Lin Zhixia dragged a chair over and placed it next to Lin Zeqiu. She took out a piece of white paper with her left hand and picked up a ballpoint pen with her right hand. She quickly wrote down the process of solving the problem, saying as she wrote: "Brother, first draw an auxiliary line to get two similar triangles, then draw a perpendicular line, and according to the perpendicular diameter theorem of a circle, solve an equation..."
Lin Zeqiu's closed thoughts were suddenly opened. He held Lin Zhixia's hand and stopped her from continuing to write. He said, "I figured it out."
Lin Zhixia asked again: "What about the last question, brother, can you do it now?"
No.
Lin Zeqiu only understood the second to last question. As for the first to last question, it was still beyond his ability.
But his sister asked him in a tone full of longing, "Will you do the last question now?"
Lin Zeqiu was extremely disappointed, and his mind was a little dazed. He turned his head slightly and looked at Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia looked at him with burning eyes. It was obvious that she was very concerned about her brother's study status. She also placed the little penguin plush toy on her legs. When she was not writing, she would hold the little penguin with both hands and let the plush toy take off and land.
Too childish.
Her entertainment activities are really too childish.
Even though Lin Zhixia is a dedicated math teacher, it is still difficult for Lin Zeqiu to accept the fact that "I need her to tutor me." He is almost fifteen years old, why should he let a little girl who can't live without a little penguin plush toy teach him how to solve the final problem
He took a deep breath and lied, "I know how to do the last question. Go back to your room and take a nap."
"Really?" Lin Zhixia said, "Brother, write down the answer process. When you finish, I will go back to sleep."
Her brother suddenly asked her, "Can you throw away your little penguin?"
Lin Zhixia's curled black eyelashes trembled slightly: "Why?"
My brother said, "Because..." He held it in for a long time before finally saying, "I hate penguins."
Lin Zhixia hugged the little penguin tightly. She was confused: "Why do you hate penguins? Have you been to Antarctica? If you have been to Antarctica and been bitten by a penguin, then I will believe you."
The elder brother stroked his hair irritably. The heavy housework had trained his body and made his arms show smooth lines. He should be an active and healthy teenager, but he actually said: "I have a lot of nightmares, you know?"
Lin Zhixia hid the little penguin behind her back: "Brother, have you ever had many nightmares about penguins? Could you have been a fish in the Antarctic Ocean in your previous life..."
My brother kept silent.
Lin Zhixia ran back to her room and hid her little penguin under the quilt again. She said to the stuffed animal, "I'm sorry, we can only get along secretly from now on. I will try my best not to let my brother see you."
When she was talking to the little penguin, Lin Zeqiu happened to be standing at the door.
When Lin Zeqiu heard what his sister said, he wanted to bang his head against the wall. He just couldn't accept his younger sister tutoring him. He wasn't a coward who was afraid of stuffed toys!
If this kind of thing gets to the school, how will Lin Zeqiu save his reputation
In their junior high school class, his brilliance has been overshadowed by Lin Zhixia. People often come to interview him and ask him about Lin Zhixia's study methods. He always answers rudely: Don't bother me, I don't know.
His classmates suddenly realized: Yes, if you knew, you would have been admitted to the competition class long ago.
Scenes like this happen almost every week.
Lin Zeqiu sorted out his thoughts and calmed down. He took a step forward and knocked on Lin Zhixia's door. Lin Zhixia turned her head and saw him, and immediately grabbed the quilt to cover the little penguin tightly, and also took out the pillow and flipped it over the quilt.
Lin Zeqiu tasted the bitter taste of being misunderstood. He really couldn't solve the last problem, and it was impossible for him to ask Lin Zhixia for help. He wanted to walk around the house, relax, adjust his state, and then go back to continue solving the problem.
He urged Lin Zhixia: "What are you still dawdling about? Take a nap quickly."
Lin Zhixia got into the quilt: "Brother, if you feel tired, you can also rest. This morning, mom helped us dry the quilt, and the quilt is warm. It's really comfortable to lie on the bed and sleep at this time. Brother, go back to your room and try it."
In fact, the person who was drying the quilt was not the mother, but Lin Zeqiu.
