A foreign city, dear you

The day when college entrance examination results are released is getting closer.

Ye Lian was becoming more and more nervous and anxious. She was looking forward to the results coming out, but also afraid of them.

Ye Lian knew that Cao Lanshan's goal was to get into Tsinghua University or Peking University, which were the best universities that students across the country most wanted to go to. To achieve this goal, he didn't even rest on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. If the score was not as good as expected, wouldn't he be very disappointed and sad?

After the test results came out, Cao Lanshan estimated his score to be between 660 and 680. He was not absolutely sure about admission to Tsinghua University and Peking University, but he still had hope.

On the night before the scores were released, Ye Lian was a little uneasy, and kept paying attention to her phone call. If Cao Lanshan's score could reach the score line of Tsinghua University or Peking University, she should receive a call tonight.

At around eleven o'clock in the evening, the phone suddenly rang in Cao Lanshan's room. Ye Lian's heart was pounding, wondering if it was Tsinghua University or Peking University calling?

But the call ended quickly, and the imagined scene of Cao Lanshan running over and shouting good news did not occur.

Whose phone call was that just now?

It turned out to be Cao Lanshan’s class teacher who called and asked Cao Lanshan if he had received any call from Tsinghua University or Peking University, and if so, to tell him as soon as possible.

The head teacher also had high hopes for Cao Lanshan and called to ask about it.

Logically speaking, if the score was high enough, I should have received a call by now, but I never received one.

Ye Lian had a vague feeling that her hopes would be dashed, but she still held on to hope, thinking that maybe the phone would ring in her dream?

But until the whole family woke up the next morning, there was still no call.

By this time Ye Lian had realized that there was no hope.

Ye Lian casually opened her mobile phone. The parent group in Cao Lanshan’s class was very lively, with a long list of unread messages.

Ye Lian clicked on it and saw that it was Liang Ziyang's mother who was sending red envelopes in the group. She had been sending red envelopes late last night, which meant that they had received calls from Tsinghua University and Beijing University that night.

One family is happy, the other is lonely.

Ye Lian congratulated Liang Ziyang while worrying about Cao Lanshan.

Cao Lanshan and Liang Ziyang cheered each other on, encouraged each other, spent time in the classroom together during weekdays, and hung out in the library together on weekends. They set ambitious goals together and decided to go to Tsinghua University and Peking University together.

But now, Liang Ziyang succeeded, but Cao Lanshan failed.

Moreover, it is still unknown what Cao Lanshan’s performance is.

Ye Lian began to have some uneasy thoughts.

As the saying goes, don't be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of the unexpected.

What if my son unexpectedly fails the exam and his performance is far from his usual level? Can he accept this blow if his son and his family cannot be admitted to Tsinghua University or Peking University as they wish?

But Ye Lian did not let this uneasiness show on her face. She pretended to be very relaxed and said to Cao Lanshan, "If you can't go to Tsinghua University or Peking University, then you can't go. We'll just have to wait and see the results."

Before the time to check the scores came, many relatives and friends called to ask, which made Ye Lian even more nervous.

The whole family was waiting for the time to check the scores, and they felt like they were waiting for the starting gun to sound.

The time to check the scores finally arrived, but Ye Lian was too nervous to open her cell phone.

She was touching here and there in the kitchen, totally unaware of what she was doing, and her fingers were shaking.

Time passed minute by minute, Ye Lian pricked up her ears to listen for any movement. As soon as Cao Xueqin or Cao Lanshan found out the scores, they would definitely tell her the first time.

Cao Lanshan appeared at the kitchen door without saying a word.

"The scores haven't come out yet?" Ye Lian asked nervously.

"It's out." There was no joy or sadness on Cao Lanshan's face.

"How much?" Ye Lian was so nervous that her heart was about to jump out.

"673, ranked 156th."

That’s not bad, it’s still within the estimated score range.

The stone in her heart finally fell to the ground, and Ye Lian quickly congratulated her son, although she knew that her son must feel very disappointed and regretful for not being able to enter Tsinghua University or Peking University like Liang Ziyang.

Ye Lian also felt very sorry.

But how difficult it is to get into Tsinghua University and Peking University. There are more than 120 candidates in the whole province, but Tsinghua University and Peking University only admit people each.

Cao Lanshan finally missed the opportunity to study at Tsinghua University!

But Cao Lanshan's achievement has already made Ye Lian and Cao Xueqin very proud, and it is like smoke rising from their ancestral graves.

*

The next step is to fill in the application form.

What Cao Lanshan wanted to go to most was Peking University. He was unwilling to not be able to go there. He learned that the early admission score of Peking University would be lower, and he hoped to be admitted to Peking University by filling out the early admission application.

So what is the early admissions? What majors are included in the early admissions? Can Cao Lanshan be admitted to Peking University?

The early admission batch is an admission batch before the normal admission batch.

Some famous universities put some not-so-good majors in the early admission batch, using the halo of famous universities to attract students whose scores do not meet the normal score line to apply.

This year, Tsinghua University's early admission was nuclear physics, while Peking University's early admission was minor languages.

Cao Lanshan was very conflicted. Although he didn't like the major, he was attending this school which he had always dreamed of.

Cao Lanshan thought that he could enter Peking University first and then change his major, but later he found out that he could not change his major.

But Cao Lanshan still didn't want to give up. He was young and energetic and thought that if he didn't want to transfer, he could just take a second major.

Ye Lian felt that Cao Lanshan was being too naive.

Who are the people who can enter Peking University? They are the top people in the country. It is already very good to be able to study your major well, so how can you have spare energy to study a second major?

I'm struggling with this and don't know how to fill out the application form.

The school leaders of Anbao Middle School called and urged Cao Lanshan to apply for the early admission or medical school of Peking University, which added another dilemma. However, this additional dilemma was soon put aside because Cao Lanshan did not like studying medicine.

For two whole nights, Ye Lian lay in bed, unable to sleep, and struggling with the issue of how to apply for college.

No one in Cao Xueqin's family or Ye Lian's family had ever been so close to Peking University. The family's relatives, especially the grandparents, all hoped that Cao Lanshan could go to Peking University. It would be such an honor and a great honor for the family! If they gave up this time, it would be very likely that no one would ever be able to see and contact Peking University so closely again.

However, if Cao Lanshan studied a less popular major that he did not like despite the halo of a prestigious school, would he be happy? How would he find a job in the future?

Is the halo of a prestigious school so important?

Yes, being the center of attention is an honor, but it also makes people uncomfortable. Isn't it good to be an ordinary person and live an ordinary life?

Ye Lian thought so, convinced herself, and then made a decision in her heart: give up Peking University!

After Ye Lian made the decision in her heart, her next task was to convince Cao Xueqin and Cao Lanshan. This was not an easy task, but in the end they both accepted the decision.

So, if not going to Kyoto University, which school should I go to?

Although he would not be qualified for Peking University and Tsinghua University under normal circumstances, Cao Lanshan's score gives him many options for other schools.

Many universities called to invite Cao Lanshan to apply to their schools.

What followed was various analyses and comparisons, and Cao Lanshan finally chose the economics major at Minzu University.

At this point, Cao Lanshan's college entrance examination officially came to an end, and the application form was also officially finished. The next few days would be to wait for the admission letter, and then step into the halls of university to open a new chapter in life...