juice before saying: “I will participate.”
The strawberry concentration was very high, and her mood was especially good. She would represent the province in the National Mathematics Olympiad. Provincial No. 1 Middle School’s bulletin would publish Lin Zhixia’s name—this meant that Captain Lin Zhixia had completed her mission. She truly deserved to be the navigator of Jiang Yubai’s legion.
*
Early the next morning, Teacher Zhang called Lin Zhixia into his office.
The Chinese and English teachers from the Year Two competition class were also in this office. The English teacher was a pretty and fashionably dressed female teacher. She always had a faint scent of perfume about her.
Seeing Lin Zhixia, she immediately congratulated her: “Congratulations, I heard you won the first prize!”
Lin Zhixia responded modestly: “Many thanks.”
“Teachers from all grades in the middle school know that you won a first prize,” Teacher Zhang pulled open a drawer containing a certificate and an envelope.
Teacher Zhang said: “Last time in the middle school competition, you got a first prize, and the school rewarded you with five hundred yuan. This time, for the high school competition first prize, the school has decided to give you a scholarship of two thousand yuan. Next month, there will also be a reward from the municipal education committee. The certificate for the High School Mathematics Competition first prize hasn’t been issued yet, but the middle school grade department has printed a certificate for you first… Here, take it, Lin Zhixia, the number one in our Class 17, Year Two.”
Lin Zhixia personally accepted the certificate and envelope.
Several teachers in the office were full of praise for her. The teachers complimented her repeatedly, practically elevating Lin Zhixia to the skies.
Teacher Zhang openly praised his pride and joy in front of his colleagues: “Lin Zhixia, you’re two years younger than your classmates, but it hasn’t affected your mindset. You’ve maintained your learning state, broken into the high school competition area, served as a role model exemplifying the class monitor, and kept up with your class committee work. Lin Zhixia, all the teachers are proud of you.”
Lin Zhixia, with her hands behind her back, became increasingly shy: “Thank you.”
Lin Zhixia appeared humble, cautious, and neither arrogant nor impatient in front of the teachers.
However, at noon that day, as soon as she returned home, she immediately announced: “I won a provincial first prize in the High School Mathematics Competition, and the school gave me a scholarship of two thousand yuan! The municipal education committee’s scholarship will be issued next week!”
Mom was cooking in the kitchen, and her brother hadn’t even changed into his slippers yet.
Lin Zhixia darted into the kitchen, getting close to her mother’s side: “Mom, Mom, I’ll give you the two thousand yuan scholarship. Tonight, can we eat shrimp dumplings? Lots and lots of shrimp dumplings. You and Dad can also eat a big bowl.”
Lin Zhixia’s voice was sweet and soft. Mom took the envelope she handed over, her nose tingling, and blurry tears welling up in her eyes.
Lin Zhixia asked her: “Mom, why are you crying?”
Mom put the envelope on the refrigerator and picked up the corner of her apron to wipe her hands. Only when her fingers were completely dry did she open the envelope, saying: “Mom was just cutting onions.”
Lin Zhixia shifted her gaze: “But there are no onions on the cutting board.”
Mom avoided the topic and only said: “Xiaxia is so amazing. Mom will go to the market in the afternoon to buy a few pounds of shrimp and also buy you a pound of strawberries. Tonight, we’ll all eat shrimp dumplings to celebrate Xiaxia’s provincial first prize in the national competition.”
Lin Zhixia was overjoyed: “Okay!”
At the lunch table that day, both Mom and Dad wore smiling faces.
The Lin family’s supermarket temporarily closed for half an hour. Dad had especially returned to eat at the home dining table. He opened a can of beer, took two consecutive sips, and said jubilantly: “Great, great! Our Xiaxia is promising, getting a first prize in the national competition. Xiaxia, you’re much better than Dad. When Dad was in school, he couldn’t understand math even after reading it a hundred times. Dad’s history and Chinese scores were considered high. For math and English, out of a full score of 100, Dad couldn’t get even 10 points. He didn’t finish high school and went to work instead.”
Mom tapped the beer can, not letting Dad bring up his bitter past.
Dad turned his head and called out: “Wife, tell me, how many generations of virtue did our ancestors accumulate to give us a Xiaxia? Oh, when I return to my hometown next year, I must burn some incense at your family’s and my family’s ancestral graves.”
On the table was a plate of braised bream. Mom picked out a large piece of meat from the bream’s belly, dipped it in some sauce, then turned it over with chopsticks, making sure there wasn’t a single bone in the fish meat, before placing it in Lin Zhixia’s bowl.
Lin Zhixia loved mixing fish meat with rice. She took a big bite of fish meat, suddenly remembering something. She turned her face, secretly glancing at her brother.
Her brother was eating silently. His chopsticks paused and stopped, like a robot with sluggish thinking.
Lin Zhixia called softly to him: “Brother.”
Her brother didn’t say a word.
Lin Zhixia raised her voice slightly: “Brother?”
Her brother sighed.
Lin Zhixia immediately erupted: “Brother brother brother brother brother brother!”
