Seeing the teachers starting to pack up their tables, the parents trapped behind the caution tape all began to grow agitated.
"What’s going on? It’s almost our child’s turn, why are they packing up the tables?"
"Quiet down, everyone quiet down," a Sacred Heart Middle School PE teacher announced loudly through a megaphone, declaring that the recruitment for long-distance student athletes had come to an end, and all twenty available spots for running specialties had been filled at Sacred Heart.
"How can this be? Didn’t they say that Sacred Heart’s admission process is supposed to be transparent and fair? Our child is the second fastest sprinter among Beijing’s primary school students. Which candidates did you accept? You have to make it public." Those parents, who endured a whole morning of waiting plus the afternoon sun, dreaming of their sons and daughters’ success, couldn’t accept such a result.
"Stop making a fuss, or we’ll cancel the qualifications for other sports tests," the teacher speaking through the horn was Ni Shahe, the head of the PE department in Sacred Heart’s junior high school section. It’s an unwritten rule that there are always a few students admitted through the backdoor process, but the majority of students are admitted through their efforts. What does it mean to be second in a citywide short race? Among the students he was screening, many could become national athletes with proper training.
When Zhuo Feng heard this, he was surrounded by test-prep students specializing in 5000 meters, 10000 meters, 400 meters, 50 meters; a variety of options as many as radishes and greens in a market, he didn’t even know what to say anymore.
Luckily, Xiao Xian hadn’t run yet. What if after running 10000 meters, tired like a dog, they would say, "Your child did well, but unfortunately, we’ve already filled our quota"—that would be truly maddening.
But in a few seconds, Zhuo Feng let go of his concern. Thinking it over again, if Xiao Xian doesn’t test for Sacred Heart Middle School, which school should she consider? Going back home to discuss and choose a school would waste several more days, and by that time, the admission process for various schools in Beijing would be finished. Any further delay and Xiao Xian would have to postpone her studies for a year.
Parents on the field felt the same. They all believed that as long as their children had the chance to be assessed, they would definitely be admitted, and they clamorously demanded Ni Shahe to publish the list of admitted students for the running specialty.
"Teacher, which other specialties have not been fully recruited yet? I want to try," Xiao Xian’s Southern accent Mandarin stood out from the unreasonable questioning of other parents.
Right, the child made a good point. The teachers had only announced the end of the quota for long-distance student athletes, but they hadn’t said that the quota for other events had been filled. The parents saw a new ray of hope and continued to press Ni Shahe for answers.
Is this really the way to do it, each one only demanding public announcements? If public announcements were so effective, why would there be any need for backdoors?
Ni Shahe joyfully searched the crowd for the student who asked the question. His gaze only lingered on Xiao Xian’s face for a moment before drifting away, scanning the crowd again. It wasn’t until Xiao Xian spoke up again that Ni Shahe confirmed that this delicate-looking and seemingly artsy little girl was actually an athletic specialty student.
After hearing this, Zhuo Feng’s heart sank and he pulled his niece aside: "Xiao Xian, we can only apply for running; other events won’t work."
Ni Shahe also found it strange. The girl was fair and clean, dressed stylishly, and not tall (he didn’t know that Xiao Xian was only ten), and really, if she were to stand in the lineup of the special admissions students, she would only fit into categories like dance or singing. To stand her alongside the tall, stocky students admitted for sports would be the same as openly admitting she got in through the backdoor.
Ni Shahe certainly didn’t want to be accused of nepotism, but fortunately, Xiao Xian’s question had successfully diverted the protesting parents’ attention, as they all eagerly inquired about the remaining specialty spots. After all, they were all focused on sports, and there must be some way to connect.
"Unfortunately, almost all the basic events have been recruited already, only two spots left, one is football..." Ni Shahe’s throat was nearly on fire after an entire afternoon of shouting. He opened a bottle of mineral water and took a few sips before finally spitting out a disappointing statement.
"Football?" Half of the parents had already given up. Everyone knows the situation with football in China. Boys who train in football don’t study well and only learn bad habits like eating, drinking, and gambling. Girls who do football all turn into "Football Mister"-looking types, who would want to marry a girl like that.