Dongcheng is almost at the northernmost edge of China. It's far from the capital, and the green trains are slow. At night, there's nowhere to rest, so we can only sleep on the tables.
Chu Xia asked the teacher who came with her, "Adults can endure long train rides, but these children are so young. Can they withstand not sleeping well at night on the train?"
The leading teachers, one male and one female, are both math teachers and members of the Capital Mathematics Society. The male teacher's surname is Jin, and the female teacher's surname is Xing.
Teacher Jin smiled bitterly and said, "We also want the children to travel by sleeper or plane, but the Mathematics Society doesn't have much funding now."
In her heart, Chu Xia sighed. She could afford to take An'an and Zhang Lu to travel by sleeper, but the students and teachers who came together were all in hard seats, which would be inappropriate.
So, she endured it.
Chu Xia was only thankful that the students and teachers' seats were together. There were no unbearable passengers taking off their shoes randomly. Apart from being a bit crowded, it wasn't too uncomfortable.
Cen Huai'an adapted to the environment faster than Chu Xia. He had already silently taken out a book to read, a supernatural novel he bought at a used book stall on Lantern Festival. He had only started reading it now.
Some students had never ridden a train before and were excitedly looking around their seats, happily talking to their classmates.
Zhang Lu and Chu Xia, along with An'an, sat together. Two students from their school came, but instead of the first-place Liu Hongyu, it was a somewhat quiet boy who sat across from Chu Xia.
So Zhang Lu was bored. An'an next to her was reading a book, the classmate opposite wasn't talking, and her aunt who could talk to her was separated by An'an.
Zhang Lu, in the innermost position by the window, looked outside for a while, propped her chin to look at the classmate opposite, and then turned her head to look at An'an.
Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore and turned her head to look at Cen Huai'an's book. "'Records of Strange Events'?"
Zhang Lu pronounced each word of the title, feeling that the name was strange. "An'an, what kind of book are you reading? Why haven't I seen it before?"
Cen Huai'an had just read half of a story. He put the book in the middle of the two and said, "It's a story about a fox."
Zhang Lu became interested and leaned over to read the book with An'an.
Hearing the conversation between the two, Chu Xia also became interested and stretched her head to look at the book on the table.
Indeed, it was a story about a fox, a fox turning into a demon and the love and hatred between her and a scholar.
Chu Xia initially thought it was the common love story between humans and demons seen in TV dramas.
As she read further, she saw the fox demon being betrayed by the scholar, and in the end, just before escaping to the mountain forest of her clan, she was cunningly killed by a Taoist priest.
"The story ends here, right?"
Cen Huai'an flipped a page backward, saying, "Mom, not yet."
"Huh? The female protagonist is already dead and turned into a pile of bones. Why hasn't it ended?"
Chu Xia's interest was piqued even more, and Zhang Lu was also watching with relish.
Golden Cicada passed by the place where the fox demon's bones were, collecting her remains in a cave not far away.
As the sun and moon alternated, countless years passed. Astonishingly, the fox demon's white bones once again transformed into a demon.
She wanted to repay the kindness to Golden Cicada, and upon learning that his reincarnation would pass by this place, she patiently waited.
However, before she could bring Golden Cicada's reincarnation back to the cave to repay the favor, she was killed by a monkey, her incarnation reduced to a pile of bones.
All she got was a reincarnated monk's chant of "Amitabha."
The story ended here. After finishing it, Chu Xia wondered how the author came up with this plot. Surprisingly, it didn't feel out of place at all when used to explain the White Bone Demon in the original "Journey to the West."
People still feel sympathy for the fox demon that didn't have a good ending in the end.
However, Cen Huai'an had a different perspective, "Mom, why does she have to bring Golden Cicada back to the cave to repay the kindness? Why not just say she wants to repay the kindness? Moreover, in 'Journey to the West,' the White Bone Demon wanted to eat Tang Seng. I think this story is about repaying kindness, but in reality, this White Bone Demon also wants to eat Tang Seng."
"It's not like that!" Zhang Lu was the first to refute Cen Huai'an. "Because the White Bone Demon likes Tang Seng. She wants to bring him back to the cave to marry him. You're still young and don't understand love!"
Cen Huai'an looked at her in confusion, "Is love disregarding what others think and just marrying him? This is not repaying kindness; it's revenge. I don't want that kind of love!"
Zhang Lu said, "Don't be so realistic. In this novel, the fox demon can give up even her life for love. Isn't that beautiful?"
