Lin Zeqiu has complicated feelings towards his sister.
Before Lin Zhixia went to elementary school, she often said things to him at home that completely disregarded his inner feelings.
For example, Lin Zhixia once asked him: "Brother, this book describes the quantum Hall effect. As the magnetic field strength increases, how do you think the conductivity of the edge Landau level of this sample will change?"
Lin Zeqiu's answer was just one word: "Get lost."
For example, Lin Zhixia once tested him: "Brother, cytoplasmic inheritance is maternal inheritance, and mitochondrial DNA comes from the mother. Brother, our father and mother are the same, why are you and I not alike at all? Let's read "Cytogenetics Analysis" together!"
Lin Zeqiu's answer was just two words: "Shut up."
And, the one that Lin Zeqiu remembers most deeply—that day, his parents took a rare break and took him and his sister to the park for an outing. At that time, Lin Zhixia, who was only six years old, pestered his brother and asked him non-stop: "Brother, have you studied the origin of species? Do you know that there are gaps in the evolution of ancient humans? Do you believe that all human races came from Africa? Do you think Darwin's "Theory of Evolution" can explain the development history of ancient apes? Brother, almost all mammals have hair, but sweat glands are one of the most developed organs of a person. This determines that humans have stronger endurance than other mammals. Brother, do you know why this is?"
Lin Zeqiu collapsed on the spot: "Don't bother me!"
He took a step forward and ran away. Lin Zhixia was still chasing him from behind, like a demon king from hell. Lin Zeqiu ran to the ends of the earth, but he could not escape Lin Zhixia's pursuit.
He yelled at her, "Stay away from me!"
Then, he was immediately criticized by his parents. They blamed him for being too bad-tempered and being too harsh on his sister. His good mood for going out to play was gone, his interest dropped to the bottom, and he had no fun at all.
Mom and Dad are partial. Especially Mom, who has completely different attitudes towards her son and daughter. Mom can do a lot for Lin Zhixia.
For example, Lin Zhixia especially likes to go to the provincial library. No matter how the business in the store is, her mother will take time out every week to take her to the library to borrow books.
Mom and Dad did their best to raise Lin Zhixia. They made sacrifices in time and money.
In order not to delay the store's opening, my mother usually went to the wholesale market at 4 a.m. to buy goods. My father would help count the goods, collect accounts and check accounts. The housework in their home, including washing dishes, sweeping the floor, mopping the floor, and washing clothes, was often assigned to Lin Zeqiu.
And Lin Zhixia doesn't have to do anything.
Whenever Lin Zeqiu complained, his mother would tell him: Your sister is three years younger than you, can't you be a little more considerate of her
He could only pretend not to care. As time went by, he got used to it.
The most terrifying thing is that after Lin Zeqiu turned 10 years old, Lin Zhixia was keen on tutoring him in his studies.
While tutoring him, she asked him in confusion: "Brother, is this question stumping you? Brother, do you really not understand?"
In Lin Zeqiu's nightmares, Lin Zhixia's presumptuous and arrogant questioning would occasionally appear.
However, tonight, the situation was a little different. In addition to explaining the solution to the problem, Lin Zhixia did not say anything else to Lin Zeqiu.
She sat quietly in the chair, watching Lin Zeqiu write calmly. Her cheeks were rosy and there were morning stars in her eyes. She was a kind-hearted and beautiful little angel.
The additional questions on the math test paper have been solved perfectly by Lin Zeqiu.
Tomorrow morning, when the head teacher is correcting the test papers in class, Lin Zeqiu may be the only one in the class who can answer this question.
There is no doubt that Lin Zeqiu has preserved the dignity of the math class representative. He looked at his sister with a sidelong glance. Although he did not say it clearly, he was actually somewhat touched in his heart.
Lin Zhixia looked back at him.
Lin Zeqiu clutched the test paper and said to his sister, "You are usually very annoying. But when you are not annoying, you are quite capable."
Lin Zhixia nodded and told him frankly: "Brother, if you encounter a question you don't understand, don't force yourself. If you can't figure it out, just come to me. Whether it's a junior high school or high school question, normal difficulty or competition difficulty, I can usually solve it. My deskmate gave me several physics competition exercise books, and I found the pattern of questions in previous years. Brother, as long as you want to know, I will tell you all my thoughts! I can treat you as my student..."
