Jiang Yubai is a distinguished QQ member with distinguished privileges. He is pinned to the top of the friend panel by the QQ system. His online name "Jiang Jiang Jiang Jiang" is displayed in a striking red color. Whenever Lin Zhixia looks at the contact list, she will be completely attracted by Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai's QQ signature consists of only four words: Binary System.
Lin Zhixia understood his deep meaning. She suddenly didn't want to type anymore. She wanted to listen to Jiang Yubai talk. So, she sent a video chat request, and Jiang Yubai accepted it without saying a word.
It was not until this moment that Lin Zhixia remembered that Jiang Yubai had never seen her room.
Lin Zhixia immediately turned her head to check if her bedroom was clean and tidy. Last night, her brother mopped the floor and wiped her bookcase. The camera captured the scene of the room, which made her feel satisfied.
Jiang Yubai was sitting in a study. Behind him was a huge French window, and outside the window was a neat and flat green lawn. The afterglow of the setting sun penetrated the glass and sprinkled on his body, making him look a little unreal.
He and Lin Zhixia put on headphones at the same time. Lin Zhixia said to the microphone: "How are you doing in school?"
Jiang Yubai answered Lin Zhixia's questions in detail. He said that there were only eleven students in their class. He discussed his future plans with his teacher on the first day of school and decided on his high school course selection. He was also planning to join the school's golf team. In the first half of next year, he would participate in the National EICS Challenge... and so on.
Lin Zhixia couldn't help but ask, "Did you make new friends?"
Jiang Yubai said: "I'm not sure."
Lin Zhixia asked tentatively: "Are you not sure... whether the new classmate you met is your friend?"
Jiang Yubai answered briefly: "Yes."
Lin Zhixia unconsciously raised her fingers and quietly placed them on the desk. At this time, Jiang Yubai turned around and asked her, "Who is your new deskmate?"
Lin Zhixia replied honestly: "Tang Tingting is my deskmate. Shen Fuxuan and Han Peng sit behind me. By the way, Jin Baihui is also my classmate. I am currently a student in Class 1 (27) of Senior High School."
Jiang Yubai seemed a little nervous: "Did Jin Baihui cause you trouble?"
Lin Zhixia reached out and grabbed her little penguin. She held the little penguin in her arms, looking very relaxed, and chatted casually with Jiang Yu: "No. In today's class meeting, the head teacher asked each of us to stand up and introduce ourselves. Jin Baihui said that she wanted to be admitted to Tsinghua University's Yao Class and promote the development of human science. I think she is a very pure person. She has a firm goal and doesn't care how others evaluate her..."
Jiang Yubai sat forward a little, closer to the camera. He asked, "Do you care about the outside world's evaluation?"
Lin Zhixia didn't respond. She thought carefully and admitted, "I care."
Then, she said frankly, "I don't have the mental toughness of Jin Baihui. So, I haven't accepted any interviews from any media until now. I don't want to be exposed to the public."
Jiang Yubai discussed this issue with her: "You did the right thing. Attention and discussion are both double-edged swords."
"Yes," Lin Zhixia said calmly, "I don't have any research results worth mentioning yet. I am still groping forward on the academic path."
Jiang Yubai encouraged her: "You have a very good start."
Lin Zhixia leaned back in her chair, hugging a plush penguin. She spoke her heart out to Jiang Yubai: "Jiang Yubai, in the past two years... you know, I joined the national training team and participated in some international competitions. I got to know students from various countries and regions. I developed some new perspectives."
Jiang Yubai clasped his hands together, and acted as if he was willing to hear more details: "What's your opinion?"
Lin Zhixia's fingers flicked the little penguin's wings from time to time. She said: "Although teachers and classmates often praise me, I feel that I just compressed the learning process."
Jiang Yubai cited a real-life example: "My father invested in an e-commerce company in Beijing, and they are currently working on database compression."
Lin Zhixia suddenly became excited: "Database compression?"
"Database compression technology," Jiang Yubai described, "can save storage space."
