In addition, no books were available, except in the libraries, where the numbers trying to enter were so great that students could only enter the building for one hour, by name. An enthusiastic Shanghai publisher began reprinting textbooks from the early 1960s, which were soon worth their weight in gold. Young people in faraway places begged their relatives to send them letters. Soon there was a black market. Printers sold incomplete copies without printing machines. Textbooks were also sold at incredible prices. In one part of the country, tractor repair manuals, usually in high demand, were exchanged twenty-one times for physics textbooks. When the doors to the exam halls finally opened, few prospective students were surprised to find that one of the titles set for a Chinese song was “An Unforgettable Day.” Finally, 278,000 students were accepted into the college since the fall of 1978. One student, who enrolled at Yan’an University in Shaanxi, wrote to his family about how surprised he was that the townspeople were just as poor. in his home. But his admission to college opened up a new world for him, with new kinds of people.
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