Time ticked by, and the classroom was so quiet that only the sound of pens scratching paper and the students' breathing could be heard. When Shen Nian'an finished the last question, there were still twenty minutes left in the exam. He didn't hand in his paper immediately, but instead started checking it from the beginning, verifying each question one by one, afraid of making a calculation error. When he got to the last major question, he discovered that he had drawn the auxiliary lines incorrectly. He quickly corrected it and recalculated. After correcting it, he carefully checked it again, and only after confirming there were no errors did he breathe a sigh of relief.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the exam. Shen Nian'an stood up, tidied his test paper, and walked out of the exam room. As soon as he stepped out of the classroom, he saw Shen Tingzhou walking quickly towards him. "Nian'an, how did the exam go? Were there any questions you couldn't answer?" Shen Nian'an smiled and nodded. "Dad, I could answer most of the questions. I even corrected one mistake when I was checking, so I should be fine."

Hearing this, Shen Tingzhou finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Great! Let's go eat braised pork!" He took Shen Nian'an's hand and headed towards a restaurant in the county town. The restaurant wasn't big, but it was very clean. They found a seat by the window, and Shen Tingzhou ordered a plate of braised pork, two vegetable dishes, and a bowl of soup. Soon, the food arrived; the braised pork was a beautiful reddish-brown color and smelled delicious. Shen Tingzhou picked up a piece for Shen Nian'an, "Try it, see if it's your favorite flavor."

Shen Nian'an took a bite of the braised pork; it was fatty but not greasy, with a perfect balance of sweet and salty, just like his mother's. While eating, he told Shen Tingzhou about the exam, "Dad, the last big question was a bit difficult, but I remembered what you told me: doing math problems is like baking, take it one step at a time, and I finally figured it out." Shen Tingzhou smiled with satisfaction, "Nian'an has grown up and is getting smarter and smarter. No matter how you did on the exam, you'll always be the best in Dad's heart."

After lunch, Shen Tingzhou took Shen Nian'an for a stroll around the county town. They went to the bookstore, where Shen Nian'an's eyes lit up when he saw a newly published math dictionary. Shen Tingzhou noticed his interest and immediately bought it. "Take this," he said. "If you encounter any math concepts you don't understand, just look them up in this dictionary." They also went to the department store, where Shen Tingzhou bought Lin Wanqiu a piece of floral fabric, intending to make her a new dress. "Your mother has been busy with the food workshop lately. You've worked hard. Buying her some fabric will make her happy."

By the time they got home, it was already dark. Lin Wanqiu was already waiting for them at the door. Seeing them return, she quickly went to greet them, "Nian'an, how did the exam go? Are you tired?" Shen Nian'an ran over and hugged Lin Wanqiu's arm, "Mom, I did really well on the exam. Dad even took me out for braised pork and bought you a floral fabric." Lin Wanqiu took the floral fabric from Shen Tingzhou's hand, feeling a warmth in her heart, "You two, father and son, are so thoughtful. Come inside, I've made dinner for you."

In the days that followed, Shen Nian'an continued attending school as usual while eagerly awaiting the announcement of his competition results. Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou didn't press him for details, fearing it would put pressure on him, but instead offered him extra care and encouragement in their daily lives. The workers at the food workshop also frequently inquired about Shen Nian'an's exam performance. "Director Lin, Nian'an will definitely get first place in this competition; we'll have to celebrate properly!" Li Xiulian said with a smile. Lin Wanqiu always responded with a smile, "Thanks for your kind words. If he really does get first place, I'll treat everyone to something delicious."

Two weeks later, Shen Nian'an was in class when Teacher Li walked in with an award certificate and a plaque, her face beaming with excitement. "Class, quiet down! I have some great news to announce—our student Shen Nian'an has won first prize in the regional middle school math competition! This is the first time our school has won first prize in a regional math competition. Let's give Shen Nian'an a round of applause!"

Thunderous applause erupted in the classroom, and the students all cast envious glances at Shen Nian'an. Wang Xiaohu excitedly patted him on the shoulder, "Nian'an, you're amazing! I knew you could get first place!" Shen Nian'an stood up, took the certificate and award from Teacher Li, and gently stroked the words "First Prize" on it, his eyes slightly moist. He thought of his parents' support and encouragement, Teacher Li's meticulous guidance, and his own hard work. At this moment, all his hard work had paid off.

After school, Shen Nian'an ran home with his award certificate and prize certificate in hand. He burst through the door, shouting, "Mom and Dad, I won first prize! First prize in the regional math competition!" Lin Wanqiu, who was cooking in the kitchen, heard the shout and dropped the spatula. She rushed out and, seeing the certificate and prize certificate in Shen Nian'an's hand, was speechless with excitement. She simply hugged him tightly, saying, "Nian'an, you're amazing! Mom knew you could do it!"

Shen Tingzhou also came out from the inner room, took the award certificate and the certificate, looked at them carefully, and a proud smile appeared on his face. "Good boy, you really brought honor to our family! I knew it, my son is the best!" He picked up Shen Nian'an and spun him around. "Come on, let's go to the best restaurant in the county to celebrate today, and I'll buy you your favorite watch!"

Lin Wanqiu wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and said with a smile, "Yes, let's celebrate! I also want to tell the workers in the food workshop this good news so that everyone can be happy too!" She walked to the door and shouted outside, "Xiulian, come here quickly, Nian'an won the first prize in the regional mathematics competition!" Li Xiulian and the other workers who were working in the food workshop heard the shout and ran over. When they saw the certificate and award in Shen Nian'an's hand, they cheered excitedly.

"That's wonderful! Nian'an is such a good child, she's sure to have a bright future!"

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