Lin Zhixia slowly sat up in her chair: "But, as I recall, the efficiency of current database compression technology doesn't seem to be very high."
Jiang Yubai got to the point: "If the compression efficiency is increased by one percentage, the results will be obvious."
Lin Zhixia suddenly realized: "I understand. Are you trying to compliment me, saying that my brain is like a compressed database? Many times more powerful than others?"
Jiang Yubai was still thinking about his plan. He was going to help Lin Zhixia build up strong self-confidence and let her clearly realize how strong her talent was. However, after he had just said two sentences, Lin Zhixia guessed what he was thinking.
Lin Zhixia sighed, "Jiang Yubai, you are so nice. You compliment me in such a roundabout way... When I chat with you, I feel very relaxed. It seems like I can tell you anything."
Jiang Yubai lowered his head and laughed, not knowing what he was laughing at.
Lin Zhixia put the little penguin on her lap. She faced the computer screen and made a solemn agreement: "Every evening at six o'clock, if you are online, I will video chat with you. It will only be ten minutes. Okay?"
Jiang Yubai asked her: "Why only chat for ten minutes?"
Lin Zhixia said reasonably: "I don't want to disturb your studies. I heard that it is still difficult to get into Cambridge University. If I take up too much of your time and delay your study progress, so that you can't get into Cambridge, I will feel very guilty."
Jiang Yubai didn't expect Lin Zhixia to have such concerns.
He was not at all flustered, and said calmly, "I have two years to prepare."
"Yes," Lin Zhixia looked forward to the future with him, "In the fall of 2010, you will submit your application and receive an acceptance letter."
Jiang Yubai suddenly realized that if his plan could be carried out smoothly, he would go to college at the age of 16. Of course, Lin Zhixia entered school earlier than him, and she would become a glorious college student at the age of 14.
Jiang Yubai thought for a moment and asked her, "Do you plan to participate in the competition this year?"
Lin Zhixia answered carefully: "It depends on the situation. I haven't made up my mind yet."
She smiled at the screen and said, "You are going to participate in the North American Economics Challenge. I can practice with you. In order to establish the economic background of "Exploring the Universe", I read a lot of books in the library."
Jiang Yubai recalled that experience. At that time, he asked his father questions every day and then put economic theories into the plot of the comics.
Lin Zhixia wanted to say a few words to Jiang Yubai, but her mother's voice came from outside the bedroom door: "Xia Xia, Qiu Qiu, the meal is ready, you two come over for dinner."
Lin Zhixia took off her headphones, and her mother called out again: "Xia Xia, Qiu Qiu, stop studying. It's so uncomfortable to study on an empty stomach. Come and eat. The food won't taste good if it gets cold."
"I'm going to eat." Lin Zhixia told Jiang Yubai.
Jiang Yubai typed two words in the chat window: "OK."
Lin Zhixia replied with a cute smiley face and said to him, "I'm offline. Bye." She closed the chat window, logged out of her QQ account, put on a pair of pink plush slippers, and ran happily to the living room.
Lin Zhixia's online name is "Summer Strawberry", and Jiang Yubai changed her note to "Xia Xia". Now, "Xia Xia" has become "offline".
Jiang Yubai's fingers rolled the mouse and browsed through the chat history between him and Lin Zhixia. Then, he turned off the computer, opened his schoolbag, and previewed tomorrow's lessons.
There was a gentle knock on the front door of the study. He looked up and saw his uncle and grandfather.
Grandpa was wearing comfortable home clothes. He had white hair, which was neatly combed, and his eyes were bright. The expression on his face and his voice did not look old. He said to Jiang Yubai, "You study very hard."
My uncle immediately responded: "When my elder brother and I were young, we studied very hard. This is our family tradition."
Grandpa turned around and looked at him, calling his full name: "Does your left hand still hurt, Jiang Shaoqi?"