Cen Huai'an frowned even more deeply, shaking his head, "Not beautiful. If you're dead, what's the point of love?"
Zhang Lu widened her eyes, her mouth pouting, not knowing how to counter Cen Huai'an.
Chu Xia watched the two, and when they stopped talking, she said to Zhang Lu, "Lulu, actually An'an is right. Love is not like the fox demon. Look at her at the beginning, for the scholar, she ignored the advice of her clan, abandoned her people, and wanted to be with him. As a result, she was killed by the scholar and a Taoist priest working together. After finally borrowing Golden Cicada's Buddha-nature and becoming the White Bone Demon, she didn't cherish her life. Knowing that the monkey would kill any demon he encountered, she still flew into danger three times. Do you really think this is love?"
Zhang Lu had just come into contact with these ideas. Adults always oppose children falling in love early, but they never think about guiding children on the correct views of relationships and love.
Zhang Lu fell into contemplation, and Chu Xia continued, "If it were me, I wouldn't pursue the love with the scholar from the beginning. The fox demon had the most spiritual talent in the clan. I would be like Xin Shisi Niang in 'Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio,' single-mindedly cultivating and achieving immortality.
Even if I acted impulsively and turned into a White Bone Demon like the fox demon, later having Buddha-nature and spiritual energy, and Golden Cicada said I could become a Buddha, I would never waste these talents!"
After hearing Chu Xia's words, Zhang Lu felt that her previously confused thoughts suddenly became clear in her mind.
"Auntie, it seems like there's no love in your approach."
Chu Xia chuckled, "Haven't you noticed that the love stories in this tale are all stumbling blocks on the fox demon's path to becoming an immortal? True love is about mutual growth, not a life-and-death struggle. Look at your parents, your elder uncle and aunt; their love is worth pursuing, not the love in this book that's just meant for cruelty."
Not only was Zhang Lu attentively listening to Chu Xia, but Cen Huai'an was also listening. The students nearby participating in the competition, who were the same age as Zhang Lu, were all quietly contemplating.
At this stage of adolescence, these kids were at an age of curiosity about love, experimenting with various things. However, a wrong step might lead to a turn in life.
After hearing what Chu Xia said, they, like Zhang Lu, were silently pondering, feeling that Chu Xia was right, yet also thinking that love should be as intense as depicted in novels.
Zhang Lu, being naturally perceptive, figured it out after a while. She clapped her hands, revealing a big smile on her face, "Auntie, I think you're right! I still prefer the love between my dad and mom. I don't want to fight with my family for a guy and even die for him. That's too silly."
She became cheerful again, pulling Cen Huai'an to continue reading, "Turn the pages, turn the pages. Let's see what happens next in the story."
The supernatural novel had rough, somewhat dusty paper with thin pages and crude font, but it didn't affect the reading.
Turning to the next page, they saw the title of the novel - "I'm Behind You." Chu Xia silently averted her eyes. This title seemed ominous.
Sure enough, not long after, Cen Huai'an suddenly reached out, firmly grabbing Chu Xia's arm and moving his eyes away from the book.
Chu Xia covered his eyes with her hand, "If you're scared, don't look."
Zhang Lu, flipping through the pages on the side, said somewhat oddly, "This isn't scary at all. It's just that there's a corpse under the bed. What's there to be afraid of when the person is already dead?"
"Ah, ah, ah! Zhang Lu, stop talking. It's so scary!"
The girl who had been silently listening to their conversation behind Zhang Lu spoke up, her voice trembling.
The boy sitting across from Zhang Lu looked up unexpectedly, "Aren't you scared?"
Cen Huai'an had no desire to continue reading that supernatural novel.
Zhang Lu: "Not scared at all, it's all fake. What's there to be afraid of? An'an, are you still reading? I find these stories quite interesting."
An'an waved his hand, pursed his lips, and said, "Sister, you go ahead and read."
He took out a math test paper from his school bag, "I'll work on this set of problems."
Currently, only solving problems on a sheet of paper could suppress the shock he had just experienced.
Zhang Lu took the book and enjoyed reading it herself, finding it even more satisfying than when both of them were reading.
"Aunt, look at this story. I think this love story is not bad, not scary."
"What story?"
Zhang Lu handed the book to Chu Xia, who was also curious.
It was a somewhat redemptive story, indeed not scary.
