This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 134 Monthly Exam

September 28th.

There are still two days until the National Day holiday. These two days are also the time for the school-wide September monthly exams, which are arranged by Yunqi No.1 Middle School. The holiday will begin after the exams.

As soon as evening self-study ended, the entire school began setting up the examination rooms, accompanied by the creaking sound of chairs being moved around throughout the teaching building.

Compared to weekly tests, monthly tests are significantly more serious and important.

Not only does it require setting up the exam room, but there are also invigilators during the exam, and the scores are tallied after the exam, as well as rankings for the entire grade.

Chen Shi'an had already taken two weekly tests, but this was his first monthly test. It was his first time experiencing such a big exam, and he found it quite novel.

Right now, he's looking at the exam seating arrangement posted by Teacher Liang on the bulletin board at the back of the classroom.

"Master Dao, which exam room are you in?" Zou Xiaokun asked from the side.

"Class 6, Grade 11"

"Huh? Dao Ye is taking the exam over in the first-year high school building?... Oh! That's right, you just transferred in, so you don't have any grades yet."

Chen Shi'an had already seen the exam room arrangements for the other students in his class. Except for him, everyone else was taking the exam in the laboratory building, only in different classrooms.

"Xiaokun, what are you all doing over at the lab building?"

"Yeah, I initially thought you were here too, Dao Ye. Our school's exam room arrangement is roughly based on grades. The top 300 students in the grade are in the science building, and those ranked lower are in the classrooms in the teaching building."

"I see."

Chen Shi'an nodded. He had already seen Lin Mengqiu in exam room 302 of the experimental building. He guessed that Wen Zhixia should also be taking the exam in the experimental building, but he didn't know which classroom she was in.

Will arts and science students take the exam together?

"No, I can't do that. Daoist, you have so many books, why don't you hurry up and move some to save space? There won't be any room for you later!"

"Can't books be left in the classroom?"

"Don't put it on the table. You can put it on the podium, at the back of the classroom, or in the hallway outside."

"Do we still have to attend evening self-study sessions during the exam period?"

"Of course I want it!"

……

Lin Mengqiu was tidying up the books on her seat when she turned her head and glanced at Chen Shi'an, who was chatting enthusiastically with Zou Xiaokun in front of the notice board.

Why don't you ask me if you have any questions?

One point will be deducted from your score!
Chen Shi'an finally finished understanding the 'common sense' related to the exam, turned around and walked back to his seat, while Lin Mengqiu calmly withdrew her gaze.

"Class monitor, have you checked the exam room arrangements?"

"We'll see in a bit."

"You are in classroom 302 of the laboratory building."

"……Thanks."

After Lin Mengqiu finished speaking, she casually asked, "Where are you?"

"I'm in Class 6 of the first year of high school."

"?"

Having spent so much time in the top class, Lin Mengqiu realized that since entering school, all her classmates, including herself, had taken exams in the laboratory building. When she first heard that someone was taking an exam in the teaching building where the less capable students were competing, she was taken aback.

Realizing that Chen Shi'an had no achievements before, no wonder he was assigned to the "chicken roasting oven" (a metaphor for a group of incompetent students)...

I wonder when he will be able to advance to the experimental building exam room.

Lin Mengqiu glanced at him with a look that was both pitying and amused, the meaning of which was self-evident—see, this is the current gap between you and me, almost half a school apart.

Seeing the girl who had been lying on the ground, refusing to get up after losing the game, with that same little bit of pride on her pretty face, Chen Shi'an chuckled.

"Be careful, class monitor. When I take the exam in the lab building someday, your first place might be in jeopardy."

"Ah……"

Lin Mengqiu didn't say anything, she just rolled her eyes.

Given Chen Shi'an's current learning progress, his score on this monthly exam is definitely not enough to get him into the top 300 in his grade. So, won't he just have to take the exam in the teaching building again next time?
As for the next time... even if you can take the exam in the lab building, the result will be the same as the other 299 people.

snort!
……

Chen Shi'an started learning high school math last week. Compared to his previous learning progress, he has been learning math much slower recently. It's not because he's struggling with it, but because after his science teachers talked to him separately last time, they subtly suggested that he study science subjects more in class. Since the teachers said so, Chen Shi'an respected their wishes and didn't use science classes to study math.

