WhenIwaswalkingalongthepassage,Isawmanystudentswaitingoutsidetheexaminationhall.Igotthedoorsopen,andtheyenteredthehallonebyone.Iknewthattheywereexcitedfromtheirwhisperingmouths.Obviously,theyweretryingtorecallwhattheyhadmemorized.
Theexaminationhallwascleanandorderly.Allthedesksandchairswerearrangedsixbyseveninstraightlines.Theatmosphereshowedthatanimportanteventwouldsoonhappen,anditseemedthatthestudents'futurewouldbedecidedatthisverymoment.
TherewasLi,sittinginthemiddleofthethirdrow,adiligentboywhowouldliketoaskquestions.Henowlookedtiredandnervous,andhiseyesweresurroundedbytwobigblackcircles.Icouldmakeoutthathemusthavespentthewholenightpreparinghimselffortoday’sexamination.Inaninstant,thebellbrokethesilence.Libecameextremelyexcited,hislipsandhandstremblinghysterically,hisfeetmovinginvoluntarily.
Theexaminationpapersweredistributedtothestudents.Theyquicklyglancedatthequestionsandstartedworkingimmediately.Someheavedaheavysighofrelief,someworeasmileontheirlips,whilesomeothersscratchedtheirheadssavagely.AsmileflickeredthroughLi'sface,buthelostnotimetostartworking.
Soon,thehallwasdrownedinthenoiseofscratchingpaperandregularbreathing.
Thebellrangagainandallpaperswerehandedin.Allthestudentsstreamedoutofthehall,busilyexchangingtheiropinionsandresults.AmongthemwasLi,who,thoughwearingasomewhattriumphantsmile,lookedextremelyexhaustedasifhehadgonethroughabattle.