一、遲到的「真相」
2026年7月底上網查資料，才知道1977年的高考是各省自主命題，而1978年的是全國統一命題。78年全國高考作文是要考生把一篇長文縮寫成500至600字的短文。那篇文章的題目是《速度問題是一個政治問題》意在考察學生對核心觀點的提煉能力。題目材料以華國鋒等領導人講話為核心，強調經濟發展速度對國家政治穩定的重要性。文中引用毛澤東的建設方針；批判「四人幫」的錯誤路線。
二、自嘲與當下的AI
天哪！老實說 估計從考場出來的那一剎那，我就已經將語文考的是什麼徹徹底底地給忘到爪哇國去了。多麼枯燥的內容啊！我一向對政治不感興趣，又缺乏提煉、縮寫的能力，難怪會考的不及格！我只考了54分。
提煉核心觀點 總結內容綱要，這種能力是我至今的短板。現在做油管短視頻，我把故事記錄下來後，都要請 Gemini AI 幫我做個內容提要、簡介的。
三、中學的「陰影」
記得在中學時代，我們班48個學生分成四組，老師讓我當第四組的小組長。每次小組討論後，各組長都要站起來面對全班同學，簡明扼要地匯報小組的討論情況和結果，那是最令我難堪的事。
打小母親就不讓我與女孩子們扎堆兒，說那是嘰嘰喳喳 瘋瘋癲癲沒教養。所以我沒有練嘴皮子的機會，說話拙嘴笨舌，再加上我是第四個小組長，發言排在最後一個。輪到我時總是心裡慌亂，總覺得想說的，該說的都已經被前面幾個組長講完了。我的發言總是吭吭哧哧的，心裡好不願意當這個組長。根本沒體會到這正是余老師培養我提煉、總結能力的機會呢。
四、1977年的「拔苗助長」
扯遠了，再說我1977年高考落榜，是有心理準備的。從那年10月突然得到激動人心的恢復高考消息到冬季的高考，只有2個月的復習時間。對一個荒廢了四年多學業的我來說，拿起課本復習數理化知識，簡直就是無中生有，拔苗助長，太難了。
五、1978年，我唯一的出路
當時要想離開農場只有兩條出路：一「招工上調」，二復習再考。不說「招工上調」過程中還存在著一定的貓膩，就是論資排輩熬年頭，就令人覺得虛無縹緲。而繼續復習準備參加下一年的高考，才是我唯一的出路。1978年的高考是在7月份，好歹有半年多的時間復習。
六、新樓房與熱鬧的漁業隊
1977年還沒有「恢復高考」時，我們就搬進了新建的兩層的樓房。在老宿舍以西，大約100多米的地方。新樓的樓梯在樓東側是露天的，我們會計室是在二樓樓梯口第一間。D會計的臥室在邊上第二間，再後面是醫務室、織網間 會議室和娛樂室。娛樂室內有電視機和乒乓桌。我們女生宿舍還要往裡走。
那時候新場部已經建成一年多了，場部的一些機關人員，陸陸續續也都搬了過來。新場部與我們漁業隊就隔了一條夯土大堤，走路5分鐘都不用，就有不少人到處轉轉。當時，我們住的地方前不著村後不著店兒的，其他連隊都比較遠。場部的人就轉到我們漁業隊來了，買點魚改善改善伙食。熟悉後也會跟我這兒聊一會兒。
七、意外的「悄悄話」
我77年冬季高考落榜後，D會計看我整天復習功課挺努力的，便也看在眼裡記在心裡。一天午後，D會計面帶笑意走進辦公室，告訴我大學生正在隔壁D會計的寢室，叫我過去。大學生經常來我們這串門兒，熟門熟路的都是到會計室來聊天兒的，今天怎麼他會呆在D會計的寢室裡叫我過去？想起母親說的「好話不背人，背人沒好話」，我納悶兒著走到隔壁。
八、定格在陽光下的畫面
那個寢室有四張雙人床，D會計的床在北窗左側的下鋪。看到床上棉紗帳的帳門撩開著被兩側的帳鉤掛住。草編涼席上，大學生老S正架著兩條腿，仰躺斜靠在D會計的被垛上，一個小草帽遮住了臉。剎那間，彷彿看到在溫暖的陽光裡，一個悠閒的西方垂釣者翹著一條腿，用草帽遮著臉，興許嘴裡還咬著一根兒乾草，仰躺在河邊岸坡大樹下的草地上休憩。
九、溫暖的謎底與鏡頭前的僵硬
我有點束手無策，怎麼叫我過來他自己卻躺在這兒，還遮著臉。好在這尷尬的場面持續的時間不久。大學生自己一下子取下草帽，笑著坐了起來。也沒有什麼要緊的事兒，找我過去只是問了問我複習的情況。原來是D會計剛剛和他談過，請他幫我輔導功課。這就解釋了剛剛D會計為什麼面帶笑意地叫我過去。
老S三十出頭，是一位文革前的大學生。我們平時就叫他「大學生」，是場部的攝影師。1977年7月他還幫我拍過一些風景照呢。我跟他說要抓拍「給我拍得自然點啊」我說。過去曾有過牙齒不整齊，被當眾羞辱的經歷，造成我在鏡頭前不會笑，面部表情僵硬。結果這幾張拍的還算滿意。
十、福建的驕傲與思鄉情
大學生老S的妻子在家鄉，他總盼著有朝一日能調回福建去。他很為福建考生在歷年的高考中名列前茅而自豪。
十一、D會計的默默守護與那些隱藏的「學霸」
