Chapter 161: Thousands of Troops Crossing a Single-Plank Bridge
Chinese people place great importance on a good start, and Deng Shirong is no exception.
Today, his second son is returning to school to take the most important exam of his life in two days. To ensure a good beginning, Deng Shirong woke up before dawn, washed up, went to the brigade to buy four pig trotters, and prepared a famous dish—Top Scholar Pig's Trotter.
For lunch, Deng Shirong kept two whole pig trotters and cut the other two into three portions each, making six portions in total.
He placed the two whole trotters in separate bowls, pushing one in front of his second son. "Yunheng, this is a famous dish from Guizhou called Top Scholar Pig's Trotter. Its origin is quite interesting. Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty, a scholar who later became the top scorer in the imperial exams often ate braised pig trotters at the night market before heading to the capital for the exams. After he succeeded, his hometown named the dish 'Top Scholar Pig's Trotter' in his honor.
I hope that after eating this, you'll perform exceptionally well in the upcoming college entrance exam. Even if you don't become the provincial champion, becoming the city or county champion would bring great honor to our family."
Deng Yunheng looked at the appetizing trotter, deeply feeling his father's expectations. He didn't make any grand promises but simply nodded firmly. "Dad, I'll do my best."
Deng Shirong smiled and pushed the other whole trotter toward his eldest daughter-in-law. "Ah Ping, this one's for you. Eat it so that my unborn grandchild can also absorb some of a scholar's literary spirit."
Zhang Xiuping didn't refuse and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Dad!"
Deng Shirong then turned to his other children. "The rest of the trotters are for you all. We didn't have enough time to prepare more this time, but if you like it, I'll buy more on market day and cook it again for everyone."
As he spoke, he distributed the remaining portions to his other children.
Seeing her father-in-law had none left, Zhang Xiuping quickly offered, "Dad, I can't finish this whole trotter by myself. Let's split it—half for you and half for me."
Deng Shirong waved his hand with a smile. "No need. You young ones should eat it. It's delicious, but it's high in cholesterol. It's fine for you, but people my age should eat less.
Alright, stop staring and eat while it's hot!"
Hearing this, Zhang Xiuping stopped insisting and began to enjoy the dish with her husband and siblings-in-law.
With the first bite, they were immediately captivated by the tender, sweet, and rich flavor of the trotter. The more they chewed, the more delightful it became.
"It's delicious!"
"This is amazing!"
"The more you chew, the better it gets. No wonder the Qing Dynasty scholar loved it. Who wouldn't want to eat such a delicacy?"
The entire family praised the dish. Despite having tasted many delicacies recently, the Top Scholar Pig's Trotter stood out as one of the best.
After finishing the meal and resting for about twenty minutes, Deng Yunheng prepared to return to school.
Deng Shirong took out five ten-yuan bills and handed them to his son. "Yunheng, take this money. You're about to graduate, and soon you and your classmates will go your separate ways. It'll be hard to see each other again.
So after the exam, gather with your classmates. Try to take some photos with your teachers and classmates. Twenty or thirty years from now, when you look back on your high school days, you'll have something to remember."
Deng Yunheng accepted the money with a bright smile. His father's words resonated deeply with him. Although he hadn't thought as far ahead as his father, he too wanted to have a proper farewell with his classmates.
"Also, take your Forever bicycle to school. That way, I won't have to pick you up and drop you off."
"Alright, I'll head back to school now!"
"Go ahead. Study hard for the exam and aim to make the honor roll."
...
Tuesday, July 7, 1981
The grueling national college entrance examination officially began.
This was the fifth college entrance exam since its reinstatement in 1977. It was a pivotal moment that affected countless families across the country. For those who succeeded, the world would open up—a vast sky for birds to fly and an expansive ocean for fish to swim. Becoming a person of high status was within reach.
For those who failed, life would be bleak, and most would fade into the masses.
On the day of the exam, Deng Shirong and his eldest daughter prepared sacrifices of chickens and ducks and went to the ancestral hall to pray for their ancestors' blessings, hoping his second son would be admitted to his dream university.
Although Deng Shirong was destined to live a life of wealth, and his son's admission wouldn't drastically affect their family's quality of life, he understood from his past life that wealth without education would only earn him the label of a nouveau riche. True respect required both wealth and knowledge.
Thus, Deng Shirong held high hopes for his second son.
Three days passed in a flash.
At Pine Mountain High School, students began estimating their scores with their teachers' help.
The most accurate time to estimate scores is right after the exam, when memory is freshest. However, teachers avoid this to prevent students with weaker mental resilience from being discouraged by poor estimates, which could affect their performance in subsequent exams.
Therefore, teachers wait until all exams are completed before guiding students through score estimation.
While this method isn't perfectly accurate, it's the best compromise.
Deng Yunheng was also estimating his scores, accompanied by his head teacher and the dean of studies. If not for fear of distracting him, even the principal would have joined.
After all, Deng Yunheng was Pine Mountain High School's brightest student and their greatest hope for admission to a top university in years!
In previous years, the school had only managed to send two or three students to university, regardless of tier. Now, with a potential top scorer, even the principal was deeply invested.
After some time, Deng Yunheng finished estimating his scores.
His head teacher calculated the total and asked, voice trembling, "Deng Yunheng, are these estimates accurate?"
Deng Yunheng had been conservative. "The deviation shouldn't exceed 15 points."
"Good! Good! Good!" The head teacher couldn't contain his excitement.
The dean of studies, seeing the total, was equally thrilled. He patted Deng Yunheng's shoulder. "You're truly the best student in Pine Mountain High School's history. I'll inform the principal of this great news."
Other teachers were equally excited. Having a student admitted to a top university would bring both fame and benefits to the school.
Other students, drawn by the commotion, gathered around. Upon seeing Deng Yunheng's estimated score, they gasped in awe. It was a score they could only dream of.
If the estimate was accurate, Deng Yunheng could choose any university in the country.
At that moment, his classmates looked at him with envy, knowing that from now on, they and Deng Yunheng would belong to two different worlds.
(End of Chapter)