My era, 1979!

Chapter 8 Examination Admission Ticket
The morning light bathed the thatched roofs of the educated youth settlement in a golden-red hue, and Xu Chengjun was squatting in front of the stove, baking cornbread.

The iron pot sizzled, mingling with Zhao Gang's snoring.

Xu Chengjun smiled helplessly; he had long since come to regard this as the reveille at the educated youth settlement.
"Chengjun, can you help me check if there's anything missing in this letter of introduction?"

Qian Ming's voice came from the doorway, sounding a little tense.

It's nothing. The college entrance exam is in six days. Who isn't nervous about taking the exam at 19?

"Was the commune's official seal affixed? What about the county education bureau's seal across the seam?" Xu Chengjun flipped the question over.

"It's all covered up! It's all covered up!"

Qian Ming handed over the letter of introduction, pointing specifically to the words "permitted to go to Bengbu to take the college entrance examination".

“I went to the commune three times yesterday. The clerk said that educated youth need to attach an additional ‘proof of household registration retention’ for the college entrance examination. I asked the team leader to get it. Look—”

A small piece of paper, about the size of a palm, was pasted on the paper, stamped with the red seal of "Xujiatun Production Brigade," the ink still fresh.

Xu Chengjun glanced at the date; June 29th, right at the deadline.

In the years leading up to the reopening of the college entrance examination, the examination conditions were relaxed. However, in those days, household registration certificates and school registration certificates were paper-based and their management was relatively chaotic compared to later years. Missing any one of the stamps could result in being barred from the examination hall.

"What kind of transportation do you take to Bengbu?" He stuffed the freshly baked cornbread into a cloth bag, the oil paper sizzling from the heat.

"Zhao Gang said the early bus departs at 5:30 a.m. and takes two hours to get to Bengbu. It will leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Qian Ming pulled a tin lunchbox out of his canvas bag. Inside were finely chopped dried radish. "My mother asked someone to bring this to us. She said we should eat it with the pancakes on the way, and we should each have half."

Xu Chengjun took out a cornbread and handed it to him: "Try it, I added extra sesame seeds."

"You really don't want to give it a try?"

With his mouth full of biscuits, Qian Ming asked indistinctly.

"Even though there are only six days left, it's better to cram at the last minute than not at all."

Xu Chengjun stuffed the recommendation forms into his cloth bag, then suddenly laughed: "What's the point of taking the exam? There's no time!"

“We’ll see.” He glanced at the book “900 English Sentences” in Qian Ming’s hand, the cover of which was worn off. “I never intended to take the exam anyway.”

Before Qian Ming could say anything, a single sentence shut him up.

"Then it's too late."

"Those recommended by workers, peasants and soldiers have already submitted their materials; going through the college entrance examination will likely result in nothing."

Qian Ming didn't try to persuade him any further.

"This is a fountain pen that my brother sent from the army. It has an iridium nib and is great for writing recommendation forms."

The pen in the cloth bag was still warm from my touch, the cap engraved with "Serve the People," and the barrel gleamed from being rubbed.
-
The wooden door of the educated youth settlement creaked open, and Zhao Gang came in carrying a hoe, his trouser legs damp with dew, and he was clutching a cucumber he had just picked from the ground.

"Qian Ming, your mother wants you to go get some eggs! She said she boiled ten for you to eat on the way!"

He caught a glimpse of Xu Chengjun's cloth bag. "Chengjun's leaving too?"

"He went to the county town to complete the formalities."

Qian Ming stuffed a "High School Mathematics" book into his canvas bag; the edges of the pages were curled up. "I'm going to Bengbu."

“Perfect timing. I’ve asked the team leader for leave. I’ll take you two to the commune station.”

Zhao Gang stuffed a cornbread into his mouth and mumbled, "Yesterday Li Erwa said there are people reselling electronic watches at Bengbu Station. Don't follow his example and do something reckless."

"That kid tried to exchange two jin of grain coupons for one watch the day before yesterday, but he spent the coupons and didn't even see the watch. The team leader found out and punished him by making him watch the warehouse. He's probably still marking tally marks in the ledger to atone for his sins right now."

