Although she doesn't plan to take the college entrance examination, and Yu Qian is already a college student and doesn't need to take the exam either, there are plenty of people who do need to take the exam.

The streets are bustling now, especially the bookstores and recycling stations, which have been emptied out.

Those whose families have members who meet the requirements for taking the college entrance examination, or whose children have gone to the countryside and hope to take the exam and return to the city, line up in front of the bookstore every day, waiting for the books to arrive. You can even see people carrying stools in front of the bookstore, waiting for the books while reviewing. Liu Yun felt ashamed of herself. If she had that kind of perseverance, she wouldn't have been so pathetic in her previous life.

The news of the resumption of the college entrance examination seemed to inject vitality into the city, instantly bringing it back to life. The previously oppressive atmosphere was finally dispelled by this good news.

It seems that all the people with red armbands on the streets disappeared overnight. People were no longer afraid of being careful for saying the wrong thing. People with bad class backgrounds no longer had to worry about being arrested and criticized. Those who had been sent down to the countryside saw that people were being rehabilitated one after another and had hope.

After the college entrance examination, there were fewer people queuing up outside bookstores with books in their hands. Instead, everyone was comparing answers. After comparing answers, some were happy and some were sad. Those who did poorly went to queue up earlier. Since the college entrance examination has been reinstated, it should be held again next year. So, buy books now to prepare in advance, study hard, and try again next year.

Liu Yun also knew that only a few people would get satisfactory results this time. According to records, the number of applicants for the college entrance examination in 1977 reached 5.7 million, but only 270,000 were admitted. There were no applicants left over, and the admission rate was only 4.7%.

As the year drew to a close, those who did well on the exams gradually received their admission notices. During this period, one could hear people setting off firecrackers frequently, which made it easy to guess that the students in their families had done well on the exams and been admitted.

The admission notices arrived one after another, and the streets became more crowded, with many of them returning from the countryside after years of taking the college entrance examination.

It's been incredibly lively lately. Every now and then, a dramatic scene unfolds on the streets: a man who passed the exam, abandoned his wife and children to return to the city, only to be confronted by his wife's family; another who abandoned his husband and children, only to be confronted by his husband's family; a man who passed the exam, brought his children back, only to be refused entry; and a wife from the countryside being harassed by her mother-in-law. All sorts of dramas play out one after another—you name it, you can see it. Previously, Liu Yun had only seen such things in reports and records, or heard about them from the elderly. Now, witnessing them firsthand, she felt a pang of sadness. Although there are many things beyond one's control in this era, one's responsibilities and obligations must still be borne.

Moreover, this phenomenon is not the end, but the beginning. With the resumption of universities, the number of people who pass the exam will only increase, and such incidents will only increase. You should know that in recent years, almost every household has sent someone to the countryside. You can imagine how many people went to the countryside. As for those who have returned in recent years, they are very few, far fewer than those who returned after passing the college entrance exam.

It's already like this in the city; it must be even worse in the countryside. I've heard of cases where people lock their wives in their homes to prevent them from passing exams, or where wives have their admission notices torn up after passing, or where someone else has stolen their place in school. There are just endless problems. There will be more trouble to come.

Lunar New Year's Eve arrived as time passed. This year, the family planned a grand celebration. Yu Zhang and his wife, Yu Huan and his wife, Yu Shan and his wife, and Yu Ke all took the college entrance exam this year and were all admitted, though some to universities and others to junior colleges. Not only are the schools of varying quality, but they are also located in different places. They will have to go to school after the New Year. Yu Ke's wife is pregnant and didn't take the exam this year, but plans to next year. Li Juan also called home. Yu Mian also passed the exam; her husband is in the military and didn't take it, but her in-laws strongly support her going to university, and they will take care of the child.

Liu Yun sent a lot of New Year's gifts to Yu Mian's side. As for the gifts at home, they plan to have a big family gathering during the Spring Festival. They can be given to them during the Spring Festival. Yu Shan's gifts will be given to her mother to pass on when Yu Shan comes back on the second day of the Lunar New Year.

We originally planned to have a lively New Year this year, but now that so many happy events are happening at the same time, we have to make it even bigger.

The house was bustling with activity, and the happiest of all were the twins. They were overjoyed to see a child even younger than themselves. They didn't want their grandma or their mom anymore, and they even shared their favorite snacks.

The house was already lively, but now with more kids, their chattering like a flock of magpies makes it even more bustling.

During the day, things were fine. They would linger around the stove, eating a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Once they were full, they would run out into the yard, each with a box of firecrackers in their hand. Soon, the yard would be filled with the sound of firecrackers going off one after another.

Tuantuan, Yuanyuan, and Beibei have lived in the old house for quite some time. They know all the children here and are known as the three little tyrants among their peers. Even those older than them are still the bosses. They earned their status through genuine bribery, and no one can shake their position as the three tyrants. Whenever they go out, they command a large following.

Back when they went to play in the river, Liu Yun cut off all their snacks. In order to maintain their dominant position, the three of them tried their best to please their mother and do all sorts of chores at home. They were very observant and would do anything as soon as they saw something to do. If there was nothing to do, they would ask around. They were never idle. After that, during holidays, Yu's mother and Liu Yun didn't have to lift a finger to clean the yard. They would even sweep under the bed clean. After every meal, the table would be spotless. Except for the first two times when they broke two dishes while washing them and they weren't completely clean, they were quite good at it afterward. They worked so hard every day just to earn those snacks, and not even for eating, but to maintain their dominant position.

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