The National Day holiday at school lasted from September 30th to October 7th. During this period, Jiang Yubai declined his parents' suggestion to take him on a vacation to Hainan Island. He created a daily schedule for himself, with four math classes every day.
He persisted in exercising, going to bed early and waking up early, studying diligently, and striving to enrich himself within the limited time. He was filled with an uplifting spirit and determination, but his math tutor couldn't keep up.
The math tutor said to him very tactfully, "Relaxation is also part of life."
Jiang Yubai was skeptical: "Is that so?"
The tutor smiled and earnestly advised, "You are the smartest among all the students I have taught. When you grow up, you will realize the importance of balancing work and life."
"Have you ever met a genius?" Jiang Yubai explained. "My deskmate is a genius."
The teacher laughed: "A little genius who always gets first place in every exam?"
Jiang Yubai looked out the window at the garden, where lush leaves swayed in the wind. He suddenly said, "Teacher, exams aren't the only standard for evaluation."
The teacher laughed even more heartily: "Sometimes, you really do sound like a little adult. Alright, let's not digress any further and return to the specific applications of fractional equations..." He wrote the equation on the glass whiteboard with a marker. Just then, the study door was suddenly knocked.
The wooden door of the study was slightly ajar, and Jiang Shaoqi peeked in. Jiang Shaoqi was Jiang Yubai's paternal uncle, only twenty-four years old this year. Hearing that his nephew had been cooped up at home studying these past few days, he decided to take him out for some fun.
Jiang Shaoqi was dressed in casual clothes, wearing a black baseball cap and black gloves. Tall and long-legged, with a smile in his eyes, he looked like a handsome young male college student.
Jiang Yubai greeted him politely: "Hello, Uncle."
"Your Mom and Dad are on vacation in Hainan," Jiang Shaoqi sighed. "They actually left you alone at home. Your grandparents couldn't stand hearing about it. Today, your uncle—the best uncle in the world—that is, me, will take you out for a stroll."
Jiang Yubai waved a hand: "No, Uncle. I want to stay home and study."
"No, you're coming out with me," Jiang Shaoqi walked over. He whispered a few words to the tutor, who readily agreed, repeatedly saying philosophical things like "holidays are for relaxing," "children shouldn't be overworked," "Rome wasn't built in a day, and math can't be learned in one day," and so on.
Then, the tutor hurriedly packed his backpack, thanked Jiang Shaoqi, and dashed away as if slipping on oil, cheerfully escaping the Jiang family estate.
Jiang Shaoqi pulled over a wooden chair and sat beside Jiang Yubai, sighing helplessly: "You, kid, forcing the teacher to teach every day—look how exhausted you've made him! This is the first time I've seen a teacher happier than the student after class."
Jiang Yubai stood up silently. Holding a cup of light tea, he walked across the deep red soft carpet.
This spacious study belonged to Jiang Yubai. The room contained fourteen rows of bookshelves, each set crafted from high-quality mahogany, with palm leaf patterns carved at the corners and inlaid with dark green jade.It is said that the tradition of embedding gemstones into furniture originated in Italy. In medieval Italy, "pietredure" referred both to gemstones and furniture adorned with them.
Jiang Shaoqi questioned, "Jiang Yubai, just because you think the bookshelf looks nice, you stand there and ignore your uncle?"
Jiang Yubai replied, "I'm thinking."
Jiang Shaoqi asked again, "Thinking about what?"
"More efficient ways to study," Jiang Yubai answered honestly.
Jiang Shaoqi laughed, "Studying is an abstract concept; it doesn't necessarily have to be done in the study. Come on, go out with your uncle today and broaden your horizons."
Jiang Yubai's father had inherited the family business, while Jiang Shaoqi was the concertmaster of a top-tier orchestra.
In Jiang Yubai's eyes, his uncle was very different from his father. His uncle was freer and more spontaneous. He could focus entirely on practicing the violin without worrying about anything else, and he had become the youngest concertmaster in the history of his orchestra.
Today, his uncle asked him, "Jiang Yubai, would you like to visit a new industrial park? It officially went into production a few years ago, and its profits have been steadily increasing over the past two years. Your father is very pleased."
Jiang Yubai took a sip of light tea before asking, "Did Dad start a new company?"
"Not exactly..." Jiang Shaoqi answered briefly, "Many companies in this park are controlled by your father, and there are also two foreign joint ventures. The actual shareholders may not be the actual controllers—do you understand this principle?"
Jiang Yubai turned his head to look at his uncle, "Uncle, as a concertmaster, do you also have to..."
Jiang Shaoqi guessed what Jiang Yubai meant. He chuckled lightly and replied cheerfully, "Yes, your uncle also does some investing in his spare time. But my pressure is nowhere near as great as your father's. Ah, your father was born ten years earlier than me and has endured much more hardship. Fortunately, I'm his younger brother and don't have as many responsibilities to bear... During this holiday, he went on vacation, so I'm here to help take care of his child! Hah, when I think about it, I'm not just a good uncle—I'm also a good brother."
He was smug and full of confidence.
After pondering for a moment, Jiang Yubai decided to visit the industrial park with his uncle.
First, Jiang Yubai had indeed never seen the new park. Second, he felt that spending more time with his uncle might help him learn some of that inexplicable confidence his uncle possessed—Einstein once said, "Confidence is the first step to success."
Before leaving, Jiang Yubai brought his camera.
