To comfort Deng Shasha, Lin Zhixia promised: "If you encounter a problem, you can take a photo with your mobile phone and send it to me. As long as I see it, I will definitely reply to you."
Deng Shasha uttered a nasal "hmm".
Lin Zhixia also left a handwritten letter for each roommate. Her words were very soft and sincere, and every word was inspiring, which really made Deng Shasha cry.
At the end of June of this year, Lin Zhixia was about to leave school.
Before leaving school, Lin Zhixia went to the quantum computing laboratory, where teacher Gu Likai happened to be. Lin Zhixia greeted all the seniors, seniors, and teachers, and thanked them for their care over the past three years. Teacher Gu said that he would treat the students to lunch and give Lin Zhixia a treat.
Lin Zhixia subconsciously asked: "Are we going to the cafeteria now?"
"Let's not go to the cafeteria," said Teacher Gu. "Let's go to Beihua Hotpot."
"Beihua Shabu-shabu" is a well-known restaurant nearby. The mutton, beef and fried pancakes they serve are all delicious.
Lin Zhixia happily followed the crowd to the hotel. Along the way, everyone was talking and laughing, and Yang Shuwenming was obviously happier than Lin Zhixia. He smiled brightly and repeatedly confirmed: "Lin Zhixia, you have graduated, and you will go home in two days?"
"Yes." Lin Zhixia replied.
Yang Shuwen felt more relaxed than ever before.
Lin Zhixia added: "I am the graduate representative of the college, and I will be giving a speech on stage tomorrow."
Yang Shuwen was not surprised at all.
He and Lin Zhixia worked in the same laboratory for three years and witnessed her rapid progress. She was smart, studious, goal-oriented, patient, and willing to work hard. All her classmates believed that she would have a bright and promising future.
During lunch, Yang Shuwen ordered a bottle of beer. He and Lin Zhixia toasted to her graduation.
There was a pot of duck on the table, the charcoal was emitting heat, and the soup was boiling. Lin Zhixia put in a large plate of mutton and beef. Tan Qianche suddenly said, "The prices abroad are high, and the canteens are expensive. A meal in Cambridge costs at least several dozen yuan. You probably have to learn to cook by yourself... You're going abroad before you reach adulthood, and you have to take care of yourself."
Lin Zhixia didn't take it seriously: "It doesn't matter, I've grown up."
Tan Qianche took a sip of beer and said nothing more.
Teacher Gu sat directly opposite Lin Zhixia. The heat was like white mist, and the table and chairs in front of him were no longer clear. Teacher Gu wiped his glasses with a napkin and said, "It's not easy to study abroad. When you encounter difficulties, try your best to overcome them, do solid research, and don't rush for success. I heard you and your senior say that you want to graduate with a doctorate in two years..."
"Yes." Lin Zhixia admitted.
Teacher Gu advised her: "You have a sharp mind and are one of the best thinkers I have ever taught. The standards for PhD and undergraduate studies are very different. Just let nature take its course, read more and practice more, don't be impatient, and you will succeed naturally."
Teacher Gu's words not only encouraged Lin Zhixia, but also comforted Yang Shuwen.
Yang Shuwen was overwhelmed with emotion: "Teacher Gu, if I just let things take their course, read more and practice more, can I succeed in the physics field all of a sudden?"
Teacher Gu smiled and said, "I said that to your junior sister."
What does it mean?
Can the junior sister just let things take their course, while he can only leave it to fate?
So far, Yang Shuwen has also published two articles. His citations are relatively low, less than one-tenth of Lin Zhixia's. However, he has a big tree behind him, and his group has produced a lot of results. Tan Qianche is also very willing to take him with him. As long as he holds on to Tan Qianche's thigh, he will definitely graduate smoothly.
Yang Shuwen gave Tan Qianche a grateful look.
Tan Qianche continued to eat in silence. His personality was very different, sometimes cheerful and optimistic, sometimes gloomy, so Yang Shuwen whispered to him: "Junior sister is about to graduate, you should be happy, otherwise when she thinks of this day, she will only remember your miserable face."
Tan Qianche pursed his lips and smiled: "Lin Zhixia."
Lin Zhixia raised her head: "Senior."
"Study hard abroad and don't be lazy," he warned earnestly.
"Your junior sister knows what to do." Teacher Gu said to smooth things over.
After noon, the number of customers gradually increased, and there were no more empty seats nearby. The atmosphere in the hotel became more and more lively. The hot pot soup was refilled twice. Lin Zhixia ate very well, and the other seniors also put down their chopsticks. Teacher Gu called the waiter and stood up to pay the bill with a card. He had gray hair on his temples and a slightly hunched back, but his steps were still steady. He walked in front of all the students, like a tireless guide.
It was sunny outside, and students were following in groups of three or five.
When approaching the school gate, Lin Zhixia said goodbye formally: "I'm going back first. Goodbye."
The crowd waved to her.
Shadows overlapped outside the school gate, and she walked away under the gaze of her senior schoolmates. She walked briskly and without hesitation in the predetermined direction.
The next morning, three people from the quantum computing group decided to attend Lin Zhixia's graduation speech - Tan Qianche was one of them.
