16 Chapter Fifteen
◎This is indeed Yu Jinyang's number. ◎
...
However, half an hour passed, and Li Yingqiao still hadn't received any reply from Yu Jinyang.
Therefore, she concluded that Yu Jinyang had either been kidnapped or arrested and imprisoned.
Otherwise, even if he had a hundred times the courage, he wouldn't dare not reply to her messages.
Back in Xiaohua City, under Li Yingqiao's leadership, the group of them would often climb trees to raid bird nests and go to the fields to catch crayfish. Yu Miaomiao was particularly fussy, complaining about this being dirty and that there were leeches. Li Yingqiao didn't buy it; if Yu Miaomiao didn't go, he wouldn't take him along.
As a result, he found himself abandoned by Li Yingqiao and started to sulk again. Li Yingqiao didn't indulge him much. She took Gao Dian and Miao Jia and they caught a basket of lobsters and went back to Xiaohua City. She deliberately took a charcoal stove and sat down at the entrance of Chuanming Street for an open-air barbecue.
Yu Jinyang was so angry about this that he threatened to break off their friendship several times, but he didn't succeed. He would sulk for a few days and then find a way to back down. Usually, only the kind-hearted Little Pastry would pay attention to him, take the initiative to give him a way out, and coax him.
Li Yingqiao rarely takes the initiative, but this time she made an unprecedented attempt to reconcile for the sake of the Conan series. Yu Miaomiao actually put on his young master's airs and spoiled him.
In no time, Li Yingqiao deleted all the text messages and call logs and returned the phone to Li Shuli.
For a whole week, under Liang Mei's constant nagging and Zhu Xiaoliang's insane sea of practice problems, the children were all worn out. Their eyes were glued to mathematical formulas; they would start calculating the area of a pizza with a few bites in it, start calculating the equation of a parabola when they saw someone playing badminton, and start wondering if a long string of numbers was a sequence trap.
1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 15, 17, 2...
Li Yingqiao stared at the wrong questions on Zheng Miaojia's test paper, biting her pen and frowning, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper: "Miaojia, did you not copy this sequence completely?"
Zheng Miaojia had just found some free time, so she focused intently on drawing Bai Juyi's muscles on her Chinese textbook. After a week of dedicated work, the biceps of this "Poet Demon" were so lifelike that they looked as if they were about to jump out of the book and punch Zhu Xiaoliang into the wall.
She slowly turned her head: "This is my grandma's phone. What are you calculating?"
"..."
Only Zhu Xiaoliang felt gratified. He maintained a polite smile, pushed up his glasses, and said to her in a tone reminiscent of his teacher in his younger days, "Li Yingqiao, you have some talent. Keep up the good work."
Even the usually confident Li Yingqiao was so impressed by the praise of her talent that she questioned her life choices and gave a dry laugh: "Thank you."
"You're welcome. The most difficult math is never on the test paper. If you can understand the math in real life, the math on the test paper is just a paper tiger."
Zhu Xiaoliang is sometimes as innocent as a blank sheet of paper. His world consists only of mathematics. Perhaps Li Yingqiao and the others will never know that when Liang Mei first found him, she told Zhu Xiaoliang that these kids love mathematics very much and bang their heads against the wall every day for math, but unfortunately they don't have a good teacher.
Zhu Xiaoliang was still living in Crazy Harbor at that time. After hearing this, he packed his bags and came without saying a word. But after spending a month or so together, Zhu Xiaoliang could probably tell that they didn't really like math. They just wanted to get into Tanzhong High School and change their fate.
Zhu Xiaoliang didn't tell Liang Mei the truth, as Liang Mei was afraid he would abandon the children if he knew. Later, when Liang Mei asked him why, Zhu Xiaoliang said that he knew the children didn't like math at all when the paper airplane hit him on the head as soon as he walked in.
So he deliberately designed the pizza game to watch them fight each other, like chickens and dogs scrambling, snipe and clam fighting, and taking revenge on each other.
The most paradoxical thing about mathematics is that the most rigid and fair theorems can easily touch the most subtle and vulnerable parts of human nature if you use your brain a little.
After all, people are more concerned about inequality than scarcity.
Using mathematics to deconstruct human nature is the retribution Zhu Xiaoliang has suffered in his life, just like the pigeonhole principle he didn't have time to teach them. The contradictions and conflicts arising from the finiteness of resources are the eternal proposition of this world.
As for why he chose to stay, it was probably because, as the pizza game progressed, the three kids tacitly understood each other—even if someone lost completely that day and didn't get a single bite of pizza, and was so hungry that their eyes were practically glowing green, they would never touch the last piece of pizza, but would instead ask him, "Teacher Zhu, why aren't you eating yet?"
