Chapter 161 Ranking
It took almost half an hour to run from the school to the village entrance and back.
As if exhausted from a long and arduous journey, everyone's face was filled with fatigue, and their eyes were filled with deep weariness.
At this moment, I no longer cared about my image or gentlemanly demeanor. My legs were weak and I just wanted to fall headfirst onto the soft grass in front of the school gate and have a good rest.
However, Hu Zi's roar like a bell suddenly rang out: "You are not allowed to sit down!"
Everyone was frightened by the roar, and their steps that were about to take a step froze in an instant. They could only grit their teeth and straighten their bodies with difficulty, standing where they were.
Hu Zi looked at these limp students, his face filled with disdain. His brows knitted tightly together like the Chinese character "川" (Chuan), his eyes filled with disdain. He said coldly, "You'll have three incense sticks to wash and eat. Be in class at 3:35 AM on time."
He exchanged glances with Lu Yao and left without looking back, paying no attention to these exhausted students.
Everyone looked at Hu Zi's departing back and couldn't help wailing.
Everyone looked at each other and found that they were all in a mess, with their hair disheveled and their clothes soaked with sweat and clinging to their bodies. The cafeteria was closer to the school gate, so everyone tacitly decided to go have breakfast first.
Who cares about appearances now? Everyone looks so awful, no one can laugh at anyone else.
As we walked into the cafeteria, the aroma of breakfast hit us. Steamed buns, steamed bread, rice porridge, and pickles were neatly laid out.
These simple foods looked like delicacies to the people who had just returned from a run and were already starving.
They rushed forward impatiently, picked up the buns, and swallowed them in just a few bites, as if they were the most delicious food in the world.
Madam Cai stood aside, her brow furrowed like a knot, and watched helplessly as the huge basin of buns, overflowing with bulging ribs, quickly vanished under the whirlwind attack of twenty-nine people.
Her heart felt like it was being cut by a knife and blood was constantly dripping from it.
No wonder the ancients said that a young boy would eat his father out of poverty. It was absolutely true. And her young lady would need to support more than 200 such boys!
How much gold and silver would it take to feed them?
Thinking of this, Aunt Cai's eyes were almost filled with worry. Her poor young lady and son.
She couldn't help but think, if she ran out of money in the future, would the young lady really take them out to beg on the streets to support these children?
Aunt Cai turned pale and trembled slightly at her own horrifying thought. "No, no, I have to write another letter to my son, telling him to work hard to earn money. Miss can't beg for food."
After everyone finished their breakfast, they left the cafeteria, holding their stomachs and burping.
There was only a quarter of an hour left, and they only had time to quickly wash up before running towards the classroom like ants on a hot pan.
When they ran to the classroom panting, Gu Jiayue was already standing there quietly waiting for them.
As soon as everyone saw Gu Jiayue, the inexplicable running this morning involuntarily emerged in their minds. The anger in their hearts suddenly rose up, and they couldn't help but glare at her fiercely.
However, Gu Jiayue acted as if she hadn't noticed the looks from everyone. She said calmly, "Please find a seat first. Don't you want to know how you did on the exam?"
After hearing this, although everyone was full of resentment, they had lost their temper after this ordeal. They could only suppress their dissatisfaction and find a seat to sit down obediently.
After everyone was seated, Gu Jiayue took out everyone's papers slowly.
She tossed and turned, sometimes shaking her head gently, sometimes sighing slightly, but never saying a word.
Su Yichen and Zhang Sheng were already impatient, and seeing Gu Jiayue like this, they felt more and more uncomfortable in their hearts, as if a kitten was scratching them.
Did I do too badly on the exam?
Su Yichen thought secretly in his heart, his brows tightly furrowed, his eyes full of anxiety.
He gently poked Zhang Sheng's back with his elbow.
Zhang Sheng turned around and saw him winking and making faces, repeatedly signaling him to ask Gu Jiayue what was going on.
Zhang Sheng rolled his eyes at him and said, "I'm just short-tempered, not a fool. Why would I ask for trouble at this time?"
Seeing that the atmosphere was almost heated, Gu Jiayue slowly spoke: "The results of this exam, well, Jiang Shanzhang and I are not very satisfied."
She paused for a moment and continued, "Originally, this class was supposed to be taught by Principal Jiang, but he's so disappointed in you that he doesn't want to come."
