Chapter 23

Xie Qingyan stood up amidst the intense gazes of the entire class, his posture as upright as bamboo. He first bowed slightly to the math teacher, performing a simplified greeting, his demeanor respectful yet exuding an air of integrity.

“Teacher Chen,” he began, his voice clear and articulate, instantly silencing all the whispers in the classroom, “I am certain that the scores this time are significantly different from those of the past, which is understandable that you may have concerns.”

He first frankly admitted the abnormality, which made his attitude seem sincere.

"I dare not hide it. The main reason I have made some progress this time is that I have indeed met a classmate who has given me guidance." He calmly swept his gaze over Jiang Ci, then quickly looked away.

Teacher Chen immediately understood. If Jiang Ci had tutored Xie Qingyan, then it would make perfect sense that Xie Qingyan had made progress.

Jiang Ci's past was a secret at No. 9 Middle School, but his abilities were not hidden from the teachers.

Jiang Ci, the top student in his grade at Experimental High School, is a science genius. He had already qualified for admission to Tsinghua and Peking Universities by his second year of high school, but gave it up for some reason. Later, he transferred to No. 9 High School. The principal even gave special instructions that Jiang Ci was special and that no matter what he did, no one should interfere.

"In the month or so before the exam, I was fortunate to receive generous guidance from my classmates, who meticulously sorted out the structure of high school mathematics and physics, the core test points, and common question types and pitfalls for me. This was the foundation."

“However,” he changed his tone, becoming more steady and forceful, “the guidance is merely a starting point. I know that I am dull-witted and have a weak foundation, so I dare not slack off in the slightest. For more than a month, in addition to completing my daily coursework, I have repeatedly pondered what I have learned, combined with past mistakes, organized my notes, and summarized the solutions. Often, I would stay up late into the night trying out various approaches to solve a problem until I suddenly understood it.”

He held up the thick, slightly curled notebook of incorrect answers in his hand, gesturing to his teacher and classmates. The dense yet well-organized handwriting on the notebook was the most silent yet powerful evidence of his hard work.

"As for the 'unique' and 'shortcut' methods the teacher mentioned," Xie Qingyan looked at the math teacher, her eyes revealing the appropriate humility and thoughtfulness of a student, "these are actually students trying to approach the problem from a different angle after digesting and understanding existing methods. Perhaps it is precisely because the thinking path is slightly different that it appears unique."

He paused, then concluded, "In summary, the student's achievement is three-tenths due to the generous guidance of classmates, seven-tenths due to their own diligent study day and night, and occasionally a touch of luck. If the teacher still has doubts," he said, his gaze calm and his tone steady yet firm, "the student is always willing to recalculate any problem or resolve any doubt under the teacher's guidance. The result may have been accidental, but the thought process and ability are open to any test."

After speaking, he bowed slightly again, then stood quietly, waiting for the teacher's reaction.

After Xie Qingyan finished speaking, the classroom fell silent.

Math teacher Mr. Chen pushed up his glasses, his sharp gaze scrutinizing the student before him, who was neither humble nor arrogant. His composed demeanor, his clear and logical explanations, and especially the natural thoughtfulness and certainty in his eyes when he mentioned the "method of equations" in the *Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art*, all seemed genuine.

He pondered for a moment, neither immediately affirming nor denying, but instead turning to more specific technical aspects:

"The method of multiplying and canceling equations in the *Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art*?" Professor Chen seemed thoughtful. He himself had some interest in the history of mathematics. "Your approach is interesting. I remember the standard solution to that problem required solving three equations simultaneously, and the elimination process was indeed cumbersome. How did you simplify it using the ancient method? Could you briefly explain it?"

Xie Qingyan was prepared, or rather, this was something he had thought about countless times. He turned to face the blackboard and clearly repeated the key conditions of the problem.

He spoke and wrote down the steps clearly. Although he used some archaic language, the core algebraic transformation ideas were modern and accurate, and indeed, he had two fewer lengthy calculations than the reference answer.

As Mr. Chen listened and observed, his brow gradually relaxed, and his finger unconsciously tapped lightly on his chin. As a seasoned teacher, he could tell that this fluency wasn't achieved through rote memorization, but rather through a creative application born from genuine understanding. In particular, Xie Qingyan's explanation of "why she thought of doing it this way," mentioning "observing the symmetry of coefficients" and "reducing errors in intermediate terms," ​​touched upon problem-solving strategies typically found only in outstanding students.

"...Therefore, the final elimination process is simplified." Xie Qingyan finished speaking, put down the chalk, and looked at the teacher.

Teacher Chen remained silent for a few seconds. All the students in the classroom, including Li Ming, held their breath, waiting for the teacher's "verdict."

Finally, Teacher Chen spoke slowly, her tone much gentler than before, but still cautious:

"The idea is indeed ingenious, and the simplification process is reasonable." He first gave professional recognition, which made many students secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

but--

He abruptly changed the subject, his gaze turning serious again as he swept his gaze over Xie Qingyan and then over the entire class:

"This method is based on a very deep understanding of the structure of systems of equations and algebraic transformations. Xie Qingyan, you have not only made up for the huge gap in your basic knowledge within a month, but you have also reached this level of flexible application..."

He paused for a moment, as if weighing his words.

“This is beyond my teaching experience.” He chose a very neutral and professional statement: “I will temporarily accept your explanation for the progress and also acknowledge your thinking ability in this question.”

“However,” he emphasized, his eyes sharp, “mathematics is a rigorous discipline. An outstanding performance on a single exam or a single question may be a flash of inspiration. Only a consistent, comprehensive high level of performance can prove true ability.”

