"Brother, are you really going to take the college entrance exam?"
"Do you want me to give you a copy of my practice books?"
After Chen Liming left the room to look after the two little ones, Chen Yu peeked her head around and walked up to Chen Yang.
In 1979, it was only the third year after the college entrance examination was resumed. At this time, the college entrance examination was still unified nationwide. Local provinces began to set their own exam papers in 1985 in Shanghai.
Many local provinces started to set their own exam papers after 2000, which is why there were so many varied types of college entrance examination papers.
Later, reforms continued, such as National Paper I, National Paper II, National Paper III, and then National Paper A, National Paper B, National Paper C.
In fact, no matter what kind of paper it is, if you were born in a province like Henan, Shandong, or Jiangxi, you would know what difficulty is.
Shandong Province, needless to say, is one of only two provinces with a permanent population exceeding 100 million in China, so intense competition is understandable.
As for Henan and Jiangxi, they are inseparable brothers. Because they both use National Paper I and National Paper B, they have always vied for the top two spots for the first-tier and second-tier admission scores.
Henan Province has a population close to 100 million, with only one 211 university, Zhengda, in the entire province. With the same exam paper and the same score, it is common for students in Henan Province to score ten to twenty points higher than their peers in other provinces to get into 985 and 211 universities outside their province.
Although Jiangxi Province does not have a large population, it has always been extremely competitive in academics.
Historically, out of a total of 494 top scholars in China, Jiangxi Province alone has 49 scholars with verifiable names, 45 second-place scholars, 40 third-place scholars, and over ten thousand Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations).
According to statistics, Jiangxi Province produced 30 top scholars during the Song and Ming dynasties, ranking second in the country.
During the Song and Ming dynasties, the academic achievements of students from Ji'an Prefecture and Linchuan Prefecture in Jiangxi Province completely outperformed those from other regions at the time, even leading to a situation where "half of the Jinshi in the country came from Jiangxi."
Like its unfortunate brother Henan Province, Jiangxi Province also has only one 211 university, Changda, and is often criticized for failing to secure the name "Nanda." The difficulty for students in Jiangxi Province to get into a good university is also among the top in the country, given the admission scores for first-tier and second-tier universities every year.
With the same exam paper, students in Jiangxi Province need to score tens of points higher than students in other provinces, otherwise they will have to attend vocational colleges.
Nowadays, universities are not as regionally concentrated as in later generations. Chen Yang is in Anhui Province, and it is relatively easier to get in.
"Why didn't you give me a copy of this good thing earlier, brother? I was thinking of buying you a bicycle and taking you to school when you went to college."
Chen Yang glared at his younger sister. Chen Yu also studied liberal arts. With her excellent academic materials, it would be much better than him studying by himself.
"Brother, what are you talking about?"
"I'll sort it out for you when I go back to school tomorrow. Don't forget my bicycle."
Chen Yu was overjoyed when she heard this. If she could have a bicycle when she went to college, she would be so happy. She heard that universities were huge.
It takes more than ten to twenty minutes to walk to the library. It would be so tiring to walk alone. It would be so comfortable with a bicycle.
"Hurry up and study. If you don't get good grades, don't talk about bicycles. You won't even get into Jinling University. Don't think that Jinling University isn't strong just because it enrolls a lot of students here."
"In our country, Jinling University is still top-notch."
Chen Yang was not exaggerating. Jinling University's ranking among Chinese universities was no joke. Since 1952, it had been split into 19 parts.
This included 5 985 universities. Some of its departments were merged into Peking University, Fudan University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.
The School of Engineering of Jinling University directly formed Jinling Institute of Technology, which was later renamed Southeast University, becoming one of the only two 985 universities in Jiangsu Province.
Seven 211 universities. The School of Business of Jinling University established Chen Yang's alma mater, East China College of Finance and Economics, which is now Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.
The Normal College established Nanjing Normal University.
The School of Agriculture was separated to establish the current Nanjing Agricultural University.
The Department of Water Conservancy was separated to establish the current Hohai University.
The Department of Food Engineering was separated to establish the current Jiangnan University.
The Medical School was separated to establish the Fourth Military Medical University.
The Conservatory of Music established the Central Conservatory of Music.
The remaining seven universities established were all undergraduate institutions with first-class academic strength in Jiangsu Province.
After being split, Jinling University remained a 985 and 211 double-first-class university in later generations, ranking among the top ten famous universities in the country.
On the contrary, in Chen Yang's previous life, his younger sister chose Renmin University, which in later generations ranked lower than Jinling University.
Of course, it's not that Renmin University is bad. The number of students from Renmin University who end up in leadership positions can definitely crush any university in the country.
Compared to Jinling University, it was definitely the right choice for his younger sister to go to Renmin University. Moreover, if Chen Yu didn't go to Renmin University, how could she meet her future husband?
"Brother, stop nagging me, you're just like Mom."
"Don't you trust my ability? I can get in with my eyes closed."
Chen Yu waved her hand dismissively. Chen Yang was quite helpless. Indeed, despite her usual demeanor of not liking to study, her grades were excellent.
In her previous life, Chen Yu's college entrance examination scores were good enough to get into Peking University and Tsinghua University directly, but she chose Renmin University.
As for Chen Yang, his college entrance examination scores barely passed, and it was luck that he could enter East China College of Finance and Economics.
They are both children of the same parents, why is there such a big difference? Chen Yang felt like he was questioning life.
After dealing with his father and younger sister, he saw his wife staring at him again, and Chen Yang felt a headache coming on.
"You don't need to say it, I will support you."
"Don't you remember? In the past, I was the one who supported you the most in taking the college entrance examination and going to college."
"I don't have much education, but I hope the father of our children is a cultured person, so you can teach them many things I don't understand."
Shen Xue snuggled into Chen Yang's arms. She had always admired him for being an intellectual.
She grew up in such a small village, surrounded by farmers who couldn't even write their own names before Chen Yang and his group came to help with the literacy classes.
Seeing a high school student like Chen Yang who could also read and write poetry, how could she not be moved?
"I will. I promise you, I will not disappoint you."
Chen Yang was also a little helpless at this moment. He really needed to take this matter of studying seriously.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain himself to his father and Shen Xue.
"I believe you. From the beginning, I have always believed in you."
Shen Xue hugged Chen Yang and looked up at him seriously, as if recalling the time they climbed rice stacks on the threshing ground to watch the sunset.
At that time, love was truly beautiful, and the love poems he wrote for her were truly moving.