Some time ago, Jiang Shaoqi's orchestra went to the UK to participate in the Glastonbury Festival. After the festival ended, the orchestra rushed to many venues in Europe. Jiang Shaoqi worked intensively for four consecutive months. Jiang Shaoqi relied on his young age and did not mind the tight schedule, but unfortunately, he developed symptoms of tendonitis and had to suspend all arrangements.
Jiang Shaoqi was like a balloon with its skin punctured. He said with a guilty conscience, "It doesn't hurt, it's just a minor problem."
Jiang Yubai stood up and walked in front of Jiang Shaoqi: "Lao Yihe, uncle."
Jiang Shaoqi looked at him for a moment and said with emotion: "Our little Jiang has grown up a lot. After not seeing him for a few months, Xiao Jiang has grown taller and more handsome. Xiao Jiang has such a handsome appearance that I knew he was our child at first sight."
Jiang Yubai responded politely, "Thank you." He also said, "Appearance is fleeting, the content is the most important."
Grandpa recited a poem: "A white-robed dog has no fixed state, but unpolished jade and gold have fixed postures."
The white-clad canine has no fixed behavior, but the unpolished jade and gold have fixed postures - this poem was written by Qin Guan, a writer in the Song Dynasty.
Jiang Yubai and his grandfather talked about Qin Guan's life experience, and Jiang Shaoqi was confused and couldn't even get a word in. Jiang Shaoqi could only follow behind his father and his nephew and walked to the restaurant with them. As they walked, Jiang Shaoqi felt that something was wrong.
Jiang Shaoqi's father asked, "Shaoqi, what do you think of your nephew?"
Jiang Shaoqi quickly expressed his opinion: "My nephew? I've said it before, Xiao Jiang is a handsome man with outstanding abilities in all aspects. My eldest brother has spent a lot of effort over the past ten years to educate his son well, and it's all worth it."
His father added: "When your elder brother was your age, there was already Jiang Yubai in the family."
Jiang Yubai suddenly heard his name but didn't say anything. He knew that his grandfather was urging his uncle to find a partner, fall in love, get married and have children.
Seeing his uncle's embarrassed, frustrated, helpless and ashamed expression, Jiang Yubai decided to lend a hand. Jiang Yubai slowly sat down at the table and said casually: "A forced melon is not sweet. Marriage and childbirth depend on fate."
Before Jiang Yubai could finish his sentence, his uncle and grandfather were staring at him.
Uncle burst out laughing. Jiang Yubai still insisted on his point of view: "Grandpa, don't rush uncle. Uncle is already 18 years old. He is an adult and has the right to choose."
The uncle praised him endlessly: "Xiao Jiang, your uncle's love for you is worth it. You are so young, but you know so much. You are worthy of being a good child in our family."
Grandpa thought quickly and found another way: "Such a good child, don't you want to raise one yourself?"
The uncle argued: "My eldest brother has a child, and our Jiang family has an heir. Why should I raise the child myself? Besides, I must have a girlfriend first."
Grandpa stopped eating and whispered to him, "Where is your girlfriend? Your mother and I haven't seen a single hair on her."
Uncle blushed: "Dad, I've been traveling all over the world these years. I don't have time to care about my girlfriend and children. Do you know how fierce the competition is in a band? I went through so much hardship back then..."
My grandfather actually asked back: "Do you know how much sponsorship I have received for your company?"
Grandpa held the bowl in his left hand and the chopsticks in his right hand, picking up a spring roll and putting it in the bowl. His behavior was elegant and gentle, but his words just now were like throwing a bomb into the water. Jiang Shaoqi was blown out of the water by his father and asked hurriedly: "Have you donated money to our company?"
Grandpa spoke in a steady tone and calm breath: "Do you think it is easy to become famous? You became the first violinist at the age of 23, all thanks to your personal efforts? When you were young, you had some talent and interest, so your mother and I invited performers from Germany to teach you. I hired a teacher to watch you practice for ten hours every day... How can you raise a child without worrying about it?"
Jiang Shaoqi spread out a napkin, took a deep breath, and then said, "Dad, you're giving me a headache."
