The competition exam lasted from nine in the morning until one-thirty in the afternoon.
After turning in her paper, Lin Zhixia quickly joined her teammates.
Her teammate Du Cunkang anxiously asked, “Did you solve the last problem, Lin Zhixia?”
“I did,” Lin Zhixia answered honestly.
Du Cunkang drew in a light breath, “I only solved half of problem six. Problem five was quite difficult, I used a new method to solve it…” He took a pen and wrote on his palm. He listed formulas and defined parameter ranges, not minding the ink staining his hand.
The other three teammates listened attentively to his approach. Lin Zhixia led the applause, “Amazing! You should get full marks for problem five.”
As Lin Zhixia spoke, the Russian competitors happened to pass by.
Lin Zhixia switched to English to praise her teammate: “Great! I am proud of you for finding such an elegant solution.”
Du Cunkang was stunned for a second before exchanging compliments with Lin Zhixia: “You solved all problems efficiently. You are highly intelligent.”
Du Cunkang praised Lin Zhixia for solving all the problems and complimented her intelligence. Lin Zhixia sensed some exaggeration in Du Cunkang’s tone. As they praised each other in front of the Russian competitors, were they encouraging each other or trying to intimidate their opponents?
In the noisy corridor, Alexandrov from the Russian team paused his steps.
Alexandrov looked at Du Cunkang.
Du Cunkang genuinely admired Alexandrov.
Du Cunkang’s parents had specifically asked their friend from Northeast China to help buy one of Alexandrov’s books from Russia. When Du Cunkang opened that book, he saw authentic Russian text but couldn’t understand a single letter. He could only repeatedly study the formulas and illustrations in the book.
He thought Alexandrov might say something to him.
He stood still, nodding slightly toward Alexandrov.
Alexandrov smiled at him. He saw the smile in Alexandrov’s eyes, like ripples on an azure sea.
The nearby glass windows were bright and clean. Golden sunlight filled the corridor, illuminating the Russian competitor’s blonde hair. Outside was a Romanian-style building, with white clouds drifting in the vast blue sky. Du Cunkang’s mood suddenly eased considerably. It was as if he had an epiphany during the competition, relieving the heaviest pressure from his heart.
Previously, he’d been tortured by guilt because he hadn’t solved the third problem while all his teammates had. He felt he had let down the entire team.
But now, all his anxiety, worry, shame, and panic disappeared. He muttered to himself, “Everyone, regardless of how this competition turns out, we’ve all tried our best and did our utmost. I’m very happy to be your teammate. In the days to come, let’s continue to work hard and reach new heights.”
Lin Zhixia agreed, “Alright.”
Then, in the next second, Lin Zhixia darted in front of Alexandrov.
Du Cunkang hadn’t even reacted. By the time he came to his senses, he saw Lin Zhixia blocking Alexandrov’s path, striking up a conversation in English with the Russian mathematical genius.
Lin Zhixia directly posed a graph theory problem. Du Cunkang faintly heard Lin Zhixia mention words like “Erdős collaboration graph.” Du Cunkang and the other two teammates were very surprised. In their impression, Lin Zhixia never actively challenged others, so why was she acting contrary to her usual behavior today?
Lin Zhixia had misunderstood Du Cunkang.
From Lin Zhixia’s perspective, she had only seen Du Cunkang and Alexandrov exchange glances. Then Du Cunkang furrowed his brow, sighed, and appeared to be deep in thought. She thought Alexandrov had provoked her teammate, so she decided to even the score.
Alexandrov stood over six feet three inches tall.
Lin Zhixia had to tilt her head back to look at him, making her neck ache.
Alexandrov began speaking to her. She was quickly deeply shocked—Alexandrov’s Russian accent was so heavy that every English word he spoke carried a strong Russian flavor. He spoke very rapidly, his brain working faster than his verbal expression. Lin Zhixia listened in confusion, only able to extract his mathematical thinking from fragments of his speech.
