Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

The old lady sat by the window, picking green beans in her hand, without even lifting her eyelids.

"You're eavesdropping again."

Su Meng pouted.

"I'm just worried about you!"

Grandma put down the green beans, her expression turning serious. "Was he talking about the college entrance exam? Your parents mentioned it last night too. These days, everyone in Beijing with connections knows about it."

Su Meng was somewhat surprised: "You seem to know everything."

"Living right here in the heart of the capital, even the street sweepers can chat about current affairs."

Grandma snorted, "But you should stay away from Cheng Jianjun. That kid is cunning; you can't see through him."

"Didn't you previously praise him as being better than Han Chunming?"

"It is strong, but only to a limited extent."

Grandma picked up the green beans again, lowering her voice, "If you ask me, Li Di next door is the real gem."

He's good-looking, polite, and comes from a good family—even though he's a few years younger than you, what does that matter?

"grandmother!"

Su Meng's face flushed, and she put the vegetable basket she was holding on the table. "I'll go read a book myself."

She quickly went into the inner room, and only breathed a sigh of relief after closing the door.

The shadow of the locust tree outside the window is reflected obliquely on the glass, shimmering like scattered gold.

Li Di's name rolled around in her heart like a pebble.

The young man, who always wore a neat Zhongshan suit, would only nod slightly when they occasionally met in the alley, his expression as distant as the thin frost of winter.

She had been pampered and spoiled since childhood, yet he couldn't see anything special about her.

This kind of neglect is more painful than a direct rejection; it's like punching a piece of cotton wool, making you feel suffocated.

Su Meng sat down at her desk and opened an old textbook with its corners curled up.

The printed text was dense, but she suddenly remembered how Li Di had pushed his bicycle past the gate last night—the bell didn't ring, and his footsteps were light, as if he was afraid of disturbing someone's sweet dreams.

Su Meng is a girl with a proud and arrogant nature.

She loves flattery and being surrounded by admirers; she values ​​her reputation above all else.

She found Li Di's appearance and figure appealing, but his taciturn and aloof personality was really not to her liking.

Han Chunming's straightforward temperament, on the contrary, made her even more interested in him.

In particular, Han Chunming had once doted on her like a treasure, and his attentiveness made her feel dizzy and blissful whenever she thought about it.

This is probably why she had taken a liking to Han Chunming before.

But now that Han Chunming has started collecting junk, Su Meng's sense of justice began to waver.

She felt that he was no longer good enough for her.

Thinking this way, her gaze quietly fell back on Li Di, and the feelings that had long faded away were stirred up again.

"Li Di doesn't talk much, maybe because he's still young."

She thought to herself, "In another two years, with more experience, I'll naturally become more adept."

……

Two days later, the newspapers devoted an entire page to announcing a piece of news that would shake millions: the college entrance examination, which had been suspended for many years, had been reinstated.

The hope conveyed between the lines rekindled countless eyes that had long been dim.

The hands holding the newspapers trembled slightly, as if they were holding not paper, but a key that could break the shackles of fate.

Two new supporting regulations were also announced.

Firstly, educated youth who went to the countryside were immediately eligible to return to the city as long as they registered for the college entrance examination, and no unit or individual was allowed to obstruct them.

Secondly, worker-peasant-soldier universities, which previously relied on recommendations for admission, were now included in the unified college entrance examination system, putting them on the same starting line as other higher education institutions.

The second change did not cause much of a stir; people's cheers and tears were almost entirely poured into the first change.

That means that countless wanderers scattered across the world have finally seen the way home.

……

"This is fantastic news!"

Clutching the newspaper still smelling of ink, Xu Huizhen briskly found her daughters. "Jingli, Jingping! Look, the college entrance exam has resumed! You two need to pick up your books again and make the most of your time to review!"

"real?"

Xu Jingli's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly took the newspaper to read it carefully.

A moment later, she looked up, her eyes shining: "Mom, the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University is also recruiting students."

What do you think of me going there?

Xu Huizhen pondered for a moment, then said gently, "If you are determined to study engineering or agricultural science, that would be a good place."

In these two areas, their foundation is probably the strongest.

Jingli and Jingping, if you are truly determined to become engineers or want to study agriculture, you can consider it.

If you don't have such a clear ambition, you should look at other schools.

"Then I'll still try to get into Beijing University!"

Xu Jingli made a decision immediately.

"I'll take the exam there too!"

"And me!"

Hearing her daughters' eager voices vying for attention, Xu Huizhen's face broke into a gratified smile, and she repeatedly said, "Good, good, you all have ambition!"

She turned to look at her youngest daughter and gently patted her head. "Jingtian will have to wait a few more years. Right now, let's lay a solid foundation."

……

The smoke of the college entrance examination has cleared, and the day for the results to be released has arrived.

Most people, especially those from families with a long tradition of scholarship, held a certain degree of disdain for the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Universities.

In addition, its admission threshold is quite high, so the number of new students who ultimately enter the school is very small.

Immediately, various discussions and less-than-kind speculations quietly circulated on and off many university campuses.

Some shook their heads in regret, while others spoke with sarcasm.

However, Li Jianye, who was at the center of the discussion, remained unusually calm, as if he were in the eye of the storm.

The disturbances of the outside world were completely inaudible to him.

His gaze fell upon a more distant future.

He was already eager to get started and lead his carefully selected promising talents to make a name for himself.

……

"Is everything ready?"

Li Jianye's gaze slowly swept over the young and energetic faces in front of him.

These were all students he had carefully selected, each with their own strengths, and all of them were unpolished gems.

