Chapter 254 Why was Qin Xiangxiang mentioned in the book, specifically in the "Top Scholar's Coat"?
"The Feiyan Textile Factory acceptance letter has arrived!"
Postman Chen's shout was like a thunderclap out of nowhere. The entire textile factory seemed to be put on pause. Everyone's movements froze, and even the roar of the textile machines stopped.
Immediately, a massive influx of people emerged from the workshops, offices, canteens, rehearsal halls, and other areas, rushing towards the factory gate.
The blue overalls they were still wearing formed a flowing stream of people, carrying both anxiety and anticipation.
"The acceptance letter has arrived?"
How many people from our factory have been admitted to university?
My heart was pounding in my chest!
...
Just like a crowd of listeners gathering in front of a storyteller, Old Chen, the postman, was also surrounded by a huge crowd. When he saw people coming, Old Chen took out a stack of kraft paper envelopes printed with the names of various universities from his bulging green satchel.
That year, no scores were released for the college entrance examination; only admission notices were issued.
Union Chairwoman Yang Zhixia took a deep breath and stepped forward to take the stack of admission notices. Her hands trembled as if she were receiving a heavy burden.
"Quickly, read it out! Who passed the exam?"
Yang Zhixia walked up the steps under the eaves, coughed a few times, cleared her throat, and said loudly, "Those whose names I call, come forward to collect them..."
"Chairman Yang, do you think we should prepare firecrackers? Or have some kind of ceremony?"
"Never mind that for now, just start calling out the names!"
Yang Zhixia opened the first letter: "Zhou Wenqing - Tsinghua University! Department of Precision Instruments!"
"My God, Zhou Wenqing, Tsinghua University!"
"Wow—" A burst of exclamations and cheers erupted from the crowd. The first to be heard was Tsinghua University. Amidst the enthusiastic applause, Zhou Wenqing staggered through the crowd, his fingers trembling with excitement. When he held the envelope bearing the Tsinghua University gate in his hand, tears welled up in his eyes, and he saluted in the direction of Qin Xiangxiang in the crowd.
He never dreamed he would be able to attend Tsinghua University. If it weren't for Director Qin and the pig farming class... Director Qin was practically his second parent.
"Zhao Hongmei, Zhejiang University! Department of Mathematics!"
Another round of enthusiastic applause erupted from the crowd, and Zhou Hongmei and the female workers around her cheered and hugged each other.
"Hongmei, I knew you would pass the exam!"
Yang Zhixia continued reading: "Xue Jianjun, Peking University, Department of Chinese Language and Literature."
"Xue Jianjun? From the factory's propaganda office, he got into Peking University?"
"Peking University?! The one who wrote 'Pig Farming and Philosophical Speculation'? I thought he was joking, but he actually got into Peking University!"
"Our factory has graduates from Tsinghua and Peking University? That's incredible!"
Yang Zhixia's voice trembled as she read, "Tsinghua University and Peking University, what kind of magical textile factory is this?"
"Zhang Dayong - Shanghai University of Foreign Languages, Department of English".
The crowd erupted in screams and hysteria, the commotion like water being poured into a frying pan. Without a sound, the crowd automatically parted to create a clearing, a vacuum zone appearing around Zhang Dayong.
Zhang Dayong pointed to himself in disbelief. He had only come to watch the spectacle: "I passed the exam?"
"How the hell could someone pass the exam? Me, a boiler operator?!"
"Hurry up and go get it, Zhang Dayong!"
...
If it was expected that Zhou Wenqing, Zhou Hongmei, and others could get into university, then it was a miracle that Zhang Dayong, the boiler worker, could get into a foreign language school.
With only one month to prepare, many people are hesitant to apply, fearing they won't pass.
Now that Zhang Dayong's admission notice has been issued, countless people are secretly envious and are kicking themselves!
I thought to myself: I should have signed up for the exam too.
"Sun Jian'an, Department of Polymer Materials, Zhejiang University."
Wu Qiaomei, Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts.
"Li Aihua, East China Textile University".
...
Each name was called out, accompanied by cheers and applause, and a staggering figure, as if floating on clouds, dizzy from being struck by dreams and hopes.
Too many university acceptance letters; too many people from the factory have been admitted to university.
After this round, the learning enthusiasm of Feiyan Textile Factory has increased unprecedentedly. This year, students from their factory will be admitted to Tsinghua and Peking Universities, and next year, more people will take the entrance exams for Tsinghua and Peking Universities.
Many people secretly resolved to study hard and take the college entrance examination next year.
"Qin—Xiang—Xiang, East China Textile University, Textile Engineering major."
Yang Zhixia deliberately left the name at the end, her voice growing more and more impassioned. As soon as the name was uttered, the entire factory erupted in enthusiastic applause.
East China Textile University is a top-tier key university in China and the number one textile school.
