After the National Day holiday, Jiang Yubai arrived at school carrying a gift bag.
Jiang Yubai's playroom contained countless car models, airplane models, Transformers, and LEGO bricks. However, he hardly owned any plush toys. He regarded his father as his role model. He believed that iron-willed men like his father generally wouldn't indulge in plush toys.
After visiting the industrial park that day, Jiang Yubai discovered a plush kitten toy inside the gift bag and decided to pass it on to Lin Zhixia.
That morning, as Lin Zhixia stepped into the classroom and headed toward her seat as usual, Jiang Yubai immediately took out the gift bag and slipped it into her desk drawer. His movements were fluid and seamless. He explained simply and directly, "A gift for you. You're welcome."
"Is today a special holiday?" Lin Zhixia asked him. "Why did you bring me another gift?"
Jiang Yubai couldn't answer. His series of actions felt like he was trying to win over a competitor. He couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
Lin Zhixia tugged at the gift bag and said seriously, "Jiang Yubai, you're always giving me things, and I feel a bit embarrassed. Because I can't return gifts of equal value to you. When you give me things, it's like you're losing out."
Jiang Yubai retorted, "No. My dad says money isn't the only measure of value."
Lin Zhixia tilted her head. "Your dad is right."
Jiang Yubai nodded. "Yes."
Lin Zhixia opened the gift bag and found a plush kitten toy. She instantly became so excited she could hardly contain herself. Her eyes were clear and sparkling brightly: "A little kitten, a fluffy little kitten."
She continued rummaging through the bag and found a greeting card along with a box of vacuum-sealed Milk Cake.
"Thank you, Jiang Yubai!" Lin Zhixia turned to tell him.
This gift was merely something Jiang Yubai had passed on to Lin Zhixia—not something he had prepared himself. But he didn't explain this to Lin Zhixia. He felt an inexplicable sense of shame and pretended nothing had happened: "These aren't particularly great things."
Suddenly, Lin Zhixia tightened the gift bag, took out her "Human Observation Diary," and eagerly wrote: This morning, I received another gift from classmate Jiang Yubai. Good friends should reciprocate gifts. When I find something worthy of repaying Jiang Yubai, I will definitely give it to him.
Jiang Yubai basically had everything he wanted. He lacked nothing that could be bought with money.
However, he still had one urgent wish that remained unfulfilled.
He wanted to far surpass Lin Zhixia and hear her say with his own ears: Jiang Yubai, you're amazing! I lost to you! I lost so completely!
So far, the hope seemed slim.
Nevertheless, Jiang Yubai would never give up!
Someday, Lin Zhixia would become his defeated opponent.
For Lin Zhixia, school life today was exceptionally joyful.
During the afternoon class meeting, the students of Class 1, Grade 4 received more good news. The school decided to organize an autumn outing in mid-October, where all fourth-grade students would visit the city's marine aquarium under their teachers' guidance.
The marine aquarium!
These five words filled the students with anticipation.
Lin Zhixia was especially thrilled. She had never been to a marine aquarium before.She felt that today was truly her lucky day. She had received a kitten plush toy and could now plan a trip to the aquarium. Moreover, she now had a good friend—she could go observe various aquatic creatures with Jiang Yubai.
The only issue was that this autumn outing operated on a "voluntary registration" basis, costing 76 yuan per student.
That evening, the first thing Lin Zhixia did after returning home was find her mom. Shyly, she asked for money: "Mom, our grade is having an autumn outing to the Ocean Aquarium. Each person needs to pay 76 yuan. The teacher said it's a group discount price, including lunch. Mom, could you give me 76 yuan?"
While Lin Zhixia was speaking, her mom was cooking. With a swing of the steel cleaver, she chopped into a pork rib, producing a loud "thud" that startled Lin Zhixia. She hid outside the kitchen door, peeking out with half her face, gazing pleadingly at her mom.
"Mom, Mom," Lin Zhixia cooed sweetly, "I want to go to the Ocean Aquarium."
After handling the ribs, her mom turned on the faucet and quietly washed her hands.
Beneath the kitchen windowsill stood an old cast-iron water pipe. A water meter hung on its side. At the end of each month, staff from the water company would come to check the meter and collect payments. Many families had their own unique ways to save money, and Lin Zhixia's mom was an expert at it. She gripped the faucet handle, slowly tightening it until the water meter stopped spinning, yet drops of tap water still trickled from the spout into a ceramic basin.
The water meter had stopped.
Drops continued to patter, accumulating bit by bit.
