Lin Zhixia once said that it was difficult for her to forget what she had experienced personally.
Is this kind of talent good or bad? Jiang Yubai was not sure. He hoped that her memories would always be filled with laughter. He walked to the front of the sofa and lifted the tablecloth of the coffee table. Lin Zhixia discovered that the glass cabinet on the coffee table was filled with exquisitely wrapped gifts.
"Birthday boy, you should open your present first!" Dong Sunqi suggested loudly, "Students here, cheer up!"
Ding Yan asked loudly: "Dong Sunqi! Will Lin Zhixia like the gift you gave her?"
Dong Sunqi raised one foot and stomped it heavily on the ground. He stretched out his lunge and stood firmly on his feet: "Don't worry, Ding Yan! As the squad leader, I, Dong Sunqi, will definitely not let you down!"
The double doors of the glass cabinet were closed, and a hand-carved iron lock was hung on the latch. The key that Jiang Yubai gave to Lin Zhixia finally came in handy. Lin Zhixia found the key, inserted it into the keyhole, and with a slight turn of her fingertips, the iron lock was opened.
Lin Zhixia methodically tore off the wrapping paper of five gift boxes and piled the bows together. She saw a music box, a piggy bank, a cat paw desk lamp, a bunny doll, and a yearbook.
Dong Sunqi immediately explained, "I gave you this yearbook. Lin Zhixia, you and Jiang Yubai suddenly skipped a grade, and as the class monitor, I didn't have time to hold a farewell party for you."
Dong Sunqi's deskmate Wei Rongjie added: "That's right, Lin Zhixia, you don't know, Dong Sunqi coerced and bribed the whole class, and everyone wrote a page in the yearbook for you..."
"Nonsense!" Dong Sunqi rarely argued with his deskmate.
Dong Sunqi spread his hands and explained: "How could I use coercion or bribery? I am the class monitor selected by my classmates. I care about every student in the class. Even if Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia went to the Provincial No. 1 Middle School, they are still in our fifth grade (one) class."
Lin Zhixia opened the first page of the yearbook, which contained a message from Dong Sunqi.
Dong Sunqi wrote for her: Lin Zhixia, you have won countless honors for our class in the four years at Experimental Primary School. I quarreled with the monitor of Class 2, and as long as I mentioned your name, the monitor of Class 2 could not raise his head. I, Dong Sunqi, will remember you for the rest of my life! I didn't dare to talk to you before, but after Jiang Yubai transferred here, I dared! I don't know why. Maybe it's because Jiang Yubai is also very strong.
Lin Zhixia laughed out loud.
She turned to the second page and saw Wei Rongjie's comments: Lin Zhixia, you read a lot, are good at speaking, and have mountains, rivers, lakes, and the vast universe in your heart. Jiang Yubai is exactly the same as you. I wish you all the best in your studies in the competition class - from Wei Rongjie, who also loves reading.
Lin Zhixia didn't finish reading it. She decided to take the yearbook home and read it carefully from beginning to end.
There was one last unopened wooden box left in the glass cabinet.
Lin Zhixia touched the edge of the wooden box and opened the iron buckle with a "click".
Several students present couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!"
Everyone saw a spaceship model in the box - it was obviously Jiang Yubai's work. What amazed everyone even more was that at the stern of the spaceship, there were five characters engraved: "Captain Lin Zhixia".
Dong Sunqi deeply regretted not bringing a camera today. He really wanted to take a bunch of photos of the spaceship.
Before Lin Zhixia could express her opinion, Dong Sunqi's eyes were already filled with tears: "Damn! The military strength of the Earth Army! Tang Leqin, did you see it? The spaceship led by Lin Zhixia!"
"Oh my god, the hatch of the spacecraft can be pushed open," Tang Leqin squatted beside the coffee table, "We should really let Liu Xingjian come and see for himself."
Lin Zhixia held the model of the spaceship and carefully pushed the hatch, revealing the interior of the cabin to everyone.
Lin Zhixia suddenly raised her head and looked at Jiang Yubai: "Thank you, thank you very much, Jiang Yubai."
"You're welcome. Lin Zhixia will always be the navigator." Jiang Yubai stood aside with his hands in his pockets, looking like he was hiding his achievements and fame.
Lin Zhixia unzipped her schoolbag and tried to stuff all the gifts in. But her schoolbag couldn't hold so many things, especially the size of the spaceship was seriously oversized.
Jiang Yubai suggested, "After we finish eating, I will take you home. You can't take the bus. There are too many people on the bus, and it's not convenient to carry fragile items. The glass door inside the cabin may be damaged after the collision of this spaceship."