"Alright," Lin Zeqiu closed the test paper and tried to keep a gentle tone, "Get out of here now. The farther the better, Lin Zhixia."
"You're being mean to me again!" Lin Zhixia said angrily, "I'm leaving right away!"
Lin Zeqiu laughed: "Goodbye!"
Lin Zhixia ran out of his room.
He took a deep breath and worked hard to finish his English and Chinese homework.
Lin Zeqiu packed his schoolbag, tidied the table, went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face, and finally fell on the bed exhausted.
Never dream about Lin Zhixia—this is his only wish before going to sleep tonight.
The next morning, Lin Zeqiu went to school as usual.
As he wished, the first class was mathematics.
As a conscientious math class representative, Lin Zeqiu had already collected the homework for the whole class. Then, at the signal of the head teacher, Lin Zeqiu distributed the papers to the group leaders of each group.
Every student in the class has a test paper from another student.
"Students," the head teacher knocked on the blackboard, "correct the test papers with me and help your classmates correct their grades. You should write down the correct solution ideas in your notebooks. Don't let me talk in vain. Next time you encounter the same question, don't make the same mistake again, okay?"
The head teacher started with the first multiple-choice question.
Lin Zeqiu held the red pen in his hand, looking forward to the additional questions involuntarily.
He glanced at his watch from time to time.
He waited thirty-nine minutes.
A class lasts forty-five minutes, and there are six minutes left before the get out of class ends.
At this time, the entire test paper has been answered, leaving only the last additional question.
The head teacher coughed and asked the whole class, "This question is a bit difficult. It belongs to the category of junior high school mathematics competition. Has anyone in our class solved it?"
Lin Zeqiu raised his hand without wasting a second.
The head teacher's eyes lit up: "Okay! Lin Zeqiu! My math class representative! Come to the blackboard and explain it to everyone."
Lin Zeqiu stood up amid the attention and glory.
He didn't even notice that "come to the blackboard" was a grammatical error.
Even if they noticed, what would happen? The head teacher was a math teacher. The students shouldn't criticize his Chinese level.
Lin Zeqiu walked up to the podium, picked up the chalk, and summarized the ideas for solving the problem for everyone.
Many students in the class let out “Oh—ow” sounds of sudden enlightenment.
The head teacher also praised Lin Zeqiu's method.
The head teacher said: "Lin Zeqiu used mathematical induction flexibly. When n is greater than or equal to 2, the formula listed by Lin Zeqiu is very simple and has some tricks. You should learn more from him."
This technique is not Lin Zeqiu's technique.
But it’s Lin Zhixia’s skill.
At this time, Lin Zeqiu suddenly thought of his sister.
A very terrifying hypothesis popped up in his mind - what if his sister suddenly skipped a grade and started junior high school next year, would she crush all the junior high school students in the entire grade
If this assumption comes true, Lin Zeqiu will be pointed at whenever he walks in school.
Classmates might say: Look! That's Lin Zhixia's brother! Lin Zhixia often helps her brother with his homework!
Lin Zeqiu shuddered and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.
He had to divert his attention and force himself to think about other issues... For example, his sister had to pay 72 yuan for the hepatitis B vaccine today. Did she pay smoothly? Was she still afraid of injections
Lin Zeqiu's worries were not unnecessary.
In fact, Lin Zhixia felt very uncomfortable at school.
After the first class bell rang, Tang Leqin, the deputy monitor of Grade 4 (1), walked up to Lin Zhixia and asked her, "Lin Zhixia, have you taken the hepatitis B vaccine?"
Lin Zhixia silently took out a handkerchief. She untied the knot on the handkerchief, and the change worth 72 yuan lay intact on the table.
Tang Leqin took the money, wrote down Lin Zhixia's name, and asked, "Lin Zhixia, you don't look well?"
Jiang Yubai heard what Tang Leqin said and turned to observe Lin Zhixia. He asked, "Lin Zhixia, are you feeling unwell?"
"No," Lin Zhixia replied, "I'm... fine."
She is digging deep into her own mind.
Why should you be afraid of injections
Everything has a cause, and every cause has its effect.