Jiang Yubai helped his uncle again: "It is the responsibility of parents to educate their children. If a person does not want to take responsibility, then he cannot bring a child into this world for the time being. Uncle has achieved success in his career, and Grandpa cannot blame him."
Jiang Yubai challenged his grandfather's authority face to face, but his grandfather was not angry. He was very pleased and said, "Your father has brought you up very well."
After this, Grandpa never questioned Uncle again. Grandpa told Uncle that he was urging him to get married, and then he left it alone. He told Jiang Shaoqi to rest well, take good care of his injuries, treat the recovery period as a vacation, and not to think about trivial matters such as work for the time being.
Jiang Shaoqi readily agreed and ate very slowly. While eating, he thought that the medical conditions in Beijing were better than those in the provincial capital. He stayed in Beijing to recuperate and take care of his nephew's studies. This was considered as fulfilling his uncle's duty and accumulating experience for himself to become a qualified father in the future. It was also a good thing. When his nephew grew up, he could pass on his valuable experience to him.
Thinking of this, Jiang Shaoqi felt a little better.
The next morning, Jiang Shaoqi took the initiative to offer to take Jiang Yubai to school.
Jiang Shaoqi couldn't drive in his current condition. He sat in the back seat of the car with Jiang Yubai. After the driver started the car, Jiang Shaoqi asked about Jiang Yubai's campus life and his friendships.
Jiang Yubai revealed that his friendship situation is similar to when he was studying in Singapore.
Jiang Shaoqi understood and sighed, "Friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water." Then he asked, "Xiao Jiang, are you still in touch with your junior high school classmates? Did Lin Zhixia, who has a very high IQ, call you during this period?"
Jiang Yubai said honestly: "Yesterday evening, I had a video chat with her on QQ."
Jiang Shaoqi was a little shocked: "You have such a good relationship with her."
Jiang Yubai did not respond. The car sped along the wide road. Jiang Yubai silently looked out the window. The skyscrapers that rose from the ground reminded him of the buildings near the Provincial No. 1 Middle School. He was distracted for a while until Jiang Shaoqi called him, "Xiao Jiang, get off the car. Oh, the gate of your school is really magnificent. Are there any of your classmates at the school gate?"
Jiang Yubai glanced and confirmed, "There is a Thai classmate."
"Is he your classmate?" Jiang Shaoqi asked him.
"Yes." Jiang Yubai said coldly.
Jiang Shaoqi was like a kind father, encouraging him gently: "Okay, Xiao Jiang, get off the car and say hello to your Thai classmates. Show your temperament and demeanor in front of your foreign friends."
Jiang Yubai opened the car door and walked straight to the school gate.
His Thai classmate was a 15-year-old girl with pretty appearance, slim figure, a thick ponytail and a bow tied in her hair.
When the Thai student saw Jiang Yubai, he was the first to say "good morning."
Then, she read out the names of the two Chinese characters one by one in her unstandard Chinese: "Jiang, Yu, Bai."
Jiang Yubai was a little embarrassed.
He should have given a polite response. The problem was that he had forgotten the real name of the Thai girl. Thai names are very difficult to remember, and he didn't have Lin Zhixia's memory, so he could only vaguely muddle through.
Jiang Shaoqi saw his nephew chatting with a Thai girl, and his nephew had a thoughtful expression on his face. Jiang Shaoqi couldn't help but say to himself: "Distance is the biggest obstacle."
The driver in the front seat didn't hear what he said clearly. He turned around and looked at him. He only felt that the atmosphere was depressing, so he asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing," Jiang Shaoqi whispered, "Let's go to the hospital first and pick up Xiao Jiang at noon."
Jiang Shaoqi thought that Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia were thousands of miles apart and would gradually lose contact.
Jiang Shaoqi looks back on his life of more than 20 years. He has experienced countless separations. In most cases, he didn't know that after parting with certain people, he would never see them again in this life.