Lin Zhixia thought about it seriously, nodded and said, "Okay!"
Afterwards, Lin Zhixia sat at the table and ate with her many classmates. The waitress cut the strawberry cream cake and everyone got a full portion. The cake tasted great, soft, sweet, and rich in milk flavor. The aroma of strawberries lingered between the teeth, which was refreshing and satisfying, and made people feel happy both physically and mentally.
On the table were cod in sauce, steamed chicken with matsutake mushrooms, shrimp and fish roe, stewed osmanthus with three snows... and other dishes that Lin Zhixia had never seen before. Although she loved to eat, she had a small appetite and was full after a while.
Lin Zhixia held the spoon and fell into deep thought. She secretly asked Jiang Yubai: "When my brother celebrated his birthday last year, he invited his classmates to dinner in the school cafeteria. This year, it's my birthday, so I should also treat everyone, right?"
"No." Jiang Yubai denied Lin Zhixia's statement.
Lin Zhixia humbly asked for advice: "What's wrong?"
Jiang Yubai's uncle had already instructed him in advance. Jiang Yubai took a sip of mango juice and then answered slowly: "This meal is part of the memory and a testimony of our friendship."
"Is that so?" Lin Zhixia asked in a puzzled tone.
"Of course." Jiang Yubai was very confident.
Lin Zhixia no longer raised any questions. She vowed, "Jiang Yubai, you know, I will never forget what I remember. I promise you..."
Jiang Yubai couldn't help but look at her. She said, "On your eighteenth birthday, I will prepare a bigger surprise for you. I promise!"
"Why eighteen?" Jiang Yubai asked back.
Lin Zhixia made a prediction: "By then, I will be in college, more mature, more knowledgeable, and should become richer. Also, you are an adult at the age of 18... If we were still classmates, I would definitely plan activities carefully, organize classmates, and help you celebrate your birthday."
Jiang Yubai grasped the key point: "Lin Zhixia, we will always be classmates."
"Yeah!" Lin Zhixia believed his words very much.
After the birthday party, Lin Zhixia carried her bulging schoolbag, hugged the model of a spaceship, and got into Jiang Yubai's car.
On the way home, Lin Zhixia felt a little sleepy. She turned her head, put the back of her hand against her face, and yawned quietly. Jiang Yubai asked her again: "Lin Zhixia, have you signed up for the training camp?"
The "training camp" Jiang Yubai mentioned refers to the winter vacation training camp for mathematics competitions in the junior high school of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School. As long as they pass the winter and summer training and win the first prize in the provincial competition area, they will have the hope of being recommended by the school to represent the school in the National Mathematics League.
When Lin Zhixia heard Jiang Yubai mention the winter vacation training, she began to feel troubled: "Every winter vacation, my parents would take my brother and me back to our hometown."
"Go back to your hometown?" Jiang Yubai asked her, "Where is your hometown?"
Lin Zhixia said honestly: "In the countryside."
She described in detail: "My grandmother's family raised a lot of animals. Have you ever fed chickens? I have! I have even picked up eggs from the small hole in the corner of the wall. My grandfather's family has a group of goats, and I saw with my own eyes that a lamb was born in winter. It snowed heavily that day, and the weather was very cold. The temperature in the sheepfold was very low. My brother and I were afraid that the lamb would freeze to death, so we wrapped the lamb in old clothes and brought it into the house. The ewe was bleating outside, and the sound was very miserable..."
The words "country life" were beyond Jiang Yubai's cognition. He listened to Lin Zhixia's words quietly, and then asked her: "Does the ewe know that you took the lamb away?"
“It knows,” Lin Zhixia said with particular certainty. “I’m very sure that some animals have very complex minds.”
After saying that, Lin Zhixia returned to the original topic: "If I sign up for the training camp, my parents will go back to their hometown, and then there will be no one at home."
Jiang Yubai persuaded: "It's okay, you don't need to attend the training camp at all."
"But I want to go to school with you." Lin Zhixia sighed sincerely.
Jiang Yubai leaned against the back of the chair tightly: "You can go home first and ask your parents, maybe you don't have to go back to your hometown for the New Year. I read the newspaper the night before yesterday, and the newspaper said that next winter will be very cold."
"That makes sense!" Lin Zhixia revealed, "Besides, I don't really like going back to my hometown."
Jiang Yubai glanced at her and asked, "Are you not used to living in the countryside?"
Lin Zhixia shook her head: "My grandma has a lot of complaints about me. My brother always does housework at home, and grandma thinks housework is a girl's job. My existence has become a burden to my brother."
Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia's relationship is getting better and better, and he is more partial to Lin Zhixia in his words and deeds. He tactfully expressed his opinion: "Lin Zeqiu often does housework, so he should have developed a habit."
Lin Zhixia supported her cheek with one hand and did not respond.
The cool breeze gradually died down, the car slowed down, the scenery outside the window stopped receding, and the car stopped at the gate of Ancheng Community.
Lin Zhixia opened the car door, turned around and waved to Jiang Yubai: "See you on Monday!"
Jiang Yubai responded: "See you on Monday!"
After saying goodbye to Jiang Yubai, Lin Zhixia hugged the spaceship model with both hands, ran home with all her strength. She jumped into the house like a little rabbit, and while her brother was still studying in his room, Lin Zhixia ran to her bedroom and hid the spaceship in the closet - if her brother saw the spaceship, he would definitely talk to her about the issue of "girls can't treat boys as good friends".
Lin Zhixia emptied all the other items in her schoolbag. She made a little noise, which attracted Lin Zeqiu. Lin Zeqiu leaned against the door of her bedroom and looked down at her: "Hey, where did you get these things?"
"This is a tenth birthday gift from a classmate," Lin Zhixia picked up a cat claw desk lamp, "This was given to me by a female classmate."
Lin Zeqiu taught her: "You must remember to give back and don't take advantage of others."
Lin Zhixia agreed obediently: "Yes! Brother is right, I will definitely give you something in return."
Her brother came closer and put a small box in her hand. She opened it and saw a sports watch inside.
"This is the gift chosen by Mom and Dad for you," said my brother.
"What about yours?" Lin Zhixia looked up at him, "Don't you have any expression, brother?"
Her brother put his hand on her head and said, "Lin Zhixia, don't ask people for things. That's very rude. You have to be polite at home, especially when talking to me."
Lin Zhixia turned her head away angrily: "I'm telling you, Lin Zeqiu, don't put your hands on other people's heads. That's even more rude! Thanks to my good temper! If you do that to someone else, he will jump up and hit you!"
Lin Zeqiu gently stroked her hair, just like he was stroking a kitten's fur. Lin Zhixia's expression gradually changed. At first, she glared at him fiercely, but later, her eyes became clear, bright and watery.
"Happy tenth birthday, Lin Zhixia," he said.
Lin Zhixia reached out to him.
He took out a Hebrew dictionary from his pocket and placed it in Lin Zhixia's palm.
"One night when I was going home, there was someone setting up a stall in front of the school. The book was 90% new, no one had ever read it, and no one could understand it. Isn't it suitable for you?" he said.
Lin Zhixia really liked this gift. She turned to the first page and said to herself, "Hebrew is the language of the Jews. After the Jews established the State of Israel, Hebrew became one of the official languages of Israel."
"Don't tell me this, I don't want to listen." Lin Zeqiu said lazily.
Lin Zhixia suddenly closed the book: "By the way, brother, I won't go back to my hometown during the winter vacation next year. I want to participate in the school's training."
Lin Zhixia did not ask for her brother's consent. She just informed her brother about it. She also ran to her parents and explained her views with reason and evidence.
She said that since she had been admitted to the competition class, she must follow the rules of the competition class, strive for the opportunity to represent the school, participate in provincial-level competitions, and compete with the top students in the province.
Her father asked her, "Xia Xia always gets first place in the exams. Does she still need training?"
"Xia Xia wants to train," Lin Zhixia said sincerely, "Without the accumulation of small steps, there is no journey of a thousand miles; without the accumulation of small streams, there is no river or sea. We can't give up the opportunity to train just because the training camp is simple."
In fact, in Lin Zhixia's view, the winter training camp and the "Autumn Tour to the Aquarium" are the same type of activities.
What's more, the competition training camp of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School does not charge a penny. As long as students can obtain a training place based on their own strength, the school will waive all tuition and miscellaneous fees.
Provincial No. 1 Middle School is so great!
She can see her classmates and friends during the whole winter vacation! Lin Zhixia doesn't have to go to the countryside to celebrate the New Year, and she doesn't have to face her grandmother, uncle and cousin. This is simply her favorite Spring Festival.
Dad and Mom discussed in a low voice for a while. Dad was still hesitating, but Mom had already made a decision: "We won't go back for the Spring Festival next year. Xia Xia, we will all stay at home and celebrate the New Year together as a family of four, okay?"
"That's great!" Lin Zhixia clapped her hands.
When she went to school on Monday, Lin Zhixia couldn't wait to share the good news with Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai was immersed in the world of solving problems. After nearly a month of intensive training, his problem-solving ideas and abilities had improved significantly. Each of his tutors had rich experience in competitions, and when everyone added fuel, the flames would rise high. Jiang Yubai was like a blazing wildfire, determined to illuminate the campus of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School.
