What kind of gift is good for a twelfth birthday
Jiang Yubai guessed: "Handicraft."
Lin Zhixia nodded: "Jiang Yubai is so smart!"
She took out an iron box from her schoolbag. As always, a red ribbon and a strawberry greeting card were attached to the box. The box contained a stack of wooden bookmarks she made herself. She drew pictures on the front of all the bookmarks and wrote a poem on the back. The beginning of the poem was "Jiang Jiang Jiang Jiang Yu Bai" and the signature was "Lin Lin Lin Lin Zhi Xia".
Jiang Yubai saw clearly the number of bookmarks—there were 31 bookmarks in total.
The raw material for this batch of bookmarks is a thin mahogany board. With the help of her father, Lin Zhixia cut the board into 31 pieces, painted, colored, and inscribed in the same way as lacquer painting, and finally polished and waxed it, drilled a round hole on the top, and tied a beautiful tassel.
Lin Zhixia told Jiang Yubai: "There is a number in the lower right corner of each bookmark, starting from 1 and ending at 31. There are at most 31 days in each month. These bookmarks can accompany you through every day of each month."
Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia looked at each other for two seconds before saying, "Thank you."
Lin Zhixia jumped on the spot: "You're welcome."
Jiang Yubai unzipped his schoolbag, put the iron box in, and took out a stuffed puppy. He introduced it as "Swiss Mountain Dog."
Lin Zhixia remembered that Jiang Yubai had told her that he was going to Switzerland for vacation this summer. Every time he traveled, he would bring back a gift with local characteristics. For example, this time, he chose a Swiss mountain dog doll.
Lin Zhixia took the plush puppy with both hands: "I know, this kind of dog is a mountain dog that is unique to Switzerland... In fact, it is a local dog in Switzerland, just like the Chinese rural dog here."
Jiang Yubai asked her: "Do you like native dogs?"
"I like it!" Lin Zhixia said with a smile, "I like it very much."
When Lin Zeqiu walked behind his sister, he just heard her say: I like it, I like it very much.
Lin Zeqiu suddenly felt that something was wrong.
He raised a hand and placed it on his sister's shoulder: "What are you talking about, Lin Zhixia?"
Lin Zhixia looked up at him: "Local dog."
Lin Zeqiu simply couldn't believe that his sister actually dared to call him a bastard in public.
All the blood in his body rushed to his head, making his face pale and red. He suppressed his anger and said in a cold voice: "I am your biological brother from the same father and mother. I am a local dog, and you are also a local dog."
Lin Zhixia's eyes became confused, Jiang Yubai came to her rescue: "Lin Zhixia and I discussed the Swiss Mountain Dog. The Swiss Mountain Dog is a native dog of Switzerland. You just asked Lin Zhixia what she was talking about, she just answered your question, she didn't mean to humiliate you, calm down."
Lin Zeqiu stood right in front of Lin Zhixia, very close to Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai did not take a step back. He faced Lin Zeqiu's scrutiny. He also said, "You are Lin Zhixia's brother, you shouldn't get angry with her casually."
"You're nosy." Lin Zeqiu commented.
Jiang Yubai introduced himself solemnly: "I am Lin Zhixia's best friend."
"Yes!" Lin Zhixia admitted, "Brother, Jiang Yubai is my best friend."
As if to prove that what she said was true, Lin Zhixia ran over and hid behind Jiang Yubai.
Lin Zeqiu's breath was choked in his lungs. At the same time, Lin Zeqiu noticed something - Jiang Yubai was protecting Lin Zhixia as a guardian. When talking to her, he was polite and well-mannered, and was indeed easier to get along with than Lin Zeqiu.
Lin Zeqiu put his hands in his coat pockets and walked towards the high school department without looking back.
Lin Zhixia called him: "Brother!"
He answered loudly: "Come with me!"
Lin Zhixia said, "I want to go to the third grade teaching building!"
On the first day of school, the campus was crowded with people coming and going. The autumn sky was vast and high, with white clouds spreading to the horizon. Lin Zhixia looked up and saw her brother walking away.
She felt a little puzzled. Her brother had always been against her contact with Jiang Yubai, so why didn't he catch her and give her some new ideological education today
"He went far away." Jiang Yubai suddenly said.
Lin Zhixia turned her head and said, "Let's go to the classroom, Jiang Yubai."
Jiang Yubai walked with her. The two walked through a gravel road full of shaded trees and talked about their summer vacation experiences. Lin Zhixia listened to Jiang Yubai's travel stories and thought of the last museum trip that was forced to end. She felt very sorry and couldn't help secretly calculating when she would have the opportunity to go out with him again
The opportunity will come soon.