This was rare in his previous teaching. He was keen to use mathematics to challenge human nature. In terms of human nature, these children won beautifully, which gave him some minor surprises. But in terms of mathematics, they lost completely.
Anyone with a bit of mathematical talent can easily solve the pizza game. Among the math geniuses he taught, he wouldn't leave them pizza; he would only help them escape the predicament of eating pizza every day as soon as possible.
They would calculate the smallest effective area within the rules, and then let the other two people take the largest bite of the pizza, so that all three could take turns eating the largest piece of pizza. These three couldn't even think of such a simple method, yet they ate pizza every day with great relish, worrying about whether the teacher had eaten pizza even though they hadn't gotten any themselves.
Moved, Zhu Xiaoliang could only pretend to take off his glasses, wipe his eyes, and say, "Good kids."
How silly of you kids.
...
As the high school entrance exam approached, Li Yingqiao's determination and fighting spirit soared to unprecedented heights. She seemed to be handcuffed to her desk, relentlessly dissecting and torturing those repeatedly wrong questions on her test paper until they dared not daring to make a fuss on her paper again.
On the eve of the final battle, Li Yingqiao flung open her most recent math test paper, which she had answered fairly well. Under the incandescent light, she held the test paper high with both hands, and with a satisfied and loud tap, she slammed her index finger down hard. The force penetrated the paper, and unsurprisingly, the test paper tore.
On the paper, the eight characters "Yu Jinyang! You just wait!" were revealed through a gaping hole, their faces contorted in a menacing manner.
***
...
Yu Jinyang hadn't been home for three days, and Yu Renjie and Tang Xiang hadn't slept for almost three days and three nights. Ever since they received that threatening letter, Yu Renjie and Tang Xiang had been sending bodyguards to follow him wherever he went. Moreover, with the high school entrance exam coming up soon, they hadn't let him go to the dance studio recently either.
That evening, after the father and son walked home, Yu Jinyang went to class as usual the next day, but did not return after school.
During that time, their family was in a state of panic, and Tang Xiang was also under great tension. Usually, after evening self-study, Yu Jinyang would be at home before 10 p.m. But that day, by 10:30 p.m., there was still no sign of anyone coming in. Tang Xiang immediately called Yu Renjie, and the two of them called the police that night.
However, three days passed without any news. Tang Xiang had fainted several times due to palpitations and was now receiving oxygen in the emergency room. Her hair was disheveled, making her look like a bird's nest that had been attacked by an eagle. Not only were the eggs gone, but the nest had also been destroyed.
She lay emaciated on the emergency room bed, her veins repeatedly inserted and removed, the sheets soaked with her blood and changed several times. Because she was so tense, the slightest footstep in the corridor would send her sprawling up from the bed, ready to rush to her son's side. Whoever came, her first question was always a hoarse one: "...Is there any news about Jin Yang?"
After receiving a negative answer, she lay back down, completely unaware of the pain from the needle being inserted and removed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Yu Renjie hadn't slept for three days. He was still wearing the shirt he wore when he picked up his son from school that day. It was so wrinkled that it was barely recognizable. His throat felt like it was burning with a red-hot coal. He couldn't swallow or spit it out, but it was burning him relentlessly.
Yu Renjie wished he could switch places with his son immediately. The bloodshot eyes were so prominent they could practically be used to stir-fry cordyceps. He could only sit by the hospital bed and calmly comfort Tang Xiang, who was on the verge of collapse, saying, "Don't worry, don't worry... If Jin Yang has really been kidnapped, they will definitely want money. We have all the money we can give. I will make sure Jin Yang comes back safely no matter how much it costs. Trust me, okay?"
He had never seen this side of Tang Xiang before. Tang Xiang had a very straightforward and easygoing personality and always believed that children and grandchildren had their own blessings. The elders in the family even criticized Tang Xiang, saying that she was a woman with a big heart who could turn an elephant around. She also raised her son in a very hands-off way and seemed not to love their Jin Yang very much.
Yu Renjie knew that Tang Xiang's parents were a very traditional Chinese family. Chinese parents are like old-fashioned thermos cups; no matter how warm their hearts are, the words they say are always cold.
Therefore, Tang Xiang felt ashamed when it came to expressing "love," whether it was love for him or love for her son. This was the only time Tang Xiang revealed her maternal tenderness.
***
"Qiaoqiao, have you eaten?"
Li Shuli had just returned from the beauty salon. She had been learning the craft from her master recently and often got off work late. When she got home, she saw her daughter with her hair in a loose bun, hunched over her desk writing papers, making a rustling sound.