She weighed his word choice and acknowledged his extraordinary talent. She had also met very intelligent and hardworking students at domestic winter camps. Each person’s talent might manifest in different areas, and there was no need to compare who was better or worse.
That was the principle…
But Lin Zhixia couldn’t resist competing with Alexandrov.
She imitated Alexandrov’s speaking speed, pouring out mathematical inferences from her brain like a machine gun, speaking English words so rapidly they seemed to stick together. Alexandrov showed a slightly surprised expression.
Although they both spoke English, they seemed unable to communicate now.
Du Cunkang smiled awkwardly. He interrupted Lin Zhixia’s lengthy discourse and led her out of the exam venue. The other two teammates were laughing, and one asked, “Lin Zhixia, why did you discuss graph theory problems with Alexandrov? The book he published in middle school was about graph theory, wasn’t it?”
Lin Zhixia didn’t know why she had been so caught up in the contest of wills.
Perhaps it was because the entire Russian team appeared so confident. Lin Zhixia wanted to investigate whether they truly had the win in the bag.
The final results of the competition would be announced on the last day of the Romanian Masters.
Before the results were announced, Du Cunkang suggested they all go to the city center for a stroll.
Lin Zhixia wanted to go shopping with her teammates, but she also remembered the horror stories her brother had told her. Her heart was full of contradictions.
Senior student Luo Ying gently comforted her, “The teacher will be with us all the way. With the teacher around, you don’t need to be afraid. We’ll all be mindful of safety. I’ll hold your hand, so you won’t possibly get lost.”
Lin Zhixia asked her, “Senior, can you hold my hand the whole time?”
Luo Ying said, “Of course.”
Luo Ying extended her hand to Lin Zhixia, who held it tightly.
When Lin Zhixia was little and crossed the street with her brother, he would take care of her just like the senior student was doing now. All her concerns were dispelled, and a deep sense of security welled up inside her.
All the students in the team headed toward the city center in a grand procession.
Bucharest is the capital of Romania and the host city for the Romanian Masters. Du Cunkang held a “Bucharest Tourist Guide” in his hands, volunteering to be everyone’s guide.
The streets of Bucharest preserved many ancient buildings, giving a peaceful and serene feeling. Restaurants and cafes along the streets all had outdoor dining areas. Arch-shaped canopies blocked the brilliant sunlight, and tourists sat under the canopies, holding bottles of wine, relaxed in their demeanor.
The teacher suggested they take a break at a restaurant.
Lin Zhixia asked quietly, “Can we eat some Romanian home-style dishes?”
Luo Ying looked around and selected a lively establishment. She led Lin Zhixia over and said to the waiter, “Table for eight, please.”
Their team had a total of eight people—four formal team members, two substitutes, and two teachers. So, Luo Ying followed the waiter to find a large table, just right for all eight of them to sit around.
Lin Zhixia reverently picked up the menu, browsing through Romanian restaurant dishes. She memorized all the dish names and images. Jiang Yubai had never been to Romania. Lin Zhixia wanted to write down all her experiences, sharing every detail with Jiang Yubai.
Lin Zhixia ordered a dish called “sarmale cu mămăligă şi smântână.” Du Cunkang said this dish embodied the rich Romanian style, and Lin Zhixia believed his recommendation.
When the dish was served, Lin Zhixia couldn’t wait to use her cutlery and directly sliced into the sausage on the plate. She wasn’t accustomed to using a knife and fork, so her cutting motion was fierce, creating a stark contrast with her pure and cute appearance.
She seemed not to be dining in a restaurant in the city center but rather preparing prey she had caught in the wild. She chopped the sausage into chunks, dipped them in the sauce, put them into the cornmeal cake, and firmly took a bite—she was satisfied; it tasted good.
“Is it delicious?” Luo Ying asked her.
