I was reborn after my cousin stole my life.

Chapter 218: Reporting for Duty

After the New Year, Yuan Xiu held a banquet at home to thank her two teachers: Dr. Liu, who taught her traditional Chinese medicine, and Teacher Shen, who taught her academic subjects.

Yuan Xiu had been busy all morning, personally preparing a large table of dishes and inviting the two of them to the table.

Dr. Liu offered many words of encouragement, "...When you go to school, don't forget about me. I still have a lot of experience to share with you. To learn traditional Chinese medicine well, it's not just about the theoretical knowledge you learn in school. Systematic learning is necessary, and oral instruction is also essential. You have to be prepared in both areas and master both! To become a qualified traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, you must have a solid theoretical foundation and excellent clinical skills!"

Yuan Xiu nodded repeatedly: "Thank you, Master, for imparting knowledge, teaching skills, and resolving my doubts."

When she raised her glass to Teacher Shen, she said with a particularly helpless expression, "You all got in, and now the pressure is on me!"

Yuan Xiu had certainly heard of him before, and said, "Wishing Teacher Shen a lifetime of success in nurturing countless students!"

Not long after the New Year, Sun Ying and Wang Ting received their admission notices one after the other.

The medical school started on March 1st. After the Lantern Festival, Yuan Xiu would begin preparing to enroll.

As for the hospital job, Yuan Xiu had already completed the necessary procedures before the Lunar New Year.

"You guys are so lucky, you can start school in March. Our school makes us register in May!" Wang Ting sighed and complained.

"May? Why so late?" Sun Ying asked in surprise.

Yuan Xiu also found it strange. According to the newspaper, most schools start enrollment in early March, and some even start registration at the end of February.

May is far too late.

"Our school is an art school. Before... well, it's all historical issues. I heard that many things in the school were not prepared, there was a shortage of school buildings, and there were also problems with the teaching staff, which is why it was delayed until so late."

"Are you sure you'll be okay going to school in another city by yourself?" Sun Ying asked with some reluctance. Of the three of them, she and Yuan Xiu were both local, while Wang Ting was far away, having gone all the way to the south, where it would take two days and two nights to get there by train.

When Wang Ting filled out her college application, she listed two schools, one nearby and one far away. It wasn't that she didn't want to fill in only nearby schools, but there were too few art schools available. Unexpectedly, when the acceptance letter came, she was accepted by the school in the south.

"What's there to be afraid of!" Wang Ting said with a smile. "I've wanted to leave here for a long time!"

After saying that, she realized something was wrong. "No, that's what I thought before, but now it's for my studies. Our school is quite close to Aunt Shen's hometown, where there are many of her relatives and friends. If I go there, I'll have someone to take care of me; I won't be all alone."

Wang Ting wouldn't have said such things before, but now things have changed. She no longer rejects Teacher Shen, and naturally, she doesn't reject the Shen family either.

Before she knew it, it was time for Yuan Xiu to go to school to register.

Jiang Zhou took a day off to take Yuan Xiu to school.

People came and went at the entrance of the medical school. Freshmen came from all directions to register. They were carrying blankets on their shoulders or luggage in their hands. They looked different, but they all exuded an undisguised joy and restraint.

Among the new students, the largest group consisted of educated youth.

Without asking, you can tell just by looking at their sun-darkened faces, their hands calloused from farm work, their faded military green satchels slung over their shoulders, their upright posture, and the smiles on their faces that show the joy of overcoming hardship.

There were quite a few like Yuan Xiu who were sent here by their lovers. Some wives brought their children to send their husbands to register, while others husbands carried their children to send their wives to school.

A banner welcoming new students was hung at the school gate.

It read: "Welcome to the Class of '77!" and "A salute to the new generation of college students who are both politically sound and professionally competent!"

Wearing "Welcome Volunteer" armbands, worker-peasant-soldier students shouted loudly through the noisy crowd, "Traditional Chinese Medicine students, come register here!"

Hearing the shouts, Jiang Zhou pulled Yuan Xiu over.

I didn't expect to run into an acquaintance there.

"Yuan Xiu!"

"Nurse Lin?"

Nurse Lin smiled and said, "Don't call me Nurse Lin at school, just call me by my name!"

"Comrade Lin Fangmei!"

Lin Fangmei: "Forget 'comrade,' we're alumni from now on!"

"Then I'll call you Fangmei. Aren't you a nursing student? How come you're in charge of registering new students for Traditional Chinese Medicine?"

"I'm here to help."

"You two know each other?" the senior next to him asked in a hoarse voice, his throat hurting from shouting too loudly.

Lin Fangmei smiled and nodded: "Yes, we were in the same hospital before."

The senior student extended his hand to Yuan Xiu and said, "Hello, classmate. I am also a student in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, two years ahead of you. My name is Hao Wen."

"Hello, Senior Hao."

"Junior!" Hao Wen smiled brightly, pulled out a form and handed it to Yuan Xiu: "Register here. When a few more people arrive, Lin will take you to the dormitory together."

Yuan Xiu took the form. "Excuse me, I don't live on campus, so who should I apply to?"

"You don't live on campus?"

"Yes, my child is still young and can't be separated from his mother, so he can't live at school."

Upon hearing that Yuan Xiu had a child, Hao Wenxue's eyes dimmed. How could such a young junior be married?

Jiang Zhou stepped forward, standing close to Yuan Xiu, and asked Hao Wen in a deep voice, "So, to whom should we apply?"

Hao Wen then noticed him, assuming that the person following Yuan Xiu was a new student registering for school...

He suppressed the disappointment on his face. "This requires an application to the department. Without a special reason, the department usually won't approve it."

Lin Fangmei nodded in agreement: "Very few students live on campus. Some families live right next to the school and still choose to live there. Almost no one applies to be a day student. There isn't a single one in our department."

Indeed, there are almost none, because becoming a day student means voluntarily giving up some of the school's student benefits.

"Your situation does qualify you to apply for day student status, but have you thought this through? If you become a day student, your grain and oil quota will not be allocated from your registered residence to the school, and you will not be able to enjoy the national grain and oil allocation for college students. As a college student, the national grain and oil department has a special supply for college students, which is more than the supply for ordinary employees."

Not being able to enjoy the same food and oil supplies as university students doesn't mean Yuan Xiu didn't have food to eat.

She can still receive local food coupons.

"Can my partner eat at the school cafeteria?" Jiang Zhou asked.

"Of course, your spouse can use the city's food coupons to exchange for our school's food coupons at the cafeteria. However, they can only exchange a maximum of five catties per month. The students' food and oil supplies are directly supplied to the school and allocated according to the number of people. We must prioritize the students who live on campus."