The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 129 College Entrance Examination and Registration: An Unforgettable Day

Actually, even before dawn, the city of Haibin was already bustling with people.

Because the college entrance examination was reinstated after many years, this year's examination was organized hastily. In addition, there were many students taking the exam and their situations were complicated, which led to many things not being fully prepared, causing suffering for the candidates.

For example, the process of taking the exam now is different from before and in the future. Most candidates do not enter the exam room from high school classrooms, but from government agencies, factories, mines, or even rural production teams.

Therefore, the admission tickets were not distributed in advance, firstly because there was a lack of organized distribution conditions, and secondly because it was considered that the candidates might lose them.

Therefore, this year, the province's arrangement is that candidates first register, and after successful registration, the government arranges test centers and notifies the candidates of the test centers.

This means that candidates will have to register again when they arrive at the test center on the day of the exam. At this time, the test center staff will verify the candidates' identity information. Only after the verification is passed will they be issued an admission ticket, allowing the students to enter the test center and take the exam.

As a result, many candidates arrived at the test center early to wait, and although it didn't snow today, it was a windy day.

The north wind was like a pusher made of ice, shoving all the vegetation in the city bare.

After delivering the message, Qian Jin rushed to the study room on Tai'an Road. Along the way, he passed the school and saw many people stamping their feet to keep warm in the cold wind.

The test centers were bustling with activity.

In front of the No. 2 Middle School examination site, Su Mingyuan, a young man from the Duoyuan Commune who had been sent to the countryside, turned up the collar of his military overcoat, and the white breath he exhaled was torn apart by the wind as soon as he left his mouth.

He wasn't afraid of the cold; what he feared was an accident during the college entrance examination, which could change his destiny.

So he repeatedly opened his canvas backpack to look at the mimeographed exam location notice inside.

The test center notifications are still in effect.

His classmate and friend Chen Guang, who was also sent to the countryside in the same area, greeted him: "Mingyuan, don't stay here in the cold. Come on, let's go around the corner to avoid the wind."

The slogan "Strive to achieve the Four Modernizations" was painted in red on the wall at the corner of the highway. It was a freshly painted slogan, and the color was bright and vibrant.

At this moment, several candidates wearing dark blue Zhongshan suits and cotton-padded jackets were already taking shelter from the wind, and they were passing around a handwritten copy of "Essay Writing Series".

The pages of each book were curled and yellowed, clearly indicating that they had changed hands several times.

Su Mingyuan had no fear of writing essays; he didn't need to cram at the last minute, he just needed to make sure everything went smoothly.

So he touched the exam site notice in his canvas backpack again; the smell of ink seeped through the rough paper and onto his hands.

Someone noticed his composure and asked, "Comrade, when did you get here? Why is there snow on your head? It didn't snow today."

“That’s frost,” a girl said.

Su Mingyuan said, "We are educated youth sent to the countryside. We got up at four o'clock this morning and took the commune's tractor here."

"It was freezing cold then," someone exclaimed in surprise.

Chen Guang took out his test center notice and said, "I'm not afraid of the cold, as long as I can get this ladder to heaven."

"I will definitely get into university, Mingyuan, you will definitely get into university too!"

"Especially you, every speech you wrote for the commune leaders and every feedback you wrote for various learning activities received praise. Your writing skills are absolutely the best in the world. I'm sure you'll get into the Chinese Department of Peking University!"

The tone left no room for doubt.

Because they must take this path to change their fate.

"Make sure you've packed up your exam notification." A young man wearing a cotton military cap reminded him, "It's windy today, if it gets blown away, you won't be able to find it again."

Chen Guang was optimistic: "It doesn't matter. As long as we know where the exam is, that's fine. The most important thing is to keep the admission ticket safe after we get it."

"Excuse me, please move aside!" A girl in a blue cotton-padded jacket jumped off her bicycle, her basket stuffed with a Chinese textbook tied with hemp rope.

As Su Mingyuan turned to the side, he noticed that the rope wrapped around her Chinese textbook was about to break. He wanted to remind her, but the girl had already headed towards the school gate.

A crowd had already gathered at the school gate, with gray cotton-padded coats and navy blue Zhongshan suits mixed together, like shellfish stranded after the tide receded.

"My test center notification!" A scream pierced the morning mist.

The girl in the blue cotton-padded jacket had just turned the corner when a strong wind blew by, causing her books to rummage and a piece of paper to fly out.

