At the crucial moment when Bonnie and her team were organizing people to collect seaweed, it was confirmed that the island's first team had two spots for the Workers-Peasants-Soldiers University this year. The official document was issued, and the entire island was in an uproar!
"The island team has two spots for the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University this year, it's true, two!" The members of the second team were filled with envy.
"Captain Lin is standing even straighter now. He has a capable daughter and two sons who are soldiers. This time, our team has two more spots in the Workers-Peasants-Soldiers University. It's really enviable. We'll be content if we get one of them!"
The captain of the third team on the island put together a bunch of unrelated things, which was heartbreaking.
The team members on the island were excited, but their excitement was limited, since there weren't many families in the team who met the requirements.
The most excited were the educated youth. They had been on the island for so many years, but they could never integrate into island life and could never go back. Their hearts were torn apart.
The Workers-Peasants-Soldiers University was their only chance to return to the city. Even if they couldn't go back to their hometowns, at least they could escape the heavy manual labor. With formal employment, they would have wages and benefits, and most importantly, they could receive government-subsidized grain rations!
However, the number of spots is limited, and there are far more applicants than available spots. In the end, who gets the spots depends on their own abilities.
Unbeknownst to Bonnie, a bloody storm was brewing.
Following Han Weidong and his group, two more groups of educated youth arrived at the island's first team, totaling twelve people. Including Han Weidong's group, there were nearly twenty people in total.
During this period, Li Mingzhu from Beijing and Qian Shan from Shijiazhuang returned to the city last year.
Those who are left without family connections can't be transferred back, so they can only endure it.
The people in the island team were more clear-headed. They knew that the educated youth would eventually return home, and their families had repeatedly warned them not to date any of the educated youth.
People like Han Weidong came in 1969. They were seventeen or eighteen years old when they arrived. A few years have passed, and they are now twenty-two or twenty-three years old, which is the age for them to get married and have children.
I don't know if they're all thinking about going back to the city, but none of these twenty or so people seem to be planning to get married.
Now that they have this rare opportunity of the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University, how could they easily give it up?
The last batch of educated youth arrived at the settlement last year, and since it hasn't been a full year, they are not eligible to participate in the selection process. They must have been in the countryside for more than two years.
Regardless of what the team members were secretly plotting, Bao Ni's father clearly and explicitly posted the recommendation criteria outside the brigade headquarters.
"What? Junior high school graduation is a must? Then my family has no chance. They didn't even graduate from elementary school." The thin-faced old woman heard others reading out the birth recommendation requirements, realizing that her family had no chance.
"Upright character, no criminal record. Diligent in work, no shirking or cheating..."
Bonnie's father and the brigade cadres worked together to finalize many details, trying their best to make the recommendation process fair and just, and strictly preventing it from being swayed by sweet talk.
The recommended criteria have been posted, but some people are still not satisfied and want to take shortcuts.
"Captain, I've been here for four years and have always worked diligently. I really don't want to miss this opportunity, and I hope you can consider it." This is playing the victim card.
"Uncle Captain, I'm sorry for coming uninvited, but I know you have a broad mind and are wholeheartedly dedicated to the development of the team. Really, you are the best brigade leader I have ever met. You don't discriminate against us educated youth and treat everyone equally. I hope you can consider me for this opportunity." This was sycophancy, a two-faced and hypocritical act.
"Captain Lin, this is all my savings from the past few years. It's not much, but it's everything I have. I hope you'll consider it and give me a spot." This was an attempt to bribe him.
The most outrageous thing was that a female comrade took advantage of the darkness to sneak into the brigade office and said to Bao Ni's father with a desperate look, "Brigade leader, I have no money and I'm not the best at my job. I'm all alone. If you give me a spot, I'll do whatever you want."
"Pfft..." Bonnie's dad spat out a mouthful of tea, startled, and quickly slammed his hand on the table.
The brigade accountant, who had been crouching under the table looking for something, quickly stepped forward, fearing that something might have happened and the brigade leader's wife would tear him apart.
"Why don't you two come together?" The woman was completely obsessed with getting this spot.
Bonnie's dad and the accountant pushed her out together. They were both crazy. They were still shaken and decided that they would never be alone in the office again until the official appointment was finalized, for fear of being unable to explain themselves.
These educated youths came up with all sorts of foolish ideas, but all of them ended in failure.
The people in the team knew Captain Lin well. He was the kind of person who had given up his own son's spot in the army. How could he possibly give anyone special treatment? They all kept quiet and waited for the final assessment.
Han Weidong and his group were also tempted. They had been here for more than four years and didn't know when it would end.
People are not afraid of waiting, but of waiting without any hope.
"Bonnie, do you think we'll always be like this? University entrance exams are canceled, and we'll get into university through these kinds of recommendations?"
Looking at the four pairs of bewildered eyes, Bonnie couldn't help but sigh. They should have been in school learning, but instead, they were far from home, doing things they were unfamiliar with and bad at. Year after year, they grew increasingly despondent, unable to find a way out.
"What do you think of the current worker-peasant-soldier college students' studies?" Bonnie asked in return.
"Not very good. People like the brigade leader are a minority. Most of the spots are given to relatives or those who have been paid bribes. They probably didn't even finish elementary school. What can they learn in college?"
Li Gang is a gossip, and he has heard plenty of rumors. Ever since the establishment of worker-peasant-soldier universities in 1970, there have been all sorts of gossip.
"Our country can't stay like this forever. She's just lost at a crossroads and will find her way soon. We don't know how long it will take, but historically speaking, it won't be too long."
Think about it yourselves: do you want to go to a university like this? Consider any suggestions your families may have.
Bonnie knew about the future course of history and some major events, but that was not something she could talk about.
Leaving the four of them deep in thought, Bonnie headed home. She was exhausted after harvesting the wheat and then the seaweed.
However, a bad trend has emerged in the team: mutual whistleblowing. Several anonymous whistleblower letters are on Bonnie's father's desk.
Some people reported on educated youth sent to the countryside, while others reported on people in the production team with only a junior high school diploma. The content of the reports was also varied: theft, sexual misconduct, laziness, moral depravity... there was nothing they wouldn't report.
"Let's investigate who wrote these letters and whether they're true or false. Let the militia investigate; they have veterans and experience. If it's verified, disqualify them. If it's slander, disqualify the writer too. What kind of mess is this?!"
Bonnie's dad has lost the excitement he felt when he first found out there were two spots for the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University; he's too upset.
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