Challenges and Growth

"Rao Xiaofeng, do you want to take a break?"

"No, Professor. I can do it." Xiaofeng gently stroked her 33-week pregnant belly and continued with her thesis defense. "In the second experiment, we corrected problems such as incorrect coordinate markings and missing dimensions in the visualization icons..."

"When using a planar graph embedding algorithm to handle networks with uneven node distribution, the edge crossing rate in the core router area exceeds the specified limit. How can this experimental flaw be corrected?"

"We introduced the Voronoi diagram to divide density regions, performing differentiated treatment on core and edge regions, and added multi-objective optimization functions, including but not limited to the number of crossings and the average number of hops..."

At the end of the defense, Xiaofeng's voice was filled with a gentle sense of relief: "In this midsummer with gardenias in full bloom, as I stroke my swollen belly and complete the final academic journey, my heart is filled with a gratitude that is deeper than the thesis itself.

First and foremost, I would like to express my highest respect to my advisor, Professor Liu Yi. Your rigorous approach to scholarship and the special care you provided during my pregnancy have made me deeply appreciate the true meaning of "a teacher should be both knowledgeable and exemplary." I would also like to thank all the faculty in the School of Mathematics and Science for their guidance and mentorship, and especially thank your teaching secretary, Ms. Fang Fang, for allowing me to adjust my defense time.

A special thank you to my baby Liou for her quiet companionship in my belly—whenever I stayed up late revising my thesis, your gentle movements were the best comfort. I'm also grateful to my husband, Jiang Wenqing, for the warm milk he brought me every night, and to the nutritious soups Mom and Dad prepared. The professional prenatal checkups and advice from Manlin Hospital have helped me balance my studies and my health.

I would like to dedicate this article to all those who are tolerant at the crossroads of academia and life. You make me believe that nurturing life and nurturing thought are the two most sacred creations of mankind.

Rao Xiaofeng, Ninghai City, June 2017

The moment the defense ended, Wenqing's embrace was waiting for me. His embrace was always warm and brought a reassuring power.

"Xiaofeng, thank you for calling me 'husband'," he looked down at her, his eyes full of smiles, "I accept this identity."

"If I can't get my diploma, will you support me?" Xiaofeng raised his eyebrows deliberately.

"Little rich girl, you should support me."

"Be good." Xiao Feng smiled and patted his cheek. The sunlight shone through the window onto the two of them, warm as a complete period.

On the evening of June 26, 2017, the aroma of delicious food wafted through the private dining room of the private kitchen restaurant. Jiang Wan was reading a picture book with Lucas and Oscar. The colorful pages glowed brightly under the warm light, and the two little ones occasionally poked and tapped on the pages. On a sofa not far away, Xiaofeng and his second uncle were chatting about Jiangjiawan.

"Jingjing's exam will be over in a few days. Then we can go back to Jiangjiawan to check on the progress of the project." Xiaofeng said as he poured a cup of tea for his second uncle. The tea soup created tiny ripples in the cup.

Second Uncle stroked the warm side of the cup thoughtfully. "Is the situation in Jiangjiawan truly representative?"

"The team leader said that most of the left-behind girls there are cared for by their grandparents, making it difficult for them to complete their education. They often marry early and become the next generation of left-behind women." Xiaofeng's voice dropped, her fingertips tapping lightly on the table. "Building a teaching building is just the first step. What's more important is changing mindsets. We need long-term psychological counseling and support. This time, I want to focus on sponsoring a few girls' education, so they can leave the mountains and return to help the children back home."

"That's a good idea." Second uncle nodded with approval in his eyes.

"Yes, after meeting those children, I felt that I was so happy." Xiaofeng sighed softly, with a touch of emotion in her tone.

"Give me a detailed plan when you come back, and I'll consider participating." Xiaofeng's eyes lit up like falling stars when his second uncle said this.

"Thank you, second uncle! When I come back I will..." Xiaofeng didn't finish her words when Wenqing walked over.

"Uncle, dinner's ready." Wenqing said as he helped Xiaofeng up, holding her arm with one hand and gently holding her waist with the other. His tone suddenly became serious, "You can't go."

"I want to go..." Xiaofeng pouted, her voice soft and a little coquettish.

"The airline doesn't accept pregnant women over 28 weeks old." Wen Qing frowned, his tone full of worry.

"Then we can take the train, right?"

"I don't agree." He was firm.

Jiang Wan quickly stood up and took Xiaofeng's hand, letting her sit next to her. She gently advised, "Don't be willful about this matter. Are you still worried about Wenqing doing things?"

Second Uncle interrupted, "Wenqing and I will go. I also want to go and take a look."

Xiaofeng looked at her second uncle worriedly: "The mountain road over there is not easy to walk on, you are old..."

Wenqing suddenly touched Xiaofeng's bulging belly and teased her deliberately: "Mom only cares about Second Grandpa, not you."

"How can you teach a baby like that!" Xiaofeng slapped his hand away and wrinkled her nose at him, but there was a smile in her eyes. Wenqing smiled and pinched her face, the doting in his eyes almost overflowing.

