Time Travel: The Queen's Coronation

Graduation season is always so sad, and the campus is filled with the smell of farewell. Even though the college entrance examination is just around the corner, three years of getting along have made everyone accustomed to each other. After the college entrance examination, everyone's time together will be short, and some may even never see each other again.

Entering June means only one week remains until the Gaokao (National College Entrance Examination). The juniors and seniors in the first and second grades are slowly clearing out their classrooms to prepare for our exams, just as we did the previous two years to prepare for the exams for the seniors. Watching the juniors carrying boxes of books to their dormitories, and the juniors pushing boxes across the floor, I suddenly feel a little envious of them, because they still have at least another year to stay on campus. While high school life is arduous, with competition for grades and rankings everywhere, it's also a pure place where everyone competes solely for academics, not for comparisons.

The evenings in June are sultry. This season has entered the rainy season. It usually rains before and after the college entrance examination. I hope there will be a heavy rain on the 6th to reduce the temperature, which will not only relieve the heat of the environment, but also relieve the inner restlessness of the candidates.

As is customary, graduation photos were organized five days before the Gaokao (National College Entrance Examination)—each class took a photo with the school leaders and their teachers. Our photoshoot fell in the middle of the day, with the sun still hidden behind the teaching building. We quickly snapped a few photos before returning to the classroom to review. With the click of the shutter, our high school years were frozen in a single photograph. The people in the photo were all mere passers-by in our lives. Three years had passed, and it was time for us to part ways.

Three days before the Gaokao, the entire teaching building, which served as the exam venue, was cleared out. We either went back to the dormitories to review or to the cafeteria. Because our school was new, there were only a few buildings: the dormitories, the teaching building, and the cafeteria—nothing else.

The temptation of having a bed in the dormitory makes it easy to sleep in, so most people choose to study in the cafeteria. Although the cafeteria smells of oil smoke and food, at least the tables and chairs are relatively normal and you can study while sitting. In the dormitory, you can only sit on the bed, and your legs will become numb after a while.

After breakfast, the cafeteria was extremely quiet. The only sounds you could hear were the flipping of pages and the occasional whispered discussion. The teacher on duty would come over from time to time to maintain order, and the teachers from each subject would also make a few rounds to answer the students' questions. Even though the sun was shining into the cafeteria in the afternoon, the students' enthusiasm for learning remained undiminished. Since no one could sit in the sun-baked areas, they would review wherever there was shade and an empty seat, even on the floor. The cafeteria after dinner was no different from the evening self-study in the classroom. Everyone was quietly reading, counting, memorizing words, and reciting poems...

The three days leading up to the Gaokao were like this every day. The cafeteria became our training ground, warming up and waiting for the official start of the "battlefield." Some were anxious, some excited, and some calm. Everyone's state of mind varied, but most felt a little nervous. After all, this was a national exam, a test for selecting talent, and one that could change everything.

The school has done a lot of logistical work to help students prepare better. The best part is that starting on the 4th, meals in the cafeteria are free, and every day they serve nutritious meals, unlike the old sloppy, oily, and salty communal meals. Everyone eats and studies in the cafeteria, and they almost sleep in it.

On the evening of the 6th, the teachers came to the cafeteria to cheer us up. We also cheered each other on, wishing each other good grades. Ten o'clock passed unnoticed, and everyone returned to the dormitories to wash up and rest early, ready to face tomorrow's exam in the best possible condition.

I left the cafeteria and looked up at the sky. Although the stars were invisible in the city sky, it still reminded me of home. I thought of my dark-skinned father and my thin mother. I stood on their shoulders to get here, and I must not let them down. I secretly vowed to myself: I must get good grades this time. I must change my fate!