12. Fortunately, she is not a genius
Xu Wenqiang stood at the entrance of the farmers' market. From time to time, a warm breeze would blow out from behind her, carrying an indescribable smell. The sky had darkened, and near the setting sun, the large clouds turned into a series of oil painting-like brushstrokes.
Xu Wenqiang was a little annoyed: "Xiao Cheng, why do you always keep thinking about this?"
Xiao Cheng looked at the sunset in the sky and told Xu Wenqiang: "I just want to know whether you are a self-taught genius."
"So what if it is? So what if it isn't?" Xu Wenqiang asked.
Xiao Cheng said: "I never thought about the situation where you 'are'."
Xu Wenqiang understood: "You never thought I was some kind of genius from the beginning. You weren't interested in my mental arithmetic skills. You just wanted to prove that, 'I'm just a fishmonger in the market.'"
"You're being biased," Xiao Cheng wanted to say something nicer, but after thinking it over, he felt it was unnecessary and said frankly, "That's indeed the truth. I just don't believe that there are geniuses everywhere in the world!"
Xu Wenqiang couldn't help but sneer after hearing this: "Xiao Cheng, have you seen many geniuses? Or do you have any opinions about geniuses?"
Xiao Cheng's expression suddenly changed: "Xu Wenqiang, you don't need to care about my opinion. If you want to do my business, just tell me the answer."
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you the answer." Xu Wenqiang made a decision. In the face of business, her childhood memories were nothing.
"To be honest, I'm not a genius," Xu Wenqiang said. "But I'm telling you this, so please don't tell anyone else. This isn't exactly a secret, but it's not something I'd be proud of."
"I promise you." Xiao Cheng said.
Half an hour later, Xiao Cheng met the true genius, his cousin, Xiao Yi. Xiao Yi was a sophomore at Qingshi No. 1 Middle School and had participated in both elementary and middle school math Olympiads, his best result being first prize in the provincial middle school Olympiad.
Xiao Cheng's grandfather was a soldier and later entered politics. His grandmother was a university teacher. Now both are retired and living in peace at home. They raised two children. Their eldest son works in the court as a judge. His wife is an elementary school teacher. Their child is the genius Xiao Yi. Their youngest son, Xiao Cheng's father, is a businessman. Xiao Cheng's mother is a doctor.
Grandpa Xiao Cheng likes to be lively, and whenever he has time, he will call his two sons and their families to get together for dinner.
The topic of discussion at the dinner table today was the cutoff score for the high school entrance exam at Qingshi No. 1 Middle School. Compared to last year, this year's cutoff was more than ten points lower. The adults discussed and lamented the declining quality of the students, but no one mentioned Xiao Yi and Xiao Cheng, even though they were the top scorers in last year's and this year's high school entrance exams, respectively. This was what the Xiao family considered their most open-minded aspect. Xiao Yi was a prodigy, an Olympic medalist; no matter how exceptional Xiao Cheng was, he couldn't compare to a prodigy. Therefore, to protect their children's self-esteem, they never compared the two children.
When they were almost done with dinner, Xiao Yi said that he and Xiao Cheng wanted to go to the study to play chess for a while. After getting permission, the two left the table.
Entering the study, Xiao Cheng took out the chessboard, but Xiao Yi walked to the balcony of the study.
"Don't you want to play chess?" Xiao Cheng asked.
"You can never beat me, it's boring." Xiao Yi said.
"That's true." Xiao Cheng put down the chessboard and walked to the balcony.
"Xiao Cheng, do you also think I look old?" Xiao Yi looked very annoyed.
"Why, did anyone say that you said that again?" Xiao Cheng asked.
"On the first day of school, there was a new student who called me 'Teacher' directly. I saw her again in the cafeteria that day, and she actually called me 'Senior Brother'. Now whenever I think of her face, I want to pinch her." Xiao Yi made a rubbing motion.
"It seems that geniuses also care about external things like us ordinary people." Xiao Cheng said with a smile.
"Don't disgust me. What genius? I'm just a little smarter than you." Xiao Yi said.
Xiao Cheng lowered his head and chuckled. Only a genius could say "smarter than you" so legitimately.
