Ruan Xi stayed in Fengming Mountain until the fifth day of the New Year. On the morning of the sixth day, she took Ruan Hongjun and several others with their luggage and left Fengming Mountain. They took a jeep to the town to the county railway station and then took the train back to the city.
Before leaving, Ruan Cuizhi secretly stuffed money into Ruan Xi's hands, and Ruan Xi couldn't refuse so he accepted it. Naturally, she did not squander the money, but saved it for later use when she needed it more.
It took almost five days to travel from Fengming Mountain to the military compound. It was already the afternoon of the tenth day when we got home.
Tired from the journey, Ruan Xi and her friends went to the bathhouse to take a bath after arriving home. During dinner, they chatted with Ruan Changfu about things in the countryside and told him about the physical conditions of Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua. They didn't say much about other things and went back to their room to sleep after dinner.
I slept for a long time, until noon the next day.
After getting up, Ruan Xi went to open the curtains, and her eyes squinted for a moment because of the bright sunlight.
The weather is very good today, the sun is shining brightly, especially now at noon, the sun feels warm and comfortable on my body.
Ruan Jie buried her head in the quilt for a while to adjust, then revealed her face and asked with a nasal voice, "Sister, what time is it?"
Ruan Xi stood in front of the window, basking in the sun and stretching her muscles. "It's almost eleven o'clock."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Jie hurriedly got up, put on her shoes, put on her cotton jacket, and went out to wash.
When Ruan Xi finished washing up, Ruan Qiuyue came over. When the three sisters finished washing up and went downstairs together, it was time for lunch at home. Now there is no one at home to make trouble for them, and no one will say anything if they wake up so late.
After lunch, Ruan Xi, Ruan Jie and Ruan Qiuyue went out for a walk to help digest the food, and they felt refreshed when they came back. When I felt comfortable, I naturally went upstairs to prepare for study. After so many days of going back and forth to the countryside, I felt I had relaxed enough and it was time to get back to work.
However, not long after they sat down upstairs and opened their books and began to concentrate, they suddenly heard a boy's voice coming from downstairs, "Ruan Xi!" followed by a loud whistle.
She knew it was Xu Zhuo without having to look or hear the voice. Ruan Xi stood up and looked down at the window. She saw that not only Xu Zhuo had come, but four others, including Chen Weidong, had also come. Each of the five people rode a bicycle, which was very eye-catching.
Ruan Xi looked down at them from the window, "What?"
Xu Zhuo cleared his throat and said, "Can't you see any difference between us today?"
Ruan Qiuyue came to the window to join in the fun. She was not familiar with Xu Zhuo and the others, and had no intention of talking. But after seeing Xu Zhuo and the others, her eyes suddenly lit up and she said, "Wow, you're all going to join the army?"
After hearing Ruan Qiuyue say this, Ruan Xi realized that the military uniforms worn by Xu Zhuo and the other four had indeed changed. What they wore before were all old clothes, and the colors of the uniforms for the five people were different, but today all five of them are wearing the same clothes, and they are all new.
Ruan Jie also came over when she heard this and looked down from the window.
Seeing her sticking her head out, Chen Weidong smiled at her and called her, "Little devil."
Ruan Jie looked at his brand new military uniform and asked, "Are you going to join the army?"
Chen Weidong raised his head and said, "Yes, we have to leave tomorrow. I asked you guys to go out and play today. Come down."
Ruan Jie didn't respond and turned to look at Ruan Xi.
This time, Ruan Xi did not refuse immediately, but asked them: "Where are you planning to go?"
Xu Zhuo looked at her and said, "Just take a walk and have dinner together tonight."
Ruan Xiying: "Okay, then you wait a moment."
After that, Ruan Xi took Ruan Jie and Ruan Qiuyue back to the table, put away the textbooks on the desk, changed clothes with Ruan Jie, fixed her hair, and asked Ruan Qiuyue as she put on her schoolbag, "Are you going?"
Ruan Qiuyue immediately shook her head, "I won't go. I'm not familiar with them, and I'm too young to speak."
Ruan Xi smiled at her and said, "Then let's go."
Ruan Qiuyue nodded, "Go ahead, have some fun."
No matter whose son he is, when he joins the army he will first go to the local army and will definitely leave here. The training during the first two years of conscription is rigorous, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to come back directly, and I won’t see him for at least two years.
