The third year of high school came, and the painful evening self-study began again. The high school separates out a new teaching building, and there is an LCD sign on the door that reads "There are XXX days, XX hours, XX minutes, XX seconds until the college entrance examination."
The whole senior year was re-classified and reshuffled. Physics and politics were the most studied. There was one key class and one general class. Yuan Yuan and Tan Ruikang were both assigned to key classes. They still sat in the front row and the last in the classroom. They studied on their own until ten o'clock every night Just got home from school.
At the beginning, everyone was full of energy, but after less than a week, they were all exhausted. In the words of the team leader, it was a long-term resistance battle. Yuan Yuan consumed all his fighting spirit in the first week, and looked at the countdown card for the college entrance examination dumbfoundedly.
This is the third year after the college entrance examination expansion. Since 1999, the college entrance examination is no longer a single-plank bridge. However, the concept of college students has not been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, only that it is easier to go to college than before. As for how difficult it was to go to university in the past, Yuan Yuan had no idea at all, only that Zhao Guogang was very nervous about his and Tan Ruikang's work.
The students of No. 3 Middle School are divided into two categories. One is the students who are hot from reading and reading, and their faces are flushed at three or four in the afternoon, and they are in a irritable mood; Students who should eat and sleep.
The latter have all found a way out - study abroad.
As long as you spend 600,000 to 700,000, you can go out to study preparatory classes, and after returning to China, you can also be plated with a layer of returnee gold. Although far away English is good, but you don’t want to go abroad at all. First, you don’t want to adapt to the new environment. It only takes a short period of pain to fight for one year, but to go abroad alone will take four years of long-term pain.
As for Tan Ruikang, he will definitely go to a domestic university, the only difference is which school he attends.
Tan Ruikang and Yuan Yuan no longer eat separately. From the third year of junior high school to the third year of high school, they finally ate together every day and played football together, truly integrating their student careers into a circle.
"I like to eat this." In the restaurant, Yuan Yuan eagerly mixed the nest egg beef fast food in front of him: "The food in the cafeteria is too bad."
"You can eat as much as you like." Tan Ruikang, in lame Cantonese, flipped through a Carnegie book "The Weakness of Human Nature" in his hand.
Yuan Yuan was amused by him. The results of the first test after the start of the third year of high school came out. According to this test, everyone set a goal. The small note is "Peking University".
It was quite difficult, Yuan Yuan felt that Tan Ruikang might be admitted, but he could not.
He sometimes felt sad when he thought about it, and the gap between the two was widening unknowingly. But Tan Ruikang, as always, gave him topics and urged him to study, and he never let up.
"Xiaoyuan, are you unhappy?" Tan Ruikang looked up from Carnegie's book.
Yuan Yuan shook his head and said, "I may not be able to get into Peking University."
Tan Ruikang was startled at first, then laughed, and after a while, Yuan Yuan frowned and said, "Is it funny?!"
Tan Ruikang hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Eat."
Yuan Yuan's eyebrows were twisted into a knot, and he finished his meal with a dark face. Tan Ruikang took out a cigarette and lit one for him, and said, "Why don't we go to Guangzhou to study, the same goes for Guangzhou."
Yuan Yuan said: "What a joke."
Tan Ruikang said: "I also think that I can't get into Tsinghua University. It's too difficult. There are only two or three people in the city each year, and there are dozens of people in the province. specialized."
Although Tan Ruikang studied very hard, learning this stuff is always out of the sky, and there are people in the world. Being an excellent student certainly depends on strength, but being the champion does inevitably require luck and talent.
Yuan Yuan's understanding of himself is still very clear, and some things are impossible to achieve no matter how hard he tries.
"Let's finish this semester first." Yuan Yuan said, "Let's see how Yimo's grades are, the teacher is here! Throw away the cigarettes!"
Tan Ruikang and Yuan Yuan quickly threw the cigarettes under the table and stomped them out. The group leader and another teacher came out to eat and just entered the restaurant.
The two went back to study at night after dinner. There were only a few people in the classroom at night, and they said far away, "What's wrong? Don't study at night today?"
"I went to the cafeteria to watch the news!" A boy said, "The Twin Towers were hit by a plane! Don't you know?"
Tan Ruikang said, "What's going on?"
Several boys described vividly there: "Just hit it like this, and the building collapsed with a bang—"
Yuan Yuan seemed to be listening to the Arabian Nights, and the two followed them to the cafeteria, only to see that the cafeteria was crowded with people, all shouting excitedly, and the news of Phoenix Channel was repeatedly broadcast on the TV, September 11th at 8:00 a.m. U.S. time 40, the Taliban armed regime hijacked a passenger plane and crashed it into the Twin Towers of the United States.
In a disaster movie-like scene, everyone praised it, and many people shouted: "Well hit! Give them some color to see!"