D會計比較嚴肅認真內向，心底很善良。估計是為了讓我更安心不受干擾地複習功課，平時都在隔壁的寢室裡。有人來聊天兒，就會坐在我對面的D會計的辦公桌前。但是我發覺，只要一有人來閒聊，D會計就會走過來開抽屜拿東西，敏感的人就比較尷尬，从此就不再來了。
後來聽說其中一位聊天受阻的場部工作人員，1978年考進了復旦大學新聞系。還有一位也是後來不再來聊天的場部的播音員，聲音很有磁性，好像還是場部文藝宣傳隊的。當時他坐在會計室裡跟我說他們正在排演話劇《於無聲處》。後來查閱歷史資料才知道《於無聲處》的創作時間是1978年5月，首演時間是9月23日。那麼這位播音員與我聊天的日子應該是1978年9月以後的事了，高考也結束了的那段日子裡。
十二、重逢在華師大——這世界真小
奇怪的是，後來我在華師大工作後，有一次大禮堂有人做報告。具體是什麼報告記不清了，但是做報告的人就是那位播音員！還有，我們漁業隊的司務長，多年後居然穿著製服在師大門口當門衛。還有一位，我在紙袋廠工作時，在同一車間裡漂亮的女同事，比我大一屆，很清高的。我們之間幾乎沒有說過一話，當時我還是車間副主任呢。多年後居然看到她每天上下班路過我家窗前。據說她回上海後，嫁給了我的一位中學男同學的哥哥，就住在我們前排樓裡。
好玩兒吧？這個世界真小。
十三、錯過的遺憾，與驚艷時光的「五朵金花」
有時候世界雖小心卻太遠，那年月人都比較含蓄，遇到多年前的老同事、老朋友幾乎都不好意思上前打招呼。回頭想想就很遺憾。
蓉蓉是我在紙袋廠時的小姊妹，我去了漁業隊後，偶爾還會回工廠探望她，晚上，我就擠在她那張八人宿舍的單人床上，兩個人頭挨著頭說悄悄話。我也去過她在上海愚園路弄堂裡的家。後來也就是78年前後，子女頂替政策出台，她便頂替母親進了上海閥門廠，在那裡她被公認為廠裡的「五朵金花」之一。
十四、萬種嬌羞的軍裝女孩與大眼睛的「電影明星」
蓉蓉的美是嫻靜婉約的，有一次跟她走在場部附近的路上，那兒人多。注意到那些回頭看過來的目光，都是集中在她身上的。可蓉蓉面對這些目光，只是瞬間眼眸低垂，那飽含的萬種嬌羞，美極了。
她常穿著一件橄欖綠，四個口袋的軍官制服，她父親是上海警備區的高官。她也送了我一件她哥哥的草綠色士兵服，只有兩個口袋。當時年輕人以穿軍服為最高時尚，很難獲得。
那個時候上海電影製片廠的導演，常來農場挑演員。事實上，我們紙袋工廠的一位姓陳的女孩，後來成了電影明星。這裡也有個小插曲。故事是這樣的:一天有人說廠裡來了位「頂特勒」，就都過去看。果然她皮膚白皙，嘴唇紅潤，大眼靈動。
十五、吹不響的口哨與一輩子緣分的「小Z」
一天傍晚我和她還有幾個姑娘在馬路上散步。微風拂煦，大家嘰嘰喳喳好不熱鬧。不知誰先吹了個嘹亮的口哨，於是馬路上口哨聲此起彼伏。小陳能用口哨吹出花樣，我卻只會發「噓噓」聲音。於是她就教我怎麼捲舌頭、怎麼翹嘴唇、怎麼吹氣。可我就是拙嘴笨舌，怎麼也學不會。
歡笑中，我們回到了廠門口。這時 一個在食堂工作的72屆男生小Z，面目清秀一副書生相，很靦腆地走過來，說有事相求。說他將被子拆洗過，但不會縫，問我是否能幫他縫一下。人家都開口了，當然得幫啊。此時，小陳扭過頭來，睜著那雙漂亮的大眼睛，一骨碌往上轉了大半個圈兒，似乎是畫了個大問號。食堂的一間空屋子裡，被子已經鋪在蘆葦杆簾子上了，就等我給縫上。其實在此之前，我也只在食堂買飯的小窗口見過他。
十六、一尺高的打飯窗口，與三十年後的驚人消息
那時候食堂的牆面上就開著兩個一尺多高的小窗口。一到飯點兒，人們就排著兩條長隊等著買飯。那窗口開得低，每個人買飯時都得稍微低下頭，弓著腰，才能跟裡面的工作人員說清楚，今天想要買什麼菜 打幾兩飯。
就是這位在食堂工作的小Z，在1974年的下半年，突然給我打過一次電話，不過那次不是為了他自己，而是替他的一位朋友當傳話筒，約我見面。
任誰也不會想到，三十多年後的2011年，才聯繫到的老同學中，在上海高等教育局工作的老班長提到，他高教局裡的一位同事，聽說了我的名字後，便說他認識我。您猜怎麼著，這位竟然就是當年在食堂工作的小Z！他是在77年高考恢復前，就被保送回上海讀大學的。
十七、滅了的演員夢，與一轉眼的永遠
後來，上影廠的導演也看上了蓉蓉，可廠裡一個女領導一句「作風不正」，就滅了她的演員夢。當時追求她的男生很多，在領導眼中竟成了罪。據說後來有個資本家的後代娶了她，然後遠赴法國。此後很長一段時間裡，蓉蓉常出現在我的夢裡。
幾年後，在上海戲劇用品商店裡，隔著兩個玻璃櫃檯，我一眼看見了她和她母親，我們互相注視了幾秒。可那一刻，我終究沒有上前打招呼的勇氣。那時代的人太靦腆，一個轉身，錯過就是永遠。
十八、老S的「扭身絕技」，與再落榜的高考