Of course, he wasn't idle in the science classes either. He would study physics on his own during physics class, chemistry on his own during chemistry class, and biology on his own during biology class.

Compared to math, it's relatively easier to improve scores in the science subjects, since the science portion of high school doesn't cover that much depth.

However, the science subjects are only taught in their respective classrooms, so Chen Shi'an's progress has been limited in the past week or so. He has just finished the junior high school physics curriculum and just started learning the first compulsory course; he has also finished the junior high school chemistry curriculum and is now learning the second compulsory course; biology is much faster. Chen Shi'an only skimmed through the junior high school biology curriculum and then started learning directly from the high school curriculum. He has already almost finished the second compulsory course. His biology teacher was right. High school biology does indeed have a lot of content that needs to be memorized.

He'll probably fail the physics exam again, since he's only learned the chapter on 'description of motion,' while the class is already learning about magnetic fields and electromagnetic induction.

He should still be able to make a comeback in chemistry, after all, he has already learned the basics of experimentation, the amount of substance, ionic reactions, redox reactions and so on;
In biology, he has already finished learning about the cellular and molecular basis of genetics, and is only about one book behind the class in terms of progress.

As for math, the high school math is indeed much harder than the junior high math. Chen Shi'an could finish learning and doing all the problems in one book of junior high math in about two days, but it would take him about four days to learn high school math. In addition, the science teachers don't let him learn math in class anymore, so the progress is even slower. I estimate that it will take him about a week to learn one book and do all the problems.

On the eve of the monthly exam, Chen Shi'an had already learned the content of the second compulsory course, including plane vectors, solving triangles, complex numbers, and introductory solid geometry, while the class had progressed to the part on sequences and inequalities, analytic geometry, and solid geometry.

In the last weekly test, Chen Shi'an scored zero in math, physics, chemistry, and biology. He certainly can't get zero in this monthly test.

However, there have been no tests these days, so Chen Shi'an is not sure what the monthly exam will cover, nor does he have any idea how many points he can get. He'll find out when the exam comes.

As for English and Chinese, there's no need to elaborate.

Chen Shi'an is now finding it increasingly easier to complete Chinese language tests. Apart from losing a few points on modern text writing and information reading comprehension questions, he loses very few points on other parts.

Chen Shi'an's English has long surpassed the class's learning progress. He has already learned the entire high school curriculum. Now, during English class, he reads the all-English classics that Xiao Zhi borrowed from him to practice reading and writing.

Because the province has not yet adopted the new college entrance examination system, there is no scoring mechanism. The scoring method is to directly add up the raw scores: 100 points each for Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, and 150 points each for Chinese, Mathematics, and English, for a total of 750 points. The total score is the sum of the raw scores.

Chen Shi'an was quite hopeful about his results in this first-ever ranked exam.

……

The exam is tomorrow, and right after evening self-study, the students in the class are busy moving chairs and finding places to put their books.

Deputy class monitor Qiu Yufu was directing everyone to move the tables.

"Everyone, just like before, the first group of students all move their desks to the hallway, and the other students also pull out their desks and arrange them in reverse."

"Hehe, that's awesome! It's our turn to go outside!" "Damn it, Zihan! I'll put my book on your desk first!"

"Get out, get out! Your father can barely fit all his own books in there."

It's early autumn, and it's not cold outside the classroom at night. The students in the first group excitedly moved all their desks outside into the corridor. With exams coming up, the students in the first group can study outside the classroom during evening self-study sessions. They enjoy the open space, the cool evening breeze, and the freedom to talk. Unlike other students, they don't have to leave their desks for others to take exams or move their books. It's incredibly convenient.

Seeing that everyone was starting to get started, Chen Shi'an and Lin Mengqiu also prepared to clear out their own tables.

"Class monitor, I can return these junior high school textbooks to you."

The subjects have basically all reached the high school level, so Chen Shi'an no longer needs the junior high school textbooks piled on his desk. He has already returned the junior high school textbooks that Teacher Liang lent him, and now only the textbooks that Lin Mengqiu and Wen Zhixia borrowed from him have not been returned.

"No need, you can have it."

