The Fiery Era: Starting from Longxugou

"Not bad! You seem quite confident, but it's not as serious as you say!"

The school doesn't object to skipping grades, but it also considers whether the student has genuine talent and ability. Passing a student without even looking at their abilities would be irresponsible.

Since you are so confident, I am relieved.

I'll ask the teachers for a few sets of test papers later, and you can be tested as soon as possible, maybe tomorrow. Review your lessons carefully today, and don't mess up!

Seeing Zhao Shi'an's reaction, Hu Chengzhi was very satisfied. His student was confident and must have mastered the high school knowledge, which made him even more pleased.

However, even if I'm satisfied, the proper procedures still need to be followed. It's impossible to agree to skip a level based on just a few words and statements!

It would be best to wait until he finishes the test and confirms that he truly has the level of a senior in high school before he goes to the grade leader to discuss skipping a grade.

"Teacher, don't worry, I will never let you down!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shi'an quickly expressed his gratitude, thinking to himself that the school's procedures were quite efficient. They could find the test papers today and take the test tomorrow. Once the results were released, the homeroom teacher would report to the school. If all went well, he could start his senior year of high school this week.

Looking at it this way, the efficiency is still very high.

"Shian! Don't put too much pressure on yourself, just treat it as a regular test."

Besides, skipping a grade is no trivial matter, especially since you're skipping from the first year of high school to the third year, so the requirements are naturally stricter.

Once you finish the test, if you can prove that you have truly mastered the high school knowledge, the teacher will discuss it with the grade leader, and the school will then discuss your skipping a grade...

But before that, the teachers are just testing your abilities. Whether you succeed or not doesn't really matter. Even if you can't master the knowledge of the third year of high school, it's still very good if you can master the knowledge of the second year of high school!

Keep it up! Your teacher believes in you!

As Hu Chengzhi spoke, he patted Zhao Shi'an on the shoulder, briefly explained the process of skipping a grade, and also told him not to be nervous. This test was just a routine test. If he succeeded, everyone would be happy. If he failed, only a few teachers in the office would know, and it wouldn't have a big impact. This was to eliminate Zhao Shi'an's worries.

"Thank you, teacher! I will do my best and perform to my full potential!"

"Just have confidence! Go for it!"

Hu Chengzhi offered a word of encouragement and then let Zhao Shi'an leave.

After nodding, Zhao Shi'an left the office and went straight back to the classroom.

……

In the editorial department of the Youth Daily, a group of people are reviewing manuscripts. They took a day off yesterday, and this morning the mailroom delivered several sacks of submissions.

The editors of the supplement's editorial team are engrossed in reviewing the manuscripts.

The staff read the manuscripts very quickly, since most of them were not satisfactory. Many of the manuscripts that were barely approved still had to go through a second and final review before they could be published in the newspaper.

"Hey! This is really weird today, why isn't a single one usable?"

He Anguo was getting anxious as it was almost noon and he still hadn't found a satisfactory manuscript.

After discarding the manuscript in my hand again, I casually picked up the next one to read.

"The new look of Longxugou? Tsk! The movie about the transformation of Longxugou has been out for over a year, and they're still writing about it now? Can't they come up with something new?"

Upon seeing the title alone, He Anguo had already given up on the manuscript. But as he casually tossed it aside, the first sentence he caught sight of made him stop in his tracks.

"I grew up in Longxugou and lived here for more than ten years..."

Upon seeing this opening, He Anguo paused, thinking to himself that the article's starting point was good. Although the subject matter was somewhat outdated, if the content was well-written, it was worth trying to push it to a higher level.

With this in mind, He Anguo became much more serious and examined things more carefully.

"People settle in Longxugou every year, but the place hasn't gotten any bigger."

The air here is polluted, stagnant waters gather plague, and epidemics never discriminate by season.

In early spring, heatstroke occurs; in summer, cholera breaks out; in autumn and winter, typhoid fever and tuberculosis plague people.

A hutong, a large courtyard, neighbors who were chatting together just a few days ago are gone in a few days.

Whose house collapsed and killed someone? Whose child fell into a mud pit and disappeared? Whose elderly person fell ill and didn't survive the winter?

