I'm A Math Idiot, So What? - Chapter 36

After a few rounds of drinks, everyone’s faces were a bit flushed.

My mom was in a good mood and had a bit too much to drink; her face was as red as a celebratory egg. She kept holding Fang Congxin’s hand, saying, “This is the most precious person in the world to me; you must cherish her. If you don’t cherish her and let Xiaomeng down, Auntie will take you down with her!”

I was feeling a little tipsy too, mostly just a numbness in my mouth, but my mind was still clear. Listening to my mom’s nonsensical rambling, I thought to myself, what on earth is she talking about? It’s broad daylight; what kind of performance is this? Isn’t this a bit crazy?

Isn’t it crazy? Who gathers to drink during the day?

But my mouth couldn’t keep up, so I dumbly pressed my face against the table, watching Fang Congxin act like a big fool, saying, “Okay, Auntie, don’t worry.”

My mom was pushing him to take on a role he shouldn’t.

Wait, that phrase doesn’t seem right. What should I use instead? My mind was whirring away.

My mom continued, “You take good care of Xiaomeng; this is Auntie’s first wish.” Then she raised three fingers, her tongue slightly slurred, saying, “Auntie’s second wish is—time to turn back.”

I smiled foolishly. Did she think Fang Congxin was Aladdin’s Lamp?

After that, my mom wanted to pour more wine, but when Fang Congxin saw she had had a bit too much, he tried to stop her. My dad, however, shook his head at him and said, “Let her drink a bit; she’ll be fine after a nap.”

After pouring more wine, my mom began to murmur to herself: “If only that day I hadn’t let Xiaomeng bring me the materials. If she hadn’t come over, whatever happened with that billboard wouldn’t matter, would it? Xiaomeng is just too foolish; it’s all because we taught her so well.”

I grimaced. How could someone like my mom be so adept at putting on a façade for herself?

“If only time could reverse; if that accident hadn’t happened, Xiaomeng would still be a delicate little girl playing the piano. A couple of days ago, I ran into Xiaomeng’s piano teacher, and she was saying that Xiaomeng is a great talent; it’s such a pity.” My mom started wiping her tears, “I should have been tough back then and sent her to an art school in Beijing, just like Lang Lang’s father. Forget the artistic accomplishments; ensuring her safety would have been no problem.”

Taking a sip of strong liquor, my mom looked at me lying on the table and slowly said, “Old Lin, look at our Xiaomeng—ever since that incident, her character has changed.”In the past, she wasn’t this poor in spirit; her voice was soft and gentle. Now, her self-deprecating remarks came in a steady stream, just like a performance from Deyunshe, making people laugh. If it were someone else who encountered a mishap, their personality would likely head towards being quiet and withdrawn. But Xiaomeng, on the other hand, became more playful and cheerful. I knew, she just didn’t want me to feel sad, and she didn’t want others to see her as disabled. That’s why she came all the way to Changning, to hide from us and from everyone in Taixi who knew her or remembered her. Over the years, she must have suffered a lot; I knew, I understood.

Then my mom lunged forward, holding me tightly and crying out like she was invoking a spirit, “Xiaomeng, oh Xiaomeng, I’m sorry, Mommy didn’t protect you well; you can blame Mommy.”

Her tears fell steadily onto my face.

Perhaps tears have the effect of breaking a seal, as my dazed mind seemed to clear up a bit, and I spoke more coherently: “Mom, what are you saying? How could I blame you? I’m going to be your daughter in the next life too.”

My mom suddenly became very emotional, saying, “Then in the next next life, I’ll be the one to be your mother; we’ll be mother and daughter for all eternity.”

This sentiment could move heaven and earth and make spirits weep!

I stood up, feeling excited, intending to continue talking about our next next next lives, but the three-legged stool I used was unstable. When I got up, I bumped into the table, and the tall glass resting on its edge fell to the ground with a crash. The bouncing shards of glass grazed the back of my hand, causing blood to drip down steadily.

My mother, who had just promised me a bond for three lifetimes, upon seeing my bleeding injury, lost control and shouted, “Ah! My glass! Ah! This is the latex cushion I just bought for you! Don’t let it drip on that; it won’t wash off! Quickly, catch it with your hand!!!”

Plastic maternal love, like a pile of sand, scattered with a gust of wind.

It was Fang Congxin who held my hand to take me to the bathroom to wash it. The cool liquid coursing over my skin seemed to help my sluggish brain function better. Looking at the reflection in the mirror, he said, “Let’s find another place to study tomorrow. If you keep coming, my mom won’t be far from binge drinking.”

Fang Congxin nodded silently beside me.

“Have you finished eating?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll take you to get a taxi; I need to go downstairs to buy some hangover medicine.”

“Don’t bother, I’ll go buy it for you.”

“No, I want to go downstairs for a walk,” I insisted stubbornly.

Fang Congxin stopped talking, and we walked down the stairs one after the other.

The author has something to say: This backend is too unstable; it seems to be more stable with the phone update. The next update will be the next day.Then, I took the opportunity to find a more stable place to continue updating it in the next few days.

The afternoon sun was at its most scorching. When we reached downstairs, it was as if we were blocked by a torrential rain and, without any agreement, we both stopped beneath the rain canopy at the entrance.

The entrance was a cramped bicycle parking area, with warm winds gently blowing through.

I looked at the wilting flowers and plants not far away and said, “You got a bargain; you drank our family’s liquor and heard our family’s stories. This sort of experience can only be bought in Lijiang.”

