The 2007 provincial informatics competition was held at nine o'clock in the morning on April 12.
The informatics competition was organized into groups of three, and the team members had to work together to complete ten programming questions. Lin Zhixia's two teammates were both seniors in the second year of high school. The grades of these two seniors were originally in the upper middle of the competition class. Since they teamed up with Lin Zhixia, they have become invincible.
If nothing unexpected happens, today's provincial first prize should belong to Lin Zhixia and her teammates.
Lin Zhixia followed the teacher into the arena with her schoolbag on her back. She yawned, and her teammates asked, "Are you sleepy, Lin Zhixia?"
"I'm a little sleepy," Lin Zhixia said honestly, "My brother got up at five this morning and did some morning exercises in the living room. I was woken up by him."
The teammate asked in surprise: "Does your brother get up at five in the morning to exercise?"
Lin Zhixia defended her brother: "Next week, he will take the physical education exam."
Yes, my brother is about to take the high school entrance examination.
He works so hard and is so serious.
Lin Zhixia admired her brother's perseverance and supported him getting up early to exercise. The only problem was that Lin Zhixia didn't wake up today. Her reaction was half a beat slower than usual, and her speed in solving problems dropped a lot.
It took her seven minutes to finish the second question.
She was so sleepy that she gradually lowered her head and lay on the computer desk. She held a pencil in her right hand and scribbled on the draft paper, writing mathematical derivations that no one could understand.
The teammates were obviously getting nervous. One of them said, "Lin Zhixia, you're not in shape today."
Another teammate said: "The people from Experimental 1 Middle School posted a message. They are going to win over Provincial No. 1 Middle School. Look at the scrolling information on the big screen in the front row... Experimental 1 Middle School has finished the fourth question."
Lin Zhixia perked up and looked around.
It was only then that Lin Zhixia realized that more than half of the participating teams were working faster than her. Experimental No. 1 Middle School was the fastest, and they could really beat Provincial No. 1 Middle School.
Lin Zhixia's heart was filled with alarm bells, her consciousness was extremely clear, and her eyes became firm and resolute. She took a deep breath and told her two teammates: "Read the questions aloud to me."
In the competition, each team has three players. Players on the same team share a table. On the table is a computer and a printed test paper.
Lin Zhixia's teammates picked up the test questions and read them aloud to her word by word.
As soon as her teammates finished reading, Lin Zhixia had an idea. She quickly tapped the keyboard and wrote line after line of code. She could accurately predict the result without even compiling it - because every line of code had been run in her brain in advance. Although her approach was not necessarily the most perfect, her efficiency was amazing.
Lin Zhixia and her teammates won the gold medal in the provincial competition and a reward of RMB 3,000.
Logically, the 3,000 yuan team prize should be divided equally among the three teammates. However, Lin Zhixia's two teammates were too embarrassed to take the 1,000 yuan, and they insisted that Lin Zhixia take the 3,000 yuan alone. They also said that Lin Zhixia's outstanding performance in the programming competition benefited the entire team.
Lin Zhixia still gave them 2,000 yuan. She explained: "I learned a lesson at the Romanian Masters... teammates are very important. Because my teammates and I are moving towards the same goal, they help me share the pressure."
That afternoon, Lin Zhixia returned home happily holding the provincial competition trophy.
Not long ago, Lin Zhixia won a gold medal in a prestigious math competition, and the Provincial No. 1 Middle School awarded her a scholarship of over 10,000 yuan. Today, she brought back another 1,000 yuan, and her mother didn't know how to praise her, so she just asked her, "Xia Xia is amazing, what do you want to eat tonight?"
Lin Zhixia thought for a moment and suggested, "Mom, mom, let's have stir-fried beef with green peppers, apple soup, sweet and sour pork ribs, and cold okra tonight, okay? These are my brother's favorite dishes. My brother is about to take the high school entrance exam, and he's very busy every day."
While washing the dishes, my mother agreed, "Okay, I'll make you another bowl of egg custard. Xia Xia, you must be tired from the competition today. Go back to your room and have a rest."
Lin Zhixia clung to her mother like a piece of taffy: "During the game today, Xia Xia almost fell asleep."
Almost fell asleep...