At one in the afternoon, Jiang Shaoqi took Jiang Yubai to an industrial park on the outskirts of the city.
As the concertmaster of a top-tier orchestra, Jiang Shaoqi took extreme care in maintaining his hands. His hands could be described as flawless—slender fingers, distinct knuckles, with tendons stretching to the back of his hands, embodying masculine strength while also possessing a gender-transcending elegance.
Whenever Jiang Shaoqi went out, no matter how hot the weather, he always wore gloves.
He extended a hand to Jiang Yubai, "Don't run off; you must stay with your uncle."
Jiang Yubai hesitated slightly before taking Jiang Shaoqi's hand, "I'm 9 years old; I won't get lost."
"Why do you always act... unlike a child around your uncle?" Jiang Shaoqi suddenly asked him, "It seems like you don't quite trust me, your uncle."Jiang Yubai answered casually, "Because you're an adult, Uncle."
Jiang Shaoqi crouched down in front of him with a smile, "Although I'm twenty-four and have been an adult for a long time, I still have a childlike heart. Why can't you treat me like one of your schoolmates? Don't you think Uncle has a lot in common with you?"
"I don't know," Jiang Yubai replied flatly, brushing him off.
Jiang Shaoqi patted his nephew's head, "You really are my brother's son. I heard that when my brother was little, he was also a bit old beyond his years."
"I'm very lively at school," Jiang Yubai defended himself.
"Really?" Jiang Shaoqi questioned him, "Do you have many kids to play with?"
Jiang Yubai gave a specific example, "My deskmate said I'm her best friend." After giving this example, Jiang Yubai's breath caught. How could he use Lin Zhixia as a "best friend" case study to tell his uncle about?
Jiang Shaoqi, however, let out an exaggerated "Wow!" and said, "That's amazing! It's only been a month since school started, and you already have a best friend. You really are my nephew - so popular!"
The industrial park's receptionist, department manager, workshop security guards, and others were all following Jiang Shaoqi. They wore uniforms, carried walkie-talkies, and occasionally spoke into them. The department manager was a tall, slim woman in her forties, sharp and efficient. She said to Jiang Shaoqi, "The factory is on shift rotation these two days, so there are fewer workshop workers than usual, but the assembly line hasn't stopped."
In fact, Jiang Shaoqi knew nothing about factories, workshops, or production.
He could only pretend to think, nodding repeatedly, "Good, very good."
He crouched down again and asked Jiang Yubai, "Xiao Jiang, what are your thoughts?"
Xiao Jiang raised his camera, "Can I take photos?"
The department manager smiled and chimed in, "Of course. Would you like me to take the camera and help you take photos?"
Jiang Yubai politely declined the manager. Standing on the second-floor circular glass corridor, he looked down at the first-floor sterile cold-fill production line. He discovered that the "Strawberry Milk" that Lin Zhixia loved to drink came from these massive machines, one after another. He also saw several employees in blue protective suits walking through the workshop. Glass partitions crisscrossed, dividing the first-floor production area into seven large sections.
There wasn't a trace of food scent in the air, only the cold sensation conveyed by steel plates, glass, and the humming of machinery.
Jiang Yubai pressed the shutter and took a photo.
"Our company has pastures in four provinces and municipalities across the country, with our own logistics, warehousing, and complete supply chain management," the department manager introduced, "We ensure the safety of milk sources from the root..."
She led the way ahead. When Jiang Yubai stepped over the threshold, she bent down to remind him, "Take it slow, be careful, this way please."
Jiang Yubai felt somewhat uncomfortable. He wasn't very used to people lowering their posture in front of him. Although he knew this might be what's called "respect" in adult society.
Holding his uncle's hand with his left and carrying the camera with his right, Jiang Yubai continued forward with the manager, receptionist, and the rest of the group.Ahead lay the production park for dairy products such as yogurt, condensed milk, and ice cream. The dairy products manufactured in this park would be transported to major supermarkets and wholesalers both within and outside the province. Jiang Yubai glanced around and spotted the yogurt he drank every morning. Pointing at a plastic sign, he remarked, "This one is good."
"We've prepared a gift bag," the manager promptly responded.
The food park was merely a small section of this industrial complex, surrounded by pharmaceutical plants, automotive parts factories, warehouse equipment manufacturers, and precision instrument companies. As the sky gradually darkened and the sun began to set, Jiang Yubai hadn't yet had time to visit the "precision instruments" section before his uncle had to take him home.
Apart from taking numerous photos, Jiang Yubai also received a gift bag containing a cat plush toy, a box of dairy pastries, a gold-embossed fortune greeting card, and four bottles of yogurt—evidently, the yogurt had been added later.
The evening glow burned red like fire. Carrying the bag, Jiang Yubai gazed into the distance at the vast industrial park, seemingly lost in thought. After a long moment, he murmured, "When I grow up, I'll work hard like Dad."
A cool breeze tousled his hair.
His uncle, Jiang Shaoqi, was deeply moved.
Jiang Shaoqi raised a hand and draped it over Jiang Yubai's shoulder. "You're such a good kid. Your uncle really knows how to educate. After just one day of my guidance, you already understand the importance of appreciating your dad, working hard, upholding the family's honor, and building a better tomorrow. Excellent, truly worthy of our family's child."
After expressing his emotions, Jiang Shaoqi expected Jiang Yubai to argue with him again.
But this time, Jiang Yubai showed no intention of refuting. He smiled, looked up at his uncle, and replied, "Yes."
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