思緒又飄遠了，咱回過頭來再聊那個1978年會計室。「大學生」幫我解答過幾道數理化方面的難題，但也沒有教我多少東西，倒是喜歡吹牛、聊天兒。結果，他來聊天兒時，D會計也開始過來開抽屜拿東西了。老S卻比較老資格，仗著與D會計熟，當D會計來開抽屜時，他只是將身子一扭，讓開，D會計離開後接著聊。
1977年的高考錄取率為4.8%，到了1978年，報名人數增長40萬人次，錄取率提高到6.59%。78年高考的錄取線是300分，我只考了290，又一次落榜。
十九、徐家匯到大堤，野花裡的純真抓拍
1978年7月侄女小Y，背著書包跟我一路乘94路車，換44路到徐家匯，換徐閔線到老閔行碼頭，搭渡船過黃浦江到奉賢縣的西渡，再坐西幹線長途汽車。四個多小時的車程到達五四農場的老場部終點站下車，又走了半個多小時，風塵僕僕地來到了隊裡。
D會計的兒子小WX，那幾天也跟著爸爸來隊裡玩兒。他在鏡頭前扭扭捏捏的很害羞。我說WX你去給小Y採些花來，他就在附近的野草叢中，採了些花兒跑過來送給小Y。我趕緊抓拍了這個鏡頭，很自然，很純真。
二十、隨塘河畔的逆光，與解禁的捲瀏海
我請「大學生」在隨塘河畔和夯土大堤上，給我們拍了一些照片。注意到78年的照片中我的瀏海是捲曲的。那年上海大街上，開始有燙長波浪的時髦女郎招搖過市了。我沒那個膽子，只能燙個瀏海卷個辯稍兒。文革中是沒有燙頭髮的，會被作為資產階級的生活作風遭批判的。
西邊的太陽快要下山了，我第一次拍攝逆光照。那時候拍照都以人為主，好像每張照片裡都要拍「我」，覺得光拍風景那是浪費膠卷兒。
二十一、紅燈下的神秘暗房－告別1978
大學生老S還帶我和小Y去了場部的暗房，他一個人工作的地方。第一次進暗房，紅燈光籠罩著神神秘秘，彷彿進入了另外一個世界。看老S沖洗照片十分有趣。他還給我的老照片上了色，有的是上棕色，好像是沖印的液體裡加了點顏色。還有幾張是他手工上的色。當開門走出暗房的一剎那，有些晃眼，還有些對那個神秘感的「世界」留戀。
很久以後，聽說「大學生」如願以償地調回了福建老家。
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The Gears of Time: Two Heavy Blows in 1978, and the Magical Echoes of a Small World
I. The Delayed "Truth"
In late July 2026, while researching online, I finally learned that the 1977 college entrance exam was designed by individual provinces, while the 1978 exam was standardized nationwide. The 1978 essay section required candidates to summarize a long text into a 500-to-600-word essay. The topic was "The Question of Speed is a Political Question," aimed at testing our ability to extract core arguments. The material centered on speeches by political figures like Hua Guofeng, emphasizing how economic speed relates to political stability. The text cited Mao Zedong's development guidelines; it also criticized the erroneous line of the "Gang of Four."
II. Self-Mockery and My Present-Day AI Savior
Good heavens! To be honest, the moment I stepped out of that exam hall, I must have wiped that test completely from my memory. What a dry topic! I was never interested in politics and lacked the ability to summarize. No wonder I failed—I only scored 54.