Lin Zhixia believes that her fear of hospitals comes from an uncertainty that cannot be controlled.
When she goes to the hospital, she always sees elderly people sitting in wheelchairs, patients hanging on mobile water bottles, and doctors with hurried expressions and fast steps. The hospital is a junction of life and death, a comparison center of health and disease, which makes her think of many philosophical questions that cannot be explained.
Lie Zi once said, "In ten years I am dead, in a hundred years I am dead too. Let's enjoy life now, and not worry about after death." What this sentence means is - don't think too much, just live well.
The German philosopher Heidegger also proposed a philosophical concept called "dasein".
The word "dasein" means "existence" in German. Heidegger's theory can be summarized as "being toward death", which can be translated into Chinese as "towards death".
Live towards death!
According to Heidegger’s theory, although everyone is a living being, only when one is aware of one’s own existence, aware that one will die one day, and constantly growing and expanding one’s horizons in the process of death, can one be considered to have truly experienced “dasein”.
This is the truth, Lin Zhixia tried hard to comprehend the Zen.
Once she has that epiphany, she will be able to overcome her fear!
Defeat yourself!
Become what Nietzsche called a "superman"!
Become what Heidegger calls "dasein"!
That's right.
Lin Zhixia adjusted her mindset and then opened her notebook again to record today's "Human Observation Diary".
She wrote: Today I want to observe myself. My research topic is - Is Lin Zhixia a weak-willed person
Jiang Yubai saw everything Lin Zhixia wrote.
Jiang Yubai asked her: "Weak will? What are you afraid of?"
Lin Zhixia hesitated for a while. She didn't want to tell the truth because she hadn't gotten rid of the idol burden brought by the "Exploring the Universe" comic series. However, it was obvious that Jiang Yubai was caring about her. She should honestly respond to the care from a good friend.
She whispered, "I'm afraid of injections."
Jiang Yubai asked back: "Why?"
His tone was particularly concerned, and Lin Zhixia couldn't help but tell him the truth: "Because the injection hurts. I'm afraid of pain. Are you going to laugh at me?"
Jiang Yubai turned around, faced her, and said to her seriously: "It doesn't matter. Everyone is afraid of something."
Lin Zhixia also faced him and asked him: "Jiang Yubai, what are you afraid of?"
"I'm afraid of dirt," Jiang Yubai said of his shortcomings. "There can't be obvious dust in my room. The sheets, quilt covers, and pillowcases must be changed every day."
Lin Zhixia nodded: "You are very particular."
Jiang Yubai shook his head: "It's not that particular, I'm just nitpicking."
Lin Zhixia praised him: "You are so humble."
Jiang Yubai said casually: "Not as good as you."
Lin Zhixia tugged at his sleeve: "Do you think you are inferior to me?"
The friendly relationship of "mutual flattery" that she and Jiang Yubai had established was shattered at this moment.
Jiang Yubai sat up straight again and smoothed his sleeves. His self-esteem seemed to be hurting. But he still patiently comforted her: "Don't be afraid, the vaccination will not affect your life."
"But do you know?" Lin Zhixia explained, "The essence of the hepatitis B vaccine is an inactivated virus. After the injection of the vaccine, I may have a fever."
Jiang Yubai didn't care: "You just might have a fever, not that you will definitely have a fever."
Lin Zhixia calmed down and elaborated: "The famous mathematical reasoning - Murphy's Law tells us that if something is going to get worse, it will get worse one day. When you choose an arbitrary set to do the integral to calculate the measure..."
"Please speak human language." Jiang Yubai made his request.
Lin Zhixia readily agreed: "What I mean is, whatever you fear will come true."
"No," Jiang Yubai comforted her firmly, "Be more optimistic."
Lin Zhixia said: "I have always been very optimistic."
Lin Zhixia maintained an optimistic attitude and spent several weeks smoothly.
In early December, Experimental Primary School organized a baseline test.
The average student will usually read the textbook, review diligently, and review their notes before taking an exam.
Lin Zhixia has some similarities with ordinary students - she also reads a lot of books before exams.
But she doesn't read the textbooks.
For example, before the fourth grade first semester placement test, Lin Zhixia quickly flipped through "Unified Theory and Superpower Symmetry", "New Edition of Quantum Computation" and "Beyond Time and Space" in the library.
