Liu Li barely slept for those two days. Two books her father had borrowed were spread out on the table, and next to them was a small notebook filled with political questions that reflected the times—not only did she have to thoroughly understand the mechanical knowledge, but she also had to figure out the tone of her answers so that she wouldn't give off the slightest flaw.

She studied the mechanics and kinematics knowledge from high school physics over and over again. She memorized the three-view drawings and sectional drawings in "Basic Drawing Interpretation for Mechanical Workers," and even the common terms used in old factories to annotate the drawings, just in case they didn't match the factory's "rules." She didn't dare to neglect the book "Introduction to Fitter Technology" either, and she went over how to hold a file and how to pull a saw in her mind several times, so that she at least had a general idea—although she had never actually touched a machine, she still needed to know the basics.

On the day of the exam, before dawn, the family was already bustling with activity. Wang Guifen boiled two eggs, peeling them cleanly; Liu Weiguo went to the breakfast stall at the alley entrance early to queue up, bought two fried dough sticks, and stuffed them into Liu Li's hand: "Eat these, and get good grades!"

Liu Li put on her neatest clothes, put her exam admission ticket and pen into her inner pocket, and listened to her mother's repeated reminders to "not forget anything" before heading to the Red Star Machinery Factory—that was her only hope of staying in the city.

When Liu Li arrived at the factory gate, she was startled: cheerful music was blaring from the loudspeakers, and the examination area was surrounded by a dense crowd of two or three hundred people, many of whom were parents with their children, their faces showing either nervousness or anticipation. A cadre in work clothes was shouting through a loudspeaker: "Those who are not taking the exam, please move aside and don't block the candidates from entering!"

Liu Li found the examination room according to her admission ticket. The classroom had old-fashioned wooden tables with pitted and uneven surfaces. The proctors were two cadres in work clothes with stern faces. They read out the examination rules for a long time before distributing the exam papers.

The exam was divided into two parts: cultural subjects and technical knowledge. The Chinese section tested vocabulary usage, paragraph analysis, and a reading response to "Red Book Poetry"; the political section was about understanding policies. Liu Li relied on her original knowledge and the questions she had memorized in the past two days, so she wrote them quite smoothly.

The main focus was on technical knowledge. There were questions about lever principles and pulleys, as well as safety procedures on "what must be done before leaving the work station," and even questions to identify tools like wrenches and hammers. Finally, there were two multiple-choice questions on three-view drawings. Liu Li breathed a sigh of relief—she had reviewed all of these. She didn't dare answer too quickly, writing neatly and carefully. Even for the drawing questions, she subtly added a reasoning explanation, showing she knew something but not being too ostentatious, afraid people would think it was strange for a recent graduate to know so much.

As they handed in their papers, Liu Li noticed many students looking dejected, with most of their papers blank. This reassured her somewhat. Then, an official called out through a megaphone, "Come check your results tomorrow morning! Those who pass will proceed to the second round of interviews. Don't miss it!"

As soon as she got home, Wang Guifen greeted her, her hands trembling slightly: "Lili, how did the exam go? Did you pass?"

"It should be fine, most of it is what I've been reviewing these past two days," Liu Li said confidently, wanting to reassure her mother.

The next day, Liu Li got up even earlier. When she arrived at the bulletin board, it was already crowded with people, all craning their necks to look. After a while, two cadres carried over a red sheet of paper and slapped it on the wall—it was the list of candidates for the second round of interviews! The crowd immediately surged forward, and Liu Li couldn't get close at all.

"Don't push! Don't push! I'll read it out for everyone, listen carefully!" A tall comrade stepped forward, cleared his throat, and announced, "First place: Wang Hua; second place: Zhao Yuanchao; third place: Liu Li; fourth place: Li Yong..."

Liu Li's heart skipped a beat, unsure if it was someone with the same name. After the list was read out, she quickly squeezed in and searched word by word. Sure enough, she saw "Liu Li" in the third place, with her examination admission ticket number next to it! She excitedly clutched the interview notification and ran home.

"Mom! I passed! The interview notification!" Liu Li shouted as she pushed open the door.

Wang Guifen snatched the notification slip. Although she couldn't read many words, she still examined it carefully, muttering, "Is this really the interview form? I'm not mistaken?"

Liu Li took the form, her fingertips trembling slightly—it bore the red seal of the Revolutionary Committee of the Red Star Machinery Factory. But as she read down, "Secondary Examination Content: Practical Skills," her heart sank. Although she had worked in factories in modern times, this body had never even touched a saw!

For the next two days, the Liu family's house was filled with the creaking sound of sawing wood. Liu Li dug out an old saw and a piece of scrap wood, and started sawing along the marked lines. Her palms turned red from the effort, but she didn't stop until she finally managed to get some strength into the saw.

On the day of the second round of interviews, the remaining thirty-odd people were interviewed first. Liu Li didn't panic and said confidently, "I want to work on the front lines as a factory worker and contribute to building a new society!" Her positive and sincere attitude earned her nods of approval from the cadres.

