abnabooks Chapter 18 Children's Tricks
Chapter 18 Children's Tricks
Fang Shuwen walked into the school gate, crossed the stone path lined with sycamore trees, and headed straight for the examination hall.
The campus was much quieter than usual, with only a few students hurrying by with their books, their faces showing signs of tension.
This opening exam is the first major test since the implementation of the new school system in Xikou County's public middle schools.
It is said that
Anyone who fails the exam will be expelled without even a chance to retake it.
For students from ordinary families, being expelled means losing their only way out.
I've already spent a lot of money on school, and to be expelled would be a complete shock.
The examination room was located in a classroom on the second floor of the teaching building, and a seating chart was posted at the door.
Fang Shuwen found his name and sat down in the third row by the window.
The classroom was already mostly full.
Some people were looking down at their books, while others were silently reciting with their eyes closed, all cramming for the exam. A tense and oppressive atmosphere permeated the air.
He placed the cloth satchel in the desk drawer, took out the Parker pen, and unscrewed the cap.
The pen tip gleamed with a cool silver light in the morning sun, and it felt heavy and comfortable in my hand.
"Hey, a Parker pen?"
A round-faced boy next to him leaned over, staring at the pen in his hand with a look of surprise:
"Fang Shuwen, you've struck it rich? This thing isn't cheap. Did you please Young Master Guo and he gave it to you?"
His tone was ambiguous, making it seem as if Fang Shuwen had done something wrong.
Fang Shuwen, with his ox-headed expression, glanced coldly at the boy and unleashed a murderous aura that surged towards the round-faced boy.
The latter immediately felt as if he were being stared at by a fierce tiger, and cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes.
He couldn't help but tremble.
Fortunately, just then, the classroom door was pushed open.
A clicking sound rang out.
Fang Shuwen turned his head away.
The round-faced boy finally felt the feeling of death he had just experienced subside.
He patted his chest in relief, looked at Fang Shuwen with suspicion and uncertainty, and then sat down, still shaken.
At that moment, a middle-aged man wearing a dark blue Zhongshan suit and round-framed glasses walked in.
He walked in carrying a stack of test papers, his leather shoes making a crisp sound on the floor.
The classroom fell silent instantly.
Fang Shuwen recognized the man; it was Zhou Changping, the head of teaching, who taught the "New Curriculum Outline" and was known for his strictness.
It is said that he studied at Shenghai Martial Arts University when he was young, and later, for some unknown reason, he returned to Xikou to teach, where he taught for more than ten years.
Zhou Changping placed the test paper on the podium and scanned the entire classroom from behind his glasses.
"I won't go into the rules for the opening exam."
"Seven subjects, all in one day. Academic subjects in the morning, physical education in the afternoon. Anyone caught cheating will be expelled immediately, without any room for negotiation."
He paused, his gaze lingered on Fang Shuwen for half a second, then looked away.
"Curl hair".
The exam papers were passed down from front to back.
Fang Shuwen took the test paper, spread it out, and glanced at it.
This is a comprehensive test paper covering Chinese, mathematics, English, steam industry, steam biology, and antiquities exploration.
All six academic subjects taught in public high schools are covered on a single exam paper.
The questions are densely packed, but they don't go beyond the textbook. Most of them are memorization-based; you either know them or you don't.
He unscrewed the cap of his Parker pen, his gaze hardened, and he began to write the answer.
The classroom was extremely quiet, with only the scratching of pens on paper and the occasional rustling of pages turning.
The Chinese language section included dictation and interpretation, plus a short essay on policy.
Fang Shuwen didn't write anything too outrageous. He quoted a few standard passages from the textbook, added a few sentences of his own understanding, and finished writing when he reached three hundred words.
Mathematics and English were no challenge for him in his previous life; he filled in the blanks almost without thinking.
I put in a bit more effort on the three courses: Steam Industry, Steam Biology, and Antiquities Exploration.
After all, these three courses are unique products of this world.
In his previous life, he had never learned anything in that area.
Fortunately, the test only covered material from the textbook.
He hasn't been reviewing his lessons in the last few days.
Therefore, it only took an hour and a half to answer all the questions.
Check it again to make sure nothing is missing.
Fang Shuwen stood up and handed in his paper.
Zhou Changping took the exam paper, glanced at it, and his eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.
But he didn't say anything, he just nodded to Fang Shuwen.
Then, the exam papers were gathered onto the stack of papers that had already been handed in on the left side of the podium.
Fang Shuwen walked out of the examination room, and the corridor was still empty, with most students still writing furiously.
He didn't linger on campus and headed straight for the cafeteria.
The canteen of Xikou County Public Middle School is a red brick bungalow located on the west side of the playground. You can smell the aroma of the food from a distance.
When Fang Shuwen arrived, there weren't many people in the cafeteria yet.
He spent four cents on lunch.
Two steamed buns, a plate of braised potato chunks, and a bowl of egg drop soup—I sat down in the corner by the window, carrying the tray.
I had only taken a few bites when the cafeteria started to fill up.
The morning exams were over, and students poured in in twos and threes, forming long queues at the cafeteria windows.
The cacophony of voices was mixed with arguments about the answers and sighs.
"Did you answer that steam-borne organism question? Compatibility? I didn't even understand the question."
"Stop asking, stop asking! I left three questions blank, I'm doomed this time."
"What's the panic? The afternoon is the real test. I heard that with this school system reform, martial arts and physical education will account for half of the score. Even if you get a perfect score in the morning, it's useless; if you don't pass the cutoff in the afternoon, you're out."
Fang Shuwen paused for a moment.
Martial arts sports account for half.
He picked up the egg drop soup and slowly took a sip, his face remaining expressionless, but his ears perked up.
At a table not far away, several boys were sitting together, and the one speaking was a tall guy with a buzz cut.
The sleeves of his school uniform were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his two strong forearms.
He has a loud voice; everyone around him can hear him.
"My cousin works as a clerk in the Education Bureau, so his information is absolutely accurate."
The man with the buzz cut broke the steamed bun in half, stuffed a piece into his mouth, and mumbled something.
"Isn't this going to kill someone?"
A skinny boy next to him wailed, "I've always been at the bottom of my class in martial arts. I even failed physical training last semester."
"Then just accept your bad luck."
The man with the buzz cut shrugged: "The higher-ups said that in the future, the Great Yan New Kingdom will require both literary and martial skills; just being good at studying won't be enough."
Fang Shuwen broke the steamed bun into small pieces and put them into his mouth one by one, but his ears remained perked up.
The man with the buzz cut was still talking loudly, spitting everywhere.
Fang Shuwen only listened for a moment before focusing on eating.
Just then, Guo Ziming appeared at the entrance of the cafeteria, followed by two henchmen as usual.
His gaze swept around the cafeteria, accurately locking onto Fang Shuwen in the corner. A slight smile appeared on his lips as he strode over.
Looking at Fang Shuwen, Guo Ziming's lips curled up.
Fang Shuwen.
"After your exam this afternoon, I'll be waiting for you in the grove behind the school. If you don't come, you know what will happen!"