Xu Chengjun couldn't help but laugh.

Li Erwa's cleverness was never used in the right way, but it also revealed a kind of resourcefulness that came from living at the bottom of society.
-
On the way to the commune.

Qian Ming suddenly pointed to the earthen slope in the distance: "Do you still remember that old locust tree?"

Xu Chengjun paused in his steps.

By the end of last autumn, the weather had already turned quite cold.

The matter of Wang Kui's private plot came to light. At that time, the original owner was hiding in the crowd.

Upon returning home, he wrote in his diary, "I never want to get involved in anything 'in the limelight' again in this lifetime."

The original owner didn't take the college entrance exam because she was terrified of the scene.

"This year is different."

Qian Ming's voice was very soft, "Officer Liu also told you about Wang Kui's matter."

He pulled a crumpled People's Daily newspaper from his cloth bag. "Look at this editorial."

Xu Chengjun took the newspaper; the headline, "Respect Knowledge, Respect Talent," was printed in particularly bright colors.

The wind lifted the corner of the newspaper, revealing Qian Ming's annotation in the blank space: "June 15, 1979, 22 days before the college entrance examination."
-
The brick walls of the commune's post office were scorching hot from the sun.

Qian Ming was asking the postman about hotels in Bengbu, his voice low, afraid that others would hear the words "college entrance examination".

These days, studying and taking exams is still something that needs to be kept secret.

Xu Chengjun was leaning over the counter, filling out a letter of introduction for going to the county town.

He wrote slowly as the pen glided across the paper, but paused at the "reason" column.

Should I write "handling admission recommendation procedures" or "handling personal affairs"?
When finally putting pen to paper, a more vague term was chosen: "went to the county to discuss work."

Asking Section Chief Zhang for a favor doesn't count as engaging in work-related matters?

Don't underestimate the importance of a section chief!

Bah! Cadre!
"Chengjun, I'm leaving now!"

Qian Ming ran towards the station with his canvas bag on his back, then suddenly stopped, turned around and shouted, "Wait until I finish my exams, then I'll come to Hefei to find you!"

Xu Chengjun waved his hand, "Hurry up and go!"
-
As Zhao Gang emerged from the post office, he was squatting on a stone mill, smoking, his pipe clanging loudly on the ground. "Aren't you really going to take the exam with Qian Ming? I heard that universities are expanding their enrollment this year, and educated youth who pass the exam can transfer to urban residency."

"Everyone has his own way."

"You wish me to do better than you to be carrying a hoe."

Xu Chengjun walked briskly toward the county town, his tone irritable.

Stop talking, it's annoying!

Zhao Gang wasn't annoyed and laughed: "If you two both succeed and produce two college students, our educated youth settlement will have finally made it through."

In the cornfield by the roadside, Li Erwa was spraying pesticides with a sprayer on his back. The sprayer was shaking so badly that it splashed his trousers with water.

Upon seeing Xu Chengjun, he called out from afar, "Brother Chengjun, if you go to Shanghai, bring me a bar of soap! A Shanghai brand!"

"Hand over the ears of wheat you stole yesterday first."

Xu Chengjun replied with a smile.

Last night, while helping Xu Laoshuan with the inventory check, he discovered that two jin of new wheat were missing from the bottom of the warehouse. It was obvious to anyone with a brain that this kid was responsible.

Li Erwa's face flushed red, his neck stiffened but he dared not retort, only muttering, "My mother has lung disease and needs brown sugar, but the team didn't give us enough..."

Xu Chengjun's heart skipped a beat.

He remembered what Xinghua had secretly told him yesterday: "Erwa is not a bad person, he's just anxious to get his mother treated."

Last year, when they were criticizing Grandpa Wang, he secretly delivered sweet potatoes to Grandpa Wang's house.

It turns out that this seemingly slick young man also has a soft spot in his heart.

People in this era are like crops in the field; they may look messy, but their roots are still connected to the warmth of the soil.

He took a cornbread out of his cloth bag and handed it to him: "Take this and eat it."

The wind rustled through the corn leaves.

(End of this chapter)