The girl threw down her bicycle and ran after the pieces of paper that had been swept away by the wind, her woolen hat flapping behind her head like a wounded pigeon.

The crowd surged, and seven or eight hands reached out into the air at the same time.

Su Mingyuan saw the thin piece of paper fluttering in the morning light, passing the sign of "Seaside Waterworks", and finally getting stuck among the withered branches of the plane trees.

He rushed over, used the climbing skills he had honed during his time in the countryside to climb the tree, and grabbed the examination center notice.

Upon seeing this, the girl bowed to him in gratitude, her eyes filled with tears: "Thank you, comrade. If I had lost this, I would have had trouble getting my exam admission ticket later."

Su Mingyuan jumped down from the tree to hand it to her.

His gaze inadvertently swept over the test center notice, and his heart suddenly jumped: "Hey, why does your admission ticket look like this?"

The girl said in confusion, "I haven't received my exam admission ticket yet."

Su Mingyuan looked visibly flustered. He called out to Chen Guang, "Da Guang, come here. Her exam admission ticket and her exam location notice are different from ours."

The girl was puzzled: "It's Haibin No. 2 Middle School, so why is it different? This is an exam site notice delivered to my home by the neighborhood committee, there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Chen Guang was also puzzled. He ran over and took a look, showing his test center notice:

"Huh? You're talking about Haibin City No. 2 Middle School? We're Haibin City No. 2 People's Middle School, so we're quite different."

Among the crowd who had come to help chase after the girl to get the exam center notice, a kind-hearted person came over and asked, "Which exam center are you at? The Second People's Middle School of Haibin City? How did you get to the Second Middle School?"

Su Mingyuan said blankly, "We...we've inquired about it, it's Haibin No. 2 Middle School..."

"This is Haibin No. 2 Middle School, and you are Haibin No. 2 People's Middle School. It's not in the city, but in Qiaomi County. Actually, this school also has another name: Qiaomi No. 2 Middle School!" the helpful person explained.

Others who were knowledgeable also said, "Yes, No. 2 Middle School and No. 2 People's Middle School are not the same school."

"Qiaomi No. 2 Middle School is fucking insane. Why does it have to use the city's name? Many people don't understand and always think it's a school."

"Qiaomi No. 2 Middle School was built with the help of the city's No. 2 Middle School, not to take advantage of the city's location..."

Su Mingyuan and Chen Guang's expressions changed completely.

His face, which had been dark from sun exposure, turned deathly pale.

The girl understood what was going on and quickly raised her wrist to check: "It's 7:15 now, thank goodness, there's still more than an hour before the exam. How did you get here? Will you make it in time?"

One of the people who had been sheltering from the wind with them said, "Really? They came by commune tractor..."

"The commune's tractor came to the city's supply and marketing cooperative warehouse to pick up urea, but we don't know where it is now, or if it has left!" Su Mingyuan said in a panic.

Chen Guang shouted to the others, "Old Liu, Shi Tou, quickly inform the comrades that we've come to the wrong place! Our exam center isn't here!"

He was so anxious at the end that he almost cried.

Su Mingyuan patted his friend on the shoulder to comfort him, but also said with a touch of sadness, "It seems I won't be able to get into the Chinese Department of Peking University."

The surrounding crowd erupted in uproar.

A dozen or so young men ran over, all looking panicked.

Another student asked what was going on, and upon learning the situation, they panicked as well: "What? The Second People's Middle School isn't here? Me too, I was also going to the People's Middle School exam site!"

A commotion broke out in several groups of people, and the group of young people who had gathered together numbered thirty.

The north wind swept across the road and past them, bringing tears to some people's eyes. Sobs rose from the crowd, whether from the mournful wind or from anxious cries, it was hard to tell.

Another young man hurried over and said, "Come with me to Taishan Road. There are cars there, big trucks there. I'll see if I can find Principal Qian to take you down..."

The area in front of the classroom of the Taishan Road Study Task Force was bustling with activity.

Candidates who live nearby either walk, cycle, or take a bus to the test center, while half of the candidates whose test centers are relatively far away plan to take a bus to the test center.

Despite the freezing weather, the test takers didn't stay in the classroom; instead, they were all outside looking for classmates at the same test center to prepare for their departure.

They encouraged each other with great enthusiasm, answered each other's questions, and their breath rose from their mouths in white plumes, like clusters of flames.

