My IQ has been increasing year by year.

Mid-May.

The day before Chen Zhuo went to the provincial capital to participate in the provincial physics team training camp.

evening.

Chen Zhuo's room was a bit messy.

The black backpack was on the bed, its zipper open.

Inside were a few changes of clothes, a few changes of underwear, and a thick, brick-like book called "Physics Experiments".

A few pencils and two erasers were scattered next to the schoolbag.

Chen Zhuo is checking to make sure nothing has been left behind.

Physics training is different from regular classes; it requires participants to conduct experiments on their own.

"Knock knock knock".

Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway.

It's a bit urgent.

Then came the deafening sound of knocking on the door.

"Xiao Zhuo! Open the door! It's me!"

Zhang Qiang's loud voice rang out from outside the door.

Chen Zhuo walked over and opened the door.

Zhang Qiang stood outside the door.

He was covered in sweat, his school uniform short-sleeved shirt was open, revealing his vest soaked with sweat underneath.

He was tightly clutching an extremely exaggerated, bulging plastic woven bag in his arms.

Those red and blue striped woven bags that are usually used to store quilts or to buy goods at the train station.

It is almost half the size of Zhang Qiang.

"What are you doing?"

Chen Zhuo looked at the woven bag with a puzzled expression.

"Escape?"

"Why are you running away from this disaster!"

Zhang Qiang squeezed into the room.

With a bang, he threw the huge woven bag to the ground.

The woven bag made a dull clattering sound of metal and plastic colliding.

Zhang Qiang squatted down and unzipped the woven bag.

A whiff of various food aromas wafted towards me.

He started taking things out.

"this."

Zhang Qiang took out two large bags of things wrapped in kraft paper and stained with oil, and placed them on Chen Zhuo's bed.

"My dad asked someone to bring back some dried beef jerky from Inner Mongolia yesterday. It's all lean meat, very firm, but it's very filling. You can chew on one piece for half a day."

"And this too."

He pulled out seven or eight tin cans from it.

"Luncheon meat and braised pork canned food are all available. If you get hungry during evening training, just scald them with boiling water and you can eat them."

"And this! This is the most important!"

Zhang Qiang mysteriously pulled out several exquisitely packaged boxes from the bottom of the woven bag.

The box was printed with only crooked foreign characters, not a single Chinese letter.

He carefully placed the box next to Chen Zhuo's schoolbag.

"chocolate."

Zhang Qiang wiped the sweat from his face and looked at Chen Zhuo as if seeking praise.

"They're imported, from Russia or somewhere else, I don't really know. My dad said they were really expensive. He was originally planning to give them as gifts, but I just took them all."

As Zhang Qiang spoke, he began stuffing these things into Chen Zhuo's already small backpack.

"Are you crazy?"

Chen Zhuo watched as Zhang Qiang shoved a box of chocolates into the bottom compartment of his backpack, the zipper almost bursting open.

"I'm going to a training camp, to the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University, not to survive on a desert island."

Chen Zhuo reached out to grab the beef jerky.

"Take it back; the affiliated high school of National Taiwan Normal University has a cafeteria."

"Cafeteria my ass!"

Zhang Qiang slapped Chen Zhuo's hand away and stubbornly protected his schoolbag.

"My dad said that the food in the cafeterias of the good schools in the provincial capital is bland and watery, and they're really stingy."

Zhang Qiang raised his head.

He looked at Chen Zhuo.

His eyes held a rare hint of stubbornness and seriousness.

"Look at yourself."

Zhang Qiang pointed at Chen Zhuo's wrist.

"So skinny, like a monkey."

"When you go this time, you'll be surrounded by tall, junior high students."

"If those bastards ostracize you, deliberately pushing you when you're getting food in the cafeteria, do you think you can beat them? Do you think you can get any meat?"

Zhang Qiang became more and more excited as he spoke, his chubby face turning bright red.

"A poor home but a rich road, do you understand?"

"Take these with you. If you get hungry, you can eat in your dorm. If not, you can share some with them too."

"Don't starve yourself to save money or avoid trouble. If you starve yourself and stop growing, how will you survive in the future?"

Without saying a word, he stuffed the two cans of luncheon meat into the mesh pocket on the side of his backpack and tightened it with the elastic band.

Chen Zhuo stood by the bed.

Watching this fat guy clumsily and stubbornly stuff his backpack with things he probably wouldn't be able to eat during the training camp.

Beef jerky.

can.

chocolate.

As he stuffed each item in, Zhang Qiang would pat the edge of the backpack, trying to make it more compact.

Chen Zhuo did not stop him.

He lowered his eyes.

