She was very young, with a childish voice, watery eyes like a little rabbit, and thick eyelashes that cast shadows beneath her eyes. Her suggestion carried no sense of intimidation, yet Jiang Yubai surprisingly chose to comply.
He closed his eyes during this English class period and heard Lin Zhixia speaking slowly: “Have you ever thought about where you came from? When you close your eyes, can you feel your true self? I often wonder, I am me, but who exactly am I? This question has troubled me for a long time, and I don’t understand.”
Jiang Yubai was confused by her. He could only stammer: “You… are you, a different you.”
His extensive conversation with Lin Zhixia had indeed attracted Teacher Zheng’s attention.
Teacher Zheng wiped her hands with a towel. All ten of her fingernails were painted a bright pink. She pointed a finger at Jiang Yubai: “Oh? This student, you’re the new transfer student in our class, right? Perfect, you and your deskmate come up and demonstrate for us how to ask for directions in a park. I noticed you were getting a bit sleepy just now, weren’t you?”
No.
Jiang Yubai wasn’t drowsy.
At this moment, he was more alert than ever.
Because this was his domain.
He stood up steadily, walking to the front, accepting the attention of the entire class.
Lin Zhixia followed behind Jiang Yubai, keenly sensing that he was up to something. He looked back at her twice, more nervous than a soldier keeping watch on a battlefield, as if afraid she would flee at the critical moment.
Lin Zhixia didn’t understand the situation and thought Jiang Yubai wasn’t very good at speaking English, hoping she could rescue him.
Oh, so that’s it! Lin Zhixia believed she had found the crux of the problem.
Without waiting for Jiang Yubai to speak, Lin Zhixia asked: “I’m a little turned around. Is there a subway station nearby?”
Teacher Zheng translated for everyone: “Hey, not bad! Our classmate Lin Zhixia used a phrase, ‘I’m a little turned around,’ which means ‘I’m lost.’ Lin Zhixia says she’s lost and is asking Jiang Yubai if there’s a subway station nearby.”
Jiang Yubai answered: “Sure. If you look at this map, you’ll see that your destination is just across the park. The subway station is at the south entrance.”
Lin Zhixia smiled and said: “Many thanks. A few minutes ago I walked across…”
“Alright, alright,” Teacher Zheng interrupted, “How are you two acting like you’re in a play? However, Lin Zhixia used a phrase that everyone should note: ‘walk across the park’ and ‘walk through the park’ both represent someone walking through a park. So, what’s the difference between the prepositions ‘across’ and ‘through’ when used in the context of a park? Which student knows?”
Jiang Yubai raised his hand on the spot.
Teacher Zheng agreed: “Jiang Yubai, you tell us.”
Jiang Yubai answered seriously: “When we use ‘across’ as a preposition, it indicates that Lin Zhixia directly crossed the park without looking at the scenery. Generally, ‘through’ is more commonly used.”
“Correct,” Teacher Zheng nodded repeatedly, “Alright, you can return to your seats.”
*
Starting at age four, Jiang Yubai had one-on-one foreign English teachers. His first teacher was British. Later, his mother hired three Americans. The four foreign teachers formed an English teaching research group, specifically teaching Jiang Yubai.
So, how well did Jiang Yubai learn English? He felt it was average, just so-so. The combined education from American and British teachers occasionally caused him to confuse American and British English expressions.
He thought Lin Zhixia’s accent was not bad. Not perfect, but acceptable.
He asked Lin Zhixia: “How did you learn your pronunciation?”
Lin Zhixia answered matter-of-factly: “Me? I learned from tape recorders.”
“Tape recorders?” Jiang Yubai was surprised.
He tried to hold back, but couldn’t restrain himself: “Impossible. Don’t lie to me.”
Lin Zhixia scratched her head: “Really, why would I lie to you? When I learn foreign languages, I just buy books from bookstores, listen to tapes at home, and watch videos online. Anything I’ve seen, if I want to remember it, I never forget, ever.”
Never forget, ever.
Jiang Yubai exclaimed: “Are you a genius?”
Lin Zhixia rested her face on one hand and secretly revealed to him: “When I was seven, my mom took me to test my IQ at the city center hospital, where they were offering free testing as part of a promotional activity. That year my IQ was 174… The doctor said this number would continue to rise. What’s your IQ? Am I smarter than you?”
Jiang Yubai picked up a stack of draft paper and suddenly covered his face with it.
Classmates in front, behind, and to the sides all turned to stare blankly at Jiang Yubai’s behavior.
Jiang Yubai calmly responded: “I’m fine.”