Chapter 3

English and Chinese exams have a clear distinction from other science exams. The latter always tests only the content taught in the textbook, but the former often includes advanced material.

For example, the Chinese exam may include classical Chinese texts or reading comprehension questions that have not been covered, to test the candidates' understanding level. The English exam may include unfamiliar vocabulary and grammar. At such times, one must either rely on advanced learning or exceptional comprehension skills to infer the answers. If only the content in the textbook were tested, language subjects would become mere rote memorization.

Because they mix in many advanced and textbook-unrelated knowledge points, and because the "composition" section is heavily influenced by the subjective judgment of the examiners, it is rare for full marks to appear in Chinese and English exams.

Faced with such an English exam paper, Li Mu could confidently say that he could pass the qualifying line even with his eyes closed. With good luck, he might even score over 120.

Soon, the loudspeaker at the corner of the classroom began to play the recording for the English listening test. Li Mu focused all his attention, as missing or mishearing any part of the listening section would be disastrous. Once the listening was done, the rest of the paper would be much easier.

For Li Mu, the college entrance exam English listening section was so simple that it could be described as a walkover. While he wouldn't claim to be a master of spoken English, years of hard study and a passion for Hollywood blockbusters and American TV shows had brought him to a level where he no longer needed subtitles for English films.

Therefore, when the listening section ended, Li Mu confidently said to himself: "Done!"

The listening section was worth 30 points, and he was absolutely certain he would get them all.

Next, Li Mu began the multiple-choice section.

In a 150-point exam, 115 points are from multiple-choice questions, which are divided into several categories: listening, single choice, cloze, and reading comprehension. For anyone who has taken the college entrance exam or the CET-4/6, such a paper is child's play.

Unlike most middle-aged people who have lost their English skills after entering the workforce, Li Mu's English had not only remained but had become an essential skill for him. Therefore, his current English level was at its peak.

After completing the 115-point multiple-choice section, Li Mu felt that if he lost more than three points, he would be ashamed to face the heavens.

In the final 35 points, the 10-point short-answer section was a standard giveaway, and the 25-point essay question was very characteristic of the times. In 2001, the Chinese people were focused on two major events: Beijing's successful bid for the Olympics and the national football team's qualification for the World Cup. The former, in particular, was a matter of national concern. If he remembered correctly, the successful bid came after the college entrance exam. Therefore, the essay question was: "If you were an Olympic bid worker, how would you introduce the Beijing Olympics to the world?"

Before mid-July 2001, China's century-old Olympic dream was still just a dream. Li Mu simply used his future experience to succinctly express the Chinese people's immense enthusiasm and anticipation for the Olympics, and he vividly described the openness of Beijing, especially focusing on its history, culture, inclusiveness, and development.

Finally, Li Mu even quoted the 2008 Olympic slogan, "One World, One Dream," which was not announced until 2005, as his own original idea.

In the two-hour English exam, Li Mu had finished all the questions in just one hour. As he wrote furiously, the male teacher surnamed Wang kept his eyes on Li Mu, hoping to catch him cheating or find a way to accuse him of cheating, to avenge his earlier humiliation.

However, after watching for an hour, he was disappointed to find that Li Mu did nothing but answer the questions, with his hands always on the desk, one supporting him and the other writing, and his eyes never leaving the paper for even a moment.

After finishing the exam, Li Mu quickly and carefully checked it twice, and at one hour and fifteen minutes, he stood up to submit his paper.

Li Mu entered the exam room like a demon, intimidating the invigilator who was looking for trouble, and he left after just 75 minutes. To the other candidates, this was an incredibly showy act!

Li Mu was confident that his performance was perfect, and he was sure to score at least 120 points. He couldn't be certain about more, but he could estimate his score by checking the correct answers in a few days, and it might even be higher.

After leaving the exam room, Li Mu went to the restroom to wash his face. Although his clothes were still wet, his face being clean made him look less disheveled.

The rain had stopped outside, and as Li Mu walked out of the No. 5 Middle School building, he suddenly slapped his forehead.

His bicycle was gone, probably still at the accident scene...

Without a bicycle, it wasn't appropriate for him to take the bus in his current state. It seemed he could only take a taxi home.

Li Mu felt in his pocket and was relieved to find a damp ten-yuan note. He decided to go home first.

As he was about to hail a taxi, a woman suddenly rushed over, extremely anxious. "Li Mu?"

Li Mu glanced to the side and saw a pretty woman in her early twenties. He recognized her as Chen Wan, the driver who had hit him. How did she find him here?

"Are you okay?" Chen Wan's tense heart finally relaxed a bit as she said urgently, "You ran off so quickly, so I had to go back to find your bicycle. Fortunately, your bicycle had a license plate, and I found your school's leadership, who helped me look up your information. I came here to find you, but the security wouldn't let me in, which made me very anxious!"

Li Mu was taken aback. "My bicycle had a license plate?"

Before Li Mu could react, Chen Wan pulled out a plastic plate from her bag, which read: "Hai Zhou No. 1 High School NO.1307."

Seeing this, Li Mu understood. This was the plate that was attached to the front handlebar of his bicycle during high school. It was required to enter the school and the bicycle shed, and the plates were registered with the school. It wasn't difficult for Chen Wan to find him at No. 1 High School using this.

"I've already called your parents at the Xiling Coal Mine. Why don't you come with me to the hospital for a check-up?"

"No need, ma'am, I'm really fine."

"It's not up to you to say you're fine; it's up to the doctor!" Chen Wan's expression was both concerned and anxious.

Since she was so insistent, Li Mu said, "Alright, I'll wait for my parents to arrive, and then I'll go to the hospital with them."

"That won't do!" Chen Wan blurted out. "If there's a problem, it can't be delayed. I've already told your parents I would come to the exam site to find you and take you to the hospital. I've given them my phone number, and they will call me when they reach the city."

She continued, "The Xiling Coal Mine is so far from the city, and the transportation is inconvenient. They won't be able to get here quickly."

That was true.

Li Mu's parents worked at the Xiling Coal Mine, which was over 30 kilometers from the city. There were no taxis, and the national highway conditions were worse than the county roads of the future, making the journey very slow. It usually took his parents over an hour just to commute.

Seeing Chen Wan's determination, Li Mu knew he couldn't avoid going to the hospital. He also wanted to use this opportunity to get to know her better, as he had always been grateful to her.

His family's financial situation was not good. The Xiling Coal Mine, where his parents worked, had a history of several decades and was nearly depleted, with many workers being laid off. His parents' combined monthly income was only about 1,500 yuan, which was a modest living.

After both his parents were laid off at the end of the year, the family's financial situation became much tighter. With a monthly unemployment benefit of only a few hundred yuan, his parents had to work part-time jobs.

His parents had kept their part-time jobs a secret from Li Mu when he was in college. Without Chen Wan's support, Li Mu wouldn't have been able to finish his studies.

No matter what, he had to repay her.

Her unexpected death was in 2015, and he had over a decade to prevent it. The best way was to get to know her and gradually find a way to help her avoid the same fate.

"Alright, I'll go to the hospital with you."