Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

On the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains in July, the sun blazed fiercely, and the high school graduates on the tractor were already sweating profusely. Fortunately, a breeze was blowing in their faces, which helped to take away some of the heat.

Once inside the mountains, the air immediately became cooler. Although the sun was still blazing, the mountains and trees blocked the heat, and the sweat on my body disappeared, even giving me a slight chill.

The roads in the mountains are paved with gravel, so there isn't much dust.

One student asked in surprise, "The road was all dirt before we entered the mountains, so why did the road conditions improve after we entered the mountains?"

Some people speculate that it was built by herders in the mountains.

Some people say it might be a road built by the township specifically for people going into the mountains.

Some people think the road was built for mining operations.

Li Qiang finally spoke up, saying, "This is the road that our county supply and marketing cooperative and my uncle built for the herders in the mountains for their seasonal migration. It was built a couple of years ago, and I even went into the mountains when they were building it."

"Your uncle and his men built it? What does your uncle do?" Some people didn't know Li Long, so Li Qiang explained it to them and also talked about Li Long's friendship with the herders in the mountains.

One classmate said admiringly, "No wonder your uncle can build a hot spring resort in the mountains. I heard that nowadays, you need the herders' permission to build houses in the mountains. Oh, and there's the forest management station too. Because a lot of the land here is herders' pasture, and some is under the jurisdiction of the forestry bureau."

Li Qiang smiled but didn't say anything more. He pointed to Niu Zijian and led him to a side road that led west. It was a path that led to the hot spring resort and Li Long's wooden cabin. Because no one had walked on it for quite some time, the path was overgrown with weeds.

Fortunately, the overall road conditions were quite good, and the tractor had strong off-road capabilities. About forty minutes later, the tractor stopped at the entrance of the hot spring resort, and Li Qiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He had only been here once or twice, so he wasn't particularly familiar with the road conditions. Fortunately, there were some clear signs at key turning points, otherwise he might have given the wrong directions.

After getting off the bus, squad leader Chen Shuxia looked around and exclaimed, "The environment here is so nice, the scenery is so beautiful. To be honest, this is the first time I've ever seen such a beautiful place in our county."

Another classmate, Luo Yichen, laughed and said, "Look, you haven't come often enough. I often go to the mountains to play. My dad's militia depot is in the mountains, and I've even fired a gun there."

Do you remember when I brought out a small snake in the spring? You were quite startled. That snake was caught in the mountains.

Chen Shuxia playfully slapped him and said, "You still dare to say that? You scared all of us to death back then. You said you were holding a pencil in your hand, and the snake really was about the same length as a pencil. If Li Qiang hadn't swatted the snake away, I think I would have screamed out loud."

Li Qiang opened the gate of the hot spring resort, went inside to clean, and gave everyone a briefing.

Niu Zijian walked over and asked, "Is that the smell of sulfur in the air? This yard is really nice, but there are too many weeds. Why don't you plant some vegetables?"

"Is that the hot spring pool you mentioned? It's steaming up there; it really looks like a hot spring."

As Li Qiang tidied up the weeds by the pool, he said, "My uncle and his family built this hot spring resort with the idea of ​​coming here for a visit from time to time in the summer."

But this summer has been too busy. Their cooperative harvested another 1000 mu of land, which was planted with cotton, so they simply couldn't spare the time. Their own purchasing station was also selling cars and leather, so this was the first time anyone had come to the mountain resort this year. With so many weeds growing there, they simply didn't have time to grow vegetables.

"Look, some of these vegetables weren't harvested last year, and they've grown back this year."

After hearing what Li Qiang said, the other students also came over to help tidy up.

After the courtyard was tidied up, some people suggested taking pictures, while others couldn't wait to take off their shoes and soak in the hot spring to experience a treatment they had never received before.

Seeing that the students had differing opinions, Li Qiang clapped his hands and said, "The boys can soak in the pools outside. The girls can soak in the pools inside, or they can do as they please."

