Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 362 Insider Information
Currently, the working hours for administrative units are from 7:30 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm, Monday to Saturday, with one day off on Sunday.

In addition, in previous years, if there was no need to work overtime, there were two to three "study sessions" every week. On the days of the study session, we would leave work an hour later.

However, nowadays, far fewer units continue to maintain this habit; Chen Fan never encountered it when he was in the health department.

Study sessions can be paused, but lunch breaks cannot.

The two hours from 12 PM to 2 PM are fixed as lunch and rest time, and most administrative units are unlikely to have anyone on duty during this time. Only departments that directly interact with the public will have staff on duty.

Clearly, it's not the Education Department.

Thankfully, it's already past 1:30, and there's not much time until 2:00.

Chen Fan and Jiang Tiantian were chatting quietly in the corridor when, before they knew it, other people started going to work.

As office doors opened one by one, the people from the correspondence education center finally arrived.

Two middle-aged men dressed in gray shirts, blue trousers, and cloth shoes walked over, looked at Chen Fan and Jiang Tiantian, and one of them asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Chen Fan quickly stepped forward and said politely, "Hello, I'm here to enroll in a correspondence university program."

The man smiled and said, "Young man, the enrollment period for correspondence universities is in June and July. It's already past that time, and according to regulations, we are no longer accepting applications. Young man, you'll have to come back next year."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "I know that, but I've heard that besides the normal application process, there's also a special admission process through exams. Is that true?"

"Special admission through examination?"

The man glanced back at his colleague, and the two of them burst into laughter. He then turned to Chen Fan and said with a smile, "Young man, you're very confident. There is indeed such a thing as special admission through exams, but the requirements are quite high."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "I'd like to give it a try."

Seeing Chen Fan's stubbornness, the man's smile faded, and he said seriously, "If you insist on trying, I can process your application according to the regulations. However, let me make it clear beforehand that there is a 1 yuan registration fee for the special admission exam. If you pass the exam, this 1 yuan will be deducted from your annual tuition fee of 10 yuan. If you fail, this money will not be refunded. Do you understand?"

Chen Fan nodded immediately, "Understood."

Seeing his confidence, the man stopped trying to persuade him, took out his key and opened the door, saying, "Then come in with me."

Chen Fan and Jiang Tiantian followed them inside. The room was furnished like an office, with a total of 5 desks, placed against the wall, two on one side and three on the other.

Behind the two desks is a large filing cabinet. To the right of the entrance, there is a wooden sofa consisting of a bench and a single chair, with a coffee table in front of it.

There is also a closed door on the right wall, and I don't know what's inside.

The man invited Chen Fan and Jiang Tiantian to sit on the bench, then sat down on a single chair himself, asking, "Is it just you taking the exam, or are you taking it together?"

As he was speaking, another comrade poured two cups of cold tea and placed them on the coffee table.

Chen Fan first said "thank you," then turned to the person and said, "It's just me."

Even if Jiang Tiantian were truly confident, let alone that she wasn't prepared, we wouldn't have let her attend this correspondence university. Wouldn't it have been better to wait a few months and take the college entrance examination directly?

Jiang Tiantian had been worried that Chen Fan would drag her into the exam, but upon hearing this, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She truly had no confidence whatsoever about taking the exam now.

At this point, Chen Fan politely asked, "I haven't yet asked how to address you?"

The man smiled and said, "My surname is Guo, you can just call me Teacher Guo."

He then pointed to another comrade, "His surname is He, just call him Teacher He."

Chen Fan immediately greeted them again, "Hello, Teacher Guo, hello, Teacher He."

As he spoke, he took out a letter of introduction from his pocket and handed it over, saying, "Teacher Guo, this is my letter of introduction."

Teacher Guo took the document but didn't open it immediately. Instead, she asked, "We have seventeen majors here, including literature, mathematics, chemistry, physics, mechanics, and more. Which major do you want to apply for?"

Without hesitation, Chen Fan replied, "Literature."