Lin Zhixia walked over and grabbed her mom's apron: "Mom, turn off the faucet properly. We can't steal water..."
Her mom finally responded: "Xia Xia, your brother is in middle school now. In two years, he'll take the high school entrance exams, and after that, he'll need to attend high school and university. You too must continue your studies. Mom and Dad have to save money for you both. Your grandparents also want to renovate their old house back home. All their neighbors have built new houses using red bricks and concrete roofs..."
"How much money does our family have left?" Lin Zhixia suddenly asked. "Can we invest in stocks?"
Her mom's chilled fingers, still wet from the water, touched Lin Zhixia's cheek: "Investing in stocks isn't that easy. Your dad and I don't have Iron Rice Bowls—we rely entirely on this small shop to support you and your brother. There's a Kim's Mart supermarket in front of our neighborhood, a Century Mart on North Street, and they're building a Carrefour at the east gate. Once that Carrefour opens, we'll have even fewer customers here."
Running a business depends on both reputation and luck.
Back when Lin Zhixia's parents first came to the provincial capital, they had to sell their pots and pans and scrape together funds just to acquire this shop. The first two years were the best—they genuinely earned quite a bit, paid off all their family debts, and only had a bank loan remaining. But ever since legitimate chain supermarkets like Kim's Mart and Century Mart opened near the neighborhood, foot traffic at the Lin family's store had noticeably declined significantly.
There was simply no helping it.Lin Zhixia's mother turned on the gas tank and poured oil into the wok to heat it. As she cooked, she said to Lin Zhixia, "If you want to buy books or study materials, I'd be willing to give you not just 76 yuan, but even 760 yuan. But what's the point of going to the aquarium? Xia Xia, from first to third grade, your autumn outings never cost this much. Why has it suddenly jumped to 76 yuan in fourth grade? Don't the other parents have any complaints?"
"I don't know," Lin Zhixia replied in a childish voice. "Mom, Mom, I really want to go..."
"Stop acting spoiled! You're such a crybaby all day long," Mom scolded sternly.
Greasy smoke billowed from the iron wok, carrying an irritating smell. Lin Zhixia sneezed and tightly clutched her mother's apron. "All the other students get to go. Why can't I?"
Mom gripped the spatula, stir-frying the braised pork ribs in the wok. Her tone grew urgent. "Because our family is poor. Our family is poor! Remember that? Your dad and I aren't locals in this provincial capital. We came here with nothing—no relatives, no friends. Do you think money is easy to earn? Don't always compare yourself to other students at school. Are you there to study or to compete with others about family backgrounds? If you have to have everything others have, how will our family survive? Think more about your dad, your brother, and me. Don't be selfish."
Tears welled up in Lin Zhixia's eyes as she struggled to hold them back. "Our school organized the autumn outing. I just came to ask you. Why does that make me selfish? If I can't go, then I won't. I never said I absolutely had to go."
The spatula clattered chaotically against the bottom of the wok. With her back turned to Lin Zhixia, Mom asked, "Do you know how much food 76 yuan can buy? You and your brother are growing and need nutrition. We can't cut off eggs, milk, pork, or fish at home. You'd spend 76 yuan in one day at the aquarium. Is that worth it?"
Lin Zhixia fell silent. She stood there, waiting for Mom to comfort her.
But today, Mom was in a bad mood. Even as Lin Zhixia was on the verge of tears, Mom didn't say a single gentle word to her.
Mom only said, "Your school is ranked number one in the city. The leadership makes decisions without considering students' family financial situations. It's not that I can't afford 76 yuan—I just can't bear to let you waste it. Our family doesn't revolve around you alone. You need to consider others more. Don't make everyone cater to you and see how selfish and useless you are! Understand?"
Lin Zhixia grew even more upset and began crying silently.
She wasn't crying because she couldn't go to the aquarium. She didn't really know where this sad feeling came from. Why do people shed tears when they cry? That way, anyone who sees her tears will know how miserable she is.
Lin Zhixia stood at the kitchen doorway, hesitating to speak.
Half a bowl of red chili peppers went into the wok, and pale white smoke swirled around. Mom also sneezed from the irritation.
A small fan was installed beside the stove. Its axis had long been clogged with grease, so Mom used a chopstick to poke the blades, giving the fan an initial push to rotate and blow away some of the kitchen smoke.
Lin Zhixia called out, "Mom."
Mom asked her, "Do you still want to go to the aquarium? Did everything I just say go in one ear and out the other?"Lin Zhixia said listlessly, "I'm not going. I don't want dinner either tonight."