When she was in the examination room, writing the test paper quickly, she recalled the contents of the library books in her mind.
She organized the thoughts in her mind and repeatedly derived mathematical equations, which was equivalent to arranging another exam for herself.
At this moment, the entire examination room was unusually quiet. The invigilator sat at the edge of the podium and never disturbed the students.
Lin Zhixia glanced and happened to see Jiang Yubai sitting diagonally in front of her.
Jiang Yubai's sitting posture is very straight. He holds the pen correctly and writes seriously.
Lin Zhixia stared at his back in a daze. Before she knew it, the school radio announced, "Teacher, collect the papers, the exam is over."
Lin Zhixia stretched lazily.
The invigilator was a young male teacher. He walked up to Lin Zhixia, collected her test paper, and glanced at the English composition on the test paper. Although he was a little surprised, he didn't say anything.
"The exam is over!" Lin Zhixia announced happily.
She jumped to Jiang Yubai's desk and asked, "Jiang Yubai, how did you do in the exam?"
Lin Zhixia wanted to know what kind of mentality Jiang Yubai had after taking a major exam. This way, she would have new material for her "Human Observation Diary".
Jiang Yubai looked confident of winning. He smiled faintly and said, "I did average in the exam."
When Ding Yan passed by, he heard this and immediately asked in alarm: "Really?"
Jiang Yubai unscrewed his water cup and took a sip of Fiji mineral water. Although he did not reveal any clues in his words, he felt that he would definitely pass the exam this time. He would definitely be the first in the class.
Although Lin Zhixia is gifted, she may not be familiar with the techniques of exam-oriented education.
And he, Jiang Yubai, after four months of emergency training as a tutor, can even dream of telling the solutions to the "Hua Luogeng Gold Cup Primary School Mathematics Competition".
In this exam, both the math and English papers were very difficult, and the question setters' angles were tricky and weird, worthy of the experimental textbooks of the provincial capital's experimental primary school.
Seven minutes into the exam, Jiang Yubai turned his head and found that Lin Zhixia was in a daze.
When there were still ten minutes left before the end of the exam, Jiang Yubai looked back again. He found that Lin Zhixia was still in a daze. She didn't even change her sitting posture at all.
Why is she not moving
Probably thinking about physics.
It was this glimpse that made Jiang Yubai regain his confidence.
Lin Zhixia is indeed smart. She is a genius among geniuses. But she can also be distracted. She can also be careless and absent-minded.
At this moment, Jiang Yubai stood up from his seat. His dignity also stood up from the ground. He asked Lin Zhixia: "Do you care about your ranking?"
Lin Zhixia answered casually: "Test score ranking? I don't care. I'm always number one in the grade. How high the total score is depends on my mood."
Obviously, Lin Zhixia was too proud.
As the saying goes, "Pride comes before a fall," there is some truth to it.
According to Jiang Yubai's speculation, Lin Zhixia was distracted for a long time. She probably didn't finish the test paper. Normally, even if she finished it, she should have taken the time to check all the questions.
No one is perfect, there is always someone better than you, and even the most powerful opponent can make mistakes.
So Jiang Yubai mustered up his courage and challenged Lin Zhixia: "Lin Zhixia, you always ranked first in the exams because I haven't changed yet."
As soon as he finished speaking, several students nearby stared at him.
Lin Zhixia stared into his eyes: "You mean, this time, you did very well in the exam, you can surpass me and become the first in the grade?"
Ding Yan grabbed Jiang Yubai's sleeve and signaled him with his eyes not to talk nonsense, not to humiliate himself and ask for trouble.
Ding Yan had witnessed Lin Zhixia's extraordinary intelligence.
He believed that there was no student in the school smarter than Lin Zhixia.
As a good friend of Jiang Yubai, Ding Yan would never watch Jiang Yubai being humiliated in front of Lin Zhixia.
Although Jiang Yubai regarded Lin Zhixia as his competitor and dreamed of hearing Lin Zhixia praise him, everyone knew that was impossible.
Ding Yan couldn't help but persuade him earnestly: "Jiang Yubai, forget it, you should be more open-minded."
That's really interesting.
What does "you should be more open-minded" mean
Jiang Yubai has his own persistence.
