If the Jiang family had a college student, wouldn’t it bring honor to the family?
Jiang Mingwen was already excited just thinking about it, "So your nephews and nieces can take the college entrance examination?"
"They definitely meet the registration requirements. It just depends on whether they're willing to take the exam. Cousin, you can ask them privately and also talk to your second cousin to get their opinions. Just keep this a secret. If anyone wants to take the exam but can't find the information, I have it here. You can make a copy and mail it to them."
"Okay, okay, okay, I'll tell them. Thank you, Shushu. Then, Shushu, if the college entrance examination is really reinstated, will you take it?"
"No, I have my own things I want to do, and I'm not interested in this." The purpose of studying is to make money. I have better and easier ways to make money. Why should I study hard and then make money? Life, life, as long as my life is good, it doesn't matter whether I go to college or not.
"Take the college entrance examination? That means you'll be a college student. There's no specific news yet, so you should think about it more." Being a college student is such an honor. If you pass the exam, your family will be proud of it. How can you make such an easy decision?
…
After Jiang Shushu left, Jiang Mingwen held a meeting the next day and said that the elementary school would be holding an exam to recruit teachers in two and a half months. In order to select the best teachers, the exam questions might cover junior high and high school, so he asked everyone to go back and read the books carefully to prepare.
Then the people in Hualing Brigade were excited. All those who had junior high school or high school diplomas but did not want to work in the fields were very excited. They secretly looked for books to read, hoping that they could pass the exam in two and a half months and become primary school teachers, so as to escape the fate of facing the loess and back to the sky.
Jiang Mingwen also excitedly called his son, daughter, and brother one by one, asking them if they had heard the news about the resumption of the college entrance examination and whether they would take the exam if it was resumed.
Some heard the news, some didn't, but they all told Jiang Mingwen their thoughts.
Zhang Meihua and Jiang Jiaxiu from Jiang Mingwen's family expressed interest, as did Jiang Xiaojie and Jiang Jiahui from Jiang Mingwu's family. All four of them said they would look for information and read the book carefully, and there was no need for Jiang Mingwen to send it all the way over.
On April 21, 1977, major radio stations and newspapers were reporting on the resumption of the college entrance examination.
All young intellectuals who have graduated from high school and current high school graduates can sign up for the college entrance examination... The official examination will be held on June 9th and 10th, 1978.
Then the whole country was in an uproar. Cheers could be heard wherever you went. Then there was a crazy scramble for college entrance examination materials. People even almost dug the toll station three feet deep just for a book.
After receiving the news, Jiang Mingwen smiled as he looked at the five complete sets of college entrance examination review materials in his hands.
Jiang Mingwen immediately set up a study room in the brigade and placed five sets of materials in the study room. Anyone in the brigade who met the registration requirements could come here to borrow books, including educated youth from other places.
Jiang Mingwen's action moved those who were struggling to find information to tears. They spoke kind words to Jiang Mingwen without asking for anything in return, and almost treated Jiang Mingwen as their adoptive parent.
Jiang Mingwen explained that Jiang Shushu had specifically helped him find the information, and everyone else was filled with gratitude. They were eager to make a silk banner and give it to Jiang Shushu, but Jiang Mingwen stopped them, saying that Jiang Shushu was at work and they shouldn't disturb her. If there was anything, they could talk about it the next time they returned to the village.
Those who want to take the college entrance examination, after getting the information, are so anxious that they want to stop eating, drinking and sleeping, and they look like they will become a Buddha or a devil. This creates a tense atmosphere among other people who don't read books, and even those who usually speak loudly lower their voices unconsciously.
When the news of the college entrance examination came out, Yang Xiaobei waited for a whole day, but there was no sign of Jiang Shushu's movement. There wasn't even a single book in the house. That night, Yang Xiaobei took advantage of the private time when they were alone and asked, "Shushu, have you heard about the resumption of the college entrance examination?"
"I heard that there was a rumor circulating in March. I thought it was very likely to be true. Just in case, I even provided the village with several sets of college entrance examination review materials. I didn't expect the news to be leaked in April."
"I've been busy at the bureau lately and haven't paid much attention to this news. I only found out about the college entrance examination after it was published in the newspaper. Why didn't you tell me about this? If I had known earlier, I would definitely have talked to you about it."
"I see you've been busy working overtime lately, and since you already have a college diploma in a related field, you don't need to take the college entrance exam, so I didn't tell you."
"I don't need to go to college, but you do."
"I don't need it. I don't plan to take the exam. If I wanted to take it, I would have prepared long ago."
"You're not interested in the college entrance exam? As long as you graduate from college, you won't have to worry about your life. Working in the city hall, with a college diploma, you'll be able to go further and more steadily."
"I don't plan to take the college entrance examination, so there are no review materials at home." Although I didn't go to college in my previous life, I am not very obsessed with it. For us ordinary people at the bottom of society, studying is to change our destiny and to make more money. Now I have other better ways to do this, and I don't have to go to college.
"Why don't you participate? Is it because of family reasons? If that's the case, you don't have to worry about it. I will take good care of the family. As for the college entrance examination, you can take part if you like. I also hope that you can pursue your dreams and that you will get better and better in the future. Anyway, it's only four years. You can come back during the winter and summer vacations. You can also come back on Saturdays and Sundays, or I can visit you. You don't have to worry about family expenses. Our deputy director will retire early at the end of next month due to health reasons. I will officially take over his position in early June. By then, my salary will be 80 yuan per month, which will definitely be enough for the family..." Yang Xiaobei arranged every aspect.
"It's not because of family reasons. I just don't want to study this. If I were ten years younger, I might have studied it. After all, it's related to my future. But I'm already 28 this year, and university life no longer appeals to me. Even if I get in, I'll be 32 when I graduate. I don't think it's very meaningful. I like reading, so I can just buy some books and read them myself. There's no need to spend four years in school..."
Yang Xiaobei: "Shushu, age is not a problem. Many people in their twenties also sign up for the exam. Even if you go to study, no one will laugh at you."
"Why do they study so hard? It's because they want to change their fate, to change their current unsatisfactory life situation, and the college entrance examination is their only option now, so they work so hard. But my choice is not just the college entrance examination." Since I have multiple choices, why don't I choose the one that I like best and that makes me most comfortable?
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