Yuan Yuan thought that fortunately, he did not choose politics. Fortunately, there were so many things that happened this year, more than the major events he experienced from childhood to adulthood.
"Everyone went to study at night!" The group leader came over and reprimanded: "Go back! The college entrance examination is coming soon!"
The students returned to the classroom one after another, buzzing with excitement throughout the evening self-study period, and Zhao Guogang was watching the White House spokesman's speech on TV when he returned home far away.
"It is estimated that this will also become the test center for your comprehensive subjects." Zhao Guogang said: "Prepare some materials to look at."
"Oh—" Yuan Yuan went back to his room listlessly. He had no time to study when he came home every day, so he washed and prepared to sleep.
When he was taking a bath, he heard Zhao Guogang ask Tan Ruikang how the school was going. Tan Ruikang didn't know what to answer, and when he came out, Zhao Guogang said again, "Baby."
"Why." Yuan Yuan said: "I'm already in the third year of high school, don't call me that."
Zhao Guogang smiled and said, "Even if you are eighty years old, you are still a baby."
Tan Ruikang went to take a bath with a smile, sat far away at the table and drank hot milk, Zhao Guogang said, "It doesn't matter if you don't get into Peking University, your brother also thinks that your goals are too high, the university is in this province, and the same will be true for graduate students who are admitted to Tsinghua University and Peking University in the future. ."
"Okay." Yuan Yuan said perfunctorily.
Zhao Guogang came over and patted his head far away, and said, "Instead of crowding out the unpopular majors in the top ten universities, it is better to choose a popular major. Your generation is the most difficult generation. It is estimated that after you graduate, college students will be worthless. So professional skills are the most important.”
"After finishing university, go for a master's degree, and then go abroad for further study." Zhao Guogang said, "This is the development path that best suits you. Your brother is not good at English, and you will have to urge him to work harder in the future."
Yuan Yuan doesn't understand what Zhao Guogang said, what are you kidding? ! When are you going to read this? Have you been studying all your life? Yuan Yuan really doesn't want to read any more. I don't know when my student life will be good.
The third year of high school is crazy and dull, nuclear and electronic transition levels, plane analytic geometry, three representations... No one even went to the basketball court, and I studied frantically in the classroom. Sometimes I feel confident that I can get into a good school, and sometimes I feel The future is bleak, a small test paper is enough to make people cry and want to jump off the building, and enough to make people laugh all night.
Yuan Yuan’s new deskmate is a little nervous. He always likes to stuff all the plastic bottles he’s finished eating into the desk. He mumbles something in class, which makes Yuan Yuan completely unable to concentrate. The two have a big fight, and Yuan Yuan almost thinks Go to the political class and ask Zhang Zhen to bring a group of friends to beat him.
In the end, Yuan Yuan, full of anger, pulled the table away and moved to the wall to sit.
night.
Facing a glass of milk, Yuan Yuan only felt disgusted, and cried out miserably, "I'd better go abroad!"
Tan Ruikang laughed and said, "It's good to go abroad, but I still have to come back. Uncle will not go abroad with you."
When I think about it from a distance, it is almost desperate.
Both of them were topless, with towels on their shoulders and wet hair, sitting at the dining table chatting to relieve the stress of the day.
Without Tan Ruikang, Yuan Yuan would definitely not be able to survive alone. Looking back on these years, if I lost him, I still don't know where I would fall. It is estimated that my grades have been getting worse since the first year of high school. Go to the regular class and wait for Zhao Guogang to send him abroad.
"Hey." Yuan Yuan said tiredly.
The phone rang, Yuan Yuan went to answer the phone, there was Qi Huiyu's voice.
"Milk boy." Qi Huiyu smiled and said, "Happy birthday."
"Ah!" Yuan Yuan then remembered and forgot his birthday again.
He was still wearing the swatch Qi Huiyu gave him three years ago, and Yuan Yuan said, "Thank you."
Qi Huiyu said, "I'm going to study in Hong Kong."
Yuan Yuan said, "Go to Hong Kong?"
Qi Huiyu said: "My mother asked someone from the Education Bureau to get a place and asked me to take the entrance examination for the University of Hong Kong in the Mainland, and I passed."
Yuan Yuan smiled and said, "That's good, congratulations, you don't need the college entrance examination, right?"
Qi Huiyu said: "Yes, I have to take the college entrance examination. As long as I can pass the score line, I will go there to study."
Yuan Yuan asked: "Tuition and living expenses are expensive, right?"
Qi Huiyu said: "It's free, and the university pays tuition and scholarships."
Yuan Yuan hummed, and suddenly felt a little melancholy. They seemed to be moving further and further towards the fork in their lives starting from the rainy afternoon when the middle school entrance examination ended.
Someone called Qi Huiyu's name over the phone and told him to turn off the lights and stop talking. The teacher came to round the room and everyone was going to sleep.
