Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 813 812 Peanuts

Currently, the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) uses a nationally unified exam paper, and there is no situation where the exam is set independently.

Although the scores in the college entrance examination can directly reflect the quality of each candidate, the cut-off scores vary from place to place.

As we all know, the imperial examination was a way to select talents for the country and change one's social class. All dynasties attached great importance to the imperial examination and tried their best to pursue fairness, otherwise the foundation of the country might be shaken.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were incidents of student disturbances. For example, the Southern and Northern Lists of the Ming Dynasty set a precedent in Chinese history for determining the enrollment ratio based on districts.

Later, many schools adopted this method for admissions. For example, Tsinghua University initially allocated its admission quotas according to the proportion of the Boxer Indemnity paid by each province. Although this was later changed, this proportion has always been a reference.

Although things are much fairer now, considering factors such as transportation and lifestyle, many local universities still prioritize recruiting local students, followed by students from other regions.

Of course, local protectionism is also a factor in this.

Provinces with universities are better off, but in provinces with few or no universities, the admission scores are the highest, and the candidates are the most competitive.

Tang Rong intended to apply to universities in Beijing, so Tang Zhitong didn't care how many universities there were in Jilin Province.

After careful consideration, Tang Zhitong wrote in his reply that he suggested Tang Rong give priority to the Beijing Electric Power College, followed by the Petroleum Institute among the eight major universities.

As for other colleges, Tang Zhitong did not recommend any. Geological College and Mining College would inevitably require students to travel outside; the Aeronautical College would be tough after graduation, and that toughness would last for many years; the Agricultural Machinery College's future prospects were also so-so; the Forestry College and Agricultural University were both related to agriculture, and the working conditions after graduation would all be difficult.

As for the Iron and Steel Industry College, Tang Zhitong didn't even consider it and ruled it out immediately.

After copying the application guide given by Teacher Zhou and writing down his own suggestions, Tang Zhitong instructed Tang Rong not to share this information, so as not to cause congestion during the application process and artificially raise the admission scores.

To be honest, Tang Zhitong wrote this letter with great care, even painstaking effort, completely arranging a smooth and successful life for Tang Rong.

However, Tang Zhitong also said in the letter that this was just his suggestion, and whether to adopt it should be discussed with his cousin, family, and teachers before a decision is made.

Tuesday, May 10th, sunny.

Early in the morning, Ms. Wang dressed her husband up in a new outfit. He wore a postal uniform and new cloth shoes made by Zhang Guifang, and he looked very energetic.

Even so, Xiao Wang was still not satisfied, and kept grumbling, "If only we had hair oil at home, we could comb your hair to make it look more neat."

"This is perfect, I'm very satisfied. Even if my hair is oily, I won't use it; greasy hair and powdered face aren't good words." Tang Zhitong rejected Xiao Wang's idea without hesitation.

The "hair oil" that ordinary people talk about is scientifically known as hair cream or hair paste. It is a solid oil mixed with fragrance, a high-tech product. Therefore, it is also known as "osmanthus oil" among the people.

When using it, you need to use your fingers to apply a small amount to your hair, and then use a comb to slowly comb it out until you achieve the desired hairstyle.

The most famous example is Bao Guowei's statement, "I also use Stendam."

This thing has been around since the Republic of China era and was a standard accessory for wealthy young men. It is still available for sale today, with the vast majority of them produced in the international metropolis of Shanghai.

While others consider hair oil an essential product for looking beautiful and handsome, Tang Zhitong thought it was too greasy, and the young couple had never bought or used it.

Xiao Gu, who tutors Jingmin and Fengzhi, uses hair oil. Although Tang Zhitong finds it a bit strange, he has never said anything about it.

"Alright, let's leave it at that." Since there wasn't any at home, Xiao Wang didn't insist. She smoothed out the wrinkles in her husband's clothes and instructed, "Don't look bad when we get there, make sure you look presentable!"

"Alright then." When Xiao Wang's words reached Tang Zhitong's ears, he felt a strange sensation, as if he were about to start yelling at people as soon as he arrived at the venue.

After finishing dinner at home and tidying up, Tang Zhitong dropped the letter he had written the night before into the mailbox on his way to the meeting venue.

Tomorrow, the mail truck from the escort office will head to Andong, and the mail carriers can still open the mailboxes twice a day to collect mail, which is just in time for this train to deliver it.

Upon arriving at the venue, Tang Zhitong discovered that he was one of the few attendees who had come on his own.

Many attendees came as a group from their respective companies or systems, demonstrating a high level of organization.

The seating arrangement for attendees is quite particular. Although the conditions are a bit poor now and there are no place cards, different areas have been artificially divided according to the different systems they belong to.

