On September 1, 2005, the Provincial No. 1 Middle School officially opened.
In late summer and early autumn, there is still some lingering heat.
Lin Zhixia walked through the shade of the trees on the street, chattering, "Brother, brother, you are in the second grade this semester, but you still didn't get into the competition class. Why is that, brother? I heard that there are very few places in the second grade competition class and the competition is very fierce. Brother was just a little bit away from being admitted. Do you want to accept my tutoring? I have read many competition exercise books. I can make a detailed review plan for brother and make him the top student in the second grade. By then, the Provincial No. 1 Middle School will be the world of our Lin family!"
The brother finally turned around and looked at her: "I'm begging you, Lin Zhixia, can you be quiet for a while? You never stop talking."
"Why do we have to keep quiet? Why can't we talk? We are walking on the street, not sitting in a classroom." Lin Zhixia retorted reasonably.
My brother's birthday is in January. In a few months, he will be fourteen years old. He is much taller than Lin Zhixia, so it is a bit difficult for him to talk to her.
He simply bent down, looked at Lin Zhixia, and discussed with her: "After you go to school, you can't tell others that I am your brother."
"Why?" Lin Zhixia asked sternly.
Lin Zeqiu acted dictatorially: "Why are there so many problems? There is no reason. Don't call me brother in school, just call me Lin Zeqiu."
"Lin Zeqiu," Lin Zhixia said angrily, "I grew up with you. My mom and dad are also your mom and dad, so why can't I call you that in school? Just because I'm in junior high school, do we no longer have to be brother and sister?"
Lin Zeqiu carried a schoolbag slung over one shoulder. His hands were in his trouser pockets, and his shadow looked slender and straight. His attitude was cold and indifferent, as if he was talking to himself: "Lin Zhixia, you are ten years old, don't keep pestering me, I am very annoyed."
In fact, he has said "Don't bother me" many times since he was a child.
But this time, Lin Zhixia seemed to take it seriously.
"I won't look for you again," she said.
She ran towards the bus stop. Lin Zeqiu called her, but she ignored him and didn't even turn around to look at him.
It was seven o'clock in the morning, rush hour, and the bus was packed with passengers, shoulder to shoulder. Lin Zhixia finally squeezed through the door.
Lin Zeqiu got into the car behind her. She found a place to stand in the car. Lin Zeqiu held the hanging ring tightly with his left hand and held Lin Zhixia's shoulders with his right hand.
He wanted to say something, but didn't know how to start.
In the noisy and crowded carriage, private space is compressed.
There was even a classmate of Lin Zeqiu on the bus. He was a boy wearing glasses and carrying a square-shaped buckled school bag. He shouted, "Lin Zeqiu! Hey? Are you taking the bus to school today?"
Lin Zeqiu likes to ride a bicycle. However, Lin Zhixia doesn't like it. In order to take care of his sister, Lin Zeqiu can only accompany her to school by car.
He and Lin Zhixia were already at loggerheads. He chose not to answer any questions involving Lin Zhixia.
The boy wearing glasses struggled to squeeze next to Lin Zeqiu and asked him, "Lin Zeqiu, have you finished your summer homework?"
"I've already finished writing," Lin Zeqiu said nonchalantly, "I have to collect homework in the morning. If you want to copy my homework, I'm afraid it's too late."
Lin Zeqiu is the math representative in their class. Lin Zeqiu has excellent grades, a cheerful personality, and a handsome appearance. His only shortcoming is that he never allows anyone to copy his homework.
The boy with glasses got the expected answer. He raised his hand to push up his glasses and asked, "Lin Zeqiu, how was your result in the 2004 competition class selection last semester?"
"Not so good," Lin Zeqiu said honestly, "I didn't pass the exam."
When Lin Zeqiu was chatting with the male classmate, Lin Zhixia slipped under his arm and went somewhere else. He immediately turned around and shouted, "Where are you going?"
"None of your business." Lin Zhixia replied.