He let go of Ding Yan's hand and walked forward fearlessly. He faced Lin Zhixia and said calmly, "Lin Zhixia, I can surpass you. This time, I should be the first in the grade."
Lin Zhixia was stunned for a moment before she said, "Jiang Yubai, we've been deskmates for four months, and you still don't have a very comprehensive understanding of me. How about this, let's make a bet."
As she spoke, she walked towards the classroom door.
All the students' backpacks were placed against the wall in the corridor outside the classroom.
There were shoe prints on the plastic floor. Jiang Yubai picked up his schoolbag, but did not put it on his back. He held the bag strap in one hand, followed Lin Zhixia's footsteps, and asked her, "Lin Zhixia, what do you want to bet on?"
Lin Zhixia stopped.
It’s a sunny day today, and the tiles in the teaching building are bright and reflective.
She slapped a tile and said dignifiedly: "Jiang Yubai, if you are the first in the grade, I will call you Teacher Jiang. If I am the first in the grade, you call me Teacher Lin to show respect."
Jiang Yubai took a step back.
He did not agree immediately.
Jiang Yubai reflected on his words and actions just now. He thought that his behavior was not polite enough. Even when dealing with a competitor, he should show due respect and carefully evaluate the competitor's proposal.
Should I agree to Lin Zhixia’s bet
Jiang Yubai did particularly well in this exam.
He should have full marks in math and English, and he is also very confident in Chinese.
Jiang Yubai, who scored full marks in three subjects, could only get the worst result, tying with Lin Zhixia for first place in the grade.
He accepted Lin Zhixia's bet: "Okay."
He also said: "Don't cry if you lose."
"I won't cry," Lin Zhixia said, "I'm very strong."
Jiang Yubai reminded her: "Next Monday, all students in the school will start to receive the hepatitis B vaccine..." His voice gradually became lower and sounded very gentle: "Don't be afraid."
Lin Zhixia picked up her schoolbag and ran out of the corridor.
This weekend, Lin Zhixia didn't go to the library for the first time.
She made the excuse that she was tired and wanted to take a rest, and both her parents looked surprised.
But her brother saw through her: "Are you still worried about the vaccination?"
Lin Zhixia hugged the little penguin plush toy tightly: "I don't have it."
Lin Zeqiu said, "Whenever you are scared, you will hug this penguin." He tilted his head and said, "Penguins look silly."
He was wearing a sports suit, changed into sneakers, picked up a basketball from the ground, and was about to go out.
Lin Zeqiu hasn't gone out to play for a whole month.
It's sad to say that last month, the family business was very busy, and Lin Zeqiu had to clean every day and take his studies seriously. And today! He finally came back to life! He couldn't wait to see his classmates and play a good game of basketball with them.
Lin Zhixia actually asked him: "Can you take me with you when you go to play basketball?"
"Lin Zhixia," Lin Zeqiu asked her, "Can you play basketball?"
Lin Zhixia said reasonably: "I can't. That's why I want to observe you."
Lin Zeqiu refused outright: "My classmates have never played with girls. If you go to the basketball court, none of us will feel comfortable."
"Then can you stay at home and play cat's tangle with me?" Lin Zhixia immediately took out a rope.
Lin Zeqiu pushed her hand away: "Don't block my way. I haven't touched a basketball in a long time."
"Brother..." Lin Zhixia lowered her head, "Are you really annoyed with me? I didn't have a deskmate in school before, and I didn't dare to talk to others. I could only find girls to play catwalk after class. When they were skipping rubber ropes, I was always the one standing still. Brother doesn't want to play catwalk with me now."
When Lin Zeqiu heard her mention "I don't have a deskmate in school, and I don't dare to talk to others", he became much more hesitant.
He stood in front of the security door, took a step forward, and then retracted his legs, even though his classmates were still waiting for him on the basketball court.
He looked at Lin Zhixia, who still had her head lowered.
Lin Zeqiu felt a pang in his heart, and said slowly: "Forget it, I'll play cat's tuck with you."
"Then what about your classmates?" Lin Zhixia looked up immediately.
Lin Zeqiu answered nonchalantly: "Why do you care about them? It's not the first day I stand them up. They've gotten used to it."