A Chance Encounter with Mental Abacus Sets the Course of Life

A Chance Encounter with Mental Abacus Sets the Course of Life Interviewee: Liang Shuang, Founder of Shanghai Pi Li Pa La Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. Interview Date: November 2020 Having experienced the ups and downs of life and tasted the warmth and coldness of human relationships, Liang Shuang, a "happy-go-lucky" individual whose fate was transformed by mental abacus, has always guarded her innermost dream, which she planted in her heart during her childhood.

I. The First Intimate Encounter with Mental Abacus Twenty-two years ago, Liang Shuang, just starting first grade like her peers, was slowly adapting to her new identity as an elementary school student in the midst of early childhood education. Perhaps the new environment brought many uncertainties to Liang Shuang, and concentrating her attention and listening attentively in class remained her Achilles' heel. She frequently received criticism from her teachers and even "dragged" her parents to school for discussions.

This introverted and inexpressive little girl felt indescribably sad at the beginning of her new life. She wanted to change but didn't know where to start. Little did Liang Shuang know that a chance encounter with mental abacus training would change her situation at the time, as well as her future life and destiny.

In the second semester of first grade, Liang Shuang's elementary school initiated a "Three-inOne" curriculum reform, and the first graders, as the new generation of the country's blossoms, naturally became the focus of the school's curriculum reform. The school soon selected thirty "mental abacus novices" from Liang Shuang's grade and formed a mental abacus experimental class.

By a stroke of luck, Liang Shuang, who was struggling with her difficulty in concentrating, became one of the members.

As the mental abacus experimental class curriculum unfolded, Liang Shuang began to change.

Mental abacus made her more focused, and her memory improved significantly.

After a semester of study, Liang Shuang not only gradually mastered the basic techniques of mental abacus but also made progress in paying attention during classes. Upon entering the second grade, the teacher's attitude toward Liang Shuang underwent a dramatic transformation—Liang Shuang was no longer the "negative example" who didn't pay attention in class but had become the "role model" in the teacher's eyes. The stern criticism from the teacher disappeared, replaced by endless warm praise.

Mental abacus made Liang Shuang stand out instantly, making her unique and distinctive.

After savoring the sweetness brought by mental abacus, Liang Shuang quietly planted a seed of dreams in her heart.

II. "Ignore the Doubtful Eyes of Others Like Will-o'-the-Wisps and Boldly Walk Your Own Path" The transformation brought about by mental abacus lasted for Liang Shuang. With the help of mental abacus, her elementary school and junior high school life went smoothly. Because she had mastered this wonderful skill, even without enduring the hardships of "waking up at three in the morning and sleeping at five in the morning," Liang Shuang's academic performance improved significantly, consistently ranking at the top. She eventually gained admission to a prestigious high school in the city. As her grades improved, Liang Shuang also gradually accumulated the courage to overcome difficulties, and her personality became more outgoing and cheerful.

During her sophomore year of high school, while watching the TV series "Mind Reader" with

her family, her mother made a joke, saying, "If you can't find a job in the future, you can teach foreigners mental abacus!" This seemingly irrelevant remark deeply touched Liang Shuang, filling her with a sense of national pride. It was this casual joke that first sparked the idea of entrepreneurship in Liang Shuang—to develop the "mental abacus" education industry.

In the year of the college entrance examination, East China Normal University admitted only 16 students from Heilongjiang Province out of 220,000 candidates. Liang Shuang was once again "chosen by destiny." She happened to enter the university with the lowest admission score in the province, ranking 16th. This innocent girl had hardly heard of this completely unfamiliar university for her before coming to Shanghai for her studies, nor did she know that she had already entered the gates of a "985" and "211" university.

"Perhaps this is fate. Maybe if I had one less point, I wouldn't have made it. The heavens were secretly pushing me along this path with an invisible force. I feel like I was born for mental abacus."

After entering university, Liang Shuang continued her professional studies at the School of Preschool and Special Education (now the Faculty of Education). Just as Liang Shuang's expectations for herself during her sophomore year were, she was adhering to her original intention, gradually approaching the field of education.

During her junior year, Liang Shuang took a part-time job at an educational institution, mainly teaching children pinyin and Chinese characters. At the same time, she actively participated in mental abacus teacher training, accumulating rich teaching experience.

