Having aspirations as a child is a good thing, it at least allows children to know they have a goal. As for whether they achieve these dreams when they grow up or come up with new dreams, that is another matter entirely.
"Brother Shitou, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Shanyue asked Shitou in the computer lab.
As he grew up, Shitou had many ambitions, and he was learning a lot now, even quite extensively.
However, what seemed like scattered knowledge to others was interconnected to Shitou; he was also a member of Xia Xiao’s research lab. Initially, some researchers thought letting Shitou participate in the research was silly and childish.
But Shitou’s understanding of the energy stone was no less than that of the researchers, and he spoke with such clarity that he soon silenced the skeptics, who then acknowledged his presence in the lab.
However, Shitou didn’t spend all his time in the lab; apart from his studies, he visited the lab every morning and afternoon to stay updated.
Moreover, his excellent computer skills left many researchers in disbelief, so he was put in charge of anything related to computers.
"I want to become a legend," Shitou said.
A legend, Shanyue looked confused; she hadn’t considered this.
Legend, how does one become a legend? Shanyue was at a loss for words.
Shitou didn’t explain further; a legend was his desire to make a name for himself, to leave a brilliant mark on the world, like the ancient luminaries recorded in history, and to not have lived in vain.
Shitou didn’t use the computer in the lab but his personal laptop instead. His fingers danced over his laptop keyboard, researching Black Hawk or another organization for over a year. However, that organization also had computer experts; it wasn’t easy for Shitou to investigate, so he battled almost daily with the organization’s computer experts.
Shanyue watched Shitou’s laptop screen; she didn’t understand much. Although they were both in the Genius Youth Class, what Shitou studied was much deeper, at least she didn’t know what Shitou was doing.
Shanyue felt distant from Shitou; she had a lot more to learn, otherwise, she would be left far behind.
And Beibei, though not a classmate in the Genius Youth Class, had never been weaker than her after their first encounter when she lost to Shanyue.
Shanyue didn’t consider herself a genius because in the Genius Youth Class, her academic achievement was nothing special, others were far more capable, and Shitou was like a mountain in Shanyue’s eyes.
So hard work could compensate for lack of talent, and Shanyue could only strive harder to not fall too far behind.
After a while, Shitou logged out of the interface and logged onto a website, silently playing a game of stealing vegetables.
Shanyue’s eyes lit up, "Brother Shitou, you are playing this too!"
Immediately, Shanyue also logged into her own Kaixin account and added Shitou as a friend.
This was a new vegetable-stealing game launched by Kaixin this year; Shitou also played on Kaixin, so he stole vegetables daily.
After going online, Shanyue added Shitou as a friend; she had just registered today to play with classmates.
"Brother Shitou’s level is quite high." Shanyue could tell Shitou had been playing for quite some time from his level.
This little game was launched in November and Shitou started playing as soon as it was released.
However, the game was just a way to pass time, lacking any real challenge, but it was simple and somewhat interesting, accessible for everyone to play.
"Does Beibei play? I’ll ask her for her account," Shanyue logged into QQ to ask Beibei for her account. Shanyue and Beibei talked about everything now, and they were even closer than with Shitou.
Nowadays, QQ chat software had become the most popular online chat tool, not just among adults; Shitou, Beibei, and Shanyue had all registered on QQ too.
Every child who had access to a computer almost certainly had their own QQ account.
Also, following the popularity of the "Super Girl and Super Boy" shows in recent years, many adolescents were quite fond of it. Though Shitou did not chase celebrities, he still paid attention to it.
Unlike Shitou, Shanyue and Beibei were crazily enamored with "Super Girl and Super Boy," though fortunately, it hadn’t affected their studies—they claimed to be healthy fans.
At that moment, Shitou’s phone rang; it was Xia Xiao, "Come home."
"I’ll be right there," Shitou hung up, then turned off his phone, packed his laptop, and stuffed it into his backpack.
Shanyue immediately logged off and shut down her computer, grabbed her backpack, and followed Shitou.
"What are you following me for?" Shitou asked.
"Oh, I’m going home," Shanyue realized, if Shitou was going home, what was she doing following him?
So Shanyue said goodbye to Shitou and walked in the opposite direction.
Shitou spotted Xia Xiao waiting in the parking lot; he smiled and called out, "Grandma."
Xia Xiao fastened her seatbelt, "Your grandma is sick, let’s hurry back." She had been anxious since receiving the call from home.
Upon hearing this, Shitou straightened up immediately and quickly fastened his seatbelt.
The sickness of Zheng Xianghong was definitely a big deal for the Gao family; Zheng Xianghong was skilled in medicine, and through all these years, Xia Xiao had never seen her sick. Even though she had felt unwell during her time in the production team, she recovered quickly.
Moreover, Zheng Xianghong had always appeared healthy to Xia Xiao; she might have expected Gao Guoqiang to fall ill, but never Zheng Xianghong.
Xia Xiao was somewhat worried now.
Xia Xiao and Shitou returned home. As soon as the car stopped, Xia Xiao rushed to Zheng Xianghong’s room, where Gao Guoqiang suggested, "It’s just a cold."
"Mom, where do you feel uncomfortable?" Xia Xiao asked.
"My head hurts and my body aches," Zheng Xianghong groaned, "I’m old, useless, my body can’t handle it anymore."
"I’ll take you to see a doctor," Xia Xiao said.
"No need for a doctor, I’m fine," Zheng Xianghong waved her hand, unwilling.
Xia Xiao helpless, "Mom, you need to see a doctor if you’re feeling unwell."
"I know my own body, I’ll be fine with some rest," Zheng Xianghong was resistant to hospitals.
No matter how much Xia Xiao tried to persuade her, Zheng Xianghong refused to see a doctor. Left with no choice, Xia Xiao went to the kitchen to prepare food for Zheng Xianghong and Gao Guoqiang.
Shitou stayed with Zheng Xianghong and Gao Guoqiang, who were now old—more than ninety years old. Their backs were hunched, their bodies had shrunk, and they had aged considerably in recent years, even struggling to walk.
Xia Xiao cooked porridge for Zheng Xianghong and Gao Guoqiang with spring water, as the elderly couple struggled with tough food due to their weak teeth.
Although Xia Xiao herself was sixty-one now, she kept up with maintenance and exercised regularly, appearing only in her forties. She still possessed an elegant charm.
Despite her children being in their thirties and her grandson attending elementary school, Xia Xiao did not feel old, nor did she have the consciousness of being so.