Lin Zhixia tied her hair into a ponytail, wearing a white cotton short-sleeved shirt and light blue denim shorts. When she went out this morning, she happily told her brother that she was a junior high school student. But now, she didn't want to talk to Lin Zeqiu at all.
The boy wearing glasses noticed Lin Zhixia and couldn't help asking, "Who is she? Which class is she from?"
"She's from the first grade," Lin Zeqiu said in a very cautious way, "She's a junior from the first grade competition class."
Her brother actually described her as a "junior girl from the first grade competition class"! This description made Lin Zhixia's anger grow. She didn't know why her brother suddenly rejected her so much and even denied their blood relationship.
Since her brother has declared war on her, Lin Zhixia will not give in easily, nor will she ask for mercy easily.
She immediately turned around and greeted them: "Hello, seniors. I am a freshman in the competition class this year."
Lin Zeqiu's facial expression changed. He raised his eyebrows, slightly tightened his jaw, and looked out the car window.
The bus was driving smoothly, and the scenery outside the window kept changing. The trees on the roadside quickly receded, and Lin Zeqiu looked into the distance and saw the iconic building of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School.
The announcement on the train began: "Hello, passengers, this is the Provincial No. 1 Middle School, we have arrived..."
Lin Zeqiu was stunned for a moment, then turned to look for Lin Zhixia. But she had already run away. She mixed in with a group of junior high school and high school students, and walked with them to the gate of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School.
Lin Zeqiu did not chase her.
He stood still at the bus stop. After a while, he took a step forward.
Lin Zhixia was walking in the huge campus with her schoolbag on her back. She was assigned to the Grade 17 class, and Jiang Yubai and Duan Qiyan were her classmates. Before the start of school, the head teacher assigned them summer homework and said that on the first day of school, they would be assigned seats, set rules, and establish class spirit.
Lin Zhixia had a vague premonition.
She found her way to the door of Grade 17 and peeked in. There were more than a dozen students in the class, and they were either whispering or reading quietly. There was no excitement or craziness like Grade 41.
Jiang Yubai sat at the corner of the last row. The seat next to him was still empty. Lin Zhixia was afraid that someone would snatch it from her, so she rushed into the classroom and occupied that seat in a flash.
"Good morning." Jiang Yubai said to her.
Lin Zhixia was very happy: "Good morning! Jiang Jiang Jiang Jiang Yu Bai!"
Jiang Yubai responded as usual: "Lin Lin Lin Lin Zhi Xia."
Lin Zhixia put down her schoolbag and took out a notebook as thick as a brick. The cover was tied with a beautiful cross bow and a red strawberry greeting card was sandwiched between it. She held the notebook in both hands and handed it to Jiang Yubai solemnly: "This is for you. Happy birthday, Jiang Yubai."
Jiang Yubai's birthday is August 31st.
Lin Zhixia spent the entire summer vacation recording this notebook. She summarized the common test questions in junior high school math and physics competitions, made the table of contents and page numbers by herself, and also added some relevant content about the high school Olympic competitions. She has clear thinking and careful logic, and her problem-solving methods are concise, quick, and representative.
Jiang Yubai had just turned a page when he noticed Lin Zhixia's solid foundation and...her dedicated help to her good friends.
Then, Jiang Yubai opened the red strawberry greeting card. The inside of the greeting card was also printed with strawberries, which showed how deeply Lin Zhixia was obsessed with strawberries.
She wrote on the card with a red ballpoint pen: Jiang Yubai, I wish you a happy tenth birthday! We have known each other for a year without realizing it. Before you transferred to Experimental Primary School, I often went to play with others after class, but few people took the initiative to play with me. After you transferred here, my recess games and activity classes became more colorful. The "Exploring the Universe" comic series brought me a lot of happiness, and I also understood what a good friend forever is. Jiang Yubai, I hope you are healthy and happy, your studies go well, and you have good luck every day. I hope that everything you expect in the future will develop in the best direction. I wish our friendship will last forever - Lin Zhixia.
