To prepare for this exam, Chen Lan had made extensive arrangements. She had registered all ten of her children, as well as her two younger brothers and their wives, prompting the ten siblings and their aunt and uncle to enter the examination hall and compete together.
For this purpose, Chen Lan had specifically returned to the valley to rally support and encourage Ming Wei, Zhao Qian, Song Wan, and a group of women in their thirties, including the young ladies and wives from the valley, to also register for the exam.
She urged them to sign up, even if they weren't aiming for a university degree but just a vocational school, given how long everyone had been preparing. This year, the college and vocational school entrance exams were combined. Based on the scores, separate cut-off lines would be established for universities and vocational schools, and students would be admitted accordingly.
This was China's only winter college entrance examination. The nation had decided to reinstate the Gaokao and finalize the examination plan in just over a month. Due to the limited time, the process from question setting to printing, and then distribution to cities and counties within the provinces, was undoubtedly quite hectic. Furthermore, there were no unified textbooks across the country during these ten years, so each province was responsible for creating its own exam questions for that year.
It is said that 5.73 million candidates registered for the exam that year, with only 270,000 being admitted, resulting in an admission rate of only 4.8%. This was the lowest admission rate in the history of China's college entrance examinations. Based on the ratio of candidates, it was equivalent to only one person being admitted out of twenty-one, or 4.8 out of every one hundred candidates. It was akin to a thousand soldiers crossing a single narrow bridge.
The admission score line at the time was also very low. It is said that the first year the Gaokao was reinstated, the exam papers were relatively basic, even very simple. However, after a ten-year hiatus, even though the exam questions in various regions were very easy, very few people managed to pass the minimum score.
In that year, reaching the passing score for all four subjects was sufficient for admission to a vocational college, meaning scoring 240 points across the four subjects would allow one to attend a vocational school. If one could score over 300 points, they could apply to a national key university.
Although most people did not perform ideally in this examination, it inspired countless students to pick up their books again, solely in the hope of changing their own destinies and the destinies of their future generations.
Heilongjiang Province's final confirmed examination dates were December 17th to 19th, 1977, lasting for three days.
Time passed so quickly! Chen Lan finally saw the day of the examination arrive. The university examination halls, which had been closed for eleven years, finally reopened their doors to aspiring students. Over five million seven hundred thousand candidates, from diverse backgrounds, with different identities and ages, poured into examination centers across the country.
Like all parents, Chen Lan sent her children off to their exams. Although she knew the exam questions were unlikely to be very difficult, Chen Lan was still worried about her children underperforming, so she paced anxiously at home.
After the children returned home after the first morning exam, the Chinese language paper, they were all brimming with confidence. While eating, they discussed the exam questions, each saying they weren't difficult and that most of the questions were from their revision material.
Only then did Chen Lan finally relax. When they were discussing the Gaokao essay topic for the year at home, Chen Lan learned that the Heilongjiang Province Gaokao essay topic offered a choice between "When I Sing 'The East Is Red'" and "When I Receive My Admission Notice."
The tense examinations proceeded in full swing for three days. Chen Lan and her mother went all out to provide post-examination support for the examinees, ensuring that every meal was nutritionally complete and healthy.
After the exams concluded, the remaining time was for waiting for the results. The children and adults living in the valley spent three relaxing days in Harbin before returning to the valley together. Chen Lan also returned to the valley with her daughters, her mother, and the triplets to celebrate the New Year.
In Harbin, only Jia Yao and his brothers, along with Qi Yu Jie and the children studying medicine, remained to await the exam results a month later.
Upon returning to the valley, Chen Lan had the adults and children who had registered for the exam estimate their scores and discuss university applications.
Jia Xing, Jia Xiao, and their fourth sister Jia Hui were the most confident. The three of them planned to apply to Harbin Military Engineering University. Their aunt Ming Wei and their two maternal aunts had decided without hesitation to apply to Harbin Normal University.
Jia Yao and his two maternal uncles intended to apply to Harbin Medical University. Hu Tou and Xiao Shi Tou, along with their brothers, decided to follow in their fathers' footsteps and apply to Harbin Institute of Civil Engineering.
Chun Ni and Wei Dang, the young couple, estimated their scores and planned to apply to Harbin Institute of Technology. Chun Hua and Chun Fang, the two sisters, also intended to apply to Harbin Institute of Technology.
Even though the triplets were still young, they were bursting with confidence. Xiao Shi Mei confidently declared, "Mother, I want to apply to a music conservatory in the capital."
Jia Hui and Jia Jun, the two brothers, were not to be outdone, also stating their desire to attend the best universities in the capital.
The children had grown up and each had their own aspirations. Chen Lan stated that she would absolutely not interfere.
After waiting for over a month, the children's exam results finally arrived on January 27th. It was a joyous occasion for everyone. Most of the children in the family scored high marks, generally above 320.
Those from the valley who took the exam generally passed the Heilongjiang Province cutoff score of 250 for the year.
After a lively New Year celebration in the valley, the family did not linger, as they had to return to Harbin to submit their university applications. Thus, the entire group who had taken the exam from the valley returned to Harbin.
This time, the children filled out their university applications according to their usual plans, but several were stunned when the admission notices arrived.
Jia Hui and Jia Jun, due to their high scores in the science stream, were unexpectedly admitted to Harbin Military Engineering University, a key university in Harbin.
When Xu Mingxuan learned of this, he was overjoyed and repeatedly said, "Good, good! My sons have made me proud. This school is dedicated to training military talents." Chen Lan eventually learned that this university was the renowned "Harbin Military Engineering," and its first president and political commissar was a significant figure, General Chen Geng of our country.
Therefore, graduates from this university were all military officers. Chen Lan thought it was no wonder Xu Mingxuan was so happy; he had hoped his sons would follow in his footsteps.
In this way, the two brothers became schoolmates with their second brother Jia Xing and third brother Jia He.
Jia Hui, on the other hand, was admitted to a university in the capital due to her near-perfect score in the liberal arts.