Beside her, Jiang Tiantian's lips curled slightly, a knowing glint in her eyes. It would be strange if this renowned new-generation writer from the entire Yunhu region didn't publish in literature journals.

As for Chen Fan's reason for choosing literature as his major, it was very simple: the exams were easy to pass!

Moreover, graduates of this major have ample reason to stay at home and engage in creative work, unlike those in science majors who frequently need to communicate and collaborate with others, making it almost impossible for them to stay at home and not go out.

Upon hearing Chen Fan's answer, Teacher Guo simply nodded. Literature is one of the most popular majors, so it's perfectly normal for this young man to choose literature.

He turned to Teacher He and said, "Teacher He, bring out a set of the special admission exam papers for liberal arts students."

After he finished speaking, he slowly opened the letter of introduction.

At first glance, it seemed normal, but upon closer inspection of the name and signature, his brows furrowed, and he muttered to himself, "Chen Fan? Chen Fan? Lujiawan? Why does this name sound so familiar?"

On the other side, Teacher He had just found the key in the drawer and was about to go to the filing cabinet at the back to get some documents when he suddenly heard his words. He couldn't help but turn around abruptly, looking at Chen Fan with a face full of surprise, "You're Chen Fan from Lujiawan, Nanhu Commune? You wrote the 'On the Fields of Hope' series?"

Upon hearing this, Teacher Guo realized what was happening and jumped to her feet, staring intently at Chen Fan. "I remember now, Chen Fan, you are you?!"

Both teachers stood up, and Chen Fan naturally couldn't just sit there, so he quickly stood up and smiled shyly, "It's me."

Upon seeing Chen Fan's admission, Teacher Guo's eyes immediately lit up. He patted Chen Fan's shoulder and laughed heartily, "I never expected this! I was just thinking of visiting you in Lujiawan to chat about literary creation sometime, but I never thought you'd come to me today! Hahahaha..."

He turned around and waved to Teacher He, "Old He, take out the Longjing tea from the cabinet and brew some for Writer Chen."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. This was probably a real-life version of "Tea, serve tea, serve the best tea!"
However, it can't be said that they are snobbish. After all, I was just a student who came to register, and they even served me tea. It really wasn't considered neglect.

He immediately said, "No need, no need, Teacher He, there's no need to trouble yourself. It's hot, this tea is fine for us."

Jiang Tiantian had already stood up with him, and seeing this scene, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

Seeing that Chen Fan firmly declined, Teacher He stopped pouring tea. However, he didn't go to get the test papers either. Instead, he dragged over a chair and sat down with everyone, chatting happily about the topic of literary creation.

Chen Fan was puzzled. He was here to register for the exam, not to have a study exchange. How did they end up chatting?

However, he was not an ignorant fool. He kept a warm and friendly expression on his face and earnestly chatted with the two teachers, answering their questions one by one.

More than an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Teacher Guo took a sip of water from his teacup, a satisfied smile on his face. "I also have a background in literature. After reading your article, I felt that there were some things in it that were very different."

For example, the portrayal of a character's personality is sometimes done with just a few strokes, yet it is remarkably vivid. Through detailed descriptions, readers can easily understand the origins of their personality and even guess how they will handle certain situations later in the story. And…

After speaking at length, Teacher Guo suddenly thought of a question. He turned to Chen Fan and asked in bewilderment, "Writer Chen, your literary skills are very profound, surpassing many college students. Why did you decide to enroll in a correspondence university?"

Chen Fan corrected Guo's way of addressing him again, pretending to be embarrassed, and said, "Guo, please don't call me a writer anymore, just call me Xiao Chen."

He then continued to explain, "Actually, I'm not like you say, with any deep literary knowledge or foundation. The little knowledge I have now is all from reading books, and it's not systematic at all. I still don't quite understand some logical aspects."

Furthermore, based on my actual life in the production team, combined with the concept of literary creation, and most importantly, Mr. Li's instructions on literary creation, I feel that if life is the soil of literary creation, and the masses as the core is the sun hanging high in the sky, then systematic literary theory is the fertilizer that nourishes the flowers of literature.