Also, my uncle told me that although most of the wild animals that could harm people have already moved to the inner mountains and we might not encounter them, we still need to be careful while we're in the mountains. It's best to bring a stick when you go out for a walk near the edge of the forest.

Also, regarding what Niu Zijian mentioned earlier, everyone should be careful; there are quite a few scorpion grasses, so be careful not to prick yourself.

After Li Qiang finished speaking, he opened the doors to the indoor hot springs to let the air out. Then he opened the door to the house, found two plastic bags and a shovel, and prepared to go out.

Chen Shuxia asked, "Li Qiang, where are you going?"

Li Qiang stopped and said to her, "There are several kinds of mushrooms in these mountains that are particularly good. In May, there are morels, and in July and August, there are black tiger paw mushrooms. Niu Zijian should know about these."

I'm planning to go hunting and bring back some game; that would make the trip worthwhile.

He first heard the term "jungler" from his uncle, and now he felt it was particularly fitting to use it.

Hearing Li Qiang say this, Niu Zijian hurriedly followed and said, "Wait for me, wait for me, I want to go too. Hey, hunting in the wild, yeah, this is hunting in the wild. Let's go to the wild and harvest some mushrooms, and we'll stir-fry mushrooms for everyone tonight."

Chen Shuxia immediately followed and said, "I'll go too. I've never picked mushrooms in the mountains before. It's good that you're here, Li Qiang. Teach me which mushrooms are edible. It'll be a good opportunity for me to brush up on my biology."

Their commotion prompted most of the other students to go for a walk in the woods. Some of the boys whose feet were already in the hot spring quickly got out, ready to put on socks and shoes so they could join in the activity.

Seeing that this wouldn't work, Li Qiang said to Niu Zijian, "Since everyone is planning to explore the woods, let's split into groups. Either we can go together, or we can divide into several groups, with boys and girls mixed together. This will ensure safety and expand the search area. What do you think?"

Niu Zijian thought this approach was good, and then he started to divide the group into teams.

Liu Zijian, Liu Chunling, and another classmate were locals and knew the area well, as did Li Qiang. The four of them, each leading two people, split up to search the forest. Since the distances were relatively short, they could look out for each other.

Among them, only Li Qiang and Liu Chunling frequently pick mushrooms or have a good understanding of mushrooms; even Liu Zijian doesn't pick mushrooms often.

So everyone agreed that they shouldn't touch the mushrooms they picked yet. They would wait until they got back to the hot spring resort, and then the two of them would identify them before deciding whether to take them back.

People are always exceptionally happy about unexpected gains, such as picking mushrooms or wild fruits. A faint smell of sulfur wafted through the woods. Li Qiang handed his shovel to Chen Shuxia, and he walked forward, holding a stick in one hand and a bag in the other. Chen Shuxia and another girl followed beside him.

Soon, Li Qiang spotted wild enoki mushrooms and a few pine mushrooms. Although this wasn't his main target, it was always good to have a find.

After discovering the mushrooms, Li Qiang introduced them to his classmates. Fortunately, the mountain was indeed rich in resources. Soon, Chen Shuxia and another classmate also made their own discoveries. Moreover, Chen Shuxia was the first to discover the black tiger paw mushroom. This thing was really big, and it grew in patches, making it very eye-catching.

Excited shouts came from the other side of the woods, indicating that the other students had also made some gains. Li Qiang even found some late-ripening wild strawberries in the woods and picked some as well.

After searching the forest, they returned along the stream to the hot spring resort.

Each group of students carried a full bag, and they eagerly presented their treasures to Li Qiang and Liu Chunling.

There aren't many poisonous wild mushrooms this season. After two people identified them, they found that less than one-fifth of them were poisonous. These wild mushrooms were discarded, and some girls washed them clean by the stream, intending to take them home.

Next came the actual hot spring soaking. The boys were all in the outdoor pool, having taken off their shoes and socks, rolled up their pants to their thighs, and sitting on the edge of the pool soaking.