“Lin Zhixia, don’t disturb me while I’m eating,” her brother responded coldly.
Dad smacked his lips over a sip of beer, slightly closing his eyes, and gently criticized: “Qiuqiu, your sister is happy today. She just earned a two-thousand-yuan scholarship for the family. Tonight, we’ll all eat shrimp dumplings. How wonderful is that? I’m telling you, such a good sister. You should have a better attitude toward your sister, Qiuqiu. You should act like a proper older brother.”
Mom picked up a piece of fish meat, removed the bones, and only then placed the meat into Lin Zeqiu’s bowl. Lin Zeqiu suddenly lifted his head, meeting his mother’s gaze.
Mom instructed him: “Qiuqiu, both sides of your hand are flesh. Don’t be at odds with your sister. She’s just turned eleven and has to go to high school for training. The high school kids are all at least four or five years older than her, right? How much academic pressure does she have? Think more about your sister.”
Lin Zeqiu wanted to tell his parents: No, you don’t understand, Lin Zhixia doesn’t have any academic pressure at all.
These words were stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t say them. His heart was left with a sense of disappointment and a faint sadness.
If Lin Zhixia was indeed a child obtained through the accumulated virtue of ancestors, then why couldn’t the ancestors give a bit of that virtue to Lin Zeqiu? Lin Zeqiu was struggling through the first round of review for the high school entrance examination, feeling quite tired and exhausted. At the end of September, Provincial No. 1 Middle School held a test for Year Three, and Lin Zeqiu performed poorly, dropping to third place in the class. He had originally planned to talk to his parents about his regression at lunch today. Who could have imagined that Lin Zhixia would bring back a certificate and a two-thousand-yuan scholarship!
A two-thousand-yuan scholarship!
Earning money for the family was something that should have been done by the older brother. Everyone knew that Provincial No. 1 Middle School’s competition class offered generous scholarships—it was precisely because the competition class provided such favorable conditions that Lin Zeqiu had gritted his teeth and taken the exam four times. But he couldn’t even touch the door of the competition class, let alone compete for the competition class’s scholarship.
Lin Zeqiu found it difficult to swallow his food.
He finished lunch hurriedly and immediately ran back to his bedroom, closing the door with a “bang.”
Dad, slightly tipsy, kept saying: “This child, what’s wrong with him? Our family was having a good conversation, but why did he suddenly go to his room?”
“Adolescent boys,” Mom reminded him. “He’ll be fifteen years old next January. At fifteen, it’s easy to overthink.”
Lin Zhixia sat on her chair, swinging her legs, slowly savoring her lunch. Her calves suddenly ached, causing her to bite her chopsticks and lean on the table edge. Mom noticed her unusual state and quickly asked: “Xiaxia, what’s wrong?”
“Xiaxia’s calves are cramping,” Lin Zhixia said honestly. “It might be growing pains, happening now and then, usually at night.”
Lin Zhixia’s height was growing rapidly. In the past half year, it had been growing at a tremendous speed, and her figure had begun to noticeably stretch out.
Back in the day, when Lin Zeqiu was growing the fastest, he often had calf cramps, and Mom had taken Lin Zeqiu to the hospital. The doctor had examined him thoroughly and confirmed that Lin Zeqiu had ordinary growing pains, which would improve once that phase passed.
Lin Zhixia had originally thought that since she and her brother had inherited different genes, she shouldn’t be as unlucky as her brother. But as she grew like crazy, she also experienced calf cramp symptoms. This made her somewhat puzzled—was the only difference between her and her brother their intelligence?
After the meal, Lin Zhixia decided to talk to Lin Zeqiu about adolescent growth issues.
The so-called “growth issues” were like the philosopher Nagel’s “bat theory.” The meaning of the “bat theory” was that before becoming a bat, a person could never imagine a bat’s life experience, could never imagine a bat’s qualia—the word “qualia” refers to a kind of perceptible quality.
Recently, Lin Zhixia had experienced the qualia that Lin Zeqiu had gone through years ago.
In this world, only Lin Zeqiu’s genes were most similar to Lin Zhixia’s.
Lin Zhixia, with fierce momentum, burst into Lin Zeqiu’s room like a bandit.
Lin Zeqiu was correcting his mathematics test paper from the stage test—he had gotten the last two big questions completely wrong. When the teacher was explaining the problems in class, Lin Zeqiu had been distracted. By the time he came to his senses, the teacher had finished explaining the entire test.
He couldn’t possibly ask his classmates for help and could only use his lunch break time to ponder alone in deep thought.
Lin Zhixia rushed to his side, staring at his mathematics test paper. He turned his head and saw Lin Zhixia’s fiery, intense gaze, almost burning through his mathematics test paper.
The red crosses on the test paper made Lin Zhixia incredulous.
Lin Zeqiu couldn’t bear it anymore. He pulled a long face and said in a low voice: “Lin Zhixia, don’t just stand there stupidly. Tell me your problem-solving thought process.” After a pause, his face turned cold, and he made sure to add: “Don’t exceed the scope of the middle school mathematics syllabus.”