Chapter 102 Quotas
Summer, 1977.
"Comrade Lin, you're off work?" Li Chunying asked with a smile as she saw Lin Qingqing get into the car, then added with some confusion, "Why didn't you ride your bicycle today?"
Lin Qingqing only buys a monthly bus pass to commute to work in winter; in summer, she rides a bicycle because it's cheap, convenient, and avoids waiting for the bus. Li Chunying has known Lin Qingqing for several years and is very familiar with her habits, which is why she asked this question.
"My bicycle was borrowed by Sister Fu, so I didn't ride it to work," Lin Qingqing explained, standing by the door and looking inside. The carriage was full of people, with only one empty seat in the last row. But the back was quite steep, and the diesel smell was strong, so Lin Qingqing didn't like sitting there and simply stood in the aisle.
Seeing that she wasn't going to the back, Li Chunying got up from the stool and said, "You can sit here."
"No need, I'll just stand here for a bit," Lin Qingqing said.
"Hey, why are you being so polite with me!" Li Chunying pulled Lin Qingqing over and made her sit on the bench added by the window. "I'll sit in the back."
Seeing Li Chunying walk to the back, Lin Qingqing didn't get up again and continued to sit on the bench.
The Qingshan Department Store is a bit farther from the residential compound than the former Qingshan Supply and Marketing Cooperative; it takes about 20 minutes by bus. Cycling doesn't take much longer, and if you take a shortcut, it can get there in about 30 minutes.
Lin Qingqing sat sideways on the bench, holding onto the window for balance with one hand, closing her eyes and swaying with the rhythm of the bus, recalling what Director Gao had told her during the day.
It was good news, but it was different from what she had imagined, which made her somewhat conflicted.
The shuttle bus swayed and slowly came to a stop outside the residential compound. Li Chunying's voice rang out: "We've arrived at the final stop. Those who want to get off, please get off quickly."
Lin Qingqing opened her eyes, got up to say goodbye to Li Chunying, and jumped off the bus to go home.
...
It's said that babies "sit at seven months, crawl at eight months, and call out 'daddy' at nine months," but Xie Xi learned to walk and talk earlier than most children. She could say "daddy" before she was eight months old, although her pronunciation was very unclear and not easily distinguishable unless you listened carefully. But that was enough to make Lin Qingqing jealous. For a while afterward, she would whisper "mommy" in her daughter's ear whenever she had a spare moment, and so, before she was even nine months old, Xie Xi learned to say "mommy."
Now she can distinguish between her father, mother and grandmother, and can express herself simply, such as calling for food when she is hungry.
Compared to speaking, Xie Xi learned to walk much earlier. She started crawling on the bed when she was six or seven months old, and by eight or nine months, she could stand up and take her first steps. However, the little girl was timid and for a long time only dared to take one step. Now Xie Xi dares to walk, but because she is not very steady, she needs someone to support her all the time, otherwise she will stand there and refuse to move.
When Lin Qingqing entered the courtyard, she saw Xie Wei bending over, holding her daughter's arm and helping her learn to walk. She walked over quietly and stood behind her daughter to watch.
During this process, Xie Wei twice wanted to let go and let his daughter walk on her own, but each time the little girl would keenly sense her father's intention, tilt her head back and shout in a childish voice, "Pa pa!" as if she was unhappy, or as if she was being coquettish.
Helpless, Xie Wei could only coax her in a low voice, "Okay, okay, I won't let go."
Seeing Xie Wei's discomfiture, Lin Qingqing couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Hearing the laughter, Xie Xi immediately turned around, saw Lin Qingqing, her eyes lit up, and she let go of her father's hand, turned around, opened her arms and called out, "Mommy! Hug me!"
Lin Qingqing clapped her hands and said, "Come here, I'll hug you."
The little girl looked down at the distance between herself and Lin Qingqing, her lips trembled and she began to cry, calling out between sobs, "Mommy, hug me!"
When his daughter started crying, Xie Wei was at a loss. He picked her up and comforted her, saying, "Daddy will carry you to Mommy. Don't cry, baby."
As he spoke, he walked up to Lin Qingqing. The little girl sat up in his arms, reached out and hugged her mother's neck. Her tears quickly stopped, and she giggled, "Mommy, hug me!"
Seeing her crying and laughing at the same time, Lin Qingqing felt both helpless and amused. She hugged her and tapped her nose, saying, "You little rascal."
The little girl didn't understand what "acting cute" meant; she just thought her mother was playing with her, and she giggled even harder.
Xie Wei replied, "You spoiled me when I act cute."