Can you still win first prize
The mother bent down and wiped the stove with a rag, and at the same time coaxed her daughter: "Xia Xia, if you feel tired, go to bed and take a nap. When your brother comes home, mom will call you to get up and eat."
Lin Zhixia nodded. She walked back to her bedroom, picked up the little penguin, and lay quietly on the bed. In the past month, her brother often gave her little penguin a bath. Her brother also worked tirelessly to clean her room and wiped her desk clean.
Lin Zhixia noticed that her brother always had a Romanian Easter egg in his pocket.
Lin Zhixia really didn't expect that a mere Romanian Easter egg could have such a great effect. It not only helped her brother overcome his fear of penguins, but also made her brother's attitude towards her much gentler.
Her mind was full of random thoughts and she fell asleep before she knew it.
At around six o'clock in the evening, Lin Zhixia was woken up by her mother.
Lin Zhixia got up immediately, put on her plush rabbit slippers, and ran straight to the dining table at home.
The food exuded a hot aroma, and the table was full of Lin Zeqiu's favorite dishes. Lin Zeqiu sat at the table, thinking: "Is it a holiday today?"
His mother told him: "Your sister won the championship in the informatics competition today and received a scholarship of one thousand yuan."
After hearing the good news, Lin Zeqiu's face was expressionless. He put a piece of pork ribs into Lin Zhixia's bowl, and Lin Zhixia responded, "Thank you, brother."
Lin Zhixia took a bite of the pork ribs, tasted it carefully, and said, "The braised pork ribs and sweet and sour pork ribs made by my mother are delicious. The dishes made by my mother are the best in the world. Xia Xia wants to eat the food made by her mother every day, and she will be very happy after eating it..."
Lin Zeqiu suddenly interrupted his sister: "Lin Zhixia, you are twelve years old, can you stop calling yourself 'Xia Xia' all the time? Don't you know how to speak in the first person? Isn't that childish?"
The Romanian Easter eggs seem to have expired.
Lin Zhixia put down her chopsticks and confronted her brother: "I'm happy, what's it to you? You can also use 'Qiuqiu' to refer to yourself. Do you dare to abandon the first person and speak in this way? You don't dare, Lin Zeqiu."
Lin Zeqiu's Adam's apple rolled, and a sentence popped up in his mind - Qiuqiu won't argue with you, Qiuqiu continued to eat. He shuddered and almost dropped his bowl to the ground.
His mother called him by his full name: "Lin Zeqiu, your sister asked me to make the dish tonight. Your sister cares about you very much. Don't always quarrel with her. A harmonious family brings prosperity."
Lin Zeqiu held the bowl and lowered his head to take a mouthful of rice.
His mother waited until he finished chewing before she said, "Qiuqiu, you're going to take the high school entrance exam soon. You have to listen to your mother. Don't get up too early in the morning and don't mess up your sleep and rest schedule. You have to eat and sleep like usual. Your class teacher told me that if you perform normally, you can get into the high school department of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School."
The competition in the senior high school of the Provincial No. 1 High School is fierce. Lin Zeqiu wants to be admitted to the gifted class of the senior high school, so he must get a good score in the senior high school entrance examination. He is in the sprint stage and dares not relax at all. He is very strict with himself.
He woke up at five o'clock this morning for no apparent reason, and then he couldn't fall asleep again.
He knew that he was under heavy psychological pressure. He always thought that he was Lin Zhixia's brother and couldn't be too far behind her. If his high school entrance examination results were a mess, his parents would be disappointed.
Lin Zeqiu's assumption of failure made him more eager for success.
He studied diligently, sitting at his desk almost all day on Saturdays and Sundays. In the process of filling in the gaps, he occasionally found some tricky questions, and even though Lin Zhixia was sitting next to him, he was unwilling to ask his sister for help.
His sister is a twelve-year-old who still calls herself "Xia Xia".
He didn't need his sister to help him. He could solve the problem independently. Although Lin Zeqiu's heart was filled with such thoughts, the reality was always more cruel than imagined.
Lin Zeqiu held a ballpoint pen and stared at the physics test paper handed out by the teacher. He was once again stuck on the last question. He sat still for twenty minutes, feeling that someone was watching him from behind.
Lin Zeqiu looked back and caught a glimpse of Lin Zhixia. Lin Zhixia hid outside the door and called out cautiously, "Brother..."
