The provincial informatics Olympiad of 2007 commenced at nine o'clock in the morning on April 12th.
The informatics Olympiad required teams of three members who had to collaborate and divide tasks to complete ten programming problems together. Lin Zhixia's two teammates were both seniors in their second year of high school—originally ranked in the upper-middle tier of the Olympiad class, but since teaming up with Lin Zhixia, they had become invincible and unstoppable.
Barring any surprises, the provincial first prize today should also belong to Lin Zhixia and her teammates.
Lin Zhixia carried her backpack and followed the teacher into the venue. She yawned, and one of her teammates asked, "Are you tired, Lin Zhixia?"
"A little tired," Lin Zhixia answered truthfully. "My Brother got up at five this morning and did his morning exercises in the living room for a while. He woke me up."
The teammate asked in surprise, "Your Brother gets up at five every morning to exercise?"
Lin Zhixia defended her Brother: "Next week, he has to take the physical education test for the high school entrance exam."
Yes, Brother was about to take the high school entrance exam.
He was so hardworking and serious.
Lin Zhixia admired her Brother's perseverance and fully supported his early morning workouts. The only problem was that Lin Zhixia hadn't gotten enough sleep today. Her reactions were half a beat slower than usual, and her problem-solving speed had dropped significantly.
It took her seven minutes to finish the second problem.
She was so drowsy that she gradually lowered her head and rested it on the computer desk. Her right hand held a pencil, scribbling and doodling on scratch paper, writing mathematical derivations that no one could understand.
Her teammates grew visibly nervous. One of them spoke up: "Lin Zhixia, you're not in top form today."
The other teammate said, "The students from Experimental High School No. 1 posted on Baidu Tieba that they're going to beat Provincial High School No. 1. Look at the scrolling information on the large screen upfront... Experimental High School No. 1 is already on the fourth problem."
Lin Zhixia snapped to attention and scanned her surroundings.
Only then did she realize that more than half of the competing teams were solving problems faster than she was. Experimental High School No. 1 had the fastest progress—they really could defeat Provincial High School No. 1.
Alarm bells rang loudly in Lin Zhixia's mind. Her consciousness became exceptionally clear, and her gaze turned resolute and determined. She took a deep breath and told her two teammates, "Read the problems out loud to me."
In the competition venue, each team consisted of three contestants. Teammates shared one table, which was equipped with one computer and one printed copy of the test questions.
Lin Zhixia's teammates picked up the test paper and read it aloud to her, sentence by sentence.
As soon as her teammate finished reading, Lin Zhixia had an idea. She rapidly tapped the keyboard, writing line after line of code. She didn't even need to compile it to accurately predict the outcome—because every line of code had already run through her mind in advance. Although her approach might not have been the most perfect, her efficiency was astonishingly high.
Lin Zhixia and her teammates won the provincial competition's gold medal along with a three-thousand-yuan cash prize.
In principle, the three-thousand-yuan team bonus should have been divided equally among the three teammates. However, Lin Zhixia's two teammates were too embarrassed to take one thousand yuan each. They insisted that Lin Zhixia keep the entire three thousand yuan for herself. They also said that Lin Zhixia's outstanding performance in the programming competition had benefited the entire team.Lin Zhixia still gave them two thousand yuan. She explained, "I learned a lesson at the Romanian Master of Mathematics... teammates play a very important role. Because teammates and I advance toward the same goal together, they help share the pressure."
That afternoon, Lin Zhixia returned home happily, holding the provincial competition trophy.
Not long ago, because Lin Zhixia had won a gold medal in a prestigious mathematics competition, Provincial No. 1 High School awarded her over ten thousand yuan in scholarship money. Today, she brought home another thousand yuan. Mom simply didn't know how to praise her enough and only asked, "Xia Xia is amazing! What would you like to eat for dinner?"
After thinking for a moment, Lin Zhixia suggested, "Mom, Mom, can we have stir-fried beef with green peppers, apple soup, sweet and sour pork ribs, and cold okra salad tonight? These are all dishes Brother likes. Brother is about to take his high school entrance exams and works very hard every day."
While washing dishes, Mom agreed, "Okay, Mom will make you a bowl of steamed egg custard too. Xia Xia must be tired from today's competition, go rest in your room."
Lin Zhixia clung to her mom like sticky rice candy: "During today's competition, Xia Xia almost fell asleep."
Almost fell asleep...
