CHAPTER 293: CHAPTER 285: COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM

In mid-September, Mr. Yun told Sisi about the reintroduction of the Gaokao. At that time, the news was not yet public, presumably classified internally. However, given Mr. Yun’s status, it was perfectly normal for him to know in advance; it would have been abnormal if he hadn’t known.

Mr. Yun was aware of Sisi’s desire to attend university, and that’s why he informed her early, hoping to give her more time to review. He wondered if this girl could make it. Even if she didn’t, he could help Sisi get into a university, but Mr. Yun Po Bi had always disdained academic fraud. He admired most those genuinely knowledgeable and capable.

Alas, if that girl really couldn’t pass, he, the old gentleman, might have to break his rule for once. It wouldn’t hurt for a girl to be less scholarly; she wasn’t expected to become an academic! (Tian Xinhua cries: Sir, you favor females over males.)

Sisi didn’t share this news with Tian Shouhua and others, thinking there was no need to cause trouble for Mr. Yun since the country would announce it in a month anyway.

Everything was just like in her previous life. On October 21, 1977, major media outlets in China announced the national resumption of the Gaokao, with the exam scheduled for December 11th to 13th. The subjects would be Chinese, Math, Politics, History, and Geography. Upon hearing the news, the nation was abuzz.

The study materials Sisi brought back excited Tian Shouhua and Zhong Anping immensely. They had not expected the national Gaokao to be truly reinstated. Especially Zhong Anping, who had been reviewing for the past two years following Sisi’s advice, felt confident about the upcoming exams. Crucially, Gaokao recruitment did not require examination of family background, which was most important to him.

Quite a few people from Yuequan Village were preparing for the Gaokao. Some were recent graduates, while others were years out of school, even married with children. They all shared one thought: to leave this small mountain village and venture into the wider world outside!

Of course, not everyone shared this sentiment. For example, their spouses—since not every candidate was a couple like Tian Shouhua and Mo Xiaomi. In many families, only one spouse was taking the Gaokao. Although some spouses were reasonable and understanding, many were vehemently opposed.

As a result, during this time Yuequan Village experienced both joy and discord. Arguments and cries could be heard daily, and there were even some bolder or more domineering men and women who would weep under the old camphor tree about their heartless spouses, who were ready to abandon their families for personal pleasure, winning the sympathy and support of many villagers.

Under social pressure, those whose determination was not firm enough wavered, put down their books, returned to the fields to earn work points, and let go of their dreams of leaving the mountains.

In the end, only a few very determined young men and women were left in Yuequan Village, such as the Tian Shouhua couple, the Tian Pinggui couple, the brothers Tian Ping’an and Zhong Anping.

Sisi only brought back four sets of study materials. She sent one to Hu Weiwen in Inner Mongolia, kept one for herself, one went to Tian Shouhua, and the last set to Zhong Anping.

When the villagers heard that these materials were brought from Beijing, they excitedly flocked to the Tian Family and the Zhong Family to copy them. In an era without copiers, everybody relied on hand-copying. They all fervently copied under the dim light of a 25W incandescent bulb until late at night and continued the next day, filled with vigor. This dedication made Sisi feel ashamed and inadvertently become more serious. She shifted from her previous carelessness to treating the task with solemnity.

The Tian Family had three candidates ready to take the high school graduation examination, so for the past two months, everyone in the Tian Family had been walking on air, and even their voices had become much softer. Granny Zhao and Li Yuedi, the two elderly ladies, thought of all sorts of delicious foods to comfort the three candidates daily, causing everyone else to have lost weight, while only these three appeared well-hydrated and plump, having gained weight.

He Xuewen did not seem to care much at all. He had great confidence in his daughter; to him, the high school graduation examination was nothing significant. Therefore, he kept busy as usual from dawn till dusk.

As the day of the high school graduation examination approached, everyone’s hearts were raised. They wished for the day to come quickly and yet also wanted it to arrive later. Most people felt that they were not prepared enough and would have preferred the exam to be held two months later. However, such hopes were destined not to be fulfilled. December 11th arrived amidst the anticipation of 5.7 million candidates across the country.

The examination venue for the high school graduation examination was at Sui City Middle School. The day before the exam, Tian Mantong was entrusted with a significant task of becoming the chauffeur for Yuequan Village’s candidates. He was responsible for ferrying them every day. Candidates from other villages were staying in nearby hostels, but the conditions of those hostels were really bad. Due to full occupancy, many beds had been set up in the corridors, so many students had to sleep there, unable to rest well with the cold breeze blowing at night.

After surveying the conditions, Tian Bajin and Zhong Boqiang decided immediately to let the village kids rest at home. Of course, the main reason was that their own children were sitting for the exams. However, it was because of this that the candidates from Yuequan Village were considered the luckiest among all, eliciting envy from candidates of other villages.

On the morning of the 11th, Sisi dressed warmly and embarked on her journey to the exams amidst the earnest advice from Granny Zhao, Old Man, Tian Manjin, and Zhu Aiqing. He Xuewen even took a rare break for three days to accompany her to the exams.

The moment she stepped into the vehicle, Tian Manjin suddenly said, "Ah Nan, don’t be nervous. It’s not a big deal if you don’t pass. Daddy will earn money for you to spend!"

"Slap!"

Tian Manjin was met with collective disapproval, even receiving a five-finger pancake slap from the Old Man. Sisi chortled, ran back to hug Tian Manjin, and planted a firm kiss on his face, soothing his wounded heart.

Sisi, Zhong Anping, and Zhong Boqiang’s grandson Zhong Xianming were in the same examination hall, while Tian Shouhua and others were in another hall. As expected, the questions were very similar to those Sisi had encountered in her past life. She found it very easy and finished without spending too much time. Perhaps this could be considered using an external aid?

As for Tian Shouhua and the others, Sisi was very confident. Tian Shouhua had successfully passed in his previous life, and this life, with some question types Sisi leaked through occasional consultations, he should achieve even better results.

As for Zhong Anping and the others, Sisi was not so sure, but Zhong Anping should not have any problems given his excellent scores in the mock exams. However, Zhong Ankang’s performance was not as strong, and the other candidates showed mixed results. Hopefully, they would perform well in this general examination.

The three-day exams passed quickly, and the candidates resumed their usual work, all waiting anxiously for the results to be announced. Their minds were in a daze, and they had no heart for work anymore.

Finally, under everyone’s eager anticipation, the results of the high school graduation examination were published. Tian Bajin specially sent his son, Zhong Fugao, to the city with a tractor to check the results. Sisi and the others followed as well. The large red announcement board outside the courtyard of the city’s Department of Education was crowded with anxious candidates. Some shouted with joy, some went home in despair, and some cried out in pain.