Lin Zhixia has a beautiful handwriting. She often uses a very neat handwriting, which shows her sincerity on a birthday card.
"Thank you," Jiang Yubai put the greeting card into his notebook, "Thank you very much, Lin Zhixia."
Lin Zhixia said generously: "You're welcome!"
Jiang Yubai slowly turned the pages. The dense handwriting and clear and regular graphics shocked him. He almost forgot the word "competitor" and just asked, "Lin Zhixia, how long did you write?"
"Take some time every day during the entire summer vacation. You know, it's more difficult to make questions than to solve them." Lin Zhixia clasped his hands.
The summer vacation lasts for more than two months.
This notebook accompanied her through the long summer.
She also told Jiang Yubai: "I went to the provincial library and found the answers to the junior high school competition questions. I wrote a complete set of examples and question type summaries in a relatively simple way. The essence of the exam is a sampling survey. As long as you prepare well according to the catalog index, no matter how the test setter tests you, you will be able to get a high score."
"I learned it." Jiang Yubai nodded.
"Yeah!" Lin Zhixia also nodded.
Logically, this precious notebook is like a secret manual in a martial arts novel. Jiang Yubai got it without any effort, so he should be very excited and happy. However, in reality, Jiang Yubai felt a little regretful. If he could get a higher score in the entrance examination for the competition class, maybe Lin Zhixia would not have to spend the entire summer vacation to find out the missing points for him.
"Didn't you go out to play during the summer vacation?" Jiang Yubai looked at her.
"No," Lin Zhixia said honestly, "Mom and Dad both have to look after the store, so they won't take my brother and me out to play during the summer vacation. The temperature is very high this summer, and I feel a little hot at home..."
However, Lin Zhixia has a good way to cool down.
She would put the ice packs in the freezer overnight, and then take them out the next day and pile them in a plastic basin. Then, she would place the basin on a small stool and blow the electric fan at the basin. She would sit in the cool breeze and calmly read, draw, and play games.
Jiang Yubai couldn't imagine Lin Zhixia's summer vacation life. This summer, Jiang Yubai went on vacation to Changbai Mountain with his parents. He skied, rode horses, and learned shooting in the resort.
He opened his schoolbag and took out an exquisite gift box.
"Dried blueberries, a specialty of Changbai Mountain," he introduced.
"Is this for me?" Lin Zhixia asked him.
"Who else can I give it to if not you?" Jiang Yubai stuffed the gift box into her hands.
Lin Zhixia was a little hesitant: "But I have accepted a lot of things from you. Jiang Yubai, I don't think this is a good idea."
"This is a return gift," Jiang Yubai said sarcastically, "You gave me a greeting card and a notebook, and I gave you dried blueberries. It's a normal exchange of favors."
As Jiang Yubai spoke, he put his notebook, greeting card, and ribbon into his schoolbag.
Suddenly, there was a sound of footsteps outside the door of Grade 17 Class.
The head teacher, Mr. Zhang, rushed to the door in a hurry.
Teacher Zhang is about 30 years old, holding a thick lesson plan under his arm. He is tall and thin, wearing silver-framed glasses. He quickly jumped onto the podium and said, "Hello, students. I am the head teacher of the seventh grade class. My name is Zhang Lixiong. I will get to know every student in the class as soon as possible and remember your names and appearances."
Duan Qiyan, who was sitting in the front row, led the applause.
Zhang Lixiong raised his hand to suppress the applause. He continued to introduce himself, "I have taught two competition classes, and each class has achieved very good results. There are two competition classes in our grade, in addition to Class 17, there is also Class 18. Class 18 is our brother class, but you must remember that brothers also have closeness. Your usual monthly exams, midterm exams, joint exams and competition results will be compared with Class 18. Everyone should not only pay attention to study, but also pay attention to venting emotions in time and not put too much pressure on yourself. The fact that you can sit here, sit in Class 17, and listen to me speak, shows that you are good students selected from a hundred. Do you remember?"