When Qian Jin arrived, the first thing he saw were small trucks and lorries parked on the side of the road; he estimated there were more than ten of them.

The drivers gathered together to smoke and chat, and this was when they were most relaxed.

He was about to greet the drivers when nearby students stopped him and greeted him first.

Qian Jin nodded in response and said, "Not bad, you all look very energetic."

One middle-aged candidate in his thirties laughed and said, "I've been sleeping well these past two nights. I woke up last night feeling refreshed and energized."

"Principal Qian, the oryzanol and vitamin B1 you prescribed are really effective. I told my mom that she has insomnia and we're going to try them."

"Principal Qian, if I were to get into university, you'd deserve half the credit. It's all thanks to the meditation relaxation techniques you taught me; I was so nervous the other day..."

Someone excitedly said to Qian Jin, "Principal Qian, thank you so much for arranging the classroom. Before we came here, the thirty-eight educated youths in our commune who applied for the educated youth program could only find a warehouse and huddle around the stove to copy textbooks."

"Forget about hot water, there wasn't even an electric light. We relied entirely on a few kerosene lamps. At night, the kerosene lamps would cast our shadows onto the mud walls of the warehouse covered with newspapers, making us look like scholars reading at night in a shadow play."

Qian Jin pointed at the young man and said, "Good, your writing is quite good. You did very well on your Chinese exam today, and your essay will definitely become a model essay."

“Listen to my advice, study Chinese literature and become a journalist, but be a mouthpiece for the people, not a mouthpiece for capitalists and corrupt officials.”

The young man was greatly encouraged and said excitedly, "You've spoken my mind. I also want to study Chinese literature."

"From now on, I will definitely speak up for the working people. How could I possibly become a mouthpiece for capitalists and corrupt officials?"

Qian Jin patted him on the shoulder and said, "Then you must remember your mission and never forget your original aspiration! Let me give you a piece of advice: only by staying true to your original aspiration can you achieve your goal!"

Wei Xiongtu, standing nearby, stomped his feet and drew circles on the snow.

He stayed up all night to help students organize exam information. At this moment, ice crystals were stuck to the shoulders of his military overcoat, and the list he was holding was being whipped around by the strong north wind.

Upon seeing Qian Jin, he handed him a list of student exam locations: "Just follow this roll call when you wait for the bus, and you'll be fine."

"Captain Qian, eleven trucks, how about that? Did I let you down, bro? There are four new Jiefang CA10s alone, and our Fifth Team only has these four!" Qiao Jinbu poked his head out from the group of drivers, a Daqianmen cigarette dangling from his missing front tooth.

This 40-year-old driver is now full of vigor, and being with the young test-takers makes him feel young again.

Their convoy was very well organized for the occasion today, with red ribbons and big red flowers hanging on the front of the vehicles.

Wei Xiongtu wrote the words "College Entrance Examination Special Train" on a piece of cardboard and stuck it on the train window.

It looks quite professional.

Qian Jin took out some festive peony cigarettes and handed them out one by one, then gave each person a handful of candy: "These are the students' wedding candy, a congratulatory gift to wish them success in the imperial examinations. Let's all share in their joy."

The drivers thanked him, and one of the younger drivers asked him, "Captain Qian, what about those sunglasses and leather belts..."

"After I drop off the students, I'll treat everyone to a meal at a restaurant after the college entrance exam. We'll have everything you need!" Qian Jin nodded confidently at him.

The young driver laughed: "That's settled then!"

The pale dawn in the east turned orange-red as the sun rose, its first rays falling upon the city.

The slogans "Carry the proletarian movement through to the end" on the streets are gone, replaced by bright red paint that reads "Knowledge changes destiny".

The urgent ringing of a bicycle bell broke through the morning glow, and someone rushed over shouting, "Where's Principal Qian! Where's Principal Qian!"

Qian Jin scratched his head: "I'm not even a teacher, you should still call me Qian from now on..."

"Principal Qian! There are more than thirty students lying paralyzed at the entrance of No. 2 Middle School!" The young man rushed over to him after finding him, panting and his face was purple.

“Some of the educated youth from other places who came to our area for rural work mistook the Second People’s Middle School of Haibin City for the Second Middle School of Haibin City, and they are crying at the entrance of the examination site right now!”

Those around were dumbfounded: "Er Tu, what are you talking about? Isn't Haibin City Second People's Middle School the same as the Second Middle School of the city?"