Lin Zeqiu responded impatiently: "What do you want?"
"I think you've encountered a problem that you can't solve, but you're unwilling to come to me." Lin Zhixia expressed her opinion bluntly.
Lin Zeqiu's first reaction was to hide his physics test paper. He spread out a Chinese textbook and said, "I'm reciting the text."
Lin Zhixia walked to his side. She followed the clues and easily solved the case, successfully finding the physics test paper. She glanced at the last question and was about to speak when Lin Zeqiu said, "Go back to your room and leave me alone."
Lin Zhixia reached into her brother's shirt pocket and grabbed a Romanian Easter egg. She said seriously: "I heard the Easter egg talking to me. The egg told me that there is only a short time left before the high school entrance examination, and I can make progress together with my brother."
The brother gently pulled her wrist away: "Go and do your own thing."
"I don't have anything to do for the time being." Lin Zhixia moved a chair and sat next to Lin Zeqiu.
Lin Zhixia sleeps with her little penguin in her arms every day. Her little penguin is always fragrant and clean, but she has never washed it herself. She suddenly realized how much her family cares about her.
Now, she is trying to pay attention to her brother and help him relieve the psychological burden.
She wrote down the solution to the last question of the physics test in pencil. She opened Lin Zeqiu's notebook and summarized it directly on the last page. She didn't need any book to guide her at all, she had a clear framework in her mind.
Lin Zeqiu accepted her kindness in silence.
"Where is your math notebook?" Lin Zhixia asked again, "Brother, give me your math notebook."
Lin Zeqiu refused: "Forget it, there is too much math content."
Lin Zhixia wanted to say that junior high school math is very simple, but she thought of Duan Qiyan's "competitive style" that he always talked about, so she swallowed her words. She imitated Jiang Yubai's words and said in a low voice: "The content of junior high school math is suitable for systematic summary."
Lin Zeqiu felt that his sister had suddenly become much calmer and more sophisticated. He stared at her suspiciously, and she immediately recovered: "Give me your notebook quickly, are you going to give it to me or not?"
Lin Zeqiu gave her a blank notebook.
Lin Zhixia's thoughts were like a flood that burst open, pouring out on the paper. She recorded the types of questions in a proper manner. She seemed to be able to guess Lin Zeqiu's math skills, so all the questions she recorded were of a high difficulty level, and all maintained the level of the final questions.
From that day on, Lin Zhixia often accompanied Lin Zeqiu to review.
Lin Zeqiu placed two table lamps on the table, and he also prepared a soft cushion for Lin Zhixia's seat. At the end of May, the weather gradually became hotter, and Lin Zeqiu found the best electric fan at home, removed the cover, wiped the fan blades with a towel, and then put the electric fan in Lin Zhixia's bedroom.
Although Lin Zeqiu didn't want to admit it, the facts were before him - after Lin Zhixia's tutoring, his academic performance improved steadily and he returned to the top of the class.
What's even more shameful is that as long as Lin Zhixia is by his side, he has an indescribable sense of security. No matter how complicated the problem he encounters, Lin Zhixia will write the most concise and easy-to-understand solution.
One night in early June, Lin Zhixia accompanied him for the last round of review. He studied until nine o'clock in the evening, and Lin Zhixia began to feel sleepy. She rested her head on her arm, groggy and unable to distinguish between reality and dreams, she muttered to herself: "Brother did very well in the exam, brother is the top scorer in the high school entrance examination..."
Lin Zeqiu thought she was talking to him. After a few seconds, he realized that Lin Zhixia was talking in her sleep—which was very rare. Lin Zhixia always slept peacefully and she almost never talked in her sleep.
But tonight, Lin Zeqiu clearly heard his sister say: "Well... you can interview me..."
Lin Zeqiu guessed her dream. She probably dreamed that Lin Zeqiu became the top scorer in the high school entrance examination and reporters came to her home to interview her.
In reality, Lin Zhixia always avoids reporters and refuses all contact with newspapers and the media. However, in this dream, she said generously: "My brother has always been... very hardworking, excellent, and shining... My brother is a very good boy..."
Lin Zeqiu raised his palm and supported his forehead. A sour feeling surged in his throat, and his voice became slower and gentler: "Lin Zhixia, get up."
Lin Zhixia didn't wake up.
He called out again: "Xia Xia."