The girls went inside.

Both sides discussed topics that interested them, mainly the scenery in the mountains and their first experience soaking in a hot spring.

Feeling the slightly hot spring water washing over their feet and legs, one of the students exclaimed to Li Qiang, "Your uncle really knows how to enjoy life. He built such a beautiful courtyard in such a remote place. This is the first time I've ever heard of hot springs in our county. I've only ever heard of them in books before. I've really learned something new today."

Other classmates chimed in, saying, "That's right, that's right."

At that moment, Li Qiang's vanity was greatly satisfied. He then took the opportunity to tell some stories about his uncle Li Long in the mountains, such as hunting, outsmarting criminals, and helping each other with the herdsmen.

The students listened with great excitement, feeling that these events were as dramatic and exciting as the stories in the book.

Li Qiang secretly regretted not being able to bring a barbecue grill and barbecue meat, but he knew that Niu Zijian couldn't provide that.

After all, Niu Zijian's family doesn't raise cattle or sheep. This shows that his family isn't very wealthy, and it's unlikely that they would specifically go to someone else to buy a sheep to slaughter just because their classmates are coming.

Fortunately, it was clear that the students were quite happy and had a great time.

After soaking in the hot spring for half an hour, the skin on our feet felt wrinkled. When the students came out of the pool, they immediately felt that the fatigue and exhaustion from their walk in the mountains had disappeared.

Whether it's psychological or not, everyone says that soaking in hot springs is indeed beneficial.

After soaking in the hot springs, the students enjoyed the scenery nearby and found suitable angles for taking photos. They took group photos, and others found good spots for individual shots. A roll of film quickly ran out, but luckily Li Qiang had some spare film and got another roll.

Class monitor Chen Shuxia came over to him and said, "Our class has some money left over from the class fund, so let the class fund cover the cost of the film. It's not appropriate for you to pay for everything."

Li Qiang thought for a moment and said, "Then just buy me the film directly. I'd be too embarrassed to accept money from you."

Chen Shuxia agreed.

As they were leaving the hot spring resort, a classmate on the tractor said to Li Qiang, "Li Qiang, if we have a chance to have a class reunion in the future, would you like to come here again?"

Li Qiang smiled and said, "It shouldn't be a problem. Few people come here anyway, and my uncle would probably love for people to come and check on things often, to weed and clean up."

When the tractor returned to Niu Zijian's house, the sun had already set. At that moment, one could feel that the village on the mountainside was completely different from the one on the plain.

It's noticeably cooler here, and thankfully Niu Zijian told everyone to bring jackets when he invited us, otherwise, it would have been really uncomfortable tonight if we were only wearing short sleeves.

The boys are staying in a shared dormitory. The room that used to be Niu Zijian's and his brother's room is now two beds pushed together, so everyone is just making do.

While chatting after dinner, Li Qiang joked, "Staying here is quite nice. There are no mosquitoes at night, so we don't need to put up mosquito nets and we even have to cover ourselves with blankets. It's really great!"

“You only see the advantages, but you don’t see the disadvantages. We can only grow winter wheat here; we can’t grow spring wheat. The yield of wheat per acre is not as good as over there, and there are fewer things we can grow.” Niu Zijian put his hands behind his head and sighed.
"Moreover, there isn't much land. As you can see, our terrain is very undulating, and there isn't as much arable land as you might imagine. Fortunately, some of the people are herders, and they don't farm the land; they are allocated pastures."

Everyone talked about the advantages and disadvantages of their own towns, which helped them understand each other better. They suddenly realized that this was the first time in three years of being classmates that they had introduced their hometowns in this way.

After entering high school, although he had some understanding of the county's towns and villages, he only knew their general locations at best. Now that he was about to graduate, he knew much more, which Li Qiang found slightly ironic.

We chatted for a while and then went to sleep because we had agreed to climb to the top of a nearby hillside the next morning to watch the sunrise.