Yuan Yuan thought about it for a long time, didn't know what to say, and finally said: "Chicken, come on, I'm happy for you."
Qi Huiyu's voice seemed to light up in an instant, his voice was very low, and he said, "Thank you, milk boy, I dare not tell my friends here, for fear of irritating them... But I can't hold back, thinking about it. I can only tell you. Dairy boy, you will come to Hong Kong to work in the future, let’s play together, or when we go to university, I will help you ask how to take the postgraduate entrance examination.”
Yuan Yuan's mood also brightened in an instant, and he said, "Yes, I will go to Hong Kong to see you then."
Qi Huiyu hung up the phone, Tan Ruikang entered the room, and he was lying at the table watching the milk, feeling both sour and happy, sour was how this kind of thing couldn't be his turn, happy was Qi Huiyu's last sentence - he There seems to be no real friends in one.
Zhao Guogang just came back. Seeing his son was a little sad and groaning, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"Chicken is going to Shanghai University." Yuan Yuan said, "Why don't I have a place for the exam? My English is so good, don't you have friends in the Education Bureau?"
Zhao Guogang was stunned at first, and Yuan Yuan said, "It's a good opportunity."
Zhao Guogang sat for a while and said, "I'll go ask."
Yuan Yuan listlessly said: "Forget it, the exam is over."
Zhao Guogang started to call his friend and listened at the far side, only then did he know that Zhao Guogang's friend in the Education Bureau had been transferred to another city to be the Minister of Propaganda.
Zhao Guogang was very helpless. After chatting for a while, he hung up the phone and said, "Dad didn't pay attention this time. The uncle from the Education Bureau was transferred. I'm sorry, baby, it's really a pity to miss this opportunity, your friend is going to participate. Why didn't I tell you about the exam before?"
It was silent for a moment.
Zhao Guogang knew that he had said something wrong as soon as he saw Yuan Yuan's face, and comforted him: "Hong Kong is about to open up for free travel. In the next few years, education and economy will gradually be in line with the mainland, and the universities in mainland China are not much worse than Hong Kong. Now it's just one country, two systems, and Hong Kong is fully integrated with the mainland, it's just a matter of time."
Yuan Yuan hummed, Zhao Guogang sighed and shook his head.
"I can rely on myself." Yuan Yuan said, "It doesn't matter, just talk about it casually."
Zhao Guogang nodded and entered the room, Yuan Yuan stared at the milk in a daze, he was already a little numb.
Tan Ruikang ran out quickly, turned on his English repeater, put one earphone into his distant ear and the other into his own ear, held the phone in one hand and pressed it against his ear, embraced the distant shoulder, and turned on the record button. .
distant:"?"
The tape turned slowly, Tan Ruikang smiled and twisted the radio channel button, there was a rustling sound inside, and the sound became clear.
"What does the next listener have to say..." the voice of the hostess on the radio asked.
Tan Ruikang's voice sounded on the radio and in his ears at the same time, he slowly said in Cantonese: "Wo want to order a song, a little farther than me, today is the birthday of Qu, I wish him a happy birthday, number one for the college entrance examination... "
distant:"!!!"
Yuan Yuan heard Tan Ruikang in his ear and said on the tape recorder that his lame Cantonese was so uncontrollable that he was lying on the table and pumping. earphones.
When Zhao Guogang heard the movement, Yuan Yuan and Tan Ruikang made a "shush" gesture to him, signaling him not to make noise.
The piano prelude made a shocking debut, and Eason Chan's singing sounded.
"I can't sing enough... don't make eyebrows... wo-I am willing to make an appointment with you, to 'who'--"
Tan Ruikang leaned on Yuan Yuan's shoulders and hummed along with Eason Chan. Yuan Yuan smiled brightly and his heart was full of sweet taste.
"It's simpler than longing for the end of the world. If you don't have it, who will believe it... This superficial dialogue for a lifetime... Come and give you a song that makes millions of people cry..."
When the music passed the door, the volume gradually decreased, and the hostess's gentle voice spoke in Mandarin: "This is a song sent by Mr. Tan to his younger brother Xiaoyuan. I wish him a happy day at the age of 18. Come on and take the first place in the college entrance examination. I don't know if this listener named Xiaoyuan is in front of the radio, ah, I think he should have heard it, are you happy? My sister wishes you a happy birthday, eighteen is the most beautiful time."
Eason Chan's voice rang again.
"... tears flow when I sing what I say... If you're afraid of sadness, hold my hand... "
"... immersed in love... and your yawning is absolutely unstoppable... it will melt the nest." Tan Ruikang finished singing the ending earnestly, and the two sat quietly without speaking.
"Happy birthday, Xiaoyuan." Tan Ruikang carefully closed the record button and took out the tape for him.
Yuan Yuan took this eighteen-year-old birthday gift carefully, this is the fourth one he got.