Summing up core ideas remains my weak spot to this day. Even now, when making YouTube shorts, I have to ask AI to help write my video summaries and descriptions after I draft my stories.
III. The Middle School "Shadow"
I remember in middle school, our class of 48 was split into four groups, and the teacher made me the leader of Group 4. After every group discussion, each leader had to stand up and summarize our findings concisely to the whole class. It was the most agonizing thing for me.
Since childhood, my mother forbade me from mingling with groups of girls, calling it unmannered, noisy nonsense. So I never developed the gift of gab and was quite tongue-tied. Being the fourth leader, I always went last. By the time it was my turn, panic would set in, as everything worth saying had already been said. I would stutter through my speech, hating every moment of being a leader. I completely failed to realize that Teacher Yu was actually trying to cultivate my ability to summarize.
IV. 1977: Rushing Things Out of Nothing
Digressing a bit—I was fully prepared for my failure in the 1977 exam. From the thrilling announcement of the exam's resumption in October to the actual test that winter, we only had two short months to prepare. For someone like me, who had abandoned academic studies for over four years, picking up textbooks to review math, physics, and chemistry felt like trying to build something out of nothing. It was a rushed, impossible task.
V. 1978: My One and Only Way Out
At that time, there were only two ways to escape the farm: job placement allocation or studying to retake the exam. Job allocation was a dubious process full of favoritism, and waiting one's turn by seniority felt completely hopeless. Continuing my studies for the next year's exam was my only true way out. The 1978 exam was scheduled for July, which at least gave me more than half a year to prepare.
