“Have you seen Douyin? I heard this year's composition topic is terrifying. Many students are crying about it online.”

While Lao Mo was watching TV with Xiao Dou Dou on the sofa, Che Shujun walked over with a plate of fruit, placed it on the coffee table, and replied with a smile.

“How terrifying can a composition be? The score is still the same regardless.” Lao Mo said dismissively.

Che Shujun used to be a language arts teacher, so she was a little unconvinced when she heard this. She handed him the topic directly, "You took the *gaokao* (National College Entrance Examination) too. Come on, see how you would write this."

Lao Mo thought he was a serious honor student, so without thinking, he took the phone. But when he saw the composition topic, his brows furrowed...

Then, with a sinking face, he defended himself, "I haven't read *Dream of the Red Chamber*."

"What does this have to do with *Dream of the Red Chamber*?" Teacher Che Shujun 'mocked'. "See, if it were you, you'd probably write off-topic too."

"I graduated so many years ago, I just forgot..."

Although he said that, Lao Mo had to admit that he didn't understand.

As a pure science student, he really didn't know where to start with this topic.

So, he opened the comments section.

歆陨: My hands started shaking when I saw this composition topic, my heart was racing, damn it, luckily I'm already a college freshman.

"Haha, that's funny." Lao Mo was amused by this comment.

Then, he continued to read below.

子汐sama: What the heck is this? Not everyone has read *Dream of the Red Chamber*, what's the question setter thinking?

Oh, the same thing he was thinking.

诶嘿咕噜啊哈: Even if you've read *Dream of the Red Chamber*, you still don't know how to write it. Even Cao Xueqin would have to repeat a year.

看看能不能飞起来: Jia Baoyu never imagined that hundreds of years later, he would be scolded by examinees for this.

斗转星辰变: Aiy hey, this damn exam successfully sent this child of the mountains back to the deep mountains.

"It feels like this year's *gaokao* kids are going to collapse." Lao Mo found it funnier and funnier as he read.

"You wouldn't be laughing if it were your year," Che Shujun said.

"Indeed, I can already foresee what excuses those little brats will come up with." Lao Mo looked at Che Shujun and asked curiously, "So how should it be written?"

"Well..." Che Shujun thought for a moment and said, "It's very simple, it's about borrowing and innovating, then criticizing borrowing that is not based on reality, and advocating the significance of innovation."

"Is that the only direction?"

"Well, this topic is actually quite poorly designed."

Speaking of this, Che Shujun commented from her personal understanding, "It seems to have a lot of cultural background and also incorporates traditional literature, but in reality, it is used quite superficially. Moreover, there is actually no room for thinking. Just cover the front part and look at the last sentence."

"If you don't write according to this direction, does that count as off-topic?"

"Yeah." Che Shujun said with some embarrassment, "Actually, those who have read the original know that that passage wants to talk about 'human relationships and worldly wisdom'. So, children who have read *Dream of the Red Chamber* will be distracted from the judgment."

"That's good, my students definitely don't read it."

Lao Mo was relieved all of a sudden.

"Do you want to chat with Chen Yuan about the *gaokao* language arts?" Che Shujun suggested.

"I'm a math teacher, how can I talk to him about language arts?"

"Just ask him what he thinks?" Che Shujun was very curious. After all, she had never taught such a good student and wanted to know how good children do the questions.

"This..."

Just as Lao Mo was hesitating, a message came.

He opened it and found it was from Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan: Teacher, after the topic came out, I wrote a composition and also wrote the *xinyu* (personal feelings). I want our school's language arts teacher to grade it.

"Oh my god, didn't it just come out?" Che Shujun was a little shocked. "Are all smart kids like this? They start writing compositions without even eating?"

"Only Chen Yuan would do this."

Lao Mo's mouth curved into a satisfied smile.

So he replied: Then send it to me, and I'll have the school teachers grade it.

Chen Yuan: Thank you.

