Chapter 59: When the Archeology Department Becomes a Philosophy Department
The entire family fixed their gaze on the admission notice held by Miao Xiaoxiao. In the upper right corner, the words "Shanhe University" were elegantly inscribed in regular script.
"Alright," Miao Xiaoxiao contained her excitement and gingerly tore open a corner of the notice, revealing a beautifully bound book with golden embellishments.
Inside it, she discovered a "bookmark" that was, in reality, the genuine admission letter. Depicted on the bookmark was an aerial view of Shanhe University's four campuses outlined in fine ink, alongside an image of the school gate nestled amidst the mountains, akin to a celestial palace.
This remarkable visual was accompanied by an intricate calligraphy inscription, written personally by Qin Mu:
"Student Miao Xiaoxiao, you have been admitted as a Computer Science major student in the School of Information Science and Technology at our institution. Please report to Shanhe University with this admission notice by 8:30 AM. Welcome to Shanhe University, where your aspirations come to life. - Qin Mu"
Seeing Qin Mu's signature, Miao Xiaoxiao's body quivered involuntarily, and she couldn't hold back her emotions any longer.
She cried out, deeply touched by the word "ideals." All she had ever wished for in life was to escape the mountains and provide her parents and family with a better life.
After a while, her emotions settled, and she proceeded to examine the other contents of the notice.
She initially thought that the beautifully bound book contained Shanhe University's rules and regulations, but upon opening it, she found that the pages were entirely blank. The title page bore a message in small print:
"This is your future, and it should be written by you yourself."
...
In the suburbs of Jiangcheng, on an isolated hill, Zhou Tao clutched his admission notice and excitedly ran to a middle-aged man. The middle-aged man trembled at the sight of the notice, recognizing the words "Shanhe University."
"Good, good, good!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, his excitement surpassing Zhou Tao's.
Shanhe University has recently garnered a lot of attention and created quite a stir in the four provinces of the Shanhe, receiving a multitude of applicants.
The competition was fierce, and the middle-aged man had been worried about his son's chances, even contemplating bringing some valuable treasures obtained from tomb robbing in his youth to ask Qin Mu for assistance.
But to his surprise, his son had been admitted effortlessly.
"Son, I've imparted everything our family's ancestral art of gold-digging requires," the middle-aged man said, drawing a deep breath.
He continued gravely, "Times have changed, and tomb-robbing can lead only to death. Those brothers I knew in my youth, well... Most of them either died or ended up in jail. If I hadn't left that path early, I might have met the same fate."
He emphasized the need to steer clear of tomb robbing and instead seek a legitimate path in life.
The middle-aged man gazed intently at Zhou Tao and said, "Enrolling at Shanhe University is the fastest way to pave your way to legitimacy. Archaeological tomb-robbing separates families. With the professional skills taught in the Department of Archeology at Shanhe University, gaining a foothold in the establishment after graduation is a breeze."
Moreover, the university was rumored to possess a long-lost technique in the world of tomb raiders – the Dragon-Seeking and Wealth-Sharing art. Mastering this technique would undoubtedly secure a prominent future in the field of archeology.
"Dad, don't worry; I'll give it my all," Zhou Tao assured, clutching the admission notice.
Subsequently, the father and son opened their respective admission notices and discovered a book with empty pages, a "bookmark," and a freshman orientation handbook.
The "bookmark" displayed the message: "Student Zhou Tao, you have been admitted as a Philosophy major student in the School of Humanities at Shanhe University. The duration of the program is four years. Please report to Shanhe University on August 30th."
After reading the notice, the father and son exchanged puzzled glances.
"Wait a minute," Zhou Tao said, his eyes widening. "I distinctly remember that I applied for an Archeology major!"
Father Zhou frowned and inquired quietly, "Did you select an option to change your major when you applied for the examination?"
Zhou Tao scratched his head, pondering the matter, and slowly began to recall the application process.
It soon became evident that he had indeed selected the option for a major change.
...
In the four provinces of the Shanhe, students from all walks of life received their admission letters. Some were ecstatic, some welled up with tears, and some remained stoic.
The most ecstatic group, however, were the students who received admission letters from Shanhe University. They had been waiting with bated breath, having emerged victorious from a vast pool of applicants, making it to the final stage of acceptance.
Many felt that securing a place at Shanhe University was even more challenging than being accepted to Yenching University or Qingbei University.
While the admission scores played a role, the overwhelming competition came from the countless students of the same age who had applied to Shanhe University.
In contrast, Yenching University and Qingbei University, with fewer applicants that year, were relatively more accessible.