My IQ has been increasing year by year.

Chen Zhuo stood on the steps.

Before Pierre could even push it open, the door was pulled open from the inside.

Matilda stood in the doorway.

She wore a dark gray wool shawl, her hair was simply tied back, and there were some wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

The wall lamps on the porch ceiling were not turned on, making the evening light somewhat dim.

Matilda's gaze passed over Pierre and landed on Chen Zhuo.

She didn't go up and give her a hug like most Western elders would.

She simply stood there, her hands folded in front of her, looking at Chen Zhuo.

Pierre has been talking about you for a long time.

Matilda spoke, deliberately slowing her pace and speaking in a gentle voice.

He said you are a very capable and caring child.

Chen Zhuo looked at the old lady in front of him.

He released his grip on the suitcase handle, took a small step forward, and lowered his head slightly.

"Hello, Madam, I am Chen Zhuo."

Matilda smiled and stepped aside to make way for the passage after she went out the door.

"The room has been prepared long ago, come in quickly, it's windy outside."

Chen Zhuo gripped the handle again, picked up the suitcase, and stepped over the threshold.

A dark red carpet was laid in the entryway, and Pierre casually tossed his car keys onto the cabinet by the door.

Matilda led the way, walking slightly ahead of Chen Zhuo.

The stairs echoed slightly when you stepped on them, and a few simple landscape paintings hung on the walls.

Walking up to the second floor, the corridor was covered with long, narrow carpets, and it was very quiet.

Matilda pushed open a door on the left.

"This is the one."

Chen Zhuo pushed the suitcase inside.

The room was quite spacious and had a small open area.

The window faces south, and the sky outside is already getting dark, but the outline of the oak forest in the distance is still clearly visible.

There was a fairly large desk, and against the wall was a single bed with pure white sheets.

In the very center of the bed, a thick quilt was neatly folded, with a light blue cover that looked very fluffy.

Chen Zhuo's gaze lingered on the quilt for a moment.

The goose down comforter that he had mentioned buying a month ago while it was drizzling and then airing out on a sunny day was now placed in front of him.

"The restroom is to the right after you exit."

Matilda considerately stayed outside the door, not invading his private space.

"Pack your luggage first, I'll go get you a glass of water."

Chen Zhuo thanked him, and the room fell silent.

Chen Zhuo opened his suitcase, which was packed full.

On the left are several neatly folded short-sleeved shirts and trousers, and on the right are two sweaters covered with plastic bags.

Chen Zhuo took the clothes out and placed them on the edge of the bed next to him.

Underneath the clothes was a package wrapped in a thick towel.

The towel was wrapped with two layers of transparent tape.

Footsteps came from outside the door.

Pierre and Matilda entered, Matilda carrying a small tray with two glasses of warm water on it.

"Drink some water."

Matilda placed the tray on the desk.

Chen Zhuo stood up.

"thank you."

Pierre walked over to the box.

"What did you bring? It looks quite heavy."

Pierre looked at the cube wrapped in a towel.

"A little bit of chili sauce that my mom made herself."

Chen Zhuo tore off the outer transparent tape.

Inside were two transparent glass jars, the lids of which were screwed on tightly, and the outside was wrapped in plastic wrap.

Chen Zhuo took out the two glass jars and placed them on the floor next to him.

As the glass jar was removed, the bottom of the box was exposed.

Pierre's gaze, which had been fixed on the glass jar, naturally fell to the bottom of the box following Chen Zhuo's movements.

The bottom of the suitcase has two parallel metal pull rods with a rectangular groove between them.

Now, that groove has been filled in.

A copy of the "Annals of Mathematics" was placed underneath.

The latest issue number and year are printed in the lower right corner of the cover.

Pierre was standing there.

His gaze was fixed on the journal.

The corners of the cover were even slightly wrinkled due to the prolonged pressure from the glass bottle.

Pierre pushed up his reading glasses on the bridge of his nose.

He glanced at the journal, then at the two bottles of beef sauce on the floor next to him.

Pierre's lips slowly curled into a smile.

A smile spread from the depths of his eyes.

Matilda stood to one side.

She followed Pierre's gaze and saw the book.

Of course she knew what it was.

Matilda turned her head and looked at Pierre.

Pierre.

Matilda said with a smile.

"It seems that this publication still has some practical value in real life."

Pierre shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.

Chen Zhuo stood up.

He held the two bottles of beef sauce in both hands and handed them to Matilda.

"Madam, this is some beef sauce my mother made. It contains beef and some spices, so it might be a little spicy."

Matilda reached out her hands and took it.

The glass bottle was heavy.

"Thanks."

Matilda looked at the bright red color in the bottle.

"Perfect timing, we can open it and try it at dinner tonight."

Go wash your hands.

Pierre glanced at his watch.

"Get ready for dinner."

After a quick wash, Chen Zhuo went down the stairs to the first floor.

The restaurant is located on the inner side of the first floor, connected to an open kitchen.

The chandelier above the restaurant cast a warm yellow light, and a light-colored tablecloth covered the long dining table.