Then, several photos were sent.

After Lao Mo explained to Liu Fang, he asked her to grade the paper and also asked her to have the other teachers in the language arts group take a look.

After sending the message, Che Shujun also picked up her phone, eating cherries while nodding, "Yes, concise and to the point."

"Is it off-topic?" Lao Mo asked concerned.

"For students like this, not being off-topic is the basic requirement," Che Shujun said with a smile. "Moreover, the sublimation is also very good, finding a very good angle. Really good, the pattern is suddenly so big, it's really rare for a science student."

"After all, it's Chen Yuan. If he can't write well, then no one in Eleventh High School can write well." Lao Mo smiled a little smugly.

"Don't be too smug."

At this time, Che Shujun also suppressed him slightly, saying, "It's good content and on topic, and the writing is also good, but there is still a certain gap from a very high score. If it were me, I would only give it 52 points."

"Ah?" Because Chen Yuan had been praised all along, Lao Mo was a little unaccustomed to the sudden turn. "But isn't that pretty high?"

"Of course, this score is very high." Che Shujun agreed, but if it were Chen Yuan, she felt that the requirements should be even higher, so she said, "But after all, it's Chen Yuan."

"I remember he used to get 57 on his compositions before, so this time his performance is just average."

That's what Lao Mo thought.

"But after all, I haven't taught high school, so I still have to see how the high school teachers grade it," Che Shujun said. "In short, it's definitely a good composition."

A good composition is indeed a good composition.

But it also shows that the current Chen Yuan does not yet have the strength to be the top scorer in the *gaokao*.

………

"It's innovation, right?" Xia Xinyu asked nervously.

"Yes," Chen Yuan said.

"That's good, as long as it's not off-topic." Xia Xinyu breathed a sigh of relief.

"But I have a premonition that many people will be off-topic," Chen Yuan said, "For example, they will deviate to choice, to a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes."

"...Isn't it Hamlet?"

"Ahem." Chen Yuan changed the subject and said, "But if it's really off-topic, then the composition will only get 36 points."

"That's a devastating blow for many people..."

"36 points is still on the premise that they write well. If they're usually not very good, they might only get 32, directly burying their dream of going to college."

Chen Yuan had already thought that this year there would be many students near the undergraduate line who would be completely GG (game over) because of the failure of the language arts subject.

The proportion of students who are off-topic is definitely not low.

And once the composition is off-topic, it's a direct kill.

"I spent a long time just thinking about this question, but after reviewing the question, I found that the previous materials were basically useless. Just look at the last sentence," Xia Xinyu said with relief.

"Then how did you write it?" Chen Yuan asked.

"I think it's okay." Xia Xinyu was quite optimistic. After all, it's really not difficult.

"Okay, then let's order food first."

Just like that, after writing the composition on an empty stomach, the two of them ordered takeout.

While waiting for the takeout, Lao Mo sent a message.

The two of them looked over with great care.

Lao Mo: This is the score after several teachers discussed it. I'll send you the comments later.

Lao Mo: Chen Yuan, 52 points. Xia Xinyu, 49 points.

Seeing these two scores, both of them were quite calm.

It was as if it was within their expectations.

But at the same time, they were not very satisfied.

Too low.

"Baby, I'm still quite far from being the top scorer," Chen Yuan said to Xia Xinyu.

"Baby, I'm also a bit far from Tsinghua and Peking University," Xia Xinyu also looked at Chen Yuan and muttered with a slight loss.

This battle also made the two of them realize that if they were taking the *gaokao* this year, based on their current level, it would be difficult to get a very high score in language arts.

"No." Chen Yuan clenched his fist slightly and said somewhat resolutely, "We have to strengthen the composition."

"The next midterm exam is also a city-wide unified exam. I guess it will also be a composition question imitating the *gaokao*. For the next exam, I think we also have to focus on this type of composition..."