Tang Zhitong was a little troubled. He was probably the only representative who was not from the cultural, educational, health and sports sectors who came to the meeting.

"Xiao Tang, come over here." The venue was brightly lit, and Tang Zhitong was standing there, not knowing where to sit, when he heard Luo Qingquan call him.

"Hello, Uncle Luo." Tang Zhitong breathed a sigh of relief, finally no longer having to search for the postal service's contingent among the many areas; he guessed that no space had been reserved for the postal service at this meeting.

"Wenwen really knows how to dress people up; she looks very energetic today." Luo Qingquan chuckled, patted Tang Zhitong's arm, and led him toward the area where the health system was located.

Tang Zhitong spotted Wang Bo in the crowd, smiled and nodded at him as a greeting.

After Luo Qingquan sat down, he asked about the progress of the insulated box. He was very happy to learn that the insulated box had been successfully prototyped.

"Uncle Luo, is there any progress in the verification of that chicken blood therapy?" The meeting hadn't started yet, and the surroundings were chaotic. Those who had just entered the venue were looking for seats, while those who were already seated were chatting with people they knew. Tang Zhitong leaned closer to Luo Qingquan and asked softly.

"Yes, but there's not much progress." Luo Qingquan replied to Tang Zhitong with a smile, while also winking at him.

Seeing Luo Qingquan's appearance, Tang Zhitong felt relieved, estimating that the verification would not make much progress in the next few years.

The manual has already been distributed nationwide. Once ambitious young people have mastered the skills through self-study, there will be no room for the promotion of chicken blood therapy. That's great!

This period of time will not be too short, but it will not be too long either. Tang Zhitong estimates that it will take two or three years. By then, even if the people in Shanghai want to promote it, they won't be able to find any believers.
Tang Zhitong was very satisfied with the result.

"Old Ye called me yesterday and said you have an idea for cooperative medical care?" Although the two live in the same city, they usually have their own jobs and it is not easy for them to meet. So Luo Qingquan wanted to take advantage of the break in the meeting to find out from Tang Zhitong about his experience of going to the grassroots level.

"Yes, that's right. I've discovered that there's still a lot of room for improvement in the medical care for commune members..." Facing Luo Qingquan, Tang Zhitong was very honest and told him his plan in detail.

"Your idea is good. I'll talk to the health department leaders later. The meeting is about to start, let's begin." Luo Qingquan nodded after listening and gestured with his chin towards the podium.

Tang Zhitong initially thought Luo Qingquan was indicating that the meeting was about to begin, but after the host introduced the attending leaders, she realized he was indicating that the leaders of the health department were also present and were sitting on the stage. Today's meeting was of a high level, attended not only by leaders from various industries but also by some key leaders from Beijing, while those sitting below were mostly frontline workers from various industries, who were also the key recipients of recognition at this conference.

After the leader finished speaking, representatives from various industries took the stage to give reports.

Among the delegates giving reports, Tang Zhitong recognized someone—someone he knew, but the other person didn't recognize him.

He is currently the captain of the carpentry youth commando team of a construction company, and also a college student at the BJ Construction Industry Amateur College.

After listening to the report, Tang Zhitong was quite impressed. The man was bold and decisive, creating a "simple calculation method for carpentry" that revolutionized the traditional method of Lu Ban (a legendary carpenter), solving the conventional practice of laying out patterns before starting work in the carpentry industry. This not only avoided the waste of wood but also saved time and improved efficiency.

It seems that I am not the only one from outside the education, culture, health and sports system who is attending today's meeting.

The speaker was passionate and eloquent, while the audience listened attentively, some even taking notes to record the highlights of the report.

There wasn't much time in the morning, and after the four representatives finished speaking, it was time for lunch, which Tang Zhitong had been looking forward to.

Meals are available upon presentation of your conference badge; no food coupons are required.

Lunch consisted of four dishes and a soup, a fairly standard amount, but considered a truly good meal in the current climate. One of the four dishes included peanuts.

After everyone had finished picking out the meat from the other dishes, peanuts became the focus of everyone's attention.

The cafeteria here is sneaky; they have soup but no spoons yet, so you have to use chopsticks to pick up peanuts one by one.

Tang Zhitong's table was alright; everyone was still mindful of appearances and took turns grabbing food. But some tables had already started grabbing with their hands. However, everyone was quite sensible and didn't grab too much, since they had to leave some for others, right?

Seeing that others were doing it, some people at other tables started to follow suit, while others were more refined and used chopsticks to divide the peanuts into eight portions, pouring them into each person's bowl.

Tang Zhitong watched all this unfold and sighed inwardly. It was just a hungry body's instinctive reaction to fat.

Peanuts have always been an important oilseed crop under the state's unified purchase and sales system. However, before 58, the control was not so strict, and the purchase price at that time was not high, with only two cents per kilogram of peanut kernels.

