The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 609 - 578_1

Chapter 609: Chapter 578_1

Upon hearing Jiang Lifang say so, Wang Shuping no longer refused.

Now, her daughter He Tiantian was not just a younger generation member whom Jiang Lifang had watched grow up; she was also her daughter-in-law. It wasn’t proper for Wang Shuping to block Jiang Lifang from being kind to her daughter-in-law.

Moreover, Jiang Lifang’s actions also set Wang Shuping’s mind at ease.

After Huang Jingli and Jiang Lifang had left, Wang Shuping did not let them leave empty-handed, preparing some mountain goods for them to take back.

Just a week after Huang Jingli and Jiang Lifang left, Secretary Qi returned from the county town in high spirits and went directly to Third Grandma Qi’s house.

"Brother He, Brother He, you really guessed it, the documents for the open unified university entrance examination have already been distributed all over the country," said Secretary Qi. "County Chief Niu told me privately that the examination targets a wide range of individuals, selecting talents from various fields, including workers, farmers, the sent-down youth, returned city intellectuals, demobilized soldiers, cadres, and current high school graduates."

This was expected, and He Jingyu wasn’t surprised; he just felt that the timing was more than half a year earlier than before.

But that was good; it was better to be early than late.

Education must not be interrupted; education must not be delayed.

"That’s great! Given the situation in our village, I estimate that many people will participate in the exam this year, and perhaps quite a few will get in," He Jingyu said, smiling. "But have you considered the lack of teachers in the schools? After all, many young people, especially those from the cities, would want to make a break for it. By then, there will be a particularly critical shortage of teachers in the schools."

Village Chief Qi, upon hearing this, was not worried and said, "Since you reminded me earlier, I had Big Brother Niu help me look for some. Now he has found five or six teachers for me, and I expect another seven or eight people can be found in half a month, which should be enough."

"That’s great!" He Jingyu said, smiling. "Then you should quickly post the notice in the village and at Qi Family Primary School."

Village Chief Qi nodded repeatedly and said, "I haven’t even been home yet; I came straight here. You’re right, I need to hurry and post it, to excite those who love learning."

Village Chief Qi left in a flurry of activity.

There was only one copy of the announcement; Village Chief Qi immediately transcribed another, posting one copy at the village party branch office and another at the entrance of Qi Family Primary School.

This announcement, once issued, caused a great stir in Qijia Village.

Not just Qijia Village, but the whole country was abuzz with discussion.

Many people saw hope of returning to the city, while some worried that their husband or wife might get into university and never come back...

Everyone had their own thoughts.

There was joy, disappointment, despair...

Wang Lei, Zhang Qingshan, and a few other "educated youths" at the school wept with joy when they saw this report. As long as they were admitted to a university, they could return to their hometown.

After work, they all headed to Third Grandma Qi’s house without prior arrangement.

"Uncle He, Tiantian, we are so grateful to you," said Wu Lei with appreciation. He had graduated from high school, and in the subsequent years, he would copy the test questions from Tiantian’s place and do them at home whenever he had time.

As a result, Wu Lei hadn’t forgotten what he learned in high school.

Now, with the college entrance exams, Wu Lei was absolutely confident that he could pass.

"Hehe, no need to thank me, it’s your effort and ambition," Tiantian said with a smile, happy for them.

Wang Lei, Sister Wu, Zhang Qingshan, and Ye Xiaofan had always maintained a good relationship with Tiantian. As for Huang Jingli, ever since Lin Xiaoru left, she had become friendly with everyone and had previously tipped off Tiantian, albeit out of a desire to get back at Lin Xiaoru. Nonetheless, she had indeed assisted Tiantian.

Tiantian hoped that they could all have a good ending.

Zhang Qingshan was happy, but a bit worried as he said, "Although we have all reviewed our studies and should have no problems with the exam, if we are admitted to college, now I’m worried about what to do with our children. If we’re not teachers anymore, how will we provide for our families? And I wonder if the tuition fees are expensive?"

He Jingyu, who was nearby, looked at several children who were far from home, and felt a pang of pity.

"Actually, if you all get admitted, you can take your children with you and have some reliable relatives help look after them. At four years of age, they can be sent to the Yu Hong Class," He Jingyu said. "Perhaps the announcement didn’t make it clear, but colleges do not charge tuition, and you even get a subsidy once you are at school."

"Ah?" Wang Lei was stunned and excitedly asked, "Uncle He, is it really free of tuition? And there are subsidies?"

"Yes, there are. If you don’t believe it, you can go to the county education bureau and ask for clarification. Also, I heard that during student admission, priority will be given to key institutions, medical schools, normal colleges, and agricultural schools, with the promise that the state will distribute jobs for graduates. You are not getting any younger, almost thirty now, and it might be difficult to start studying something else, so perhaps a normal college isn’t a bad option," said He Jingyu. "You must also be aware, during the last ten years, the number of teachers and medical personnel drastically decreased, yet our country has a large population that urgently needs them. As long as your grades are good enough, you can be admitted to a good university, and absolutely shouldn’t have to worry about future employment."

Compared to Tiantian, Huang Jingli was a year or two older, but for Wang Lei and the others, who were about to turn thirty, studying medicine or technical fields might be too complicated and perhaps difficult. Pursuing a normal college education indeed seemed a good path.

"Thank you, Uncle He, we will consider it carefully. Although we haven’t been teaching in Qijia Village for long, Wu and I are quite fond of being teachers now. We’ve decided to apply for the normal university in the capital city of our province," said Wang Lei. If admitted there, it would be closer to home, and the grandparents could help take care of the children. It would be hard, but if they could withstand these few years, a dignified and enviable life awaited them.

After seeing off Wang Lei and the others, He Jingyu and Wang Shuping personally went to the livestock team, just in time to see Secretary Qi there as well.

Secretary Qi was animatedly talking to Professor Wang and Professor Gu!

"Professor Gu, Professor Wang, now that the universities have started recruiting, I’m sure your former Nan City University has also begun recruiting," said Village Chief Qi. "I heard from my relatives that the universities elsewhere are eagerly recalling the university teachers who were sent for re-education. I’ve written two letters of commendation and included the merits you’ve earned for Qijia Village over these years. Tomorrow I will send them to the education bureau in Nan City. I hope they give priority to your return."

Upon hearing about the national unified recruitment reopening, Professor Wang and Professor Gu couldn’t help tearing up, tears of relief streaming down their cheeks—they had finally waited for this moment.

Qian Shikun and Sun Sihao felt envious hearing Village Chief Qi’s words; they were not teachers but were classified as capitalists, and they didn’t know when their time for rehabilitation would come. After all, Qian Shikun had been involved with the underworld before liberation, and Sun Sihao’s family owned a foreign trade business. In those days, they dressed in gold and enjoyed a life of luxury as part of the exploiting class. Their social status indeed could not compare with that of Professor Wang and Professor Gu.