In September 2008, Jiang Shaoqi stayed at home in Beijing. He lived in the same villa with Jiang Yubai. Jiang Shaoqi occasionally passed by the study room and could always hear Jiang Yubai talking to others, talking about everything without any scruples... Jiang Shaoqi then discovered that Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia would chat on QQ video between 6pm and 6:10pm every evening. Then, starting at 7pm, the two of them would open QQ video again, keep quiet, and study together under each other's supervision.
At the end of September, Jiang Yubai proposed to go back to the provincial capital. His grandfather thought he was homesick and approved it immediately. Only Jiang Shaoqi suspected that Jiang Yubai took a plane to the provincial capital overnight not only because he was homesick.
At 8:00 pm on September 30, the plane landed at the provincial capital airport. Jiang Yubai's mother drove to pick him up in person. On the way home, his mother asked Jiang Yubai many questions, including whether he was used to Beijing and whether he was happy with his classmates.
Jiang Yubai's international high school pursues a "small class teaching" model. There are only eleven students in their class, six of whom are not Chinese. Those students come from wealthy families in Thailand, South Korea, Singapore and other places. Frankly speaking, most of the classmates Jiang Yubai met in high school are very friendly. He gets along well with them. However, his best friend is still Lin Zhixia.
He and Lin Zhixia agreed to meet at the provincial library on October 2nd.
On October 2nd, at 4:10 in the morning, Lin Zhixia suddenly woke up.
The light in the room was dim and it was not yet daybreak.
The plush penguin was held in Lin Zhixia's arms. The walls were light pink and she was covered with a soft quilt. She was immersed in the warm and safe environment. Just as she was about to close her eyes and sleep for a while, she suddenly felt a cramp in her stomach, so painful that she couldn't even scream.
Lin Zhixia was extremely panicked.
As soon as she recovered from the pain, she opened the door and shouted, "Mom, Mom, my stomach hurts so much..."
Mom, Dad and my brother were all awakened from their sleep.
The mother put on her coat and walked barefoot to Lin Zhixia's bedroom door. Lin Zhixia wrapped herself tightly in the quilt and curled up on the bed. She was sweating on her forehead, her body was cold, and her abdomen felt heavy and dropped, which made her temporarily lose the ability to think. She could only hold her breath to barely relieve the pain.
What's going on?
It could be appendicitis.
Lin Zhixia ate a full bowl of rice last night. Does she have to go to the hospital to have her tailbone cut today?
Fear turned into a dark cloud, hanging over Lin Zhixia's head. She was deeply worried about her fate, and her heart was filled with fear and terror. Her mother touched her head, but asked her father and brother to leave her room.
Lin Zeqiu was so frightened that his face turned pale: "Let's just call 120. She is in so much pain, could it be acute leukemia?"
Dad twisted his ankle and almost fell. He walked quickly to the living room: "Let's take a taxi and go to the Provincial People's Hospital. The Provincial People's Hospital is the best hospital. The 120 emergency department may not be able to send Xia Xia to the Provincial People's Hospital..."
Lin Zeqiu had just gotten up from bed and hadn't put on his clothes yet. He hurriedly found his coat and trousers and stammered, "Dad, you, you take the money and your phone, I'll go to the street to hail a taxi."
While Lin Zeqiu was talking to his father, his mother closed Lin Zhixia's door. His mother sat beside Lin Zhixia's bed and called her by her nickname slowly, "Xia Xia, are you still feeling bad?"
Lin Zhixia replied in a muffled voice: "Mom..."
Mom said, "Xia Xia, can you stand up? Mom will help you go to the toilet and check your pants. You are thirteen years old, it is time for you to have your period. The daughter of Mom's friend had her period when she was twelve."
Lin Zhixia understood that when her mother said "it's coming", she was referring to her first menstruation.
After her mother's reminder, Lin Zhixia realized that her stomach was not the most uncomfortable part. She sat up from the bed and moved a little forward. Her eyes suddenly filled with tears: "I... I soiled the sheets."
Her mother comforted her softly, "It's okay, Xia Xia, I'll change it for you right away."
At this time, Lin Zeqiu came in without knocking and said, "Mom, keep an eye on Lin Zhixia. I'm going to stop a car on the street."