Li Qiang and his classmates were woken up around 6 a.m. By then, a faint red glow could be seen in the east. The students hastily put on their clothes and rushed out, desperately climbing the hill. The slope was quite steep, with little vegetation, and the few weeds offered little assistance. When they reached the top, the sun had not yet risen.

At this moment, Li Qiang looked around and realized that the girls hadn't followed. Just as he was searching for them, he heard Chen Shuxia and the others calling out from the edge of the village at the bottom of the slope:
Has the sun come out yet?

"Not yet!" Li Qiang answered loudly. "You need to hurry up and climb; you can still make it!"

The girls quickly started climbing up the slope.

Li Qiang and his friends stood at the top of the slope, occasionally turning their heads to check the progress of the sun or the progress of the female students climbing up.

As the girls struggled to climb up, Li Qiang raised his camera and took a close-up picture of them.

As they approached the top of the hill, the sun had already risen above the horizon. Li Qiang quickly grabbed his camera to take pictures of several classmates, who had already posed for photos.

At this time, the light from that salted egg-shaped lamp was not yet strong, and everyone could still look directly east and strike what they considered to be cool poses.

With his back to the sun, Li Qiang snapped a photo of everyone in the frame as soon as the girls climbed up. He thought the angle was great; the sunlight on the students' faces made them look exceptionally bright, and their youthful energy was undeniable.

"Hey, it's so beautiful!" a student exclaimed. At that moment, the sunlight dyed the earth a golden yellow, and then the light grew stronger and stronger. That special beauty lasted for only a few minutes.

But having experienced it, it left an impression on my mind. That must be why it was so hard to climb up here. I gained a lot.

The journey down was relatively easy, because after breakfast they would take the bus back to the county. Li Qiang and the others discussed the photos.

"Li Qiang, the class fund will be responsible for developing the photos. I think we should develop them based on the number of people in the group photo. If there are any extra photos, others can get them developed themselves. After they're developed, I'll cut the negatives and see what everyone needs."

Chen Shuxia had been a class monitor for a long time and was very adept at handling such matters, she said.

Li Qiang naturally had no objections. He planned to hand over both rolls of film to the photo studio after returning to the county.

After the meal, Niu Zijian and Liu Chunling stood at the village entrance, watching everyone board the bus, their expressions showing a hint of reluctance to part.

Next, we'll wait to pick up our report cards from school, take graduation photos, and have one last big gathering. After that, we'll probably only be able to meet in smaller groups. Communication will be limited to letters.

Li Qiang's family has a telephone, so he gets the most requests from classmates. Although he can't easily contact others, others can reach him by phone.

On July 24th, all the senior high school students came to school to collect their report cards. Everyone took a graduation photo, and those who were close friends took another group photo. Quite a few people came to find Li Qiang and took photos with him. Photos from our last trip to the mountains were also sent to everyone on this day.

Li Qiang scored 584 points, slightly higher than his estimated score, but slightly lower than his usual performance. He knew why his score was low: during the chemistry exam, he had focused too much on a four-point question, which had wasted his time. He knew how to do the later, more complex questions, which were worth twenty points.

But it was too late to regret it; he could only say that his thinking was not mature enough. This was his self-reflection.

Du Wenlong's score estimate was quite accurate, scoring 405 points. He said that based on the previous years' cutoff scores, he should have no problem applying to the anesthesiology program at Xinjiang Medical University, so he was quite happy when taking a photo with Li Qiang.

The days of parting are always sad. Several classmates told Li Qiang to remember to keep in touch. Li Qiang promised to write to them and asked them to call home when they had time after they had settled on their contact information. His family would write these things down.

Li Qiang had a fairly fulfilling time in the days that followed. He went to several classmates' homes for dinner at their invitation, and together with other classmates, he went to persuade the parents of several classmates who had not done well on the exam to let their classmates repeat the year.

