After returning to school, Gu Yihan continued to submit manuscripts to the newspaper every month, spending the rest of her time studying.
The fine sands of time slipped through her fingers.
It was now 1965. Gu Yihan was thirteen years old, and the high school entrance exam was only a month away. She knew that the college entrance exams would be suspended in July 1966.
She had started school at a very young age, but due to age restrictions, there was no way she could graduate from university before the suspension.
Gu Yihan thought for a long time and decided to take the Zhongzhuan exam. Although she didn’t know if getting into a Zhongzhuan would affect her graduation when the “special period” arrived.
But during that special period, high schools would also be in chaos. Whether one could graduate was an unknown, and you would still have to find a job on your own.
Gu Yihan decided to ask her teacher to register for the Zhongzhuan exam. She had to take this gamble.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
“Come in.” The form teacher, sitting at his desk, looked up and saw the diligent student from his class. “Gu Yihan, is something the matter?”
Gu Yihan entered the office and said, “Teacher, I want to apply for the Zhongzhuan exam.”
This gave the form teacher quite a shock. “Gu Yihan, with your grades, you can get into high school and then a university. It would be a huge shame to give that up.”
Gu Yihan had no choice but to say, “Teacher, my family is from the countryside, and I have a younger brother at home. It’s not easy for them to support my education.”
“I want to get into a Zhongzhuan. The school provides a subsidy, so I won’t have to use my family’s money anymore, and I can graduate and start working earlier.”
Seeing the determined look on her face, the form teacher could only say helplessly, “Gu Yihan, the jobs and salaries assigned after graduating from a university are different from those after a Zhongzhuan.”
Gu Yihan secretly pinched her thigh, and her eyes immediately reddened. “Teacher, my family’s financial situation isn’t good. I want to start working early to lessen their burden.”
After trying his best to persuade her to no avail, the form teacher had to compromise. “Alright then. Fill out this application form and go back and study hard.”
Gu Yihan immediately took the application form, filled it out, and handed it to the teacher.
Coming out of the teacher’s office, the heavy weight on her heart finally lifted.
Gu Yihan immersed herself in her studies every day. She never dared to slack off, nor did she ever become arrogant or complacent just because she knew what the future held.
Finally, her hard work paid off. Gu Yihan was admitted to the city’s Zhongzhuan with the top score in the entire county.
Holding the Zhongzhuan admission notice, she knew her gamble was half successful. The other half depended on whether she could graduate successfully.
This was because the Zhongzhuan exam was held earlier than the high school entrance exam.
After the results came out, Gu Yihan returned to her dorm, closed the door, and took a moment while packing to look around the place where she had lived for more than three years.
Over these years, she had received about 25 yuan in manuscript fees each month. Her ability was limited, so not every piece she submitted was published.
Even so, she was very content. After deducting the cost of things she bought for Grandma Gu on her monthly trips home and her own expenses, she still had 612 yuan.
In the current economic climate, having this much money meant she was better off than many families.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
“Why are you back so early? Didn’t you go to the cafeteria to eat?” Gu Yihan looked at Liu Huanhuan in confusion.
Seeing Gu Yihan packing, Liu Huanhuan didn’t answer her question, instead asking in surprise, “Gu Yihan, why are you packing up your bedding? Are you not staying in the dorm anymore?”
Gu Yihan replied as she packed, “I’m not going to high school. I got into a Zhongzhuan.”
Having lived with Liu Huanhuan for these few years, she knew she wasn’t a meddlesome person.
“Huanhuan, you know my family is from the countryside, just like yours. I have to rely on myself for everything.”
“Sigh, that’s fine too. You can get a job assignment right after graduating from a Zhongzhuan, which is pretty good. It’s just a pity. Your grades are so good, it’s a waste not to go to university,” Liu Huanhuan said with regret.
Gu Yihan feigned helplessness and said, “There’s nothing to be sorry about. My goal is to get into the city. I’ll be satisfied with a stable job assignment after graduating from a Zhongzhuan.”
Inwardly, however, she thought, I’m lying. She knew the college entrance exams were about to be suspended, and a large number of high school graduates would be sent down to the countryside as “educated youth” because there were no jobs.
Even those with city household registrations couldn’t find work, let alone those from the countryside. Without connections, and being a girl, she had to find a way out for herself.
Otherwise, she would just return to the village, find a suitable man to marry, and wait more than a decade for the economic reforms to begin.
If she didn’t take this gamble, she couldn’t guarantee what kind of person she would become after being worn down by life for over ten years.
Liu Huanhuan also sighed. “I wasn’t supposed to be able to study either, but I’m the only one in my family who can. Everyone at home hopes I can get into a university, get an assigned job, and help my older and younger brothers.”
Gu Yihan said against her conscience, “Then you should work hard.”
She couldn’t say that not just their class, but no one for the next eleven years would have the chance to take the college entrance exam.
Using all her strength, Gu Yihan carried her large bags and parcels to the spot where people waited for the ox cart back to the village. She saw the driver resting under a tree.
Gu Yihan said, panting, “Sir, when are you leaving?”
“Carrying so much stuff, huh? School’s out for the holidays, I see. Hurry and put it on the cart. We’ll leave after a few more people get here,” the ox-cart driver said as he helped Gu Yihan with her things.
Once her things were on the ox cart, Gu Yihan took out four White Rabbit creamy candies from her pocket and said, “Sir, for your little grandson to have a sweet treat.”
The driver saw they were White Rabbit candies, which were a real treat, so he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. You needed sugar ration coupons to buy them.
Before long, the cart was full. Gu Yihan didn’t recognize anyone; she had been away at school for so long that she knew few people from her own village.
The ox-cart driver climbed onto his seat and shouted, “Everyone sit tight, we’re off!”
The ox cart had just started moving when someone chased after it, shouting, “Wait, wait a minute!”
The ox-cart driver heard the voice and stopped the cart.
Laidi ran up to the side of the cart, out of breath. She squeezed her bottom onto the crowded cart, carving out just enough space for herself.
Once seated, she said, “Sir, you can go now.”
The ox-cart driver was helpless. They were all from the same village, so he couldn’t very well kick her off.
Gu Yihan glanced at Laidi out of the corner of her eye. She had been married off by Liu Zhaodi to an older, twice-divorced man who already had a son and a daughter.
The son was already in his third year of junior high, at the same school as Gu Yihan.
Laidi saw the luggage on the ox cart, and her shrill voice rang out, “Whose bags are these? Taking up so much space, I almost couldn’t get on the cart.”
Hearing the voice, Gu Yihan didn’t even raise her eyes, completely ignoring it.
Seeing that no one was paying her any mind, Laidi became even more agitated. “Cat got your tongue? Can’t get enough of taking advantage of others, now you’re playing dumb.” She rattled on and on.
The ox-cart driver, finally annoyed by her chatter, said, “That’s Han’s luggage. She’s on summer vacation.”
Only then did Laidi notice Gu Yihan sitting in the corner.
“Well, well, what shameful thing did you do to get expelled from school?” Laidi looked at Gu Yihan smugly. She knew very well that the third year of junior high wasn’t on summer vacation yet.
Her words stirred the curiosity of the other women on the ox cart.