Chapter 153 Educated Youth in the 1970s (Seventeen) I Want to Build! I Want to Learn...
"Have you heard? The college entrance examination will be reinstated this year, and the public recommendation system will be discontinued!"
"Huh? Really?"
"It's true! It's true! The decision has been made public! It says that educated youth will voluntarily apply, take a unified exam, and then be selected based on merit!"
"Educated youth... does that include us, the educated youth who were sent to the countryside?"
"Dude, are you out of your mind with joy? Of course! As long as we can register for the college entrance exam and get into university, we can legitimately go back to the city!"
"Great! Great! Great! This is really great news!"
Jiang Zhangjun's hand holding the pen trembled violently, causing a small ink splatter on the letter. The four large characters "Resumption of the College Entrance Examination" struck him like a thunderbolt, leaving him stunned.
He ignored the still-open envelope and immediately turned to look at the post office entrance, where a young stranger in a polyester shirt was whispering to his companion.
As soon as the young man finished speaking, several educated youths in blue cotton shirts swarmed around him, repeatedly asking, "Luo Limin, don't lie to us. If the organization is reinstating the college entrance examination, why hasn't our brigade made any move yet?"
The educated youth named Luo Limin immediately objected, retorting, "What good would it do me to lie to you? Would it give me an extra two jin of fine grain or a few less days of work? To tell you the truth, my aunt works at the organization office, and I reckon our brigade will hear from us in less than half a month!"
"Then... if that's true, we can go back to the city!"
"Yes! We've finally been waiting for this day!"
Jiang Zhangjun's throat tightened. He quickly suppressed his excitement, took out 10 yuan from his pocket and stuffed it into the envelope, then counted out eight cents and handed them to the post office clerk across the street.
"Comrade, I'd like to buy a stamp."
Here, take it.
Jiang Zhangjun quickly grabbed some glue and sealed the envelope shut, then stuffed it into the mailbox. He didn't bother going to the county town to buy anything; he just shook his head and rushed back to Xinhe Village as fast as he could.
"Comrades! Big news! Huge news!" Jiang Zhangjun ran into the educated youth settlement, panting, and shouted.
Qi Ziling and Jian Fangning were drying grain in the yard when they saw Jiang Zhangjun waving his hands excitedly, their eyes full of doubt.
"Jiang Zhangjun, what's wrong with you? Why are you running so fast? What big news is it?"
"The college entrance exam!" Jiang Zhangjun almost shouted, stammering, "It's the college entrance exam! The college entrance exam is being reinstated this year! From now on... from now on we won't need public recommendations, we can register for the exam ourselves! Once we get into university, we can go back to the city!"
"Really?" Qi Ziling's cloth bag fell to the ground with a "thud." Hearing the voice, Wu Wangliu also rushed out of the house in her slippers, her voice trembling slightly as she asked, "What did you say? Say it again?"
“I said, the college entrance exam has been reinstated! We can take the college entrance exam now!” Jiang Zhangjun wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued, “I went to the county town to mail a letter today. A former educated youth named Luo Limin told me that the letter should arrive in about half a month!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the courtyard fell silent. The four educated youth looked at each other, their eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Really...is it real? Am I dreaming?" Jian Fangning murmured.
Tears suddenly welled up in Wu Wangliu's eyes, and she shook her head: "You're not dreaming, it's real, it must be real! We've been here for almost three years, and I thought I'd be stuck in this village for the rest of my life... This is wonderful, wonderful!"
Qi Ziling's lips moved slightly. She bent down to pick up the cloth bag from the ground, hugged it tightly to her chest, and her knuckles turned white.
Seeing their reactions, Jiang Zhangjun was filled with mixed emotions. He composed himself and said firmly, "Comrades, whether this is true or not, we must start preparing in advance!"
"Yes! Yes! We need to prepare!" Wu Wangliu was the first to react, and suddenly said, "We need to review for the college entrance examination, but where can we find review materials? When I came to the village, I carried a big bag, but there wasn't even a single book in it."
The moment she said that, all three people present were stunned.
Yes, they've wasted so many years, and suddenly they're told they need to review for exams? Where do they even begin? Qi Ziling and Jian Fangning are relatively better off; after all, they attended high school, so their foundation is more solid than others. But Jiang Zhangjun and Wu Wangliu only graduated from junior high and didn't even have time to attend high school, so their foundation is far weaker.
Qi Ziling thought for a moment and said, "I still have a few first-year high school textbooks. Whether they're useful or not, let's make do with them for now! Who knows, maybe they'll use them as a reference for exam questions?"
“Sister Ziling is right!” Jian Fangning chimed in, “I have some old notes here, let’s study them together!”
"Oh... thank you! Thank you so much!" Jiang Zhangjun and Wu Wangliu thanked them repeatedly.
"What are you thanking me for? We're helping each other out!" Jian Fangning said, standing up. "I'll go write a letter to Brother Song and tell him the good news."
"Okay, go ahead!"
Unexpectedly, before Jian Fangning could even mail her letter, Song Ce returned that very evening in the agricultural machinery depot's car. With him came a complete set of high school textbooks and a huge stack of test papers.