"No." Chen Yuan raised his hand and said, "I understand now that 95 percent of the *gaokao* next year will also be mainstream theme compositions."

"Does this time count as a mainstream theme?" Xia Xinyu asked.

"Actually, the direction of guidance is the mainstream theme. It can be said that everything now, all the propositions, can all be relied on it."

He decided, Chen Yuan wanted to leave one hand for next year.

"Then let's start practicing now, choose a model essay, accumulate materials, and try to write this kind of composition to the extreme." Xia Xinyu was willing to believe Chen Yuan.

"Yes, from now until the *gaokao*, we will only practice this one for composition."

Chen Yuan had already figured it out, which was to formulate a series of examination room model essays.

He had also read the full-mark compositions of the *gaokao* over the years. There were very few with their own connotation and meaning. Most of them were very empty shells after deliberation. But you must know that in a very short period of time, the graders cannot appreciate the connotation. They just look at the structure, the theme, the flashy rhetoric, and the readily available allusions and 'golden sentences'.

"Add oil, Xin Bao."

Chen Yuan stretched out his fist.

"You too." Xia Xinyu also stretched out her fist and gently bumped it against his.

Both of them were aware of each other's shortcomings under the 'blow'.

Chen Yuan was a little curious: "I wonder how those opponents are performing..."

………

After Shi Yi wrote the composition, he sent it to the language arts teacher and waited in the study.

Composition has never been his forte.

But he still has a lot of experience in writing language arts questions.

So basically his language arts scores are very stable.

He had actually tried to see if he should cram for language arts and aim for 140.

Then he gave up.

For him, getting 450 in the science comprehensive and mathematics was the ultimate goal.

He even thought that 450 was less difficult than 140.

After a while, the language arts teacher sent:

I have discussed it with several language arts teachers. In the end, the scores are not too different. We all agree that 52 or 53 is about the same.

Acceptable.

Shi Yi was completely able to accept this score.

Actually, he only lost points in composition and reading in language arts.

So if that's the case, the total score in language arts should not be weak.

Everyone has a limit.

Shi Yi knew that he could not be like that *xueshen* (academic god) from Jingbei, who got 146 in language arts.

But he was confident that he could surpass her in the total score.

725 points...

Still 3 points short.

In the remaining year, his goal was to increase by another 3 points.

And if it were this score, it would be enough to win the provincial top scorer in any year within the last 15 years.

The more he was chased, the clearer Shi Yi became. That is, only by infinitely approaching the human limit can he win against those two people.

If he still loses after reaching the human limit.

Then it's not his fault...

……

: We discussed it, and all the teachers who have participated in *gaokao* grading discussed it, and we think it should be above 58 points.

: However, your piece is no worse than the full-mark compositions of the past few years.

: So, don't worry too much about this score. That is to say, such an article with beautiful handwriting and no typos is very good.

Looking at the language arts teacher's evaluation, Liu Chengxi leaned back in his chair and smiled lightly.

His mood was not particularly excited.

But it wasn't so calm that it was within expectations.

But he now finally understood why top candidates were comparing language arts.

At least for himself, language arts was a vast blue ocean.

Since the last time he tasted the sweetness of the Thirteen School Joint Examination, Liu Chengxi began to study compositions and full-mark compositions.

Then, he also began to practice seriously.

During a monthly exam, his composition score was also very good, giving him 56.

And this time, it was even higher.

Just as he was thinking, the door was suddenly pushed open: "Xi Bao, eat melon~"

"?!" Liu Chengxi was suddenly startled and his body tightened. "You, how did you get in?"

At this time, Shen Yating was wearing short sleeves and shorts, looking very casual, and holding a plate of cut watermelon in her hand.

"Auntie cut the melon, so she helped bring it in." Shen Yating went directly to his side, then used a toothpick to insert a piece of melon and handed it to his mouth, "Xi Bao, ah~"

Liu Chengxi was stunned for a moment, then ate it and weakly complained, "You came in, and my mom didn't even say hello to me..."