The whole class answered in unison: "Remember!"
Lin Zhixia whispered, "Hey, Teacher Zhang is very thoughtful. He advises students to relieve their emotions and not to be stressed."
Jiang Yubai's biggest concern is: "Will he arrange seats?"
Jiang Yubai's voice was a little loud, and the students in the front row heard it, as did Teacher Zhang.
In the brightly lit classroom, desks and chairs were neatly arranged, and the blackboard was bright and reflective. Teacher Zhang took a step forward, and his shadow fell on the blackboard. He said to the whole class: "When I first became a class teacher, parents often called me and asked me to move their children to a certain position. There are 36 people in our class. How can we arrange the seats in the most fair way? I came up with a solution."
After saying that, Teacher Zhang pulled out a report card.
"This is the score sheet for our Grade 17 class placement test." Teacher Zhang stretched out a finger and flicked the paper.
Lin Zhixia had already guessed what Teacher Zhang was going to do. She nervously grabbed the desk with both hands and made a wish in her heart: I must sit at the same table with Jiang Yubai.
Teacher Zhang continued, "You all go out and stand outside the classroom. I will call you in one by one according to your ranking on the report card. When you enter the classroom, choose your seat and deskmate according to your preferences! As long as you can rank among the top, you can sit wherever you want! The scores you get on the test are the most fair judging standard."
Jiang Yubai frowned slightly.
He ranks ninth in the class...his seat is a bit unsettled.
Lin Zhixia was angry: "Teacher Zhang just told us not to feel pressured, but he takes grades so seriously, how can students not feel pressured?"
Oh, it's hard for her. Jiang Yubai thought, she actually stood in the perspective of ordinary students and considered the "study pressure" for them.
Following Teacher Zhang's order, all the students in Grade 17 picked up their schoolbags and walked out of the classroom.
Today the sky was clear and cloudless, but the U-shaped teaching building cut the sky into a square. Lin Zhixia leaned against the railing and looked up at the sky. The head teacher called out loudly, "First place, Lin Zhixia, go in and choose a good seat."
Lin Zhixia chose the position she had just left.
She also put her schoolbag on the seat next to her to reserve a seat for Jiang Yubai.
The head teacher, Mr. Zhang, continued reading, "Second place, Shen Fuxuan! Third place, Duan Qiyan..."
Duan Qiyan stepped into the classroom. He was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and carrying a black schoolbag. He walked towards Lin Zhixia without hesitation. He gently tapped Lin Zhixia's desk and said to her, "Stand up and make way. I want to sit next to you."
Lin Zhixia hugged her schoolbag tightly and looked at him warily.
"I won't let you do that," she said bluntly, "I don't want to sit at the same table with you."
Duan Qiyan looked very embarrassed. He spread out his five fingers, and his slender finger bones pressed against the table. He bent down slightly and whispered, "Hey, I had a quarrel with you, and I didn't know you that day. Now you are my deskmate, and we are a strong team. Your classmate named Jiang Yubai is six places lower than me, and you still want to be his deskmate?"
"I don't care about the ranking." Lin Zhixia replied.
What's more, in her eyes, there is no difference between Duan Qiyan and Jiang Yubai's academic performance.
The entrance exam for the competition class consists of two written tests and one interview. The difficulty of the second written test is extremely high, reaching the level of the high school Olympic mathematics competition, and strictly tests the psychological quality of students. Most of the students did a terrible job on the test, and Duan Qiyan was no exception.
Lin Zhixia thinks that Duan Qiyan shouldn't laugh at Jiang Yubai, let alone try to sit at the same table with her.
She said, "By the way, Duan Qiyan, you made a bet with Jiang Yubai, do you remember? You have to call him Teacher Jiang, you can't go back on your word."
Duan Qiyan remembered the bet. That cruel agreement was like a brand that lingered in his mind, bothering him for the entire summer vacation and forcing him to come to Lin Zhixia to negotiate.