Looking at the huge pile of junior high school textbooks, and remembering the hard work of moving them over when she borrowed them, and then having to carry them back herself when he returned them, Lin Mengqiu felt a chill run down her spine.

"I'll take you home then," Chen Shi'an said.

"..."

"Since the class monitor went through so much trouble to bring it over to lend to me, I definitely have to personally deliver it to your door to return it."

"~~~"

You have a conscience!
Lin Mengqiu herself didn't need these junior high school textbooks, and they would just gather dust in a box if she brought them home. But since Chen Shi'an had used them, they might have some sentimental value. After thinking for a moment, Lin Mengqiu nodded and said:

"it is good."

"Okay, I'll deliver it to your home when I have time."

"...My dad wants you to come over for dinner after your exams."

"Oh……"

"Coming or not?"

"Okay, then I'll come to your house for dinner after the exam, and I'll bring the books back with me."

"~~~"

Chen Shi'an had already found an empty spot at the back of the classroom to put his books.

He moved the books from his desk, laid two sheets of draft paper on the floor, and then placed the books on top and stacked them neatly.

Besides his own high school textbooks, there were also books borrowed from Wen Zhixia and Lin Mengqiu. Chen Shi'an had borrowed many things from people, but he always took good care of them. When putting the books away, he would first put his own books at the bottom, then put their books on top, and finally put one of his own books on top. Even though the two girls no longer used these books, he still protected them very well.

By the way, I can return Xiaozhi's junior high school textbooks to her in a little while. Chen Shi'an then sorted out the books that Wen Zhixia had borrowed from him.

Lin Mengqiu had intended to put her book on the podium, but seeing that Chen Shi'an had moved his book to the back, she also moved her book to the back.

A pair of familiar white sneakers came into view. Chen Shi'an, who was squatting on the ground organizing textbooks, looked up and saw Lin Mengqiu standing there, holding heavy books in her hands.

She lifted her knee, seemingly trying to prop up the book in her hand so she could free her hands to spread paper on the ground, but the book was too heavy, and she was too embarrassed to put it on someone else's desk first.

Just as she was about to put the book down to free her hands to lay out the paper, Chen Shi'an, who was squatting on the ground, tore off two pages of draft paper, spread them on the empty ground next to his pile of books, and looked up at her, saying, "Class monitor, put it here."

"Thank you."

"It's good that we put them together next to each other; if there are many books, they won't get lost easily."

"..."

Lin Mengqiu bent down and piled the books on the draft paper he had laid out.

The little hand pushed the book, tidying it up just like his.

The two returned to their seats together.

Chen Shi'an had cleared his table completely. He picked up his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and then pulled his table aside.

ka ka ka-

Lin Mengqiu looked at the two tables that were originally joined together, and the gap between them grew larger and larger until it became a passageway that one person could pass through.

Her gaze shifted from the table to Chen Shi'an's face.

He was so close before, but now he's more than a meter away.

From any perspective, our current positions can no longer be considered as sitting at the same table.

Nearly a month later, she returned to the state of sitting alone.

What should have been the most familiar and comfortable state, now that it had returned, made Lin Mengqiu feel inexplicably empty.

Chen Shi'an noticed her gaze and looked over.

Lin Mengqiu said nothing and withdrew her gaze.

Because she was sitting in the innermost row against the wall, there was no need to move the tables around much when setting up the exam room; just widening the distance between the front and back was sufficient.

There were two or three books, some review materials, tissues, and trash bags left on Lin Mengqiu's desk.

Chen Shi'an didn't take the book back to read, but she did.

The classroom was noisy right now. Lin Mengqiu packed her books and review materials into her backpack, planning to go back to her dormitory to study them later.

The rest of the items were also cleared away.

There was also a box of milk next to the chair.

There's only one bottle left.

I'll buy another box next time.

Lin Mengqiu took out the last bottle of milk and threw the carton containing the milk into the trash can.

Chen Shi'an had already set the table and was ready to leave.

Lin Mengqiu placed the bottle of milk on his desk.

"Oh, thank you, class monitor. There's milk after evening self-study?"

Chen Shi'an happily accepted the drink, and just as he was about to remove the straw and drink, Lin Mengqiu stared at him.

"Let's drink again tomorrow."

"..."

(End of this chapter)