Lin Qingqing disagreed with this, stating the facts and reasoning: "If you hadn't softened first, she might have taken the first step. And when she was learning to walk, you softened as soon as she started to act cute. How will she ever learn to walk like this?" After saying this, she sighed deeply and said earnestly, "Comrade Xie, you can't do this!"
Li Xingfang overheard their conversation after finishing cooking and interrupted them, saying, "In my opinion, you're both equally bad at spoiling your child. I've told you before, you can't spoil a child. If you don't take care of her, she'll naturally learn to walk."
As soon as Li Xingfang finished speaking, Xie Xi reached out to her and called out, "Grandma!"
"Oh, my dear granddaughter, let Grandma hold you." Li Xingfang smiled broadly and came over to pick up her granddaughter.
Lin Qingqing and Xie Wei: "...Okay!"
...
"Is Xixi asleep?"
When Xie Wei came into the room after taking a shower, he saw his daughter lying quietly on the bed and asked in a low voice.
Lin Qingqing sat in front of the dressing table applying skincare products, turned her head to the side and hummed, "Just fell asleep. Where's Mom? Is she asleep?"
"Going back to your room, you should be asleep." Xie Wei said as he walked to the bedside, looked down at his daughter for a moment, pulled the blanket up to cover her, and then asked Lin Qingqing, "Has anything happened to you lately?"
"Hmm?" Lin Qingqing asked, turning her head as she rubbed the face cream between her hands.
Xie Wei said, "You seem preoccupied tonight."
The Xie family doesn't have a habit of not speaking while eating or sleeping. Usually, the three of them would talk while eating, with Xie Wei, being a man of few words, mainly listening to Li Xingfang and Lin Qingqing talk. But tonight, Lin Qingqing was rather silent during dinner. Not only Xie Wei, but even Li Xingfang noticed this, and when he was washing the dishes after dinner, she asked him what was wrong.
And just now, when Xie Wei came in, Lin Qingqing was applying skincare products, but her movements were so slow they almost stopped, clearly she was in a daze.
Lin Qingqing was stunned after hearing this. She did have something on her mind, but she didn't expect to make it so obvious.
Lin Qingqing did want to hear Xie Wei's opinion on what Director Gao had said today, so she quickly rubbed the remaining face cream on her hands, sat down next to Xie Wei, and said, "Director Gao told me something today."
There wasn't enough room next to him, so Xie Wei moved closer to where his daughter was sleeping and asked, "What's wrong?"
Lin Qingqing lay down and took his arm, saying, "Our unit has a quota for worker-peasant-soldier college students, and Director Gao wants to recommend me for it."
Before recommending Lin Qingqing, Director Gao struggled with the decision.
Lin Qingqing played a crucial role in Qingshan Department Store's growth from a small supply and marketing cooperative to its current size. Therefore, despite her young age, she held considerable prestige within the company. Director Gao was concerned that having her leave her post for further studies—a leave that would last four years—would negatively impact the company.
However, Lin Qingqing's lack of education was too obvious. When she was promoted to general manager, some people in the Revolutionary Committee murmured that she was not qualified enough for such an important position. It was only after Director Gao insisted and Secretary Zheng made the final decision that the matter was settled.
It's fair to say that even if Lin Qingqing only had a junior high school education, her previous work experience would have prevented her from being promoted to general manager by so many people. If she doesn't address this deficiency, her career may stagnate, and even if she gets a chance to advance, the path will be difficult.
Director Gao had personally promoted Lin Qingqing, and she knew that although the girl looked young and delicate, she was actually resilient and capable. She was getting older and couldn't climb much higher, but she still wanted to see how far Lin Qingqing could go.
After struggling with the decision, Director Gao decided to give the recommendation spot to Lin Qingqing.
Although Xie Wei didn't work in the department store system, he knew things were different now than in previous years. In the past, fewer people went to school, and promotions were based on ability and seniority. But now, even slightly better companies require at least an elementary school education, and the requirements for office jobs are even higher—at least a high school diploma or even a vocational school diploma. When promoting people, in addition to ability and seniority, education level is also considered.
Although Xie Wei knew that Lin Qingqing was no less capable than those college students, she had never been to school, which put her at a disadvantage in the workplace.
Therefore, Xie Wei said after hearing this, "That's good news! Which school? Where is it located?"
When Xie Wei asked about the school, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the school was in another city. University would last at least four years, and if she went to study there, it would mean they would be separated for four years. Although the school had winter and summer vacations, they would still have eight or nine months a year where they would hardly see each other.
