In late September 2006, the teachers at Provincial No. 1 High School received the list of provincial first prize winners for the High School Mathematics League. Lin Zhixia's name stood out prominently on that list. She had just turned eleven years old when she clinched the first prize in the High School Mathematics League.
The students from the high school competition class were the first to hear this news. They found it difficult to express their shock in words, but their curiosity about Lin Zhixia was overwhelming. A few students from the senior year competition class even went to the junior high section, standing dumbfounded at the entrance of Class 17, Grade 8 like a group of groundhogs on the prairie.
Jiang Yubai had a strong sense of territoriality. Watching these uninvited guests outside the window, he decisively drew the curtains.
One of the senior year students simply shouted from outside, "Lin Zhixia? Who is Lin Zhixia? I need to talk to you! I want to ask about your study methods!"
Just as Lin Zhixia was about to stand up, Jiang Yubai tugged at the corner of her clothes. "Ignore them."
The senior student continued to clamor, "Lin Zhixia! Lin Zhixia!"
Jiang Yubai stepped 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. If you have anything to say to her, I can relay the message."
Jiang Yubai's demeanor was an exact imitation of his dad's secretary. He was most impressed by the chief secretary of the Jiang Corporation and believed he had perfectly replicated the secretary's speech and mannerisms.
However, the senior competition class students scrutinized Jiang Yubai with a complex gaze.
After another two or three seconds, one of the seniors told him, "Lin Zhixia won the first prize in the High School Mathematics League!"
Jiang Yubai didn't show the slightest hint of surprise. He remained as calm as if he had just heard the day's weather forecast. He even asked, "Is there anything else?"
The seniors fell into collective silence.
The first prize in the High School Mathematics League...
Wasn't that a big deal?
Jiang Yubai stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I'm heading back to class."
He turned around gracefully and walked back to Class 17, Grade 8.
Just then, the class bell rang, and the hallway descended into chaos as students ran around shouting, "Class is starting! Class is starting!"
This period was art class for Class 17. Lin Zhixia had already prepared her watercolor pens. She spread a blank sheet of paper on her desk, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the art teacher.
The art teacher was exceptionally gentle, with a beautiful appearance and refined demeanor. She was one of Lin Zhixia's favorite teachers. The moment the art teacher stepped onto the podium, Lin Zhixia cheerfully called out, "Everyone, stand up!"
The entire class chorused, "Good morning, teacher!"
The art teacher gave a slight bow. "Good morning, everyone." She raised her hand, tucking a strand of long hair behind her ear. "Please turn to Unit 2 in your textbooks. The assignment for this unit is to copy a natural landscape painting..."
As Lin Zhixia picked up a blue watercolor pen, Jiang Yubai suddenly remarked, "Lin Zhixia, you won the provincial first prize in the High School Mathematics League."
Lin Zhixia nodded. "I might get to attend the National Middle School Mathematics Winter Camp."
Students with top rankings in the High School Mathematics League had the opportunity to participate in the National Middle School Mathematics Winter Camp. The standout performers at the winter camp would be selected as members of the national training team and go on to make their mark in international competitions.
Jiang Yubai cheered her on. "Go for it, Lin Zhixia."Lin Zhixia grasped her paintbrush, sketching the sky, beach, and ocean. The sea under her brush was azure and vast, reflecting shimmering light. She also used a pencil to outline two human figures on the beach. She said, "This is Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai."
Jiang Yubai asked her, "What are we doing by the sea?"
Lin Zhixia asserted 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 beach with you. Do you know what fun activities there are at the seaside?"
Jiang Yubai described without reservation, "My uncle likes jet skiing. My mom often enjoys the sea breeze on cruise ships, and my dad goes speedboating with his friends to do 'lure fishing.'"
"Lure fishing?" Lin Zhixia pondered thoughtfully.
Jiang Yubai explained, "The bait for lure fishing is imitation artificial bait. When the speedboat moves, the fake bait moves too. Big fish mistake the fake bait for small fish and pounce to bite the hook."
"I want to go fishing with Jiang Yubai," Lin Zhixia expressed her wish bluntly.
