Chapter 5

In life, We can never predict the future, and countless individuals, like Zhou Lei, are driven forward by their goals, even if the odds seem slim. They press on towards their goals like moths drawn to flames.

While the majority may never reach their desired destinations, how can they determine the impossibility of achieving their goals without even making an attempt?

Besides, what if those dreams become reality? Didn’t Zhou Lei ultimately achieve his goal? Song Haowen admired those who diligently pursued their goals and ideals, possessing a steadfast vision and a resilient spirit. They emerged stronger from setbacks, maintained optimism, and always looking forward.

Even if they didn’t ultimately achieve their dreams, they fully experienced the joy derived from the struggles, living a life without regrets. Therefore, Song Haowen no longer dismissed Zhou Lei’s hard work, as he had in previous lives.

Unfortunately, in his past, he settled for the status quo and hesitated to venture into entrepreneurship, resulting in a mediocre life. On the contrary, Zhou Lei continued to strive, leading to the blossoming of flowers in life.

In this new life, Song Haowen vowed to take it seriously and make it worthwhile. To achieve ambitious goals, he aimed to enjoy life and contribute to society. Yet, what were his lofty goals? Promotion, wealth, a lasting legacy, or transformation? Song Haowen found himself momentarily unable to answer.

He sighed and thought, “Let’s take it step by step.” First, complete the immediate goal, then strive to win the top prize in the province. Following that, he envisioned attending the prestigious Peking University in China to fulfill a dream from his previous life.

Feeling that his body had substantially recovered that afternoon, Song Haowen, along with a dozen classmates, including Zhou Lei, applied for discharge from the hospital.

Recognizing the tremendous pressure on these candidates, the hospital readily agreed. The school, upon learning about their discharge, arranged for a minibus to transport them back to school.

With three days remaining before the college entrance examination, the school decided to allow the eight students participating in the exam to stay for review. They were provided one-on-one tutoring by teachers, and special personnel were assigned to oversee their diet to prevent any further mishaps.

On the second day back at school, shocking news reverberated among all teachers and students—an unimaginable revelation. The entire society was also stunned as the public security organ announced the resolution of the sensational and impactful student collective food poisoning case.

It was confirmed that the incident was not accidental but a deliberate act.

The revelation of the intentional poisoning at Zhaosheng Middle School shook the community. The perpetrator, Zhu Yuanyuan, a recent high school graduate, mixed corn flour with wheat flour, causing a major food poisoning accident.

His motive was rooted in dissatisfaction with school and classmates, leading him to play a prank and seek revenge. Unfortunately, the consequences were severe, with several students falling seriously ill.

Zhu Yuanyuan obtained half a kilogram of corn flour through his cousin Huang Mao. Seizing an opportunity when the canteen was momentarily empty, he mixed all the corn flour into the regular flour.

The canteen master, unaware of the contamination due to the similar color between baton flour and corn flour, The canteen master inadvertently used the poisoned flour to make steamed bread, which was then sold to teachers and students..

Zhu Yuanyuan, lacking knowledge about the toxicity of croton beans, assumed it would only cause stomachaches. Unaware of the severe consequences, he regretted his actions after the incident.

Terrified, Zhu Yuanyuan didn’t even dare to return home, hiding in a corner of the school. When his parents couldn’t find him after several days, they went to the school, and both parties reported the situation to the police.

Overwhelmed by the school poisoning, the police station assigned civilian police officers to investigate. Huang Mao and others, arrested for unrelated reasons, inadvertently disclosed Zhu Yuanyuan’s involvement during questioning.

With the revelation of the croton flour connection, the police intensified efforts to locate Zhu Yuanyuan. They successfully apprehended him within a day, and he faced criminal charges for poisoning and causing harm.

Turning eighteen before the incident’s resolution, Zhu Yuanyuan was considered an adult, anticipating a minimum sentence of ten years. Huang Mao and others who provided croton flour would also face punishment.

News of Zhu Yuanyuan’s fate left Song Haowen reflective. In his previous life, Zhu Yuanyuan had been sentenced to 10 years in prison for theft. Song Haowen, hoping to alter Zhu Yuanyuan’s destiny in his rebirth, found himself only accelerating the severity of the punishment.

On July 6th, the day before the college entrance exam, Song Haowen and eight other students who had been detained due to poisoning, together with their teacher, took a Dongfang Red Tractor and rushed to the examination room at the Hongqi Middle School in the neighboring commune.

This is one of the five examination centers in the county, and candidates from five communes in the western area of Linshan County will participate in the college entrance examination here to prepare to determine their future.

In Zhaosheng Middle School, there were 78 candidates, with a majority in the science stream (51 candidates). Among them, 60 were boys and 18 were girls, highlighting the unique characteristics of the .

In previous lives, the one-child policy of the early 1980s resulted in most families having only one child. Both boys and girls were valued equally, with families dedicating significant efforts to their children’s education. The gender balance among candidates was roughly equal, and it was not uncommon for girls to outperform boys.

Upon arriving at the examination center, Principal Li convened all the candidates for a brief meeting, emphasizing precautions and accommodation details. Those staying with relatives or friends were required to register and provide contact information.

Song Haowen was assigned to a collective dormitory for 50 people, originally a student dormitory. Candidates from all five commune high schools shared this space, relying on mosquito repellent incense due to the absence of mosquito nets.

The combination of sweat and mosquito fragrance made the environment uncomfortable, coupled with the unfamiliar surroundings and pre-exam tension, causing difficulty for many candidates to sleep.

Song Haowen occupied the lower bunk, and opposite him was Wang Bing, a candidate from another commune. Wang Bing, appearing slightly nervous, resorted to staying up all night after attempting a brain tonic without success. His decision to stay awake frustrated other candidates, but Song Haowen, immersed in Lu Xun’s essays, paid little attention.

On the first day of the college entrance exam, Song Haowen woke up early and observed Wang Bing, who appeared to have indeed stayed awake the entire night. Song Haowen marveled at Wang Bing’s apparent lack of fatigue.

During the Chinese exam, Song Haowen found the paper to be similar to those before his rebirth. Having memorized numerous full-mark compositions from his past life, he confidently completed the exam. To avoid drawing attention, he waited until half an hour before the end to submit his paper.

After the exam, Song Haowen approached Wang Bing, who seemed distressed. Wang Bing confessed that his mind went blank during the exam, preventing him from answering any questions.

Despite Song Haowen’s reassurance, Wang Bing felt disheartened, expressing a sense of failure. He decided to forgo the remaining exams, acknowledging his lack of qualifications to continue playing a passive role in the college entrance exam. Instead, he planned to return home and prepare for farming.