VI. The New Building and the Lively Fishery Team
In 1977, even before the college entrance exams were reinstated, we moved into a newly built two-story building, about 100 meters west of the old dorms. The eastern staircase was open-air, and our accounting office was the very first room at the top on the second floor. Accountant D’s bedroom was next door, followed by the clinic, net-weaving room, meeting room, and recreation room, which had a TV and a ping-pong table. Our female dormitory was further down the hall.
By then, the new farm headquarters had been up for over a year, and office staff were moving in. Separated from our fishery team by just a rammed-earth levee—less than a 5-minute walk—people often strolled over. Living in the middle of nowhere, with other companies far away, headquarters staff naturally gravitated toward our team to buy fresh fish and improve their meals. Once we got to know each other, they would stop by to chat with me.
VII. An Unexpected Whisper
After I failed the winter exam in 1977, Accountant D noticed how hard I was studying every day and quietly took it to heart. One afternoon, Accountant D walked into the office with a knowing smile and told me "the College Student" was next door in his bedroom, asking for me. He was a regular visitor who usually hung out in the accounting office to chat. Why was he waiting in Accountant D's private bedroom today? Remembering my mother's old saying, "Honest words are not hidden from people, and hidden words are not honest," I walked next door, full of curiosity.
VIII. A Snapshot Frozen in the Warm Sunshine
The dorm room had four bunk beds, and Accountant D’s was the bottom bunk to the left of the north window. The cotton mosquito net was pulled open, hooked back on both sides. On the straw mat, the College Student, Old S, lay with his legs crossed, leaning back against Accountant D’s neatly stacked quilts, a small straw hat tilted over his face. In that instant, drenched in warm sunshine, he looked exactly like a relaxed Western angler—resting on the grassy bank under a massive tree, legs crossed, face covered by a straw hat, perhaps even chewing on a blade of grass.
IX. A Heartwarming Answer and Camera-Shy Stiffness
I stood there a bit helpless. Why call me over just to lie there with his face covered? Fortunately, the awkward moment didn't last long. He suddenly tossed the straw hat aside and sat up with a grin. It wasn't an emergency; he just wanted to ask about my studies. It turned out Accountant D had just spoken with him, asking him to tutor me. That explained Accountant D's mysterious smile.
Old S was in his early thirties, a pre-Cultural Revolution college graduate whom we simply called "the College Student." He was the farm's photographer and had taken some scenic photos of me in July 1977. I remember telling him to take candid shots: "Make me look natural," I said. Because I had been publicly humiliated as a child for having crooked teeth, I never knew how to smile for cameras and always froze up. Surprisingly, those photos turned out quite well.
X. Fujian’s Pride and Homesick Longings
Old S's wife was back in his hometown, and he was constantly hoping for the day he could transfer back to Fujian. He took immense pride in how Fujian students consistently ranked among the top performers in the national college entrance exams.
XI. Accountant D’s Silent Guard and the Hidden Top Scorers
Accountant D was serious, meticulous, and introverted, but possessed a deeply kind heart. To give me a quiet space to study without distraction, he usually stayed in the bedroom next door. Whenever visitors dropped by to chat, they would sit at his desk right across from me. But I noticed a pattern: the moment someone started chatting, Accountant D would walk in, opening drawers to rummage for things. Shrewder guests caught the hint, felt the awkwardness, and stopped coming.
Later, I learned that one of those interrupted chatters actually got into the Journalism Department at Fudan University in 1978! Another regular who eventually stopped visiting was a farm radio announcer with a beautifully magnetic voice, who also seemed to be part of the propaganda troupe. I remember him sitting in the accounting office, telling me they were rehearsing the play In the Silent Place. Historical records show it was written in May 1978 and premiered on September 23. So, those chats must have happened after September 1978, during those lingering days after the college exams had already ended.
