"Xiao Wen, is there something on my face?"
Noticing that Wen Ying had been looking at him, Zou Yishen couldn't help but ask. He asked in a joking tone, obviously not wanting to embarrass Wen Ying.
Wen Ying came back to her senses, not feeling embarrassed at all: "Cousin, you and Xie Qian really look alike!"
Zou Yishen smiled: So that’s why.
Zou Yishen turned around and looked at Xie Qian. He also felt that this cousin was very similar to himself.
…
Zou Yishen is a few years older than Xie Qian. He has had a good memory since he was a child. He still remembers that when his aunt Zou Weijun had just given birth, the Zou family went to visit. Xie Qian was wrapped in a clean cotton cloth, and his little face was red and wrinkled.
Zou Yishen couldn't help but blurt out, "My cousin is so ugly."
At that time, Xie Jinghu had not yet become a scumbag. He had received a lot of support from his father-in-law, Professor Zou, in his business, and he had a good relationship with Zou Weijun. Zou Weijun gave Xie Jinghu a son, and Xie Jinghu was of course happy. After hearing what Zou Yishen said, not only was he not angry, he even picked Zou Yishen up and let him look closer:
"Look at it again. It won't be so ugly if you look at it twice more."
Zou Yishen's face flushed red, but after taking another closer look, he found that his cousin's little red face was still very cute.
Later, Xie Qian's skin became whiter and his face grew. No matter how you looked at him, he was no longer ugly. Zou Yishen became the only person who ever said Xie Qian was ugly, and the Zou family often teased him about it.
Xie Qian hadn't smiled much since he was a few years old. Every time Zou Weijun took Xie Qian back to her parents' home for a short stay, Zou Yishen, who was a few years older than Xie Qian, was tasked with taking his little cousin out for fun.
Zou Yishen refused at first.
At that time, Zou Yishen was already in middle school because he skipped a grade.
Xie Qian is still in the last year of kindergarten.
What's fun for middle school and kindergarten students?
Yet Zou Yishen didn't dare refuse. No matter how smart he was, he was still a minor. He could get perfect scores in every subject at school, still have to eat his mother's cooking and wear her laundry, and still get pocket money from his father. Besides, his aunt, Zou Weijun, was so kind to him, there was no reason for him to refuse.
What Zou Yishen hadn't expected was that his little cousin, who hadn't even graduated from kindergarten, was actually quite easy to take care of. Whenever Zou Yishen wanted to go out and play, Xie Qian would follow. If Zou Yishen didn't want to move, he'd just give Xie Qian a children's science magazine, and Xie Qian would sit quietly for a while.
Zou Yishen asked Xie Qian if he could understand it, and Xie Qian honestly said that he knew all the words.
Kindergarten teaches literacy.
Even if the kindergarten doesn’t teach it, Aunt Zou Weijun will teach my cousin in advance, right?
Zou Yishen didn't think much about it. Since Xie Qian could recognize so many characters, then things became simple. Zou Yishen asked Xie Qian to ask him again if he didn't understand something - Zou Yishen meant to ask him again if he encountered a character he didn't know. He didn't believe that Xie Qian knew all the characters.
It's no big deal for a little boy to brag a few times.
After all, the teacher said that child prodigies like Zou Yishen are rare!
Xie Qian was quietly reading the Children's Science Magazine. When he encountered something he didn't understand, he asked Zou Yishen, who was surprised.
There were no words that Xie Qian didn't know, but there were some contents that he couldn't understand... He could understand some of the contents based on the context, and for some of the contents, Xie Qian had read them in other books before.
That day, Zou Yishen looked at his little cousin's fair and tender face, as if he saw another self.
Being extremely intelligent also means being lonely.
His peers all looked a bit silly compared to him. After he skipped a grade, his classmates thought he was too young and didn't like to play with him. Seeing that Zou Yishen was mature beyond his years, some people even called him a freak behind his back.
Am I a freak?
Zou Yishen often asks himself this question.
This question that had no answer in the past suddenly has an answer today: he is not a freak, his little cousin is also very smart!
From that day on, Zou Yishen particularly enjoyed his aunt Zou Weijun bringing Xie Qian back to her family's home. The two cousins played hellish puzzles together and read science magazines. Over time, even the Zou family members commented that they looked more and more alike.
Later, Zou Yishen was admitted to the junior class.
The junior class was full of "child prodigies" like Zou Yishen, so Zou Yishen didn't stand out at all. As for Xie Qian, after Xie Jinghu finished working at the factory in the south, he spent most of his time in Beijing with his parents, only visiting the Zou family during holidays.
Neither of these cousins was particularly affectionate, and when they met again they no longer had the closeness they had in their childhood.
Later, Zou Yishen went abroad to study, and he had fewer opportunities to meet Xie Qian.
The Zou family wanted Zou Yishen to pursue a career in scientific research, and Zou Yishen himself shared this sentiment. In 2004, Zou Yishen suddenly returned to China and joined the government, shocking his family. To this day, Zou Yishen's choice remains elusive, and the two often remain distant when they meet.
But so what?
Zou Yishen obviously would not give up his decision just because his family did not understand.
When Zou Yishen first returned to China, he received a call from his cousin, Xie Qian, who, with the mature air of a teenager, advised him to make a careful choice. While many career choices can be revisited, scientific research is not an option. A few years of interruption from research can essentially wipe out all the research logic and experimental skills. How could it be so easy to start over again years later?
Xie Qian also failed to convince Zou Yishen.
In the Zou family, the only one who can understand Zou Yishen is Grandma Zou.
No matter how powerful Zou Yishen is abroad, the old lady can't see him.
After Zou Yishen returned to China to develop his career, he could often be seen in front of the old lady, who was very happy.
As for doing scientific research or administrative work, there is no difference in Grandma Zou's eyes.
Uncle Zou felt that his son was wasting his talent, and Grandma Zou advised Uncle Zou to be more open-minded.
Not everyone who engages in scientific research achieves success; many talented individuals are trapped in a single research project throughout their lives. Science and technology are driven by the dedication of these individuals. The addition of Zou Yishen might slightly boost the economy, while the loss of one wouldn't seem to significantly impact it—but Zou Yishen's choices would have a profound impact on the Zou family for decades to come.
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