Looking at himself in the mirror, compared to ten years ago, the childishness on his face had long since faded, and he was no longer as thin as before. He had become much more imposing and dignified.
Lu Feng felt as if something had touched him. He found a calendar at home, nailed it next to the mirror, looked at himself in the mirror, and then glanced at the calendar next to him. Today was June 8, 1999.
"How did things turn out like this?" Lu Feng stared at himself and asked, "If you had known it would turn out like this, would you have stayed in the first place?"
There is no answer to this question, and there never will be.
On June 15th, Lu Feng woke up at six in the morning, took a shower, changed into new clothes, ate a quick breakfast, and rushed to school.
Around 7 a.m., a lot of people had already gathered at the school gate. Some people were repeatedly reminding their children to bring their things and checking them over and over again, while other parents were telling their children to relax and do well on the exam.
This was a unified exam, and people from all schools were present. Lu Feng saw that some people were driving farm vehicles, some were driving trucks, and there was even a donkey cart. These families came from different backgrounds, but at this moment they were all standing on the same starting line.
Lu Feng looked around but didn't see Duo Duo.
"Dad! I'm here!"
Lu Feng looked around but still couldn't see anyone. Before he could continue searching, someone jumped into his arms.
"Where are you looking? We just arrived," Duoduo exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Lu Feng's neck.
"Oh my!" Lu Feng picked her up in one go. He was so excited at that moment. When he heard "Dad" from the crowd, Lu Feng felt that he would not care if he died.
"Put me down, there are so many people!" Duo Duo cried out.
Lu Feng looked around and it was clear that most parents were quite reserved. There were relatively few as outgoing as Lu Feng; most were not good at talking.
"My mom, Aunt Zhang, and Aunt Su all came to see me off," Duoduo said, looking at the three people beside her.
Lu Feng glanced to the side and saw that the three of them were dressed exceptionally well today. Zhang Fengxia stared at Lu Feng with a hint of resentment in her eyes.
"Have you had breakfast yet?" Lu Feng asked.
"I've already eaten at home," Jiang Xiaoyan asked. "Have you eaten?"
"Take a sip." Lu Feng looked at Duo Duo and asked, "Did you bring everything? Check it again. If you encounter any questions you don't know how to answer when you go in, put them aside for now and do the ones you do know how to answer. Write your name down."
"Okay!"
It was almost eight o'clock, and the candidates began to enter the examination hall one after another. Many parents were eagerly watching their children walk into the school. For many families, this exam was a hope for a change of fortune. As long as their children were admitted to a key high school, they would be guaranteed a bachelor's degree.
College students in this era can truly turn a family's life around.
After a round of encouragement and confirming that she had brought her exam admission ticket, draft paper, and pen, Duoduo waved goodbye and walked inside. Lu Feng watched her back, his heart touched, and his eyes reddened as he choked up a little.
"Why are you crying?" Su Yourong asked.
“My child has grown up!” Lu Feng said, wiping away tears.
Jiang Xiaoyan's eyes also reddened. You'll never understand the emotion of feeling your child grow up if you're not a parent.
Students entered the examination hall one after another, leaving only a large group of parents at the school gate. As the sun rose, the heat began to spread, and various vendors at the school gate sold all kinds of goods.
"Just wait, there are two exams in the morning and one in the afternoon!" Su Yourong said. "Go sit in the car."
Lu Feng followed them into the car. Some things had to be faced eventually. Sitting in the car, Lu Feng noticed a small lunchbox and asked, "Didn't the child eat breakfast?"
"That's what Fengxia got for you, afraid that no one would cook and you'd go hungry!" Su Yourong closed the car door and said, "It's good to have someone care about you, to be remembered by someone."
Lu Feng sat in the passenger seat and glanced back at Zhang Fengxia, who kept her head down and didn't say anything.
Silence fell over the carriage. Not far away, a couple sat on a donkey cart. Their skin was tanned dark, and they were fanning themselves with a tattered fan.
“I used to ride in a donkey cart when I was a child. I liked sitting at the back because my feet could dangle on the ground.” Jiang Xiaoyan looked at the donkey cart and said, “Back then, the happiest thing was when I finished cutting a cartload of grass for the donkeys to eat at night. I was so happy sitting at the back of the cart!”
“We don’t have a donkey cart. Our area is all mountains, and we have to carry the pig feed back ourselves.” Su Yourong sighed and said, “Those two pigs can really eat. No matter how much I cut, it’s not enough for them. I’ve been working hard for two years and they only weigh about 100 jin.”
Silence fell in the car again. After a while, Su Yourong said, "You must be tired after all this commotion. I've been thinking about how long this will last. You just don't want me to come into this house, right? I can choose not to come into this house, but you can't treat them like this!"
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