With this idealistic mindset, Li Qiang and his classmates visited several companies. Whether they would succeed or not was unknown. When they went there, he did not act condescendingly, but only with a sincere heart.

Because his family had a phone, Li Qiang gradually learned about the situations of his other classmates. Some classmates were planning to repeat their studies in the county, while others had already contacted schools in Shicheng or Beiting City and were preparing to go there.

Chen Shuxia received a guaranteed admission spot to a teacher's college, so after meeting up with her classmates this summer, she went to work at a small restaurant to gain social experience in advance.

At the end of July, a flash flood occurred, and the upper, middle, and lower reservoirs on the east side were breached again. The men, women, and children of the fourth team went to the East Ditch to catch fish. Li Qiang, along with some of his cousins, complained while catching fish that these people who contracted the reservoirs to raise fish here didn't know to build a sluice gate at the bottom of the reservoir. They knew that floods would pass through here every year, but they only knew to divert the floodwaters to fill the reservoirs, without caring about the extent of the flooding.

This is not the first time it has been breached by floods, but no one has learned this lesson.

On August 4th, when Zhang Hong, the class's academic representative, and another classmate, Ren Yongmei, rode their bicycles to Li's house, Li Qiang was still in Dongdagou, wearing shorts and shirtless, fishing with a net.

After listening to the two classmates' self-introductions and what they said, Li Jianguo immediately drove to Tongdagou, then pulled Li Qiang into the car and brought him back.

Zhang Hong and Ren Yongmei couldn't help but laugh when they saw Li Qiang's attire.

Li Qiang himself felt embarrassed. He quickly went inside, put on a short-sleeved shirt, and came out again to ask for details.

Zhang Hong took out the notice and said, "This is an urgent notice. You need to go to Urumqi tomorrow for a military academy interview."

You'd better get to Urumqi tonight, otherwise you won't make it tomorrow. Also, don't eat breakfast tomorrow morning; you'll need a medical check-up before the interview.

After finishing her business, Zhang Hong handed the form to Li Qiang, thus completing her task. She asked curiously, "Li Qiang, why are you so tanned? To be honest, even like this, I might not recognize you if we passed each other on the street."

Li Qiang scratched his head and said, "I've been catching fish by the reservoir these past few days, and I got sunburned from the heat. Thank you so much!"

The two girls needed to get back quickly. Li Jianguo hurriedly went inside to get the fish Li Qiang had caught over the past two days, and then offered to drive them home. Zhang Hong and Ren Yongmei quickly waved their hands and said, "No need."

But Li Jianguo said, "It's a must. Besides, it's getting late now. Li Qiang has to hurry to Urumqi and also needs to go to the county. I can just deliver it there on the way."

After stuffing the two classmates' bicycles into the GAZ truck, putting the fish in a plastic bag and carrying it, Li Qiang also brought his ID, a small bag containing some daily necessities, and got on the truck.

Li Jianguo drove to the county, dropped his two classmates off at their homes, and then went to Li Long's large courtyard. Before driving, he had called Li Long, who was already at home and ready.

When the father and son arrived at the courtyard, Li Long's car had already come out. He asked his older brother to drive into the courtyard, and then he drove the Land Cruiser, carrying Li Jianguo and Li Qiang, towards Urumqi.

“Hey, I passed the military academy exam, so the interview shouldn’t be a problem,” Li Long said with a smile as he drove. “Our family now has a proper officer.”

"It's still far from over." Li Jianguo felt it wasn't appropriate to talk about this at this time, so he shook his head and said, "We've never experienced interviews or anything like that before. Let's see how it goes."

Li Long himself wasn't very clear about this. He learned some information from Xu Haijun, but Xu Haijun didn't know anything about the interview process.

He comforted his older brother, saying, "Brother, don't worry. Since Qiangqiang has made it this far, the interview shouldn't be a problem. We're both healthy, we don't wear glasses, and we don't have flat feet or anything, so it'll definitely be fine."