XII. Reuniting at ECNU: This World Is Truly Small
Strangely enough, years later when I was working at East China Normal University, there was a lecture in the grand auditorium. I can't recall the specific topic, but the guest speaker was none other than that very radio announcer! Even more surprising, the quartermaster from our fishery team ended up working as a uniformed security guard at the university gates years later. And then there was a beautiful, aloof female colleague from my days at the paper bag factory. She was a year ahead of me, and though I was the vice-director of the workshop back then, we barely spoke. Decades later, I realized she was walking past my apartment window every single day on her commute. It turned out that after returning to Shanghai, she married the older brother of one of my middle school classmates and lived in the building right in front of mine.
Isn't it fascinating? This world is incredibly small.
XIII. Regrets of a Missed Hello, and the Breathtaking "Golden Blossom"
Yet, sometimes the world feels vast despite its smallness. Back then, people were reserved; bumping into an old colleague or friend after many years often felt too awkward to say hello. Looking back, I feel a deep sense of regret.
Rongrong was my close sister at the paper bag factory. Even after I moved to the fishery team, I would occasionally return to visit her. At night, we would squeeze together on a single bed in an eight-person dormitory, whispering our secrets head-to-head. I even visited her family home in the traditional lanes of Yuyuan Road in Shanghai. Around 1978, when the policy allowing children to replace their retiring parents took effect, she took her mother’s place at the Shanghai Valve Factory, where she was widely celebrated as one of the factory's "Five Golden Blossoms."
XIV. A Shy Girl in Uniform and the Big-Eyed Future Movie Star
Rongrong possessed a quiet, elegant beauty. Once, walking with her near the crowded farm headquarters, I noticed every turning head was locked entirely on her. Facing those stares, she would simply lower her eyes in a flash—a subtle gesture brimming with a thousand shades of shy grace that was utterly breathtaking.
She often wore an olive-green, four-pocket officer's uniform, as her father was a high-ranking official in the Shanghai Garrison Command. She even gifted me a two-pocket grass-green soldier’s uniform from her older brother. In those days, wearing military attire was the pinnacle of fashion and incredibly hard to come by.
Around that time, directors from the Shanghai Film Studio frequently visited the farm to scout for talent. In fact, a girl surnamed Chen from our paper bag factory actually went on to become a movie star. There is a sweet little interlude here: one day, rumors spread that a "stunning beauty" had arrived at the factory, and everyone rushed over to look. Sure enough, she had porcelain skin, rosy lips, and vibrant, expressive eyes.
XV. An Unblown Whistle and a Lifelong Bound with "Xiao Z"
One evening, she, along with a few other girls and myself, were strolling down the road. A gentle breeze blew as we chatted and giggled lively. Someone suddenly let out a piercing whistle, and soon, echoes of whistling filled the air. Miss Chen could whistle intricate melodies, while I could only manage a faint "shhh" sound. She patiently tried to teach me how to curl my tongue, shape my lips, and blow, but my clumsy tongue simply couldn't master it.
Amidst the laughter, we arrived back at the factory gates. That was when Xiao Z, a refined, scholarly looking boy from the Class of '72 who worked in the cafeteria, nervously approached me. He sheepishly explained that he had washed his heavy quilts but didn't know how to sew them back together, asking if I could help. Since he asked so sincerely, of course I agreed. At that moment, Miss Chen turned her head, her large, beautiful eyes rolling upward in a dramatic arc, practically sketching a giant question mark in the air. In an empty room in the cafeteria, the quilt was already laid out on a woven reed mat, waiting for my needle. Truthfully, before that evening, I had only ever seen him through the small service windows of the cafeteria.
XVI. A One-Foot-High Cafeteria Window, and a Stunning Echo 30 Years Later
Back then, the cafeteria wall had only two small service windows, barely a foot high. At mealtimes, people would form two long queues. Because the windows were built so low, everyone had to duck their heads and bend their waists just to tell the staff inside what dishes they wanted and how many ounces of rice to scoop.
It was this very Xiao Z from the cafeteria who, in the latter half of 1974, suddenly called me out of the blue. However, it wasn't for himself—he was acting as a messenger for a friend who wanted to arrange a meeting with me.
