The exam was proceeding at a tense pace; two days was neither a long nor a short time.
Many unexpected situations can occur. For example, when Ye Zhiyu was writing her questions with great enthusiasm, a loud shout from the side startled her, and she almost drew a line on the test paper.
A warm touch pressed against her back; it was Lu Chen's hand, comforting her.
Ye Zhiyu patted her chest and turned her head slightly.
Slightly behind, the proctor was holding a small piece of paper and confronting a man.
The man's face was covered in wrinkles, and his skin was dark, making it impossible to tell his age.
At first, he stubbornly refused to admit it, but when the proctor wouldn't listen, he tried to call someone to drag him away.
The man suddenly knelt on the ground with a thud, the sound so loud that everyone could hear it.
Tears and snot streamed down his face. "Teacher, please, I was blinded by greed. Please forgive me and give me another chance."
Two men rushed in from outside, each grabbing one of his arms to stop him from kowtowing, and dragged him out.
The man raised his voice, crying and begging for another chance.
"Teacher, teacher, please, I'm already 30 years old..."
The proctor, with his sharp eyes, swept over every examinee present, tapped on the table, and warned them: "Anyone with cheat sheets had better hide them well. If I find them, I will show no mercy."
Such cases are not uncommon. People may have a侥幸心理 (a sense of侥幸, or a belief that they can get away with something), but it is precisely at a time when we need truly talented people that we are extremely strict and can catch them red-handed.
People were being dragged away one after another, amidst cries of pleas for mercy and screams of despair.
Li Xi gripped her sleeve, the sweat on her palms soaking the paper inside. Her eyes trembled as she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and hid the cheat sheet deeper inside.
Having given up the idea of cheating, she figured that getting into a third-rate university was better than having her exam eligibility revoked, and she had had enough of being sent to the countryside.
Thinking this, someone behind me was grabbed. Based on experience, this time, the person was gagged and dragged away before he could even make a sound.
Everyone wanted to seize this opportunity, but the space on the shore was limited and couldn't accommodate everyone.
How many people, because of the passage of time, have become sluggish in their once-bright thinking? How many people, after being worn down by the years, have forgotten their original aspirations, become impatient for quick success and instant benefits, and can no longer concentrate on their studies, wanting to take shortcuts? When they want to rediscover knowledge, how many people break down in tears?
It was fate; I was born at the wrong time.
Two days have passed, marking the end of a decade.
Some wept with joy, while others clung to their hands and wept bitterly.
"Someone jumped into the river! Help!"
The group, who had been smiling broadly at the answer, suddenly looked toward the source of the sound.
A bridge was crowded with people, and below was a rushing river. After the person jumped in, he floated for a few moments and then disappeared from sight. There was nothing that could be done to save him; they could only watch helplessly.
Liu Shengnan grabbed a man who was watching the commotion and asked, "Brother, what happened to that person? Why did he jump into the river?"
The older brother was clearly in the know: "Sigh, he's a man with a hard life. He spent six years in the countryside and was finally able to return to the city, but he didn't do well on the exam and probably won't pass. That's not a big deal, but as soon as he left the exam hall, the postman delivered a letter to him that was announcing his death."
His family had a bad class background; they had always worked on a farm and been subjected to criticism and struggle sessions. This had been kept secret from him for so many years. Just when things were finally starting to look up, a while ago, the whole family couldn't make it and passed away. "What's the point of living then?" he said, jumping into the river.
The older brother waved his hand, sighed, and left.
Everyone fell silent, losing interest in the answer, and even the excitement of having performed well faded.
Back at the guesthouse, they packed their things and went home. Liu Shengnan and her companions were trying to save money by staying one less night, as they could get a refund.
As for Ye Zhiyu and the others, Tao Qingtang was thinking about the child, and Lu Ze wanted to spend some time alone with his wife, but she was unwilling, so he had to stay with her.
Ye Zhiyu felt there wasn't much to see in the county, so she thought it better to go home early. She was a bit of a bed lover, and the guesthouse was just so-so.
I rushed home and as soon as I entered the door, I heard the clear laughter of little Qingze.
Tao Qingtang rushed into the house, "Mother, we're back."
Inside the room, Tian Hongfang lay half-reclined on the bed, holding something that looked like a cat toy, teasing Xiao Qingze. The little guy's bright eyes followed the cat toy as he lay on the bed, his little hands constantly reaching for it.
Upon hearing the shouts, Tian Hongfang jumped up, and the four of them entered the house one after another, overjoyed.
"Good heavens, why are you back already? I thought it wouldn't be until tomorrow. Have you eaten yet?"
I got out of bed and put on my shoes. Seeing that they all seemed to be doing well, I felt relieved.
Ye Zhiyu smiled and took her arm. "No, I'm just waiting to come back and eat Mom's delicious cooking."
Tao Qingtang picked up the child and touched him. Little Qingze seemed to know that his mother was back and was even happier.
"Mother, you've had a hard time these past two days."
Tian Hongfang waved her hand: "What's this talk of hardship? He's my own grandson, why bother with that? Just wait here, I'm going to cook for you." She then hurried away.
Lu Chen and Lu Ze followed closely behind, helping out.
In summer, the days are long. They would return at six o'clock, and by the time they finished cooking a meal, it would be past seven o'clock, and it would be getting dark.
Lu Weimin returned with Lu Yun. The two of them smelled of fish, their trousers were rolled up, they were barefoot, and each of them carried a fish and their own straw sandals.
Seeing several people sitting in the main room, Lu Yun jumped up and down, trying to pounce on them, but was suppressed by Lu Chen's force.
"Go take a shower."
Lu Yun pouted and looked at Tian Hongfang, who rolled her eyes and pushed the father and daughter to take a bath.
He was still scolding Lu Weimin: "How old are you? Taking your daughter to catch fish, aren't you ashamed? What happened to your dignity as the brigade leader?"
Lu Weimin touched his nose: "What's wrong with the captain? Can't the captain go fishing with his daughter? Who made that rule?"
"Besides, no matter how old I am, I'm still your old man. If anyone's embarrassing me, it's you, the old man." While Tian Hongfang was finding him clothes, he pecked her on the cheek, took the clothes, and ran away.
Liu Tianhongfang stood there, her face flushed, and scolded him, "You old geezer, how old are you, still doing this kind of thing."
The main room and Tian Hongfang's room were separated by only one wall, and several people sitting at the dining table witnessed the whole thing.
When Lu Weimin came out humming a little tune, they kept their eyes down and their minds at ease. After he left, they listened to the mother's embarrassed and angry voice from inside the room and blinked at each other.
It's great to still get to eat my parents' dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing a couple's public display of affection).
Hmm! I'm a little full.
After composing herself, Tian Hongfang came out and invited them to eat.
Lu Ze: "Mother, why don't we wait for Father and Sister? They should be here soon."
Tian Hongfang: "No need, you all eat first, they won't go hungry."
Sure enough, Lu Weimin and Lu Yun sat down to eat, and Tian Hongfang brought out two more dishes from the kitchen.
Seeing that they had almost finished eating, Lu Weimin asked how it went: "How did the exam go? Everything went smoothly?"
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