Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

"...While focusing on students' academic performance, we should pay even more attention to their mental well-being..."

"...For example, take a candidate I met in the exam hall. Not only did he hand in his paper early for every exam, but he also boasted that he wouldn't go to any university other than Fudan University..."

"...That is precisely why we should pay more attention to the psychological state of the test takers, and prevent the story of Fan Jin passing the imperial examination from being repeated in modern times..."

Wang Chengpeng: ...? ? ?
Upon hearing the familiar female voice on the radio, Wang Chengpeng instantly recognized her as the woman who had interviewed him at the entrance of the No. 1 Middle School.

Wang Chengpeng never expected that he would become the counterexample in Kong Xueyan's eyes. No wonder that after talking to him once, she would leave as soon as she saw him and had no intention of talking to him any longer.

What about the most basic trust between people?

I told you the truth, but you never believed me at all?
Wang Chengpeng expressed his deep hurt, especially after Wang Meiyan innocently remarked after hearing Kong Xueyan's words:

"Brother, what a coincidence! The aunt on the radio is talking about the same person as you, who also insists on going to Fudan University."

"But I think there's a difference between you two, and that is, the people on the radio are just bragging."

"And you, my brother, you are a man of real talent!"

Wang Chengpeng: ...? ? ?
Is it possible that the person being talked about on the radio is me?

However, Wang Chengpeng naturally couldn't expose his embarrassing moment, so he could only say expressionlessly:

"That is indeed quite different."

"Xiao Yan, quickly change the channel, this channel isn't good."

"Pay attention to the mental well-being of college entrance examination candidates?"

Do you think our family member taking the college entrance exam needs to pay attention to this kind of thing?

Wang Meiyan glanced subconsciously at Zhu Hong chopping wood in the woodshed and at the calm and composed Wang Chengpeng in front of her, then nodded and said:

"This show is really not worth watching, let's change the channel and listen to some music..."

……

Soon after New Year's Day, an important day arrived: the release of the college entrance examination results.

Although the lack of information dissemination and the historical context meant that there wasn't as much attention paid to college entrance exam scores, they still garnered significant attention within certain circles, especially within the education sector.

Inside the principal's office at No. 1 Middle School.

Principal Cao Deming was completely bewildered at this point, and even confirmed with the person on the other end of the phone several times before muttering to himself:
"How is that possible? How could the top scorer in the college entrance examination come from our small, underdeveloped town?"

"Three hundred and ninety-eight points! That's a full three hundred and ninety-eight points! The maximum score is only four hundred!"

Even though Cao Deming's eyes were full of disbelief, the facts are the facts and will not change just because they are too incredible.

After accepting this seemingly unreal premise, Cao Deming instantly became delighted.

Even in this era where scores aren't widely publicized, it's still something worth promoting and showcasing that the top scorer in the college entrance examination came from their own school.

At that time, my school, which was originally unremarkable, might also be able to ride the wave of the top scorer in the college entrance examination and soar to become a well-known school.

"Wang Chengpeng..."

Thinking this, Cao Deming kept repeating the name of the top scorer in the college entrance examination, but he had already made up his mind and started to arrange the next steps.

I must visit Comrade Wang Chengpeng's home to convey the school's congratulations and best wishes, so that I will have publicity materials.

Thinking this, Cao Deming felt he couldn't stay in the office any longer, so he rushed out and quickly made arrangements for going to Wangjia Village.

On the other hand, Cao Deming was completely unaware of Wang Chengpeng's arrangements.

1977 was the first year that the college entrance examination had just been reinstated, and the results were not yet released.

Although Wang Chengpeng was extremely confident in his abilities, he could not publicize that he might be the top scorer in the college entrance examination before everything was settled.

He wasn't high-profile, and he would never do anything he wasn't sure of.

……

Perhaps it was because the fact that his school had produced a top scorer in the college entrance examination was so shocking that even though he had only borrowed the name, Cao Deming was still incredibly excited.
After preparing for quite some time, Cao Deming finally went to Wangjia Village with Zhou Lijun, the office director.