Textile University was an incredibly popular school, even more prestigious than many key universities in the future. This was because many ordinary people didn't know about other majors; they only knew that "textile" was a prestigious name, associated with wealth and good benefits!
Qin Xiangxiang looked completely bewildered: "I passed the exam?"
She applied to three universities: Tsinghua, Peking University, and East China Textile University, and she actually got in. If she hadn't gotten in, they said they would recommend her to study at the textile university.
Sigh—let her study it. If it were any other major, she'd have to learn it all over again from scratch. But she's a long-time textile worker's daughter; studying this major would just mean going back to her hometown.
Moreover, we can discover more talented people at the school to make beautiful clothes for her.
Since things have come to this, let it be.
Qin Xiangxiang yawned: "If there were a gourmet university, I would definitely apply to study gourmet food there."
Everyone was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.
"The canteen will have extra food tonight! Plenty of pickles and pork!" A joyful atmosphere filled the entire Feiyan Textile Factory. Assistant He was overjoyed and said he was going to buy firecrackers, "We'll set off firecrackers after dinner tonight!"
"A great joy for our factory!"
"Zhou Wenqing is the top scorer in the province!"
"Oh my god!"
"Factory manager, I request another serving of duck feet stew, this time it's the champion's stew!"
...
The workers who had been admitted to university congratulated each other. Qin Xiangxiang was surrounded by people and taken to the auditorium, where she was asked to give a speech to inspire more young workers. Qin Xiangxiang had a headache.
"Let Deputy Factory Director He go up and speak!"
"You got in? East China Textile University, that's a great university!" Upon hearing this news, Li Jianzhi smiled. Later, as the textile industry declined, the reputation of this textile university was not as prominent as before.
But in the 1970s and 80s, it was a top-tier key university and the best textile school.
“If you, as the factory director, go to a textile university, it’s like taking a fishing net and jumping into the sea to catch big fish, and getting all those talented textile students under your control.”
Qin Xiangxiang said, "Going to university means attending classes and taking exams. It's such a hassle."
"The capable should do more work!"
"Let's calculate when school starts. You should go to Shanghai to register. There's also the matter of merging two factories. Besides classes and exams, there's a bunch of things waiting for our model worker to think about."
Sui Sui: "Mom works so hard!"
Li Xiaopang: "My mother is like a donkey in the production team, she never stops working."
Little He Miao and Lan Lan: "Donkey! Donkey! Donkey!"
Wu Xueyan: "...You should take good care of your mother."
Li Jianzhi: "I need to take care of my wife, I'll cook later."
Qin Xiangxiang said angrily, "All of you, get out of here."
Qin Xiangxiang returned to her room, lay down, closed her eyes, and looked peaceful. She wished it was all a nightmare. Why was she, a nobody, suddenly admitted to university and even became the general manager of some factory?
"It's all Yang Zhixia's uncle's fault for not picking the peaches in time back then."
Lin Xiuqin received her admission letter—East China Textile University.
She almost fainted. Why was she still in the same school after all this time?
This is the university that she and "Qin Xiangxiang" used to attend!
Lin Xiuqin looked at the admission notice in her hand with great distress. Everyone at the Hongxing Textile Factory was congratulating her, but she couldn't even manage a smile.
"Lin Xiuqin, you got into university?" He Xiuxiu looked at Lin Xiuqin, her tone inexplicably tinged with envy. This Lin Xiuqin had actually been admitted to the top textile university.
"Um."
He Xiuxiu: "You are really amazing. Our factory director Qin, also known as Qin Xiangxiang, got into the same university as you, East China Textile University, in Shanghai. You two are both very impressive."
Lin Xiuqin was struck dumb; this was nothing short of a curse!
After going around in circles, she's back again. She'll meet Qin Xiangxiang again at this school and they'll be classmates. And Qin Xiangxiang's parents even own an old apartment in Shanghai.
Lin Xiuqin's body swayed and she almost fainted, her eyes rolling back in her head. She was filled with regret.
Why include Qin Xiangxiang in the book?
"Speaking of which, the Feiyan Textile Factory is even more remarkable. All the top scorers in our province are from their factory, and many of them have been admitted to key universities! Tsinghua University, Peking University, Zhejiang University! The entire island's education system has been shaken."
"Even people from the Education Bureau want to visit their factory!"
Lin Xiuqin was stunned. Tsinghua University, Peking University, Zhejiang University... and even the provincial top scorer! All of these were recruited by Qin Xiangxiang.
Why didn't Qin Xiangxiang drag herself into this mess?
"Now Feiyan Textile Factory is even more famous! Even more famous is their 'pigskin coat,' which is now known as the 'top scholar's coat,' and a photo of a student taking the college entrance exam was published in the newspaper."
"They're all wearing that scholar's overcoat!"
"Many families with students preparing for exams are all looking for this short coat."
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