Lin Zhixia immediately covered herself with a quilt. She sat cross-legged on the bed, leaning forward because of abdominal pain, with the quilt covering her head. She was deeply trapped in the airtight environment. Her mother said to her brother, "Okay, Qiuqiu, stop struggling. You and your father should go back to sleep. Xiaxia is fine."
Lin Zeqiu's breathing stagnated.
He was wearing a pair of flip-flops, a loose vest and boxer shorts. He stood in the living room filled with cold wind, not caring about his disheveled clothes. He just said, "Lin Zhixia is very ill. We have to go to the hospital today. She is very well behaved and has never lied to anyone since she was a child. If she hadn't had a terrible stomachache, she wouldn't have woken us up at four in the morning. Mom and Dad, don't waste time. I'm going to the street to stop a car..."
His mother hurriedly blocked his way out: "Lin Zeqiu, stop wasting time and go back to your room. I've told you that your sister is fine. Mom can see that."
Lin Zeqiu thought that Lin Zhixia was in a bad condition and had to go to the hospital immediately. He almost had a quarrel with his mother.
Mom and Dad whispered a few words to each other. Dad breathed a sigh of relief and turned to persuade his son, but he was too embarrassed to make it too clear.
Dad is sure that the Provincial No. 1 Middle School has implemented sex education and must have popularized knowledge in this area. When he attended a parent-teacher meeting at the Provincial No. 1 Middle School, the head teacher had talked about "Physiological Hygiene and Health Education" and asked parents to pay attention to their children's mental state.
The father pulled his son to the sofa and told him tactfully: "Your sister... has grown up."
These seven words are enough.
Dad couldn't continue.
Lin Zeqiu still didn't understand what his father meant. If he was Lin Zhixia's sister, he would have understood it long ago, but he was Lin Zhixia's brother and had never had any relevant experience. He was puzzled, his thinking became more and more blocked, and his mind was a mess.
Is there any inevitable connection between Lin Zhixia's growing up and her pitiful appearance?
Lin Zeqiu stood up anxiously and paced back and forth in their living room.
Lin Zhixia had just been taken into the bathroom by her mother.
The mother took out a pack of sanitary napkins, opened it in front of Lin Zhixia, and gently handed it to her.
This was the first time that Lin Zhixia touched an unfolded sanitary napkin. And all she could think about was the bed sheet. She would never dirty the bed sheet again... She would definitely pay attention.
Mom walked out of the bathroom, quickly changed Lin Zhixia's bed sheet, and helped Lin Zhixia back to bed. Lin Zhixia wrapped herself tightly in the quilt and asked tearfully, "Mom, this is your first menstrual period...does your stomach hurt too?"
The mother told her daughter honestly: "Some people feel pain, while others do not. You are my daughter, just like me when I was a child. I am sorry for the pain."
Lin Zhixia turned her face to the side with a grievance, and a clean pillowcase was pressed against her cheek. She asked in a low voice: "Do I feel this bad every month?"
"No," Mom stroked her forehead, her hands wet with sweat, "It will be fine after today, Xia Xia, don't be afraid. Mom will fill your hot water bottle and boil some brown sugar and ginger soup for you."
Lin Zhixia said, "Mom, don't go, Mom..." She held her mother's wrist, and at that moment she returned to her childhood. At that time, she was afraid of the dark, ghosts, and aliens who would take her away. Every night, her mother had to coax her to sleep. This situation improved significantly after Lin Zhixia was six years old.
Now she is thirteen years old, and when she feels unwell, the first person she thinks of is her mother.
Mom called Dad.
Dad took on the responsibility of taking care of his daughter. He boiled water in the kitchen and asked Lin Zeqiu to find a hot water bottle.
Lin Zeqiu finally figured out the source of Lin Zhixia's condition. There was also a girl in their class who came to class with a hot water bottle for two or three days every month. The male classmates said behind her back that this was called "menstrual period". Lin Zeqiu inadvertently heard the discussion of his classmates and just then realized that some girls in their "menstrual period" needed hot water bottles and warm babies to relieve discomfort.
