Reborn in 1977, I will no longer be my brother's blood bag.

evening.

People gradually dispersed.

Zhao Xiaomei took the exam papers home, and Li Hongmei went to lock the front counter, leaving only the two of them in the warehouse.

The sunset outside the window painted half the sky red, even reflecting off the glass.

Zhou Zhiyuan was organizing the list, while Lin Xiuhe was categorizing and putting away the mock exam papers.

after awhile.

Zhou Zhiyuan suddenly spoke.

Actually, there's something I need to tell you.

"What is it?"

"last year."

"There was an accident at the county machinery factory."

Lin Xiuhe paused for a moment.

A factory accident? It did happen in my previous life, but that was next spring, and not many people knew about it.

"How did you know?" she asked.

Zhou Zhiyuan turned the page of the list, the paper making a slight rustling sound.

"I have a classmate over there."

"They told me in their advance letter."

The reasoning was reasonable, or at least it sounded reasonable. But Lin Xiuhe remembered that when the accident happened, many people hadn't even received the news, let alone a year in advance.

There was still a breeze outside, and the tin sign hanging under the eaves was swaying, making a soft clanging sound.

Zhou Zhiyuan carefully put away the last list and looked up.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Lin Xiuhe put the test paper into the cabinet, and the lock clicked shut. She didn't ask any more questions, and Zhou Zhiyuan didn't explain further.

They both returned to their own affairs, as if the conversation had never happened.

But the moment the cabinet door closed, Lin Xiuhe remembered something.

Zhou Zhiyuan always seemed to know things a little earlier than others.

Outside the warehouse, the sun had completely set behind the mountains, and suddenly a burst of firecrackers came from the direction of the production team in the distance.

Snapped.

Snapped.

Snapped.

A series of explosions.

Everyone in the supply and marketing cooperative's courtyard looked up.

Li Hongmei ran back from the front.

"Have you heard?"

"The Lin family is holding a banquet!"

"What?"

"The results of Lin Weidong's preliminary assessment have spread."

His grandmother was overjoyed.

"They treated half the production team to a meal!"

Inside the warehouse, Lin Xiuhe and Zhou Zhiyuan turned their heads at the same time, while Li Hongmei talked and laughed.

"They're even hanging banners, what are they saying—"

She tried hard to recall, then read it aloud: "Future college student. Number one in the whole county."

A few suppressed laughs suddenly rang out in the courtyard.

Meanwhile, in the distance, the sound of firecrackers continued at the Lin family's courtyard, as if the college entrance examination had ended and the admission notices had arrived.

But nobody knew that it was a real mock exam.

It will start in three days.

******

The mock exam notice was posted on the third day.

The official college entrance examination is approaching.

Thirty days left.

A crowd had gathered in front of the commune's bulletin board, with two pieces of paper pasted on top.

One was a mock exam schedule, and the other was a summary of the notice regarding the resumption of the college entrance examination; the red titles were particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.

Many people stood there copying, some brought their children to watch, and some even rode their bikes from neighboring villages.

The two words "college entrance examination" are gradually changing the lives of many people.

Supply and Marketing Cooperative Warehouse.

Lin Xiuhe sorted out the last stack of documents.

The bookshelf is almost full.

Mathematics, Chinese, Politics, Physics—each subject has a label.

Zhao Xiaomei sat in the corner, engrossed in writing her test paper, with a half-cold cup of malted milk powder on the table.

She has only had two sips since this morning.

"Which set is it?" Lin Xiuhe asked.

Zhao Xiaomei looked up, her hair a little messy: "The seventh set."

"How wrong?"

"Four fewer than yesterday."

After she finished speaking, she laughed first.

This month, for the first time, she felt that university really wasn't a dream.

The warehouse curtain swayed slightly.

Zhou Zhiyuan walked in, holding a notebook in his hand.

The cover is blue, and the edges are worn white.

"What is it?" Zhao Xiaomei craned her neck.

"Review Plan"

Zhou Zhiyuan placed the notebook on the table.

The first page is already full.

Date, subject, time, target score.

The columns are arranged clearly.

Zhao Xiaomei turned a couple of pages, her mouth slowly opening wide: "This is a whole month?"

"Um."

"Is it scheduled every day?"

"Um."

"Doesn't that include sleeping time?"

Zhou Zhiyuan nodded: "Never mind."

Zhao Xiaomei immediately put down the notebook: "I'd better learn it myself."

Laughter erupted from the warehouse.

Zhou Zhiyuan pushed the notebook in front of Lin Xiuhe: "Take a look."

Lin Xiuhe opened it. The handwriting was neat, the time was accurate to half an hour, and even the adjustment time after the mock exam was reserved.

She turned a few pages and then suddenly stopped.

May 28th.

A red circle was drawn next to that day.

Note: Focus on reviewing the major political questions.

Lin Xiuhe remembered that in her previous life, there was indeed a major question on the college entrance exam's political science paper that year, and many people lost points on it.

She looked up: "Why this day?"

Zhou Zhiyuan was organizing materials when he heard the question and paused for a moment. He then flipped over a test paper: "I guessed based on the patterns in past exam questions."

"Over the years?" Zhao Xiaomei was stunned at first.

Zhao Xiaomei put down her pencil: "Isn't this only the first year since the college entrance examination was reinstated?"

A sparrow landed outside the eaves and hopped twice on the windowsill.

Zhou Zhiyuan put the exam paper into a folder: "It was based on previous university entrance exam questions."

"I see." Zhao Xiaomei believed it and continued to work on her problems.

Lin Xiuhe didn't ask any more questions, but simply kept that page in her mind.

In the afternoon, many people came to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy materials.

It was almost twice as many as usual.

As news of the resumption of the college entrance examination spread, more and more people began to prepare.

Some people buy used books, some borrow notes, and some even come specifically to ask about review methods.

The warehouse didn't quiet down until the sun was almost setting.

Li Hongmei walked in carrying a stack of collected textbooks and placed them on the table.

A piece of paper fell out of the top textbook.

Lin Xiuhe picked it up casually—it was an old newspaper, the edges of which were yellowed, but the headline was very eye-catching:

Knowledge Changes Destiny

There is another sentence below:

"Let the truly capable people step forward."

In the warehouse, the sunset shone through the window, casting a warm red glow on the old newspaper.

Zhao Xiaomei put down her pen, and Zhou Zhiyuan also looked up. All three of them saw the line of text, but no one said anything.

Because that sentence already sums up what they are doing.

Lin Xiuhe folded the newspaper and tucked it into her notebook.

Then he took out a piece of white paper and wrote a few words:

Thirty days until the college entrance examination.

After she finished writing, she stuck the paper in the most conspicuous place on the bookshelf.

A breeze blew in from the window, causing the corner of the paper to sway gently, like a countdown, or a promise.

Thirty days later, many people's lives will be changed.

Meanwhile, at this very moment, in the office of the marking team at the No. 1 Middle School in the county seat.

An elderly teacher with gray hair is organizing mock exam papers.

At the very top of the desktop, there was a list.

First examination room, first row.

The two names were written side by side there:

Lin Xiuhe.

Lin Weidong.

The old teacher picked up his pen and gently drew a circle next to the list.