Although he wasn't familiar with Wang Chengpeng, Wang Chengpeng had left his address when he registered, so Cao Deming wasn't worried about not being able to find him.

On the way to Wangjia Village, his eyes were filled with disbelief, and he had asked the same question for the fifth time:

"Principal Cao, how is this possible? How could a top scorer in the college entrance examination come from our poor, remote area?"

Cao Deming glared at Zhou Lijun with annoyance and shouted:
"You better watch your step, kid. What do you mean 'impossible'? This is a done deal, how could it be false?"

"Besides, there's more than one person in our school who did well on the exam. I heard that several people have passed the cutoff score for top universities. It's truly a place with outstanding people and resources."

"With this achievement, I might be able to move up a level later on."

"Listen carefully later, you must write an excellent report on the top scorer in the college entrance examination."

"It's not enough to just do this well; the publicity also needs to keep up. If anything goes wrong, you'll be held responsible."

After Cao Deming repeatedly reminded him, Zhou Lijun realized the importance of this matter and immediately patted his chest to assure him:
“Principal Cao, don’t you trust me to handle things? I guarantee I’ll do this perfectly.”

Seeing this, Cao Deming nodded in satisfaction. It wasn't that he didn't trust Zhou Lijun; otherwise, he wouldn't have brought him along to Wangjia Village.

However, Zhou Lijun is still young, and there are some things that need to be carefully taught, otherwise, if his carelessness kicks in, things might not be handled well.

Just as Cao Deming was plotting to climb the ranks by riding on the coattails of Wang Chengpeng, the top scorer in the college entrance examination, Zhou Lijun seemed to suddenly remember something and asked with a gossipy look on his face:

“Principal Cao, I saw Director Liu running over to your place the other day. I wonder what important matter he had to discuss.”

The Director Liu mentioned by Zhou Lijun is named Liu Chunsheng, who is the deputy director of the Shanghe City Education Bureau, and is in charge of matters related to schools.

Upon hearing Zhou Lijun's question, Cao Deming, who had been humming a tune, immediately changed his expression and loudly rebuked Zhou Lijun:
"Xiao Zhou, don't pry into things you shouldn't be asking about, or you'll ruin your future!"

Upon hearing Cao Deming's warning, Zhou Lijun immediately fell silent, daring not to utter another word.

He knew that what he had just said must have offended Cao Deming, otherwise he wouldn't have been so furious.

He immediately suppressed his curiosity and followed Cao Deming on his way.

Wangjia Village is not far from Hetian Town, and even with some minor hiccups along the way, we still arrived at our destination within half an hour.

Since they were not familiar with Wangjia Village, the two got off their bicycles as soon as they arrived at the village entrance, trying to find someone familiar with the villagers to ask about the situation.

Although the villagers of Wangjia Village loved to join in the fun, Cao Deming and Zhou Lijun were too imposing and clearly not people to be trifled with, so they only dared to watch from afar.

After pushing their bicycles for a while, the two finally found the nearest villager's house and asked about Wang Chengpeng's family situation:

"Comrade, we are looking for Comrade Wang Chengpeng. Do you know if he lives in Wangjia Village, and if so, where exactly is he located?"

Since he was asking for help, Zhou Lijun's tone was very polite, which eased Aunt Zhang's previous tension. She then began to speak rapidly, like a machine gun, rattling off words:

"Comrade Wang? We do have a comrade named Wang Chengpeng in our village."

"But you have to tell me exactly why you want to see him, otherwise I can't tell you where he lives."

Wang Chengpeng is the darling of Wangjia Village, and Aunt Zhang is very protective of him.

Although it's not yet Chinese New Year, there are already rumors about the work point redemption plan for Wangjia Village this year.

Thanks to the existence of Dapeng Sugar Factory, work points that would normally only be worth a few cents can now be exchanged for one or two yuan.