But the most difficult thing is the child. Xie Xi is very attached to her mother, and if Lin Qingqing goes to school, her daughter will definitely miss her. But if her daughter goes to school with Lin Qingqing, she definitely won't be able to take care of her alone, and her mother may not want to go with her. It's also hard to trust a nanny.
As Xie Wei pondered these questions, Lin Qingqing's voice rang out: "Jin Teachers College."
Xie Wei was lost in thought and didn't hear clearly. When he came to his senses, he asked, "Where?"
Lin Qingqing assumed he didn't know which school Jinshida was, so she repeated the full name: "Jinshi Normal College".
Jinshi Teachers' College is located in the city, about an hour's drive from home. If Lin Qingqing were to attend school there, she could easily stay at home. If she found commuting every day too troublesome, she could live at the school, returning home every two or three days and staying at home on weekends.
But Xie Wei was still somewhat doubtful: "You don't want to go?"
"I'm considering it," Lin Qingqing said cautiously.
"You've always wanted to go to university, and now that you have the opportunity, why don't you want to go?" Xie Wei asked thoughtfully. "Or are you worried that your job might change when you come back in three years?"
University coursework is heavy, and even if the school is located in Jin City, Lin Qingqing would probably find it difficult to balance her work at Qingshan Department Store. If she were to go to university, she would inevitably have to step down from her position as general manager. If she returned to Qingshan Department Store three years later, she might not be able to advance further, and might even be worse off than she is now as general manager.
"No." Lin Qingqing shook her head. Although Jin Teachers' College wasn't strictly a university, there were few vocational school students at the time, so graduates from Jin Teachers' College wouldn't have a bad job placement. With her work experience, even if Qingshan Department Store didn't have a suitable position three years later, she would definitely be assigned to a key unit. In the short term, the position might not be as good as it is now, but in the long run, the development would definitely be better.
However… Lin Qingqing hesitated and said, “If I go to Jin Teachers College, I can only study Chinese literature.”
Jinshi Teachers' College was founded in 1973. At its inception, it only offered two majors: Chinese and Mathematics, with just over two hundred students. Four years later, the college expanded considerably, but it still only offered seven or eight majors, with fewer than a thousand students. Workers, peasants, and soldiers did not take the national college entrance examination; they were admitted to universities through recommendations, having no real choice in which school or major they attended.
Lin Qingqing has no interest in Chinese literature, and she doesn't want to become a teacher or enter the education system in the future. If she goes to Jin Teachers College, it will just be a way for her to get a diploma.
If Lin Qingqing had had the opportunity to obtain a diploma a few years earlier, she definitely would have taken it without hesitation, since a junior college diploma would have been perfectly sufficient at that time.
But this year is 1977.
In three months, the central government will issue a notice to reinstate the college entrance examination. The first college entrance examination in ten years will be held in December, and those who pass will be able to go to university the following spring. If she can get into university, she will have the opportunity to choose her own major, instead of studying a major she is not interested in as she is now.
However, taking the college entrance examination route is not without its risks.
According to what Lin Qingqing learned from reading historical novels in her previous life, this year's college entrance examination did not consider age, education, or even family background. Moreover, since it was the first college entrance examination in ten years, there were reportedly more than 5.7 million candidates, but only 270,000 were admitted, which means the admission rate was less than 5%, thus demonstrating the fierce competition.
Although she didn't give up her studies after transmigrating due to the advantages of being a transmigrator, and even started preparing for the college entrance exam as soon as her work became less busy at the beginning of the year, there will definitely be many outstanding students in this year's college entrance exam, and it's uncertain whether she can get into a better school than Jin Teachers College.
However, if she went to Jin Teachers College, she would not be able to take the college entrance examination. Moreover, the graduates from 1977 to 1979 were later known as the "New Three Classes," and their graduation certificates were far more valuable than those of workers and peasants.
Thinking about this, Lin Qingqing felt it was too much of a coincidence. Even a year earlier, she wouldn't have been so conflicted. But they just happened to come together. Giving up the worker-peasant-soldier quota to take the college entrance examination made her feel uneasy, but accepting the worker-peasant-soldier quota and giving up the college entrance examination made her feel unwilling.
She's been preparing for this for years. Is she really going to give up at this crucial moment?
At this moment, she really wanted to hear Xie Wei's opinion.
Lin Qingqing began, "You say..."
"You don't want to..."
Xie Wei's voice rang out at the same time, then they all stopped.
Lin Qingqing realized what was happening and spoke before Xie Wei could say, "You go first."