In the evening, in the abandoned equipment room on the campus, a boy was about to commit suicide when a girl suddenly appeared and held his hand, saying, "You'll regret it."
The boy did not succeed in his suicide attempt. He poured out his troubles to the girl, who comforted him. They agreed to meet every evening in the school's woods, sitting on a bench by the edge of the woods and chatting.
Naturally, they developed feelings for each other. However, one day the boy learned that there was no student with the girl's name in their school, only a student who had committed suicide three years ago with the same name.
Frantically, the boy ran to the woods to confirm, and the girl did not hide anything from him.
"In fact, I regretted it on the day I committed suicide, but there was no one to save me at that time. So, when I saw you attempting suicide, that's why I appeared."
The boy didn't mind that she was a ghost; he just wanted to be with her.
But the girl said, "I don't have much time left on Earth. Because I saved you, I gained merit and can be reborn. An emissary will come to take me in three days."
At the end of the story, the girl was taken away to be reborn in the golden light of merit, while the boy watched her depart, staying on the playground for a long time without leaving.
After finishing the story, Chu Xia also felt a faint sense of regret. The love portrayed in this story was indeed better than the story of the fox demon.
She pushed the book towards Zhang Lu and nodded, "It's good, mutual redemption."
Zhang Lu said, "It's just that the ending is too regrettable."
Chu Xia replied, "This is the best ending."
The girl sitting behind Zhang Lu turned around, knelt on the seat, patted her back, and curiously said, "Zhang Lu, can I take a look?"
Then, this non-scary ghost story circulated among all the math competition participants, including the two teachers who also read it.
Watching these students enthusiastically discussing the content of the story, Chu Xia realized that top students were not as bookish as many people thought. They were just like ordinary children, curious and fond of discussing interesting stories.
Because of this story, students from different schools who were initially unfamiliar gradually became acquainted, and everyone started chatting.
Only An'an and the boy across from Zhang Lu, one solving problems and the other reading his own book, did not participate in these discussions.
Apart from feeling a bit crowded and not sleeping well at night, the train journey was quite enjoyable for Chu Xia, An'an, and Zhang Lu.
When they finally arrived in Dongcheng, Chu Xia, who initially found the journey tolerable, breathed a sigh of relief.
After such a long train ride, everyone was exhausted.
In the beginning, all the students were spirited, full of exploratory spirit. But now, their faces had lost their luster, and their eyes were filled with fatigue.
Teacher Jin and Teacher Xing were at the front and back of the line, ensuring that the students walked hand in hand and didn't fall behind.
Chu Xia was in the middle of the line, also helping to take care of the students.
As they walked out of the station, directly across from them was a banner that read: "Warmly welcome the arrival of teachers and participating players from various provinces and cities."
In front of the banner was a table with two people sitting there. This was the reception arranged by the Dongcheng Province Mathematics Association, the organizer of this year's competition.
After boarding the bus arranged by the organizer, Chu Xia, along with An'an and Zhang Lu, caught up on some rest at the back. At this point, there was no need to worry about everyone's safety.
Other students were also leaning back in their seats, sleeping.
The weather in Dongcheng was still cold at this time. In the capital, people could already wear sweaters and coats, but in Dongcheng, thicker jackets were still needed.
Chu Xia knew it was cold here, so she had informed Jiang Zhiguan in advance. Therefore, when they got off the train, they were already wearing jackets, and they had clothes draped over them while sleeping.
However, there were some parents who didn't anticipate this. They didn't provide their children with warm clothes, and some students were sitting in the bus wearing thin jackets, their lips turning blue from the cold.
Teacher Xing, being more attentive, noticed this and asked the student, "Didn't you bring warm clothes?"
The boy shook his head, "No."
Teacher Xing frowned, looked around, and saw the military coats worn by Chu Xia and the others, which were the thickest among everyone.
She walked over, gently woke up Chu Xia, pointed to the boy whose face was turning white from the cold, and awkwardly asked her, "An'an's mom, do you have any spare warm clothes? If so, could you lend him one?"
Chu Xia handed over the military coat in her hands, "Let him wear this. An'an's clothes are too small for him."
Zhang Lu woke up at this moment and immediately raised her hand, saying, "Aunt, teacher, he can wear my clothes!"
The military coat was indeed a bit large for the boy. Zhang Lu quickly found a dark blue cotton-padded jacket in her bag and said, "Teacher, I'll give this to him!"
With that, she ran towards the boy, holding the clothes.