And like my mom, she never knocks!

"We're all family, why bother with greetings."

Shen Yating smiled and sat on Liu Chengxi's lap, then looked at the composition paper on the table and said in surprise: "You're also writing a composition? Have you shown it to the teacher?"

"After you sent the topic, I started writing it. I've already shown it to the teacher."

Looking at Shen Yating who was sitting naturally on his lap, Liu Chengxi's cheeks flushed slightly, and he gently hugged her waist...

"This composition topic is really outrageous. I seriously suspect that the person who set the question hasn't read *Dream of the Red Chamber*, and almost confused me... Fortunately, the question stem is clear, so I still wrote a 50-point composition."

While Shen Yating was talking, she looked at Liu Chengxi's composition, then her eyes gradually lit up: "Wow, this is so well-written? You're quoting classics, knowing ancient and modern times, and talking volubly."

"...Why did you use a derogatory term?"

"Really good, what did the teacher say? The score must be very high, right?"

Shen Yating turned her head and looked at Liu Chengxi.

Then, Liu Chengxi handed her the phone to see.

"Hey, doesn't this mean a full-mark composition?!" Shen Yating was immediately dumbfounded.

Liu Chengxi, whose language arts had been stagnant before, had improved to this level.

Moreover, the teachers in First High School are all *gaokao* graders. The scores they give mean it's worth that score.

If that's the case, doesn't that mean that not only will I be surpassed by him, but I will be surpassed severely...

"About the same." Liu Chengxi was still very calm.

"Why are you so calm?"

Completely turning around, rubbing against Liu Chengxi's body, then grabbing his waist, Shen Yating asked very eagerly, "Did you sign up for some class? How did you suddenly improve so much?"

"Improved much..."

"Just the first sentence of the beginning... I've never heard of the words you used."

"You don't care about current affairs enough."

"What's going on with that poem? We definitely haven't learned it. Also, how do you know so many ancient allusions that fit the theme?" Shen Yating was very curious.

So, Liu Chengxi opened an app on his phone and handed it to her: "Just swipe it every day, and it can satisfy most of your writing material."

"What the heck, are you going to advertise?"

Shen Yating, puzzled, saw the software on the phone and was immediately dumbfounded: "Isn't this the 'Youth University Study' that makes college students shudder?"

Liu Chengxi's learning method is so unconventional!

"I think it's quite interesting," Liu Chengxi said.

"You relied on this, and then got a full mark?" Shen Yating continued to be shocked.

"I gradually discovered that compositions can basically be written in this direction. In that case, if it's to expand materials, this software is too suitable."

Liu Chengxi even thought that everyone was watching this.

"Indeed, how did I not think that swiping questions every day is a process of accumulating materials!" Shen Yating suddenly realized.

"I see a lot of people swiping this to write government affairs essay, which is actually very helpful for compositions."

"Learned a lot." Shen Yating benefited a lot and praised, "You're really too strong."

To defeat Shi Yi, get rid of Chen Yuan's pursuit, and get a full mark in composition, is undoubtedly a coup.

"I just hope that the composition can be set as I imagine."

Anyway, Liu Chengxi felt that next year's *gaokao* should also have this tendency.

"Yeah, our Xi Bao is really great, let's give you a reward." Shen Yating pursed her lips and couldn't help but kiss him.

After all, coming to chat with him about learning was secondary. The primary purpose was of course to have a good kiss...

And Liu Chengxi, of course, would not refuse...

And he was very much looking forward to it.

Just like that, waiting for the lips to get closer.

"Chengxi, finished your watermelon..."

Chengxi's mom habitually pushed open the door to send watermelon.

Then, she saw Yating sitting on her son's lap, grabbing his waist, closing her eyes and leaning closer with her face to the side...

"Sorry!!!"

(End of chapter)