The next day, Lin Baiyu and everyone interested in the teaching positions registered according to the requirements listed in the notice.
Although Lin Baiyu had never formally stood on a podium to teach, she had already unlocked the “teacher” skill, and ever since university, giving presentations had been second nature to her.
During the few days before the examination, she borrowed Lin Wenhu’s elementary school textbooks and carefully reviewed her old textbooks and class notes.
Now that she had a goal, her days became fulfilling, carrying a sense of peaceful contentment.
The village, however, was anything but peaceful, and she learned this from Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin during dinner.
These teaching positions had become highly coveted opportunities.
After all, life had improved considerably compared to those difficult years. People no longer had to live under the double torment of natural disasters and political persecution.
Though strong young laborers in the village could earn ten work points a day, being a teacher meant not having to work in the fields while still earning work points, and it was said that there was even a monthly subsidy of five yuan.
Thus, after registration ended, the village appeared calm on the surface while currents stirred beneath.
One day, the production team leader’s countless relatives would come by to “visit family,” while the next day the principal of the village school would receive everyone’s enthusiastic greetings.
By the following day, another group would come “paying visits” and “seeing relatives.”
Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin had unintentionally run into such scenes several times. In the end, overwhelmed by the constant disturbances, the production team leaders, the principal, and even the teachers at the village school all shut their doors to visitors.
Lin Baiyu could not help thinking that every era had its people who relied on connections and backdoor dealings.
Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin had also tentatively asked whether she wanted to seek help through connections, and Lin Baiyu told them her thoughts.
Seeing her upright character and confidence in her own abilities, the two elders were naturally delighted.
Lin Baiyu had confidence in herself. Besides, even if someone managed to obtain the answers in advance, wouldn’t others do the same?
This examination involved three villages. There were too many candidates and too few positions. Who knew what kind of chaos might arise in the end?
If everyone got full marks, then that would truly become a spectacle.
In the end, real ability mattered most. Even if someone had obtained the answers beforehand, what would happen if unforeseen circumstances caused the examination papers to be changed?
And although Lin Baiyu had nothing against taking shortcuts, the teaching profession was special.
Even if one regarded teaching merely as a means of making a living and lacked lofty ideals, one should still uphold the most basic principles.
Integrity was the foundation of both life and work. Without honesty, a person could not stand firmly. If one lacked even the most basic professional ethics and focused only on favoritism and corruption, how could one speak of educating others?
Thinking this, Lin Baiyu decided to write an article about integrity. If it managed to attract readers’ attention, all the better. If not, she would at least have contributed to promoting proper moral values in society.
Of course, she had not forgotten to exchange the gossip she had heard from Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin for melon eating points. She now had five points again.
In the blink of an eye, examination day arrived.
After eating the eggs and corn cakes prepared by Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin, Lin Baiyu headed to the village school.
Along the way, she encountered villagers and several Educated Youths and thought there were quite a lot of people.
But when she arrived at the school, she realized she had underestimated the appeal of these jobs. Nearly a hundred people had come to compete for only three positions.
After entering the examination room, she discovered that Xie Qingyuan was seated directly behind her. Though surprised, she quickly put it out of her mind.
Lin Baiyu had always approached things seriously. After all, she had fought her way into a prestigious university despite limited educational resources, carving out a path through the highly competitive examination system.
Throughout the test, she concentrated wholeheartedly. More than half an hour before time was up, she had already finished answering all the questions.
Looking up, she noticed that some people had already left while most of the others were still racking their brains.
After checking her paper one final time and finding no mistakes or omissions, she handed it in.
What puzzled her slightly was that Xie Qingyuan also stood up and handed in his paper shortly afterward.
Still, surprise was just a surprise. The two had never exchanged a single word, so she assumed it was merely a coincidence.
Because Xie Qingyuan stood up right after her, Lin Baiyu happened to catch a glimpse of his paper as she turned to leave.
His handwriting truly matched the impression he gave. His name sounded pleasant, and his penmanship was equally elegant, she thought.
Feeling refreshed after finishing the exam, Lin Baiyu never noticed Xie Qingyuan following several steps behind her.
After hearing her thoughts, the cold expression on Xie Qingyuan’s face cracked ever so slightly.
He had actually finished before Lin Baiyu. After checking his answers, he had quietly observed this girl who seemed different from everyone else in the village.
Ever since the examination papers had been distributed, he had stopped hearing her thoughts. From that, Xie Qingyuan concluded that she must be someone who took things very seriously.
Though he still had no idea why he could hear Lin Baiyu’s inner voice, he was not the type to torment himself over things he could not understand.
For some inexplicable reason, he had complete confidence in her and believed that she, like himself, would certainly obtain one of the elementary school teaching positions.
Once they worked together, perhaps the mystery would gradually unravel.
Little did he know that before he ever discovered the truth, he would eventually come to believe that it was simply fate.
After the examinations ended, the village truly settled down. Those who had once viewed one another as rivals seemed to become harmonious again.
Lin Baiyu resumed her normal routine of exercising, writing, and helping at Doctor Lin’s house.
During this period, she made another trip into the city and submitted the article she had written about integrity.
Three days later, the examination results were announced, and at the same time, a shocking incident came to light.
Upon hearing that the results had been posted, Lin Baiyu went with everyone else to read the notice.
There, written clearly in black characters on red paper, were the names Lin Baiyu and Xie Qingyuan.
Two elementary school teachers were being recruited, and Lin Baiyu and Xie Qingyuan were tied for first place.
Only one junior middle school teacher was being recruited, and the top scorer was an older Educated Youth from the neighboring village named Zhang Guangcan.
Both Lin Baiyu and Xie Qingyuan had achieved perfect scores in the two subjects, while Zhang Guangcan had scored ninety points. Even so, Zhang Guangcan’s score was ten points higher than the second place candidate for the junior middle school position.
Immediately, everyone’s eyes turned toward the three of them.
But before long, their attention was drawn away by an exclamation.
“Hey! Why are all these people at the bottom getting zero points?”
Zero points?
At those words, everyone quickly shifted their gaze back to the notice.
To their astonishment, nearly half of the candidates had scored zero.
“What’s going on?”
“Why are there so many zeros?”
“I got zero? That’s impossible! There must be some mistake…”
“I think so too. Come on, let’s find the production team leader and get an explanation.”
As the voices of doubt grew louder, the leaders of the three villages, the principal of the village school, and the deputy secretary of the commune had somehow appeared beside the crowd.