With the trust and support of parents, Liang Shuang also gave a mental abacus trial class to parents and children. After the trial class, two children immediately enrolled in Liang Shuang's mental abacus training class. This small class, consisting of only two students, brought Liang Shuang a sense of achievement and confidence, marking the beginning of her formal entry into the mental abacus education industry.

In the following two years, due to the lack of a fixed classroom, Liang Shuang's elementary students followed her "north and south," changing classrooms 11 times in just two years. Despite facing various challenges and hardships, Liang Shuang remained innocent and cheerful.

After graduating from college, Liang Shuang's family believed that it would be difficult for a young woman to start a business on her own. They suggested she return to her hometown and find a stable and decent job as a teacher, leading a simple life. However, Liang Shuang disagreed.

Regardless of the outcome, she wanted to do more of what she truly loved.

"I don't want to make a living; I want to live." Liang Shuang, ignoring the doubts and misunderstandings of others, became a math teacher at a primary school after graduating, attempting to explore the differences between mental abacus and primary school math teaching. While teaching at school and working part-time on weekends, Liang Shuang continued to develop mental abacus teaching materials. Through practice, research, and exploration, she completed a series of mental abacus teaching materials for young children and obtained copyright and design patents issued by the National Intellectual Property Office.

Pi Li Pa La International Mental Abacus series materials, based on other mental abacus materials, incorporate early childhood education and align with primary school mathematics, dispelling many parents' concerns about the conflict between mental abacus and primary school mathematics. Mental abacus especially emphasizes the rational and flexible use of methods, which can greatly improve students' calculation abilities. With faster calculation speeds, students can devote more energy to understanding mathematical problems. Thanks to their proficiency in mental abacus, students develop a strong interest in mathematics, and their confidence is enhanced.

After so many years of focusing on this one thing, Liang Shuang finally saw the "clouds parting to reveal the moon." The parents of the students who initially grew up with Liang Shuang recommended the "Young Journalists Training Center" to her, and the mental abacus training class finally found a classroom. Liang Shuang collaborated with this official educational institution, and

the classroom issue was resolved. After working as a math teacher for half a year in the institution, Liang Shuang, at the suggestion of parents, officially started teaching mental abacus to young children.

Every step Liang Shuang took had its significance. Liang Shuang, who had accumulated a lot of experience, quickly opened her second and third classes shortly after formally opening her first class.

"I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to learn mental abacus and be transformed by it.

Therefore, I am eager to have more children learn this skill." With such a simple, sincere, and firm belief, Liang Shuang's mental abacus education philosophy gained more and more recognition. With the support of parents and referrals from her alma mater teachers, more "mompreneurs" and juniors and sisters from East China Normal University joined Liang Shuang's teaching team. After comprehensive training, Liang Shuang's core team continued to grow.

III. Continuously "Recharge" During the Pandemic and Strive to "Deserve the Hardships Endured" After so many years of pursuing her dream, Liang Shuang finally had the opportunity at the beginning of this year's pandemic to quiet down and reflect on what was truly important to her at the moment.

The ability to be at peace with oneself is a rare skill. Liang Shuang placed herself quietly in her own world, calmed down, reviewed her journey, and made efforts to discover the gaps in her entrepreneurship over the years. She wholeheartedly filled these gaps and replenished herself to regain the energy to move forward.

Faced with the challenge of offline class suspensions, the educational institution founded by Liang Shuang suffered consecutive losses of hundreds of thousands. Without course revenue, the income of teachers in the teaching team was affected, and some teachers even resigned one after another. Parents of students also began to worry about whether their children's mental abacus courses could continue smoothly.

To turn the situation around, Liang Shuang developed an online live streaming system for elementary school students eager to learn mental abacus, providing them with continuous and stable mental abacus training.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Liang Shuang also collaborated with the Peking University Jingxue Education Group to record online mental abacus courses for children and sell them on the group's app, providing high-quality mental abacus learning resources to children nationwide and even worldwide.

Being trapped in the quagmire of life is normal, but before being swallowed up by this swamp, Liang Shuang always held her head high. Unfortunately, many businesses were on the verge of bankruptcy during the pandemic. However, due to Liang Shuang's early risk-awareness and the development of a scientifically reasonable online course system, Liang Shuang and her team at Pi Li Pa La Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. did not become "victims" of the pandemic but instead displayed even greater vitality, occupying a place in the mental abacus education industry.

The entrepreneurial path is fraught with challenges, but Liang Shuang did not miss the best era for entrepreneurship. Instead, she became part of this era through a series of fortuitous events.