With the arrival of May, Zhang Guoqing began to take vacation and stopped working.
Before returning to school, the couple took the time to explain to Ping An why they would not be able to be with him every day in the future, and hoped that he could get along well with his grandparents.
Ping An learned that they could come back at night except during the day, and there was no quarrel or noise. They were so well-behaved that the two of them felt distressed.
In order to help the child adapt earlier, Zhang's father and mother moved to their eldest son's house again.
After hiding food supplies in the basement and with their parents taking care of them, the couple plunged into the sea of books, began to review their lessons, and returned to their student days.
Apart from occasionally taking their children for a stroll on the street and telling them a few stories, the couple has no time to take care of the arrival of early spring, let alone the harvest in their own backyard in the village.
Similarly, Zhang Dad and his wife began to tacitly avoid discussing all the external disturbances. Even when the old captain and his men invited Zhang Guoqing to come over, Zhang Dad would shirk the responsibility by saying his children were in school.
His son's future depended on this fire - Zhang's father understood his son's ambitions too well. Although he didn't understand why Zhang Guoqing refused the opportunity to be recommended for admission, he knew that since Zhou Xiaozheng didn't object, the idea was correct.
Zhang's mother took care of the family's food every day, and fortunately, there was no shortage of food at home. She happily spent the whole day hanging around the kitchen with her grandson.
Everything was in order, and soon Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao received a notice from the old principal to return to school.
Zhao Yuanyuan had come all the way here, worried about their delays. This year, only about sixty students in their entire graduating class had passed the review process. While those with excellent grades had a chance of getting into university, the rest would be employed in various companies. She was now confused about whether she should give it her all.
Zhou Jiao couldn't answer Zhao Yuanyuan's question. She didn't dare to casually offer answers about other people's lives. She only knew that if Zhao Yuanyuan didn't take the exam this year, it would be impossible for her to enter university openly, except through recommendation.
Last year in Beijing, she and her father learned the news while visiting an elder. There's a significant gap in the number of high school students, and with universities expanding their enrollment, the acceptance rate has reached its peak.
Zhou Jiao felt sorry for Zhao Yuanyuan. She couldn't promise anything, so she could only ask her to try her best and then decide if she wanted to go to school. So many things weren't happening yet, so what was the point in thinking about them now?
Zhang Guoqing was truly grateful to Zhao Dashan for getting his leave so quickly. One evening, he took time out to visit him at his home and explained his analysis. He also recommended that Zhao Hongbing take the college entrance exam this year.
If Zhao Hongbing really continued to stay home year after year, he would soon be encouraged to support agriculture. What would Zhao Dashan and Cheng Hongli, as cadres, do then? Would they be able to avoid taking the lead?
He was a child from a poor family, and Zhou Jiao was a student of a military officer. They had both passed the examination unanimously, but not everyone had such a smooth journey. Several of his classmates had failed and were now forced to return to the village to farm.
Zhao Hongbing was eventually driven back to school by his father. He was a lucky guy, fortunate to have met Zhang Guoqing and to have a father who loved him deeply.
County No. 1 High School, the only high school in the county, boasts a long history. It has weathered numerous storms and nurtured numerous students. However, it's rare to see so many outstanding students graduate from this year.
The old principal couldn't help laughing every time he thought of the names on the list. As he was about to retire, he hoped that this class would bring him a big surprise.
On May 10th, the school's most remote classroom was assigned to these sixty-two students, who were about to take exams. A rapid-fire cramming session ensued. Last year, steelmaking and supporting agriculture in the countryside had taken up most of the time, leaving many courses unfinished. Now, everyone was desperately trying to fill every available moment.
By the end of May, classes were over, and the next round of review began. Review materials were in short supply, and paper and pens were even more scarce. In the end, many students resorted to calculating on the dirt floor with bamboo tips, then repeatedly reusing them on a piece of paper. For Chinese, history, and geography, they even drew directly on the ground.
Facing such students, Zhang Guoqing and Zhou Jiao felt immense pressure. The atmosphere was already tense from the sheer hard work of everyone studying. But once outside the classroom, it was like entering a completely different world compared to the other students.
They left early and returned late every day, and except for the evenings, they had no time to spend with their child. Finally, in early June, they decided they couldn't go on like this. The school lunches were unbearable. They had to go back outside of normal school hours.
This arrangement really made things much easier for them. If classmates asked questions, they were confined to the school. Life still had to go on, and if they were to end up like them, it would be a waste of time.
In early June, the old principal came to announce the unified summer enrollment notice and some reminders.
First, regarding the admissions notice: The school will submit the applicant list and physical examination results to the provincial government. Exams will be held on July 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. Each subject will last 1:40. On the morning of the 21st, students will take Mathematics and Political Science; in the afternoon, they will take Biology. On the 22nd, they will take Chinese and Physics; in the afternoon, they will take a Foreign Language. On the 23rd, they will take Chemistry, Chinese and Foreign History and Geography. In the afternoon, students will take an additional test in two subjects: Drama, Physical Education, Art, or Music. The notice also stipulates that each student must enroll in eight subjects.
The second part is about filling in the application form: department application and school application. There are three departments, and each department application can fill in five school applications. There is also a column for guidance application. If you are not admitted to any of the three department applications, the admissions committee will assign you to an appropriate department at its discretion.
Third, a reminder: The registration fee is 50 cents per person, which should be paid to your homeroom teacher next Monday. On exam day, the school will provide free accommodation in the school dormitories in the provincial capital. You must provide your own food.
When the old principal finished speaking, everyone was stunned.
Many students looked at each other, wondering how they should fill out their application.
The old principal pointed to the blackboard and said, "Wait a moment, your teacher Huang will list the relevant schools on the blackboard. Remember to copy them down and go back to discuss it with your parents. There's no rush, the school will let you fill out your application at the end of this month."
Zhang Guoqing, upon hearing the extra test was needed, looked at Zhou Jiao with a nagging headache. His wife was a jack of all trades, no problem at all. But besides sports, his only talent was music.
Zhou Jiao chuckled. This was beyond imagination. There had been no additional exams required in the previous two years, and last year, students could just choose any subject. Even many people didn't have to take the additional exams. The situation was truly pressing.
Seeing the old principal smiling brightly, Zhao Yuanyuan bravely shouted, "Can we skip the extra test?"
"For music, it's enough for you to know the music notation, you don't have to be able to sing beautifully. Then choose a physical education. The additional test is very simple. I've consulted about these issues, and they're not a big deal. They're mainly targeting arts students at some universities."
Seeing this, everyone finally felt relieved. They'd already made it ninety-nine steps; even one less would be a shame. Those who had managed to sit here and persevere until now weren't shortsighted. They were students brought up by the old principal, their sights set on the horizon, on the more distant future.
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