And still won first prize?
Mom bent down, wiping the stovetop clean with a cloth while coaxing her daughter, "If Xia Xia feels tired, go lie down on the bed. When your brother comes home, Mom will wake you up for dinner."
Lin Zhixia nodded. She walked back to her bedroom, picked up Little Penguin, and quietly lay down on the bed. Over the past month, Brother had frequently helped bathe her Little Penguin. He also dutifully cleaned her room, wiping her desk spotless.
Lin Zhixia noticed that Brother always carried a Romanian Easter egg in his clothes pocket.
She truly hadn't expected that a mere Romanian Easter egg could have such a significant effect—not only helping Brother overcome his fear of penguins but also making him much gentler toward her.
Her mind filled with random thoughts, she unknowingly fell asleep.
Around six in the evening, Mom woke Lin Zhixia up.
Lin Zhixia immediately got up, put on her fluffy bunny slippers, and hurried straight to the dining table.
The dishes emitted steaming aromas, with the entire table covered in Lin Zeqiu's favorite foods. Sitting at the table, Lin Zeqiu seemed thoughtful: "Is today a holiday?"
Mom told him, "Your sister won first place in today's informatics competition and received a thousand-yuan scholarship."
After hearing this good news, Lin Zeqiu showed not a trace of expression on his face. He placed a piece of pork ribs in Lin Zhixia's bowl, to which she responded, "Thank you, Brother."
Lin Zhixia took a bite of the rib meat, savoring it carefully, then added, "Mom's braised pork ribs and sweet and sour pork ribs are both so delicious. Mom's cooking is the best in the world. Xia Xia wants to eat Mom's food every day. After eating, Xia Xia will be very happy..."
Lin Zeqiu suddenly interrupted his sister: "Lin Zhixia, you're twelve years old. Can you stop referring to yourself as 'Xia Xia'? Don't you know how to use the first person? How childish."
The effects of the Romanian Easter egg seemed to have expired.Lin Zhixia set down her chopsticks and confronted her brother head-on: "I'm happy, and what's it to you? You could also use 'Qiu Qiu' to refer to yourself. Would you dare to abandon the first-person pronoun and speak that way? You wouldn't dare, would you, Lin Zeqiu?"
Lin Zeqiu's Adam's apple bobbed as a thought surfaced in his mind—Qiu Qiu won't argue with you, Qiu Qiu will keep eating. He shuddered, nearly dropping his bowl on the floor.
Mom called him by his full name: "Lin Zeqiu, tonight's dishes were made at your sister's request. Your sister cares about you deeply. Stop picking fights with her all the time. Harmony in the family leads to prosperity in all things."
Lin Zeqiu held his bowl, bowing his head to shovel a mouthful of rice.
Mom waited until he finished chewing before saying, "Qiu Qiu, your high school entrance exam is approaching. You must listen to me—don't wake up too early in the morning, and don't disrupt your regular routine. Maintain your usual eating and sleeping habits. Your homeroom teacher told me that with normal performance, you can test into the high school division of Provincial No. 1 Middle School."
The high school division of Provincial No. 1 Middle School was fiercely competitive. To get into the advanced class, Lin Zeqiu needed outstanding exam results. In this critical sprint phase, he didn't dare slack off even slightly, maintaining strict self-discipline.
This morning at five o'clock, he had inexplicably woken up and couldn't fall back asleep.
He knew he was carrying heavy psychological pressure. He kept thinking that as Lin Zhixia's brother, he couldn't fall too far behind her. If his exam results were disastrous, both his parents would be disappointed.
This fear of failure only intensified his craving for success.
He studied diligently, spending nearly all day Saturday and Sunday at his desk. During review sessions, he occasionally encountered challenging problems. Even with Lin Zhixia right next door, he refused to ask his sister for help.
His sister was a twelve-year-old who still used "Xia Xia" to refer to herself—a total spoiled darling.
He didn't need his sister's assistance. He could solve problems independently—though such thoughts filled Lin Zeqiu's mind, reality often proved harsher than imagination.
Lin Zeqiu gripped a ballpoint pen, staring at the physics test his teacher had handed out, stuck once again on the final problem. He sat motionless for twenty minutes when he faintly sensed someone watching him from behind.
Turning around, he caught sight of Lin Zhixia's figure. Peeking from outside the door, she cautiously called out, "Brother..."