At seven o'clock this morning, Lin Zhixia was still in the bathroom brushing her teeth and washing her face. The sunlight outside was pure and bright. Lin Zeqiu set up an iron frame on the balcony, wrung out a clean wet towel, and carefully wiped the crossbeam of the iron frame.
The balcony was narrow and the iron frame was not long enough, so only two quilts could be dried at a time. Lin Zeqiu thought about it and first brought Lin Zhixia's quilt, and then brought the quilt from his parents' bedroom. He gave them the priority to dry the quilts.
In addition to drying the quilt, there were many other things, but he couldn't remember them clearly. He didn't have Lin Zhixia's memory.
Lin Zhixia is very clingy, knows how to act nice, has a sweet mouth, can't stand being wronged, looks pretty and cute, like a little angel who has descended to the earth. It's inevitable that her mother prefers her.
Lin Zeqiu felt that he could understand.
He glanced at the clock and said to Lin Zhixia, "Hey, you can still sleep for 40 minutes. When the time comes, I'll wake you up."
"Yeah, thank you brother!" Lin Zhixia replied.
Lin Zeqiu closed his sister's door. He went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, brushed his fingertips over the strawberry yogurt, and took out a box of yellow peach yogurt. He opened the lid and saw his mother standing at the entrance changing her shoes. He asked, "Mom, are you going out?"
His mother told him with a smile: "I'm going to the market to buy some live shrimps. I'll buy a few more pounds and prepare the stuffing to make shrimp dumplings. Qiuqiu, what do you want to eat tonight? I'll buy some for you as well."
Lin Zeqiu was stunned for a moment before he said, "I want to eat an apple."
"Besides apples?" Mom held onto the door handle. "Stir-fried beef with green peppers. You always like this dish."
Lin Zeqiu said casually: "Forget it, the two thousand yuan is the scholarship earned by Lin Zhixia, buy more of her favorite food."
Mom paused and said, "You are Xia Xia's brother, she will definitely be willing to share with you. Xia Xia is mom's good child, and Qiu Qiu is also mom's good child."
When his mother said this, Lin Zeqiu was looking up and taking a sip of yogurt. He coughed and was about to say something, but his mother had already left. He chased her to the door and saw his mother pushing out a bicycle - the seat of his mother's bicycle had long been broken. But Lin Zeqiu's bicycle was still intact. Even so, his mother had never borrowed Lin Zeqiu's bicycle.
Lin Zeqiu shouted unconsciously: "Mom."
His mother told him, "Tonight, we're going to have shrimp dumplings, stir-fried beef with green peppers, apple soup, cold tofu, and a plate of stir-fried vegetables. You like to drink Coke, so I just chilled a can of Coke for you... After school this afternoon, take your sister home, and we'll have a good dinner together."
Lin Zeqiu stood up straight. His back was as straight as a vertical line. He held the door handle and said in a humming voice, "Okay."
Lin Zhixia also likes to say "yes". She can make these two short words sound sweet, full of energy and likable. But when Lin Zeqiu expressed the same opinion, it was as if he had a rotten peach in his mouth. Mom waved to him and rode away from the apartment building.
Lin Zeqiu suddenly felt that he had regained some strength. The math problem that had troubled him before didn't seem so scary anymore. He closed the door, walked back to the bedroom, and threw himself into his studies with full energy.
Unfortunately, his mental strength was only short-lived.
Another ten minutes passed, and he still couldn't solve the final question.
Time passed by minute by minute, and he felt very uncomfortable sitting on the chair.
The cup of yellow peach yogurt was covered with a layer of fine mist, like a bead of sweat flowing from the bottom of his heart. He held the yogurt cup, his fingers soaked in the water vapor and slightly cold. He raised his chin and looked through the glass window. Lin Zhixia's voice came from behind: "Brother..."
He was shocked: "Why did you wake up?"
Lin Zhixia rubbed her eyes: "I dreamed that you were eaten by a little penguin, and I cried sadly in my dream..."
Lin Zeqiu was embarrassed.
But he couldn't reveal what he had said to his sister. He replied vaguely: "It's just a dream, what are you afraid of?"