During the meal, Fourth Uncle picked up a piece of steamed mandarin fish and placed it in Xiaofeng's bowl, then excitedly described the team's new German equipment. Xiaofeng's eyes lit up, and his chopsticks danced in the air with excitement. "That dynamic boxing trainer! I can't wait to try it out! What about other training?"

"It's basically a continuation of the previous one." Fourth Uncle replied.

"But if I were the physical trainer..." She deliberately dragged out her words, causing everyone to look up, a sly glint in her eyes, "I'd definitely have to add ballet training classes!"

"Oh?" Fourth Uncle raised his eyebrows in surprise, and even forgot to put the braised pork he had picked up in the air into his mouth, with a look of curiosity on his face.

"Think about it," she explained with a beaming expression, "In the future, our team members will be the best boxers among ballet dancers, the best motorcycle riders among boxers, and the best ballet dancers among race car drivers..."

The whole table burst into laughter. Fourth Uncle, clutching his stomach, breathlessly replied, "Then...then they'll become a group of...hexagonal warriors!"

Jiang Heng turned to Jiang Wan, winked, and jokingly said, "Are you planning to find another job?"

Jiang Wan waved her hands repeatedly, the smile lines at the corners of her eyes filled with tenderness. "It's enough for me to accept Xiaofeng as my only disciple. Now..." She looked at her twin grandsons who were busy eating, and the smile in her eyes became even brighter. "I'm just waiting for them to have more children so that I can be busy all the time."

On July 3, 2017, Jiang Hui and Jiang Wenqing set off for Jiangjiawan. Meanwhile, Xiaofeng was packing her belongings for the trip home, and the cardboard boxes piled up like a mountain in the living room.

"Are you tired?" Jiang Wan's eyes fell on Xiaofeng's obviously bulging belly, her brows full of pity, and she reached out to help her.

Xiao Feng gently stroked her round belly with her palm, smiled and shook her head: "It's different from when I was pregnant with Lucas and the others. I thought she was a little princess."

These words made Jiang Wan cover her lips and chuckle: "Could it be..." She didn't say anything else. Xiao Feng smiled faintly, then his face darkened again, and his fingertips twisted fine pleats on the fabric.

"Are you worried that we might mind?" Seeing Xiaofeng nod gently, Jiang Wan took her by the hand and sat her on the edge of the rattan chair. She gently stroked the curve of her daughter-in-law's bulging belly with her fingertips, her tone as gentle as a spring breeze. "People with soul mates can understand each other even if they are thousands of miles apart. People with different auras will feel like strangers even if they see each other day and night." She wrapped Xiaofeng's hand in her palm, the temperature of her palm was as warm as honey. "From the first time I saw you, Mom knew that we were destined to be together in our previous life. So no matter what happens, this bond of family love can't be broken, understand? Your flesh and blood are the blood of our Jiang family." Jiang Wan suddenly lowered her voice, tears glistening in her eyes. "We should thank you for raising Zhengli and Zhenghan so well. Wenfeng must be very pleased watching from heaven."

Xiaofeng's shoulders trembled slightly, and her voice choked with sobs: "The child is innocent after all."

"Silly girl," Jiang Wan held her hand tighter, rubbing the back of her hand with her fingertips, "The same goes for Liou. We will give him double the love."

When Xiaofeng asked about Florence's past, Jiang Wan lost herself in memories, her eyes drifting off into the distance, as if transported back to the time they reunited in Ninghai in 1976. "The night before your third uncle joined the army, he told me he would marry me when he returned. But he didn't know that Dad and I had secretly held hands back when we were in the acrobatics class."

Jiang Wan paused, gazing at the potted sunflower in the yard, its leaves swaying gently in the breeze. "He was supposed to be discharged in 1979... Upon hearing of our marriage, he chose to remain in the army. Later... in 1981, he died in the border war."

Xiao Feng looked at Jiang Wan's trembling eyelashes and called softly, "Mom..." But he was interrupted by Wen Rou just as he opened his mouth.

"Xiaofeng, we are very similar, aren't we?" Jiang Wan turned her head and gave her a relieved smile, the traces of time hidden in the fine lines at the corners of her eyes. "So Mom understands that these things will make you very confused."

"It must be difficult for you to live in Florence with Wenqing alone, right?"

"When I brought Wenqing to Florence, the hardest thing wasn't life, it was... leaving Dad." Jiang Wan's voice was as soft as a sigh, and then a smile appeared on her face. "But later I realized that every choice was the best decision I could make at the time. It made me look at things differently now."

"I'm still seeing a psychiatrist," Xiaofeng's voice trembled, and he pinched his palms with his fingertips. "Sometimes I feel like... I might never be able to get over it..."

"You're a strong child. This experience won't define you." Jiang Wan patted the back of her hand, her tone firm. "The fog you feel you can't get out of now, when you look back in a few years, may be the only way to a sunny day."