No one living here can say for sure that they will survive a year peacefully. Natural disasters, floods, epidemics—any one of them could take lives…

Longxu Ditch has been completely transformed. The once stinking ditch has been widened into the smooth and wide Jinyuchi Street. Neat streetlights have been erected along the street, and it is no longer pitch black at night. The bumpy and muddy paths have all been paved and leveled, so residents no longer have to wade through mud and sewage when they go out.

Electric wires were brought into every household, bringing lights and eliminating the need for oil lamps; water stations were built along the streets and alleys, providing clean tap water on demand. There was no longer any need to fetch dirty water from ditches or drink untreated water… Public toilets with blue bricks and gray tiles were also built. During the Patriotic Health Campaign, Longxu Ditch was a key area for improvement, and every household began to practice good hygiene and drink boiled water…

Now, three years later, people live and work in peace and contentment. Walking down the street, you can often hear neighbors telling their children to study hard and grow up to build a better future for the country…

After reading the manuscript, He Anguo remained silent for a long time.

When the renovation of Longxugou was completed and the movie of the same name was released, he read dozens or even hundreds of articles comparing the old and new Longxugou.

He had thought these articles were insightful enough, but compared to this one, they were all insignificant.

In comparison, this article is not particularly outstanding, but the content is so tragic that one can see the miserable lives of the people on both sides of Longxugou back then through the words.

This is something a teenager with no life experience could not have written, unless it was based on personal experience!

After a long while, He Anguo, having regained his senses, took the manuscript to the team leader and said:

"Team Leader Chen, I think this article is well-written! It's based on the firsthand experience of the person involved. Although it's a bit rushed, it's still a very good article. Please take a look!"

He Anguo handed over the manuscript in his hand as he spoke.

"Oh? Is it that good? Let me see!"

Chen Fuli took the manuscript as he spoke, while He Anguo sat quietly to the side.

"This is really good! I didn't expect it to be written by an indigenous person from Longxugou. It's very valuable for reference! There were very few articles like this when Longxugou was being developed and when the movie was released, let alone now!"

Chen Fuli nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this.

"Excellent! Most importantly, the author not only compared the old and new Longxu Ditch renovations, but also emphasized the residents' high praise for the government after living in peace and prosperity on both sides of the strait, as well as the advice to children to study hard. This makes it more convincing!"

"Xiao He, you're right! Such a good manuscript shouldn't be overlooked. Come on, let's go find the director together!"

Chen Fuli then called He Anguo and they went to the director's office together.

"Director, please take a look at this article!"

Upon arriving at the office, Chen Fuli immediately placed the manuscript in front of the director.

"Old Chen, is this a good manuscript?"

Li Huaimin looked at Chen Fuli's actions and asked with a smile.

"Director, you'll have to read it to know if it's good or not; this article is quite unique!"

"Okay! Let me see!"

Li Huaimin picked up the manuscript and began to read it carefully, while Chen Fuli and He Anguo waited patiently.

"Great! It's rare to see a submission from someone who experienced Longxugou firsthand!"

In the past two years, there has been a surge of articles comparing the old and new Longxugou. The contributors are either school teachers, writers, or cultural workers, and they always seem to feel that there is something detached from their writing about Longxugou.

Now, reading articles written by those who experienced it firsthand, I realize what's missing is a sense of authenticity!

"Who says otherwise? People in the capital are one thing, but when they write articles, they at least come to Longxugou to gather material. Even if it's far away, far away or not, at least they get to see Longxugou."

The newly renovated Longxugou was just as bustling as places like Wangfujing, but it has only recently begun to quiet down.

Most of the authors from out of town who submitted articles did so after watching the movie "Dragon Beard Ditch." While the movie portrays a tragic situation, it falls far short of the accounts of those who experienced it firsthand!

Chen Fuli agreed with the director's words.

"Excellent! Through the contrast between the old and new Longxugou, the article shows the peaceful and prosperous life of the people after three years of transformation. The author's personal experience enhances the persuasiveness, while also closely adhering to the themes of capital construction and social changes, which is very much in line with our newspaper's positioning of targeting young people and promoting new trends and new look."

This is the article we've been looking for!

Li Huaimin was deeply moved upon hearing this!

"Director, what about this manuscript?"

Chen Fuli asked in a low voice.

"The manuscript? Of course it was approved!"