Although the main production was concentrated on sugar beets, resulting in a smaller share of grain, it was negligible compared to the extra money received.

It is precisely for this reason that Wangjia Village has an exceptional fondness for Wang Chengpeng, who proposed the idea of ​​establishing a sugar factory.

In addition, Wang Chengpeng's selfless act of lending books to help everyone take the college entrance exam has made him a key figure to be protected in the village.

Zhou Lijun cast an inquiring glance at Cao Deming, and only after the latter nodded did he speak:

"It's nothing much, it's just that Comrade Wang achieved excellent results in the previous college entrance examination, and he is a very outstanding candidate."

"We are both staff members of No. 1 Middle School, and we are here on behalf of the school to commend Comrade Wang."

Recognition is something that can't be done discreetly, and since neither of them intended to be discreet, they directly stated their purpose.

An outstanding candidate?

Upon hearing Zhou Lijun's description, Aunt Liu's eyes lit up, and she said:
"So you two are comrades from No. 1 Middle School. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hey, I'm not surprised at all that Comrade Wang did well on the college entrance exam."

"That's true. It would be strange if Comrade Wang, who is both outstanding and helpful, didn't do well on the exam."

Zhou Lijun coughed lightly, interrupting Aunt Liu's rambling, and urged:

"Comrade, please tell us where Comrade Wang lives. This is quite urgent."

"If possible, please tell us the location of the brigade as well, so we can go there to take a look."

Instead of being annoyed by the interruption, Aunt Liu said somewhat embarrassedly:
"Hey, look at me, I've started rambling on and on."

"Comrade Wang's house is on that road over there. Just keep going straight until you reach a house that looks relatively wealthy."

"As for the main force, you have to go in another direction. It's still quite a distance, so you'll have to ride for a while longer."

Listening to Aunt Liu's description, Zhou Lijun felt a headache coming on.

Rural terrain is inherently complex, and there are few surface signs, so it's not always possible to find a place based solely on verbal descriptions.

Thinking this, Zhou Lijun spoke again, saying:

"Comrade, you're right, but I still have some trouble finding the place."

"How about this, I'll ride one bicycle with this comrade, and you ride mine and lead the way for us?"

"Go to the brigade first, and then ask the village to help you find the way."

At this point, Zhou Lijun took out a dollar from his pocket and handed it over: "I won't let you help for nothing. Consider this dollar as compensation for taking up your time."

Smiling broadly, Aunt Liu accepted the money, patting her chest as she assured her:
"You city folks are so generous, you just give the money away like that."

"Alright, I'll lead the way for you right away."

Money really does make things easier. Aunt Liu was too lazy to dry her own radish strips anymore, so she rode Zhou Lijun's bicycle ahead and led the way.

It's already January, and there's basically no production activity. Everyone is busy with their own family matters.

Pickling sauerkraut, making pickled radishes, cleaning cellars, repairing houses, mending clothes, ...

If we don't take advantage of winter to prepare for next year, we'll have a tough time next year.

Moreover, the most important festival of the year, the Spring Festival, is just around the corner. If we don't prepare properly, the year might not be going to be easy.

That's why most people were at home. When they saw Aunt Liu helping to give directions, they knew the two weren't bad people, so their curiosity got the better of them, and many villagers immediately jogged after them.

Although they had bicycles, they couldn't ride very fast on the village paths. By the time they arrived at the brigade headquarters, a group of villagers who had come to watch the excitement had already gathered behind them.

Aunt Liu parked her bicycle first in the brigade's courtyard, pointed to the office in front, and said:

"This is our brigade's office. Captain Wang should be inside. I'll go and pay for you right away."

As soon as she finished speaking, Aunt Liu shouted at the top of her lungs:

"Captain Wang, two comrades from the town's No. 1 Middle School are looking for you. They're talking about Comrade Wang Chengpeng."

Upon hearing that it concerned Wang Chengpeng, Wang Fucheng immediately disregarded the work point allocation plan for this year and got up to leave the office.