"Tang Song, wear this!"
Tang Song was a boy from the same school as Zhang Lu. He was shivering from the cold, but he didn't complain about the chill or ask someone for warmer clothes.
"Thank you."
Tang Song took the jacket from Zhang Lu, removed his outer coat, and put it on. His whole body began to warm up.
Zhang Lu was tall, and in middle school, boys generally hadn't experienced the growth spurt that girls had. Tang Song was only slightly taller than Zhang Lu, and her jacket, being a bit large, fit him perfectly.
"Don't be polite!" Zhang Lu patted his shoulder and asked, "Why didn't you say you were cold earlier? Silly or not? By the way, do you have thermal pants on?"
Tang Song nodded.
Zhang Lu was relieved and waved to him, returning to her seat, "Wear my clothes for now; I have more."
As Tang Song looked at Zhang Lu's back, about to sit down, he withdrew his gaze. His eyes were half-lowered, looking at the sleeves of the jacket, gently touching them.
When they got off the bus at the hotel, Zhang Lu noticed that Tang Song had put on a coat over the cotton-padded jacket. He continued to stand silently alone at the back of the line.
Zhang Lu ran over and pulled him to stand next to her, saying, "We're from the same school; let's stick together."
Chu Xia turned around with a smile and said, "You and Lu Lu are from the same school. Don't be polite. If there's anything, you can tell us or the teachers. You came for the competition, and it would be a pity to leave with regrets because of a cold. Plus, you've come all this way; you shouldn't suffer from a cold."
Tang Song nodded with a "yes" and didn't say anything else as they proceeded.
The organizers arranged rooms for the students from the capital on the second floor, with each room being a double room for four people.
Due to the unique circumstances of Chu Xia, An'an, and Zhang Lu, the three of them shared a room, with Chu Xia contributing extra money.
The exam was scheduled for two days later, and they had come early to ensure they could rest for two days and participate in the competition with full energy.
Chu Xia asked the two kids to stay in the room, handed the cold prevention medicine she had with her to Teacher Xing, and said, "Tang Song felt cold when he got off the train. It's easy to catch a cold. This medicine can prevent it. If you have ginger tea with brown sugar, you can give him a cup to drive away the cold."
Teacher Xing slapped her forehead and said, "Ah! I was just worrying about this. Your medicine is like a timely rain! I'll thank you on behalf of Tang Song."
Chu Xia replied, "No problem. They're all kids who came to participate in the competition with An'an. I hope everyone stays healthy."
In this lifetime or the previous one, Chu Xia had never come to Dongcheng for leisure. However, she was aware of the cold weather here. In April, the weather was still as cold as it was in the capital in February. Chu Xia didn't even want to leave the hotel.
However, these two days were not suitable for going out anyway. The exams were approaching, and An'an and Zhang Lu needed to rest and recharge in the hotel.
Apart from the meals provided by the hotel for the students, Chu Xia didn't dare take An'an and Zhang Lu to eat elsewhere, fearing it might upset their stomachs.
"Thank you, Auntie."
In the evening, Chu Xia took An'an and Zhang Lu out for dinner. After she took a bite, Tang Song approached her and spoke earnestly.
Chu Xia looked up, revealing a smile, "No need to worry. As long as you're okay."
Tang Song nodded at her and then at Zhang Lu, leaving the place.
Zhang Lu and Cen Huai'an were still unaware of what had happened, looking at Chu Xia with confusion.
"Mom, why did Tang Song thank you?"
Chu Xia took a sip of porridge and said, "It's nothing much. When we arrived at the hotel, I asked Teacher Xing to help deliver a pack of cold prevention medicine to him."
At that moment, Zhang Lu and Cen Huai'an did see Chu Xia carrying something when she went out. However, one was rolling on the bed, and the other was organizing the suitcase. They didn't get a clear look at what Chu Xia was holding.
"It's just a small matter; let's quickly finish our meal."
At night, Chu Xia shared a bed with Zhang Lu, while An'an had a bed to herself.
Zhang Lu, unfamiliar with the bed and tired, fell asleep like a pig within a minute. Chu Xia also started to feel drowsy.
Only Cen Huai'an, as soon as he closed his eyes, was haunted by the terrifying story he had read on the train. He kept feeling that there was someone under the bed.
He lay there for quite a while without falling asleep. Cen Huai'an looked over at Chu Xia and Zhang Lu on the opposite bed. They were both asleep.
