CHAPTER 669: CHAPTER 668: THE UNSOLVED MYSTERIES OF THE EDUCATED YOUTH CORPS

They looked around in confusion, and Lin Nianhe quickly snatched the meat bun from Wen Lan’s hand and found a small corner to start nibbling on it.

Wen Lan was stunned for a long time, looking at her empty hands and then at Lin Nianhe, who had eaten half of her bun: "You silly girl, if you wanted a bun you could have just asked. Was it necessary to spin such a tall tale to trick me?"

The others gradually came to their senses too, with resentful gazes falling upon Lin Nianhe.

Lin Nianhe swallowed the bun in her mouth and sincerely said, "This time I’m really telling the truth. My dad just called, but he also said it’s just an idea for now, the specific implementation time is to be determined. But I think we can start preparing in advance, so we take the lead, right?"

After hearing this, Sister Lan furrowed her brows: "So, last time when you said you had a letter for me and conned me out so you could eat my bowl of sour soup dumplings, was that made up?"

Lin Nianhe: "..."

Did she do such a thing?

Probably not.

Absolutely not.

She doesn’t even like sour soup dumplings.

After eating them that time, she never wanted to eat them again.

Seeing that Sister Lan was going to argue over the dumplings, Lin Nianhe quickly said, "Let’s not talk about dumplings today, let’s talk about the gaokao! Sister Lan, don’t dwell on the past; let’s discuss the future."

Sister Lan didn’t care about the future; she was only concerned with what became of her bowl of dumplings.

But Sister Lan’s plea was ignored, and the true fate of the dumplings remained an unsolved mystery at the Educated Youth Corps.

"Nianhe, are you serious? The gaokao is really coming back?" Wang Xue’s eyes shone brightly, "Can we take it?"

"From what my dad said, it seems possible."

Lin Nianhe remembered that there were almost no restrictions on participants for this gaokao, and many people even went to university registration while pregnant or with their children.

The others also gradually recovered their spirits, whispering to each other, some asking directly.

"Did uncle mention when the exam will be?"

"No, my dad only said we could start preparing."

"What will be tested?"

"Not sure, but it should be high school material, right? They can’t possibly test us on the multiplication table."

They didn’t doubt Lin Nianhe—after all, the Lin Family was from Beijing, and it was normal for them to hear some early news.

And just as Mr. Lin said, preparing in advance meant that if it really happened, they would be better prepared than others.

If the gaokao wasn’t restored... they didn’t want to consider this heavy possibility.

Gaokao.

A word that became a nightmare for countless adults in the future was now their hope, their light.

Even if there was only a hint of elusive brightness, they were willing to pursue it.

For a moment, the passion for study at the Educated Youth Corps surged to unprecedented levels.

Wang Dong excitedly took out his long-unused little bamboo stick, skillfully tucked it behind his waist, and raised his right fist:

"With the rope in hand today, when will I bind the azure dragon!"

Watching them put down their bowls and chopsticks to turn over boxes and chests in search of books, Lin Nianhe chuckled and finished Wen Lan’s meat bun.

Li Dahe quickly also heard about this, and this time, without Lin Nianhe saying anything further, he disagreed with the idea of her going to the Spring Trade Fair.

Wong Xiao felt it was unnecessary: "Resuming the gaokao? I haven’t even heard a hint of that. Could it be true? Even if it’s true, Xiao Lin is such a good student, much better than Old Feng by hundreds of folds, does she need to be this anxious?"

"Nonsense, do you think you can compare with Miss Lin’s dad? I reckon this can’t be fake," Li Dahe asserted without argument, "don’t even think about it, I definitely won’t let her go. That’s the gaokao, everyone in the country taking the exam together, what if she doesn’t pass because she studied a month less than others? We can’t delay the child’s future."

"That... makes sense." Wong Xiao nodded and felt his trouser pocket, "I’ll go back and tell Old Feng to find some books to bring over... but don’t spread this around, it’s not certain yet and talking about it might not be believed and could even cause trouble."

"Do you have to tell me that?" Li Dahe lifted his eyelid and waved a hand, "Just bring the books quickly, I’m going to see them in the morning, a bunch of people crowding around a single book, how can that work?"

"Alright, I got it."

Not long after Wong Xiao left, someone sent over a box of books wrapped in oilcloth, covered with a jute sack from the textile factory to disguise them.

The books were brought by Sun Jun and given directly to Lin Nianhe, letting her decide on their distribution.

Lin Nianhe lifted a corner of the oilcloth and saw neat stacks of high school textbooks from ten years ago.

A full thirty sets.

She couldn’t help but be surprised: "Why are there so many?"

These books were not new, but having so many was indeed very rare.

Sun Jun didn’t answer, just shrugged his shoulders, indicating he didn’t know where they all came from.

He conveyed Feng Yuanshan’s words: "Mr. Feng said he will come to give you lessons on his days off."

"Please thank Uncle Feng for us."

"Hmm."

The matter of the gaokao became an open secret within the Ten Miles Team.

Not only the Educated Youth, but also the boys and girls who had attended high school were incessantly reminded by their parents to review their lessons so they could pass the university entrance exams and bring honor to their ancestors.

For a time, the sound of reading could be heard all over the Ten Miles Team.

The village school did not stop classes, but the evening literacy classes were taken over by Principal Wu and Accountant Zhao, allowing Yu Xiangqin and Sie Yufei to focus on their reviews.

The villagers actually wanted to suspend the literacy program. They said, "We can learn how to read at any time. Our lives are set; don’t delay the kids’ education."

Li Dahe didn’t agree with that. He hung a few more light bulbs in the brigade office and brought in a few more tables, transforming the place into a review class.

During the day, some went to teach, and some went to work;

At night, they gathered here for study by lamplight.

Yet amidst this unparalleled enthusiasm for the review, there was one person who didn’t attend the review class for two consecutive days—

"Miao Hongqi! What are you doing? You didn’t go to the review class yesterday and not today either, what are you thinking?"

When Miao Hongqi didn’t show up at the review class the next day, Wang Hong went straight to the Educated Youth Corps.

Miao Hongqi put down her teaching plan and smiled at her: "Aunt Wang, I am not going to university."

"What did you say?" Wang Hong’s eyes widened, her voice raised by eight degrees.

Miao Hongqi was not frightened by Wang Hong this time and said word-for-word again: "Aunt Wang, I am not going to university."

"You believe I’ll hit you?"

Wang Hong heard clearly and got angry.

She slapped Miao Hongqi on the back, her eyes reddening: "Are you out of your mind? That’s the university entrance exam! You say you won’t take it and just like that you drop it? What are you thinking?"

Miao Hongqi was slapped so hard she couldn’t catch her breath and coughed a few times before saying, "Aunt Wang, all the teachers at our village school are Educated Youth, if we all leave, who will teach the kids? The principal can’t handle it all by himself."

Wang Hong frowned: "Is that why?"

Miao Hongqi lowered her eyes, her voice softened: "I am different from them; I will stay."