Taking an exam in a dream

 　　A cup of strong tea, lights off, and predictably, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. So, I sat up and opened the "Complete Works of Zeng Guofan" on my bedside table: "January of the Gengwu year. I dreamt I was taking an exam, but my writing was so dry I couldn't write anything, I couldn't finish the paper, and I was so anxious that I woke up in a fright..."

　　Wow! Even someone as high-ranking as Zeng Guofan dreamt about exams?

　　It's true, Zeng Guofan's path to the imperial examinations was exceptionally difficult. After passing the county-level exams multiple times, he finally came to Beijing to participate in the imperial examinations. In the palace examination, due to carelessness, he made a major mistake that left him filled with regret and confusion. Fortunately, three days later, he achieved the highest score in the second class and was appointed "Lecturer in the Hanlin Academy" by Emperor Daoguang.

　　In today's society, everyone goes through a student life, especially in a country like China where even playing the piano or being a nanny can be graded. Exams have become a part of everyone's work and life, making them an indelible memory for both academic achievers and underachievers. For those who excelled academically, exams felt like passing the imperial examination—a moment of pure joy followed by moments of euphoria. For those who struggled, exams felt like a double death sentence—dying during the exam and then dying again after the results were released.

　　Over twenty years ago, the college entrance examination (Gaokao) was the only shortcut for rural students like us to change our fate and escape rural life. Back then, a single point could eliminate tens of thousands of students, like a thousand soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge. Passing meant becoming a government official, a secure job; failing meant returning to the countryside, toiling in the fields for life, a lifelong farmer. The difference in fate was like night and day. Therefore, facing exams caused immense anxiety and tension. Even after successfully entering university and securing a satisfactory job, over a decade of exam-oriented education had deeply ingrained my fear and expectations of exams into my subconscious.

　　There were times when I valued exams more than life itself, weeping bitterly over a single point or two of lost marks, feeling that my life would be plunged into darkness. Ironically, more than twenty years have passed, and I can't remember the content of any of those past exams. Those once-important exam scores, equations, and definitions are like a speck of dust in a category 18 typhoon, leaving no trace in my life. Only the exams themselves, more than twenty years after I finished my student days, still haunt me like ghosts, targeting dark and stormy nights to scare me…

　　Sitting in the classroom, facing the exam paper, my mind is blank, cold sweat pours down my face, and suddenly the proctor's chilling voice rings in my ears: "Students, please pay attention! There are only 5 minutes left!"

　　"Ring, ring…" With a crisp bell ringing, every student in the exam room stopped answering the questions. And at that moment, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to answer the questions on the back of one of the exam papers!

　　The exam was the next day, and I hadn't finished reading the book. I studied desperately, but I couldn't remember a single word.

　　There was also the possibility of not being able to find the exam room, or not having brought my admission ticket, or arriving at the exam room only to find the exam was almost over…

　　I thought I was doomed, when suddenly, I opened my eyes and woke up. It was all a nightmare! A long sigh escaped my lips: "Thank goodness, I've been working for many years!"

　　In my exam dreams, I mostly take English exams. I think the reason I have such dreams about English exams is perhaps related to my poor English grades back then; the dream is a replay of that terrible past. Throughout

　　my school years, my English grades were consistently at the bottom of the class. In junior high, my English teacher, Mr. Tu, earnestly told me, "Jiuman, according to your homeroom teacher, Mr. Huang, your grades in all subjects are good except for English. Don't neglect your studies! You need to focus on learning English and strive to get into a good university in the future." Unfortunately, I didn't listen to Mr. Tu. That year, during the high school entrance exam, I couldn't even write all 26 letters of the alphabet.

　　In high school, I worked hard to improve my English, but due to my poor foundation and language skills, my English grades never improved. That year, in the college entrance exam, I only scored 47 points in English, twelve points less than the second-to-last student in my high school.

　　Later, "English" and its unfortunate companions transformed into nightmares. As night fell, the angel of dreams would sneak into my dreams, letting me experience the pain of a "poor student."

　　If only my English score had improved by 10 points in that year's college entrance exam…

　　Suddenly, sleepiness began to stir in my brain, making me yawn repeatedly. I put down "The Complete Works of Zeng Guofan" and drifted into a sweet dream.

　　May God bless you with sweet dreams tonight!