Lin Zhixia wasn't reserved at all. She said whatever she wanted directly.
Jiang Yubai had grown accustomed to Lin Zhixia's style. He spread out his drawing paper and sketched a small boat with only two people on it. He used a ruler to mark a thin line and declared, "This is your fishing line, Lin Zhixia."
Lin Zhixia picked up another sheet of drawing paper: "Jiang Yubai, look quickly, look at the fish I caught!"
Her pen tip swiftly constructed lines, and the shape of a grouper appeared on the page.
Jiang Yubai immediately said, "I see it. You're quite skilled—catching a grouper on your first try fishing."
Lin Zhixia was immensely proud.
Lin Zhixia absolutely loved art class!
She rolled the drawing paper into a cylinder and handed it to Jiang Yubai: "The grouper is for you, Ji-Ji-Ji-Jiang Yubai."
Her eyes sparkled, and her cheeks flushed. 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 drew it well; you can keep it yourself."
Lin Zhixia extended one finger slightly forward, coming just a tiny bit from touching Tang Tingting's back.
Then, Lin Zhixia tested, "Jiang Yubai, do you really not want it? I'll have to give this fish to the classmate in front then. I guess Tang Tingting might like it."
Lin Zhixia often used this tactic on Jiang Yubai and had never failed.
This time was no exception.
Jiang Yubai snatched the grouper drawing. He didn't say a word, but Lin Zhixia was overjoyed. She wrote in her Human Observation Diary : The more Jiang Yubai conceals his thoughts, the more I want to know what he's thinking...
Jiang Yubai caught a glimpse of this line. He prepared to retort: I wasn't thinking anything, but such a defense felt utterly feeble. So he sank back into silence, still clutching the drawing. He smoothed out the paper and refolded it—making sure the creases avoided the grouper itself. He tucked the drawing into the inner compartment of his backpack, alongside his wallet and phone.
Art class was on Wednesday morning.Fourth period. After this class, the students were supposed to head home. However, on Monday morning during the morning reading session, Teacher Zhang had announced to everyone that at noon this Wednesday, he would treat the entire class to a meal at the teachers’ cafeteria to celebrate Class 17 of Grade 8 winning first prize in the school anniversary performance.
It was said that the provincial No. 1 High School’s teachers’ cafeteria had hired chefs from five-star hotels, offering a rich variety of dishes with generous portions and excellent flavors, far surpassing the standards of ordinary cafeterias.
All the students from Class 17 of Grade 8 followed Teacher Zhang to the teachers’ cafeteria.
Jiang Yubai hadn’t originally wanted to attend this celebration. But he was the male lead in Changes , and Lin Zhixia was the female lead. Lin Zhixia had dashed off to the teachers’ cafeteria looking absolutely delighted, and Jiang Yubai felt too embarrassed to let her go alone, leaving her as a lonely female lead. So he had no choice but to blend into the crowd of classmates and step through the doors of the teachers’ cafeteria.
Teacher Zhang had reserved seats. He had everyone sit around a long table. Clasping his hands together and rubbing them slightly, he was approached by colleagues from the junior high department who asked, "Teacher Zhang, are these your students?"
Teacher Zhang smiled and replied, "Yes, I’m treating the whole class to a meal."
A young teacher suddenly perked up. He slung an arm over Teacher Zhang’s shoulder and called out, "Class 17 of Grade 8, your Teacher Zhang just got his bonus this month! Don’t hold back—order lots of dishes! The counter over there sells seafood. Have your class monitor go get several bowls."
Not only did Teacher Zhang not stop him, he even asked, "What do all of you like to eat? Go take a look yourselves. The dishes here are sold bowl by bowl. If you see something you like, just take a bowl and tell the cafeteria auntie my name. It’ll all go on my tab."
The other students rushed off to the seafood section, the noodle and pastry section, and the cooked food section.
Lin Zhixia stood out from the crowd. She skipped cheerfully over to the drinks area and said sweetly to the cafeteria auntie, "Sister, sister, could I have a cup of freshly squeezed strawberry juice? Thank you, sister."
