Chapter 32: Amicability (3)
There was a thud. It seemed Old Lin had hit his head on the headboard of his bed…
Lin Zhao Xi retreated a few steps. She felt so ashamed that she had the urge to run away.
But, on second thought, she retraced her steps. “Actually, I couldn’t find a pot either…” She whispered under her breath.
Suddenly, the door opened. Old Lin rushed out of the door and into the kitchen without a word. He took out the rice and a pot, turned on the gas stove, and started to cook. “I’ll make it myself! Can’t you go?!”
Old Lin was already giving up, starting to make breakfast in earnest.
”No way, Master.” Lin Zhao Xi stood on her toes, distantly watching her father busying himself in the kitchen. “I didn’t have breakfast yet, I’m really hungry.”
With that, she moved a small chair, overseeing the kitchen by the door. When the congee was almost done, she straightened the small stone table under the grape trellis and asked Old Lin to set the porridge and pickles on the table. Then she went back in and washed up all the bowls and chopsticks, and brought them out. Old Lin was sitting under the vine rack smoking a cigarette, watching her.
Instead of calling out to him, she ladled steaming congee into two bowls. Picking up a bowl for herself, she dug in.
”How did you know I live in Zhuan Zhu Lane No. 284?” As she was about to finish her porridge, Old Lin suddenly asked.
Lin Zhao Xi held the ends of her chopsticks in her mouth, then drank the last sip of her porridge. Evading the subject matter, she mysteriously said, “284 is a nice number, Master.”
”Hah.” Old Lin puffed out a ring of smoke. “Why?”
”The number 284 is 2 raised to the power of 1, 3, and 2…”
”They teach you that in elementary school?”
”I study independently, Master.” Lin Zhao Xi smiled at Old Lin, very smug.
”And?” He asked again.
”And… 284 and another number have an important place in number theory.” Observing the expression on Old Lin’s face, she asked, “What’s the other number, Master?”
There was no expression on Old Lin’s dark face. When he heard the question, he laughed. “How should I know?”
”Then, I’ll tell you!” Lin Zhao Xi shook her chopsticks like a kid who wanted to show off what they learned. “Pythagoras once said, ‘Friends are the spirits of your soul, as intimate as 220 and 284.”
”Intimate?”
”220 and 284 are intimate as in, the sum of all of their divisors excluding they themselves are equal to the other. Simply put, although these two numbers look completely different on the surface, inside they constitute each other. Many family members and friends like to express their love and longing through these two numbers.”
Lin Zhao Xi said, all in one breath. She paused and tentatively asked Old Lin, “Master, do you live here… in memory of someone?”
Old Lin exhaled, a ring of smoke obscuring his eyes. Just when Lin Zhao Xi thought he would open his heart… He asked, tone sharp. “You didn’t answer my question. How did you know my address?”
Lin Zhao Xi put down her chopsticks and sighed. She earnestly said to Old Lin, “Master, I’m not stupid. If I tell you, you’ll kick me out again.” Then, she smiled. “How about you open the door for me tomorrow? I might tell you then.”
Old Lin laughed, “Do you think I’m stupid?”
”Of course not.” Lin Zhao Xi shook her head. “Master is…”
She was going to say that Master was the smartest person under the sky, but before a single syllable could form in her throat, Old Lin whooshed over. He swung his hards under her armpits, lifted her off the ground, and then…
Threw her out the door with her bag.
After the door slammed in front of her nose, Lin Zhao Xi dusted herself off and stood up.
She heaved her bag onto her shoulders and straightened her red scarf, pretending she was just getting out of the house and setting foot on the road to school.
She couldn’t tell Old Lin that she actually had a lot to do with the number 220. Because she was abandoned, the welfare center didn’t know her birth date, so they picked an easy date to remember — April 1.
Chapter 32: Amicability (3)
There was a thud. It seemed Old Lin had hit his head on the headboard of his bed…
Lin Zhao Xi retreated a few steps. She felt so ashamed that she had the urge to run away.
But, on second thought, she retraced her steps. “Actually, I couldn’t find a pot either…” She whispered under her breath.
Suddenly, the door opened. Old Lin rushed out of the door and into the kitchen without a word. He took out the rice and a pot, turned on the gas stove, and started to cook. “I’ll make it myself! Can’t you go?!”
Old Lin was already giving up, starting to make breakfast in earnest.
”No way, Master.” Lin Zhao Xi stood on her toes, distantly watching her father busying himself in the kitchen. “I didn’t have breakfast yet, I’m really hungry.”
With that, she moved a small chair, overseeing the kitchen by the door. When the congee was almost done, she straightened the small stone table under the grape trellis and asked Old Lin to set the porridge and pickles on the table. Then she went back in and washed up all the bowls and chopsticks, and brought them out. Old Lin was sitting under the vine rack smoking a cigarette, watching her.
Instead of calling out to him, she ladled steaming congee into two bowls. Picking up a bowl for herself, she dug in.
”How did you know I live in Zhuan Zhu Lane No. 284?” As she was about to finish her porridge, Old Lin suddenly asked.
Lin Zhao Xi held the ends of her chopsticks in her mouth, then drank the last sip of her porridge. Evading the subject matter, she mysteriously said, “284 is a nice number, Master.”
”Hah.” Old Lin puffed out a ring of smoke. “Why?”
”The number 284 is 2 raised to the power of 1, 3, and 2…”
”They teach you that in elementary school?”
”I study independently, Master.” Lin Zhao Xi smiled at Old Lin, very smug.
”And?” He asked again.
”And… 284 and another number have an important place in number theory.” Observing the expression on Old Lin’s face, she asked, “What’s the other number, Master?”
There was no expression on Old Lin’s dark face. When he heard the question, he laughed. “How should I know?”
”Then, I’ll tell you!” Lin Zhao Xi shook her chopsticks like a kid who wanted to show off what they learned. “Pythagoras once said, ‘Friends are the spirits of your soul, as intimate as 220 and 284.”
”Intimate?”
”220 and 284 are intimate as in, the sum of all of their divisors excluding they themselves are equal to the other. Simply put, although these two numbers look completely different on the surface, inside they constitute each other. Many family members and friends like to express their love and longing through these two numbers.”
Lin Zhao Xi said, all in one breath. She paused and tentatively asked Old Lin, “Master, do you live here… in memory of someone?”
Old Lin exhaled, a ring of smoke obscuring his eyes. Just when Lin Zhao Xi thought he would open his heart… He asked, tone sharp. “You didn’t answer my question. How did you know my address?”
Lin Zhao Xi put down her chopsticks and sighed. She earnestly said to Old Lin, “Master, I’m not stupid. If I tell you, you’ll kick me out again.” Then, she smiled. “How about you open the door for me tomorrow? I might tell you then.”
Old Lin laughed, “Do you think I’m stupid?”
”Of course not.” Lin Zhao Xi shook her head. “Master is…”
She was going to say that Master was the smartest person under the sky, but before a single syllable could form in her throat, Old Lin whooshed over. He swung his hards under her armpits, lifted her off the ground, and then…
Threw her out the door with her bag.
After the door slammed in front of her nose, Lin Zhao Xi dusted herself off and stood up.
She heaved her bag onto her shoulders and straightened her red scarf, pretending she was just getting out of the house and setting foot on the road to school.
She couldn’t tell Old Lin that she actually had a lot to do with the number 220. Because she was abandoned, the welfare center didn’t know her birth date, so they picked an easy date to remember — April 1.