"Xiao Ce!" Qi Ziling watched as Song Ce parked the car at the entrance of the educated youth settlement, then pulled Jian Fangning a few steps to the car and said with a smile, "You really can't resist being nagged. Fangning was just saying she was going to write you a letter! And here you are, already back!"
Song Ce smiled slightly and said to everyone, "Professor Wei mentioned the resumption of the college entrance examination a few days ago, so I asked someone to find some high school textbooks for you." As he spoke, he gestured for Jiang Zhangjun to come over and help carry the books inside quickly.
Jian Fangning stared at Song Ce's profile for a long time. His features were handsome, and his temperament was gentle, which made her feel a little sore. After a while, her gaze finally fell back to the neatly stacked books and test papers on the table.
"Brother Song, where did you find so much information? You..." She wanted to say thank you, but felt a little awkward, and finally couldn't help but blurt out, "You're amazing!"
Song Ce looked back at her generously and said gently, "Several researchers at the Agricultural Machinery Institute have these textbooks! I simply borrowed them from my colleagues. You should take advantage of this time to review them, and you'll definitely pass the exam."
As he spoke, Jian Fangning stared at him, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes. It wasn't until Qi Ziling deliberately coughed with a smile that she snapped out of her daze and whispered, "...Sit down for a while, I'll go boil some water for you!"
"I'll go with you."
Watching the two figures leave one after the other, Wu Wangliu slowly closed the textbook in her hand, and couldn't help but shake her head with a wry smile.
Jian Fangning added a few pieces of firewood to the stove, the flickering flames making her cheeks feel slightly hot. The person sitting beside her followed her movements and also put two pieces of firewood into the stove.
Just then, sparks suddenly flew from the firewood in the stove, and Jian Fangning instinctively pulled her hand back. Seeing this, Song Ce suddenly reached out and pulled her towards him. His slender hand gripped hers tightly, carrying a burning warmth.
"careful."
Jian Fangning blushed instantly. She tried to pull away gently, but couldn't. The sparks in the stove crackled twice more, casting a warm glow on their clasped hands.
Song Ce looked at her profile, which was flushed red by the firelight, chuckled, and said, "Fang Ning, the organization just approved a bonus for me. I want to use it to buy a house. What do you think, where would be a good place for us to buy one?"
"...Brother Song, what...what do you mean?" Jian Fangning blushed and stammered.
“If I want to buy a house, of course I should give priority to the lady of the house,” Song Ce replied without hesitation.
Jian Fangning lowered her head, forcing back the tears in her eyes, and said in a muffled voice, "I don't understand, what are we now..."
"Fang Ning." Song Ce held her hand, took out a ring from his pocket, and handed it to her. He said earnestly, "I dare not say that I will make you rich and powerful in the future, but I promise that I will make sure you have no worries about food and clothing, treat you well for the rest of your life, and never let you suffer. I wonder if you are willing to give me this chance?"
“You…I…” Jian Fangning choked up, suddenly unable to speak.
Song Ce was a very patient person. He thought that since he had decided to be with Jian Fangning for the rest of his life, he would fully respect her thoughts.
Jian Fangning looked at the ring in front of her, and then at Song Ce's sincere expression, and tears suddenly started falling down her face.
"Fangning, please, please don't cry..."
Seeing Song Ce's somewhat bewildered expression, Jian Fangning grabbed the ring, nodded vigorously, and smiled through her tears, saying, "I do... Song Ce, I do..."
Song Ce suddenly smiled, and with a slight tightening of his grip, he pulled Jian Fangning into a tight embrace. The fire in the stove was still crackling, vaguely reflecting the shadows of the two lovers embracing tightly.
...
Originally, it was thought that the village would not issue a notice for half a month, but unexpectedly, just one week later, Qin Guangde gathered all the villagers together and announced this important news with a smile.
Seeing the excited expressions on the faces of the educated youth below the stage, Qin Guangde was genuinely happy for them.
Everyone in the surrounding villages knew that the head of Xinhe Village was a kind and honest man. Considering that the educated youth needed to review their lessons, Qin Guangde simply arranged some light work for them, and the work points were still calculated, just two points less than before.
Although no one at the brigade headquarters said anything, some villagers still had their opinions. Two days later, Song Ce brought back a used ploughing machine from the city, and the villagers finally quieted down and stopped complaining.
Actually, the educated youth were not sure about it before, after all, the news of the resumption of the college entrance examination had always been "rumor," and it might be false. But now that Qin Guangde had mentioned it in front of the whole village, the educated youth's enthusiasm for studying suddenly increased.
With two weeks left until the college entrance examination, the work in the fields gradually decreased. Qin Guangde waved his hand and gave all the educated youth a holiday, allowing them to focus on their studies and return to work after the exam.
The days of intense preparation for the exam flowed by like a gentle stream. When the exam day arrived, everyone got up early and arrived at the Qing City College Entrance Examination Center to wait for the exam.
Because it was the first year of the college entrance examination after being suspended for nearly ten years, the exam papers varied across the country. For example, in Qing City, the Chinese language exam had three essay questions, and students only needed to choose one to write about.
Song Ce flipped through the newly distributed college entrance examination papers. Sure enough, the questions in the first year's exam weren't too difficult. He still chose the science paper and finished it in less than an hour.
Right now, he only has one thing left to do: patiently wait for his college entrance exam scores to be released.
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Author's note: [pats head][pats head]
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