Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
At this moment, the students were nervous, and the teachers were even more so.
Examinations were a teacher’s weapon while grades were a student’s lifeline.
It was true that this saying was not appropriate in the 21st century.
Examinations were no longer the teacher’s weapon but grades were still the student’s lifeline.
The teachers in Ping Cheng High School knew that Principal Meng had the ambition to compete with The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China. As part of the team of Ping Cheng High School, who would not favor Ping Cheng High School winning against The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China and becoming the top school in Ping Cheng? If the reputation of the school were to rise, their reputations would rise with it. As such, they would stand to gain as well.
Thus, not knowing why, the teachers were harboring different expectations for the third-year students this year.
“How’s it going? Those who have finished matching your answers can come to my side to report the scores. It’s been so long. Isn’t there anyone who has completed the matching?” The teacher was extremely anxious. Sweat could be wrung out from the handkerchief in his hand.
In the past, they did not take so long to finish matching the answers.
If it was the year before, not to mention one, at least five or six students would have come forward to report their scores. What was the situation this year? Could it be that everyone had fared badly? Hence, they took so long to match the answers?
At the thought of this, the teachers felt their heart weakened. Not only their two lower limbs turned soft but their bottoms also trembled.
“Okay… The college entrance examination had already ended. Regardless of the outcome, it’s fine as long as everyone had worked hard. Don’t, don’t be worried. After matching your answers, come here to report your scores. Don’t be nervous, everyone. It, it’s possible that the questions this year were more difficult. It’s not just you. The students from other schools would feel the same way too. Everyone’s situation is the same. The scores we gave only serve as reference points. The outcome is still dependent on the final admission scores of the various colleges. Come, don’t feel burdened. Come and report your scores.”
At this moment, almost all the third-year teachers expressed the same thing. It was fine if they did not do well. If the examination papers were difficult, everyone would not fare well.
No matter what, the students should come to the teachers first to report their scores and let them have a gauge of how the students in Ping Cheng High School had performed in the college entrance examination this year.
The form teacher was so anxious not because of other reasons. It was because Principal Meng had driven to and arrived at the school early this morning. He had been sitting in the office and waiting for their news.
Principal Meng sat in his office. Although he did not move his legs, he had been knocking his hands on the table.
If the overall results of the college entrance examination really improved this year, this would mean that, during this time next year, the results of Qiao Nan’s cohort would not be worse than this. Coupled with the top individual scorers such as Qiao Nan and Shi Qing, Ping Cheng High School would finally succeed.
On the contrary, if the results of this year’s college entrance examination were not satisfactory or similar to the past…
If that was the case, Principal Meng was aware that the hopes of Ping Cheng High School becoming the top school in Ping Cheng would be dashed. If they had the wish to subdue The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, they would have to wait a few years more.
It was not possible for Ping Cheng High School to scale to greater heights or even be the top in the province by just relying on the two top individual scorers alone.
As such, the results of both the current and upcoming year cohorts would have a great impact on Ping Cheng High School.
“Principal…”
“Teacher Hu, you’re here. Quickly come in. How’s it? What is the outcome of the matching for your third-year class one?”
“Principal, our class has completed the matching.”
“Principal…”
None came previously. Principal Meng had been on tenterhooks and waiting in his office for over an hour. Now, everyone came together at the same time. Principal Meng quickly said, “No hurry. One by one. We’ll start according to the classes. Begin with third-year class one.”
“Principal, take a look. Here’s my record.” There was a list in Teacher Hu’s hands. On the list, there were corresponding names and the matriculation numbers of the students. The scores behind the list were filled in manually by Teacher Hu after the students matched their answers.
Facing this list of results, Teacher Hu looked like he was in a great dilemma. He had a feeling that was indescribable.
“This… Is it real?” Principal Meng stared at the list and looked at Teacher Hu doubtfully.
Teacher Hu smiled bitterly. “Principal Meng, you’re not the only one who doesn’t believe this. The students who scored these results didn’t believe it either at first. They matched two to three times before they dared to report the scores to me. Otherwise, we would not have come so late.”
After the teachers of the rest of the classes heard that, they handed in the scores of their respective classes one by one. “Principal Meng, do you want to look at them together?” It sounded like every class had a similar ‘odd situation’.
The lists of results came so late today because the students in their classes doubted their scores. Hence, they matched two to three times before confirming that the scores were correct.
There were also the more careful ones who matched four or five times.
“This…” Looking at all the results, Principal Meng was a little dumbfounded. “Could there have been a mistake?”
“There shouldn’t be. The students in our class matched the results at least twice. Those who did more matched five times before they dared to report the scores to me.” If there was a mistake, then it would be very strange, unless there were problems with the answers that they announced, or if the students had remembered their answers incorrectly.
Putting these two reasons aside, the results on the lists were basically as such. There should not be too much deviation.
“Great, great!” Hearing the replies from all the teachers, the emotional voice of Principal Meng trembled slightly. “Remember to keep a secret of the results of your respective classes. After all, this is just an estimation. The outcome may not be the same. Hence, we can’t leak the news out. In particular, we can’t let the people from The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China know about this. Understand?”
“We know.” With such results, they dared not say it even if the principal asked them to. They were afraid that others would think that they were boasting upon hearing it. They were more concerned that, if either of the two reasons for the deviation appeared, Ping Cheng High School would lose all its face instead of gaining any.
As part of the team in Ping Cheng High School, why would they do such a foolish thing?
“Right, did the students say anything?” After calming down, Principal Meng thought about the reactions of the third-year students.
“What each of them reflected to us was similar. They still doubt if the results are real.” The teachers did not know whether to laugh or cry. “They were in shock too and dared not say much. They also said that, after the examinations, they did not say much when their parents asked them about it. They hope to bring it up only after the results are announced. They’re afraid that they’ll make a mistake on this and rejoice too soon.”
Now, to everyone in Ping Cheng High School, the results of this year’s college entrance examination were both exciting and tense.
