Chapter 70

This batch of courtyard houses was originally only sold to high-ranking internal personnel, so Li Muwen quickly completed the paperwork on Zhenzhen’s behalf. However, he had no idea how that clever little girl back home planned to fix up the place, so he didn’t make any decisions without her. He simply sent someone to clean out the dust inside, leaving everything else as it was.

Once Zhenzhen knew that Grandma had handed the house-buying matter to Li Muwen, she was completely at ease and focused wholeheartedly on studying. In her previous life, there had once been a popular online post titled “The 1977 College Entrance Exam—See How Many Points You Can Get.” She had taken the test back then while she was still in college. Though she couldn’t remember all the questions now, she still had a general impression of the types of problems that would appear.

By June, Zhenzhen barely left her room anymore. From morning to night, she did practice problems and read textbooks. Only then did Grandma Li belatedly realize that every time Mingnan came by, he never once mentioned studying. That made her suspicious, so she used a time when no one else was home during the day to go ask Zhenzhen directly.

When Zhenzhen thought about Mingnan giving up on the college entrance exam, she felt a pang of sympathy. After all, from a future perspective, being a lifelong factory worker really didn’t offer many prospects—unless you were bold enough to resign and dive into business during the early Reform and Opening-Up period. Otherwise, you’d be stuck earning a fixed wage your whole life, and still wouldn’t be able to afford a house by the time you retired.

Zhenzhen set down her pen and rubbed her forehead. “Third Brother said he was afraid that if he got into college, he wouldn’t be able to take care of the family, and that no one would be around to help you all. So he decided not to take the exam.”

“Ai! Why did he keep something so big to himself without saying a word?” Grandma Li slapped her thigh in frustration. Her face full of worry, she looked at Zhenzhen. “Zhenzhen, tell me honestly—do you think there’s still time for them to start studying?”

The college entrance exam was reinstated in the winter of ’77, so there were still five or six months to go. Zhenzhen had already categorized the various question types in her study, and she had rewritten the key points and essays to memorize from Chinese class based on her previous-life memories. Given Mingnan’s solid foundation, a few months of serious studying would be enough. Thinking of that, Zhenzhen nodded. “My brother has a good base. If he buckles down and studies for a few months, he can definitely get into college.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Grandma Li slapped her thigh and made up her mind. “When I drop Dumpling off tonight, I’ll talk to them. If needed, we’ll keep the sesame buns and Dumpling at our place in the evenings—your mom and I will watch them, so the couple can focus on studying.”

That evening, once she figured everyone should be off work, Grandma Li and Wang Sufen brought Dumpling to Mingnan’s house. Meng Xiaoxi was in the kitchen cooking. When she saw the two of them arrive, she immediately smiled and stood up. “Grandma, Mom, you’re here. Mingnan’s helping Bun get changed—they were just about to come pick up Dumpling.”

Wang Sufen let go of Dumpling and sent him inside to play with his brother, then went into the kitchen to help stoke the fire. “We’re not just here to bring Dumpling. Your grandma has something to say to you and Mingnan.”

Not knowing what it was about, Meng Xiaoxi quickly finished the cooking, brought the food to the table, and had Bun and Dumpling eat first. Meanwhile, Grandma Li and Wang Sufen sat on the kang in the east room, waiting. Before long, Mingnan and Meng Xiaoxi came in.

Sitting cross-legged on the kang, Grandma Li got straight to the point: “I heard from your sister that you don’t want to take the college entrance exam—is that true?” Hearing that, Meng Xiaoxi turned to Mingnan in surprise—it seemed this was news to her, too.

Mingnan sat on the edge of the kang, looking a bit helpless. “My big brother’s family is in Anbei, Mingxi and his wife are doing scientific research in the capital, and both Mingbei and Zhenzhen want to go to college too. If we all leave, who’ll be left to take care of the elders?”

“Take care of what? Are we really that old?” Grandma Li smacked her tobacco pipe against her palm in irritation. “I was still out farming on the mountain this year!”

Wang Sufen silently lowered her head, not daring to expose Grandma’s lie. She had only taken a stroll up the mountain before coming back without even bending down once. The land had been cultivated using Zhenzhen’s supernatural ability for years—she had practically forgotten what real farming even was.

