Students like Big Sister 206, who come to school pregnant, are not an isolated case—some even bring their children to school with them.
Many people are found on campus, some in groups debating or discussing, and some sitting alone by Unnamed Lake reading.
Some have calluses on their palms, others prematurely grey hair; most are dressed simply. Even when students in flashier clothes walk by, they hardly draw a second glance—what they eat and wear isn't important; what they read matters more.
The long road to education—some have traveled four hundred li, others more than a decade.
No one understands better the difficulties of this journey, and no one treasures this hard-earned opportunity more.
"The study atmosphere is so intense," Wen Lan remarks with emotion, "I even feel like doing a sheet of math problems now."
Wang Shumei deeply agrees: "Yeah, walking slowly, I feel I'm betraying the three bottles of ink I went through last year."