This was naturally the reason why Ruan Xi agreed to go out and play with them this time.
They're leaving tomorrow, so let's give them a good farewell today.
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie went downstairs with their schoolbags and said hello to Feng Xiuying when they left.
Feng Xiuying had already seen Xu Zhuo and the others outside. Because of what happened to Ye Qiuwen before, she now has some psychological trauma about this kind of thing. She felt uncomfortable, but thinking of Ruan Xi's temper, she didn't say anything.
She also knew that she couldn't control Ruan Xi, and it would be useless to speak out.
Ruan Xi didn't wait for her to respond. After saying hello, he went out with Ruan Jie.
When they got outside, they jumped onto the back seats of Xu Zhuo and Chen Weidong's bicycles and followed them out of the compound in a hurry.
They spent the entire afternoon looking for places to play in the city and suburbs.
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie have been here for so long, but have never really visited the city, especially the mountain views, historical sites, river views, and rocks on the outskirts of the city. I visited several places during half a day and got a deeper understanding of the city.
While sitting by the river and watching the water hitting the rocks on the shore, Chen Weidong came over to Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie, cleared his throat and said to Ruan Xi: "I want to talk to Xiao Gui alone, is that okay?"
Ruan Xi looked up at him, stood up, patted her butt, and went to sit next to Xu Zhuo.
Chen Weidong then sat down next to Ruan Jie, but did not speak immediately.
Ruan Jie felt a little uncomfortable, holding her schoolbag and lowering her head, and asked him: "What do you want to tell me?"
Chen Weidong squinted his eyes due to the wind from the river. He turned to look at Ruan Jie and said after a long while, "You... that... I'll wait for you!"
Ruan Jie didn't understand and squinted at him, "What are you waiting for?"
Chen Weidong hesitated for a moment and then made up his mind, "You will graduate from the second year of junior high school this year and can join the army. I will serve in the army a year earlier than you. When your conscript service is over and you are promoted, I will pursue you seriously."
Ruan Jie immediately moved her butt after hearing this, "Who... who wants you to chase me!"
Chen Weidong said: "If I don't chase you, how can we be together?"
Ruan Jie's face instantly turned red like a monkey's butt. She felt her butt getting hot and immediately stood up, "I won't talk to you anymore."
Chen Weidong reached out and pulled her sleeve, pulling her back to sit down. "Why are you running? I want to talk to you about something serious."
Ruan Jie didn't want to argue with him, so she just sat there and didn't move. She also didn't want others to see her face turning as red as two red apples, so she hugged her schoolbag and buried her face in it without looking up.
The fabric of the school bag was thick, so the heat from my face couldn't dissipate, making it more obvious.
Chen Weidong still asked her: "Is it okay?"
Ruan Jie spoke aloud after a moment, her voice muffled by her schoolbag, "I don't know."
Ruan Xi and Xu Zhuo sat on a reef not far away and watched them.
Ruan Xi muttered, "You're about to leave, and you still want to kidnap our Xiaojie."
Xu Zhuo said from the side: "Isn't it because I'm afraid that Xiao Jie will be kidnapped by someone else?"
Ruan Xi turned back to look at Xu Zhuo, "Don't worry, Xiao Jie won't fall in love for at least five years."
At the end of this year, they can directly take the college entrance examination as junior high school graduates. She felt that there was no problem for her and Ruan Jie to be admitted to university. After entering university, most universities explicitly prohibit students from dating on campus.
Xu Zhuo calculated, "Isn't it three years? Why is it five years?"
During this year's junior high school, plus the two-year conscript service period, after serving the conscripted military service, if you are promoted to an officer and stay in the army or are demobilized and transferred to civilian jobs, you can date openly and just need to file a relationship report.
Ruan Xi looked at him and smiled, "She is my sister, if I say five years, it means five years."
Xu Zhuo looked into her eyes with a smile, "What about you?"
Ruan Xi said naturally: "It's at least five years for me too."
Xu Zhuo smiled, "I hope you keep your word."
Ruan Xi squinted her eyes because of the breeze from the river. "What? You still have feelings for me? When school started, you just saw me because I was pretty. Now it's been a year, you must be tired of me now."