She failed to evoke her mother's pity and instead fueled her mother's anger even further.
The whirring sound of the electric fan ceased abruptly at that moment. Mom put down the spatula, unmoved, and said, "Fine, don't eat then! Who are you trying to scare? Go to your room now! You can come out when you've come to your senses."
Ever since she heard the news about the autumn outing this afternoon, Lin Zhixia had been excited and thrilled. She had been looking forward to returning home early to share the good news with Mom and Dad, but she never expected it would end like this.
During the spring outing last semester, each student had to pay 34 yuan, and Mom had given the money to Lin Zhixia without hesitation.
And then... last month's class fees, library borrowing fees, subway transportation fees, and internet charges at the provincial library, totaling 74.45 yuan, were all paid by Mom.
Why not this time? Was it because 76 yuan was too much?
Lin Zhixia was utterly bewildered. Sitting in her room, she thought: So my happiness is built on money. Have I truly studied transcendentalism and idealism? Both philosophies advocate abandoning material pleasures.
By 6:30 in the evening, it was already dark outside.
The moon outside the window was so round and bright, and the starlight was soft. Lin Zhixia saw Alpheratz in the Andromeda Galaxy.
Alpheratz is the brightest star in the Andromeda Galaxy.
Recent scientific research has shown that the Milky Way and Andromeda are getting closer and closer. Billions of years from now, the Milky Way will collide with Andromeda.
Lin Zhixia looked up at the sky and murmured to herself, "Andromeda, Milky Way, don't be deceived by each other's gravitational pull. The closer you get, the more likely you are to be swallowed up. Do you know why one term in the Lagrangian of quantum chromodynamics violates CP symmetry? Have you studied the Peccei–Quinn theory? The mass of quarks cannot be zero. If Peccei–Quinn symmetry exists, I think the Universe has dark matter. Can you sense the Universe's dark matter?"
Looking up at the sky and expressing her thoughts made Lin Zhixia feel relaxed. The only problem was that her stomach was growling with hunger.
Gurgle, gurgle—it wouldn't stop.
Being hungry was truly unbearable.
Lin Zhixia collapsed onto the bed, clutching a small cat plush toy tightly, burying her entire face in the soft fabric.
She could hear the clatter of bowls and chopsticks in the living room—Mom, Dad, and Brother were all eating dinner.
Tonight's dishes included stir-fried cabbage, stir-fried artemisia selengensis with dried tofu, braised pork ribs, and tomato egg soup—all of Lin Zhixia's favorites.
She felt so wronged and desperately wanted to eat.
But she had said she wouldn't eat, and she meant it!
A person of integrity does not drink from a stolen spring, and a person of principle does not accept food given contemptuously!
Even if Lin Zhixia starved to death in bed today, she would absolutely not run to the living room to grab a bowl and eat!
Absolutely not!
Lin Zhixia had backbone!
In the living room, Lin Zhixia's Dad whispered, "That's enough. Call her out to eat."
Mom's voice was even softer: "I saved half of the ribs for her. The cabbage and dried tofu are in bowls. I'll heat them up for her later.""What's going on?" Lin Zeqiu asked suddenly, biting his chopsticks. "Why are you scolding her and not letting her eat at the table? What kind of rural custom is this, not allowing girls to eat at the table or something?"
Dad glared at him. "Keep your mouth shut. Don't make your mom angrier."
Lin Zeqiu sighed almost inaudibly. "Mom, why are you upset?"
Mom looked at Lin Zhixia's closed door, her expression weary as she replied, "It's nothing serious. I ran into some trouble when I went to restock early this morning, but it's all resolved now. I just have this pent-up frustration. You and your sister are both in school, and your dad and I have to support two children. Some things just aren't necessary to buy, unnecessary expenses... Your sister's school organized an autumn outing, and each student has to pay 76 yuan to go to that ocean aquarium. The aquarium tickets are so expensive. Your sister wanted to go, I scolded her, and now she's refusing to eat dinner."
"She's been spoiled. Let her cool off for a while, make her think things through," Dad chimed in. He picked up his chopsticks and lunchbox and hurried back to the front door to continue minding the business.
Lin Zeqiu took a couple bites of his food, feeling deeply unsettled.
He was Lin Zhixia's brother, having grown up with her since childhood. Nobody knew Lin Zhixia's personality better than him. Lin Zhixia loved eating more than anything - her favorite fruit was strawberries, her favorite dish was braised pork ribs, and her favorite soup was tomato egg soup.
