Chapter 138

Shaw was quite puzzled, "What kind of books are you so engrossed in?"

Carman replied, "All kinds, from novels to Tang and Song poetry, and even literature and mathematics. She says it's a habit she picked up in the countryside."

Shaw sighed, "Working all day at the factory and then staying up late reading every night, doesn't she get tired?"

Carman nodded, "I feel exhausted just thinking about it."

But now that their children were older, they couldn't control them as much as they used to. They could only give gentle reminders.

It was getting late, and after a few more words, the couple turned off the light and lay down to sleep.

***

The lights were out in the other rooms of the courtyard, but Summer's room was still lit.

She sat at her desk, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle a yawn.

Feeling sleepy, Summer decided to stop reading. She closed her book, tidied up her desk, and placed her pen in the pen holder.

Then she picked up the alarm clock on her desk and set it for an early wake-up time.

Tomorrow was a significant day—the day when the media would officially announce the restoration of college entrance exams, according to the novel. She was anxious about it and wanted to confirm the news at the newsstand first thing in the morning.

Since Carman had reminded her earlier, she had already washed up. So, after setting the alarm, she turned off her desk lamp and went to bed.

With the day's work and evening study, she was exhausted. As soon as she lay down, she fell asleep within minutes.

The next morning, Summer woke up to the sound of her alarm and promptly got out of bed.

When Shaw and Carman got up, she had already made breakfast.

Shaw asked in surprise, "Why are you up so early today?"

Summer, already eating, replied, "There's something at the factory I need to take care of."

Since it was factory business, they didn't ask further and went to wash up in the courtyard.

By the time they finished, Summer had already eaten and was ready to leave with her backpack.

She greeted them as she passed by, then headed to the front yard to get her bike.

Riding out of the alley, she made her way straight to the post office.

In those days, with everyone's low wages, few people had the luxury of subscribing to newspapers. Most individuals who wanted to read the news would go to the newsstand in front of the post office.

Since Summer arrived early, there was no one else at the newsstand yet, but today's newspapers were already out.

She took a deep breath and picked up a newspaper.

The newspapers were folded, and she wasn't sure which page the news about the restoration of the college entrance exams would be on.

But as soon as she unfolded the paper, she was stunned.

The news about the restoration of the college entrance exams was on the front page, with a large headline and a significant portion of the page dedicated to it.

The sudden visual impact made her heart race.

Just like when she had received the application form to return to the city.

Even though she had known about it in advance, seeing it in print still made her excited.

If she hadn't been standing on the street, she might have shouted out in excitement.

Unable to contain her excitement, she carefully read every word of the article.

As she read, she thought—this novel was incredible; all the major events were spot-on.

Since she couldn't take the newspaper with her, she read it twice more.

When others started to arrive at the newsstand, she put the paper back and walked away with a sense of fulfillment, feeling light-hearted as she pushed her bike.

Just a few steps away, she heard an exclamation from someone at the newsstand, "Oh my! This is huge news. It's going to shake the whole country!"

Hearing this, Summer couldn't help but smile.

Then she hopped on her bike and rode towards the factory, feeling the warm breeze.

***

In the evening, back at the courtyard.

Carman was picking celery with Dana and Caroline by the water trough.

Shaw was holding a newspaper, discussing it with Alston and Clement.

Dana remarked, "Why are you all so engrossed in this college entrance exam news?"

Alston replied, "You don't understand. This is the biggest news today. Everyone in the city is talking about it. How can a Beijinger not keep up with current events?"

Before Dana could respond, the door opened, and Becky's family walked in.

Seeing Adam and Ada return, Shaw quickly called out, "You're back just in time. You understand this college entrance exam news best. Come and explain it to us."

While they could understand the gist of it, discussing it thoroughly required someone knowledgeable.

Ada smiled, "The college entrance exams, huh?"

Alston responded, "Exactly! This news is huge today."

Since they were called over, Adam and Ada joined Shaw, Alston, and Clement.

Shaw handed the newspaper to Adam.

As Adam read the news, he explained it to Shaw and the others, not just the literal meaning but also providing a summary and additional insights in simple terms.

He explained why the country was restoring the college entrance exams, discussing various aspects such as the drawbacks of the previous recommendation system, the urgent need for talented individuals, and the potential impacts on individuals, society, and the nation once the exams were restored.

Regardless of whether they fully understood, everyone in the courtyard listened attentively.

After a while, Shaw asked, "What are the admission requirements?"

Adam looked at him and smiled, "You don't need to worry about that."

Shaw replied, "We may not need to, but Summer does."

Clement added, "Yeah, and my younger brother Henry should meet the requirements too. If he gets into college, he won't have to wait for a spot and can return to the city right away."

Hearing this, Adam and Ada exchanged a quick glance, silently conveying the same message to each other.

Then they quickly looked away.

Adam cleared his throat and smiled, "Yes, Summer and Henry meet the eligibility requirements, but it's extremely challenging..."

"With the requirements so broad, there will be millions of applicants. It's definitely tough," Ada interjected, cutting off Adam. She continued with a smile, "But I think as long as they meet the requirements, they should give it a try. Who knows, if they get lucky and pass, they'll have a stable job assigned by the state after graduation, and they'll be set for life."

Shaw nodded in agreement, "Ada is right."

Alston then turned to Clement, "You should write a letter to Henry, encouraging him to take the exam."

Clement thought for a moment, "Writing a letter is too slow. I'll send a telegram instead. It's faster, and if he's in the countryside with limited access to information, he might not have heard the news yet."

Alston agreed, "Alright, send a telegram then."

With that settled, Adam and Ada decided it was time to head back and prepare dinner.

Once inside, Adam whispered, "Why did you stop me? They're both out of school for two years. One's been working, the other's in the countryside. With only a month to review, how can they possibly pass? Letting them register is just wasting their time and money. And the idea that they'll be assigned to a government job and be set for life—do they really seem like the type to make it through college?"

Ada whispered back, "Why do you care so much? It's not your time or money. They clearly want to join the hype, so let them. If you had told them outright that Summer and Henry have no chance, you'd just be making enemies."