Wang Fucheng, a villager from Wangjia Village, recognized them immediately and spotted Cao Deming and Zhou Lijun, who stood out from the crowd. He went to greet them right away.

"A comrade from the town's No. 1 Middle School? What a rare guest."

"Please come in and have a seat. It's cold outside. Let's talk inside."

To explore Wang Chengpeng's glorious deeds, it was inevitable to come into contact with Wang Fucheng, the brigade leader.

Cao Deming did not refuse and followed Wang Fucheng into the office.

Although the three people left, the villagers who had come to watch the commotion were in a great hurry.

Aunt Liu, who probably knew the truth, immediately became the target of their questioning, and they started chattering noisily:

"Sister Liu, what's going on? Why are some people from the town's No. 1 Middle School coming to our village?"

"Judging from their appearance, they're probably not low-ranking; they might even be directors."

"I just glanced over and saw what looked like this certificate in the car pocket. I wonder who it's going to be given to."

"Old Liu, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us what's going on."

Looking at the villagers surrounding her, and their anxious faces, Aunt Liu grinned and said:
"I don't really know much about this, but I heard that Comrade Wang Chengpeng did well on the college entrance examination and the school came to commend him."

Aunt Liu explained the matter concisely, but this only made everyone more curious, and the conversation quickly turned into a mess.

"He did well on the college entrance exam? It has to be Comrade Wang. He even managed to get the school leaders involved. He must have done incredibly well!"

"I estimate he can get around 300 points. Comrade Wang is usually diligent and studious, so it's only natural that he can get good results in the college entrance examination."

"Three hundred points? I think you're underestimating Comrade Wang a bit too much."

"He's a genius who came up with the ingenious idea of ​​making sugar from beets, and he's also a technician in the factory. How could he only have such a low score?"

"I think I should be able to get 320 points, enough to get into a decent university."

"I think it should be over 300 points."

"Hey, our Wangjia Village actually produced a college student. Our village is quite famous now."

"Ugh, it makes me so angry just thinking about it."

“My son also took the college entrance exam, but he didn’t do very well, so the school didn’t give him any awards.”

"But he told me that thanks to the books that Comrade Wang lent him, he should be able to score around 250 points, but he doesn't know if he can get into university."

"Who says otherwise? Comrade Wang is such a wonderful person."

"Our family was originally planning to give up, since this book is really hard to get, but we didn't expect to be able to borrow it from him."

"It's just that my son is not up to par. I estimate he can only get around 200 points. He'll have to try harder next year."

"That's truly a case of good people being rewarded."

"Do you think anyone from our village besides Comrade Wang could get into university?"

"How could that be? Do you think the university is like your own backyard, where you can grow as many cabbages as you want?"

"Let alone our village, it's considered a blessing if even one student from a top university comes from the surrounding area."

"..."

Ignoring the chatter of the crowd, Wang Fucheng and the two men in the group had already sat down together and started discussing the matter.

As the brigade leader of Wangjia Village, Wang Fucheng spoke first:

"Comrades, I am Wang Fucheng, the brigade leader of Wangjia Village. May I ask what brings you all this way to our village?"

Without directly answering Wang Fucheng's question, Zhou Lijun stood up and pointed to Cao Deming sitting next to him, introducing him as follows:
"Captain Wang, hello, this is Comrade Cao Deming, the principal of our No. 1 Middle School."

"Principal Cao will discuss the next steps with you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Lijun, who had sat down again, took out his notebook and pen and began to take notes.

Upon hearing Zhou Lijun introduce Cao Deming's identity, Wang Fucheng showed no joy whatsoever; instead, he appeared somewhat worried.

He felt that Wangjia Village was already doing very well. Under Wang Chengpeng's leadership, it had grown into the ideal village in the eyes of most people and could not withstand any further disruption from others.

The fact that Principal Cao from No. 1 Middle School came to see him at this time might not be a good thing.