“Delicious, delicious!” Lin Zhixia answered repeatedly.
Luo Ying smiled and asked, “Compared to the food at your home?”
Lin Zhixia spoke from her heart, “Mom’s cooking tastes the best. I want to go home quickly, to see my dad, mom, and brother soon.”
Lin Zhixia’s brief words triggered homesickness among her teammates.
After the meal, they rushed to the market to select gifts for their relatives and friends.
Romania joined the European Union in January 2007. However, Romania’s currency is not the Euro but its nationally issued “leu românesc,” translated in Chinese as the Romanian leu.
Before leaving, Lin Zhixia had exchanged the equivalent of 400 yuan of Chinese currency into lei at the Bank of China. For Lin Zhixia, 400 yuan was already a considerable sum. She needed to buy gifts for her parents, brother, Jiang Yubai, teachers, and classmates. The various goods at the market dazzled her, and senior Luo Ying acted as her advisor.
She bought some economical yet attractive items, stuffing her backpack full.
Returning to the hotel in the evening, Lin Zhixia took a shower and sat by the window, observing the foreign sunset.
The twilight glow was as red as raging fire, church spires soared into the clouds, and in the distance came a crisp bell sound. Birds in the sky were flying back to their nests. Lin Zhixia couldn’t help wondering if her father, mother, and brother were asleep at this time. Were they still worried about her?
She was eager to return home.
The day before returning to China, the final results of the Romanian Mathematics Masters were announced.
Lin Zhixia had mixed feelings.
The good news was that her teammates had performed excellently. They successfully won the team’s first prize, with a total score exceeding the Russian team. Russia wasn’t even second place; that went to the Serbian team.
The concerning news was that Lin Zhixia ranked first in total score, tied with the Russian competitor Alexandrov.
Even so, Lin Zhixia could still get a gold medal. But she wasn’t the sole champion of 2007. When she saw the results, she was completely stunned. Alexandrov really might be smarter than her. She had previously read a paper related to the sixth problem, which meant she already knew the answer. But Alexandrov perhaps came up with a rigorous theory on the spot. In a short time, he maintained a stable state and fully demonstrated his strengths.
Lin Zhixia began to reflect on her competition mindset. She originally didn’t care about winning or losing, nor about the answers to the problems. But at the 2007 Romanian Masters, she had placed too much emphasis on results, neglecting the thinking process itself and the beauty of mathematics.
Lin Zhixia was engaged in deep self-analysis. She recalled in her mind what Alexandrov had said to her, trying to slow down his speech rate, and suddenly understood what he meant.
So that’s it!
Du Cunkang was right; Alexandrov indeed had real strength.
But his teammates lost to Lin Zhixia’s teammates.
The team finals were not a one-person battle.
Lin Zhixia felt the weight of the gold medal around her neck.
Du Cunkang hadn’t performed well on the first day but was willing to bear enormous pressure alone, showing a happy appearance so as not to negatively affect his teammates. And the other two teammates—they had made no mistakes in this competition.
The international mathematics competition circle was intensely competitive. Participants could lose points with the slightest carelessness or momentary distraction. One person’s failure might drag down the entire team, and one person’s success couldn’t save the whole team.
Defeated participants shouldn’t be blamed; they had already tried their best to solve the problems. Their serious completion of the competition was a form of “competitive spirit.”
After much thought, Lin Zhixia was moved to say to her teammates on the return flight, “In this competition, we were able to get first place as a team thanks to everyone’s concerted efforts. This team’s gold medal represents everyone’s sweat and effort. I will cherish it well.”
The teammates laughed, and the air was filled with a relaxed atmosphere.
Du Cunkang reiterated, “I’m so happy to be your teammate…”
Lin Zhixia helped him complete the sentence, “In the days to come, let’s continue to work hard and reach new heights!”
On the plane, six young students high-fived each other, celebrating the brilliant victory of this international competition.