After being scolded, Mingnan shifted further away. “It’s just… I can’t let go of the family. Look at my two kids. If I go to school, Xiaoxi can’t handle these two little monkeys by herself.”

Grandma Li glanced at the somewhat dazed Meng Xiaoxi. “Xiaoxi, are you not planning to take the exam?”

“Take it? For what?” Meng Xiaoxi looked at Mingnan. “Mingnan never mentioned anything about that.”

Grandma Li shot an angry glare at Mingnan and gave him a kick, then pulled Xiaoxi over to sit beside her. “Back during the New Year, your eldest uncle said the exam might be coming back this year. Zhenzhen’s prepared a bunch of study materials hoping you two could study together. I just don’t want us old folks holding you young ones back, so I came over to ask.”

Meng Xiaoxi lowered her head and thought for a while, looking uncertain. “I only graduated from junior high before going to nursing school. My foundation isn’t great. Maybe just let Mingnan take the test. I can manage things at home. When Big Brother went to college, Big Sister-in-law stayed behind too—it’s not that big a deal.”

Seeing that the couple still had concerns, Grandma Li directly pulled out the books and exercises she’d brought and placed them in front of them. “These are the materials Zhenzhen put together. It’s up to you whether you want to study. As for your dad, mom, and me—don’t worry about us. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years we’ll be moving to the capital to be with Zhenzhen. Then it’ll be just the four of you left here, and you better not be sending telegrams begging us to come back.”

After saying that, Grandma Li got off the kang and started putting on her shoes to leave. Mingnan and Meng Xiaoxi tried to stop her. “Grandma, why don’t you stay for dinner? It’s all ready.”

“No need, we already made dinner at home. I just didn’t want to delay your future, so I came to talk to you quickly. You two think it over carefully.” With that, Grandma Li and Wang Sufen headed out with their flashlight. Seeing lights on at Mingbei’s house, Grandma Li said, “Since we’re out already, let’s go take a look at how Mingbei and his wife are doing.”

It wasn’t quite bedtime yet, so their front door was still open. The two women walked right in and saw Mingbei and Wang Xinwen working on practice questions together.

Ming Bei was never particularly passionate about studying. At the time, he had only planned to finish middle school, but later, because of a secret crush, he pushed himself to work hard and managed to get into the Hydrolysis Plant. Now, after exhausting days at work, he would lie on the kang at night and not even want to move. But Wang Xinwen had a hardworking nature. Even with a big belly, she insisted on doing exercises and reviewing every day. Seeing his pregnant wife working so hard, Ming Bei felt too embarrassed to slack off. So the couple would light a lamp and study together at night, which gave them a nostalgic sense of being students again—they both quite enjoyed this little shared romance.

Seeing the two of them so diligent, Grandma Li didn’t linger for long. She reminded Wang Xinwen to get up and walk around from time to time to avoid straining her back.

In the blink of an eye, it was already August. There was still no news about the college entrance exam, and Ming Bei’s motivation began to wane. With just about ten days left until Wang Xinwen’s due date, he couldn’t focus on studying at all. The best hospital in Beicha was the Hydrolysis Plant Hospital. Seeing how anxious the couple looked, Grandma Li brought some gifts and paid a visit to the Wang family to see if the couple could move back to the Hydrolysis Plant ahead of time—this way, they could go straight to the hospital once labor began.

Wang Xinwen’s parents only had this one daughter, so naturally, they were more than happy to agree. The house was cramped anyway, and Wang Xinwen had two younger brothers at home. After a bit of discussion, both families decided it would be best for the couple to return to live with Grandma Li in Ming Bei’s house.

Wang Xinwen went into labor after just a week back at her in-laws. It took less than half a day for her to give birth to a chubby baby boy weighing over seven pounds. She stayed in the hospital for three days, after which Ming Bei borrowed a large cart from a neighbor and brought both mother and child home. While watching Wang Sufen make chicken soup, Grandma Li couldn’t help muttering, “How is it that our family’s line is still so prosperous? When Guihua gave birth to Roubao, I thought maybe our family’s feng shui had shifted.”

Wang Sufen laughed and tossed another handful of firewood into the stove. “Other families all wish they could have sons, but you’re just not like the rest.”