Li Qiang was still a little dazed, but he also had a strange sense of confidence. He learned from talking to his two classmates on the way there that he was the only one from the Education Bureau who had received a notification for a military academy interview.

In other words, during the military physical examination, all the other students from this school who applied to military academies were eliminated, and now, during the interview, all twenty-three people who participated in the interview with him were also eliminated. He is the only one left.

Based on discussions with classmates about past experiences, almost every year someone from our county gets into a military academy, so he should have a high probability of passing.

Lost in thought, Li Long drove into Wucheng. He roughly knew the location of the infantry school. He drove to the Dawan area, and when he arrived at the school gate, a sentry came over to question him.

Li Long hurriedly explained that he was bringing a student to an interview. After the sentry looked at the note handed to him by Li Qiang as he got out of the car, he gestured for Li Qiang to go inside and report to a certain building. As for Li Long and Li Jianguo, they were not allowed to enter.

Li Long hurriedly asked the sentry, "Squad leader, how long will their interviews take? Can they be finished by tomorrow?"

"The physical examination will be tomorrow morning. After the examination, the school's admissions officers will talk to them. It will be basically over by noon. You can come here at 1 p.m. to wait for him." The sentry thought Li Long had also served in the army because he called him squad leader, so he spoke more politely and explained a few more words.

After thanking him, Li Long drove Li Jianguo away from there and then found a hotel on Jianguo Road nearby to stay in.

After entering, Li Qiang asked people along the way with the slip of paper in hand, and soon found the place where the interview was arranged. He saw several students playing on the parallel bars across the street, their movements very graceful.

Li Qiang was quite envious. Back in school, they had played on the parallel bars and horizontal bars, but they mostly did pull-ups and climbs. It felt different to see someone playing so gracefully, especially one from the same school as him.

But right now, finding an interview is the most important thing.

After entering the building, a student on duty sat at the entrance. After Li Qiang took the slip of paper from his hand, the student told him, "Turn around and go to the first duty room for the admissions officer to report. Then they will arrange your accommodation and the schedule for the rest of the trip."

After thanking the student, Li Qiang quickly went to find the admissions officer.

The admissions officer was a young military officer in his thirties, holding the rank of major. Hearing Li Qiang knock, he gestured for him to come in. He took the slip of paper, glanced at it, and then had Li Qiang sit opposite him, inquiring about his family background. He then asked why Li Qiang wanted to apply to military school and what aspects of military affairs he knew, especially equipment command.

At this point, Li Qiang could only tell the truth: he wanted to apply to a military academy, become an officer, serve his country, and develop his career in the army.

He knew nothing about equipment command. His knowledge of military affairs consisted of only reading one book, "National Defense Knowledge Handbook," and another, "Militia Practical Handbook," and that was about it.

The officer seemed slightly disappointed. He then explained the arrangements for tomorrow to Li Qiang, saying that he would not eat breakfast tomorrow morning, but would go for a physical examination with the team. After breakfast, he would have to undergo other physical examinations. After all the physical examinations were completed, specific arrangements would be made based on the results.

Then, the official led Li Qiang to the next room. The room had three beds and was quite nice; it wasn't the bunk beds Li Qiang had imagined.

A student was sitting on the left-hand bed reading a book. He stood up when Li Qiang and the cadre entered. The cadre pointed to the right-hand bed for Li Qiang and said, "You can go to the cafeteria for dinner later. After dinner, you can move around nearby, but you can't leave the school grounds." Then he left.

The student smiled and introduced himself to Li Qiang. He said his surname was Yuan and he came from Tashi in the north. He then took an apple out of his bag for Li Qiang, which seemed quite welcoming.

Li Qiang took the apple and then gave him a small bag of fried fish. This was something he had casually brought with him in his backpack when he came over; he had originally planned to give it to Zhang Hong and Ren Yongmei in the car, but he had forgotten about it in his nervousness.

