I didn't know there was such a useful spell! I was overjoyed after hearing the incantation and drawing method, but Ninth Uncle made me swear to only use it once and never again. Fortunately, I'm not a greedy person, so one time is enough. Thinking of Du Feiyu's face, I promised her that I would go to Harbin to accompany her. A man must keep his promises, no matter if it's to Ayu or Ninth Uncle, I will do it. I don't know when I started being so persistent, but this way I can be at peace. There are gods watching from above!
After thanking Ninth Uncle, the ugly hour was almost over. I bid him farewell and told him that I would come back to visit him when I had time. Ninth Uncle sighed again and said to me: "You must work hard at your cultivation, don't take a wrong path, no matter what you do, you must be able to ask yourself without any guilt, do you understand?"
"I said: 'Alright, Master, don't worry.' After that, I used my sleeve to wipe away the water on the mirror and put it away. Then I happily ran back home."
The next day, I finished drawing the talisman and spent half a month reading through those reference books and borrowed practice papers. Then, I took the talisman with me to try it out once. It was really useful - as long as I looked at the practice questions, the answers would automatically appear in my mind. I gazed at this "Sixteen Mouths Awakening Spirit Transformation" talisman and exclaimed, "This thing is simply too easy to use! This can't be called a talisman anymore; it's basically just a universal university admission notice!"
With only one week left, looking at the classmates around me who are busy cheating on the exam, there are still many people who have bought certain high-tech products (Bluetooth headsets) in order to cheat during the exam. A sense of pride arose, and I thought to myself: "These stupid humans, they actually think they can use such inferior products." As the saying goes, "a brick can break a martial art, a small knife can break a qigong". Don't they know that every examination room is equipped with electronic detectors? Maybe this time, only I will be able to achieve my goal with the help of the divine symbol. Hahaha!
"What are you smiling about!?" My occipital bone was slapped by Du Feiyu. Maybe I was too proud and forgot that we were still in self-study class, I rubbed my occipital bone and told her it's nothing. Then continued to pretend to study with her, she wrote some exercises for a while before suddenly putting down her pen and telling me: "If you can't get into university, we'll break up." After that, she continued reviewing.
I gaze at this little girl, it seems she still cares about me in her heart, wanting to encourage me in this way? Hehehe, Ah Yu, you underestimate your man. If I didn't have you in my heart, even if it's Tsinghua or Peking University, I could come and go freely. But I promised you, I will definitely attend the same university as you. Wait for it. Haha.
A week later, since our small county didn't have an examination site, Old Jia and Old Zhang took our class on a train to Qiqihar City.
Qiqihar is the second largest city in Heilongjiang province, China, and is located at the junction of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Jilin Province. "Qiqihar" means "border" or "natural pasture" in Daur language. It was formerly known as Bukui (meaning "auspicious" in Daur language). The famous national scenic spot Zhalong Nature Reserve is located here, where the world's rare bird, the red-crowned crane, breeds and lives. Therefore, it is also known as the "hometown of cranes". Qiqihar is naturally called the "Crane City".
Because we belong to the art category, our college entrance examination is divided into two parts. The first part is the professional course and then the cultural course. Both of these categories are held within the Qiqihar University examination site, spanning a total of two days. We arrived in Qiqihar the night before the exam, so we had to stay here for two nights and one day. With our painting bags and toolboxes full of paintbrushes on our backs, we felt like ancient scholars heading to the capital to take the imperial examination.
The next day was the professional exam, and since everyone had been drawing for two or three years, the scores were basically the same, so everyone was still very calm. After receiving their test numbers and entering the examination room, they found that the topic was designing a logo. Hehe, this thing really wasn't going to stump me. The most important point of designing a logo is simplification, making it something that consumers can remember at a glance. For example, if I say a certain logo is a "big hook", you'll definitely know which brand's logo I'm talking about. With a marker pen in my mouth, I thought about what to draw, and after glancing around, I had an idea - as someone who studies the Tao, I would use the Tai Chi diagram as a prototype and create a logo based on it.
Don't underestimate this Tai Chi diagram, don't think it's too ordinary. I can clearly tell you that this is one of the greatest cultural heritages left to us by our ancestors. Broadly speaking, it is an important diagram for studying the principles of Zhou Yi, containing the common laws of heaven and earth, so some people call it the pattern of the universe, the beacon of science. Narrowly speaking, it also supports a group of people like us who make a living from "art". The image of yin-yang fish symbolizes the mutual exchange of yin and yang, endless life. I don't know how many famous logos originated from this. Even the seals we use every day can't do without it. In simple terms, the yin fish in yin-yang fish belongs to concave, while the yang fish belongs to convex. The two engraving methods of seals, intaglio and relief, come from this.
I took out the compass and first drew a regular yin-yang fish using the plane construction method, then picked up a pencil to make some artistic exaggeration and deformation of this picture. After adjusting the watercolor, I used a triangle plate to separate the lines and apply it evenly within the graphic. Finally, I outlined with a black carbon pen. With great success, after sticking my exam number and name on it, I walked out of the examination room.
By the second day, everyone in our painting room was more tense than ever. Of course, I was an exception, being the lowest among them. Haha, looking at these losers' miserable faces, how could I not feel a sense of schadenfreude? I finally understood what it means to be a small-minded person who's satisfied with their own success. It's probably describing guys like him.
To be honest, one of the main factors that lead to failure in the college entrance exam is pressure. It's true that everyone who takes the exam feels a kind of invisible pressure, especially when it comes to subjects they're not good at. It can make you feel like you can't breathe. But for me, who already knows the results, this pressure is basically zero. So I started humming a happy tune on the bus, expressing my admiration for our great motherland's beautiful mountains and rivers. Du Feiyu was sitting next to me reading a book, she put down her book and stared at me when she heard me singing. Yang Xu in front of me turned around and asked: "Is this kid too stressed out, gone crazy?" Old Zhang behind me also asked: "Are you just giving up now?"
Ordinary people, I despise you. Now my mind is filled with the beautiful scenery of that university in Harbin, where in winter I would hold a thermos of hot soy milk to send Ayu back to her dormitory, and in summer I could wait for Ayu to come out under the girls' dormitory building and make a date with me, and also admire the harmonious and lovely stockings and short skirts of the senior sisters. Then take Ayu to the beautiful Songhua River bank to watch the sunset, ah, must miss the last bus back to school, so that I can stay outside with Ayu, haha, maybe I can get rid of this virginity that has followed me for nearly twenty years! Life is really too good!
Just as I was indulging in fantasies of my rose-colored university life, the car arrived at the entrance of the examination hall. After Old Jia and Old Zhang gave us some last-minute advice that was basically the same as yesterday's, we headed to our respective examination halls. I looked at Du Feiyu, made a victory gesture with my hand, and then walked into my examination hall with my hands in my pockets.
The cultural class for art students only tests the three most basic subjects, which are math, language and English from primary school to university. After two invigilating teachers finished nagging some notes, they started distributing the exam papers. Hehehe, at this time, I had already clenched the 'Sixteen Mouths Awakening Symbol' in my hand, thinking that a better life was waiting for me, and my buddies were coming!
But I didn't know what was about to happen. The exam papers were handed out, and that stinky female proctor noticed me smiling foolishly, so she stared at me for two seconds. Suddenly, she opened her mouth: "What's in your hand? Take it out."