Tonight, she could give up the braised pork ribs and even the tomato egg soup - this meant she wasn't just ordinarily upset.
There were three bedrooms in the house. The largest one belonged to Lin Zhixia, while the smallest belonged to Lin Zeqiu. Their family status was clear at a glance.
Lin Zeqiu hadn't intended to interfere with Lin Zhixia's affairs. He'd always felt his parents were too partial, overly doting on this sister whose intelligence was exceptional. But the thought of Lin Zhixia possibly hiding in her room crying made this meal taste like ashes in his mouth.
The fluorescent light in the living room flickered - perhaps it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.
The cold wind howled outside the window. A cold wave had hit tonight, temperatures dropping, a thin layer of mist forming on the glass panes. On such a bitterly cold, miserable night, how could she not eat?
Lin Zeqiu wolfed down the rice in his bowl, barely touching the side dishes. Then he returned to his room, hesitated for about two seconds, before opening a locked drawer.
Inside the drawer lay a yellowed old photograph.
This photo was taken ten years ago, when Lin Zhixia hadn't been born yet. Mom and Dad had taken Lin Zeqiu for a family portrait. Lin Zeqiu sat on Dad's lap, Mom holding his hand - he looked like an only child receiving all his parents' attention.
Lin Zeqiu picked up the photo and found the hundred-yuan bill pressed beneath it.
Last year during Spring Festival when they visited their hometown, Grandma had secretly slipped Lin Zeqiu this hundred-yuan note. But she hadn't given Lin Zhixia a single cent.
Grandma had told Lin Zeqiu, "A grandson is a grandson, a granddaughter is a granddaughter. Granddaughters become other families' daughters-in-law, but you are the root of our Old Lin family."
Lin Zeqiu had hidden this hundred yuan for over a year, never bringing himself to spend it. Now, he clutched the bill in his hand, his palm growing slightly sweaty. He left his bedroom and pushed open Lin Zhixia's door.
Lin Zhixia lay on her bed with her eyes closed, hands crossed over her chest as if shutting out all sounds from the outside world.Lin Zeqiu was startled by her, and seeing her eyes swollen from crying, he felt a lump in his throat. He shouted, "Lin Zhixia, get up! What time is it, and you're already sleeping? Are you a pig?"
"Don't bother me," Lin Zhixia still didn't open her eyes. "I'm cleansing my consciousness."
"Cleanse nothing! Get up now." Lin Zeqiu tugged at her.
She shook off his hand. "You're so annoying."
Lin Zeqiu reached out again and pulled at her pillow. She frowned and said, "Why are you a brother and not a sister? Other people's sisters are so gentle, but you, as a brother, are the worst."
Lin Zeqiu was so angry he simply lied, "Dad gave you a hundred yuan."
He let go of the banknote and placed it beside Lin Zhixia's nightstand. "Whatever other kids have, you'll have too. You don't need to envy others."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Zhixia immediately sat up in bed.
She refused, "Thank Dad, but give the money back to him. I don't want to go to the aquarium anymore. There's no need."
Lin Zeqiu was at a loss, standing there wringing his hands and stamping his feet. "If I say you should go, then go! Why so much nonsense? It's not like our family can't afford it. It's just Mom and Dad, you know how they are—always thinking about saving money, no foresight..."
The bedroom door was already slightly ajar.
Mom came in carrying a tray with steaming food and soup. She nudged the wall with her foot and asked, "Are both of you here?"
The aroma of braised pork ribs wafted into the bedroom.
Lin Zhixia remained as still as a meditating monk, unmoved.
Lin Zeqiu acted quickly. He stuffed the hundred yuan into Lin Zhixia's backpack. Relaxing his whole body, he swung his arms and, seeing Mom bringing food to coax his sister into eating, he chimed in, "Lin Zhixia, your stomach is growling. I can hear it."
"I'm not hungry," Lin Zhixia insisted stubbornly.
Mom sat down on Lin Zhixia's bed. She picked up a porcelain bowl, used chopsticks to separate the pork from the ribs, then scooped a spoonful of rice, added some cabbage, dried tofu, and rib meat, and brought it to Lin Zhixia's lips. "Xia Xia, have a bite?"
Lin Zhixia shook her head. "No, I won't eat!"
"Xia Xia, are you planning to never eat again?" Mom asked her. "Just because I scolded you a little, you're going to make me worry like this?"
Lin Zhixia opened her mouth and bit down on the spoon.