Xu Zhuo did not answer this question, but asked her instead: "You have been watching me for a year, do you like me?"
Ruan Xi smiled and said, "It's OK. It looks quite decent now."
Xu Zhuo still looked into her eyes, his eyes were dark, "Then I will try to look more presentable in the future."
Ruan Xi was a little tired of sitting, so he stood up from the reef.
She walked on the rocks on the shore, feeling the river breeze, and said, "You will definitely become more presentable."
With a family like his, the influence of his father, and the learning he has been exposed to since childhood, it would be no different for him to join the local army and be a god descending to earth to experience hardships. With training in the local area, he will eventually move up.
Even if he doesn't want to stay in the army in the future and wants to do something in line with the trend of the times, it will be much easier for him than for others. Some people are born in Rome, and Xu Zhuo is one of them.
The two of them strolled along the shore, enjoying the breeze.
After walking for a while, Ruan Xi suddenly stopped and turned around.
Xu Zhuo stopped and stood on the rocks facing her.
Ruan Xi stood for a moment, stretched out his hand to him, looked at him and said, "Comrade, we'll see each other again if we're lucky."
Xu Zhuo took a deep breath, reached out and held her hand, and said for a long time: "Don't worry, we are all comrades from the same compound, and our parents are here, so we will definitely meet again."
Ruan Xi smiled and retracted her hand, then continued walking forward. "That's hard to say. The world is changing now. Who knows what it will be like in the future? Maybe in two years it will be completely different."
The college entrance examination will be resumed this year, and reform and opening up will take place next year. The turning point of the era will be in these two years.
Xu Zhuo followed her and walked slowly, "You don't want me to walk peacefully."
Ruan Xi smiled and looked back at him, then said, "Okay, just go and join the army, we will definitely meet again, but when the time comes, please don't be so forgetful that you forget a commoner like me."
Xu Zhuo: "I am a superficial person, but I will never forget anything I think is beautiful. Don't worry."
…
Ruan Xi, Xu Zhuo and a few others played outside until the evening, then returned to the city to have dinner at a restaurant, and returned to the compound just as it was getting dark. We parted ways at a fork in the road and waved goodbye for the last time.
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie walked home side by side. After taking a few steps, they heard Xu Zhuo and Chen Weidong calling them from behind.
The two of them turned around together, but Xu Zhuo and Chen Weidong didn't say anything.
It was as if he had a lot to say, but he didn't know where to start and couldn't utter a single word.
After staring silently for a while, Xu Zhuo said, "Have a good sleep."
From today on, there will be no tomorrow.
Xu Zhuo and his friends left very early the next day, so Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie naturally did not send them to the train station. Although they don't spend most of their time with Xu Zhuo and the others, they still feel like something is missing when they are gone.
Of course, they did not have any sentimental feelings about this matter. After all, joining the army was a great thing to be happy about in this era, otherwise Xu Zhuo and the others would not have taken out their military uniforms and put them on, showing off all day.
After Xu Zhuo and the others left, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie's lives became more monotonous.
They rested at home for a few days, and then school started a few days later, and they were in the second grade of junior high school. Life in the second year of junior high school is no different from that in the first year. The same things are still done every day, and studying is still not the main content of school life.
There was no movement in the school, but the issues of science and education had been discussed by the higher-ups. Discussions were held round after round, and opinions were put forward wave after wave, but no conclusion was reached.
During the summer vacation in July and August, some vague news about the resumption of the college entrance examination began to spread, but they were just some unclear rumors, so most people did not really take it to heart.
When school starts in the fall, students still go to school with their backpacks on their backs as before.
But there are also a small number of students with a sensitive sense of smell, or those who have been interested in learning knowledge before, such as Ye Fan, who became more serious than before and read books in his hands every day.
Ruan Xi, Ruan Jie and the others naturally also heard the gossip.
Ruan Jie asked Ruan Xi: "Sister, do you think it will be true?"
Ruan Xi shook her head. "I don't know. Anyway, it's better to be prepared. We just have to work hard."
Ruan Jie said: "Even if this news turns out to be true, we can't pass the exam even if we try hard. We just graduated from junior high school and we still have two years of high school to go. If we want to take the college entrance examination, shouldn't we go to high school first?"