A few days after school started, Teacher Zhang told the students in class that the Grade 9 competition class would organize an autumn outing, and the location would be chosen to be the largest amusement park in the city... As soon as Teacher Zhang finished speaking, the Grade 9 (17) class burst into loud cheers.
Duan Qiyan slammed the table and howled.
Lin Zhixia followed suit and slapped the table. She was very excited because she had never been to an amusement park. Whenever her parents took her out and asked her where she wanted to go, her first choice was always the provincial library or the university town.
And now, she can visit the city’s largest amusement park with all the classmates in Grade 9 (Class 17)!
What an exciting group event this is!
Through Lin Zhixia's unremitting efforts, she earned tens of thousands of yuan in scholarships, most of which she gave to her mother. She secretly hid about a thousand yuan for herself to meet her daily expenses.
For this autumn outing, Lin Zhixia took out a huge sum of 200 yuan from her small treasury. She carried a small basket and went shopping in her own supermarket, filling the basket with potato chips, oatmeal cookies, strawberry cake rolls, and Wangzai steamed buns. Then, she walked to the cashier with the basket and asked her father to pay.
Dad asked in confusion and surprise: "Xia Xia, what are you doing?"
"Shopping." Lin Zhixia answered a little shyly.
Dad closed the newspaper and said, "Take it if you want, Xia Xia. Dad lets you take it."
Lin Zhixia shook her head: "I have money. I can afford it."
She put a hundred-dollar bill in front of her father.
Dad frowned slightly, holding the newspaper upright in his hand and asked, "Where did you get the hundred dollars?"
"I secretly hid a little bit of the Romanian Masters scholarship," Lin Zhixia revealed to her father.
Dad took a deep breath and said, "Don't let your mother know."
"Yeah, Dad, don't tell Mom," Lin Zhixia nodded, "I work hard to save money because I don't want to ask Mom for money often."
Dad had almost no requirements for Lin Zhixia. In his opinion, his daughter's hiding money from her parents was also a sign of her intelligence. His daughter was incomparably smart, no one could match her. What was wrong with saving a few hundred yuan? He agreed to help Lin Zhixia keep the secret.
Dad also praised Lin Zhixia, saying that she was cute, kind, wise, and caring about her parents. She was Dad's little angel, and Dad could not take the little angel's money.
Lin Zhixia was so delighted by her father's praise that she didn't insist on paying. She went home with the snacks.
The next morning, Lin Zhixia carried a schoolbag full of snacks and ran to school excitedly. Two school buses of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School took all the students in the third grade competition class to the provincial capital playground. On this sunny Thursday morning, the students in the competition class got permission from their teachers and were able to move freely in the playground.
Teacher Zhang held up the loudspeaker and said loudly: "All students in Class 17 and Class 18, please pay attention and do not leave the playground. Do you hear me? Do not leave the playground! If anyone encounters any problems or feels unwell, please come to the teacher immediately. You can come to me or Teacher Wang! The autumn outing is an activity for everyone to relax. You must remember that your safety is the most important. Do not go to places with few people!"
The students in the competition class responded in unison.
As soon as Teacher Zhang said "dismiss", more than seventy students immediately rushed in all directions.
Lin Zhixia grabbed Jiang Yubai's schoolbag strap and said, "Let's go ride the roller coaster, Jiang Yubai!"
Shen Fuxuan followed behind Jiang Yubai and echoed, "The roller coaster is fun. Let's go ride the roller coaster first, and then go play the bungee jumping machine!"
Jiang Yubai looked back at Shen Fuxuan. In Jiang Yubai's impression, Shen Fuxuan's physical fitness was not very good. After each 1,000-meter physical test, Shen Fuxuan would collapse to the ground like a pancake.
If that’s the case, why did Shen Fuxuan dare to ride the roller coaster and the bungee jumping machine
Jiang Yubai raised his head and looked at the roller coaster not far away.
The bus was full of adult tourists. They were screaming at the top of their lungs, with expressions of fear and panic on their faces, which made Jiang Yubai wonder, if he showed a hint of nervousness while riding in the bus, and his hair was messed up by the wind, then his image in Lin Zhixia's mind... might be greatly reduced, and he would never allow such a thing to happen.
So he refused, saying, "I don't ride roller coasters."
The concise and powerful refusal included many of his considerations.
Duan Qiyan ran over like a mad dog and greeted them enthusiastically: "Hey, you guys, come with me to ride the roller coaster?"
