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

When the last class ended, the air in the classroom was a bit hot.

The proctor stood in front of the podium and glanced at the clock.

He then said, "The exam is over."

"Stop answering questions."

As soon as the sound faded, some immediately put down their pens, some were still writing the last word, and some were staring blankly at the test print, as if they hadn't reacted yet.

It's really over.

Lin Xiuhe capped the pen, put it in the pencil case, and then pushed the test paper to the side of the table.

The proctors began collecting the exam papers.

The paper was passed forward row by row, the sound of paper rubbing against each other echoing continuously.

Until the last exam paper was taken away.

The classroom suddenly relaxed.

After months of preparation and dozens of days of sprint, we finally reached the finish line.

Outside the window, the June sunlight shone brightly on the playground.

The proctor finished tidying up the exam papers, said, "Thank you for your hard work," and then left with the papers in his arms.

The classroom suddenly became lively.

"How did you do the last question?"

"Have you finished writing your essay?"

Discussions erupted one after another.

Even the most composed people in the first examination room couldn't help but huddle together and whisper their answers.

Lin Weidong sat in his seat. He didn't participate; he slowly put his exam admission ticket into his bag and then carefully placed his pen away.

He discovered that he was starting to feel anxious about his grades.

This is the first time in so many years.

If it weren't for Lin Xiuhe, he should have felt that everything was settled. But this time, a shadow lingered in his heart.

Just then, the sound of a chair being moved came from the side.

Lin Xiuhe stood up, preparing to leave.

Lin Weidong raised his head.

"How did the exam go?"

This was the first time the two of them had spoken to each other during their college entrance examination period.

Lin Xiuhe slung her schoolbag over her shoulder.

"The exam is over." He then walked out.

Lin Weidong sat there, not moving for a long time.

The corridor was already packed with test takers. There were cheers, running, and people rushing down the stairs, as if trying to shake off all the pressure that had accumulated over the past few days.

As soon as Lin Xiuhe stepped out of the teaching building, she heard someone calling her name.

"Sister Xiuhe!" The voice was particularly loud, and could be heard throughout the entire playground.

The next second, Zhao Xiaomei rushed over, her eyes red, her hair a mess, and her backpack strap had slipped down to her arm.

"The exam is over!" As soon as she said those three words, tears streamed down her face.

"I've really finished my exams!"

Lin Xiuhe smiled and handed her a handkerchief.

Zhao Xiaomei took it, wiping away her tears while laughing, unable to stop crying.

"I used to really believe that."

"I will never be able to enter an examination hall in my entire life."

"I actually finished the exam."

Many of the other test-takers were laughing. Some were even secretly wiping their eyes.

There have been too many stories like this this year.

Many people have been out of school for years, many have gone to the countryside, and many have long since resigned themselves to their fate.

But after the college entrance examination was reinstated, they sat back in the classroom, picked up their pens again, and had another chance to change their destiny.

On the other side of the playground, Zhou Zhiyuan stood beside his bicycle, having waited for a while.

Seeing the two of them come out, they pushed the cart over.

"it's over?"

"It's over," Zhao Xiaomei answered quickly, then suddenly remembered something.

He quickly asked, "Comrade Zhou?"

Do you think I can pass the exam?

Zhou Zhiyuan smiled. "I'm not a test grader."

"Then take a guess."

"I can't guess."

Zhao Xiaomei was immediately deflated. But less than two seconds later, she started laughing again.

"never mind."

"Anyway, the exam is already over."

The group walked together towards the school gate.

The streets were packed with test-takers. It was ten times more crowded than when I arrived.

At the school gate, many parents were already waiting. Some brought eggs, some brought soft drinks, and others brought their children to watch the excitement.

The entire county's No. 1 High School was like it was a festival.

I had just reached the door.

Suddenly someone shouted, "Lin Weidong is out!"

Many people turned their heads.

Lin Weidong pushed his bicycle out of the school gate.

Wang Xiulan immediately went to greet them, her smile impossible to hide.

"How did the exam go?"

Lin Weidong did not answer directly.

He simply said, "It's better than a mock exam."

With just one sentence, Wang Xiulan's eyes lit up instantly.

Several neighbors also gathered around.

"real?"

"Then you're guaranteed a place in the university!"

"The Lin family is about to produce a college graduate!"

Laughter continued to ring out.

Zhao Xiaomei glanced back and pursed her lips.

"The results haven't come out yet."

"They act like they've already passed the exam."

Lin Xiuhe did not turn around.

The bicycle slowly made its way back to the commune. The June wind blew in my face, and the wheat fields by the roadside were already turning yellow.

From a distance, it looks like a golden wave.