Ruan Xi looked at her and smiled, "During these years of revolution, what do you think is the difference between going to junior high school and not going to high school? Those who can pass the exam are those who study regularly, not those who have gone to high school. Academic qualifications are useless these days. So if the higher-ups really make decisions, they won't necessarily look at academic qualifications. You know, the college entrance examination has been suspended for ten years, so why is the country considering resuming it now? It's because these ten years were too wasted, and all the young people were wasted. The country is short of talent, so we have to hurry up and recruit a group of talents to train them. They want people with real knowledge, not academic qualifications."
There are many students who have reached the second year of high school but have learned nothing in the four years of junior high and high school.
In the past decade, the whole country has not attached importance to academic performance or academic qualifications, and decision makers naturally know that academic qualifications are the most false thing. Therefore, the application conditions were particularly relaxed in the first two recruitment examinations after the resumption of the college entrance examination.
After all the talents scattered in the society have been recruited, only the children who are attending school seriously will be left as reserve talents, and then it will return to normal that only high school graduates can take the exam.
Ruan Jie thought about it and said, "That makes sense. It's better to be prepared. Then we will study hard next time."
Ruan Xi nodded, "It's no use thinking about anything else, just study hard."
In the more than two years since they came to the city, they have basically done nothing. They have devoted themselves to textbooks every day and studied until late at night. They have already thoroughly learned all the textbooks for the four grades of junior high and high school.
There are still three or four months left, which is almost enough for review.
They have been studying non-stop for the past two years, which gives them a lot of advantages over those who have served in the army, become workers, or gone to the countryside for several years or even more than ten years and have not studied for a few years, but who hurriedly reviewed for a month after learning that the college entrance examination had been resumed.
Moreover, this situation was taken into consideration when the examination paper was set in the first year, so the questions were very simple.
In the past two years, Ruan Jie devoted herself to her studies, firstly because she had promised Ruan Xi, and secondly because she could gain a sense of accomplishment from her studies. Now that she has a vague goal, she studies even harder.
So in the following time, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie truly entered the state of "turning a deaf ear to the world outside the window, and focusing on reading the books of sages". I don’t have the energy to pay attention to anything else, and the only thing in my life is reviewing and doing exercises.
Then, less than two months after the start of school, the news that the college entrance examination would be resumed made the front pages of major domestic media outlets. On the day the news was confirmed and released, the whole school was in an uproar.
Of course, it wasn't just the school that was in an uproar, but every place in the country that could receive the news.
Whether it is a demobilized soldier, a factory worker, an educated youth working in the countryside, a cadre in an institution or army, a junior high or high school graduate, or even a farmer working the land with a hoe, anyone who meets the requirements can apply for the exam.
There will be no recommendation from the masses or consideration of class background. All applications will be voluntary and admission will be based on merit.
Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie heard the news on the school radio. The principal personally announced this notice to all teachers and students in the radio room, asking everyone to take their studies seriously and seize the time to prepare for the college entrance examination.
The school was in an uproar as soon as the news was read. Ruan Jie was even more excited among the excited students. She almost jumped up and said to Ruan Xi, "Sister, it's true! Knowledge really can change your destiny! It really can!"
Although Ruan Xi had known about this day a long time ago, he thought he would be able to calmly face this turning point of the era. But the moment she heard the notice, she was also very excited, as if after enduring for so many years, she finally saw the light.
She held Ruan Jie's hand and said, "Let's change our destiny together!"
Of course, many of the excited students were there just to join in the fun, because they had no knowledge at all and the restoration of the college entrance examination had little to do with them. They would just be cannon fodder if they signed up for the exam.
So not long after the principal finished reading the notice, the head teacher, Mr. Xie, came into the classroom and poured cold water on everyone.
He stood on the podium, looked around and said, "As junior high school graduates, you can also sign up for this college entrance examination. But you know your level well. You usually only score a few points or more. Let's not cause trouble for the country. It's useless to review for a year, let alone a month. If you think you are capable, you can give it a try, but don't have too high expectations. After all, high school graduates have an advantage over you. The competition will definitely be fierce in the first year. Not only you fresh graduates, but also all graduates from the past ten years will sign up. You are competing with more than a dozen junior high and high school graduates. It's a real battle, with thousands of troops crossing a single-plank bridge. You should weigh your own level. If you decide to sign up, come to my office this afternoon to get the registration form."
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