*
The Romanian journey gave Lin Zhixia many thoughts.
When she finally returned home to her parents, she eagerly opened her suitcase, took out the carefully selected gifts for her parents, and shared her unique insights, “Mom, I was always thinking about you abroad, and Mom must have been thinking about me too. I dreamed of Mom for two nights, so Mom must have thought of me for at least two days.”
Lin Zeqiu coldly called her, “Mommy-clinger.”
Mom immediately criticized him, “Lin Zeqiu, your sister just got home. Speak nicely to her.”
Dad had temporarily closed the supermarket. He hadn’t seen his daughter for so long, and now that she had just returned from abroad, he immediately lost interest in doing business. During the week Lin Zhixia was abroad, her parents had hardly slept well.
Lin Zhixia didn’t know about her parents’ condition that week. She rummaged through the things in her suitcase and said enthusiastically, “I bought Mom a bracelet, Dad a hat, and my brother an Easter egg… I also bought two packs of candy. The day after tomorrow, when I go to school, I’ll share the candies with teachers and classmates.”
Mom liked the bracelet Lin Zhixia gave her very much. She examined that simple-styled bracelet several times and asked Lin Zhixia, “How much did this cost? Was it expensive? How did you eat and sleep in Romania? You didn’t neglect yourself, did you?”
Lin Zhixia honestly said, “This isn’t expensive. I went to the market with my classmates and bought several things. I ate well every day in Romania and slept quite well at night. But I don’t like sitting on long flights; I couldn’t sleep on the plane.”
Mom was very concerned about her, “Xia Xia is so young, running here and there, must be very tiring. Mom changed all your bed sheets, duvet covers, and pillowcases. They were washed just last night, dried this morning, and sun-dried for the whole morning. You should take a bath soon and go to bed early. Tell Mom what you want to eat, and Mom will make it for you. It will be ready when you wake up.”
Lin Zhixia opened the door to her bedroom. Her room was very clean and tidy, as if she had never left. The quilt and pillow still retained the warm temperature left by the sun—that wasn’t just the sun’s warmth but also the warmth of home.
Lin Zhixia took a bath, washing away fatigue and exhaustion, dispelling all distracting thoughts. She hugged her little penguin and got into bed, relaxing from head to toe. Just as she closed her eyes, her brother knocked on her door, “Lin Zhixia.”
Lin Zhixia drowsily responded, “What?”
Her brother said, “Lin Zhixia, give me your little penguin.”
Lin Zhixia grabbed the quilt and covered her head, “I don’t have a little penguin.”
Her brother walked into Lin Zhixia’s bedroom and stood by her bed. “Your penguin stayed with you in a hotel for a week. How can you still hug it? Your sheets, duvet cover, and pillowcase are all clean. You’ve also taken a bath, but your penguin is dirty.”
Her brother’s words weren’t very pleasant, but he was right.
Lin Zhixia confusedly extended her hand from under the quilt and handed the little penguin to her brother. Her brother took the penguin and left. Lin Zhixia hadn’t yet realized what was wrong. She was too tired. She had endured more than ten hours on the plane without closing her eyes, and now, lying in the most familiar place, drowsiness swept through her mind.
She vaguely heard a “splash, splash” sound from the balcony. At that moment, she thought of how her brother was very afraid of penguins and had many nightmares about them. Her brother might have been a fish in the Antarctic Ocean in his previous life, so why did he suddenly take away Lin Zhixia’s stuffed penguin toy? Was he going to throw away the little penguin?
Just as this thought emerged, Lin Zhixia became suddenly alert. She hurriedly put on her slippers and searched for her brother.
At this moment, Lin Zeqiu was sitting on a bench on the balcony. At his feet was a wooden basin filled with tap water. Wearing a pair of rubber gloves, he was scrubbing the little penguin on a washboard.