Sunflower seeds and sesame seeds received the same treatment as peanuts.

The purchase prices of peanuts and sesame seeds have risen sharply this year. Peanuts have soared to 0.281 yuan/jin, while sesame seeds have increased from 0.2754 yuan/jin in 58 to 0.3062 yuan/jin this year.

The price didn't rise overnight; it increased year by year, but regulations became increasingly strict.

In 1958, the annual supply of peanuts and sunflower seeds in Beijing was around 200 tons. Based on a population of 4 million, the average annual consumption per person was 0.1 jin (0.05 catties).

This year, the supply situation is even more worrying.

For many ordinary people, these things are rarely available in grocery stores on weekdays, and they can only buy a little bit to try during the Spring Festival, hence the saying "eat it once a year".

"Would you like to give a speech at next month's gathering of heroes?" Luo Qingquan asked during a break after lunch.

It's clear that there's no time to arrange this meeting, but there's still room for maneuver at the National Conference of Outstanding Workers next month. Barefoot doctors are currently receiving attention, and there will be representatives of barefoot doctors speaking at the National Conference of Outstanding Workers.

This city-level meeting is just a rehearsal for the national conference of outstanding individuals. Those who speak well will have the opportunity to speak again at next month's conference, while those who don't speak well will either have to revise their speeches or be eliminated.

Regarding the barefoot doctors' representative giving the report, Luo Qingquan initially suggested that Tang Zhitong go, but Ye Zhijuan rejected it. Ye Zhijuan felt that such an opportunity should be given to ambitious young people who are truly rooted in the countryside, rather than to a part-time editorial board member from the postal system.

Most people supported this, so the matter was dropped.

However, during the morning meeting, Luo Qingquan noticed that Tang Zhitong was listening attentively to the report given by the leader of the Youth Commando Team. He thought that Tang Zhitong had also developed a longing for it. After all, what young person hasn't dreamed of showing off?
"No, no, no, thank you Uncle Luo. I am not very knowledgeable, I will just listen quietly from below." Tang Zhitong waved his hands repeatedly, shaking his head like a rattle drum, refusing as if he wanted to avoid it at all costs.

No one had mentioned this before, so Tang Zhitong wasn't prepared, and now he's even less prepared to go.

He just saw reporters taking pictures with their cameras. Today's meeting might make the newspapers, not to mention the gathering of heroes next month.
Qin had just revealed his existence to his master, and the attention had finally been drawn to the Science and Technology Commission. If he were to show off again now, wouldn't he be afraid of being forgotten?
"You're so young, yet you have no vigor. At first glance, you look like an old man like me." Luo Qingquan smiled and didn't insist any further. For Tang Zhitong's sake, he was willing to suggest a replacement to the organizing committee, which was feasible, but the whole process was somewhat troublesome.

Tang Zhitong chuckled, tacitly agreeing with Luo Qingquan's statement.

If it weren't for Xiao Wang, Tang Zhitong would have thought he was an old man, but what old man has such strong fighting power?

The afternoon session continued, with delegates giving reports as usual.

Tang Zhitong saw Wang Bo standing on the podium this time.

Wang Bo wasn't wearing his usual home outfit today. Instead, he was dressed in a common but not particularly noticeable light blue casual suit. The clothes were wrinkle-free, clearly ironed, and looked very presentable.

Wang Bo's voice trembled slightly, revealing his nervousness. Fortunately, he didn't stumble and the whole process was relatively smooth, with him getting better and better as the process progressed.

"Uncle Luo, did he write this manuscript himself?" After a round of applause, Tang Zhitong quietly asked Luo Qingquan.

"You definitely have to write the first draft yourself, and then the health department and the conference affairs team will review it." Luo Qingquan clearly knew the process.

"Hey, this draft is well-written, quite good." Tang Zhitong knew what was going on and praised it.

When Tang Zhitong met Wang Bo, Wang Bo didn't mention the manuscript at all, and Tang Zhitong didn't expect him to be the one to give the report as a representative.

Based on Tang Zhitong's impression of Wang Bo, he couldn't have written such a profound and simple speech; it's quite possible that Yan Xiongfei was behind it and prepared it for him.

In any case, Wang Bo has finally made a name for himself and is expected to stand out at next month's meeting. Finding a wife will no longer be a problem for him; the only concern is that his family might be overwhelmed by the choices.

The afternoon was mostly spent listening to reports and applause. The meeting ended a little late, and we went straight into dinner.

The dinner was better than the lunch, and there was not only food but also alcohol, with the main leaders leading a group to toast the guests.

Tang Zhitong was quite surprised by this. Instead of the delegates taking turns to toast the leaders, the leaders went from table to table toasting the delegates!

(End of this chapter)