Chapter 50: Rally for the Oath

Yang Chunsheng walked into the main room and, upon hearing Old Six-Finger's words, quickly stated the purpose of his visit.

"Uncle Six-Finger, Xiaowu's college entrance examination is coming up soon, and I was thinking—"

Hearing this, Old Six-Finger hurriedly motioned for Yang Chunsheng to sit down and asked his wife to pour two bowls of tea (plain boiled water).

After sitting down, Yang Chunsheng quickly stood up to receive the tea brought by Aunt Six-Finger, placed it on the octagonal table, and waited nervously for Old Six-Finger's response.

Hearing the reason for the visit, Old Six-Finger thought for a moment and said:

"Is that all? A mere trifle. I still have an old pocket watch; a single wind lasts a little less than two days. I just wonder if it can be of any help?"

"Yes, it certainly can! We only need it for the tenth day of the sixth month. There are three subjects tested that day, and I'm mainly afraid Xiaowu might miss the exam, which is why I came to ask for your help!"

Hearing this, Yang Chunsheng was overjoyed.

"That's good then. I've watched Xiaowu grow up; the boy has been honest and hardworking since he was little. I can't believe a blink of an eye has passed—it's already been ten years, and now it's time for him to take the college entrance examination!"

"Indeed! It's all thanks to your good guidance, Uncle Six-Finger!"

"Ah, I wouldn't dare take credit for that. I'm just an old, worn-out man, how could I be as good as you say?"

"Uncle Six-Finger, you shouldn't say that. If you hadn't told Xiaowu about the world outside the village, he wouldn't have studied so hard. Over the years, as his father, I've seen the child's efforts and worried endlessly! Now that there's finally a way I can help, I certainly don't want Xiaowu to have any regrets!"

"Sigh, I'm not as great as you make me out to be!"

"Uncle Six-Finger, don't be modest. Every time Xiaowu took the junior high or specialized secondary school entrance exams, he treated your words like imperial edicts—always talking about how diligence can compensate for clumsiness and the early bird catching the worm! Now his high school teachers all say there's a strong possibility Xiaowu will make it into university!"

"Really? That's wonderful! Looks like our Yang Family Village is finally going to produce a college student! Hahaha!"

Hearing this, Old Six-Finger became even happier. Over the years, he had taught hundreds, if not thousands, of children, but this was the first time someone had reached the stage of the college entrance examination—especially a student with a high probability of entering university.

As a teacher, how could he not be happy?

Since he began his career in education all those years ago, he could finally consider it a success; at least none of it had been in vain!

The two chatted idly for a while longer. Old Six-Finger called his son to keep the guest company, while he went to the east room to rummage through trunks and cabinets.

Before long, Old Six-Finger came out holding a dark yellow old pocket watch.

"Chunsheng, come here, let me teach you how to use it. This thing has been sitting at home for years; if you hadn't come, I wouldn't even have remembered it. Look here, you wind it like this, and it can run for about 40 to 44 hours. Make sure you remind Xiaowu to adjust it a few times, and don't forget!"

With that, Old Six-Finger demonstrated. Yang Chunsheng stood beside him, eyes wide open, missing not a single detail.

Old Six-Finger demonstrated three times in a row, and Yang Chunsheng practiced operating it himself a few times. Once he had thoroughly mastered it, he left with profuse expressions of gratitude.

Watching Yang Chunsheng's retreating figure, Old Six-Finger let out a soft sigh.

As a parent himself, he naturally understood Yang Chunsheng's thoughts.

Having watched his father send Yang Chunsheng off, Yang Wanli eagerly sidled up to his old man and said,

"Dad, is our Yang Family Village really going to get a college student? Doesn't that mean you, as his teacher, will become famous too?"

Hearing this, Old Six-Finger frowned.

"How did I teach you? You're a grown man, yet you can't keep a secret for even a second! Never speak idly before a matter is settled! Do you understand?"

Chided by his father, Yang Wanli gave a somewhat sheepish chuckle.

"Dad, don't be angry. Is what Chunsheng said true?"

"I don't know either. Ever since Xiaowu graduated from the village primary school, it's been six years. Even though he comes to pay New Year's greetings every year, you know how honest his personality is—none of this is certain yet! None of you are to go outside and spread wild rumors! Wait until Xiaowu passes before saying anything. Just in case he fails, he still needs a fallback route! Lives can be ruined over this, do you all hear me?"

"Dad, I know!"

"As long as you know. If anyone has a loose tongue, humph!"

...

June 25th, Monday, Sunny.

On the playground of the Sixth Senior High School of Sanchuan City, the students had just finished the flag-raising ceremony and singing the national anthem.

The first-year high school students had already been dismissed.

Only the graduating seniors and the repeat classes remained.

Principal Zhang Weiguo, holding a large megaphone, stood on the elevated platform and shouted to the students:

"Students, the college entrance examination is right around the corner. Do you have confidence?"

"YES!!!"

The roar was deafening, echoing across the entire campus, causing even passersby outside the school to stop in their tracks.

The younger first-year students watched their senior schoolmates who were about to charge into the battlefield of the national exams, their hearts filled with excitement. Next year, it would be their turn to take the field!

Hearing the deafening, ocean-like roar from below, Zhang Weiguo immediately felt that the morale of the masses was solid!

He promptly raised the megaphone again and shouted:

"Good! Truly worthy of being the students I brought up!

Students, you have walked all the way from the elementary grades toward the college entrance examination. For some of you, this journey has taken ten years; for others, even more than a decade.

Ten days from now is the day you charge into battle. As your teacher, I wish you all satisfactory scores in advance, and I wish every single one of you success on the imperial examinations!

I know many of you come from rural backgrounds. To speak from the bottom of my heart, farming is truly grueling. Our fellow villagers hold sickles, face the yellow soil and back to the sky, letting their sweat drip and shatter into eight pieces!

Those literary scholars only need a single sentence: 'How healing are the green wheat waves!'

I curse their ancestors for eight generations! Let them go down into the fields to do manual labor for a few days, and see if they can still utter such words!

They are all a bunch of bastards standing by and talking without feeling any back pain!"

Hearing this, many students burst into unrestrained laughter. Looking at the principal on stage, Yang Xingwu hadn't expected him to be such an amusing character!

Zhang Weiguo paid no attention to the laughter echoing from below.

"Very well, I know many students come from industrial and mining families, children of the mines, with decent family conditions. But would you be willing to endure your fathers' hardships and go down into the mine shafts to work for a lifetime?"

"No!"

Watching his fellow classmates shout in unison, Yang Xingwu felt a pang of envy. What they were eager to discard was what countless others dreamed of attaining!

"Very well! As everyone knows, if rural people want to eat from the national treasury, there are only two ways: joining the military or passing the college entrance examination!

But can you just join the army whenever you want? If you can't secure a commission after your service, you still end up returning home to farm!

The college entrance examination is simpler. Pass, and you hold official cadre status; go to school, and you receive stipends; upon graduation, your salary will be higher than your teachers'!

Today, we won't talk about dedication, we won't talk about construction—we will only speak from the heart!

Tell me, if you were made to stay in the village and farm for the rest of your lives, would you accept it?"

"NO WAY!!!"

This time, the sound was even louder and clearer, truly piercing the clouds and shattering stone!

Many students of rural origin shouted until their throats were hoarse!

They knew the path of the college entrance examination was unimaginably difficult, fraught with thorns at every step, but once you forged through it, the road ahead would be smooth and wide!

This was their Dragon Gate!