After two years of hardship in junior high school, Duan Qiyan completely forgot his former title of "No. 1 Warrior of the Normal School Attached Primary School". He was no longer the aloof, unique and self-reliant No. 1 Warrior. He had completely integrated into the group. He would even look for someone to go with him to the men's restroom after class, let alone ride a roller coaster.
He put his arm around Jiang Yubai's shoulders expectantly: "Jiang Yubai, let's go play together?"
Jiang Yubai was about to refuse, but he saw Lin Zhixia and Shen Fuxuan had already bought their tickets and were walking towards the roller coaster ticket gate. Jiang Yubai's desire to win was immediately ignited, burning like a raging fire. He was unwilling to fall behind, so he changed his attitude and said, "Okay."
Duan Qiyan asked again: "Hey, Jiang Yubai, are you afraid of riding a roller coaster?"
Jiang Yubai sneered: "I wish I could sit here every day."
"Let's go!" Duan Qiyan shouted excitedly.
Jiang Yubai caught up with Lin Zhixia on the same train. Before queuing up for ticket checking, he asked Lin Zhixia, "Are you afraid of heights?"
Lin Zhixia shook her head. Then, she asked him back, "Guess, when riding a roller coaster, is it more exciting in the front row or in the back row?"
Jiang Yubai said without hesitation: "Front row."
Lin Zhixia pointed to the back row of seats and said, "I read an article. The simulation results showed that the back row is more thrilling than the front row. This is mainly because the vertical acceleration in the back row is more exciting at the highest point and on downhill sections. The front row will feel more uncomfortable on uphill sections [1]... Jiang Yubai, let's sit in the first row!"
There are only two seats in each row.
Jiang Yubai agreed to her request. He slowly sat in the seat, fastened the protective gear, and locked the safety lock. Shen Fuxuan and Duan Qiyan sat behind him. Before the roller coaster started, Duan Qiyan asked, "Will you scream?"
Lin Zhixia said honestly: "I have never played it before, so I really want to give it a try. I don't know if I will scream."
As soon as Lin Zhixia finished speaking, the roller coaster started. They slowly climbed along the track, rising higher and higher until they reached the top, where they suddenly dived down. The strong sense of weightlessness brought by the high-speed speed made Jiang Yubai feel like he was traveling in the universe. He heard Shen Fuxuan's heartbreaking cry, and even Duan Qiyan was saying, "I don't want to play anymore. Let me go. Where are the staff..."
Jiang Yubai tilted his head to look at Lin Zhixia, who closed her eyes, clenched her teeth, and shrank in her seat. She regretted as much as Duan Qiyan, but she didn't say it out loud like Duan Qiyan did.
The strong wind blew into Jiang Yubai's collar and messed up his hair. He shouted, "Don't be afraid!"
Lin Zhixia opened her eyes, the air brushed past her ears, and she replied: "Jiang Yubai! Are you talking to me?"
The roller coaster slowly rushed to another peak. Jiang Yubai tried every way to encourage her: "Lin Zhixia, don't be afraid, you have experienced vertical acceleration..."
"I'm not afraid!" Lin Zhixia tried hard to convince herself, "I'm not afraid at all!"
After finally making it to the last moment, the roller coaster finally returned to the starting point. The breeze blew on Lin Zhixia's cheeks. She turned pale, her legs became weak, and she walked out of her seat step by step. When she stepped down the stairs, Jiang Yubai reached out to help her. He looked like nothing had happened. Lin Zhixia's heart was full of admiration.
After Duan Qiyan recovered, he stood near a bench and stretched his limbs.
Lin Zhixia looked around and asked, "I saw a small shop in the amusement park. Do you want any drinks?"
"I'll go get some drinks," Jiang Yubai suggested, "You sit here, I'll be back soon."
After saying that, he walked towards the store with his schoolbag on his back.
Two girls from Class 18 ran towards him and followed him closely. He glanced at them. He had some impression of the students from Class 18, but he was not familiar with them. He did not understand why the two girls followed him - they were not going to rob him. It was broad daylight and they were alumni of the competition class. They would not do anything like robbery.
Jiang Yubai was guessing their motives when a girl from Class 18 suddenly urged him, "Lu Wei, take out the letter quickly..."
Another girl, blushing and shy, handed a pink envelope to Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai opened the envelope in front of them, and then he froze in place. He saw the words on the letter: Jiang Yubai from Class 17, I am Lu Wei from Class 18, let's be friends, what's your cell phone number