Some people understood the difference and said, "What are you talking about? Haibin City Second People's Middle School isn't in the city, so how can it be called the City Second Middle School? It's in Qiaomi, so it should be called Qiaomi Second Middle School!"

The two rabbits who delivered the message nodded hurriedly.

Several more bicycles arrived, and they all started talking at once, recounting what had happened in front of the No. 2 Middle School exam site.

One of the bicycles carried a student representative who had gone to the wrong test center; that student was Su Mingyuan.

With red eyes, he said, "Principal Qian, please help us! Otherwise, we'll make a mistake and regret it for the rest of our lives!"

Qian Jin understood. He beckoned to the young man who was crying and asked him for a cup of hot tea, saying, "Don't panic, don't panic at any time. What's a grown man like you panicking about?"

"Remember this sentence, all men should remember this sentence: In good times, do not be overjoyed; in adversity, do not be discouraged; in times of peace, do not be extravagant; in times of danger, do not be afraid; those who have thunder in their hearts but calm on their faces can be appointed generals!"

"Don't worry, you'll all do well on the exam today, nothing will happen!"

After calming the agitated youth, he said, "You need a car to get to Qiaomi No. 2 Middle School right away, right? We have plenty of cars here!"

Several enthusiastic young people immediately showed joy.

Qian Jin looked at Qiao Jinbu.

Qiao Jinbu said, "I know Qiaomi No. 2 Middle School, which is Renmin No. 2 Middle School. It's about 50 kilometers away from here, but the roads are all flat and good, so there shouldn't be any problem sending it there."

"The Jiefang CA10 can go at a speed of 80 km/h, so it only takes about 40 minutes to get there," one driver said.

Qian Jin asked, "So, shouldn't we lend a hand now?"

He shouted to the drivers, "Drivers, the people need you now! The time for you to be tested by hardship has come!"

The drivers were thrilled when they heard this.

Qiao Jinbu shouted to a young man, "Jin Hai, you go and deliver it; you drive the fastest."

One of the men said, "There's still snow on the road. You want Jin Hai to run? He's too impetuous. Running too fast could cause an accident. I'll take him. Qiaomi is my hometown, and nobody knows the route better than me!"

"Then drive my car. It's brand new, so you don't have to worry about it breaking down on the road." Someone tossed the keys over.

The man said, "Okay, my car has been repaired too, but of course it's still not as good as a new car."

Qian Jin shouted, "Are there any students here who went to take the exam at the Second People's Middle School (not the Second Middle School)?"

The students all shook their heads.

Wei Xiongtu said, "We have 12 students going to the Second People's Middle School."

"I told them to set off last night and stay at relatives' houses or guesthouses first. They can't rush on the road in the morning, otherwise they won't perform well if they are in a hurry and are restless."

The driver got in the car and started it with a roar.

Qian Jin instructed, "Don't rush to leave when you get there. Wait a little longer, in case some people have gone to the wrong place."

"No need to rush on the way, there's plenty of time, and even if the exam starts, don't worry, you can get your admission ticket within half an hour of the exam starting and enter the exam room!"

Watching the truck drive away, Qian Jin sighed and said, "I hope no student will mistake the Second People's Middle School for the Second Middle School. If they do, it won't be easy to find a car from the county to get back to the city."

The students here also started getting on the bus to head to the test centers that were farther away.

They didn't need so many cars, so Qian Jin left four cars for temporary use.

He discussed with Qiao Jinbu, saying, "Our test takers won't need this car, and you'll have plenty of use for it. You can drive around the test centers in the city and you'll definitely pick up a lot of careless students or those who went to the wrong test center because they didn't understand the situation."

"Just consider it doing a good deed and helping them out. Who knows, you might even get a few thank-you notes in the end."

Qiao Jinbu said, "Okay, I'll take them for a walk."

All the cars left.

All candidates left.

The study room, which had been bustling for several days, fell silent for the first time.

The north wind swept past the doorway, carrying scattered fragments of drafts. The empty classroom was filled only with desks and chairs, awaiting them.

Qian went inside to check the flames in the furnace.

The last flame in the furnace went out in his hands, and half of the unburnt geometric draft was still curled up in the bluish-gray embers.

Frost had formed on the windowpane, and one of the test takers carved the words "passing the imperial examination with flying colors" on it with a knife. Others wrote words like "going to university".