Lin Zeqiu rushed to the cupboard, found a large-capacity hot water bottle, took it to the bathroom to clean it, and then handed the hot water bottle to his father.
Dad filled the bag with boiling water, wrapped a clean towel around the surface of the hot water bag, and then tied the towel with a ball of wool to prevent it from unraveling and scalding Lin Zhixia.
Dad handed the hot water bag to Lin Zhixia without any delay.
Lin Zhixia hugged the hot water bag tightly and fell into a deep sleep.
She slept until eight in the morning, when she was woken up by her alarm clock.
Lin Zhixia hated the sound of the alarm clock. She never set the alarm clock unless something big happened. She thought for a while and remembered that she had to meet Jiang Yubai today.
I'm going to meet Jiang Yubai today!
Lin Zhixia almost jumped out of the bed.
But she was too weak to go to the provincial library, and she couldn't even walk out of her own house. She could only pick up the phone on the bedside table and dial a string of mobile phone numbers. Even though she was in a bad state, she could recite all of Jiang Yubai's phone numbers.
At this moment, Jiang Yubai was packing his schoolbag.
Jiang Yubai brought back some local specialties from Beijing. He wanted to give them to Lin Zhixia as a gift. He had just zipped up his schoolbag when his cell phone rang. The caller ID showed Lin Zhixia's home number. He immediately answered the call: "Good morning, Lin Zhixia."
During this phone call, Lin Zhixia said in a weak voice: "Jiang Yubai..."
Jiang Yubai and Lin Zhixia have known each other for four years, and he has never heard her speak in this tone. Back then, when Lin Zhixia had a high fever in the classroom after getting the hepatitis B vaccine, her voice was stronger than it is now.
Jiang Yubai asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Jiang Yubai's bedroom is on the third floor, with its window facing the garden. Birds are chirping in the garden, and tree shadows are swaying, interweaving into a beautiful autumn scene. However, Jiang Yubai has no intention of appreciating the scenery; his mood has fallen to the bottom.
Lin Zhixia didn't answer his question or hang up the phone. He felt worried and asked again and again: "Why don't you say anything? Are you safe now?"
How could Lin Zhixia say that?
Last month, when Lin Zhixia and Jiang Yubai were on QQ video, she firmly declared that she could say anything to Jiang Yubai...but now, she is facing an embarrassing dilemma.
Lin Zhixia covered her head with the quilt again and said vaguely: "I am sick, I will be better in a few days. You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine."
"What's wrong with you?" Jiang Yubai asked her, "At six o'clock last night, when we were on QQ video..."
Lin Zhixia explained: "At that time, I was healthy. Now, I am weak."
Jiang Yubai sat down on a chair: "Weak state... Are you seriously ill?"
Many messy associations emerged in Jiang Yubai's mind.
All the furniture in the bedroom disappeared, and his vision and soul seemed to become empty. This ethereal state of consciousness lasted for about two or three seconds. Lin Zhixia told him: "It's a minor illness, just like a cold, just like when I had a fever after getting the hepatitis B vaccine in fourth grade... I'm really fine, I just don't have the strength to speak, and my voice is not good. I can't go to the provincial library to meet you today. Wait for me for a few days, and I will come to find you when I get better."
Jiang Yubai agreed immediately.
Lin Zhixia said goodbye to him and hung up the phone.
She had resolved her worries and no longer had any burden. She closed her eyes and went back to sleep, sleeping soundly.
She slept from morning till evening, and her parents didn't come to call her.
Around five in the evening, Lin Zhixia woke up because she was hungry.
She sat on the bed and called out three times: "Mom, Mom, Mom..."
Mom opened her bedroom door and brought in a bowl of warm brown sugar ginger soup.
Although Lin Zhixia didn't know what this thing was for, she was so hungry that she would eat anything.
So she drank the brown sugar ginger soup.
Mom also said: "This bowl of soup was made by your brother."