Grandma Li took a drag from her cigarette and smacked her lips. “That’s because they don’t know how great it is to raise daughters.”

When the chicken soup seemed ready, Wang Sufen scooped it into a small clay pot and brought it to Wang Xinwen.

Although Wang Xinwen wasn’t plump, her milk supply was excellent. The chubby little boy would guzzle it down and sleep peacefully for half the night. Grandma Li said she’d never seen such an easy baby to raise—almost as good as Zhenzhen was as a baby. Since their son was easy to care for, when Wang Xinwen had time, she’d ask Ming Bei to read questions to her. When Wang Sufen arrived, she found the couple reciting a passage together. She hurried to the kitchen and used the chicken soup to cook a bowl of noodles for Wang Xinwen, even adding a big chicken leg.

“Wenwen, stop studying so hard. You need to rest during your postpartum period,” Wang Sufen said as she asked Ming Bei to set up the kang table and placed the noodles on it. “Ming Bei, go eat with your grandma up front. I’ll keep an eye on Wenwen and the baby for you.”

Ming Bei agreed, poured a glass of water for Wang Xinwen, and was about to leave when he turned back and asked, “Mom, what’s the baby’s nickname?”

“Call him whatever you want. All the nicknames for the younger generation in our family were named by your sister after food anyway. Just pick something you like to eat.”

Ming Bei looked expectantly at Wang Xinwen. “Wife, what do you like to eat?”

“Let’s call him Noodles,” Wang Xinwen said, slurping a mouthful of broth. “Mom’s noodles are so good.”

Wang Sufen immediately beamed and said happily, “If you like them, eat more. I made a whole big pot of chicken soup, and there’s plenty of noodles. I can make more if that’s not enough.”

“Noodles…” Ming Bei muttered the name a few times, then turned to leave. “’Noodles’ actually sounds pretty good. Good thing I didn’t name him. My favorite is grill grates—ah, they’re so fragrant!”

—

By the time Noodles was about a month old, the radio finally brought exciting news: the country had decided to reinstate the college entrance exam, which had been suspended for ten years. The exam would be held in a month.

When the Li family heard the news, everyone was thrilled. Even Ming Nan and Meng Xiaoxi—who had been studying but hadn’t fully decided whether to take the exam—made up their minds the moment they heard the broadcast. Whether they could pass or not, they had to give it a try. A third of their lives had already gone by; if they didn’t take a shot now, they really would fall behind their younger siblings.

So, both Ming Nan and his wife, Ming Bei and his wife, and Zhenzhen—all five of them—registered for the exam and received their admission tickets. During the final month of intensive prep, Grandma Li took on the care of Ming Nan’s shaobing and dumpling kids, and Ming Bei’s Noodles, keeping them in the front yard so the adults could study. Ming Nan, Meng Xiaoxi, and Ming Bei all took extended leave from work. Everyone stayed at Ming Bei’s house during the day, with Zhenzhen leading them through exercises and repeatedly drilling them on past exam questions.

Finally, the day of the college entrance exam arrived. Wang Sufen got up before dawn to cook chicken soup. When she heard the others getting up to wash, she hurriedly used the soup to cook a big pot of noodles, added plenty of shredded chicken, and tossed in five poached eggs.

Each of them devoured a large bowl of noodles. Zhenzhen had everyone double-check their admission tickets and stationery to make sure nothing was forgotten. Only then did they all ride their bikes to the school.

The first reinstated college entrance exam only covered four subjects: Math, Chinese, Politics, and either History & Geography for liberal arts or Physics & Chemistry for science. Each subject was worth 100 points, for a total of 400 points.

For many of them, it was their first time sitting in a test room in years. Not only were Ming Bei and Ming Nan’s hands shaking, even Zhenzhen felt a little nervous. But compared to the others who had only started reviewing a month ago, the Li family had been preparing since last New Year. Their textbooks were worn to pieces, and they had completed dozens of sets of practice exams Zhenzhen had collected from across the country.

When they received the test papers, they followed Zhenzhen’s instructions and filled in their names and ID numbers first before starting to answer questions. After scanning the papers, Ming Nan and the others all breathed a sigh of relief—these were questions they had reviewed with Zhenzhen before and shouldn’t be a problem. Meanwhile, Zhenzhen was already writing rapidly. What looked like cryptic math problems to others were no more complicated than basic arithmetic to her.