The college entrance exam is over, but everyone knows that the real wait has just begun.

*******

The road back to Hongqi Commune seemed unusually long that day.

Actually, it was the same as usual, the same dirt road, the same wheat field, but everyone was focused on their grades, so time seemed to slow down.

Zhao Xiaomei rode in the lead, constantly reminding herself whether her essay was on topic and whether she got the last math problem right. By the end, she was laughing at herself.

"Forget it, it's pointless to ask. They've already taken the papers."

The three continued riding forward.

As we approached the commune, we could see several people standing at the crossroads in the distance, some smoking, others squatting under a tree.

When they saw the bicycle approaching, they all stood up.

"I'm back!"

"The exam is over!"

The news spread instantly.

When they rode to the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, a large crowd had already gathered in the courtyard.

Li Hongmei was the first to run out.

"How is it?"

Is it difficult?

"Is the question too difficult?"

As soon as Zhao Xiaomei stopped her bicycle, she was surrounded again.

"Girl, do you think you can pass the exam?"

"How did the exam go?"

Are the questions in the county particularly difficult?

One problem after another.

Zhao Xiaomei blushed deeply when asked the question. Finally, she could only say, "I really don't know."

Laughter erupted in the courtyard. Everyone knew—the exams had just finished, and no one could say for sure. But they couldn't help asking. Because the words "college entrance exam" had become the hottest topic in the entire commune.

At this moment, some people turned their attention to Lin Xiuhe.

"How about Xiuhe? How did the exam go? You usually have the best grades, you should know the answer, right?"

Everyone looked over.

Lin Xiuhe pushed the bicycle into the bike shed, locked it, and then turned around.

"Wait for further notice."

The four words were exactly the same as before the college entrance examination.

Everyone was taken aback at first.

The laughter in the courtyard stopped for a moment, then became lively again.

"This child is very tight-lipped."

"I can't get an answer from them."

"Never mind, let's just wait for the results."

That evening.

The supply and marketing cooperative's warehouse was unusually quiet, devoid of any study noises. All the books had been put away.

Zhao Xiaomei sat at the doorway, holding an enamel mug, staring blankly at the yard.

"What's wrong?" Li Hongmei asked.

"Suddenly I don't know what to do. I used to think about memorizing every day, but now that the exams are over, I feel empty inside."

Li Hongmei smiled and handed over a handful of sunflower seeds: "You'll get used to it."

In the warehouse.

Lin Xiuhe was organizing her materials. With the college entrance exam over, many of the books were no longer needed. But instead of packing them away, she carefully placed them back on the bookshelf one by one.

Mathematics, Chinese, and Politics.

These books accompanied her for more than half a year, and each one was worn out from being read so many times.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened. The radio station started broadcasting the news, and the sound carried into the courtyard on the evening breeze.

Lin Xiuhe stopped what she was doing and listened for a while.

In her previous life, this summer, she was still earning work points in the production team, and her biggest concern every day was whether she could earn an extra half a work point.

In this life, she awaits her results. Fate has taken a different turn.

On the other side, in the Lin family courtyard.

Dinner was more lavish than usual. There was an extra plate of scrambled eggs and half a pound of meat on the table.

Wang Xiulan's smile carried all the way back from the county town.

"I knew Weidong would do well. I heard him say that after the exam, he did even better than in the mock exam."

Aunt Liu, sitting next to us, immediately chimed in, "Of course! Second in the county in the mock exams, he'll definitely do even better in the college entrance exam."

A burst of laughter echoed in the courtyard.

Lin Jianguo sat at the doorway smoking, the cigarette butt flashing, without participating in the discussion.

Wang Xiulan became more and more excited as she spoke: "When the results come out, our family will have a three-day banquet so that the whole commune will know."

At this moment, someone suddenly asked, "What about Lin Xiuhe?"

The courtyard was silent for half a second.

Wang Xiulan slammed her chopsticks on the table: "Her? She'd be lucky to get into a junior college. Girls are already at a disadvantage in education. Besides, can a mock exam be compared to the actual college entrance exam?"

The neighbors looked at each other, but no one responded.

Because in the mock exam, Lin Xiuhe ranked first in the entire county.

But Wang Xiulan seemed oblivious to these expressions and continued, "Just wait, we'll know when the results come out."

The night grew deeper. The commune gradually quieted down.

In the supply and marketing cooperative's warehouse, Lin Xiuhe opened a drawer. Inside was a folded piece of paper—the estimated score.

She took it out, glanced at it, folded it again, and put it back in its original place.

The moonlight outside the window fell on the corner of the table, as white as water.

There are 27 days left until the results are announced.