Lin Zeqiu responded impatiently, "What do you want?"
"I thought you'd run into another problem you couldn't solve but weren't willing to ask me about," Lin Zhixia stated bluntly.
Lin Zeqiu's first instinct was to hide his physics test. He spread open a Chinese textbook to cover it, claiming, "I'm memorizing texts."
Lin Zhixia walked over to him. Following the clues, she effortlessly uncovered the scene and successfully located the physics test. After glancing at the last question, just as she was about to speak, Lin Zeqiu said, "Go back to your room. Don't bother me."
Lin Zhixia reached into her brother's shirt pocket and pulled out a Romanian Easter egg. She said earnestly, "I heard the Easter egg talking to me. It told me there's only a short time left until the high school entrance exam, and I can make progress together with my brother."
Her brother gently pulled her wrist away. "Go attend to your own business.""I'm not particularly busy at the moment," Lin Zhixia said as she pulled up a chair and sat beside Lin Zeqiu.
Lin Zhixia slept with her Little Penguin every night. Her Little Penguin always smelled fresh and was kept spotlessly clean, though she had never washed it herself. She suddenly became aware of how much her family cared for her.
Now, she was trying to reciprocate that attention toward her brother, helping him shed his psychological burdens.
She wrote down the solution to the final problem on the physics exam with a pencil. Opening Lin Zeqiu's notebook, she directly summarized it on the last page. She didn't need any reference books—a clear framework already existed in her mind.
Lin Zeqiu silently accepted her kindness.
"Where's your math notebook?" Lin Zhixia asked again. "Brother, give me your math notebook."
Lin Zeqiu refused, "Forget it. There's too much math content."
Lin Zhixia originally wanted to say that middle school math was simple, but then she remembered Duan Qiyan's constant mention of "competition style," so she swallowed her words. Mimicking Jiang Yubai's persuasive tone, she lowered her voice and said, "Middle school math content is suitable for systematic summarization."
Lin Zeqiu felt his sister had suddenly become much more mature and sophisticated. He eyed her suspiciously, and she immediately reverted to her usual self: "Hurry up and give me your notebook! Are you going to or not?"
Lin Zeqiu handed her a blank notebook.
Lin Zhixia's thoughts poured out like floodwaters through an open gate, rushing fiercely onto the paper. She recorded problem types with appropriate detail. She seemed to intuitively understand Lin Zeqiu's mathematical foundation, so all the problems she documented were relatively difficult, maintaining the standard of final exam questions.
From that day on, Lin Zhixia often accompanied Lin Zeqiu during his review sessions.
Lin Zeqiu placed two desk lamps on the table and prepared a soft cushion for Lin Zhixia's seat. By late May, as the weather gradually warmed, Lin Zeqiu found the best electric fan in the house, removed its cover, wiped the blades spotless with a towel, and placed the fan in Lin Zhixia's bedroom.
Although Lin Zeqiu didn't want to admit it, the facts were clear—with Lin Zhixia's tutoring, his academic performance steadily improved, and he regained his position as the top student in the class.
More embarrassingly, whenever Lin Zhixia was by his side, he felt an indescribable sense of security. No matter how complex the problem he encountered, Lin Zhixia would always write out the simplest and most understandable solution.
One evening in early June, Lin Zhixia accompanied him for his final review session. By nine o'clock, she began to feel sleepy. Resting her head on her arm, she drifted between consciousness and dreams, murmuring to herself, "Brother did very well... Brother is the top scorer in the high school entrance exam..."
Lin Zeqiu initially thought she was speaking to him. After a few seconds, he realized Lin Zhixia was talking in her sleep—which was rare. Lin Zhixia was always quiet when sleeping and almost never talked in her dreams.
But tonight, Lin Zeqiu clearly heard his sister say, "Hmm... you can interview me..."
Lin Zeqiu guessed what she was dreaming about. She probably dreamed that he had become the top scorer in the high school entrance exam, and journalists came to their home to interview her.In reality, Lin Zhixia always avoided reporters and refused any contact with newspapers and media. However, in this dream, she spoke generously: "My brother has always... always been hardworking, outstanding, shining brightly... Brother is a very good boy..."
Lin Zeqiu raised his hand to support his forehead. A sour sensation welled up in his throat, his voice growing lower and gentler: "Lin Zhixia, wake up."
Lin Zhixia didn't wake.
He called again: "Xia Xia."
