The first day of the Gaokao, Jinghai No. 4 High School!
The school gate was packed with people. The students wore all kinds of expressions as they streamed into the school, while groups of parents stood beneath the trees waiting, their faces tense and uneasy. Various tutoring agencies had set up stalls stocked with bottled water and gel pens and pencils, calling out for everyone to help themselves for free.
A thin, middle-aged man who looked like a teacher struggled to force a path through the crowd. Yuan Tiangang, Yang Yu, and Qi Feng followed behind him. The three children were all wearing Jinghai No. 4 High School uniforms with exaggerated seriousness, clutching their pencil cases tightly as they turned their heads curiously to observe the passersby.
Suddenly, the thin middle-aged man stopped. They had reached the parents' stopping line.
"Don't be nervous, and don't rush. Take your time and answer the questions steadily." The middle-aged man turned to face the three students. "Chinese is the first exam. Make sure your handwriting is neat. I won't say much else. You're all clever children, so you won't make any careless mistakes."
"Understood, Teacher Liu!" Yuan Tiangang said.
"Teacher Liu, we're going in," Yang Yu said.
"Don't worry, Teacher Liu. We'll cut through it like chopping melons and vegetables!" Qi Feng said in a roguish tone.
"Don't let your guard down. The Gaokao Exam Paper was reformed this year, and we don't know what it will look like." Teacher Liu patted Qi Feng on the shoulder. "Go on in. May you make a triumphant start!"
The three students waved goodbye to Teacher Liu, then carried their pencil cases into the crowd. They were barely old enough to have just entered junior high school, and their bodies had not fully grown yet. Their