“You don’t want to study Chinese literature, so you don’t want to go to Jin Teachers’ College,” Xie Wei asked. “Then what major do you want to study?”
"I want to study economics, which is also related to my current job."
To outsiders, Lin Qingqing is a very capable person. The development of Qingshan Department Store to its current state is inseparable from her. Even Secretary Zheng of the Revolutionary Committee mentioned wanting to transfer her to the Revolutionary Committee. In the past two years, the suburbs have developed rapidly, and he has accumulated enough achievements to wait for a promotion. All of this originated from Lin Qingqing's idea for Qingshan Commercial Street two years ago.
But Lin Qingqing knew her own limitations. She was able to make the right moves every time, not because she was particularly capable or had a keen eye, but because she came from the 21st century. The ideas that seemed strange now could be said by anyone decades later.
Her advantage only lasted for about ten years.
If she wants to go further and last longer, there is still so much she needs to learn.
"Hmm," Xie Wei asked after thinking for a moment, "If I give up this opportunity, will I still be able to get a worker-peasant-soldier quota in the future? Also, if there are any more worker-peasant-soldier quotas available, are you sure you can get into your ideal university and your ideal major?"
"In the future... there might not be any more worker-peasant-soldier quotas." In fact, after the resumption of the college entrance examination, very few units were able to obtain worker-peasant-soldier college student recommendation quotas. But Lin Qingqing was unsure of Xie Wei's acceptance, so she spoke vaguely about the facts.
Xie Wei assumed she meant that Qingshan Department Store had no openings, and asked seriously, "Are you still going to give up?"
Lin Qingqing licked her lips and asked, "Do you think it's possible to reinstate the college entrance examination?"
Upon hearing her question, Xie Wei's expression hardened slightly, but he didn't find her question abrupt.
In 1966, a decade-long movement began, with countless intellectuals responding to the call to go to the countryside, and the college entrance examination was suspended. But last October, those four people were arrested, and the movement came to an end.
In July of this year, after the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, Comrade Deng resumed all his posts inside and outside the Party, and he took the initiative to propose to take charge of science and education. On August 4, he chaired a symposium on science and education. At this symposium, someone suggested restoring the college entrance examination, and the suggestion was adopted on the spot. [1]
Although only a few days have passed since that meeting, its contents have been published in the newspapers, and while the local communes and production brigades are not included, at least many leaders in the city are aware of it. However, since the meeting ended so recently, it's unclear whether the matter can be finalized, or when it can be implemented if it is, so it hasn't sparked widespread discussion.
But it's not surprising that Lin Qingqing, as the general manager of Qingshan Department Store, knew about this.
Xie Wei was aware of this matter, and even knew more about it. For example, the decision to reinstate the college entrance examination was very firm, and it was expected to be finalized next year if things went slowly. However, whether the standards for taking the exam would remain the same as before, and what the admission policies would be, were still undecided.
Therefore, Xie Wei hadn't considered this aspect when Lin Qingqing mentioned wanting to study economics.
However, Xie Wei was not surprised when he learned of Lin Qingqing's thoughts.
He watched Lin Qingqing study from elementary school textbooks to high school textbooks. Even during her pregnancy, she would take out her high school textbooks and review them in her spare time. She had been studying even harder in the months following the New Year. He had previously asked Lin Qingqing why she was still studying so diligently when she had already memorized her high school textbooks so many times.
What did Lin Qingqing say at that time?
Oh right, she said with a smile, "It's always something new to look at. Maybe one day when the college entrance exam is reinstated, I can take it too!"
Although Beijing was making various moves after the Lunar New Year, no one mentioned resuming the college entrance examination. Therefore, Xie Wei just smiled when he heard about it and didn't take it too seriously.
Looking back now, Xie Wei thinks that perhaps Lin Qingqing never gave up on this idea.
Thinking about it this way, it's not surprising that she wanted to give up her worker-peasant-soldier college student quota to take the college entrance examination.
"The college entrance examination will be fully reinstated by next year at the latest," Xie Wei said to Lin Qingqing without hiding anything. After saying that, he asked, "Do you want to take the college entrance examination?"
"I want to participate, but I'm also a little worried."
Xie Wei put his arm around Lin Qingqing's shoulder and asked in a low voice, "What are you worried about?"
"I'm worried about failing the exam," Lin Qingqing said, though her tone carried a hint of teasing. "If I accept this recommendation, I'll at least have a junior college diploma in three years. But if I don't pass, and there aren't any worker-peasant-soldier college student quotas, then won't I remain illiterate forever?"
Xie Wei pondered for a moment and said, "That's a problem."
