Chapter 147: Resuming the College Entrance Examination
It's another ordinary working day.
Autumn came early this year. In mid-October, everyone was wearing long sleeves.
When working, I roll up my sleeves and busily prepare, wash and cut vegetables in the canteen's kitchen. After finishing everything, I give them to the chef to fry.
There are so many people in the army and the food portions are huge. It's a big pot of food and I have to sit on a small stool and bend over to wash it. At the end of the day, my back can't be straightened.
But Fu Chunmei is full of energy.
No matter how hard life is, can it be as hard as farming under the scorching sun in the countryside?
It is precisely because of her energetic appearance that the chef and director of the cafeteria like her very much.
Everyone chatted while working.
The topics of conversation are nothing more than gossip in the army, their own children and partners, and things in their hometown.
It’s like this every day, and it seems like the end of the day can be seen at a glance.
But for Fu Chunmei, she is willing to have a job that pays for her for the rest of her life!
This is a beautiful thing that I never dared to dream of before.
As we were chatting, suddenly the black box on the roof of the cafeteria rang, making a series of sharp crackling sounds.
"What's the next announcement?"
In the past few years, for some reason, not only the army but also the production teams at the grassroots level installed a lot of black boxes.
If there is any notification, there is no need for cadres to use a loud speaker to notify everywhere.
As long as you sit in front of the microphone in the broadcasting room and say a few words, everyone can hear you almost at the same time.
Therefore, no one was surprised at all when the black box suddenly sounded.
At the same time, they all lowered their voices, intending to listen to what happened today.
"Reposted from XXX Daily News... The college entrance examination has officially resumed. Please ask the local education bureaus..."
The signal from the black box in the cafeteria was not very good, and the sound was intermittent, but everyone heard the key words.
After a brief period of silence, the cafeteria suddenly exploded.
"What? Did I hear that correctly? The college entrance examination is going to be resumed?"
"I heard that, too. How could it happen so suddenly? It's been ten years since it started, how can it be restored so suddenly?"
"I don't know, but my child should be able to take the college entrance examination. If he is admitted to university, the school will assign him a job, so he won't have to worry about finding a job."
Fu Chunmei's first reaction to the news was: Shen Zhiyou can now go to college?!
She swallowed, not knowing why, even she, an illiterate, became excited!
Then they felt lucky that their Sanni did not have to go to work in a state-owned restaurant, but instead continued to study in junior high school.
Sanni studies so well, shouldn’t it be easy for her to get into university in the future?
Wouldn’t the job assigned to you in the future be better than serving dishes in a state-owned restaurant?
Seeing how excited Fu Chunmei was, others also laughed and joked, "You look so happy."
Fu Chunmei was a straightforward person. Even though they were so familiar with each other, she didn't hide anything and just told them everything that made her happy.
I was still sighing, "Fortunately, I listened to Xiao Shen's advice and let my Sanni continue to attend junior high school!"
Who would have thought that the canteen chef who was still laughing just now would show a disdainful expression on his face when he heard this: "Why would a girl go to college? It's not that easy to get into college. Wouldn't it be better to get married and have a baby earlier?"
If it were in the past, Fu Chunmei would definitely feel the same way.
But now, after hearing this, Fu Chunmei just wanted to laugh.
Why can’t my daughter go to college? Her daughter Sanni is so diligent, loves to study, is sensible and filial.
Just look at Chen Cuijuan and you will know that if this daughter has a promising future, wouldn’t it be much better than a son?
Sanni had just started junior high school, but Fu Chunmei had already begun to imagine a scene in the future where she would take advantage of Sanni and be called "the mother of a college student".
Oh, it’s so beautiful!
Compared to the cafeteria, the chaos in the school and among the educated youths was even greater.
It was so exciting.
Because most of the teachers in the school have at least attended junior high school, and there are many who have attended high school.
The significance of resuming the college entrance examination is too great for them!
Everyone quickly looked through the newspapers delivered this morning, but saw no news.
Yang Lan also heard the broadcast. She walked into the office and saw that they were discussing the matter enthusiastically. She cleared her throat and said, "Everyone has heard the news, right? There should be a detailed notice in the newspapers delivered tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. You can also listen to the evening broadcast, but now you should finish the work at hand."
Everyone said it was good.
Yang Lan nodded in satisfaction, but before leaving, she suddenly called Shen Zhiyou, her expression still a little unnatural: "Xiao Shen, do you have any high school books? Can you lend them to me?"
Everyone in the office burst into laughter. "Teacher Yang, this is really not very kind of you. Xiao Shen, leave one book for us!"
Shen Zhiyou had already read those books to pieces.
She smiled and nodded: "If you need anything, come and borrow from me. I have a full set."
"That's a good feeling!"
"Xiao Shen, lend me a copy first. I'll go to the Xinhua Bookstore in the county to buy some books this Sunday!"
On the way home from get off work, everyone was discussing what was announced on the radio today.
And everyone listened to it again this afternoon, and now they all understand the specific policies.
There are almost no restrictions in this college entrance examination!
No matter you are in your teens or fifties, no matter you have attended high school or not, whether you are a worker or a farmer, as long as you have hands, you can take the exam!
This news stunned everyone.
Anyone who had received an education began to become restless.
Shen Zhiyou, who had known that this day would come, also became inexplicably excited and nervous along with everyone else.
As soon as she got home, Chen Cuijuan rushed up to her excitedly, "My daughter, did you hear that? You can go to college now!"
Nian Nian and Man Man didn’t know what going to college meant, but their grandma made them laugh and they also giggled, repeating the word “college” in their mouths.
Tuan Tuan Yuan Yuan put her bag aside and picked up her younger brother and sister from the crawling mat skillfully. "Do you know what college is? It's college."
Everyone in the family, including Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, seemed to have tacitly agreed that Shen Zhiyou would take the college entrance examination.
And very supportive.
Shen Zhiyou smiled with eyes curved: "University is a school bigger than elementary school!"
Tuantuan and Yuanyuan were actually curious too, and were just pretending to be adults in front of their younger siblings.
Now hearing what their mother said, the two little guys were stunned, "Is the university big?"
Chen Cuijuan said confidently: "It must be big, otherwise how can it be called a university!"
In the evening, Gu Ye and Gu Panddi came back and everyone talked about this matter at the dinner table.
Gu Pandi looked at her brother's wife and felt a slight envy and admiration in her heart.
When they first met, she knew that her sister-in-law was good-looking and had a nice voice.
But the longer they spent together, the more she realized that her younger brother and sister-in-law were more capable.
Although her sister-in-law is a little lazy, she is very clear about what she should do and she also insists on studying.
Now, my hard work has paid off. My younger brother and sister, who now have four children, are taking the college entrance examination.
Gu Pandi listened to them with a faint smile, and suddenly heard Youyou calling her.
"Sister, why don't you try it together? You've already finished night school, it would be a waste if you don't give it a try!"
Gu Pandi's heart skipped a beat. She was at a loss as to what to do. She couldn't believe it, and even her breathing became rapid: "Can I do this, too?"