Lin Zhixia said confidently: "I'm just a little scared, is that okay?"
There was a chair next to Lin Zeqiu. He patted the empty seat hard, and Lin Zhixia ran over and sat next to him. He raised his hand and stroked her head like a kitten.
"You are too timid." Lin Zeqiu criticized her while stroking her hair.
Lin Zhixia said, "But I'm not afraid of penguins or insects."
Lin Zeqiu was bitten by a centipede when he was a child, and since then, he has had a fatal flaw. He would collapse on the spot when he saw an insect, abandoning all his masculinity and no longer being able to maintain his usual arrogant and calm attitude.
He warned Lin Zhixia: "Don't mention bugs in front of me. If you mention it again, I will tell you a ghost story right away."
Lin Zhixia was very afraid of ghost stories. Because she could not forget the ghost stories, nor the atmosphere of horror. Her face turned pale when her brother said it casually. She said indignantly: "You are so mean."
The brother stroked her head slowly and gently: "You ungrateful bastard." He said: "Since you were three years old, your parents asked me to help take care of you. I was only six years old that year."
Lin Zhixia stopped talking.
The glass window reflected the interior scene faintly. The brother and sister lived in harmony, and the warm family affection flowed everywhere. What a warm picture.
Until Lin Zhixia said, "Brother, haven't you finished the final question yet?"
Lin Zeqiu withdrew his hand, stood up, and sorted out his pencil case: "It's almost time, go get ready, we're going out to school."
Lin Zhixia ignored her brother. She picked up a pen and wrote down the answer on paper, with the steps to solve the problem in great detail. She even took out a piece of white paper and carefully summarized the "solutions to similar questions." After she wrote the last word, she yawned and quietly returned to her room.
Lin Zeqiu held the paper she left behind and stood there motionless for a long time.
That night, Lin Zeqiu benefited from Lin Zhixia's help again. His family's dinner was as sumptuous as a New Year's Eve dinner.
Business was busiest at around 6 or 7 in the evening, so Dad didn't dare to stop business, so he packed the dishes in a lunch box. Lin Zhixia picked up the chopsticks, grabbed Dad's lunch box, and put a large piece of shrimp dumplings and stir-fried beef with green peppers into the lunch box.
Dad was immediately filled with emotion: "Xia Xia is so good, tell me, my Xia Xia, what a good girl."
Holding the lunch box, he walked towards his shop with satisfaction.
The mother stayed at the table to eat with her son and daughter. Lin Zhixia expressed her happiness by clapping: "Shrimp dumplings! Three plates of dumplings!"
Mom smiled and said, "Eat more if you like it."
Lin Zhixia held the porcelain bowl, poured vinegar, and reverently picked up the shrimp dumplings and put them in the bowl. She chewed slowly and savored the chewy dough, tender shrimp, sweet corn, and sour and delicious old vinegar. Her heart and lungs were filled with joy, and the air she breathed became light and sweet.
"Xia Xia is so happy." Lin Zhixia ate with relish.
She ate seven dumplings in a row and asked again, "Are my brother and mom happy?"
Her mother coaxed her: "If Xia Xia is happy, Mom will be happy."
Lin Zhixia got a good answer from her mother. She turned her head again and looked at her brother.
My brother didn't dip the food in vinegar, but just put the green pepper beef and shrimp dumplings in the bowl, and devoured the food like a whirlwind. On his left hand was a bowl of apple soup, and on his right hand was a glass of iced cola. He could hardly finish it. When he heard Lin Zhixia's question, he actually said, "Thanks to you, the family has an extra 2,000 yuan in extra income."
In fact, when Lin Zhixia won the first prize in the junior high school league, the school awarded her a scholarship of 500 yuan. However, she did not hand in the 500 yuan. She hid the 500 yuan secretly - in this way, she did not have to ask her parents for money when she bought books, stationery, and participated in spring and autumn outings. She always felt embarrassed when asking her parents for money.
When her brother mentioned "2,000 yuan", Lin Zhixia thought of her 500 yuan. She blushed, bit a dumpling, and said evasively: "2,000 yuan is not a lot of money... I will make more money in the future."
As if trying to compete with her, her brother immediately said, "I can make a lot of money, too."