"Brother did this?" Lin Zhixia was very shocked.
You know, the food that Lin Zeqiu hated the most in his life was ginger. When he was six or seven years old, he would jump up and scream if he found ginger in a dish. He hated the taste of ginger.
Unexpectedly, when Lin Zeqiu was sixteen years old, he actually broke through himself. He endured the taste of ginger and stood in the kitchen, virtuously making soup.
Lin Zhixia was immediately moved.
Thinking of the relationship between her brother and sister, she said with emotion: "Mom, please thank my brother for me."
Mom changed her clothes and asked, "Xia Xia, do you want to eat? Mom left a bowl of rice and a plate of vegetables."
Lin Zhixia was about to get up, but her mother asked her to lie on the bed.
After a while, the mother brought a small table, placed it on Lin Zhixia's bed, and placed the food and dishes on the table.
Lin Zhixia held on to the hot water bottle tightly, and her mother simply held the spoon and fed her. By this time, Lin Zhixia felt much better, with only a little insignificant pain.
Even so, she stayed in bed for three days.
On the fourth day, Lin Zhixia resumed her usual routine.
She called Jiang Yubai and asked him to meet at 1:00 p.m. on October 7. That day was the club preparation day for the Provincial No. 1 High School. If Jiang Yubai was willing to go to school with her, he could meet many junior high school classmates.
Jiang Yubai responded without hesitation: "Sure."
October 7th was a nice, sunny day.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, white clouds were floating in the vast blue sky, a bright flag was fluttering in front of the teaching building, the whole high school was bustling with activity, and the loudspeakers installed on the ground were continuously playing a school song.
Jiang Yubai had sung the school song countless times, but was stopped outside the gate of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School.
The security guard asked him if he was a student of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School and if he had a student card. He asked if he could show it to him.
Jiang Yubai explained that he was a graduate of the junior high school of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School.
"Graduate?" The security guard shook his head.
The security guard didn't let him in until Lin Zhixia ran to the school gate.
Lin Zhixia asked the security guard to contact the teacher using the internal phone. Lin Zhixia thought of Mr. Zhai, the competition coach of the junior high school.
During the National Day holiday, winter and summer vacations, Mr. Zhai never rests. He will organize concentrated training for the junior high school competition class students in the school. In addition, Mr. Zhai knows Jiang Yubai. Jiang Yubai is a student he values very much. He knows Jiang Yubai's character well and is definitely willing to be a guarantor.
Lin Zhixia's logic was meticulous. Her deduction was not wrong. The security guard followed Lin Zhixia's request and called Teacher Zhai's office.
Soon, Teacher Zhai responded, confirming that Jiang Yubai was a student in their competition class and agreed to allow Jiang Yubai to enter the campus again.
The security guard then let us go.
Lin Zhixia gently held Jiang Yubai's schoolbag strap as usual. She took him to the high school of the Provincial No. 1 High School and introduced him to the development and origin of various clubs. She also asked him: "Jiang Yubai, what are the clubs in your high school like?"
In the bright sunlight, Jiang Yubai carefully examined her face. He observed her expression, complexion, and demeanor. He stared into her eyes for a long time, trying to confirm whether she had completely recovered.
Lin Zhixia's cheeks flushed slightly, like the pale pink sunrise in the early summer morning, or like the light vermilion cherry blossoms blooming in the spring.
For the first time, she took the initiative to avoid his gaze and said stutteringly, "I... my high school club..."
"Have you recovered?" Jiang Yubai asked directly.
"Recovered." Lin Zhixia answered with great certainty.
Jiang Yubai walked side by side with her.
They shuttled through the dense shade of trees, their shadows stacked in the green trees. Jiang Yubai returned to their original topic: "My high school club is similar to the club in Provincial No. 1 High School."
"What club do you want to join?" Lin Zhixia asked him.
Jiang Yubai answered without hesitation: "Classical Literature Society."
After the first year of high school, Lin Zhixia became a member of the "Classical Literature Society" of the Provincial No. 1 Middle School.
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