Even when he went to the playground to hang on the horizontal bar during breaks, he was thinking about the questions in the math competition.
The competition class had numerous exams, a small exam every two days, a big exam every three days, and the monthly midterm exam was the most important. Because the head teacher, Mr. Zhang, would arrange the seats for the whole class based on the results of the midterm exam - Jiang Yubai swore that this time he would not let Duan Qiyan sit ahead of him.
Before the mid-October exam, Duan Qiyan was still talking to Lin Zhixia outside the exam room. He asked, "Lin Zhixia, if I rank second in the class, can you sit next to me?"
Lin Zhixia was cruel and ruthless: "No."
Duan Qiyan was slightly shocked. He walked to Shen Fuxuan again and asked, "Shen Fuxuan, if I rank third in the class, how about you sitting next to me?"
Shen Fuxuan smiled warmly: "No way."
In the bleak autumn wind, Duan Qiyan's eyes were deep and he showed a cold smile: "I want to be the first in the class, so that you can't reach me."
Jiang Yubai interrupted: "You are dreaming."
Jiang Yubai stood outside the classroom holding a water cup, waiting for the invigilator to clear the room. Jiang Yubai's clothes were mostly mature pure colors such as dark black, light white, military green, and dark blue. In addition, he was tall and had a more outstanding temperament, which actually brought Duan Qiyan a kind of competitive pressure from his peers.
How is that possible
Jiang Yubai is two years younger than Duan Qiyan, and his grades are worse than Duan Qiyan's. Duan Qiyan stepped in front of Jiang Yubai and vented his suppressed anger: "Jiang Yubai, what qualifications do you have to be so arrogant to me?"
Jiang Yubai confronted him: "I am your teacher Jiang. What qualifications do you have to be so arrogant to the teacher?"
"Hahahahahahahahaha." Shen Fuxuan, who was overhearing their conversation, burst into cheerful laughter.
Duan Qiyan became so angry that his face turned red and purple, which was a spectacular sight.
He unbuttoned his coat and stood on the tiles at the bottom of the corridor railing. The whistling wind blew up the corners of his clothes, and he said in a very stylish manner: "Jiang Yubai, you took advantage of Lin Zhixia when you made a bet with me last time. You are still an uneducated idiot. I call you Teacher Jiang because Lin Zhixia's total score exceeded mine, but you didn't. You are just taking advantage of the power of others. Can you clear your mind?"
Lin Zhixia was about to rush over, but Jiang Yubai stopped her. Jiang Yubai said to Duan Qiyan, "If my total score in this exam is lower than yours, I will address you as Teacher Duan in front of all the students on the first day of the winter vacation training camp."
"Teacher Zongti, it's boring," Duan Qiyan raised his head slightly, "You have to call me, Your Majesty Duan Qiyan, stand at attention and bow to me. I will also ask you, who are you, you have to answer me, you are my subordinate, how about it? If I lose, I will do the same and call you Your Majesty."
Han Peng was choking as he listened to this: "Oh my god, you two shouldn't make such a fuss. In our school's winter vacation training camp, there are not only seniors from the second grade, but also students from two other junior high schools... Just imagine, shouting "Your Majesty" in a class of more than a hundred people is like having a brain flood! It's really embarrassing."
Jiang Yubai ignored him. He just looked at Duan Qiyan and said, "Okay."
Duan Qiyan and Jiang Yubai high-fived to swear an oath.
Jiang Yubai confirmed again and again: "Don't regret it, Duan Qiyan."
Duan Qiyan leaned against the railing and laughed loudly: "Jiang Yubai, listen carefully, even if I climb from the first floor of the teaching building to the third floor and learn to bark like a dog, I will not regret it."
The invigilators in the examination room had already checked the classroom. The teachers stood at the door and called all the students, who immediately shut up and walked into the classroom in an orderly manner.
Jiang Yubai's exam seat was in the first row of the first group. The seat numbers were all random, and Jiang Yubai was sitting near the door, which was not a good sign. Duan Qiyan raised his eyebrows at him provocatively, but he ignored him and sat quietly in his seat like an old monk.
The invigilator used a paper cutter to cut open the test paper bag. The math test paper for this exam had a total of 16 pages, with complicated questions and an astonishing amount of questions. Fortunately, Jiang Yubai had already learned mental arithmetic, so he didn't feel nervous at all.
"Students, relax," the invigilator began to hand out papers, "Everyone, work hard on the questions and don't do any tricks."
Jiang Yubai received the test paper, took off the pen cap, and threw himself into the battle.