"Eat up!" Li Yingqiao straightened up, leaned back in her chair, flipped over the test paper she had finished yesterday, and carefully scanned it with her eyes like she was reviewing a military parade. While drinking milk through a straw, she called out to Li Shuli, "By the way, Mom, I'm moving to Teacher Liang's place tomorrow night. Miaojia and I are both taking the exam at No. 3 Middle School, which is right across from Teacher Liang's house. Teacher Liang told us to stay at her place during the exam days so we wouldn't have to waste time traveling back and forth."
“Okay,” Li Shuli casually tossed her bag into the entryway and went straight to the kitchen to check the food in the refrigerator. After making sure she had eaten, she turned and went into her bedroom to fix her hair, which was hanging loosely on her head. “So, Qiaoqiao, are you confident?”
"look!"
Li Yingqiao put down the yogurt, unfolded the test paper like a treasure, and held it up in front of her: "Impressive, isn't it?"
Li Shuli was tying her hair up when she glanced up and exclaimed sincerely, "Amazing! Three digits! One more digit than Mom's weight!"
Li Shuli's weight isn't intentionally maintained at her age. She had bipolar disorder in her early years, and overeating caused gastrointestinal problems. She would have diarrhea after eating whatever she wanted. It could also be said that her anxiety caused gastrointestinal disorders, and she eventually lost weight due to exhaustion.
Li Yingqiao chuckled, then couldn't help but feel smug. He gestured with his little finger and said, "...Although I'm still a little short of the middle school level, our math teacher, Mr. Zhu, said that my social science skills can make up for a small portion of my score. Also, the ratio of easy to difficult questions on the middle school entrance exam math paper is seven to two to one."
She changed her gesture again, quickly showing three numbers, leaving Li Shuli, who had never been to school, completely bewildered. Her eyes were fixed on her daughter as she listened to her endless explanation: "Teacher Zhu said that 70% are basic points, 20% are difficult questions, and he told us not to waste time on the remaining 10%, as that's for selecting math geniuses. He said I have no problem with the basic points now, and if I do well on the 20%, I can get two-thirds right, and then I'll be guaranteed a spot in the top 10."
Li Shuli listened to her explanation, which sounded very reasonable, and nodded thoughtfully, telling her not to overwork herself and to take a rest.
Li Yingqiao, eager to study, pushed her out, saying, "Okay, that's enough, I need to study now."
Night had fallen, and only a few windows of students preparing for the middle school and college entrance exams were lit, their lights burning as they studied through the night. Whether they were working day and night or cramming at the last minute, regardless of whether it was useful or not, they were just loading their guns with bullets, hoping to take down as many as they could.
Li Shuli sighed again at the changing times, how each generation had its own hardships. In the past, people couldn't get enough to eat; now, they could fill their stomachs with just ink. Who suffered more? She didn't know; she only knew that Qiaoqiao was working very hard, and of course, she couldn't let her down.
Just as Li Shuli turned to leave, she suddenly seemed to remember something. She took her phone out of her pocket and handed it to her: "By the way, Qiaoqiao, I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had time to check my phone. Today it said my phone's memory was full. When I was deleting junk messages, I saw a message that looked weird. Is this your friend?"
Li Shuli originally wanted to buy her a cell phone, but Li Yingqiao said she didn't want to be distracted before the exam and would buy it after the exam. So her phone was full of numbers of children like Miaojia and Xiaogaodian. Occasionally, Miaojia would send her a message saying, "Auntie Li, I want to eat Lixia rice." Only then did Li Shuli realize that Liang Mei had tricked her daughter away but couldn't cook.
"What have you been eating at Teacher Liang's house lately? You're not still playing that pizza game, are you?" she asked.
“Playing is so much fun,” Li Yingqiao said absentmindedly, looking at her phone. “The funniest thing is seeing Teacher Zhu’s disgusted expression. He says that as long as we figure out the optimal solution, we’ll switch to another game. The new game will definitely be more torturous, but we’re not stupid. Teacher Zhu is so naive; he believes everything we say. He seems more like a middle school student than Gao Dian. Shuli, do you think all scholars are like this?”
"Shuli doesn't understand. Shuli will never be able to study in her life. You can study it yourself."
Li Shuli handed her the phone without any hesitation and then quietly left.
Li Yingqiao then turned her attention back to her phone. It was indeed Yu Jinyang's number, but the message was from two or three days ago.
This kid finally replied to her messages, huh. Li Yingqiao squinted and took a closer look: Huh? What did he send?
——“3364”
——“626”
[Author's Note]
The next update will be a double update, see you the day after tomorrow, at your usual time~
Two hundred red envelopes~
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