Looking at the bulging veins on the back of Zhang Qiang's hand from exertion.

he knows.

For a chubby twelve-year-old, these beef jerky and chocolates were the best protection he could think of.

Since I can't stay by your side to shield you from those older students.

Then I'll stuff all the tastiest and most filling foods into your mouth.

I guarantee you won't go hungry or suffer any injustice during these two weeks.

This is a crude, even somewhat comical, form of concern.

But in Chen Zhuo's heart...

It was heavier than any other word.

"Alright."

Chen Zhuo said softly.

"It's too full, the zipper is about to break."

Zhang Qiang stopped what he was doing.

He tried pulling the zipper on his backpack.

The zipper made a strained hissing sound as it barely closed at the top.

The backpack swelled up like an inflated balloon, its shape completely changed.

Zhang Qiang patted his schoolbag with satisfaction.

"That's fine. It's a bit heavy to carry, but it makes me feel at ease."

He stood up, pulled over a chair, sat down, and let out a long sigh.

Chen Zhuo walked over.

I picked up the heavy schoolbag and placed it on the bedside table.

then.

He walked to the desk.

Open the drawer.

He took out the grid-patterned diary with a dark blue cover.

He walked up to Zhang Qiang.

Hand over the diary.

Zhang Qiang was stunned for a moment.

"What's this?"

He took it.

Turn it over.

On the first page, I saw a neatly written line: "[Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls in Mathematics for the Entrance Exam to No. 1 Middle School in the City (Zhang Qiang's Special Edition)]".

Zhang Qiang's eyes widened slightly.

He continued flipping through the pages.

It was densely packed with his most common mistakes.

"For the last two multiple-choice questions... just choose C..."

Zhang Qiang read it aloud.

When they read out the line, "Are you a pig brain?"

Zhang Qiang's lips twitched.

He looked up at Chen Zhuo.

His chubby face held a somewhat complicated expression.

For some reason, her eyes were slightly red.

But he quickly lowered his head, pretending to look at the Chinese composition guide at the back.

Twelve- or thirteen-year-old boys are very concerned about their image and would never shed tears in front of their brothers.

"What kind of nonsense is this?"

Zhang Qiang muttered something in a gruff voice.

He rolled the diary into a tube, carefully stuffed it into his pants pocket, and patted it to make sure it wouldn't fall out.

Chen Zhuo watched his movements.

He pushed up his glasses.

The tone remained calm and even, as if they were discussing what to have for breakfast the next day.

My train leaves at 8 a.m. tomorrow.

Chen Zhuo had his hands in his pockets.

"When I'm not around, make sure you're familiar with this notebook. I've highlighted the important questions for you."

Do your best on the high school entrance exam.

"Don't embarrass me."

Zhang Qiang sniffed.

"Tch, who's embarrassing you?"

He stood up.

He casually wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

"I'm sure I'll pass the exam, don't look down on me."

He walked to the door.

My hand is on the doorknob.

It paused for a moment.

There was no turning back.

He just said it in a muffled voice.

Be careful when you go to the provincial capital.

"What if someone over there bullies you?"

"Remember the name."

Zhang Qiang turned his head.

Looking at Chen Zhuo.

His usually cheerful, round face now displayed a rare seriousness and fierceness.

"Wait until I get into the top high school."

"Wait for me to come find you."

"I'll take some men to the provincial capital and beat them up."

Chen Zhuo looked at him.

He looked at the fat man who was half a head taller than him and who was determined to protect him.

Chen Zhuo lowered his head slightly.

The corners of my mouth are no longer that straight line.

Instead, it evoked an extremely subtle yet genuine arc.

"it is good."

Chen Zhuo said.

"I remember."

He took a step forward.

I added a sentence.

"Don't wander off after the exam. I'll be back in early July."

"Wait for me to come back."

Let's go to the arcade.

"I'll teach you Iori Yagami's infinite combo."

Zhang Qiang was stunned for a moment.

Then he suddenly grinned.

Two slightly pointed little tiger teeth were showing.

The somber feeling of parting vanished instantly.

"It's a deal!"

Zhang Qiang stretched out his chubby fist and waved it in the air.

"If you dare to lie to me, I'll sell all your information when you get back!"

Done.

Zhang Qiang opened the door.

With heavy but light steps, I ran downstairs.

His heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway.

Chen Zhuo stood at the door.

The footsteps gradually faded away.

Until it disappears completely.

He turned around.

Looking at the backpack that was stuffed out of shape.

A gentle summer evening breeze blew in through the window.

The chill of spring has vanished from the wind; it carries a hint of heat and the fresh scent of leaves.

Summer has truly arrived.