Chapter 8: The road ahead is long and arduous

The homeroom teacher has already registered them at their table, glanced at him, and then said, "You don't need to give it anymore"

As the end of school approached, he went to see the homeroom teacher. He first discussed his academic situation and then directly stated, "I would like to go home to review first and come to school on the day of the exam to take the bus to the examination venue."

He truly does not understand Ling Er's thoughts

In his previous life, Yang Hao attended a vocational school and began his career as a bank teller assigned to the city. From a youthful young man to around forty years of age, he lived a stable life.

"Are you flustered?" Ling Er teased as he looked at the thick stack of oil-printed papers on Liu Gao's bed, "Today is tomorrow, and tomorrow is abundant."

Liu Gaodao said, "Jiang Xianlei, you pig, are you still sleeping?"

Yang Hao nodded and said, "Yes, it's a bit of a pity that you have such good grades and won't be going to high school. My father wants me to apply to the provincial bank school. This year, the Agricultural Bank's accounting class is recruiting 80 students, and after two years of study, job placement is guaranteed."

Steady!

"Hey, Ling Er, are you back?" A head popped out from the upper bunk.

His father is an official in the county, and his mother works at the town hospital. Relatively speaking, their conditions are better than most of his classmates, and his pockets often contain large sums of money in hundreds that many people dare not even imagine

When applying for vocational schools, not only is the accommodation fee waived, but also for students enrolled under national recruitment tasks, most vocational schools waive tuition and miscellaneous fees, and job placement is guaranteed upon graduation

Most recent junior high school graduates are no longer willing to follow the traditional path from junior high to senior high and then to university in a step-by-step manner. Instead, many are applying to vocational schools, where the admission score thresholds have at times even surpassed those of key senior high schools. Many key senior high schools occasionally face a shortage of students and need to conduct supplementary admissions.

That is good. Yang Hao did not ask any further questions

"It's quite good; one should have dreams, what if one turns their fortunes around?" Ling Er did not deny him. In this tumultuous era, there are many examples of those from the bottom rising up. If one seizes the opportunity, who knows, they might just turn their fortunes around.

He also does not understand where Ling Er's confidence comes from

Ling Erdao said, "Go home and have a good discussion with your father. Your family is well-off, and you can certainly afford high school."

As the high school entrance examination approaches, classes have been suspended, and students are engaged in self-study. He gathered all the textbooks from the first to the third year of junior high school, starting with mathematics, followed by physics, chemistry, and English, flipping through each one in turn. In less than an hour, he had grasped the general content.

Jiang Xianlei

Jiang Xianlei said with a smile, "When I turn things around, I will take you all along."

The remaining subjects are politics, language, biology, history, and geography. He is not worried at all, as there is actually not much content. After having a hearty lunch in the cafeteria, he began to read. Apart from taking two trips to the restroom in between, he did not move from his spot.

The idea is good. Jiang Weihua scratched his head, not caring about the dandruff that had fallen, and continued, But we also need to consider reality

Ling Erdao said, "Just throw away the test papers, focus on the textbooks. The foundation must be solidified; it is already too late to study the test papers now. The possibility of achieving a miracle by cramming at the last minute during the few days of vacation is very slim."

Ling Er was momentarily dazed; in the dimly lit room, he not only could not recognize the person, but even if he could, he would not know their name

Some students always feel that there are books they have not finished reading, yet they never actually read them

The homeroom teacher, Jiang Weihua, is a middle-aged man in his forties, with a round head and thick glasses. He furrowed his brows and said, "Are you going to take the high school entrance exam?"

Roll up the mat to take it home, but upon closer inspection, it is either full of holes or covered in mold, so it is better to throw it away. Under the bed lies a pair of green liberation shoes, still intact, so I simply put them into a woven bag along with books and exam papers.

Liu Gaodao said, "It's none of your business, I just love studying, I can't bear to part with it, what are you going to do about it?"

"No money." Ling Er has only 2 yuan in his pocket

Ling Er merely felt regret for him, but he could only express this much; it was up to Yang Hao to make his own decision

The one who gives money is his maternal grandfather, who is also a teacher at the school; however, he does not wish to discuss these matters with outsiders

I reviewed the previous exam papers and completed them from start to finish. I only lost two points on a question about the valence of elements, and got the rest correct, which has greatly boosted my confidence

The disadvantages of attending high school are quite evident, with a three-year system where all expenses for food, drink, and daily needs are borne by oneself, and the uncertainty of whether one can gain admission to university remains.

Yang Hao said, "I have it in my pocket"

Do you have money? Yang Hao did not understand why Ling Er was so calm

Yang Huaidao said, "Are you confused? What are you thinking?"

Ling Erdao said, "Someone with a kind heart gave it to me."

Thank you, but no need. Ling Er was confident and prepared.

In order for China to integrate with the world, it must first align its education system with that of developed countries. If the talent hierarchy consists solely of vocational schools and technical secondary schools, how can development be achieved

"I want to go to university," Ling Er said firmly. "I hope you can also attend university. We must look forward. Just look at how in demand university graduates are nowadays. Even if you get into a teacher training college, a banking vocational school, or a technical high school, what difference does it make? To put it bluntly, in the future, you will just be a cog in the machine, stuck in that position. Do you want to live your life like that?"

For a rural child to be admitted to a vocational school signifies a leap like a carp jumping over the dragon gate, and for Ling Er, it represents a transformation of fate

He spent half of his life in school, which gives him a deep understanding of students' mindset

Ling Er suddenly remembered something and asked, "Are you going to take the vocational school entrance exam?"

Yang Hao handed the money to the homeroom teacher, and only after the teacher had walked away did he quietly ask, "What is the situation?"

Jiang Xianlei crouched down from the upper bunk, his ribs visibly protruding from his back. He rummaged through the drawer of the desk and pulled out a pack of low-quality cigarettes, offering them around, but no one took any. He lit one for himself, trying to sound mature, "I will tidy up this afternoon and then leave. I am going to venture into Shanghai."

He is envious; he wants to become that kind of person

By calculating the input, output, and risks, one will naturally make a choice

He now recalls why he was so determined to attend university in his previous life; it seems to be merely because of an outdoor movie he had watched, where the male lead was a university student, refined and elegant, attracting everyone's attention wherever he went, especially that of the girls

Carrying woven bags to the classroom, the homeroom teacher is collecting fees for the high school entrance examination, and everyone is taking out their money

You old rascal, you are truly wicked; I almost fell for your tricks in my past life! Ling Er silently complained in her heart, then smiled and said, "Teacher Jiang, I have thought it through clearly; I want to attend university."

He is certainly aware of the situation of the Ling family; in his view, the best choice for Ling Er is to attend a teacher training college

"Well, I still want to attend university," Ling Er said

Ling Er shook his head and said earnestly, "Listen to me, we will attend high school together"

Ling Erdao said, "You go ahead and scout the way. Once you have figured out the route, I will come to find you"

Yang Hao muttered, "You have truly great ambitions"

Liu Gao belongs to this type of person, wasting the day away and feeling guilty at night, having thought of a thousand paths, yet continuing to walk the same road the next day

Ling Er silently recited it in his heart, carefully recalling it, and finally connected with his memory. He smiled and said, "It's time to get up; it's good to read for a while."