As the morning glow bursts forth and enters the study room through the glass, the soft light is fragmented into scattered spots by the handwriting.

Wei Xiongtu bent down to pick up the scattered manuscript paper and mimeographed test papers, and the pile of them was more than ten centimeters high.

Qian Jin walked past the crippled desks propped up with bricks, the newspapers pasted on the walls were no longer legible, and were covered with all kinds of problems and calculations written by students against the walls.

Wei Xiongtu stood on the podium, gazing at the rows of tables and chairs, his face filled with melancholy.

Qian Jin said, "Brother-in-law, let's go. Lock the door, we should go to work."

"What, you're reluctant to leave this place?"

Wei Xiongtu sighed and said, "I really enjoy being a teacher."

Qian Jin said, "So you refused the transfer order from the propaganda department?"

Wei Xiongtu said, "No, it's just that I felt you needed help. Now that you're the brigade leader, you need someone with a pen by your side."

A warm feeling welled up in Qian Jin's heart.

He patted Wei Xiongtu on the shoulder and said, "Trust me, in another ten years or so, I will definitely make you the principal!"

Wei Xiongtu thought he was bragging and teased, "You're the principal, Principal Qian, aren't you?"

Qian Jin said, "This might actually come true in the future!"

He knew that after the reform and opening up, the country would gradually allow social forces to participate in running schools, breaking the previous situation where public education was completely dominant.

Although it's unclear exactly when it started, private vocational schools existed at least in the 1980s or even the 1990s, and private junior colleges will be everywhere afterward. Once the reform and opening up began, wouldn't making money be easy?
We'll set up a school then.

We should run schools properly and make some contributions to the cause of socialist education.

Based on his understanding of the future, he is confident that he can cultivate talent once he establishes a vocational school, because he knows the technological development direction of many industries.

The gradually closing doors squeezed the rosy light into golden threads.

The door is closed.

The morning glow, along with some of the past, is locked inside this big house.

Looking through the glass of the door and window, Wei Xiongtu saw a Hero fountain pen lying quietly on the lectern, the red five-pointed star on the cap facing him.

That was his red ink fountain pen.

The red paper at the door stood firm in the cold wind, the writing on it still clear:

Autumn goes and winter comes, we study by the light of fireflies and snow; spring returns and summer arrives, we pluck the laurel in the moon palace!
He waved silently and muttered to himself: May all my classmates achieve top marks in the college entrance examination.

The two rode their bikes to work, and on the way they could see many candidates rushing to the exam sites.

Some rural educated youth were still making the most of their last moments on the tractor to the exam site, memorizing the notes of knowledge points in their pockets.

Many people recited ancient poems while riding their bicycles.

A group of young people with weathered faces slowly made their way to the examination site. The two of them went up to inquire and learned that these people had come from a production team that had been sent to the countryside nearby.

Qian Jin asked about the location of the examination center, quickly calculated the bus routes, bought tickets for the young people, and put them on the bus so they could take the bus to the examination center.

However, there were some unexpected situations where there was nothing that could be done. A 35-year-old student from the "Old Three Classes" broke his glasses, and Qian Jin was helpless. The student was extremely anxious: "I am highly myopic, and I can't even see the words without my glasses."

Wei Xiongtu could only offer him suggestions, finding a relatively large lens and saying, "Just make do with this. Use one pair of glasses to look at this lens as a magnifying glass. That's all you can do."

Qian Jin thought of the glue he used to repair bicycles, took out a bottle of glue from his bag, and used it to fix the lens.

This glue can also bond silicon-based glass, but the evaporation of the glue is very irritating to the eyes, though it's better than being blind.

On their way to work, Qian Jin laughed heartily, "We've done a whole bunch of good deeds!"

Wei Xiongtu also laughed.

My sister found a very kind man to be her husband, which is great.

When we arrived at work, the topic of discussion was today's college entrance examination.

Liu Jinshan said, "I saw some people bringing their children to the exam hall. One father was carrying a baby on his back. He said that the child's mother had gone back to the city and left the two of them behind. He had to take the exam, so he had to bring the child with him."

Wei Xiongtu exclaimed, "This is like going into battle with 'little comrades'!"

Qian Jin asked, "Will this work? If a child cries in the classroom, how are the other students supposed to answer the questions?"

Liu Jinshan shook his head: "I don't know, but he really did bring the child into the exam room. I saw it with my own eyes."