Fang Congxin made a slight grimace: “Where’s the story? Your hand?”

His bluntness made me feel less awkward.

He glanced at the ugly scar on my left wrist and asked, “How’s it healing now?”

I demonstrated making a fist in front of him: “I can clench it up to here. With tendon rupture and ulnar nerve damage, if I keep exercising, it shouldn’t be much of a problem. My mom exaggerated; it’s not a disability, just my left hand is a bit weak.”

“But you can’t play the piano anymore.”

“Not being able to play is fine. I used to suffer when my mom forced me to play; she could really turn me into a turtle hiding its head. Have you heard ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’? My mom thinks playing that is really impressive and kept making me practice it, nearly driving me crazy. If it weren’t for my dad saying that if I learned piano I wouldn’t have to study math anymore, I wouldn’t have stuck with it. Now it’s much easier since no one is forcing me to play, though there’s still math as a hurdle to overcome. Sigh, tell me, it’s like the sun rising in the east and raining in the west, pressing down a gourd and a ladle popping up, life really turns like the mountains and rivers.”

He tilted his head and mockingly smiled at me: “Don’t think that by saying that, I’ll refund you that thousand yuan.”

I laughed along with him.

I was really afraid he would look at me with sympathetic eyes or offer me comforting words, but instead, he chatted with me casually, as if we were discussing some very ordinary matter.

I really liked his harsh words; they had the refreshing quality of a summer stream.

Sparrows boldly hopped around at our feet, pecking at the ground.

Fang Congxin leaned against the door post and suddenly said, “I’ve watched your award-winning video from when you used to play the piano.”

“Ah?”How long ago was that? Why are you so concerned about me?” I looked at him in surprise.

Fang Congxin licked his lips, “When I transferred to Taixi, it was just the time you were becoming famous.”

I suddenly realized, “Oh, so that’s how it is. Looking back on that period, every day felt chaotic and disordered, almost like a hazy dream. Oh right, you caught me cheating; you must have come to our school right when I was at my peak. To be honest, I have a special charisma for being a star. I’ve appeared in cultural news and even social news. If you search for my videos, it wouldn’t be surprising.”

Fang Congxin shot me a cool glance, “You used plaster to help others cheat and made a fuss about it, yet I didn’t notice your chaotic state—” He paused halfway, probably recalling what my mom said about “suffering inside,” so he couldn’t continue.

I waved my hand dismissively, “Lei Chuifeng is indeed cold-hearted. Even after all that, he still made me publicly reflect on my actions without any mercy.”

“No matter how cold-hearted he is, it didn’t teach you a lesson. When you got to college, you still cheated.”

“You’re colder and more ruthless than him, okay? In ‘The Beauty of Mathematics,’ you called me out for cheating, and do you know how much I suffered inside? How much time do I have to spend to make up for those 15 points? Are you Lei Chuifeng 2.0?”

He looked at me in frustration and weakly retorted, “It’s as if having those 15 points would mean you’d pass.”

“Hey, don’t tear people down when they’re trying!”

As we spoke, we both started to laugh.

I shook my head shyly, “How come you know all my secrets?”

Fang Congxin said, “If you feel unbalanced, how about I tell you one of my secrets instead?”

I perked up immediately, wrapping my arms around my ears and shaking them.

He smiled at me and said, “I really like a girl.”

“What kind?” I asked, my eyes shining as I looked at him.

“Someone kind and strong.”

“Shancai?”

“Who?”

I waved my hand, saying, “Sounds to me like you have an unrequited crush?” I took a breath, seriously studying his face, which could easily land him a role in an idol drama, and I couldn’t help but lament, “With a face like yours, how can you have an unrequited crush! Just show that face to the girl, and proposing to her would be like announcing you’re getting married!”

Fang Congxin lowered his eyelids, saying, “That girl has a boyfriend, and their relationship seems pretty good; they haven’t broken up for years.”

“Ah?” I rubbed my hands together. Morally, I knew it was wrong to dig up an existing relationship, but since I didn’t know that woman, I pushed morality aside and prioritized friendship. I closed my eyes, steeling myself to say, “Let me tell you, your face is like a tunnel boring machine; there’s no corner you can’t pry open. Have you heard this? ‘Beauty is justice.’ You must have confidence. Now quickly tell me which girl you like. Do I know her? Do you have pictures? Weibo, WeChat, Facebook, Instagram, anything?”

Fang Congxin looked at me irritably, “Why are you so superficial?”

Heavens, I lowered my moral standards to the absolute minimum for your happiness, and yet you’re scolding me now.”You’re quite the ingrate, aren’t you?”

“How am I superficial? I’m stating a universal truth. It’s a truth even more valid than Newton’s three laws.”

“If that’s the case, then if I say I like you now, you would immediately like me back?”

“What were Newton’s three laws again? Let me think.”

Fang Congxin glanced sideways, then turned and walked out.

I hurried after him, noticing his unfriendly expression: “You wouldn’t be interested in a married woman, would you? That— that wouldn’t be— very good.”

“I can see you have a lightweight skeleton; do you need me to give you a kick to demonstrate Newton’s three laws?”

“What are you talking about? We’ve been supplementing calcium for a long time in China. Fang Congxin, if you have any concerns, you can consult me. The first three sessions are free!”

“Alright, I’m asking seriously.” He stopped.

I straightened up, ready for a challenge.

“What are Newton’s three laws?”

I thought for a long time, and Fang Congxin, exasperated, threw out a “Sorry to bother you” before turning into a pharmacy.