Explore "China's Son" by Da Chen on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
As the sacred days slowly approached, the atmosphere in our household changed. Mom prayed a little harder and got up earlier to say longer prayers. Meals were more lavish. There was always meat on the table, just for Jin and me. We no longer argued with Mom about this unjust inequality among family members; we simply shoveled the food down and returned to our studies. Our sisters lowered their voices when they talked and walked past our rooms quietly. But the biggest change was in Dad. He actually bought some Flying Horses and slipped them into my room late at night. No words were needed. He badly wanted me to succeed.
Two days before the exam, the whole town of Yellow Stone gathered to gossip and watch the candidates. Every third family had someone taking the exam. Few public events mattered as much to the townspeople. A militiaman from the commune paraded through the street with a loudspeaker, shouting about the virtues of the exam and yelling encouragement. "Don't panic, be brave, have a strong heart, and be prepared for both failure and success."