On Saturday morning, the Cooper family was ready to go early.
Mike, after eating the breakfast Connie made, had just arrived at the door when a sudden sense of alarm appeared in his heart.
'It's going to rain!'
This was the first time the [Weather Forecast] ability had given Mike a warning.
This feeling was very strange, somewhat similar to a sixth sense.
However, looking at the clear sky outside and the rising sun in the east, it didn't look like it was going to rain.
After thinking for three seconds at the door, Mike finally decided to trust his premonition this once.
After all, it didn't matter if he was wrong; it was just a matter of bringing an extra raincoat, which was no trouble at all.
Today, Mike wore a white casual shirt, and his hair was styled to have layers, making him look fresh and handsome.
It was imaginable that if he were to be drenched and look like a drowned rat, he would certainly be in a sorry state.
So, Mike turned around and asked, "Grandma, do we have a raincoat at home?"
Connie, who was clearing the breakfast dishes, looked out the window upon hearing this and said in surprise, "We don't need a raincoat in this kind of weather, do we?"
"Who knows, it's always good to be prepared," Mike replied. He couldn't very well explain to her that he wanted to bring a raincoat because of his sixth sense.
That would sound unbelievable.
Fortunately, Connie didn't press the matter. She put down the dishes in her hand and said, "Alright, wait a moment, I'll go get you a raincoat."
When Mike came out holding a bulky, dark blue raincoat, George, who was leaning against the car door, said amusedly, "Mike, is that a raincoat? We don't need that thing."
Sheldon also poked his head out from the back seat of the car, looked at the large raincoat Mike was holding, and said seriously, "Mike, I've already checked the weather forecast. It won't rain in Texas these two days. Your preparation is a bit redundant."
"Maybe," Mike said, looking at Sheldon's confident expression, without offering much explanation. After opening the car door, he sat in the back seat with him.
George also opened the car door and sat in the driver's seat.
With Georgie in the passenger seat, the four people who were going on a long trip today were all ready.
After the car started, Missy, by the roadside, shouted loudly, "Mike, don't forget about the gift!"
Mike stretched out his arm and gave the little girl an OK sign.
Then, he waved goodbye to Connie, who had come out to see them off.
After the car left, Connie looked at the three remaining women and said with a smile, "Alright Mary, you go to work. Missy and I are going to the amusement park."
Today, Missy was wearing a pink puffy dress, and her hair was carefully styled, making her look like a cute little princess.
Looking at the teasing smile on Connie's face, Mary knew she was deliberately making fun of her for having to work on the weekend.
Mary didn't mind this. She waved goodbye to Connie and Missy generously, then walked towards the church.
Although working at the church required overtime on weekends and the pay wasn't high, as a devout Christian, Mary was very content to have such a job doing odd jobs at the church.
On the other side, George, driving the children to Houston, felt much more refreshed by the cool breeze coming in through the window, completely shedding the reluctant demeanor he had shown at the dinner table last night.
"Houston isn't far from Medford City. If we hurry, we can get there before noon. Maybe we can even have a hearty lunch there and try some local ice-cold beer," George, in high spirits, chatted with Georgie beside him.
"That's great! I've never been to Houston before," Georgie was a good straight man, and then he slyly asked, "Can I also order a local beer when we have lunch?"
For children Georgie's age, smoking and drinking were considered cool.
Perhaps they didn't genuinely like these two things, but smoking and drinking made them feel more like adults.
This was very important.
George, guessing his eldest son's thoughts, sternly refused, "No, you're not old enough to drink outside."
Under his dad's stern gaze, Georgie gave in, saying sulkily, "If I can't drink, I can't drink."
George's expression relaxed, and he smiled, cautioning, "And, when we get back, don't tell your mom that I drank."
"Hmph—" Georgie looked out the window, expressing his displeasure by ignoring the other person's words.
However, the quickly passing beautiful scenery outside the window soon made Georgie forget his troubles.
Blue sky, white clouds, and a vast view were enough to make one happy.
Soon, Georgie turned his head and continued chatting with his dad. The two talked all the way from football games to the local customs of Houston.
Most people enjoy such leisurely conversations. However, Sheldon, sitting in the back seat, only found the two of them noisy.
So, he spoke up and said, "Does anyone know what Schrödinger's Cat is all about?"
Clearly, Sheldon, by asking this question, was deliberately trying to stump his dad and Georgie.
George and his son, who never paid attention to science, had no idea about any cat problem. So, the car fell silent.
This was precisely why George was unwilling to be alone with Sheldon; he was afraid of situations like this.
After an awkward silence that lasted for a while, Georgie said uncertainly, "Is it about someone named Schrödinger who had a cat? The story of the cat and the man, it's very interesting. It's a long...
Under Sheldon's disdainful gaze, Georgie's voice gradually trailed off, and he finally closed his mouth.
Then, Sheldon turned his gaze to his dad.
George, driving the car, frowned, looked at his younger son's scrutinizing eyes in the rearview mirror, shrugged, and admitted, "I don't know anything about a cat. Can you tell us about it?"
Just like that, knowing something others didn't gave Sheldon a great sense of accomplishment. Just as he was about to give the two in the front seat a science lesson, he suddenly remembered there was one more person in the car.
Sheldon turned his head and saw Mike dozing off, leaning against the seat. He frowned slightly and called out, "Mike, Mike—"
Because he had woken up a bit early today, Mike had gone back to sleep not long after getting into the car.
Moreover, long-distance car travel was indeed very suitable for catching up on sleep.
Hearing the call, Mike groggily opened his eyes and was met with a pair of sparkling eyes.
Still not fully awake, he asked confusedly, "What's wrong, Sheldon?"
"Do you know what Schrödinger's Cat is all about?" Sheldon asked carefully.
He realized that if Mike also didn't know the answer to this question, then he would have defeated him once.
Yes, Sheldon hadn't forgotten losing to Mike in the math test.
"Schrödinger's Cat? Isn't that a paradox?" Mike analyzed, "It's a thought experiment: everything exists in the void according to a wave function before being observed by humans, considered uncertain. But when people observe them, these wave functions collapse, becoming a definite state.
"It's like a cat placed in a box. If you don't observe it, then the cat could be alive, or it could be dead. The result cannot be determined.
"But when someone opens the box and observes, they can determine the cat's state, whether it's alive or dead. The result can be determined..."
After explaining, Mike asked, "Am I right, Sheldon?"
Although this paradox was a bit convoluted to explain, it wasn't difficult to understand.