The cafeteria auntie in the drinks section had been working at Provincial No. 1 High School for five years. She had never heard any student or teacher call her "sister." Usually, even Teacher Zhang called her "auntie." She lowered her head and met Lin Zhixia’s pure, expectant gaze. Making up her mind, she scooped a large spoonful of strawberries into a glass, squeezing out a full cup of strawberry juice.
Lin Zhixia carefully carried the strawberry juice and slowly made her way back to her seat. Jiang Yubai was still sitting beside her.
Jiang Yubai had brought back a beef pie. He didn’t want to grab it and take big bites in front of Lin Zhixia—it didn’t match his usual image. So, he picked up his chopsticks, cut the pie into pieces, picked up one slice, and ate it slowly and deliberately. His table manners were excellent, very elegant. The group of classmates to his right were all devouring their meals ravenously, making him stand out all the more.
In front of Lin Zhixia was a plate of Yangzhou fried rice and a cup of strawberry juice. Before starting her meal, she called out, "Thank you, Teacher Zhang!"Teacher Zhang was seated not far away. Hearing Lin Zhixia's voice, he beamed with delight: "Everyone, listen up. I have good news to share. Our class's Lin Zhixia has won first prize in the provincial high school Olympiad. There were only sixty first-prize winners in the entire province, and Lin Zhixia has been selected for the provincial team. We'll receive the official notification tomorrow morning. This November, Lin Zhixia will represent our province in the national Mathematical Olympiad competition."
As soon as Teacher Zhang finished speaking, the atmosphere at the dining table froze.
The cafeteria was filled with interlacing lights and the aroma of food. The xiaolongbao in Duan Qiyan's mouth suddenly lost its flavor. He chewed with difficulty, his mind swirling with turbulent emotions. When he looked up at his classmates, he noticed most wore expressions of calm detachment.
Duan Qiyan threw back his head and gulped down a glass of milk. As he set down the cup, traces of white milk remained at the corners of his mouth. His eyes cool, he forced composure: "Lin Zhixia, you're only eleven. You're going to participate in the national high school math Olympiad?"
He knew Lin Zhixia was strong. But he never expected she would enter the provincial team this quickly.
Lin Zhixia took a sip of strawberry juice through her straw before responding: "I will participate."
The strawberry concentration was high, and her mood was particularly good. She would represent their province in the national math Olympiad. Lin Zhixia's name would be published in Provincial No.1 High School's honor roll—this meant Captain Lin Zhixia had successfully completed her mission. She truly lived up to being the Navigator of Jiang Yubai's corps.
Early the next morning, Teacher Zhang called Lin Zhixia into his office.
The Chinese and English teachers from the eighth-grade Olympiad class were also in the office. The English teacher was an attractive, fashionably dressed woman who always carried a faint scent of perfume.
Seeing Lin Zhixia, she immediately congratulated her: "Congratulations, I heard you won the first prize!"
Lin Zhixia replied modestly: "Many thanks."
"All the junior high teachers across all grades know you won first prize," Teacher Zhang said as he opened his drawer containing a certificate and an envelope.
Teacher Zhang continued: "For the last junior high league competition, you received first prize and the school awarded you five hundred yuan. This time, for the high school league first prize, the school has decided to grant you a two-thousand-yuan scholarship. Next month there will be additional awards from the municipal education committee. The high school league first prize certificate hasn't been issued yet, so the junior high department printed you this certificate... Here, take it, Lin Zhixia, our class 8-17's top student."
Lin Zhixia personally accepted the certificate and envelope.
Several teachers in the office showered her with praise, their continuous compliments nearly lifting Lin Zhixia to the heavens.
In front of his colleagues, Teacher Zhang openly praised his prized student: "Lin Zhixia, you're two years younger than your classmates, yet your mindset remains unaffected. You've maintained your academic performance, broken into the high school competition arena, served as an exemplary class monitor, and never neglected your duties as a class leader. Lin Zhixia, all your teachers are proud of you."
Lin Zhixia clasped her hands behind her back, growing increasingly bashful: "Thank you."
