Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 7: Full Dependence on Father
The second floor of the supply and marketing cooperative was the dormitory for drivers and on-duty workers, and there was a pungent smell as soon as you went up. This building was not a tenement building, but a single-sided building. The corridor railings were made of bricks, and the middle of the wall was not solid, but made of bricks in various patterns.

Finding Tian Qingping's brother's dormitory, Liu Yimin stood on tiptoe. The key was in the corner above the door frame; he reached out and found it easily. Pushing open the door, he found a space of about twenty square meters inside—a large dormitory-style room with a wardrobe and toiletries opposite it.

After a quick glance, Liu Yimin found Tian Qinglin's bed, because Tian Qinglin had left him a note on the bed that wished him good luck in the college entrance examination.

"I hope there aren't any fleas in the bed, sir!" Liu Yimin said to himself as he put down his schoolbag.

Fleas, also known as leafhoppers, swarm in the countryside, constantly biting Liu Yimin and keeping him awake at night. His arms and legs were covered in red spots. Liu Yimin turned over the blankets but couldn't find any fleas.

While the sun was still shining, Liu Yimin took the quilt and hung it on the corridor railing to air it out. He then smelled his vest; it reeked of sweat. He decided to wipe himself down first, otherwise he would feel sticky and uncomfortable.

Moreover, while reading, one unconsciously produces "leg-stretching and eye-glaring pills" in large quantities.

There is a public toilet on each floor. The smell at the entrance of the toilet is extremely strong, and the smell that Liu Yimin smelled earlier came from here. The toilet is a trench-style toilet made up of a long ditch, which is divided into small squares according to certain dimensions. There is a half-person-high retaining wall on the side. When people squat, they look like a string of grasshoppers strung up on a rope.

There was a water tank at one end of the ditch, which was flushed periodically, and the other end was connected to a septic tank. This type of toilet was very common in northern China, and many schools still had toilets like this in the early 21s.

Outside was a row of faucets. Liu Yimin tried three in a row, but they all broke. Finally, the last one produced water. He wiped himself with a towel to remove the coal dust, and returned to his dormitory feeling refreshed. He then took out his books and continued reading.

There hadn't been a reply from *People's Literature*. Had they not accepted the manuscript? Liu Yimin felt a little anxious thinking about this. He made up his mind that if all else failed, he would wait until after the college entrance exam to write another novel—a work of "scar literature"—and it would definitely be published.

Over the past decade, the literary world has been in dire need of nurturing a new generation of writers, but the cultivation of new writers cannot be accomplished overnight, and the improvement of the quality of literary works must be done gradually.

The next morning, Liu Yimin rode his bicycle, ate a quick bite at a roadside stall, and headed towards the examination hall. A gentle morning breeze caressed his face; though the sun hadn't yet risen, he could already sense the vibrant life about to emerge from behind the clouds. He faced everything with a smile, feeling that at that moment, everything was full of hope for him.

The closer you get to the entrance of the high school, the more people there are on the street. A dense crowd gathers at the high school gate, with each student holding a book and reciting as they walk. The sound of their recitation, as faint as mosquitoes, is amplified by the sheer number of people, making the entrance almost like a high school morning reading session in later generations.

A banner hung above the gate, and below it stood armed militiamen with red armbands, looking solemnly at the dense crowd. Several teachers stood nearby, anxiously checking the time and talking excitedly.

"The fact that the country held two college entrance examinations in just a few months is enough to show the nation's determination to select talent! I am truly excited and thrilled for these students. We never had the opportunity to take the college entrance examination before, but we never imagined that we would be able to participate in such a significant historical event in our lifetime. Our wishes are finally about to be realized through these children."

A short-haired teacher in a dark Zhongshan suit couldn't contain his excitement. He took off his glasses, breathed on them to warm them, took out a handkerchief to wipe them carefully, put his glasses back on, and looked at the line of examinees, as if trying to remember the scene. "Yes, the country has made a great decision. It's said that last year, for the first time, they ran out of paper to print the exam papers and used paper from Mao Zedong's Selected Works!"

"The college admission rate is just too low. I wonder if our county can get one or two students admitted this year!" a teacher lamented.

"If our school could get even one student into a junior college, it would be enough to make us famous throughout the county! Teacher Liu, you're teaching a graduating class, do you think there's any hope?"

"It's tough! The graduates in the past few years didn't study seriously either; they were busy making big-character posters and taking leave of absence. Most of their time at school was spent participating in agricultural and industrial labor. However, the current graduates are still better prepared than those who graduated several years ago! In addition, there are the students from the 'Old Three Classes' (referring to students who graduated in the late 1960s, 1966, and 1967). They studied for several years back then, and as long as they review seriously, they still have hope."

The "Old Three Classes" refers to the graduating classes of junior and senior high school students in 1966, 1967, and 1968. Due to the decade-long outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 1966 graduates, who should have graduated, did not graduate until 1968. This resulted in the unprecedented phenomenon of six graduating classes of middle school students graduating in the same year, causing a huge employment crisis.

As a result, almost all the students from the "Old Three Classes" were sent to the countryside to work as educated youth. These high school students grew up almost simultaneously with the People's Republic of China, and they experienced major historical events after the founding of the country.

The students of the "Old Three Classes" were also the most capable. The 66 graduating class spent a full five years in high school, giving them an unparalleled advantage in the college entrance examination. However, they also faced a tragic situation: those who didn't get into university and returned to the city faced age discrimination when seeking employment due to their advanced age.

Standing next to Liu Yimin was a middle-aged man, and next to him was a woman holding a child who looked to be in his teens.

An elderly woman nearby asked in bewilderment, "This child is so young, why is he taking the college entrance exam?"

"It wasn't me, it was my dad taking the college entrance exam!" the boy said with a smile.

“Yes, this is my son, he’s fourteen or fifteen. I’m even older than the ‘Old Three Classes’ (referring to students who graduated from high school in the late 1960s, 1966, and 1967). This year’s college entrance exam notice says that self-taught young people from society can apply, so I’m not willing to give up. Going to university is my dream, so I’m giving it a try. Maybe I’ll get in!” the man said with a smile.

"Dad, you'll definitely pass the exam! If you pass, I'll be the son of a college student, and I can become a city dweller too." The little boy's words successfully amused Liu Yimin. This was truly a case of a father hoping his son would become successful and relying entirely on his father!

A woman was standing next to the old woman, holding a baby who was still nursing. The woman was reading a book and soothing the child.

"Eat more, otherwise the child will go hungry while you go in for the exam!"

Liu Yimin's eyes widened. This is possible?
(End of this chapter)