Tan Qianche could always find his own youth in Lin Zhixia. She was high-spirited and determined, which was exactly the portrayal of him when he was sixteen or seventeen years old. Then he suddenly remembered that Lin Zhixia was in her sixteen or seventeen years old, and it made sense that a young man with strong ambitions would not worry about anything.
Tan Qianche, Yang Shuwen, and another female doctoral student sneaked into the graduation ceremony of the School of Mathematics. They arrived just in time, and after waiting for only ten minutes, the host said loudly, "Please invite Lin Zhixia, the representative of the outstanding graduates of the class of 2012, to come to the stage and give a speech."
The crimson curtain fell, and the lights in the auditorium were bright.
Lin Zhixia, wearing a bachelor's gown and a bachelor's hat, walked slowly to the stage. She held the microphone, and the tassel of the bachelor's hat swayed slightly, hitting her cheek. She sneezed uncontrollably, and a slight laugh rang out from the audience.
Yang Shuwen was far away from her. He was standing at the back of the last row of seats and couldn't see the expression on Lin Zhixia's face. He was a little worried that Lin Zhixia would be embarrassed, forget her words, and make a fool of herself in public, but Tan Qianche hugged his shoulders and revealed: "Her memory is a bit like mine, but better than mine."
Yang Shuwen didn't understand.
Tan Qianche stopped explaining.
The tassel of the bachelor's cap stopped shaking, and Lin Zhixia stood straight. She said, "Hello, teachers, classmates, and parents. I am Lin Zhixia, a 2012 graduate. Today is the day we say goodbye to our alma mater. From tomorrow on, we will all embark on a new journey..."
Her opening was quite standard, and some of the students seemed to be distracted.
Yang Shuwen also said: "She didn't say she was a genius, nor did she talk about her series of papers."
"In our Physics Department," Tan Qianche said with a smile, "there are also quite a few talented undergraduate students."
Yang Shuwen couldn't help but ask: "Compared to Lin Zhixia and them, who is stronger?"
Tan Qianche still put his arm around his shoulders: "Some students are very smart, but they may not like to do academic research..."
On the podium, Lin Zhixia continued, "I am fortunate to be selected as a representative of this year's outstanding graduates to speak on stage. First of all, I would like to thank my alma mater for its cultivation and for providing me with a good growth environment. Secondly, I would like to say that I have also experienced several periods of confusion. From childhood to adulthood, I have always ranked first in exams. In the four years of middle school, my science scores were basically full marks... After entering university, I encountered many difficulties in my studies. My calculation formula was wrong, the experiment failed, and the chip material I designed was pending. For a long time, I did not publish a single paper. I was anxious, irritable, nervous, and insomniac. For the first time, I felt that I was wasting resources. I realized that I was so afraid of failure."
There was silence.
She raised her voice: "The goal I set initially was wrong. Later, I finally figured it out. What standard should I use to evaluate myself? I should use my own experience and accumulation. This is a three-dimensional standard. Under this standard, failure and success are both polyhedrons. Because everyone makes mistakes, the number of failures may be greater than the number of successes, and life is a continuous process. The value of a certain experience will change over time. Our hope is eternal and precious, and it will accompany us on the unknown road forward."
At this point, she looked at the audience and said, "I sincerely wish you all to stay forever young, always determined, and realize all the possibilities in your dreams..."
Yang Shuwen thought Lin Zhixia had finished her speech. He led the applause and shouted, "Genius!"
Before he finished speaking, many classmates turned their heads to look at him.
Lin Zhixia remained motionless.
Yang Shuwen finally realized that the speech was not over yet, Lin Zhixia still had something to say. He seemed to have accidentally disrupted the rhythm of Lin Zhixia's speech. After all, except for him, no one in the audience applauded.
The light was dim at the back of the auditorium, and Yang Shuwen really wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl in. He turned to face the exit, but Tan Qianche held his shoulder.
At this time, Lin Zhixia suddenly said: "I have always believed that thoughts are a precious wealth that creates the meaning of life, and meaning cannot be measured. It involves everyone. If I am a genius, all my classmates are geniuses. I hope that after leaving our alma mater, we can continue to pursue equality, self-confidence, and hope for many years to come."
"Can we applaud this time?" Yang Shuwen asked.
He didn't hear Tan Qianche's answer clearly, as their voices were drowned out by the applause in the auditorium.
Lin Zhixia bowed to everyone.
It was not until this moment that Tan Qianche remembered what Lin Zhixia had said before - she said that she had grown up.
Lin Zhixia left the podium lightly. She counted the major events of her college years in her mind. She experienced a laboratory explosion, earned a fortune by writing software, and published three papers. Most importantly, her understanding of herself and others became clearer and clearer.
Lin Zhixia walked down the stairs and walked through the corridor. None of her classmates were there. There were only seniors from the fourth year.
She saw Luo Ying, Yang Shuwen, Tan Qianche... They all applauded her without exception. The sound was like a high-pitched song, and she followed the rhythm of each step without stopping.
Unlike in primary and middle school, Lin Zhixia is no longer afraid of separation. She knows that every experience has a beginning and an end, and every reluctance to leave will turn into joy of reunion.
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