No one could have ever guessed that thirty years later, in 2011, when I reconnected with my old classmates, our former class monitor—who was working at the Shanghai Higher Education Bureau—mentioned a colleague of his. Upon hearing my name, that colleague instantly said he knew me. And guess what? It was none other than Xiao Z from the cafeteria! As it turned out, he had been recommended and sent back to Shanghai for university even before the college entrance exams were officially reinstated in 1977.
XVII. A Crushed Acting Dream, and a Turning Back That Meant Forever
Later, a director from the Shanghai Film Studio scouted Rongrong as well, but a female factory leader crushed her acting dreams with a single, harsh accusation of "improper lifestyle." Having many suitors back then was deemed a sin in the eyes of leadership. Rumor has it that she eventually married a descendant of a capitalist and left for France. For a long time afterward, Rongrong frequently appeared in my dreams.
Years later, inside the Shanghai Theatrical Supply Store, across two glass counters, our eyes met. I saw her and her mother, and we stared at each other for a few seconds. Yet, at that crucial moment, I lacked the courage to step forward and say hello. People of that era were simply too reserved. A single turn of the back, and a missed connection became forever.
XVIII. Old S’s "Dodging Technique" and Another Failed College Exam
My thoughts are drifting again—let us steer back to the accounting office of 1978. "The College Student" helped me solve a few tough math and physics problems, though he didn't actually teach me much; he mostly just loved to brag and chat. Consequently, whenever he came over to talk, Accountant D would start his routine of coming over to open drawers. But Old S was a veteran. Relying on his familiar relationship with Accountant D, whenever the drawers started rattling, he would simply twist his body out of the way, wait for Accountant D to leave, and keep right on talking.
The college exam acceptance rate in 1977 was a meager 4.8%. By 1978, applicants increased by 400,000, bumping the acceptance rate to 6.59%. The cutoff score that year was 300 points. I scored 290, falling short once again.
XIX. From Xujiahui to the Levee: Pure Innocence Framed in Wildflowers
In July 1978, my niece Xiao Y, carrying her backpack, traveled with me. We took the Route 94 bus, transferred to Route 44 to Xujiahui, caught the Xu-Min Line to the old Minhang Ferry, crossed the Huangpu River to Xidu in Fengxian County, and finally boarded the West Main Line long-distance bus. After a grueling four-hour journey, we reached the final stop at the old Wusi Farm headquarters, then walked for another half hour, arriving at the team covered in dust.
Accountant D’s son, Xiao WX, was visiting the team with his father during those days. He was terribly camera-shy and awkward. I told him, "WX, go pick some flowers for Xiao Y." He trotted off into the nearby wild grass, gathered a small bunch, and ran back to present them to her. I quickly captured that shot—so natural, so pure.
XX. Backlight by the Suitang River, and the Liberated Curled Bangs
I asked the College Student to take some photos of us along the Suitang River and the rammed-earth levee. Looking at those 1978 photos, I notice my bangs were curled. That was the year fashionable women with long, permed waves started appearing on the streets of Shanghai. Lacking that level of boldness, I only dared to curl my bangs and the tips of my braids. Perming hair had been strictly forbidden during the Cultural Revolution, condemned as a bourgeois lifestyle.
As the western sun began to dip below the horizon, I took my very first backlit photo. In those days, photography was strictly centered around people. It felt like "I" had to be in every frame, because capturing just the scenery seemed like a total waste of precious film.
XXI. The Mysterious Darkroom Under the Red Light: Farewell to 1978
Old S even took Xiao Y and me into the farm's darkroom, his solitary workspace. Stepping inside for the first time, enveloped in a mysterious red glow, felt like entering an entirely different world. Watching him develop photos was fascinating. He even hand-colored some of my old photographs—toning some in sepia, seemingly by adding dye to the developing fluids, while meticulously painting others by hand. The moment the door opened and we stepped back outside, the sudden light was blinding, leaving me with a lingering nostalgia for that mysterious world inside.
Long afterward, I heard that "the College Student" had finally granted his wish and transferred back to his hometown in Fujian.
Special thanks to Gemini AI for providing the spirited translation and text refinement.
第三百五十五篇
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