Usually, Mom would hand-wash the little penguin. But this time, Lin Zeqiu had voluntarily taken on the task. He was washing it with particular vigor, and in his pocket was the Romanian Easter egg that Lin Zhixia had given him.
Lin Zhixia had told him that the Romanian Easter egg was a symbol of good luck. She gave the Easter egg to her brother, hoping he would have good luck, pass every exam successfully, and be happy every day.
As he recalled Lin Zhixia’s words, he willingly scrubbed the penguin. He also planned to help Lin Zhixia organize her luggage later, properly arranging the things she had brought back.
Lin Zeqiu raised his pant legs, moved the basin, and cold water splashed on his ankles. He heard Lin Zhixia’s voice, “Brother, aren’t you afraid of penguins anymore?”
Lin Zeqiu suddenly looked up, “Aren’t you sleeping?”
Lin Zhixia yawned, “I heard you using the washboard.”
“Did I disturb you? I’ll be done soon.” Lin Zeqiu turned on the balcony faucet and directly rinsed the little penguin.
Lin Zhixia was about to step onto the balcony when Lin Zeqiu stopped her, “Go back. Close your bedroom door tightly. Don’t come over; the floor is damp.”
“Thank you, brother. You’re the best brother,” she said solemnly.
Lin Zeqiu, wearing rubber shoes with both hands immersed in the water basin, felt the chill. The temperature in early March was low, and the wind passed through the gaps in the windows, gently brushing his neck. With his head slightly lowered, his wrists slid another inch into the cold water. He did not respond but said in a voice lower than usual, “Alright, stop chattering with me. Go back to sleep.”
“Okay, brother should also rest early,” Lin Zhixia agreed.
Her brother, who was so terrified of penguins, suddenly had a change of character tonight, being considerate and helpful by washing the little penguin. Why was this? Lin Zhixia thought briefly and came up with a reason—perhaps it was because the gift Lin Zhixia gave her brother had deeply moved him.
Lin Zhixia had bought two Easter eggs.
She gave one to her brother.
And the other Easter egg, she handed to Jiang Yubai.
*
In early March, giant banners were raised on the Provincial No. 1 High School campus, with a red background and yellow characters that read, “Warmly Congratulate Our School’s Student Lin Zhixia for Winning the 2007 Romanian Mathematics Masters Individual Championship and Team First Prize!”
Lin Zhixia, with her backpack, calmly walked past the front of the banner.
She heard students from various grades discussing her, some calling her the “Mathematics God of Eighth Grade,” and others referring to her as the “Competition Princess.” She was amused by these exaggerated titles. She ran through the junior high teaching building, joyfully running into Class 8(17).
At seven-thirty in the morning, Jiang Yubai had already arrived at school. The seat beside him was vacant. Lin Zhixia unhesitatingly came to his side and called him in a smiling tone, “Jiang-Jiang-Jiang-Jiang Yubai!”
Jiang Yubai was stunned for a moment. He took out his pencil case and textbooks, placed them on the desk, and responded casually, “Lin-Lin-Lin-Lin Zhixia.”
Lin Zhixia took a Romanian Easter egg from her pocket. She pushed the eggshell with her finger, rolling the Easter egg in front of Jiang Yubai.
She looked at him and said, “Jiang Yubai, this is a gift I brought back from Romania for you. This kind of egg represents good luck. You must have heard about the origin of the Easter egg. It’s a symbol of Easter, and also symbolizes the awakening of spring. I hope Jiang Yubai will always have good luck, always live in the spring sunshine. The sunshine will sweep away all gloom, making your future full of light.”
“You too,” Jiang Yubai held this Easter egg, “Your future will be full of light.”
Jiang Yubai seemed to appreciate the gift Lin Zhixia gave him. He put the Easter egg in his pencil case and took it out to play with from time to time. He even poked the Easter egg with his fingertip, making it spin gently on his desk.