Although that's what he really thought, Wang Fucheng still had to put on a show, giving a formulaic smile and extending his right hand to Cao Deming, saying:

"Principal Cao, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Just tell me what you need, and I will arrange for the villagers to cooperate if possible."

After shaking hands with Wang Fucheng, Cao Deming then revealed the main purpose of his visit:
"Captain Wang, I came to your village mainly to inquire about something, namely, the situation of Comrade Wang Chengpeng."

"Could you tell me what kind of comrade Comrade Wang is in your mind?"

"It's not limited to academics; you can also talk about things like mindset and work."

Upon hearing Cao Deming ask him to evaluate Wang Chengpeng, Wang Fucheng immediately perked up:
"Comrade Wang? That's truly a good comrade!"

A smile immediately spread across Wang Fucheng's dark face. He rubbed his rough hands on his knees, his fingers still covered with calluses left over from the wheat harvest.

"Principal Cao, you've come to the right person!" He turned and called out to the person beside him.
"Comrade Long, please bring us our 'Labor Model Registration Book'!"

Following Wang Fucheng's instructions, Long Yongde jogged over, carrying a red plastic notebook in his arms, the edges of which were already worn white.

When Wang Fucheng took it, Cao Deming noticed that the title page was stamped with the words "Advanced Production Team in Learning from Dazhai in Agriculture," and there were also several yellowed certificates of merit tucked between the pages.

Look here—

Wang Fucheng flipped to the record from July 1975, his rough fingertips dabbing out neat small characters written in blue ink:
"July 12th rainstorm relief: Comrade Wang Chengpeng discovered in the evening that the weather had changed and heavy rain was likely to come. He led several comrades to save 7 jin of public grain and was commended by the commune."

The pages rustled, and as you turned to the next page, you saw:
"On November 8th, Comrade Wang Chengpeng was awarded the title of Advanced Production Individual in the Production Team, an honor he received after working overtime for two months."

Aside from these two separately recorded honors, Wang Fucheng also found other records about Wang Chengpeng's diligent work in production.

Closing his notebook, Wang Fucheng's eyes gleamed with pride:

"Comrade Wang Chengpeng is a real expert in our production team. He never slacks off when it comes to work."

"Last summer harvest, he was as strong as three able-bodied men. He wielded the sickle like a windmill, cutting two and a half acres of wheat a day without taking a break."

Long Yongde was fiddling with the abacus beads when he heard this, so he looked up and interjected:
"you do not say!"

He pointed to the yellowed "Production Expert Evaluation Form" on the wall, "He ranked first in work points for three consecutive years and never took a day off."

"As for ideological awareness," Wang Fucheng suddenly lowered his voice, took out a red cloth bag from the drawer, and carefully unfolded it.

Inside was a whitishly curled copy of "Selected Works of ***", with countless slips of paper tucked between the pages.

"These are Cheng Peng's study notes. He reads them for two hours every night without fail."

“Once, I was on patrol at night and I saw him reading by moonlight in the middle of the night.”

"Not to mention the distant ones, there are also the recent ones."

"I'm not afraid to tell you this, Principal Cao, but in our poor, remote little place, we are often attacked by wolves in winter."

“Those beasts were howling at the top of their lungs, it was terrifying.”

"If it's just a few livestock that are lost, that's fine. But the year before last, a child playing in the yard was carried off by a wolf. When they were found, all that was left were some bone fragments."

"Winter came early and was cold this year. Those beasts have started targeting Wangjia Village again. The village militia are patrolling around the clock and dare not slack off in the slightest."

"guess what?"

"It was under such a severe situation that Comrade Wang Chengpeng stepped forward without hesitation."

"He not only killed and repelled more than a dozen wolves in one night, but he also did not spare the wolf king, and beat him to death."

"When we saw Comrade Wang Chengpeng lying in a pool of blood, we were almost scared to death."

"Fortunately, he wasn't seriously injured, otherwise he probably wouldn't have had the chance to take the college entrance exam this year." (End of Chapter)