Soil and sunlight are indispensable, but without the nourishment of fertilizer, the flower of literature cannot grow strong.

I had previously collected some university textbooks, intending to enrich my theoretical knowledge through self-study. However, a few days ago, I learned by chance that Jiangnan University had resumed its correspondence courses, and that there was a correspondence course center in our Yunhu area, so I thought I'd give it a try. It would be a lifelong honor for me to receive guidance from the teachers at Jiangnan University.”

After listening to Chen Fan's words, Teacher Guo turned to Teacher He and said, "It seems that our work is still not up to par. Many people at the grassroots level who want to improve themselves do not know that our correspondence education center exists. Otherwise, we would not have put a great talent like Writer Chen in such a difficult position."

He didn't mention the "recommendation quota".

The news had already spread throughout the education system. Just earlier this month, Professor Cha, in front of the vice president, denounced four drawbacks of the current enrollment system, the second of which was that it "blocks children of workers and peasants from entering university."

This shows who has taken all the recommendation slots. Although Chen Fan is quite famous, he is ultimately just a coordinator in the production team. How could he possibly get a recommendation slot?

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly, and he muttered to himself, "Can't you stop calling me Writer Chen?"

It feels so contrived.

At this moment, Teacher Guo turned around and said to Chen Fan, "With your knowledge, passing our entrance exam will definitely not be a problem, but..."

He seemed to hesitate at this point.

Chen Fan looked at him, then at Teacher He, and asked with a puzzled expression, "Is there something inconvenient?"

"Ah, no."

With a serious expression, Teacher Guo waved his hand and gestured to Teacher He, "Teacher He, close the door."

He then stood up and beckoned to Chen Fan, "Come in with me and let's talk."

Chen Fan stood up and turned to look at Jiang Tiantian.

When Teacher Guo saw his movements, she smiled and said, "Come in together."

Anyway, if we tell Chen Fan about this, he'll most likely tell his companions, so we might as well just be straightforward and tell them all at once.

Chen Fan and Jiang Lili followed him into the next room, only to find that it was a rather large classroom-style conference room.

Teacher Guo pulled out a chair and sat down, then gestured for them to sit as well. He then smiled and said, "This is where the correspondence course exams are held. The soundproofing is quite good, which makes it convenient to talk about something."

Chen Fan glanced at Jiang Tiantian, who looked completely bewildered, and then looked back at Teacher Guo, feeling a little confused himself.

I just came to register, why is it all so mysterious?
At this moment, Teacher He also walked in and closed the door behind him.

Chen Fan blinked, subtly touching the PPK holstered at his waist, thinking to himself, "I probably don't need to touch this, right? Besides, I didn't drink the tea earlier. By the way, did Jiang Tiantian drink it?"
At this moment, the smile on Teacher Guo's face disappeared, and he looked at him seriously and said, "From the first time I saw your article, I was captivated by you. We just chatted for more than an hour, and from your words and actions, I can tell that my impression of you was correct. You are a very outstanding young man with excellent character."

Chen Fan smiled sheepishly, "You flatter me."

I was thinking to myself, what does this mean? Are they praising me so highly because they want me to be their son-in-law?

Or would you try to win me over with a position?
While his mind was racing, Teacher Guo changed the subject and continued, "Xiao Chen, I don't know if you've noticed, but this year's university admissions process hasn't even started yet."

Chen Fan blinked. "Uh, I didn't notice."

Indeed, I didn't notice. Moreover, Lujiawan is far from the city, and apart from the information in newspapers and on the radio, it can be said that it is completely isolated from information and no different from remote areas.

University admissions are such a prestigious matter, yet not much news about it has spread, not even in Gufeng County, let alone Lujiawan.

All the nomination slots have already been allocated in advance. Why spread the word? Would it just cause trouble?

There's no need for impersonation these days; it's completely unnecessary.

However, normally, if even the enrollment process for correspondence universities has already ended, the enrollment process for regular universities should have ended even earlier.