Ten years had passed, and too many people had spent their energy in the fields or on the factory floor. Now that the policy had changed, when they finally wanted to follow the new path, they realized just how much they had fallen behind.

The exam hall was so quiet that only the sound of pens scratching against paper could be heard. At home, Wang Sufen, like many parents of future generations’ exam candidates, was pacing anxiously, unable to sit still as she waited. When Mingnan, Zhenzhen, and the others came back, she didn’t dare ask much, quickly serving up the braised pork, white rice, and stir-fried green beans she had prepared, so they could eat their fill before heading off to their next subject.

After handing in her final exam paper, Zhenzhen walked out of the exam hall. She was looking around for her brother and sister-in-law when she saw Mingbei cheering as he dashed out of the classroom, pulling Wang Xinwen along, bouncing and jumping with joy. Zhenzhen pressed her throbbing temples and hurried over to pull him aside, saying helplessly, “You’ve only just started acting mature these past few years, and now you’re being silly again. Are you afraid people won’t know you’re getting into university or what?”

Mingbei burst out laughing. Noticing people looking their way, he quickly let go of Wang Xinwen’s hand and lowered his voice. “I really think I can get into National University.”

Wang Xinwen couldn’t hide her smile either. “I think so too. Back when we were in school, the textbooks weren’t that detailed, and the teachers weren’t very serious. Then we went to the youth labor camp for three years, and we’d forgotten most of what we learned. If Zhenzhen hadn’t pulled us together to study hard this past year, I bet we wouldn’t have even finished the math paper.”

Mingbei thought of the math questions, most of which Zhenzhen had covered during their prep, and immediately patted her shoulder boldly. “I’ve got to treat you well. Tell me what you want to eat—I’ll go hunt it down for you.”

Zhenzhen looked at him and gave a sweet smile. “Then bring back a wild boar with tusks.”

Mingbei’s knees buckled, and he almost fell to the ground. “Sis, I was just thinking that eating too much meat isn’t healthy—it makes you gain weight. How about I buy you some clothes instead? Let’s go to the supply and sales store at the Hydrolysis Plant tomorrow. You pick what you like, and I’ll buy it.”

Zhenzhen laughed and tapped his chest. “With the little money you make? Better save it for buying formula for your future nephew.”

The two siblings were joking around when Mingnan and Meng Xiaoxi also came out. The two of them had applied to Forestry University and Medical College respectively—both in Bingcheng.

“How did it go?” Mingbei asked.

Mingnan glanced at Meng Xiaoxi, a smile spreading across his face. “I think it went fine.”

Meng Xiaoxi looked a bit embarrassed. “There were two math questions I couldn’t solve. Zhenzhen had explained them before, but I got flustered and forgot. I managed to finish the rest, though.”

Zhenzhen patted her schoolbag with a smile. “Alright, it’s all over now, so stop thinking about it. Let’s go home and figure out how we’re going to celebrate.”

Mingbei laughed heartily. “Absolutely!”

It was the first year the college entrance exams had been reinstated, and the country gave them great importance. Zhenzhen originally thought the results would come after the New Year, but shortly after her birthday, she received her admission notice. She was accepted into the Journalism Department of the Literature Faculty at the Imperial Capital University with a near-perfect score, ranking first in the entire province. Mingbei received his admission letter from the Civil Engineering Department of the National University, while Wang Xinwen was also admitted to the Law Department of Imperial Capital University. Mingnan and Meng Xiaoxi were both admitted to schools in Bingcheng—Forestry University and Medical College respectively.

Five children from the Li family got into university, three of them into the country’s top two schools. The news shocked all of Beicha. The Hydrolysis Plant even held a special celebration to see off Mingnan, Mingbei, Meng Xiaoxi, and Wang Xinwen. Many neighbors and coworkers came to the Li house asking for study materials, especially anything that Zhuangyuan Zhenzhen had used—those things were considered lucky, and people hoped touching them might help them pass too.

When Liu Xiulan heard that her niece had ranked first in the province, she didn’t even finish cooking. She ran all the way to Li Muwu’s house, panting as she grabbed Zhenzhen’s hand and wouldn’t let go. “Zhenzhen, listen to your third aunt. You must give your textbooks to Mingrong and Mingguang. Oh, why didn’t they believe the exams were coming back? If they’d studied hard this year with you guys, maybe they’d be going to college now too.”