After exchanging gifts, the two classmates became acquainted and habitually asked each other about their scores. Yuan Yongxiang scored 591 points, which was slightly higher than Li Qiang's. He said that the highest score for this school was 603. In the next room, the tall and handsome young man was playing with the equipment outside.

Li Qiang had to admit that some people are truly born outstanding—good at studying, good at sports, and handsome. That was his feeling when he saw the person with the highest score.

The nights in Wucheng were even hotter than in Ma County. Li Qiang tossed and turned until after 2 a.m. before finally falling asleep, only to be woken up by a bugle call before 8 a.m.

I felt a little uncomfortable. After washing up, I was blown by a whistle and told to go outside to line up, and then go to prepare for the physical examination.

This wasn't Li Qiang's first time participating in a physical examination, but it still opened his eyes this time. He saw the admissions officer pull a chubby student out of the line because the student had been wearing contact lenses during the vision test.

The officer in charge immediately announced that the student had failed the interview. Li Qiang looked at the chubby student, tears welling up in his eyes, feeling utterly helpless, standing at the edge of the line, unsure of what to do.

He didn't have time to reflect; he quickly completed the project inspection. Fortunately, it was the third time, so he was very familiar with the procedures, and the inspection ended quickly.

Even during the vision test, the doctor only measured it to 5.2 and then stopped, marking it as 5.2. Li Qiang wanted him to continue looking, because he felt that his eyesight was fine at 5.3.

Of course, this was just a side story.

Having breakfast at the military academy is quite unique. It was during a holiday, and only some students who stayed at the academy were there. The food was slightly better than I expected. I don't know if it was because they came for interviews and things improved, or if it was always like this.

After breakfast, we underwent a one-hour medical examination and were then asked to return to the interview building to wait for further notice.

The tall and handsome young man from yesterday continued to play in the gym. After this physical examination, everyone got to know each other. Li Qiang followed Yuan Yongxiang over, practiced on the side, and chatted together.

Since you'll likely be attending the same school in the future, it's good to know some things in advance.

Li Qiang secretly counted that there were only four more students coming for interviews than the number of openings. After removing the fat student, there should have been three more to be eliminated.

Judging from his scores and physical condition, Li Qiang felt that he should be fine, so he was quite confident.

Everyone was discussing techniques for playing on the parallel bars and horizontal bars when the admissions officer came over and shouted to gather the students for the interview.

He had a list in his hand, and after everyone had gathered, he began to read out the names. The fourth one was Li Qiang.

After reading the names aloud, the major said, "Those whose names were read above, go home and wait for further notice. Prepare to enroll. Your admission notices will be sent to your schools, and they will tell you what to do then."

"Remember these instructions, you can go back now. Those whose names haven't been called, follow me." With that, he walked into the interview building.

After a moment of silence, the dozen or so students who remained suddenly burst into laughter.

I didn't expect passing the test to be so easy.

Some were discussing in small groups, some were eagerly packing their things to leave, and some hadn't brought anything with them and simply turned around and walked out of the school.

Li Qiang entered their room, took his bag, shook hands with Yuan Yongxiang, and then walked out.

Has it passed? Am I about to go to military academy? Am I about to become a military academy cadet?
He felt he wasn't mentally prepared, but his identity had already been decided.

When he got to the school gate, he saw his father and uncle squatting on the curb across the street.

Li Qiang quickly told the sentry at the door and then ran out.

Li Jianguo asked, somewhat excitedly, "How did it go? How did it go?"

Li Long smiled and said, "There's definitely no problem, it'll definitely pass!"

Li Qiang nodded solemnly and said, "You've passed. They told us to go home and wait for their notification, to wait for our admission notice."

"Hey!" Li Jianguo exclaimed heavily, then fell silent, his lips pressed tightly together, his excitement palpable.

"Come on, come on, get in the car, get in the car," Li Long said with a smile. "It's almost lunchtime. Let's have a good meal and then go home to announce the good news to our families!"

The car was parked quite far away because parking is not allowed in front of the school. As they walked, Li Long asked about the physical examination and remarked on the fat boy who dared to cheat.

