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

"Now announcing the county-wide rankings for the 1977 college entrance examination."

The voice of the director of the Education Bureau's Admissions Office was amplified through a loudspeaker.

The square, which was originally a bit noisy, gradually quieted down.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the bulletin board.

Some people tiptoed and stood on the back of the bicycle, while others simply climbed onto the stone pier next to them.

To see the list clearly, the first year after the resumption of the college entrance examination was the first time that many people's fates were publicly written on paper.

The director looked down at the list.

"Tenth place."

The crowd tensed up instantly.

"Nanhe Commune. Wang Guosheng. 318 points."

Some people applauded, some wrote down names, and others continued searching the list.

No. There is no Lin Xiuhe.

Zhao Xiaomei pursed her lips and continued to wait.

"Ninth place. Chengguan Commune. 326 points."

Still not.

"Eighth place. Willow Commune. 329 points."

still none.

The area in front of the Education Bureau is getting quieter and quieter.

Three of the top ten have already been read out, but Lin Xiuhe has not yet appeared.

Wang Xiulan stood at the front of the crowd, and the corners of her mouth slowly turned up.

She didn't say anything, but her smugness was impossible to hide.

Someone nearby whispered, "They're not even at the front yet; they might be in the top five. They got first place in the mock exam."

Wang Xiulan heard this, but just smiled and continued to wait.

The director turned a page.

"Seventh place. Three hundred and thirty-one points." No.

"Sixth place. Three hundred and thirty-three points." No, that's not it either.

Zhao Xiaomei was starting to get nervous. She noticed that her palms were sweaty, and even a corner of her report card was soaked.

Li Hongmei patted her arm: "Don't scare yourself."

Zhao Xiaomei nodded, but her eyes remained fixed on the list.

Fifth place. Fourth place. Neither of the announced results included Lin Xiuhe.

The atmosphere in the square began to change.

What started as mere speculation has now become a topic of discussion.

"What's going on? Nothing yet?"

"Not even in the top five? That can't be right, he was first in the whole county in the mock exam."

"The college entrance exam and mock exams are inherently different, so it's normal to feel a lot of pressure."

These words drifted into the crowd, one by one.

Zhao Xiaomei was furious, but this time, even she herself was starting to have doubts.

Since the top five have already passed, Lin Xiuhe is still not on the list.

On the other side, Wang Xiulan's smile became more and more obvious.

She finally spoke up: "I've said it before, exams aren't about luck, they're about your foundation."

The neighbors looked at each other; no one answered, but no one objected either.

Because the facts are clear – the top five have already been announced, and Lin Xiuhe has not yet appeared.

The red betting slip at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative seemed to have already given the answer in advance.

Just then, the director picked up the list again.

"Fourth place. Chengdong Commune. 338 points." No.

Third place.

The director paused for a moment. The air in the square seemed to freeze, and countless eyes looked up at the same time.

Everyone knew that they had made it into the top three.

The truly high-scoring test takers are all here.

Wang Xiulan even took a step forward, her hand gripping the report card so tightly it was crumpled.

"Third place. Liuhe Commune. Li Jianjun. 341 points."

Boom! The square exploded instantly.

The third place has been announced, and Lin Xiuhe is still not among them!

Zhao Xiaomei froze, and Li Hongmei was speechless. The people around them began to whisper.

"If she's not even in the top three, then where does she rank?"

"Is it really going to crash?"

"You can get first place in the mock exam."

"What's the use of getting first place in a mock exam? Only the official college entrance exam counts."

The sounds grew more numerous and increasingly chaotic.

Wang Xiulan finally laughed out loud: "I told you long ago that girls don't have the stamina for studying, and it really shows when it comes down to it."

After she finished speaking, she even looked in the direction of the people from the supply and marketing cooperative: "Xiuhe, it's okay, you can take the test again next year if you don't do well."

Many people in the square frowned, but didn't know how to refute it.

Since the top three have already been announced, Lin Xiuhe is indeed not on the list.

At the same time, the director of the admissions office looked down at the last two lines of the list—the second place and the first place.

The square gradually quieted down, and everyone's attention returned to the square.

Because the next two will be the two most outstanding people in the county this year.

The director raised his head, his voice clearer than before:

Second place—