Duan Qiyan thought that if he and Lin Zhixia were deskmates for a while and learned some experience, he would be able to make up for his past shame. He lowered his attitude: "You are not a slacker, Lin Zhixia, you study very hard, right? You study late into the night, right? I understand you, Lin Zhixia, we are the same kind of people."
"No," Lin Zhixia said, "You are not."
She stood up, walked around him, and ran to the other group.
The head teacher has already called out: "Ninth place, Jiang Yubai."
Jiang Yubai walked into the classroom with his schoolbag slung over his shoulder. He and Lin Zhixia sat in the last row of the first group, successfully maintaining a stable deskmate relationship. Jiang Yubai also glanced at Duan Qiyan. The two boys exchanged glances, and the atmosphere became tense.
Teacher Zhang, the homeroom teacher, stood at the front of the classroom and announced: "Students, you must remember that after each midterm exam, I will read the report card again and let you choose your seats freely. If you want to sit in a good seat and pick a good deskmate, it is useless to ask me or your parents for help. You can only rely on yourself! This is the style of our Class 17!"
Teacher Zhang's original intention was to encourage students to work hard and get higher scores.
However, another idea popped up in Lin Zhixia's mind. She said excitedly: "Jiang Yubai, Jiang Yubai, I can try to get a ranking close to yours. For example, I can get eighth place, so that we can go to the classroom together! If I make a few more mistakes in the next test, we will be almost the same."
The long-lost sense of humiliation brought by competitors enveloped Jiang Yubai deeply. As expected, he should not relax and fly to Changbai Mountain for a vacation for two whole months. Skiing, skating, horse riding, and shooting are all fun, but he needs to create more value in his life.
A few minutes ago, Jiang Yubai stood at the door, watching Duan Qiyan approach Lin Zhixia, and suddenly realized a truth - the competition class is a place that emphasizes strength. The class status and honor are determined by strength.
He set a small goal for himself - to surpass Duan Qiyan.
On the podium, the head teacher, Mr. Zhang, was still announcing the list of class leaders. His method of selecting class leaders was also very simple, that is, to rank them in order of their grades. The first one, Lin Zhixia, was the class monitor, the second one, Shen Fuxuan, was the math class representative... and so on, Jiang Yubai became the history class representative.
After all this hassle, the 45-minute class was over.
Teacher Zhang looked at the whole class and said with satisfaction: "Okay, our first class meeting ends here. In the next class, I will correct the math test papers for the competition class selection exam. The first test paper is very simple, all routine questions, and the second set is more difficult. Let's go through it in detail... Our class textbooks haven't arrived yet. Tomorrow morning, class monitor Lin Zhixia, you take a few boys to the printing room to pick up the textbooks. Don't forget."
Lin Zhixia nodded immediately.
Teacher Zhang grabbed the lesson plan and strode out of the classroom.
More than 30 students in the class were active in the various groups, introducing themselves to each other. Soon, a few brave students came to Lin Zhixia's side and asked tentatively: "Are you Lin Zhixia? The one with the highest test score in the class?"
"It's me." Lin Zhixia admitted.
Another male classmate asked Jiang Yubai in a coy manner: "You... came to school this morning, and I saw your car..."
"Aston Martin." Lin Zhixia answered for him.
Jiang Yubai corrected her: "Today is a Land Rover off-road trip."
Although these two students, one rich and one strong, who skipped a grade, sat in the most remote corner, they inevitably attracted the attention of the whole class.
Even Shen Fuxuan stood behind Jiang Yubai's seat.
Shen Fuxuan ranked second in the class in terms of total grades, and he was also fair-skinned and handsome. But he was a busybody. He wanted to stir up trouble, so he shouted, "Duan Qiyan! The number one warrior in the Normal School Elementary School! You lost to Lin Zhixia, you have to bow and call me Teacher Jiang on the podium! Duan Qiyan, you made a bet with Jiang Yubai in front of the classroom door. You all forgot, but I didn't."
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