Wang Hao laughed and said, "I saw something interesting. There were some test takers from the countryside at the Hongxing Elementary School test center."

"His family came to see him off to the exam, but when the teacher handed out the admission tickets to the students, his family thought they had received university admission letters and started setting off firecrackers!"

Liu Jinshan said dismissively, "These country bumpkins are just stupid."

Qian Jin asked, "Where's your grandfather?"

Liu Jinshan was taken aback, then said awkwardly, "Ah? Captain Qian, you're also from the countryside? No, you're different from them, you..."

“No, I heard that your grandfather was from the countryside, so doesn’t your assessment of him also apply to him?” Qian Jin interrupted him.

Liu Jinshan stammered, "Yes, yes, my grandpa is indeed a bit silly."

Qian Jin shook his head.

Nothing more to say.

That grandson is so unfilial.

Wei Xiongtu glanced at the time and said, "The exams are starting now. The first subject is Chinese..."

Students were seated in the examination rooms at each test center.

The Jiefang truck lingered at the No. 2 Middle School for twenty minutes, eventually picking up more than ten students who had gone to the wrong exam venue, and then took them together to the No. 2 People's Middle School, fifty kilometers away.

Even after Su Mingyuan, Chen Guang, and the others took their admission tickets and sat down, they were still filled with anxiety.

But when the proctor entered the classroom, the test papers were being distributed with a rustling sound.

Su Mingyuan's mood suddenly calmed down.

He recalled the words spoken by the young principal, who was about his age:

In good times, do not be overjoyed; in adversity, do not be discouraged; in times of peace, do not be extravagant; in times of danger, do not be afraid. One who can have thunder in his heart but a calm face is worthy of being a general.

He took a deep breath, took the test paper, and glanced at it briefly.

This year, due to the hasty resumption of the college entrance examination, each province set its own exam questions.

The Chinese language exam in this province only has three questions, with a special note that science students only need to write the essay, and the other two questions are not required.

The short page contained nine lines of questions, with the essay titled "An Unforgettable Day".

He laughed at the question.

Today is an unforgettable day, and that young principal is an unforgettable person.

Someone else felt the same way as him.

This is naturally Wei Qinghuan.

She was proctoring an exam today, so she went to the night school exam site early this morning.

It was quite interesting. After the Chinese exam this morning, a student boldly approached her and asked, "Hello, teacher, do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend?"

Wei Qinghuan often encountered this kind of topic, but she had never felt like laughing as much as she did today:
"Hello, comrade, I'm about to set off to find my partner. We've arranged to take wedding photos at noon today, and we'll get our marriage certificate tomorrow afternoon after the exam."

The candidate left with regret.

Wei Qinghuan was not trying to fool this candidate.

After finishing her exam in the morning, she took a car back to Taishan Road. The wind was strong and the sun was shining brightly. The tree branches swayed in the wind, and the sunlight was scattered into small fragments on the roadside.

Wei Qinghuan walked to the state-run photo studio on Taishan Road to wait. With nothing to do, she took out her favorite silver necklace from under her scarf.

The small glass piece on the bow shone with a light she had never seen before in the sunlight; she had only ever read about diamonds having such a light in books.

After a while, she tiptoed and looked back the way she came. The white Warrior shoes she had specially changed into today made two small swirls in the snow.

The photo studio's window was covered with a layer of icy silk, and inside were display photos: family portraits with military medals on, photos of educated youth returning to the city in work clothes, and glamorous solo photos of young women.

Wei Qinghuan pulled her scarf down and used the glass as a mirror.

In the hazy reflection, she saw that the tip of her nose wasn't red from the cold this time, and she breathed a sigh of relief, then combed her black hair again.

She heard a screeching sound of brakes behind her, and as she turned around, her scarf billowed out, revealing a happy smile.

Qian Jin had a satchel hanging from the handlebars of his old bicycle, which, as always, contained quite a lot of things.

"Your exams finished pretty early, were you getting impatient?" Qian Jin pulled a lunchbox wrapped in a cotton cover from the bicycle basket, steaming hot as he opened it. "I brought you some food, eat first."

Wei Qinghuan said, "Take a picture first. I see there are quite a lot of people inside, so we'll probably have to wait in line."

Qian Jin said confidently, "With our status, how could we not even have the face to cut in line?"

Wei Qinghuan then changed her mind: "Then I'll eat first, let's not cut in line, it's not good for your reputation."

