Ever since Nian'an won first prize in the commune's arithmetic competition, Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou have become even more determined to send him to the county town for a better education. These days, Lin Wanqiu is busy with her workshop business while also inquiring about the schools in the county town. She learned from merchants from the county town that the county experimental primary school is the best primary school in the county, with a strong teaching staff and much better facilities than the village schools. However, getting into this school is not easy; not only does one need to pass an entrance exam, but one also needs proof of residence in the county town.
"Late autumn, the entrance exam for the county experimental primary school is scheduled for the end of this month, we need to hurry up and prepare." Shen Tingzhou returned from outside, holding an admission brochure he had obtained from the county education bureau, his face showing some urgency. He hadn't been idle these past few days, riding his bicycle back and forth between the village and the county town, not only learning about the school's admission policies, but also renting a small bungalow with a yard in the county town.
Lin Wanqiu took the admission brochure and read it carefully, her brows furrowing slightly. "The entrance exam tests Chinese and arithmetic. Nian'an is fine with arithmetic, but in Chinese, he only recognizes some simple characters. He'll probably need to put in more effort." She put down the brochure, turned, and went into the inner room. She saw Nian'an hunched over the table doing arithmetic problems, his little brows furrowed, his expression focused. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow on his face. Looking at her son's earnest expression, Lin Wanqiu felt both gratified and heartbroken.
"Nian'an, don't overwork yourself, take a rest." Lin Wanqiu walked over and gently stroked his head. Nian'an raised his head, a sweet smile on his face: "Mom, I'm not tired. I want to do more practice problems so I can pass the exam for the county experimental primary school." He had long heard that the county experimental primary school was excellent and was filled with longing for it. He also knew that his parents had sacrificed a lot to send him to school in the county town, so he studied extra hard.
In the days that followed, Lin Wanqiu began to provide Nian'an with systematic tutoring. Every morning, before dawn, Lin Wanqiu would get up to prepare breakfast. After Nian'an finished eating, she would begin teaching him Chinese. She would find a modern elementary school Chinese textbook in her spatial storage and first teach Nian'an to recognize new characters, then teach him to read the texts aloud and practice writing. Nian'an studied very diligently, recognizing more than a dozen new characters every day, and his handwriting became increasingly neat.
To help Nian'an better adapt to the teaching pace of the county school, Lin Wanqiu specially sourced modern teaching methods from her online library, using lively and engaging approaches to teach her. For example, when teaching texts about animals, she would take out pictures of animals from her library to help Nian'an visually understand their appearance and habits; when teaching arithmetic, she would use real objects from her home, such as beans and corn, to help Nian'an understand the meaning of addition and subtraction. Under Lin Wanqiu's patient guidance, Nian'an's learning progressed rapidly. She not only learned many new characters but could also read texts fluently, significantly improving her Chinese language skills.
Shen Tingzhou wasn't idle either. Every day, besides helping Lin Wanqiu manage the workshop's business, he would spend his evenings helping Nian'an with arithmetic problems, telling him interesting stories about mathematics to spark his interest in the subject. Sometimes, he would take Nian'an to the village fields to observe the growth of crops, teaching him to recognize various crops and combining agricultural and mathematical knowledge so that Nian'an could learn through practice.
Before she knew it, the day of the entrance exam for the county's experimental primary school arrived. That morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Wanqiu got up to prepare a hearty breakfast for Nian'an, including eggs, milk, bread, and Nian'an's favorite apple pie. While tidying Nian'an's clothes, she instructed her, "Nian'an, don't be nervous during the exam. Read the questions carefully and answer them meticulously. If you encounter a question you don't know, skip it and come back to it after you've finished the others."
Shen Tingzhou was also helping to pack his things. He put the pencils, erasers, rulers and other stationery he needed for the exam into his schoolbag, then patted Nian'an's head and said firmly, "Nian'an, Dad believes you can do it. Good luck!"
Nian'an nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with confidence: "Dad, Mom, I will definitely do well in the exam and live up to your expectations."
After breakfast, Shen Tingzhou rode his bicycle, carrying Nian'an and Lin Wanqiu towards the county town. Along the way, the autumn wind caressed their faces, carrying the fragrance of rice blossoms. Nian'an sat on the front crossbar of the bicycle, curiously observing the roadside scenery, feeling both nervous and expectant. Lin Wanqiu sat on the back seat, tightly holding Nian'an's waist, silently praying for him.
After more than an hour's journey, they finally arrived at the county experimental primary school. A large crowd of students and parents had already gathered at the school gate to take the exam, creating a lively scene. Lin Wanqiu, holding Nian'an's hand, squeezed through the crowd to the registration desk. The teacher at the registration desk carefully verified Nian'an's information, then gave him an admission ticket and told him his exam classroom and seat number.
"Nian'an, go on, Mom and Dad are waiting for you outside." Lin Wanqiu squatted down, straightened Nian'an's collar, and gave him an encouraging smile. Nian'an took the admission ticket, turned around and walked into the teaching building. As he walked, he looked back and saw Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou waving to him, and his heart was filled with strength.
The exam began, and Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou waited anxiously at the school gate. Lin Wanqiu paced back and forth, her heart pounding with worry that Nian'an would underperform due to nervousness. Shen Tingzhou noticed her anxiety, gently took her hand, and comforted her, "Wanqiu, don't worry, Nian'an studies very diligently and will definitely pass the exam."
Time ticked by, and finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the exam. Students streamed out of the school building, and Lin Wanqiu and Shen Tingzhou immediately pushed their way to the front, searching for Nian An. A moment later, they saw Nian An, backpack on her back, skipping and hopping out with a bright smile on her face.
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