"When you make money, you have to treat me to a meal," Lin Zhixia said one of her dreams, "I want to eat Atlantic lobster with my dad, mom, and brother."
She gestured to show the length: "This is an Atlantic lobster."
The elder brother held the Coke bottle tightly and said, "There will be a day like this."
Lin Zhixia nodded: "Yes, I will."
Lin Zhixia loves seafood.
She once read a book called "Encyclopedia of Marine Life" in the library to judge which seafood can be eaten and which seafood cannot be eaten. Later, she and Jiang Yubai became deskmates and learned more knowledge about seafood from Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai has a very broad vision. Not only has he read a lot of books, he has also traveled around the world in person. His own experiences and descriptions are much richer than the perspective of the World Travel Encyclopedia.
Lin Zhixia liked to listen to him talk about what he saw and heard during his travels.
She had heard him talk about St. Paul's Cathedral in London, England. On the basement level of St. Paul's Cathedral, the coffin of the Duke of Wellington was placed. Faded flags were hung around the coffin, and many names of the deceased were carved on the stone floor.
From St. Paul's Cathedral, it takes only ten minutes to drive to the famous landmark "London Eye".
However, Jiang Yubai said that the London Eye is not interesting at all and is a very boring attraction. He stood on the bridge near the London Eye and watched a group of tourists taking a boat tour on the Thames River from a distance...
"How about the Thames?" Lin Zhixia asked him.
He hesitated for two seconds and said honestly: "The river water is yellowish and turbid, not very clean."
Jiang Yubai is very particular about hygiene, and his focus is different from Lin Zhixia's. Lin Zhixia held her face with both hands and concluded: "So this is what the Thames River in London looks like. As expected, industrial pollution is too serious. I've seen it in books."
Jiang Yubai added: "The water in the upper reaches of the Thames is OK. There is a Hampton Court Palace in the north of London, on the upper reaches of the river, and the scenery is pretty good. Many famous buildings are built on the riverside. Cherwell is a tributary, and Oxford University is next to it..."
Lin Zhixia suddenly asked him again: "What about Paris, France? What does Paris, France look like?"
Jiang Yubai picked up the water cup and patiently narrated his travel experience. Lin Zhixia seemed to have set out with him to enjoy the exotic scenery. What made Jiang Yubai more interesting than books was that what he shared were his unvarnished personal experiences.
He said that in July, on the top of the Alps, the heavy snow blew his hat white. In August in Aswan, Egypt, the sun around the Abu Simbel Temple was so hot that he couldn't open his eyes. He admired the ancient Egyptians for building a world wonder in such a harsh environment.
After listening to his travel introduction, Lin Zhixia made up her mind on the spot: "I will also tell you about my experience."
Jiang Yubai asked her: "What experience?"
If someone else asked Jiang Yubai about his travel stories, Jiang Yubai would definitely refuse to answer. But Lin Zhixia was different. Jiang Yubai knew that Lin Zhixia stayed at home during the winter and summer vacations every year and hardly went out to play. Out of a compensatory mentality, he told her everything he knew.
In return, Lin Zhixia said, "Next January, I will participate in the 2007 National Mathematical Olympiad. My classmates and teachers from the provincial team will all stay in the hotel. When the time comes, can I call you? I want to share my experience of the national competition with you."
"Okay." Jiang Yubai agreed without hesitation.
He wrote down his cell phone number, his bedroom landline number, and even the cell phone numbers of his driver and housekeeper, perfectly ensuring smooth communication between him and Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia glanced at the note and said, "I'll remember it."
Jiang Yubai could not participate in the 2007 National Mathematical Olympiad with Lin Zhixia, which made Lin Zhixia a little regretful. However, as Jiang Yubai said, Lin Zhixia must move forward bravely and explore the new universe.
On January 25, 2007, Lin Zhixia followed the provincial team to the city where the National Mathematical Olympiad was held. This was the first time in her life that she had traveled far away alone, without her parents and brother.
At night, Lin Zhixia lay quietly on the bed in the hotel, holding the stuffed penguin.