Cen Huai'an closed his eyes and tried to tell himself not to think about it, it was all fake. But the less he thought about it, the clearer those episodes became in his head.
Unable to endure the fear in his heart, Cen Huai'an got out of bed and walked to Chu Xia. He lay down beside her bed, finally finding some peace of mind.
He didn't disturb Chu Xia's sleep and just lay there, gradually feeling drowsy.
However, due to the lack of support for his body, he lost consciousness for a moment and fell to the ground. His hand happened to hit the water kettle on the bedside table, making a loud "bang" in the quiet night.
Chu Xia, not sleeping soundly, opened her eyes instantly. Leveraging the faint moonlight seeping through the curtain, she saw Cen Huai'an on the floor.
"An'an? What are you doing here? Why aren't you sleeping?"
Cen Huai'an silently got up, dusted off his clothes, and said, "Mom, I'm going to sleep now."
Chu Xia looked at him suspiciously, "Tell me the truth, why were you here?" She also sat up.
Cen Huai'an remained silent, not uttering a word. As a boy, he felt embarrassed to admit to Chu Xia that he, unlike his sister, was scared by those stories.
Normally, Cen Huai'an would fall asleep quickly at home, especially at this hour, and considering the fatigue from their train journey, An'an shouldn't have had trouble sleeping.
Chu Xia got up from the bed and raised her hand to touch his forehead, finding it normal. She then took his hand and checked his pulse.
Disturbed and frightened pulse.
Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Chu Xia looked at Cen Huai'an. She thought it had been two days since he read that story, and An'an should have forgotten about it. She didn't expect him to still be scared.
"If you're scared, why didn't you wake me up?"
Cen Huai'an shook his head, "Mom, you were asleep, and I didn't want to disturb you."
Chu Xia patted his head, feeling a bit sorry for him. Cen Huai'an was too considerate.
She took his arm and led him to his bed, urging him to lie down, "I'll watch over you until you fall asleep. If there's anything, just wake me up. I'm your mom."
Cen Huai'an didn't say anything. He wanted his mom to go to sleep, but at the same time, he was genuinely scared.
"Mom, I..."
"Alright, go to sleep." Chu Xia forcibly covered him with the blanket, "I'll tell you a bedtime story."
It was the Thumbelina story that Cen Huai'an had heard many times before. Under his mom's gentle voice, the terrifying images in his mind disappeared, and he felt like he entered a real fairy tale world, experiencing various things with Thumbelina.
When Cen Huai'an's breathing gradually became steady, Chu Xia stopped telling the story, adjusted his blanket, yawned, and quickly laid down to sleep.
That night, Chu Xia also watched over An'an until he fell asleep before going to sleep herself.
The two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the National Junior High School Mathematics Competition was about to begin.
Chu Xia had never participated in the National Mathematics Competition before, and she was unfamiliar with the process.
She sat in a room outside the exam hall with Teacher Jin and Teacher Xing, sharing their concerns about An'an and Zhang Lu's performance in the exam.
"Teacher Xing, how many rounds of exams are there in total?" Chu Xia asked in a hushed voice.
Teacher Xing whispered back, "There's only this one, and the results will be out quickly."
Watching the time pass, Chu Xia became anxious, while inside the exam room, Cen Huai'an was solving problems swiftly.
The competition had three types of questions: multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and essay questions, totaling one hundred points, with an additional bonus question.
Others were contemplating the problems, considering it was a national-level competition with a higher difficulty level than local contests. Cen Huai'an also felt the increased difficulty.
But it wasn't to the extent that he couldn't solve the problems. The challenges lay in more twists and turns, requiring additional thinking time, making the problem-solving process more time-consuming.
There was a pattern in the question setting—generally, the initial questions were simpler, and as you progressed, the difficulty increased.
However, competition questions differed from regular exams. A seemingly simple question could be followed by a very difficult one.
Although Cen Huai'an's pace slowed down, compared to other students, he was still solving problems relatively quickly.
Many students, when faced with a challenging problem, would pause, spend some time thinking, and if they couldn't find a solution, move on to the next question.
Zhang Lu was one such student, leaving several questions unanswered. However, she had a good attitude, coming with a relaxed mindset, and remained very calm.
The exam hall was a very large room, capable of accommodating all participating students. Several teachers from the Mathematics Association patrolled the exam hall.
As they passed by Cen Huai'an, they couldn't help but stop and take a longer look at his answers.