Before her teachers, Lin Zhixia maintained an attitude of humble caution, neither arrogant nor impatient.However, that very noon, as soon as she returned home, she immediately announced: "I won the provincial first prize in the High School League competition! The school awarded me a two-thousand-yuan scholarship! The municipal education commission's scholarship will be issued next week!"
Mom was cooking in the kitchen, and Brother hadn't even finished changing his slippers yet.
Lin Zhixia darted into the kitchen and snuggled up close to Mom: "Mom, Mom, I'll give you my two-thousand-yuan scholarship. Can we have shrimp dumplings for dinner tonight? Lots and lots of shrimp dumplings - you and Dad can have a big bowl too."
Lin Zhixia's voice was sweet and soft. Mom took the envelope she handed over, her nose tingling with emotion as tears blurred her vision.
Lin Zhixia asked her: "Mom, why are you crying?"
Mom placed the envelope on top of the refrigerator and picked up the edge of her apron to wipe her hands. Only when her fingers were completely dry did she open the envelope, saying: "Mom was cutting onions earlier."
Lin Zhixia glanced sideways: "But there are no onions on the cutting board."
Mom avoided the topic and said only: "Xia Xia is so amazing. Mom will go to the market this afternoon to buy several pounds of shrimp, and get you a pound of strawberries too. We'll all have shrimp dumplings tonight to celebrate Xia Xia winning the provincial first prize in the national competition."
Lin Zhixia was overjoyed: "Okay!"
At the lunch table that noon, both Mom and Dad were all smiles.
The Lin Family Supermarket temporarily closed for half an hour. Dad specifically came home to eat at the family dining table. He opened a can of beer, took two consecutive gulps, and said cheerfully: "Great, just great! Our Xia Xia is so accomplished - first prize in a national competition. Xia Xia, you're much better than your dad. When I was studying, I could read math problems a hundred times and still not understand them. My history and Chinese scores were relatively high. But for math and English, where the full score was one hundred, I couldn't even score ten points. I dropped out of high school and started working."
Mom tapped the beer can, signaling Dad not to bring up his difficult past.
Dad turned his head and called out: "Wife, tell me, how many years of accumulated virtue from our ancestors did it take to bring us a Xia Xia like this? Ah, when I go back to our hometown next year, I'll need to burn some incense at both your family's and my family's ancestral graves."
A plate of braised bream sat on the dining table. Mom separated a large piece of meat from the fish belly, dipped it in some sauce, then carefully turned it over with her chopsticks to confirm there weren't any bones before placing the fish meat into Lin Zhixia's bowl.
Lin Zhixia absolutely loved fish with rice. After taking a big bite of fish, she suddenly remembered something. She turned her face sideways and secretly glanced at her brother.
Brother was eating silently. His chopsticks moved in stops and starts, like a slow-thinking robot.
Lin Zhixia called to him softly: "Brother."
Brother remained silent.
Lin Zhixia raised her voice slightly: "Brother?"
Brother sighed.
Lin Zhixia suddenly burst out: "Brother brother brother brother brother brother!"
"Lin Zhixia, stop disturbing my meal," Brother responded coldly.
Dad took a sip of beer, slightly closed his eyes, and gently criticized: "Qiu Qiu, your sister is happy today. She just earned two thousand yuan in scholarship money for the family, and we're all having shrimp dumplings tonight. How wonderful is that? Tell me, isn't she a wonderful sister? Be nicer to your sister, Qiu Qiu. You should act like a proper older brother."
Mom picked up a piece of fish meat, carefully removed the bones, and placed the fillet into Lin Zeqiu's bowl. Lin Zeqiu suddenly looked up and met his mother's gaze.Mom advised him, "Qiuqiu, both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh—don’t hold a grudge against your sister. She just turned eleven and has to attend training sessions at the high school. The high school kids are all at least four or five years older than her. Think about how much academic pressure she must be under. Try to be more considerate of your sister."
In truth, Lin Zeqiu wanted to tell his parents: No, you don’t understand. Lin Zhixia doesn’t feel any academic pressure at all.