The hotel room fell into a deep and dark silence. The thick curtains blocked all light sources, and the moon was nowhere to be seen. Lin Zhixia opened her eyes wide and stared at the dark ceiling. She could clearly hear her own heartbeat - thump, thump, thump, as if it was ringing in her ears.
She hugged the little penguin tightly and shrank into the quilt in fear.
Since she was a child, she has been particularly afraid of unfamiliar dark environments.
Lin Zhixia tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Lin Zhixia regretted not insisting on her mother to accompany her to the competition. She was worried that after her mother left, her father would be too busy at home, so she vowed: All the students in the provincial team are minors, and Lin Zhixia will not encounter any problems! Lin Zhixia is strong and brave!
Lin Zhixia was very ashamed.
She is not strong or brave at all.
In the silent hotel room, she tensed up, but the fear did not dissipate, still lingering deep in her heart. She recalled the ghost stories she had heard from adults in the countryside when she was a child. It was said that if a ghost appeared behind a person in the middle of the night, the person must not look back, but turn around slowly, otherwise the person would be scared to death by the ghost.
Lin Zhixia almost scared herself when she recalled the atmosphere at that time, the coldness of the winter night, and her grandmother's solemn expression.
She also remembered that one day at noon, she had a dream in which the little penguin ate his brother. So, the little penguin in her arms could no longer provide any sense of security for Lin Zhixia. She missed Jiang Yubai very much. Jiang Yubai always pretended to be calm and composed. He would run to the playground to hang on the horizontal bar during class breaks. He would unscrew the thermos and drink water quietly when his classmates were talking about him. He would gently push Lin Zhixia's back when she didn't dare to take a step.
Lin Zhixia really wanted to call him.
The current time is nine o'clock at night.
Jiang Yubai has fallen asleep. He goes to bed at 8:30 every night. He needs to grow taller, so he can't be disturbed.
Lin Zhixia spent the night in a daze. At two o'clock in the morning, she was half asleep and half awake, and accidentally caught a glimpse of the red light of the TV power supply, and was startled again. She completely crawled into the quilt, covering her toes and hands with the quilt, leaving only the lower half of her face exposed to breathe.
The next morning, when Lin Zhixia got up, her mind was confused.
After washing up and tidying up, Lin Zhixia followed her teacher and classmates to the designated location to attend the opening ceremony of the 22nd National Mathematical Olympiad for Middle School Students. She met math contest masters from all over the country, and even overseas students from Russia, Singapore and other regions participated in the competition.
The competition is so fierce!
Lin Zhixia felt that she must get a good night's sleep tonight so that she could perform at her best in the competition exam tomorrow morning.
At around 5 or 6 that afternoon, Lin Zhixia called her mother first. Her mother coaxed her for half an hour, and she immediately felt relieved and called Jiang Yubai immediately.
Since Lin Zhixia went to play with the provincial team, Jiang Yubai's deskmate's seat has been empty. In the past two days, Jiang Yubai has been carrying a mobile phone with him and put it on the bedside table when he goes to bed at night. He intentionally or unintentionally reminded the housekeeper and the driver to pay attention to strange calls, but still did not wait for Lin Zhixia's news. When he was puzzled, Lin Zhixia finally called.
He was having dinner when his phone kept vibrating.
He put down his chopsticks and immediately answered the call. Lin Zhixia's voice rang in his ears: "Jiang Yubai, Jiang Yubai, the exam will start tomorrow. This morning, I met students from various provinces at the opening ceremony... I didn't sleep well last night. The room was too dark and I was a little scared. It would be great if you could join me in the competition."
"Even if I compete with you, I won't live in the same room with you." Jiang Yubai analyzed rationally.
Jiang Yubai's parents and uncle were all at the table. When his uncle heard what his nephew said, he spit out a mouthful of wine on the spot.
Jiang Yubai didn't quite understand. He was right. Why did his uncle react so strongly? He continued to comfort Lin Zhixia: "Don't be afraid, Captain Lin Zhixia. The universe is black. Are you afraid of the universe?"
"Don't be afraid." Lin Zhixia said honestly.
Jiang Yubai nodded: "Captain Lin Zhixia, head towards the universe."
Lin Zhixia's fighting spirit burned: "Okay!"