Especially when they saw him answering quickly and without any errors, they were even more eager to observe for a longer time.
Cen Huai'an himself didn't notice these teachers. However, the student next to him was nervous because of the teachers, evident from the sweat on their forehead.
One student directly raised their hand and said, "Teacher, can you please not stand here? It's affecting my concentration."
Understanding that they might be causing interference, the teachers, despite their desire to keep watching Cen Huai'an's responses, had to suppress their curiosity and leave.
Cen Huai'an completed all the questions, including the bonus question, and was about to review his answers when a boy went up and handed in his paper.
He paid no attention to other students submitting their papers, focusing on his own. There was still plenty of time left, so there was no need to rush.
However, the departure of a student added pressure to the remaining ones in the exam hall.
Soon after, two more students handed in their papers. Cen Huai'an was the fourth.
The teacher collecting the papers glanced at him, "Are you sure about turning in? There's still time."
"Sure."
The teacher thought he might be turning in an incomplete paper again, but to their surprise, upon receiving the paper, they saw neatly written and clear solution steps for the later large questions.
Glancing at one of the questions, it was correct. The teacher looked at Cen Huai'an with an unexpected expression.
"Okay, you can leave."
Zhang Lu only came out after the exam ended, with both Cen Huai'an and Chu Xia waiting for her.
Seeing the two, she happily ran over, saying, "I only couldn't solve two questions!"
In Zhang Lu's original mindset, as long as she didn't leave half of the questions blank, it would be fine. Now that she had solved so many, it was an unexpected joy. Cen Huai'an asked her, "Which two questions couldn't you solve?"
"The third multiple-choice question and the second fill-in-the-blank question. An'an, what were your answers?"
"D, 1." Cen Huai'an hadn't spoken yet when a male voice came from behind them.
Zhang Lu immediately looked over, smiling brightly, "Tang Song, did you solve them too?"
"Yeah," Tang Song nodded.
Cen Huai'an said, "My answers were the same as his."
Zhang Lu clapped her hands, even more delighted, "The multiple-choice answers matched my guesses, and for the fill-in-the-blank, I hesitated between 1 and 0. Well, I randomly wrote down 0 at the end. But getting one guess right makes me especially happy!"
Zhang Lu didn't wear the distressed expression like other students who didn't perform well. Since the exam was over, it was time to put it behind and move on happily to other things.
The exam results would only be announced the next day, and there was an entire afternoon left. Students were not allowed to leave the hotel without adults accompanying them, as unfamiliar places could pose risks.
Chu Xia didn't take An'an and Zhang Lu out to play either because the weather wasn't great that day. The sky remained overcast, especially cold, and the wind felt like a knife cutting through the face.
Zhang Lu found a deck of playing cards, and Chu Xia and the two children sat on the bed playing cards.
While they were playing, the doorbell rang, and Zhang Lu went to answer it.
"Tang Song?" she exclaimed in surprise, "What's up?"
"I want to check our answers together."
Zhang Lu stepped aside, "Come in. We're playing cards. Since the exam is over, why are you still thinking about it? Don't stress so much!"
She patted Tang Song's shoulder and happily bounced back to the bed. Tang Song glanced at the shoulder that Zhang Lu had patted, hesitated for a moment, and then walked over.
Since Tang Song wanted to compare answers, they paused the card game for a while.
Zhang Lu wasn't interested in knowing the answers; she just wanted to enjoy a little more time together. Therefore, Cen Huai'an and Tang Song went to another corner to check the answers, while she and Chu Xia turned on the TV, playing it loudly.
When the two returned, Tang Song said he had to leave, but Zhang Lu grabbed his arm, "Why leave? There's nothing to do back at home. Let's play cards together!"
Tang Song looked at her and sat down at the edge of the bed. The four of them played cards all afternoon.
At 8 a.m. the next day, all the teachers and students gathered in the meeting room near the exam venue. The results of the competition would be announced today, and first, second, and third prizes would be awarded.
Teacher Xing and Teacher Jin asked each student about their performance in this exam. Many students mentioned that the test was difficult, and Cen Huai'an also remarked on its difficulty.
So, the two teachers didn't have high expectations for the results of this competition. They just hoped for a second prize and didn't want to lose face for the students from the capital.
In reality, students from the capital had strong capabilities, given the presence of excellent teachers and resources. Before the exam, both Teacher Jin and Teacher Xing were confident.