Chen Zhuo walked to the dining table.

The decorations on the table were rather peculiar.

At Pierre's table was a white plate with sliced ​​roasted chicken, a few slices of tomato, and some boiled cauliflower, along with a knife and fork. Matilda had the same simple Western-style meal.

But on the other side of the table, there was a bowl.

The bowl was filled to the brim with white rice, which was still steaming.

There were no knives and forks next to the rice bowl.

Instead, a pair of chopsticks was neatly set out.

The chopsticks look somewhat new.

In front of the rice is a slightly larger plate.

The plate contains a dish of food.

The green bell peppers were cut into strips of varying thickness.

The pork shreds inside were also cut quite thick, the soy sauce was a bit too dark, and the edges of the shreds looked slightly dry because they had been overcooked. Chen Zhuo stopped in front of that spot.

He glanced at the bowl of rice, then at the plate of stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers.

Matilda came out of the kitchen, carrying several glass water glasses.

She walked to the dining table and put down her water glass.

"Please sit down."

Matilda pointed to the spot where the rice was placed.

Chen Zhuo pulled out a chair and sat down.

Pierre also walked to his seat and sat down, picking up a napkin from the side.

Matilda sat opposite Chen Zhuo.

She didn't touch the knife and fork on her plate, but instead placed her hands together on the table and looked at Chen Zhuo.

There was a rare hint of tension in his eyes.

Matilda spoke.

"I learned from the owner of a Sichuan restaurant in Chinatown for almost a month, but I still might not have mastered the cooking techniques very well."

Chen Zhuo looked at the old lady opposite him.

He recalled Pierre's complaints over the phone.

An elderly woman who had lived in Princeton for decades went to Chinatown every day to learn how to cook.

This plate of shredded pork, which looks a bit odd, is the result of a month of practice.

Chen Zhuo picked up the chopsticks on the table.

Align the tips of the chopsticks.

He reached out and picked up a piece of shredded meat and two green peppers from the plate, putting them in his mouth.

The soy sauce flavor is indeed a bit strong, and it's slightly on the salty side.

The shredded pork was overcooked and became tough, making it a bit difficult to chew, while the green peppers still had a slightly raw taste.

This tastes nothing like the dishes Liu Xiuying cooks at home in Zeyang City.

It's not even as good as the dishes cooked in large pots in the cafeteria of No. 1 Middle School.

But it's hot.

It carried the smoky aroma of freshly cooked food from the stove.

Chen Zhuo swallowed it.

He picked up the bowl again, scooped up a mouthful of white rice with his chopsticks. The rice was a little too soft; too much water had been added.

He swallowed the rice.

Put down the bowl.

He looked up at Matilda sitting opposite him.

"It's delicious."

Chen Zhuo spoke gently, his eyes sincere.

"Thank you, Madam. The rice is delicious too."

Matilda slowly loosened her clasped hands.

She leaned back in her chair, visibly relaxing, the wrinkles around her eyes smoothing out as she smiled.

"I'm glad you like it," Matilda said.

Pierre remained silent.

He cut a piece of chicken from his plate and put it in his mouth, glancing at Chen Zhuo's eating out of the corner of his eye. His hand holding the knife and fork paused slightly before he continued cutting the meat. Matilda reached for a small plate in the middle of the table.

That was a little bit of beef sauce she had just poured out of the glass jar.

"How do you eat this hot sauce?" Matilda asked.

"You can mix it directly into rice, or eat it with vegetables."

Matilda took a small spoon, scooped up some beef bits with chili oil, and placed them on Chen Zhuo's rice.

"Mix it up and eat it," she said.

Then, she dipped the tip of the spoon into a little bit of chili oil, put it in her mouth, and sipped it.

His brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed.

"A very peculiar scent."

Matilda's evaluation.

"It is a little spicy, but the flavor is very rich."

"It contains Sichuan peppercorns and star anise."

Chen Zhuo used chopsticks to mix the rice and beef sauce, and the rice turned a light red color.

I ate dinner very slowly.

No one at the dinner table mentioned math, nor did anyone ask about the Princeton course schedule.

Pierre would occasionally hand over the pepper shaker on the table.

Matilda asked about Zeyang's condition and whether sesame seeds were added to the beef sauce.

Chen Zhuo ate the plate of stir-fried green peppers and shredded pork bite by bite.

The food on the plate gradually decreased, and the rice in the bowl was almost gone.

Dinner is over.

Pierre put down his knife and fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Go and rest," Matilda said softly.

"After such a long flight, you need to get a good night's sleep and adjust to the time difference."

"Okay, goodnight teacher, goodnight teacher's wife."

Chen Zhuo turned and walked towards the stairs.

The door was closed.

The room was very quiet.

He walked to the window and opened it.

The air in New Jersey at night is slightly cool and damp.

The wind rustled through the oak grove in the yard, the leaves whispering and whispering, and in the distance, one or two faint chirps of insects could be heard. There were no car horns, no noise of people.