Rebirth 08: A Happy Life Begins in Elementary School

Chapter 126 It's Not Easy to Understand Yourself

For the past three days, Li Zhao neither went out to play nor officially started doing anything.

He was spacing out.

Of course, another reason is that both He Shuyao and Chen Nian are anxious about their grades. One tries to distract herself by playing games, while the other occasionally chats online for a couple of minutes before saying she's going to study.

Each person was trying to find a way to relieve their own anxiety.

Li Zhao was also filled with many thoughts.

The past month or so has been quite fulfilling for him.

Learning junior high school knowledge and preparing for exams — my studies are quite fulfilling.

But is it enjoyable? It's hard to say.

Li Zhao originally thought that after developing the ambition to become a genius, studying would naturally be a pursuit of happiness. However, his happiness level increased with the changes in his parents, in his yearbook, and in becoming a junior teacher.

The problem is that the improvement didn't come from the knowledge or skills they acquired.

While relying too much on the system is wrong, ignoring the unexpected feedback from the system is also a mistake.

The key is to ask yourself what's in your heart.

Li Zhao suddenly realized that philosophy was really useful.

Although he was fond of literature and had some research in the humanities and social sciences in his previous life, he always believed from the bottom of his heart that science was the only valuable thing, and philosophy was nothing compared to science.

Look, one studies human beings themselves, and the other studies scientific laws.

In most people's eyes, the former's final product is just feel-good platitudes, while the latter can lead humanity to the stars and the sea.

He doesn't think that way anymore.

Humans are not machines; they have emotions and desires, and all sorts of complex thoughts.

Everyone's thoughts change gradually with experience. Those who start with an idea and then stick to it are an extremely small minority.

Even if someone does manage to do it, they still need to adjust their approach as they go through the process.

Therefore, understanding oneself is no easier than exploring the truth of the universe.

For this kind of thinking without a standard answer, anchor points are very important.

You must first establish some firm and unwavering "viewpoints" for yourself.

Otherwise, we will never find a result.

Firstly, Li Zhao affirmed the ambition that had arisen in him as a genius, and the resulting anticipation for each new day.

That expectation is real, and it shouldn't be denied just because the happiness system hasn't improved or because learning isn't enjoyable enough, or because one doesn't actually expect to become a genius.

Secondly, my experience with "learning" over the past month has been so-so, with little to show for it, which is something I need to face.

Although I learned a lot of junior high school knowledge, it was essentially just advanced learning and I didn't learn it in depth.

So, we should try to learn it thoroughly?

No—this idea is wrong.

If the problem lies in how to learn, then Li Zhao shouldn't doubt whether the learning process itself has been fulfilling.

The question should be, "Why learn?"

The third anchor point is a question: Why did Li Zhao struggle with the question of "what to do" before the summer vacation arrived?

His original idea was simple and happy: to do three things—write youth campus novels, practice sports, and continue to study urban planning and write articles under the pen name "Four Knives".

But things changed after he developed ambitions. He wanted to learn some junior high school knowledge in advance in order to maintain his prestige of getting first place in the entrance exam.

A jolt went through Li Zhao's mind, as if he had suddenly grasped something.

"Learning junior high school knowledge in advance is just to maintain a high image; the essence is just to get high scores on simple tests."

Why did you choose to take this entrance exam?

"To show off."

"Moreover, it's to maintain the empty reputation of being a genius."

Li Zhao's studies over the past month have been purely exam-oriented, with the sole aim of achieving high scores on the exams.

Wanting to get first place in the entrance exam to prove oneself, and gaining special privileges in junior high school through a combination of special admission and first place in the exam, is not inherently wrong.

However, this led to subsequent pressure, and the direction was not quite right.

Learning in advance to create a gap in the early exams after enrollment is not anything remarkable in itself.

This goes against Li Zhao's ambition to become a genius.

Li Zhao took a deep breath and faced a single thought—

The early self-study that started in June, and the subsequent intensive junior high school knowledge training that was planned for the summer vacation, were essentially a form of laziness.

Li Zhaoming knew he wasn't a true genius, but he wanted to meet the expectations of being one, so he took a shortcut.

They've become addicted to exploiting information asymmetry, wanting to gain an early advantage simply by learning earlier and having a foundation.

Isn't that just deceiving yourself?

Thinking isn't necessarily faster or deeper; it's just that you learn it earlier.

Therefore, this is a route that is not truly running on the road to happiness.

What Li Zhao should do is to think carefully, just as he had realized before, and try to learn more deeply from the new perspective he had already learned, so as to build his own knowledge system.

Instead of relying on the advantage of "having already learned it" to judge "how much pressure there is in junior high school", just to draw a conclusion about "whether I can still dominate in junior high school".

To be a genius, it's far from enough to just focus on getting first place in exams.

It is wrong to measure success by grades.

On the afternoon of July 14th, it was very hot. Li Zhao lay on the living room floor with the fan on, staring blankly at the fan.

It's hard to admit your mistakes, and it took Li Zhao a lot of effort to come to this conclusion.