Qian Jin chuckled.

He stopped the car and, as if by magic, pulled a sprig of winter plum blossom from his sleeve, its slender branches still covered in ice: "I saw this on the way here, so I thought I'd give it to you as a gift."

Wei Qinghuan tucked the flowers into the folds of her scarf, their subtle fragrance wafting through the air. She laughed and said, "Have I become the Flower Girl of North Korea?"

Qian Jin said, "No, you're going to be my wife."

Wei Qinghuan smiled and patted his arm, then followed him into the photo studio.

The photo studio was indeed quite crowded, with most of the people being test takers.

Qian Jin learned from their conversation that they were all educated youth who had come to the city to take the college entrance examination. Some of them were going back to the city, while others had to wait for the results in the countryside. So they wanted to take photos to remember the occasion.

Photographer Zhou turned his head and saw him, and immediately waved happily: "Chief Qian, your time is precious, come on, let me take your picture first."

Qian Jin shook his head and declined: "It's alright, we have time at noon, we'll queue up."

He led Wei Qinghuan to a secluded corner.

Wei Qinghuan asked, "Do you want to eat here?"

Qian Jin said, "No, I'm going to do your makeup."

He said he would do Wei Qinghuan's makeup, but in reality, he still had to rely on Wei Qinghuan herself.

But this time the makeup was very simple, just applying lipstick, foundation, and fixing my hair.

The red light from the darkroom of the photo studio shone through the crack in the door, casting a warm-colored river on the floor.

Wei Qinghuan laughed when she saw him take out a small mirror: "You're so thoughtful, I didn't even think of putting on makeup."

"This little mirror is so delicate and beautiful."

Qian Jin said, "This is a gift for you. I happened to find it on the black market. Look how nice this lipstick is. I got it by exchanging it with my overseas remittance certificates."

This lipstick has a simple and rustic shape, but it uses court carving techniques and has a very pure oriental beauty.

The carved pattern is simple, depicting misty rain and falling flowers.

He didn't know how to match lipstick shades with people, so he chose a matte, glossy version, which was advertised as versatile because it wouldn't drastically change his lip color.

The foundation I bought was very simple; it was just for concealing blemishes and brightening, with the aim of making Wei Qinghuan's complexion look more rosy and radiant under strong light.

Wei Qinghuan did a quick makeup and tidied her bangs in front of the mirror, while Qian Jin signed the register.

After the two people signed their names, the photo studio clerk reminded him, "Chief Qian, you need to write down the relationship."

Qian Jin said, "We'll get our marriage certificate tomorrow. Is it okay to write 'married' on the paperwork today?"

"Write 'revolutionary comrades'," the waiter laughed.

Finally, it was the two of them's turn to take photos.

Good things come to those who wait. The waiter came over and asked, "Chief Qian, could you please be so kind as to let these two comrades cut in line?"

"The man is a railway soldier. He's going to the Chengdu-Kunming Railway this afternoon. He came here today with his girlfriend to take a photo because they're short on time."

Master Zhou hurriedly looked up and said, "It's Chief Qian's turn now. How can we let him cut in line?"

Qian Jin was taken aback. "Dude, you're so influential in the neighborhood now?"

He quickly stepped back: "Master Zhou, you're too kind, but the People's Liberation Army comrades have priority."

"Thank you, comrade." The young man in the green uniform smiled at him with a shy girl and went inside to sit down first.

Qian Jin waved his hand: "No, please don't be so polite. It's what I should do."

"Learn from Dazhai in agriculture, learn from Daqing in industry, and learn from the People's Liberation Army nationwide. Please go first."

Master Zhou smiled at him: "Then Chief Qian, please wait a moment. Actually, it's good to wait a while. I see there aren't many people behind us. I'll show you my skills and take a good picture of you later."

Qian Jin scratched his backside, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with this fawning attitude.

Wei Qinghuan saw through it all and said in a low voice, "Did you get some leverage over him, or does he have some demands of you?"

Qian Jin was puzzled: "I don't know."

The PLA soldiers started taking pictures.

"Get closer!" Photographer Lao Zhou lifted the black velvet cloth. "Male comrades should put their hands on female comrades' shoulders to show the class feelings of revolutionary comrades."

Qian Jin took the opportunity to fix Wei Qinghuan's hair again.