After the interview, they were taken to a small workshop. The air was thick with the smell of machine oil and metal. There were several old lathes, drilling machines, and fitter's workbenches. An old master craftsman stood there with his hands behind his back. His face was tanned dark, and his eyes were sharp as knives. He wore a faded work uniform, and his mere presence exuded authority.

"This is Master Wang Jianguo from the machining workshop. He will be in charge of today's practical operation," the team leader introduced.

Master Wang scanned the young people and said in a loud voice, "No matter how high your scores are on the written test, once you get to the workshop, your skills will be what truly matter! Today we won't test you on anything difficult; we'll see if you know how to learn and if you can focus your mind!"

He picked up a square iron billet and a coarse-toothed saw, and began to demonstrate: "Stand steady, apply even force, and keep your eyes on the line!" His movements were crisp and clean, producing a perfectly flat cut. "One piece of material and one saw for each person. Ten minutes to cut along the line. Begin!"

The workshop was immediately filled with the screeching sound of sawing iron. Many people were scrambling, some with awkward postures, some getting the saw blade stuck in the crevices, and others making crooked cuts. Liu Li took a deep breath, recalling Master Wang's movements and the feel of her own practice at home—she wasn't strong enough, so she had to rely on technique. With her shoulders relaxed and elbows dropped, her eyes fixed on the line, she slowly pulled the saw blade along. At first, the blade kept slipping, and her palms sweated, but she quickly adjusted her rhythm, and soon she was on track. Ten minutes later, although she had only cut a small part, the cut was straight and without veering off course.

Mr. Wang strolled along, and when he passed Liu Li, he stopped and glanced at her twice, but didn't say anything before continuing on his way.

Next came the filing test. Master Wang demonstrated the cross-file method, instructing them to file a flat piece of the sawn surface. Liu Li held the file, following the master's instructions. Her palms burned from the file handle, and her arms ached so much she could barely lift them, but she didn't stop—she knew that the master wasn't looking at how well she filed, but at how seriously she took it and whether she knew how to learn.

After the practical exercise, the cadre said, "The results will be posted at the main gate in a little while, everyone go there to wait."

Liu Li followed the crowd towards the door, her heart pounding with nervousness. Soon after, the results of the second round of interviews were released, and the notice board was crowded again. She tiptoed, searching row by row—her name wasn't in the first row, and her heart sank; then she looked at the second row, and there it was: Liu Li!

All the pent-up frustration from the past few days suddenly welled up, and tears streamed down my face—finally, I don't have to go to the countryside anymore! Even as a temporary worker, I can stay in the city!

She practically ran home, shouting as she entered, "Dad! Mom! I passed the exam! Hongxing Machinery Factory wants me!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Weiguo's eyes reddened, and his hands trembled slightly: "Good! Good! Let's go to the state-run restaurant tonight and buy some meat and vegetables to celebrate!" Wang Guifen held her daughter's hand, crying and laughing at the same time: "She's staying! My daughter is staying! She doesn't have to suffer in the countryside!"

Director Liu of the neighborhood committee later found out. Looking at the admission notice stamped with the official seal, he had nothing to say and could only take back the medical examination form—it seemed that Liu Li's rural assignment would have to be considered for someone else.

A week later was the day to report for duty. The factory said that the production tasks were heavy, and those who did not live in the factory's staff quarters should stay in the dormitory to avoid delaying their work. Liu Li packed a few simple belongings: a quilt, a washbasin, an enamel lunchbox, and a few changes of clothes. When she stood at the gate of the Hongxing Machinery Factory again, she felt much more at ease—she had truly become one of them.

The women's dormitory was located in the northwest corner of the factory area, a four-story building. Liu Li was assigned to dormitory number seven on the third floor. Pushing open the door, she saw four bunk beds against the wall, with two long tables pushed together in the middle, on which were several enamel mugs. There were already five or six girls in the room.

"Are you new here too?" A girl with two long, shiny black braids poked her head out from the upper bunk. She had a round face and a lively spirit.

"Hello, my name is Liu Li, I'm a temporary worker in the machining workshop," Liu Li greeted with a smile.

"My name is Zhang Shulan, I work in the foundry!" The girl nimbly jumped down from the upper bunk, pulled her along, and pointed to the window. "That upper bunk is still empty, the light is good, you should grab it!"

Liu Li thanked him and began making the bed. Zhang Shulan, like a nightingale, kept asking her which school she graduated from, which master she was assigned to, and whispered a reminder: "Don't be assigned to Master Wang Jianguo! He's the most skilled, but also the strictest. I heard his apprentices have all cried from his scolding!"

As Liu Li made the bed, she agreed, but in her heart she was thinking: no matter which master she was assigned to, she had to work hard. Although she no longer had to go to the countryside, only by becoming a permanent employee as soon as possible could she truly put down roots in the city—that was the most important thing she should do next.