Nearby classmates saw this and wanted to borrow the Easter egg to play with, but Jiang Yubai firmly refused. He found many reasons, but in the end, no classmate could take the Easter egg away from Jiang Yubai’s hands.
After Jiang Yubai played with the Easter egg, Lin Zhixia gave him the Romanian Masters gold medal. He opened his backpack and handed her the life record notebook from this period. Lin Zhixia also put her notebook in his drawer.
“We didn’t separate,” Lin Zhixia hugged the notebook, “No matter where Captain Lin Zhixia went, she would return to that spaceship.”
Jiang Yubai looked through Lin Zhixia’s Romanian travel journal and cooperatively concluded, “Captain Lin Zhixia completed the Romanian adventure, harvesting gold medals and Easter eggs.”
“Can I come to your house to play this Saturday?” Lin Zhixia asked.
“Yes,” Jiang Yubai gave a very definite answer.
Jiang Yubai had originally thought that Lin Zhixia, having won the Romanian Masters championship, would be too busy to be seen upon her return. Unexpectedly, Lin Zhixia still remembered their agreement—of course, Lin Zhixia wouldn’t forget. She could remember everything.
Since last month, Jiang Yubai had been preparing to entertain Lin Zhixia. At the beginning of this month, he had informed his parents in advance. His mother suggested he not invite Lin Zhixia alone but bring other classmates or friends. Jiang Yubai declined his mother’s suggestion. His mother didn’t say anything, but his uncle said, “If a young girl comes to our house alone, someone should accompany her…”
Jiang Yubai relayed his uncle’s words to Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia had known Jiang Yubai for three years. She had carefully observed Jiang Yubai’s every word and action. Honestly, she very much trusted his character and demeanor.
Therefore, on Saturday morning, when Jiang Yubai arrived at the entrance of An City Residential Complex in his family’s car, he saw only Lin Zhixia by herself. Lin Zhixia, with her backpack, ran towards him.
She said, “I’ve already told my dad and mom that I’m going to a classmate’s house to play. Dad and mom both agreed, but I didn’t tell my brother. If my brother guessed I was going to play with you, he definitely wouldn’t let me go out.”
Jiang Yubai hadn’t expected Lin Zeqiu to be so hostile toward him. Coincidentally, he didn’t have a good impression of Lin Zeqiu either.
He changed the subject and talked with Lin Zhixia about the Romanian Masters. Lin Zhixia enthusiastically described the details of the problems, and Jiang Yubai followed her train of thought to think about mathematics together. Before they knew it, they had arrived at Jiang Yubai’s family estate.
Jiang Yubai got out of the car first. He opened the car door and led Lin Zhixia out of the parking lot.
It was a quiet Saturday morning. The estate was covered in lush green grass and brilliant flowers. The last time Lin Zhixia came to Jiang Yubai’s house, she hadn’t noticed the magnificent beauty of the back garden. She walked and looked, exclaiming with admiration, “Jiang Yubai, your garden is so beautiful!”
“Summer scenery is even better,” Jiang Yubai objectively evaluated.
Lin Zhixia asked him, “What flowers bloom in summer?”
Jiang Yubai said, “There are lotus flowers in the pond.”
Lin Zhixia spotted the distant pond. In the center of the pond was a statue of a galloping black horse. The black horse stood on a rock, with holes on the left and right sides of the rock, spraying clear water downward—this was the fountain of a wealthy family.
Gardeners were working in the garden. They meticulously trimmed the shrubs into remarkably ingenious shapes. Lin Zhixia looked around, her eyes unable to take in everything at once. Jiang Yubai was still leading the way for her. When she arrived at the entrance of the private museum, she held that “Museum Pass,” taking a step forward with great ceremony.
Lin Zhixia said cheerfully, “Thank you for your pass, Jiang Yubai.”
Jiang Yubai opened the glass door, waiting until Lin Zhixia entered before releasing his hand to close the door, telling Lin Zhixia again, “That’s a permanent pass.”