The words stuck in his throat, unspoken, leaving only a hollow sense of melancholy and a faint sadness in his heart.
If Lin Zhixia was truly a child brought into the world by the accumulated virtue of their ancestors, then why couldn’t some of that virtue have been shared with Lin Zeqiu? Struggling through the first round of review for the high school entrance exams, Lin Zeqiu felt utterly exhausted and worn out. At the end of September, Provincial No. 1 High School held a midterm exam for ninth graders. Lin Zeqiu underperformed, dropping to third place in his class. He had planned to tell his parents about his setback at lunch today, but who could have expected Lin Zhixia to come home with a certificate of merit and a two-thousand-yuan scholarship?
A two-thousand-yuan scholarship!
Earning money for the family should have been the older brother’s responsibility. Everyone knew that the Olympiad class at Provincial No. 1 High School offered generous scholarships—it was precisely because of these favorable conditions that Lin Zeqiu had forced himself to take the entrance exam four times. But he couldn’t even get through the door of the Olympiad class, let alone compete for its scholarships.
Lin Zeqiu found it hard to swallow his food.
He finished his lunch hastily, then immediately dashed back to his bedroom, slamming the door shut with a loud "bang."
Dad, slightly tipsy from drinking, said bluntly, "What’s going on with that kid? We were having a perfectly good family conversation—why did he suddenly retreat to his room?"
"Boys in their adolescence," Mom reminded him. "He’ll be fifteen next January. At fifteen, it’s easy for them to overthink things."
Lin Zhixia sat on her chair, swinging her legs slowly as she savored her lunch. Suddenly, a sharp ache shot through her calves, making her bite down on her chopsticks and slump over the edge of the table. Noticing her discomfort, Mom quickly asked, "Xia Xia, what’s wrong?"
"Xia Xia’s calves are cramping," Lin Zhixia said honestly. "It’s probably growing pains. They come every now and then, usually at night."
Lin Zhixia had been shooting up in height rapidly. Over the past six months, she had grown even more noticeably, her figure beginning to lengthen.
Back when Lin Zeqiu was growing the fastest, he often suffered from calf cramps, and Mom had taken him to the hospital. After repeated check-ups, the doctor confirmed that it was just ordinary growing pains and would pass with time.
Lin Zhixia had originally thought that she and her brother had inherited different genes and that she wouldn’t be as unlucky as him. But as she went through her own growth spurt, she found herself experiencing the same calf cramps. This left her somewhat puzzled—were the differences between her and her brother only in their intelligence?
After the meal, Lin Zhixia decided to talk to Lin Zeqiu about the issues of adolescent growth.
The so-called "growth issues" were like the "bat theory" proposed by the philosopher Nagel. The "bat theory" suggests that unless one becomes a bat, one can never imagine the lived experience of a bat or comprehend its qualia—the word "qualia" referring to the subjective, qualitative aspects of conscious experience.
Lately, Lin Zhixia had come to understand the qualia that Lin Zeqiu had once experienced.
In this world, only Lin Zeqiu’s genes were the most similar to hers.Lin Zhixia barged into Lin Zeqiu's room with aggressive force, like a bandit breaking down a door.
Lin Zeqiu was correcting his math exam paper—he had gotten the last two major problems completely wrong. During the teacher's explanation in class, Lin Zeqiu had been distracted. By the time he refocused, the teacher had already finished reviewing the entire test.
He couldn’t bring himself to ask his classmates for help, so he took advantage of the lunch break to ponder the problems alone, lost in deep Meditation.
Lin Zhixia rushed to his side and stared at his math paper. Lin Zeqiu turned his head and saw the fiery intensity in Lin Zhixia’s gaze, which seemed almost hot enough to burn holes through the test.
The glaring red crosses on the paper struck Lin Zhixia as unbelievable.
Lin Zeqiu could bear it no longer. With a dark expression, he said in a low voice, "Lin Zhixia, don’t just stand there like a fool—tell me your problem-solving approach." He paused briefly, his face cold, and added, "Make sure it doesn’t go beyond the junior high math syllabus."
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