Mom murmured to herself, "If you want to go to the aquarium, then go. Mom apologizes to you. I was in a bad mood today and took it out on you..."
Lin Zhixia ate while crying. "Why did you scold me and call me useless... Every time you yell at me, I feel like you don't like me. I can't forget any of the harsh words you've said to me. My memory is so strange, but none of you understand. No one understands me, no one gets me. I'm so sad, Mom..."
Mom wiped her tears with a tissue, and as she did, she felt like crying herself, her voice choking up. "I've never seen a child like you. I don't know how to raise you. When I was little, I worked in the fields, and leeches would crawl onto my legs and suck my blood, but I still had to keep working. The things your grandparents said to me were much harsher than what I said to you."
Lin Zhixia sobbed uncontrollably. "Mom, you had it so hard."
Large teardrops fell as she hugged her stuffed dog tightly. "I can imagine that scene...""Go to the supermarket," Mom called Lin Zeqiu over, "and get your sister a bottle of strawberry milk."
Lin Zeqiu dashed off immediately: "Right away."
Lin Zeqiu used the fastest speed he could muster in his life. Upon hearing that his daughter was crying uncontrollably, Dad had his son bring two bottles of strawberry milk, along with strawberry-flavored lollipops. The whole family tried everything they could and finally managed to comfort Lin Zhixia.
However, the next morning, after Lin Zhixia woke up, her eyes were still bloodshot.
She adjusted her mood, carrying a bottle of strawberry milk on her back and a strawberry lollipop in her pocket, and happily headed to school.
Today, Jiang Yubai arrived earlier than Lin Zhixia.
Following the daily routine, Jiang Yubai tore open a pack of disinfectant wipes and carefully wiped down both his and Lin Zhixia's desks. He polished the surfaces until they were spotless and gleaming.
Tang Yueqin, the deputy class monitor of Class 4 (1), passed by and stopped on the spot, praising, "Jiang Yubai, your desk and your deskmate's are so tidy."
Tang Yueqin was one of the girls in the class who most obeyed the teachers. The teachers often praised her for being sensible, clever, attentive, and focused in class. Usually, when it was time to collect class fees or miscellaneous school fees, Tang Yueqin handled it all herself. Today was no exception. Carrying a blank sheet for recording names, a ballpoint pen, and a plastic bag for holding money, she was going around collecting the autumn outing fees for the semester.
She stood in front of Jiang Yubai and told him, "76 yuan, for the autumn outing."
Jiang Yubai opened his backpack and pulled out a Dunhill wallet. Tang Yueqin didn't recognize the brand Dunhill, but she could tell at a glance that the wallet was definitely not cheap. The leather itself was a deep blue, and the zipper was a shiny gold—the two colors surprisingly created a harmonious beauty.
Jiang Yubai slipped two fingers into the compartment. Tang Yueqin saw a thick stack of hundred-yuan bills, too many to count.
She suddenly remembered the nickname "Jiang Yubai, the Richest in Class One."
Her expression turned serious, and she automatically took a step back. "One hundred is enough, Jiang the Richest."
Jiang the Richest handed her a bill.
The morning sunlight was just right. Tang Yueqin took the bill, held it up to the light, and verified the watermark. "Here's 24 yuan change."
Zhou Bufeng, sitting in front of Jiang Yubai, suddenly turned around and said to him, "Jiang Yubai, you're so rich! Why don't you just give me that 24 yuan instead of taking the change? You wouldn't mind, right?"
"I'll call the police right away and report you for robbery. You wouldn't mind that, would you?" Lin Zhixia happened to walk up to her seat and casually replied. From the moment she entered the classroom until she sat down, many classmates frequently glanced her way.
Because Lin Zhixia had styled her hair in twin tails today.
Her hair was jet-black and thick, with slightly natural curls at the ends. On both sides, she had tied pink strawberry hair ties, making her look very pretty and adorable.
She had chosen twin tails today because she hoped her different hairstyle would distract her classmates from the redness in her eyes. But she found that even more people were looking at her.
"You're so cute," Tang Yueqin praised sincerely.
"All thanks to the hairstyle," Lin Zhixia replied modestly.
Tang Yueqin lifted the plastic bag in her hand, letting Lin Zhixia see the money filling it. Tang Yueqin urged, "Autumn outing fee, 76 yuan."
"I'm not going," Lin Zhixia said instead.
Jiang Yubai, sitting beside her, asked, "Why aren't you going?"
Before Lin Zhixia could answer, Jiang Yubai clenched his left fist. "Do you want to stay home and read? Then I won't go either."
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