Chapter 6, Graduation Ceremony

The graduation class meeting is attended only by students from prestigious universities such as Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, or those from the first and second tiers of universities. The village head is unclear about the details, but a notice has come from above, so please ensure that Fang Shi must attend.

Fang Shi stood beside the principal, who addressed everyone: "This notification letter was just delivered to the school yesterday morning, having been transported by airport personnel for a continuous 32 hours. Student Fang Shi was unaware of this. After receiving the admission notice, the school spent a day contacting various parties for confirmation. It was ultimately confirmed that student Fang Shi has been officially admitted to Alliance University"

Xiao Na's crying caused Fang Shi to completely disengage from his studies in the last month. The guilt weighed heavily on his conscience, preventing him from concentrating on his learning, resulting in mediocre scores in several mock exams. According to the teachers' assessment, he could barely strive for a junior college.

That night after the breakup, Xiao Na cried for a long time, a very long time. Fang Shi felt like he was worthless; he had not truly cared for Xiao Na in this relationship, aside from the physical pleasure she provided him. With Xiao Rou gone, the ghosts chattered among themselves, but none were reliable. Some praised Fang Shi as a charming young man, some scorned him for being heartless and ungrateful, and others shared certain unspeakable knowledge.

The graduation class meeting at Yizhong is the focal point of attention for the entire county. Many top students will not receive their admission notices prior to this event, as the principal will personally announce the admission letters during the graduation class meeting, thereby establishing Yizhong's unassailable reputation in the county. In principle, all graduates are allowed to attend; however, only those students and parents who receive a special notification will be enthusiastic about participating

A handsome young man stood up, and beside him, Xiao Na also rose to her feet, offering him enthusiastic applause. The young man and Xiao Na embraced, even rubbing their faces together briefly. The young man walked to the front of the stage, standing confidently beside the principal, clearly aware of the good news awaiting him. The principal, filled with excitement, announced: "Student Jiang Hua from Class XX has been admitted to one of the top ten universities in the world, Niuqiao University." For that era, in that small county, this was enough to make headlines throughout the county; any top scorer in the arts or sciences would pale in comparison to this admission notice. The principal, filled with excitement, announced: "Student Jiang Hua from Class XX has been admitted to one of the top ten universities in the world, Niuqiao University." For that era, in that small county, this was enough to make headlines throughout the county; any top scorer in the arts or sciences would pale in comparison to this admission notice.

What amused and perplexed everyone was that in the first semester following the high school entrance examination, the authorities announced that vocational schools and university students would no longer be guaranteed job placements. Even though university students are no longer assured job assignments, they remain the most sought-after talents. However, those top students who were admitted to vocational schools do not possess the means to compete with university students

Parting, without heartbreak, without deep kisses. The class monitor could not even find the time to speak privately with Fang Shi; she was busy coordinating with her parents to host a banquet for relatives and friends, and then she left

After a series of meaningless chatter, the principal began the main event

Once everyone had finally calmed down, the principal opened the last envelope and looked at its contents for a long time. He then addressed the audience: "Fang Shi, please come to the stage."

The top ten students on stage are all admitted to prestigious universities. Each time a student's name is called, there is a round of applause from the audience. The students come up to receive their admission letters and will also be awarded a one thousand yuan bonus from the county government

The meeting was held in the school auditorium, with all the senior leaders from the county in attendance, which has been quite rare in previous years

Fang Shi was also unaware, as he had completely lost contact with the class monitor. Although he felt a sense of loss inside, everything in the county town captivated this boy who had just stepped out of the countryside. ... Game consoles, fast food, billiards, electronic gadgets ... . ... Everything was far more delightful than Chinese, mathematics, and physics.

The principal's subsequent words were drowned out by the enthusiastic applause, and he could only give up and join in the clapping. Xiaona proudly welcomed Jianghua from the audience, and they embraced each other as they faced everyone together. Their parents exchanged smiles, clearly approving of their children's affectionate behavior.

That year, it is unknown how many people regretted this plot twist, and how many felt fortunate.

... ...

The reality is harsh; Fang Shi's college entrance examination score was not even enough to meet the requirements for a junior college. Feeling dejected, he, with the encouragement of his friends and grandfather, prepared to head to a big city to start his working life. This big city has his parents, but that is not important. What matters most is that it has his class monitor. Perhaps his indifference towards Xiao Na is due to his deep-seated feelings for the class monitor.

The township head pushed Fang Shi slightly, and Fang Shi stood up, stepping onto the stage under everyone's gaze. Unlike others, the county head lowered his stance and took the initiative to step forward to shake hands with Fang Shi, offering warm and friendly congratulations

Her name is Xiao Na, and her surname is Ge. She is very cheerful and has a great sense of style, completely different from the bookish boy beside Fang who wears thick glasses resembling beer bottle bottoms. Moreover, she is quite a bold girl. Bold enough that in the second semester of her sophomore year, she invited him to her home, where they watched some indescribable content from the videos her parents had collected. They spent an hour without clothes studying certain matters before they were done.

The principal opened one of the last two envelopes and announced: "Jiang Hua, please come up."

Fang Shi? Xiao Na was taken aback, wondering how Fang Shi had arrived. What she did not know was that after Fang Shi witnessed the intimacy between Xiao Na and Jiang Hua, he did not take a seat in the center of the hall, but instead sat in a corner near the television station reporters, accompanied by the village chief. Fang Shi's feelings were complex; he thought he had wronged Xiao Na, yet he did not realize that the story was not as he imagined. He felt a mix of irritation and jealousy, but more importantly, he felt a sense of justification. At the same time, he realized that he had never truly understood Xiao Na. He recalled a saying that Xiao Rou had told him: as a man, you will never understand women.

After all, a school is still a school, with a strong academic atmosphere and an omnipresent school inspection team, allowing Fang Shi's mind to wander back and forth between the classroom and society

A month before the college entrance examination, Xiao Na broke up with Fang Shi. Xiao Na told Fang Shi that she had been very happy and joyful over the past two years and that she liked him very much, but he was not suitable for her. The reason was that Xiao Na's parents had already arranged for her to attend the top university in China, Huada, located in the capital. This made it impossible for their relationship to be maintained. Rather than breaking up after graduation, it was better to clarify things now. Xiao Na is an open and cheerful girl, expressive of her emotions, which further indicated that their relationship could not be sustained. Rather than breaking up after graduation, it was better to clarify things now. Xiao Na is an open and cheerful girl, expressive of her emotions.

This may be the only thing that left a deep impression on Fang Shi regarding this relationship. Aside from this, their romance was quite ordinary: you went to school, I went to school; you finished school, I went home; occasionally, we would go shopping or visit Xiao Na's house

For this individual, Fang Shi did not have the profound feelings that a class monitor would evoke, nor did he experience the passionate thrill of a soul-stirring kiss. He liked her simply because the electronic baseboard had consumed all his living expenses, and she treated him to fast food for a month. At that time, fast food had just emerged, costing five yuan, filling enough, with three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes, and the clear soup was free

The next five individuals are students who have gained admission to a prestigious university, among whom is Xiao Na, who has been accepted into Huada.

In the first year of high school, Fang Shi began to grow, his height shooting up like bamboo shoots. Additionally, as a member of the school basketball team, he quickly found love in the second half of his first year. This partner had average academic performance and entered the school through a donation from her parents. Her family background was exceptionally distinguished, making her an outlier in the school.

Before Fang Shi was about to leave the village, the township head personally drove over in a jeep to inform Fang Shi that the county head had called, requesting him to go to the county immediately, and that he must attend the graduation class meeting the next day