The more Liu Xiulan thought about it, the angrier she got. “They’re both married now, so I can’t say too much, but honestly—why are they so short-sighted? It’s like they think taking the college entrance exam would hurt them or something. All they care about is inheriting jobs.”

Relatives come before outsiders, after all. Zhenzhen put together two sets of books and notes and handed them to Liu Xiulan. “Third Aunt, this year’s winter exam was a special case. Normally the exam is in July, so there’s only about half a year left. You’ll have to keep an eye on Cousin Mingrong and Cousin Mingguang and make sure they study hard.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll watch them like a hawk this time.” Holding the thick stack of books, Liu Xiulan finally felt more at ease. “These are the exact practice questions our provincial top scorer worked on. Even if they don’t get into Imperial Capital, surely they can get into Bingcheng.”

Zhenzhen smiled and brushed her hair aside, not daring to make any promises.

Liu Xiulan happily went inside to greet Grandma Li. “Mom, I’m taking these books home so Mingrong and Mingguang can study hard too.”

“Studying hard and getting into a good university is never a bad thing,” Grandma Li said as she took a puff from her pipe. “Look at Mingdong—he got over fifty yuan a month right after graduating, more than his dad made in a lifetime. And why was that? Because he went to university. Things weren’t great those couple years after, but even the radio says college graduates will be in high demand.”

She glanced at Liu Xiulan and concluded, “I think your two boys don’t listen to the radio enough, that’s why they’re not thinking straight. And you—you’re always so stingy, saving every penny. Go buy a radio already. Listen to it more—can’t go wrong.”

Liu Xiulan gave an awkward laugh. “Radios aren’t cheap, and we don’t have a radio coupon either.”

“If the money’s not enough, I’ll lend you some,” Grandma Li said, tapping her pipe. “But you’ll have to find a way to get the radio coupon yourself.”

Liu Xiulan chuckled. “Aiya, sounds like I was asking you for money or something. No need, no need. Mingrong and Mingguang made decent money hauling logs at the Forestry Station these past couple years. I’ll talk it over with them when I get home.”

Grandma Li nodded and called out, “Mingbei! Go grab a basket and pack these books up. Ride your bike and take your third aunt home.”

Since the school term started at the end of February, they had to head back before the first lunar month was even over. Both Mingnan and Mingbei had children, so the whole family took advantage of the New Year gathering to sit down and discuss what to do with the kids.

It was a bit easier for Mingnan and Meng Xiaoxi. Their schools weren’t too far apart, and the Forestry University not only had its own forest fields but also an affiliated elementary school and kindergarten. They could just send the kid there. The only issue was that bringing a child made it inconvenient to live in the dormitory—noisy and disruptive for their roommates—which could cause some friction.

Li Mulin had lived in Bingcheng for over twenty years and was more familiar with it than even Beicha: “The area around Forestry University is spacious and sparsely populated. There are quite a few houses like ours—built and left empty. You can borrow one to live in, just offer some cornmeal or something each month. It won’t cost much.”

Hearing that, Meng Xiaoxi was relieved. She could drop the kid off at kindergarten in the morning, pick them up after school, and it wouldn’t interfere with anything.

Compared to Meng Xiaoxi, Wang Xinwen’s situation was much trickier. Mian Tiao (Noodles) was only five months old and couldn’t be left alone for a minute. If she brought him with her, she wouldn’t be able to attend class properly. But if she left him at home, it would mean mother and son being apart for six months, and that thought felt like a needle piercing her heart.

Seeing her granddaughter-in-law clutching the baby, looking lost and helpless, Grandma Li clapped her hands and made a decision: “We’re all going! I’ve been listening to capital on the radio for so many years and still don’t know what capital even looks like. We’ll tag along and go see the capital ourselves. Miwu’s wife, are you coming?”

“Coming!” Wang Sufen responded loudly, “I listen to Mom—wherever she says to go, I’ll go.”

Li Muwu, sitting off to the side, looked dumbfounded: “What about me? You’re all leaving me home alone? I don’t even know how to cook!”