However, many students told them they hadn't completed the questions, shattering their confidence.
Oh well, it was the students' first time participating in such an exam, and the pressure might have been too much.
When the Mathematical Society announced that Cen Huai'an, Tang Song, and another girl had won first prizes, Teacher Jin and Teacher Xing didn't react at first.
Meanwhile, the three of them had already gone onstage to receive their awards. Teacher Jin and Teacher Xing exchanged glances, quickly stood up, and applauded excitedly.
Three first prizes! This time they had some glory, and they no longer had to worry about explaining to the capital Mathematical Society.
Next came the second prize, awarded to five students, including Zhang Lu.
She was overjoyed, holding the certificate on the podium with an exceptionally radiant smile. No one could match the width of her grin.
"An'an! Auntie! Second prize! I actually won the second prize in the National Mathematics Competition!"
This was something Zhang Lu hadn't expected. She thought getting a third prize would be a reason to be grateful, but now she had won a second prize. She felt truly outstanding!
Chu Xia and Cen Huai'an were also happy for her. In this National Mathematics Competition, everyone achieved satisfactory results.
Sitting between Cen Huai'an and Tang Song, Zhang Lu looked at the two and said with curiosity, "Let me see your first-prize certificates."
Cen Huai'an and Tang Song handed them over without any hesitation, and there was no hint of how precious these certificates were on their faces.
Zhang Lu compared them with her second prize, and except for the names and the award titles, everything else was the same.
Zhang Lu returned the certificates to Cen Huai'an and Tang Song, cradling her own certificate. She continued to joyfully smile, sitting next to them, and her happiness seemed to infect everyone around.
Chu Xia, Cen Huai'an, and Tang Song also had joyful expressions in their eyes.
After the competition ended, Teacher Jin and Teacher Xing were ready to take all the students back home.
Chu Xia approached the two teachers in advance and said, "Cen Huai'an, Zhang Lu, and I plan to spend two days in Dongcheng and won't be returning with the student group."
Teacher Xing advised Chu Xia, "It's safer in a group. Taking care of two kids alone can be quite tough."
"This was our plan from the beginning, and we have friends in Dongcheng."
Hearing her explanation, Teacher Jin and Teacher Xing stopped persuading her and only reminded her to "stay safe" before going their separate ways at the hotel.
Tang Song, not seeing the trio in the group, furrowed his brows and asked, "Teachers, we're missing some people in the group."
Teacher Jin double-checked the headcount and said, "We have the right number."
Tang Song's brows furrowed even tighter, "Zhang Lu and the others aren't here."
Teacher Xing, standing nearby, smiled and said, "They're not returning with us."
Tang Song was momentarily stunned, not expecting that answer. He turned around to look at the hotel behind him, touched the cotton-padded jacket inside his clothes, and the light in his eyes suddenly dimmed.
As the car drove away, Tang Song continued to stare at the hotel. He happened to see Chu Xia and the others laughing and walking out of the hotel gate. Among them, Zhang Lu had the biggest smile, and her mouth kept chatting.
Tang Song kept watching until he couldn't see their figures anymore.
At this time in Dongcheng, the ice sculptures were no longer there, but there were still other fun activities.
Here, there were Cen Zhengnian's classmates, Jiang Zhida's friends, and also subordinates of Father Cen.
It wasn't entirely safe for a woman with two children in an unfamiliar city. In the end, they sought help from one of Father Cen's subordinates, who worked at the public security bureau. He arranged for a local person to accompany Chu Xia and the kids during their stay.
They had a full three days of enjoyment, even experiencing the well-known bathhouse culture in Dongcheng. Satisfied, they were ready to return home.
For the return journey, Chu Xia and the kids chose not to take the train but instead purchased plane tickets to fly back.
It was a shorter journey, not as arduous as the train ride, and the chances of encountering pickpockets or abductors were lower. This way, they didn't have to worry throughout the journey.
Chu Xia wasn't a first-time flyer, but it was the first time for An'an and Zhang Lu.
They accompanied Chu Xia to the airport, from checking in their luggage to ticket inspection and boarding. The two kids were like wide-eyed country bumpkins, filled with curiosity.
Cen Huai'an restrained himself a bit, not as unabashedly curious as Zhang Lu. She wasn't afraid of others' gazes and would ask the uncle who had come to see them off if she had any questions.
Seated on the plane, looking at the tiny figures below through the window, Zhang Lu and Cen Huai'an became even more excited.