Lin Zhixia was confused and looked bewildered: "What did you call me just now?"
Lin Zeqiu turned off the desk lamp: "It's 9:10, go back to your room and go to sleep, I want to sleep too."
Lin Zhixia didn't ask any more questions. She patted her brother on the shoulder and said, "Come on, brother. Good luck on your high school entrance exam."
After that, she staggered back to the bedroom, fell on the bed and fell asleep. Nine o'clock in the evening was the limit of her consciousness. Once it was past nine o'clock, she would be completely eroded by sleepiness.
Lin Zeqiu stood at the door of her bedroom for a while and closed the door tightly.
His memory is far inferior to Lin Zhixia's. But he always remembers this night, and always remembers Lin Zhixia's evaluation of him: My brother has always been very hardworking, excellent, and shining. My brother is a very good boy.
In mid-June, the high school entrance exam officially began, and Lin Zeqiu maintained a stable mentality. He walked into the examination room with his schoolbag, which contained the Easter egg Lin Zhixia gave him. Perhaps it was the good luck of the Easter egg that favored him, and he performed very well, almost reaching his highest level. He felt that he had one foot in the high school gifted class of the Provincial No. 1 High School.
In mid-July, the results of the high school entrance exam came out, and Lin Zeqiu did better than he had imagined. He ranked 49th in the city, and his name even appeared in the Morning Daily. A red poster attached to the newspaper listed the names of the top 50 students in the city's high school entrance exam, and Lin Zeqiu ranked second to last, which was already a great honor.
Lin Zeqiu's parents were very happy. They were all very proud of their son. His father ate an extra bowl of rice for two consecutive days and kept saying at home: "Qiuqiu and Xiaxia in our family have such good grades. What a good son and daughter. Tell me, your mother and I have no education and have never been to college, but we can raise children like you. Oh, our ancestors are so proud of you."
After the high school entrance exam, Lin Zeqiu felt relieved. He opened the Morning Daily and asked Lin Zhixia intentionally or unintentionally: "One day in early June, you fell asleep on the table and dreamed that I became the top scorer in the high school entrance exam. Do you remember?"
Lin Zhixia was eating watermelon. After hearing her brother's words, she thought for a second and admitted, "I remember."
Lin Zeqiu's heart was in turmoil: "What did you say to the reporter in your dream?"
Lin Zhixia scooped up a piece of watermelon with a small spoon: "In my dream, the reporter interviewed me and asked me what impression I had of you. Brother, how could I say bad things about you in front of outsiders? Even if it was made up, I had to praise you as much as I could."
Even if it's just made up, I still have to praise you as much as possible.
Hearing that, Lin Zeqiu's limbs stiffened a little. He patted the table and walked back to the bedroom without saying a word. Lin Zhixia was still asking him, "Brother, brother, don't you want to eat watermelon?"
Lin Zeqiu replied viciously: "Eat, eat, eat, all you know is eating."
Lin Zhixia complained: "Mom, mom, my brother is mean to me!"
The mother was washing the balcony. When she heard her daughter's words, she stepped out and said, "Lin Zeqiu, you should be gentle to your sister. A harmonious family brings prosperity!"
Lin Zeqiu closed his door, still holding the Morning Daily in his hand. In any case, with the help of Lin Zhixia, he got unprecedented good grades and entered the strongest class in the high school department of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School. He did not dare to slack off and was also preparing for high school textbooks during the summer vacation. He thought he was fully prepared and began to look forward to high school campus life.
On the first day of school in September, Lin Zeqiu took the bus to school with Lin Zhixia as usual.
It was a sunny day, and Lin Zhixia was in a very good mood. She walked into the gate of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School with her brother, and she couldn't help jumping around on the campus: "I'm in the third grade of junior high school!"
The shadows of the trees in the distance swayed in the wind, and the crowd was bustling. Lin Zhixia saw a familiar figure from behind. She immediately left her brother behind, shouting as she ran: "Jiang Yubai! Jiang Yubai!"
Jiang Yubai stood still when he heard her voice. After not seeing him for a whole summer, Lin Zhixia felt that he had grown a lot taller. She couldn't wait to run to his side and asked him excitedly: "Jiang Yubai, Jiang Yubai, guess what kind of twelfth birthday gift I prepared for you?"