"Should I consider changing my hairstyle?" Xiao Yi looked at Xiao Cheng. "I might as well get a hairstyle like yours and wear gold-rimmed glasses."
Xiao Cheng said, "Okay, I'll go to the barber shop with you some other day."
Xiao Yi immediately refused: "Forget about walking together. If I walk with you, I guess someone will call me 'uncle' and you 'brother' again."
"Then let me tell you about the barber shop I often go to."
As soon as Xiao Cheng finished speaking, Xiao Yi's mother came over and knocked on the door and said, "Xiao Yi, grandpa wants you to come over."
"Okay, I'll be there right away." Xiao Yi followed her mother out of the study.
After Xiao Yi left, Xiao Cheng sat down on a chair on the balcony.
The study was Xiao Cheng's least favorite place in the house. It was filled with books, paintings, newspapers, and chess manuals, all covered in dust. But he also loved the balcony, which offered a view of the night sky.
There were bursts of exclamations from the living room outside. Perhaps Xiao Yi had performed some amazing tricks again. As the Xiao family's genius boy, Xiao Yi often played with a Rubik's Cube or solved a nine-ring puzzle as an after-dinner entertainment.
Xiao Cheng looked at the occasional twinkling stars in the night sky and thought of Xu Wenqiang. Fortunately, she was not a genius, otherwise, with one at home and one in class, he would be really annoyed.
Xu Wenqiang said that strictly speaking, her mental arithmetic was actually taught by Xu Yanmei.
One day, Xu Wenqiang came home very happily and said, "Mom, we learned decimals today, so I can help you with your accounts in the future." Xu Yanmei didn't take it seriously at the time and just responded casually.
Later, someone introduced Xu Yanmei to a blind date. The man was a middle-aged widower with a stable job and a daughter, a few years younger than Xu Wenqiang. Xu Yanmei was quite satisfied with him and had always been very interested in him. The man also had no objections to Xu Yanmei, so they continued to date. Not long after, they met again and both brought their children to dinner.
Halfway through the meal, the children were ready and left the table hand in hand to play on their own.
Xu Yanmei and the man stayed in the private room, sharing their innermost feelings. After a while, the man's daughter ran in, crying. The man quickly held the child in his arms and coaxed her for a long time before the child sobbed and began to speak: "My sister said that I should learn mental arithmetic and go to the market with her to help Auntie sell fish. I said I didn't want to go, and my sister said she would beat me."
Xu Yanmei, who was listening to this, panicked and called Xu Wenqiang in. She slapped her in front of the man and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Look how scared you are!"
Xu Wenqiang was still young at the time and felt aggrieved. She would explain herself: "Mom, my mental arithmetic is really good now. I want to teach my sister and let her help you—"
Before she could finish her words, Xu Yanmei slapped her again: "That little girl is not my daughter."
Before Xu Wenqiang, who was being beaten, could say anything, the little girl in the man's arms burst into tears again.
In the end, the dinner ended in a bad mood amid the children's crying.
On the way home, Xu Yanmei received a call from the introducer saying that the other party did not want to meet her again.
After arriving home, Xu Yanmei called Xu Wenqiang over and asked, "Aren't you good at accounting? Let me test you."
Prawns are 35 yuan per pound. How much does it cost to buy three pounds?
Hairtail costs 7.5 yuan per catty. How much does 5 catties and 3 ounces cost?
......
Xu Wenqiang was unable to help, so Xu Yanmei grabbed whatever she could reach and threw it at her. Xu Wenqiang's forehead was bruised, and she couldn't bother to wipe it. She could only hold her head and shrink into the corner, watching Xu Yanmei pick up the broom and walk towards her step by step.
When everything was over, Xu Yanmei said, "Aren't you going to help me settle the accounts? I'll teach you later."
Xu Yanmei taught Xu Wenqiang for a month, and during that month, Xu Wenqiang would shudder whenever she saw anything stick-like.
After a month, Xu Wenqiang no longer made mistakes in any questions, so Xu Yanmei stopped teaching her.
Finally, Xiao Cheng remembered something unrelated. If the admission score for No. 1 Middle School this year was the same as last year, then Xu Wenqiang wouldn't be able to get in. So, where would she be?
She will probably help her mother sell seafood at the farmers' market.
So will he meet her again on the day before school starts?
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