Self-analysis itself isn't tiring; what's tiring is actually daring to face it.

It's like how people who cultivate immortality and break through to the Nascent Soul stage and overcome inner demon tribulations are always told, "You've gotten this far entirely thanks to the little green bottle."

Even though they know where their strengths lie, they are still eager to achieve quick results and put pressure and expectations on themselves based on their own imagination.

"It's really not easy being a person," Li Zhao sighed.

Li Zhao fell asleep.

When I woke up, it was already dark. I had a small blanket on me, and I could hear the sound of a television.

In a daze, I saw Li Changlin and Zhou Xiaoyun with somewhat worried expressions.

"Son, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Oh, no, it's fine."

"You've seemed down these past few days, not playing games or going out. Did you do poorly on your exams?"

"No, I was just thinking." Li Zhao stretched.

"The results will be out tomorrow. Actually, even if I don't do well—"

"Mom, I already told you I was just thinking about something." Li Zhao waved his hand. "I'm hungry."

Zhou Xiaoyun immediately stood up. "The food is ready, come and eat."

"What do you want to do during summer vacation?" Li Changlin asked.

"Yes, I'll only do three things during summer vacation, fairness—" (sounds like someone who's still half asleep and has switched channels) "Ahem, writing books, reading books, and playing ball."

"As long as you have something you want to do, that's fine. Actually, your parents didn't stop you from playing games."

"If you want to play, of course I will," Li Zhao said.

He's just genuinely not very interested in games.

However, it seems interesting if Chen Nian invites him to join in.

July 15th, the day the results were released.

The way New Taipei First Senior High School releases its results is quite unique. It neither mails out report cards nor provides electronic score checking, and it doesn't even post the results publicly—otherwise, one could experience the joy of a group of people pointing and commenting on the list.

What truly means to pass the imperial examination with flying colors!

The method used by New Taipei First Senior High School is to bring your admission ticket and receive your score report on the spot.

It's heaven or hell; you'll face it firsthand—it's incredibly thrilling.

Chen Nian and He Shuyao both invited Li Zhao to go together, but in the end, they ended up "waiting at the school gate".

As a result, from the moment they met, the three mothers chatted on and on.

The topics were very consistent: praising the other person's child, and then modestly praising one's own child.

There are some differences in the details. Zhou Xiaoyun wasn't very modest, while Chen Nian's mother was very modest.

A row of tables was set up in the school's covered playground, with seven or eight teachers, four computers, and boxes of report cards piled up on the tables to the side.

The report cards are numbered and separated into groups of ten, with students responsible for finding the correct ones.

It really is a very old-fashioned manual workshop.

Li Zhao was curious why they couldn't just equip themselves with a few printers and print out the data directly.

Then it was discovered that the teacher only had the EceI form, and the transcript was already stamped.

However, it has a unique charm. Although the people waiting to see their report cards are anxious, their tension overshadows their anxiety, so they don't rush them. Observing the reactions of each person who receives their score is quite interesting in itself.

Therefore, the on-site work efficiency was extremely low, but it was still very orderly.

Li Zhao's family chose to stand in a line, no longer caring about efficiency.

Initially, it was said that Li Zhao was first, but gradually it became Chen Nian first, then He Shuyao, and then Li Zhao.

The reason was that Chen Nian was worried that their grades were too good, and that he would feel like the sky was falling when he didn't get into college.

Instead, it was Chen Nian's mother who kept comforting him.

Watching the group of children, some crying and some laughing, Chen Nian felt increasingly pressured. By the time it was finally his turn, he looked like he was about to collapse.

The teachers didn't care. They took away the admission tickets, recited data while checking information on the computer, and then put on a professional smile, "Congratulations on your enrollment."

Chen Nian was stunned. His mother had already received the report card: 298 points, ranking in the top 600, which allowed him to successfully enroll in New Taipei First Senior High School.

"Wow! Hahahaha!" Chen Nian, who had almost collapsed just now, instantly relaxed and shouted with joy, and went over to Li Zhao to show him his report card.

Strangely, instead of showing the specific ranking, it directly shows the class assignment, with Chen Nian in Class 7 of the first year of junior high.

Because the three of them were lined up together, Chen Nian was still in high spirits, while He Shuyao was already waiting for the teacher to check her grades.

"He Shuyao, right? Congratulations." The teacher's smile was clearly more genuine than when she smiled at Chen Nian.

He Shuyao took the report card, and her ponytail twitched.

322 points, Class 1, Grade 7.

There was no ranking, but this class was clearly among the top 50 experimental classes.

She whirled around in a flash, her ponytail lashing across Chen Nian's face as he peered in curiously at her results, then shouted to Li Zhao at the top of her lungs, "I did it!"

Li Zhao responded with a relieved smile.

The parents paused for a moment, then exchanged glances and smiled.

The teachers all had the same smile.

The two happy people in succession attracted the attention of other teams, who inexplicably wanted to follow what would happen next.

What happened next?

Next up is Li Zhao.