Otherwise, where would the students come from to fill the gaps in correspondence university admissions? Aren't they the ones who are full of hope but haven't been recommended?

Chen Fan only knew that the college entrance examination would be reinstated at the end of this year, but he really didn't know the specific details and inside information.

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Teacher Guo was not surprised at all, and continued, "According to the usual practice, the admission notice should have been issued long ago. However, just half a month ago, the vice president convened a meeting of relevant experts, and after discussion, they decided to recall this year's admission report."

He looked at Chen Fan meaningfully, "Now, do you understand what I mean?"

Chen Fan's eyes darted around a couple of times, then he suddenly stopped, staring intently at Teacher Guo, and said in a low voice, "Are you going to change the system?"

Teacher Guo and Teacher He exchanged a glance, then looked directly at him and nodded slightly. "Right now, everyone in the system is speculating that it's very likely..."

At this point, he spoke each word clearly: "Restore the college entrance examination!"

These four words resounded like a great bell in Chen Fan and Jiang Tiantian's ears.

Resume the college entrance examination?
Jiang Tiantian felt her mind go blank at this moment. Would the college entrance examination really be reinstated?

But the next second, her heart sank to the bottom.

Even if it were to be reinstated, so what? These days, even selecting cadres requires political vetting. Can such a crucial event as the college entrance examination be skipped?
Given my current situation, am I still eligible to register for the exam?

Just as her mind was in turmoil, Teacher Guo looked at Chen Fan and continued, "Xiao Chen, I greatly admire your talent, and the teachers in the Literature Department of Jiangnan University have discussed your articles many times. Although some parts are still immature, they are very innovative compared to the current writing style."

Novelty is the most valuable aspect. For any profession, coming up with something new is a breakthrough.

I think it's a bit of a waste for you to attend a correspondence university. Although the official announcement hasn't come out yet and it's still being discussed, the hope of restoring the college entrance examination is still very high. Why don't you wait for this year's university admission notices? If the college entrance examination is indeed restored, you won't need to wait for any unit's recommendation quota; you can directly register for the exam. With your qualifications, you'll definitely pass!

Chen Fan stared blankly at Teacher Guo, with only one thought in his mind.

He actually revealed such important inside information to me; that's true love!
No sooner had this thought subsided than another one surfaced.

It must be acknowledged that the problem of information asymmetry exists in every era.

While he was racking his brains and trying every means to trick the students of Lujiawan into studying basic knowledge, some people in the education system had already obtained inside information.

At such a crucial moment, would they not tell the people around them this news?

Chen Fan, in any case, didn't believe it.

Seeing that Chen Fan didn't speak, Teacher Guo thought he hadn't reacted yet, so she smiled and patiently said, "This matter is still in the confidential stage, and we don't know if the college entrance examination will really be reinstated, so we will try our best to control the spread. We haven't even told your family. I only told you this because I really admire your ability. You should think about it carefully and see if you want to wait and try your luck."

Chen Fan then came to his senses, nodded vigorously, and said, "Teacher Guo, Teacher He, don't worry, I won't take anything you said today out of this door."

Teacher Guo nodded with satisfaction. Regardless of whether what she said was true or false, her attitude was very good.

Unexpectedly, Chen Fan suddenly hesitated. "Teacher Guo, there's something I need to explain to you."

Teacher Guo was slightly taken aback. "What?"

Chen Fan looked conflicted. "Just two months ago, I set up a training class in our Lujiawan village to prepare teachers for the expansion of our village primary school. If the college entrance examination is really reinstated, these hardworking students will definitely compete to participate, and if more people pass the exam..."

Hearing this, Teacher Guo understood what he meant and immediately laughed and said, "That can only be described as good deeds being rewarded. You were thinking of the public good, and those students were also willing to work hard, but they just happened to encounter the good opportunity of the resumption of the college entrance examination. What do you call that? You call it God helps those who help themselves!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand and said, "This matter is very easy to verify. As long as you don't leak the information, even if everyone in your Lujiawan study class passes the exam, I won't blame you!"

(End of this chapter)