"I've heard about your grades in your other subjects. I hope you can keep it up. All the teachers and I will continue to monitor your performance in the upcoming quizzes, assignments, and the next mock exam."

After saying that, he gestured for Xie Qingyan to sit down and began the lesson as usual: "Alright, let's continue with the test. For the first question, many students made a basic mistake in calculating the intersection of sets..."

——

The bell that signaled the end of math class did not dispel the tense atmosphere that permeated Class 12's classroom.

Xie Qingyan sat down amidst a cacophony of gazes, his face remaining calm and composed. Only he knew that the back of his shirt was slightly damp with cold sweat. It wasn't fear, but a long-lost sense of intense focus and exhaustion, akin to the intense concentration and effort he felt when facing the emperor's questions during the imperial examinations.

He could feel that Teacher Chen's words were like a sword hanging precariously in the air. He could also sense the almost tangible resentment and bitterness emanating from Li Ming in the front row.

During break, he got up to get some water. In the corridor, the normally noisy crowd fell silent briefly and glanced at him quickly as he passed. Whispers clung to the walls like damp moss, lingering and persistent.

"It's him..."

"The one who got a perfect score in Chinese?"

"Not only Chinese, I heard he's also good at science, and his math was just praised by the teacher..."

"Is it really that amazing? A complete transformation in just one month?"

"Who knows... Anyway, the final rankings will be out tomorrow, and then it will be clear whether they are good or bad."

Shh, he's coming.

Xie Qingyan held the water glass, her gaze fixed straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to the probing, suspicious, and curious stares.

Tolerate.

Now is not the time.

Xie Qingyan returned to her seat and found that Jiang Ci had left sometime earlier. However, the notebook Xie Qingyan had left on the table showed signs of having been flipped through.

A thought struck him, and he opened his notebook. Inside was a note left by Jiang Ci while he went to get water.

The poem above contains only one line: "Even plants and trees have their own nature; why should they seek the favor of a beautiful woman?"

These are lines from Zhang Jiuling's poem "Feelings on Encountering Misfortune, Part 1". Jiang Ci is telling him that he doesn't need to care about other people's opinions or cater to worldly customs, but should stick to his own path.

A subtle warmth flowed through his heart. He put the book away and continued organizing his math notes. No matter how chaotic the outside world was, he remained unaffected.

School is letting out.

The crowd surged out of the teaching building like a floodgate opening. Everyone temporarily put their grades aside and just wanted to relax.

Xie Qingyan followed Jiang Ci at a distance until he saw Jiang Ci get into the luxury car, then he turned around and prepared to leave the campus.

Following the address I had looked up at noon, I walked through several bustling streets and finally stopped in front of an old bookstore called "Moyunzhai".

The bookstore is small, with an old wooden signboard. The window displays a few yellowed thread-bound books and traditional Chinese writing implements. The bookstore stands quietly in a corner of a bustling commercial street, like a silent sage.

Pushing open the door, a wind chime tinkles softly. The shop is dimly lit and filled with the distinctive, slightly musty scent of old books and paper. The bookshelves reach for the ceiling, neatly organized yet somewhat crowded, with fine dust floating in the air.

Behind the counter, an elderly gentleman with gray hair and reading glasses was checking a list of a stack of old books. He frowned and muttered, "These books come from all sorts of sources and are in poor condition. It's really difficult to set a price."

Xie Qingyan approached and politely bowed slightly: "Hello, sir. Do you hire part-time shop assistants here?"

The old man looked up from the list and scrutinized him through his glasses. The student in front of him wore a faded school uniform, his eyes were clear, and his posture was upright, unlike the usual impetuous teenager. "We're hiring. Part-time work is after school and on weekends. The job involves organizing books, minding the shop, and occasionally finding and introducing books to customers. It's not easy; you need to be meticulous and able to sit still. The hourly wage isn't high. Can you handle it?" The old man's tone was calm, yet scrutinizing.

“The student can,” Xie Qingyan replied, but his gaze was involuntarily drawn to the stack of old books beside the old gentleman. The top few books had damaged covers, and the words “Siku Quanshu Tiyao” and “Fan Shu Ou Ji” could be vaguely discerned, but interspersed among them were one or two books with old-fashioned layouts and brittle yellowed paper.

The old man followed his gaze, picked up the most worn-out book, and sighed, "Take this one, for example. The cover is gone, and it's badly worm-eaten inside. The content is like a local chronicle, mixed with some astrological proverbs, and it's not systematic. I didn't get it for a high price, but how much should I set aside to sell it for?"

Xie Qingyan's gaze fell on the open page. It was in vertical traditional characters, without punctuation, but that posed no obstacle for him. He quickly skimmed through a few lines and already had a good idea of ​​what to expect.

“Sir,” he began softly, his tone steady yet reassuringly certain, “this is no ordinary local chronicle. Judging from the surviving entries, phrases like ‘the celestial sphere and the jade balance align the seven planets’ and ‘the stars divide the constellations of Wing and Chariot, the earth connects to Heng and Lu’ appear frequently, and there are also fragments of what appear to be celestial divination verses. I deduce that this is likely a manual of astronomical observation and divination compiled by folk diviners or Confucian scholars during the Southern Dynasties or Western Jin Dynasty. Although incomplete and containing colloquial language, it may preserve records of observations of certain rare celestial phenomena by the common people at that time, which may have some minor value in supplementing gaps in the study of astronomical history today. The price… could be slightly higher than that of ordinary incomplete copies.”