Lin Zhixia was dazed and confused: "What did you just call me?"
Lin Zeqiu turned off the desk lamp: "It's 9:10. Go back to your room to sleep. I need to sleep too."
Lin Zhixia didn't press further. She patted her brother's shoulder: "Brother, do your best. Do your best in the high school entrance exam."
After saying this, she staggered back to her bedroom, collapsed on the bed, and fell asleep. 9 PM was her limit for clear consciousness - once past that hour, she would be completely overcome by drowsiness.
Lin Zeqiu stood at her bedroom door for a while before casually closing it firmly.
His memory was far inferior to Lin Zhixia's. But he always remembered this night, always remembered Lin Zhixia's evaluation of him: My brother has always been hardworking, outstanding, shining brightly. My brother is a very good boy.
By mid-June, when the high school entrance exam officially began, Lin Zeqiu maintained a stable mindset. He entered the examination hall carrying his backpack, which still contained the colorful egg Lin Zhixia had given him. Perhaps blessed by the egg's good luck, he performed exceptionally well, almost reaching his peak level. He felt one foot had already stepped into the advanced class of Provincial First High School.
In mid-July, when the exam results were released, Lin Zeqiu scored even better than he had imagined. He ranked 49th in the city, and his name even appeared in the Morning Daily. A red honor roll attached to that newspaper listed the names of the top fifty students in the city's high school entrance exam - Lin Zeqiu ranked second to last, which was already a tremendous honor.
Lin Zeqiu's Mom and Dad were overjoyed. They were both proud of their son. Dad ate an extra bowl of rice at every meal for two consecutive days, constantly murmuring at home: "Our Qiuqiu and Xia Xia both have such good grades, what wonderful son and daughter. Just think, your Mom and I aren't educated, never went to college, yet we could raise children like you. Ah, our ancestors' graves must be emitting green smoke."
After the high school entrance exam ended, Lin Zeqiu felt very secure. He opened the Morning Daily and asked Lin Zhixia intentionally or not: "Back in early June, you fell asleep at the table and dreamed that I became the top scorer in the high school entrance exam. Do you remember?"
Lin Zhixia was eating watermelon. Hearing her brother's words, she thought for just a second before admitting: "I remember."
Lin Zeqiu's heart surged: "What did you say to the reporter in your dream?"
Lin Zhixia scooped up a piece of watermelon with her small spoon: "In my dream, that reporter interviewed me and asked what impression I had of you, Brother. How could I say anything bad about you in front of outsiders? Even if I had to make things up, I absolutely had to praise you vigorously."
Even if I had to make things up, I absolutely had to praise you vigorously.Hearing those words, Lin Zeqiu’s limbs stiffened slightly. He slapped the dining table and walked back to his bedroom without a word. Lin Zhixia continued to ask him, "Brother, brother, aren’t you going to eat watermelon anymore?"
Lin Zeqiu snapped fiercely, "Eat, eat, eat—that’s all you ever think about."
Lin Zhixia tattled, "Mom, Mom, Brother is being mean to me!"
Mom was rinsing the balcony. Hearing her daughter’s words, she stepped out and said, "Lin Zeqiu, be gentle with your sister. Harmony in the family leads to prosperity in all things!"
Lin Zeqiu closed his bedroom door, still clutching the Morning Daily. No matter what, with Lin Zhixia’s help, he had achieved unprecedented good grades and entered the top class of the provincial No. 1 High School’s senior division. He didn’t dare slack off in the slightest, spending his summer vacation previewing high school textbooks. Believing he had made ample preparations, he began to look forward to high school life.
On the first day of school in September, Lin Zeqiu took the bus to school with Lin Zhixia as usual.
It was a bright, sunny day, and Lin Zhixia was in high spirits. As she walked through the gates of Provincial No. 1 High School with her brother, she couldn’t help but skip excitedly: "I’m in ninth grade now!"
In the distance, the shade of the trees swayed in the wind, and the crowd bustled with activity. Lin Zhixia spotted a familiar figure and immediately broke away from her brother, running and shouting, "Jiang Yubai! Jiang Yubai!"
Hearing her voice, Jiang Yubai stopped in his tracks. After not seeing him all summer, Lin Zhixia felt he had grown even taller. She eagerly ran up to him, bubbling with excitement as she asked, "Jiang Yubai, Jiang Yubai, guess what kind of twelfth birthday present I’ve prepared for you?"
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