The faded velvet curtains let in the winter sun, and as the female teacher bent down to adjust the collar of her coat, the soft down on the back of her neck trembled.

The silver chain gleamed.

After much hesitation, Wei Qinghuan still did not reveal it.

The style doesn't match the clothes.

After the PLA soldiers and their partners finished taking photos, Master Zhou smiled at Qian Jin and asked, "Commander Qian, what kind of photo would you and Teacher Wei like to take?"

Qian Jin said, "We're getting married..."

"Oh, a wedding photo without a hat?" Master Zhou hurriedly cupped his hands in greeting. "Congratulations, congratulations!"

"A talented man and a beautiful woman, a match made in heaven."

"Then I'll take a few more pictures for you, and you can choose the best ones later. Two of you, come closer," Master Zhou said, sticking his head out from behind his camera.

Qian Jin brazenly leaned close to Wei Qinghuan, and Wei Qinghuan tentatively rested her head on his shoulder.

Immediately, he smelled the soap scent on the female teacher's hair, but unfortunately, the photo studio always had the smell of developing chemicals, which affected his mood.

The tips of the female teacher's white shoes carefully touched his black leather shoes, like two cautious seashells probing each other.

"No need to be so tight, haha, spread them out a little," Master Zhou instructed again.

Qian Jin, why are you talking so much nonsense?

He put his arm around Wei Qinghuan's slender waist and said, "Let's shoot like this, Master Zhou. I think being a little intimate is fine."

The female teacher flinched slightly when her knee touched the crease of Qian Jindi's trousers.

She was a traditional lesbian born in the 1950s, and she was not the same as a shameless future loser like Qian Jin.

But she did not reject Qian Jin's affection and silently cooperated with his instructions.

Master Zhou really took the photos very seriously for them. While others just snapped a couple of shots and that was it, they needed to make all sorts of adjustments and tweaks here and there.
"Lady, tidy up your sideburns and let your earrings show. They're such beautiful earrings. They must have been a gift from Chief Qian, right? Chief Qian is a good man who dotes on his wife."

"Male comrade, tilt your head to the left. Yes, Chief Qian, you must show your extraordinary revolutionary spirit."

"You don't need to smile so brightly, Chief Qian, showing too many teeth doesn't look good..."

A clicking sound rang out.

"Let's try a different position and do it again," Master Zhou said with a smile.

It took more than ten shots to finish taking the picture.

Qian Jin had some doubts.

Seeing that no one was coming from behind, he simply said, "Master Zhou, you've been so good to me, I'm very grateful to you, so please just tell me if there's anything you need."

Master Zhou rubbed his hands together: "Hehe, everyone says that Chief Qian is straightforward, and he really lives up to his reputation."

"Since you've figured it out, I won't waste any more words. Here's the thing: my son is going back to the city, but he doesn't have a suitable job. I'd like to know if it's possible for him to work in your labor shock brigade?"

Qian Jin said, "That's no problem."

The labor commando team needed to be replenished with more manpower.

Master Zhou chuckled: "Then you'll have to ask Director Wei for help."

Qian Jin sneered, "I can make this decision myself. Let him go tomorrow..."

Wei Qinghuan suddenly stepped in front of him, pretending to straighten his collar, and gave him a wink.

Qian Jin was baffled.

Master Zhou was even happier: "Then let me take a few more photos of you two?"

Qian Jin shook his head: "No need for today. Master Zhou, I'll trouble you again later. I happen to have enough daily industrial goods purchase vouchers. Otherwise, when you have time later, could you take some full-body photos of us? Color photos, please."

Photographic consumables such as film and photographic paper are planned industrial products that can be purchased with daily industrial product purchase coupons.

He didn't have much money in hand, so he didn't initially plan to take any proper wedding photos. But since Master Zhou had asked him for a favor, he believed that the other party could find a way to solve the problem.

Sure enough, Master Zhou readily agreed, "No problem!"

Qian Jin led Wei Qinghuan out and asked in a low voice, "Why were you giving me that look just now?"

Wei Qinghuan said, "If something is unusual, there must be a reason."

"The son of the photo studio owner has to be so obsequious to get into the neighborhood labor task force? My dear captain, be careful, something's up!"

Qian Jin exclaimed, "Then you may not know much about our assault team. Our assault team is different from other streets now. We are pretty awesome."

Wei Qinghuan didn't argue with him. She smiled, straightened his clothes, and said, "See you tonight."

(End of this chapter)