Looking at them, he felt a deep sense of pride.

"Ready, Principal!"

The responses were uniform, clear, and powerful.

The students stood tall, their eyes filled with pure admiration and fervent trust as they looked at Li Jianye.

They admired the principal's profound knowledge and exceptional insight, and understood even more clearly what being summoned alone at this moment meant.

That is not just an honor, but also a weighty expectation, a brand new starting line leading to a vast world.

"good!"

The voice was resolute, echoing in the quiet room.

"This kind of drive is exactly what we need."

"Now, assign the next tasks."

"Dong Tianjie!"

"exist!"

"You are fully responsible for the upgrading and renovation of the national cement plant."

There is only one core objective: production capacity.

At all costs, increase cement production to its maximum.

At the same time, asphalt production lines must also be established and expanded. You have to produce as many finished products as the raw materials you supply.

But remember, all production processes must keep environmental pollution to a minimum.

"clear!"

"Song Yongmao!"

"exist!"

"The task of producing new high-strength steel bars is entrusted to you."

The scale needs to be expanded, and the speed needs to be increased.

Large-scale infrastructure construction is about to begin in full swing; steel bars are the skeleton, and not a single one can be missing.

"Mission accomplished!"

"Lin Shih-chao!"

"exist!"

"You will travel alone to the Northwest region to oversee the construction of a brand-new photovoltaic module production base."

You will lead the factory's infrastructure construction. Once the main structure is completed, I will personally go there to assist with the subsequent implementation of technologies.

"yes!"

"Cui Guowen!"

"exist!"

"Your direction is south."

They went deep into light industrial factories across the country, focusing on improving production equipment in the two most fundamental areas of people's livelihood: "clothing" and "food".

Improve efficiency and optimize processes.

Time is of the essence, and there is no time to breathe.

"yes!"

"Wang Zhenhua!"

"exist!"

"You will lead the construction of the national mobile communication network."

I need you to ensure that cellular signal coverage reaches every corner in the shortest possible time.

"yes!"

"Wan Qingwu! Your task is optical fiber, large-scale, high-quality optical fiber production."

"yes!"

"Finally, Yuan Ning."

"headmaster!"

"Come with me to the Three Gorges."

There is a crucial project there that requires our joint participation.

"Follow the principal's instructions!"

"Um."

A relieved smile appeared on Li Jianye's face as he looked at the young and resolute faces before him.

These are all seeds he has carefully cultivated.

"A few more words of advice."

Leaving school and stepping into our respective jobs means the real test begins.

No matter what difficulties you encounter, the doors of your alma mater will always be open to you, and it will always be your support.

but--"

His voice suddenly turned deep, and his temperature plummeted.

"If in the future anyone dares to do anything that harms the national interest or betrays the people's trust, I will personally bring them back."

Under the banner of this school, they will receive the judgment they deserve.

The cold words were like a real chill, causing everyone present to involuntarily tense up, and the air in the room almost froze.

"alright."

As Li Jianye's tone softened, the invisible pressure dissipated.

"Go back and prepare."

After the opening ceremony, it will be time for you to go your separate ways.

The students breathed a sigh of relief, their tense shoulders relaxing.

They solemnly bid farewell to Li Jianye one by one, then straightened their backs and left the room with firm steps.

In everyone's eyes burned a firm belief in the future.

Hope lies ahead.

……

The college entrance examination was reinstated in 1977, and the newly admitted students officially enrolled in the spring of 1978.

Following that, the second round of college entrance examinations will be held in the summer of 1977 or 1988, and in the autumn of the same year, a new batch of students will enter the campus.

The two cohorts of students entered school only six months apart.

Therefore, the academic pressure on the students of the Class of '77 was exceptionally heavy in the first half of the year, as they needed to digest the learning content that usually takes a year in just six months.

However, for these students who have survived the years of thirst for knowledge and finally squeezed through the narrow bridge, this is not a burden at all, but rather a sweet and fulfilling experience.

With an almost pilgrimage-like enthusiasm and carrying simple luggage, they gathered from all directions to this brand-new university.

Today, the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University has established nine colleges: the College of Industry, the College of Civil Engineering and Hydraulic Engineering, the College of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the College of Information Technology, the College of Physics, the College of Materials Chemistry, the College of Mechanical Engineering, the College of Food Science and Technology, and the College of Agriculture, with numerous departments under them, and has begun to take shape.

In contrast, only 214 students were admitted through the first college entrance examination.

This was both because the university was still an unfamiliar field at the time and because its admission standards were quite strict.

Bao Yanzhe was one of these 214 people.

His reason for choosing this seemingly obscure worker-peasant-soldier university was pure and unwavering: it stemmed from his deep admiration and desire to follow the legendary principal, Li Jianye.

Bao Yanzhe spent a considerable amount of time making a professional decision.

Finally, he picked up his pen and neatly wrote in the application section: School of Information Technology, Department of Computer Science, Programming Major.

This choice was not arbitrary—he had read about "electronic computers" between the pages of a newspaper.

The scattered reports, those descriptions, fell into my heart like sparks.

He imagined himself sitting in front of a screen flashing green light, his fingertips flowing with code that would change the world.

The thought of becoming someone who masters cutting-edge technology made his chest feel slightly hot.

The moment he stepped onto the campus, he froze on the spot.

Several oddly shaped vehicles were parked at the entrance: they had no roofs, no doors, and the seats were arranged like miniature buses.

What puzzled him most was that there was no trace of an exhaust pipe at the rear of the car.

"Does this car... need gas?"

He muttered to himself.

Before he could finish speaking, a similar car glided smoothly to his side.