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

The third day after the college entrance examination results were released.

The busiest person in the Red Flag Commune was not the production team leader, nor the director of the supply and marketing cooperative, but the postman, Old Xu.

As soon as it was light, Old Xu rode his green postal bicycle into the commune.

The bicycle bell had barely rung twice when someone on the roadside shouted:

"Old Xu! Do you have the acceptance letter yet?"

Old Xu was almost startled by the shout and jerked his grip on the handlebars: "What notice?"

"Your university acceptance letter! Did you bring it today?"

Old Xu was both amused and exasperated: "The results have only been out for a few days? How could it be so fast?"

The man slapped his forehead: "That's true."

But right after saying that, he added, "Let my family know when you get here."

Old Xu waved his hand: "Okay, okay."

I continued riding the bike forward, but before I even reached the supply and marketing cooperative, I was stopped again.

"Old Xu! Have you received any letters from Beijing?"

"no."

"What about the provincial capital?"

"No, not at all."

"What about the university acceptance letter?"

Old Xu finally couldn't help but laugh and scold, "Do you guys think the post office is a temple of gods? It can't be that fast!"

He asked questions along the way, and by the time he reached the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, his forehead was already covered in sweat.

Li Hongmei was carrying goods out when she saw Lao Xu and immediately laughed: "Stuck in the road again?"

"Don't even mention it." Old Xu put down the package. "Today, more people asked about the admission notices than about the weather."

Li Hongmei laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight: "Then you'd better be careful from now on, the whole commune is watching you now."

This is not an exaggeration at all.

After the results came out, only two topics remained in Hongqi Commune: first, Lin Xiuhe ranked first in the entire county; second, whether she could get into Tsinghua University.

At the counter of the supply and marketing cooperative, people buying salt chatted, people buying matches chatted, and people queuing to buy soy sauce chatted.

"I heard he applied to Tsinghua University."

"The whole county knows."

"Does that mean I can pass the exam?"

"The top student in the county still couldn't get into college?"

"Tsinghua University, a school in Beijing, isn't that easy to get into."

Everyone has their own opinion, and no one can convince anyone else.

Inside the warehouse, Lin Xiuhe was organizing the newly arrived account books. The discussion outside was lively, but she seemed oblivious to it.

Li Hongmei came in carrying the order slip: "You really have a way with yourself. It's almost impossible to stop this noise outside."

Lin Xiuhe laid out the last ledger: "The notification hasn't arrived, so there's no point in discussing it now."

Li Hongmei sighed, "Why are you never in a hurry about anything?"

"Even if we're in a rush, we won't arrive early."

Li Hongmei was speechless, but after thinking about it, it seemed to make sense.

At noon, Zhao Xiaomei arrived, carrying an old textbook.

"Sister Xiuhe, my father hasn't mentioned the bride price these past two days."

As she said this, she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

After the results came out, Zhao Guofu was a completely different person.

I used to tell everyone that girls should get married, but now when I go out, the first thing people ask me is, "Where's your college student? When does school start?"

After being asked so many times, he himself became embarrassed to mention the bride price anymore.

"This is a good thing," Lin Xiuhe said.

Zhao Xiaomei nodded vigorously: "I know."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her voice again: "But there's one more thing."

"What?"

"Wang Xiulan went to see a matchmaker yesterday."

Lin Xiuhe looked up: "Why do you need a matchmaker?"

"They say Lin Weidong will be a college student in the future, so he needs to find a partner in advance."

Li Hongmei nearly spat out the water she had just drunk: "The results have only been out for a few days? And she's already picking and choosing a daughter-in-law?"

Zhao Xiaomei nodded repeatedly: "The whole village knows, and I heard they went through a whole bunch of conditions."

Laughter erupted in the warehouse. Laughable as it was, Lin Xiuhe wasn't surprised—that was just Wang Xiulan's personality; if her son had ranked second in the county, it would be abnormal if she didn't boast.

However, the matter is clearly not over yet.

In the afternoon, news came from the county town that the Education Bureau was preparing to send the list of this year's top ten students to the local newspaper.

The news caused a stir throughout the commune once again.

Because this means that Lin Xiuhe's name might appear in the newspapers.

This time, even the usually composed Captain Wang couldn't sit still.

In the evening, he made a special trip to the supply and marketing cooperative: "Xiuhe, don't go running around lately."

Lin Xiuhe was completely bewildered: "Why?"

"Reporters might be coming."

"reporter?"

"Yes, the local newspaper and the county radio station, they might have to do interviews with them."

Li Hongmei's eyes lit up: "An interview? Does that mean it'll be in the newspaper?"

Captain Wang grinned: "I'd say 80%."

Now, even the atmosphere in the warehouse has changed.

Being ranked first in the county in the first year after the resumption of the college entrance examination was already a sensation.

If it makes the newspapers, then they'll really become celebrities.

That night, the news reached the Lin family.

Wang Xiulan was sewing shoe soles in the yard when she heard someone say "it's in the newspaper," and her needle jabbed off course.

"Ouch!" She quickly pulled her hand back, and a bead of blood appeared on her fingertip.

Aunt Liu, sitting next to him, deliberately said, "I heard a reporter is coming. It's the first one in the county, so it's normal."

Wang Xiulan put the shoe sole aside, her expression not very pleasant: "So what if reporters come? What's so strange about that?"

Aunt Liu smiled: "That's true, being second in the whole county is not bad."

With that, Wang Xiulan dropped the subject.

In the east room, Lin Weidong was looking at volunteer application materials.

He heard the conversation in the courtyard. He turned a page in his book, but his gaze remained fixed there, not continuing to read.

Second in the county is an achievement worth celebrating in any year.

But this year, there's Lin Xiuhe ahead of us.

Thinking of this, he closed the book, got up, and walked to the window.

A night breeze blew in, and people passed by outside the courtyard, their chatter coming in fits and starts: "I heard it's going to be in the newspaper...maybe even on the local radio...Tsinghua University is probably a sure thing."

The sound gradually faded away. The room fell silent again.

Meanwhile, at the county post office.

An urgent telegram has just arrived.

After the staff finished reading, their expressions became noticeably more serious.

He then picked up the phone and dialed the Education Bureau.

"Hello, is this the admissions office? We've got news from Beijing about the person from Hongqi Commune who came in first in the entire county."

On the other end of the phone, the admissions director stood up immediately: "Beijing? Which school?"

The staff member glanced at the telegram and slowly read out the name on it.

The next second, the admissions director's expression changed.