This lunch didn't turn out to be a proper meal as Li Long had suggested. Li Jianguo and Li Qiang were both eager to get home and share the news with their families.

The car drove from Wucheng to the county, first stopping at the purchasing station to tell his father, Li Qingxia, the good news. Then they went to the courtyard to inform Gu Xiaoxia before driving home.

Although a phone call could make things clear, I feel that saying it in person conveys the joy better.

Then came the days of waiting. One day, when Li Qiang was out running errands, he passed by the restaurant where Chen Shuxia worked and saw Chen Shuxia standing at the door wearing an apron.

He then went over and chatted with Chen Shuxia for a few minutes. Chen Shuxia asked about his situation, and Li Qiang said that he had passed the interview and was waiting for the notification letter.

Chen Shuxia excitedly grasped his hands and said, "Congratulations! Congratulations on achieving your goal! I heard that you're the only one in our year who actually passed the interview. We didn't even know if you'd pass. You did, that's great, that's great!"

Li Qiang could feel his squad leader's sincere blessings, and he accepted the sentiment.

During this time, some classmates came to invite him, and others called to ask about his situation. After learning that he had passed the interview, they asked him if he would organize a get-together for everyone.

As it happened, his family had the same idea, so on August 16th, Li Qiang invited more than 20 classmates to his home for a gathering.

Among these students are those who were admitted to vocational schools after junior high school, those who were in the same class before the class division in the second year of high school, and those who were in the same class after the class division.

Some of them knew each other at school, while others were strangers, but they became friends at Li Qiang's home.

Such gatherings are quite common among high school graduates. Everyone cherishes these increasingly rare small get-togethers and talks about their plans.

Those who passed the exam naturally looked forward to their future university life, while those who didn't pass had already adjusted their mindset and were planning to retake the exam or find a job.

There was no expression of pride or disappointment, only blessings for Li Qiang.

After that, he could often see song requests in the county TV commercials congratulating so-and-so on getting into a certain university. But as the days went by, Li Qiang, who should have been the first to receive his admission notice, was still waiting.

Li Long didn't have any connections in this area, and he was getting a little anxious.

On August 20th, Li Jianguo came to find Li Long, and the two of them went to the county admissions office together.

Before entering the county admissions office, Li Jianguo said that the director of the admissions office was an old acquaintance of theirs from the planning team. This person was from Hong Kong Island. He didn't know exactly how he came here, but later, because this person was knowledgeable, he went to work in the county education bureau. After that, they didn't keep in touch much, and would occasionally bump into each other and say hello.

After entering, the staff on duty asked about their purpose and then directed Li Long and Li Jianguo to the admissions office.

The director of the admissions office was surnamed Wu. Director Wu was somewhat surprised to see Li Jianguo. After listening to Li Jianguo's words, he thought for a moment and said:
"That really shouldn't be the case. If we had passed the interview, the admission notice would have come out long ago. Right now, the notices we're receiving are all for regular undergraduate programs after the top-tier universities, and some junior college admission notices have even arrived. Don't worry, let me check."

Li Jianguo and Li Long both left their phone numbers, and could only wait for news at this time.

When he went back, Li Long didn't tell his older brother, but he was wondering if someone had taken his place.

After all, although the county had never heard of such a thing, the last time they checked their phones, they found that there had been many similar cases across the country over the years.

Sure enough, two days later, on August 22nd, Li Jianguo called Li Long to tell him about it.

"Qiangqiang's admission notice has been withheld. If it weren't for Director Wu going to investigate, we might never have seen it again!"

Li Long's temper flared up instantly. Who dared to be so bold?

P.S.: Two things to mention. First, you can see the photos I posted earlier on your phone. Second, the photos of Tohulasu I posted yesterday, according to my daughter, were edited with beauty filters; they were taken by their teacher during their study tour. The actual scenery wasn't as vibrant. (End of Chapter)