Chapter 13 The Restoration of the College Entrance Examination

In the midst of busyness, time flew by like an arrow, gliding smoothly through spring and summer until another winter arrived. On October 21, 1977, the sudden announcement of the reinstatement of the national college entrance examination caught educated youth across the country off guard. Some were wild with joy, others anxiously flustered or sunk in disappointment. All manner of human emotions erupted, and when the news was delivered, everyone broke down in tears.

At the Educated Youth Courtyard of the Yu Family Production Brigade, Wang Yishan silently let two lines of tears fall, while Luo Jianmin and Feng Jianjun wept and laughed in turns. Yan Rushan stood with his back to the others, his expression unreadable.

Sun Ruhong and Jiang Mei clung to Zhong Yuxiu, crying their hearts out. Life in the countryside had been unbearably hard: year after year, they endured the pain of separation from their families. Once city dwellers, they now toiled daily like any rural woman. Were it not for their unwillingness to marry, they might have already settled for a peasant husband and made do with life as it was.

How could they not be stirred at the sudden prospect of the college entrance exam's return? If they succeeded, not only could they go back to the city, but they could also become college students and fulfill their dreams. The future would hold limitless possibilities.

Zhong Yuxiu felt deeply moved. Sun Ruhong and Jiang Mei, usually strong and self-reliant, revealed their fragile side. They longed for the day they could return to the city even more than she did.

"Jiang Mei, at last, hope has come for us," Sun Ruhong said, her eyes red as she hugged Zhong Yuxiu, jumping up and down in rare abandon after their tears had subsided.

Jiang Mei wept and smiled through her tears, choked with emotion. "Dawn has finally arrived."

Zhong Yuxiu patted their backs. "I understand, I truly do. But could you not wipe your tears and snot on my clothes? It's cold, and laundry takes forever to dry."

The flood of intense emotions was broken by her words. Sun Ruhong and Jiang Mei glanced at each other, then blushed and apologized repeatedly.

The bittersweet atmosphere was thus interrupted, and even the young men found it hard to keep crying. Each wiped at their red eyes and laughed behind their hands.

"Has everyone calmed down now?" Zhong Yuxiu raised an eyebrow as she asked.

The educated youth nodded in unison. When Yan Rushan turned around, Zhong Yuxiu noticed the dampness at the corners of his eyes, betraying his hidden turmoil.

"Do any of you have high school textbooks?"

As soon as Zhong Yuxiu asked, everyone else shook their heads. They had discarded their textbooks when they came to the countryside—where would they find any now?

"I have them," Yan Rushan suddenly spoke. Luo Jianmin, Wang Yishan, and the others looked puzzled. "Comrade Yan, I don’t recall you bringing any high school books when you came here."

Yan Rushan composed himself, feigning calm. "I brought them back when I went home to visit before. No one else knew."

The young men exchanged knowing glances. Sharing a room, they were familiar with one another’s affairs, though not every detail. Still, none had noticed Yan Rushan had hidden high school textbooks in their quarters.

"Then, may we borrow them to make copies? It's too late to look for high school textbooks now—there might not be any left," Wang Yishan asked, his mind already cooling after the initial excitement.

Luo Jianmin nodded eagerly. "I want to copy them too. I don’t have any textbooks either."

"Nor do I," Feng Jianjun said, shaking his head slowly.

Yan Rushan replied, "You may copy them, but each book can't be borrowed for more than three days, and any book I'm currently reading is not available for loan."

"Understood, that’s fine, we’ll take turns copying them," Feng Jianjun agreed without delay, his spirits visibly lifted.

No one objected, and the matter was settled. The young men felt as if a weight had been lifted, and only then did they turn to the girls. "What about you?"

"I have high school textbooks as well, and I can lend them out," Zhong Yuxiu offered. She had finished using them, and was even willing to give them away.

"You do, Comrade Zhong?" Luo Jianmin was astonished. When she had first arrived, she had seemed delicate and frail, but time and again she had proven herself: better at hunting than Comrade Yan, always able to secure food, and her rations were even better than theirs.

They had all thought she had come to the countryside with nothing, yet she had brought textbooks as well. Truly, appearances could be deceiving.

Zhong Yuxiu smiled and nodded. Jiang Mei added, "Yuxiu spent the whole winter reviewing her textbooks. Ruhong and I thought she really loved to study, though it was a pity there was no entrance exam. Who could have guessed, after just half a year, the opportunity would come?"

Wang Yishan gave her several sidelong glances. If he hadn’t known her situation when she arrived, he might have suspected she had foreknowledge of the exam’s return.

"Remarkable," Luo Jianmin said, giving her a thumbs up. "All we ever thought about was getting back to the city—no one thought to review their textbooks. Comrade Zhong, since you’ve finished studying, does that mean you can solve all the problems?"

"I wouldn’t say all, but I can do most of them," she replied.

Luo Jianmin felt his spirits soar and moved closer. "Would you mind if we consult you when we get stuck? I can’t speak for the others, but I’ve forgotten nearly everything from high school. If I don’t study hard, I’ll never pass."

"I have some gaps as well; we can discuss and help each other," Zhong Yuxiu replied with a smile.

Before her words had faded, Yan Rushan chimed in, "Exchanging knowledge is a great idea. I’ll be needing your help too, Comrade Zhong."

Not to be left behind, Wang Yishan and Feng Jianjun also agreed to mutual study and discussion.

Sun Ruhong and Jiang Mei listened with gentle smiles.

It was the start of the winter idling period. After registering for the exam at the county office, the educated youth settled down to study in earnest. It was only through group study that the others realized the depths of Zhong Yuxiu’s understanding of the sciences, while Yan Rushan’s academic prowess gradually became evident as well.

Zhong Yuxiu admired him greatly. She had the advantage of extraordinary mental focus, which made her quick at understanding science and memorizing the humanities. Yet Yan Rushan, without any such advantage, was still able to keep pace with her thoughts—an unusual feat.

She had been trained in scientific thinking from the interstellar era, which was very different from what the others had studied. The two of them found a common language in science, and their scholarly exchanges became more frequent. Whether by chance or design, Yan Rushan always seemed eager to discuss academic matters with her. At first, Sun Ruhong, Jiang Mei, and the others observed with interest, but gradually lost enthusiasm—their discussions were indeed academic, ranging from history and politics to physics and chemistry.

At times, the others found themselves lost in the conversation, while Zhong Yuxiu and Yan Rushan grew increasingly animated. Yan Rushan benefited the most, and every time he looked at Zhong Yuxiu, admiration brimmed from his eyes.

The day of the entrance exam arrived in the blink of an eye.

November 22nd marked the start of the college entrance examination in Luxian County, C Province. The educated youth rose early; the girls prepared breakfast, and after eating together with the boys, they set out for the county town before dawn.

The brigade had a tractor, but it was too dangerous to drive in the pitch-black night. The group decided to walk to the testing site instead.

Walking would keep their bodies warm, whereas riding the tractor would leave them frozen stiff by the time they reached town.

With each other for company, the journey didn’t feel long. Upon arrival, they headed straight for the exam site, splitting up to find their assigned rooms according to the numbers on their admission slips and taking their seats in the examination hall.