People are all hypocritical. Lin Qingqing could make fun of herself, but she was unhappy when Xie Wei said that. She pinched his arm and said, "Shouldn't you be encouraging me at a time like this, saying that I will definitely pass the exam?"
She pinched him lightly, like tickling him, and Xie Wei not only didn't feel any pain, but also smiled: "See, aren't you quite confident now?"
Lin Qingqing choked.
"You already have the answer in your heart about how to choose."
These words seemed abrupt and unrelated, but Lin Qingqing understood them. She looked up at Xie Wei and asked, "You're suggesting I take the college entrance exam?"
Xie Wei said, "You want to take the college entrance examination."
Although the college entrance examination registration standards have not been finalized, the college entrance examination has been suspended for ten years. If the country wants to restart the college entrance examination, it will definitely have to consider those who have been out of school for many years. The registration standards will not be too strict, and the admission process will only be selective. As long as Lin Qingqing can pass the exam, even if the admission process is selective, it will not be able to stop her.
He had seen Lin Qingqing's efforts. If she had ultimately gone to Jin Teachers' College instead of taking the college entrance exam, even if she successfully graduated three years later, she would probably have felt regretful about her decision. Since that was the case, she should make the most of these two years, study hard, and strive to get into a good university.
Xie Wei stroked his wife's hair and said, "The most important thing is to make a choice that you won't regret."
Yes, if she gave up on the college entrance exam and went to Jin Teachers College to study a major she wasn't interested in, she would definitely regret it. On the contrary, if she took the college entrance exam, she could take it a second or third time if she didn't pass the first time.
Besides, she's not someone who's never been to school. She's taken the college entrance exam once, and she started preparing a few years earlier than others. Even if she can't get into Tsinghua or Peking University, she should be able to get into other top universities, right? At worst, she can go to a vocational school or junior college. That would just be going back to square one, so there's nothing to be afraid of.
"I want to take the college entrance examination," Lin Qingqing said, opening her eyes.
But after she finished speaking, she noticed that Xie Wei wasn't as happy as she had expected. The smile on his face gradually disappeared, and he asked, "Aren't you happy?"
Xie Wei shook his head: "I'm not unhappy, I just..."
He was just not that happy.
Because Jin City only has one junior college and one vocational school, both of which are teacher training colleges. If Lin Qingqing wants to apply for an economics-related major, she will definitely have to study in another city after she gets accepted. This also means that for the next four years, their family will be separated.
But this is the path Lin Qingqing wants to take, and he hopes she can choose freely without her family becoming a burden.
So Xie Wei didn't say these words out loud, but changed the subject and said, "If you take the college entrance examination, you can't slack off for a while."
Lin Qingqing's attention was instantly diverted. Although she had reviewed the high school material many times and done countless practice problems, she knew she would have to work even harder in the coming months if she wanted to get into her ideal university. So she nodded and said, "That's right."
Xie Wei said, "Keep it up."
...
The next day at work, Lin Qingqing asked Director Gao to decline the opportunity to be recommended as a worker-peasant-soldier college student.
Director Gao was utterly perplexed. In her view, this was an excellent opportunity; it might not bring immediate benefits, but it could determine how far she could go in life. After much thought, Director Gao could only think of family reasons. She asked seriously, "Does your husband have any objections?"
“No, he had no objection, it’s just that…” Lin Qingqing hesitated for a moment before asking, “At the symposium in early August, someone proposed to reinstate the college entrance examination. Are you aware of this?”
Director Gao was taken aback upon hearing this, then nodded: "I know, but this matter is not yet settled. Is it worth giving up the opportunity to go to university for this?"
Lin Qingqing said, "Director Gao, to be honest with you, I want to study economics, not Chinese literature. Even if I go to Jin Teachers College, it might be a waste of time for me. I might as well wait."
"What if the college entrance examination is not reinstated in the end?" Director Gao asked.
Lin Qingqing firmly stated, "The college entrance examination will be reinstated."
Although she appeared confident, Director Gao didn't consider the possibility that she knew about the future. He only thought that her husband, being in the army and a regimental commander, might know something she didn't. Director Gao also wanted to ask, even if the college entrance examination were to resume next year, how do you know you'll definitely pass?
In the end, however, Director Gao said nothing, because she knew that Lin Qingqing had considered all of these issues.
She has made up her mind.
Director Gao thought to herself, "Young people are always full of ambition, but I'm already old."
Director Gao sighed and said, "Since you don't want to go to Jin Teachers' College, then I'll give this spot to someone else."
Lin Qingqing replied without hesitation, "Okay."
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