When everyone heard this, their expressions changed instantly. Their original nonchalant expressions gradually faded, replaced by shame and embarrassment.
Su Yichen, in particular, was a die-hard Jiang Luli fan. Hearing Jiang Shanchang's disappointment in them was like a sledgehammer pounding his heart. He lowered his head, clenching his hands tightly, his knuckles turning white from the strain. He kept blaming himself, "Damn it! How could I disappoint Jiang Shanchang? I'm truly sorry for his training."
Seeing that everyone had almost finished their self-examination, Gu Jiayue continued, "The tallest among the short ones, even if you are not good enough, you will still get first or second place. Okay, when I call out your name, please come up and take your paper."
The Dagan Scholar Examination, also known as the Academy Examination, mainly examined four categories: classics, policy essays, poetry, and contemporary essays. Gu Jiayue's mock exam naturally also focused on these four areas.
"You took the exam over three days this time, with a total of four papers, each worth 100 points. The first place score was 352 points."
Everyone gasped when they heard the score. They'd noticed during the exam that there was a number after each question, and afterward they'd discussed what it represented. Everyone had their own guesses, but no one had guessed it was a score!
The top scorer scored 352 points on a 400-point test? This person is simply amazing!
"Who is so amazing? I couldn't even understand the essay questions on the last day of the exam, but he managed to get such a high score!" A student said in surprise, his eyes wide open, as if he had heard something incredible.
"Could it be Su Yichen? Although he has an unpleasant personality, he is still very knowledgeable. He also ranked first in this year's entrance examination." Another student guessed with a hint of uncertainty in his tone.
"No, no, no, I think it's Fu Wenhan. Although he only ranked second in the entrance exam, I've read their essays and I don't think there's much of a difference." Someone else expressed a different opinion.
"Huh, are you the only Huaqing Academy that has smart people? Song Zhixu from our Wutong Academy is not bad either. His father, the prefect of Juzhou, was the third place in the imperial examination back then." A student from Wutong Academy said unconvincedly, with a hint of pride on his face, as if he was Song Zhixu.
"That's right. Brother Tang Qiming from our academy is also quite knowledgeable. He was once known as a child prodigy."
Everyone was talking at once and the discussion was in full swing.
Gu Jiayue listened to their conversation quietly, without stopping them, but silently memorized the names mentioned by these people in her heart.
She found that these people had performed well in the test.
"Master, please reveal the answer as soon as possible." Zhang Sheng was pushed out by the crowd again. He said with a hint of expectation in his voice.
"Okay, be quiet, we're going to start distributing the papers." Gu Jiayue said.
Now there was no need to urge them. Everyone quickly stopped talking and the classroom suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
"Fu Wenhan, 352 points, first place. Ten meal coupons as a reward. One coupon is good for one meal in the cafeteria, unlimited times. Only one person can use it at a time."
As soon as Gu Jiayue finished speaking, everyone's eyes widened instantly, full of envy and jealousy.
Ten unlimited meal coupons? Wouldn't that mean you can eat as much braised meat as you want?
No, the cafeteria launched a new barbecue yesterday, and the taste was as attractive as barbecue.
Ten! Ten in total!
Thinking of this, everyone looked at the meal voucher in Fu Wenhan's hand with green light in their eyes, as if it was not a meal voucher, but a pile of glittering gold.
At this time, everyone had forgotten the high score of 351 and only remembered the ten meal coupons.
"Brother Fu, we have been friends for so many years..." A student tried to get closer with a smile on his face.
Fu Wenhan cautiously put the meal voucher into his arms and said coldly, "I don't like making friends."
Don't get involved, Mr. Fu has no friends.
"Second place, Song Zhixu, 335 points."
Song Zhixu was stunned when he heard his name and score, a look of disbelief on his face. He actually scored better than those people in Kyoto?
Hehe, what a surprise.
Even though I only came in second, why do I feel inexplicably happy?
"You'll be rewarded with five running-free coupons, which allow you to skip five morning exercises." Gu Jiayue continued.
The feeling of being tortured by the morning exercises this morning is still vivid in my mind. In the eyes of these students, these five running exemption tickets are almost like golden medals of immunity from death.
"Brother Song..." a student started to speak, but Song Zhixu quickly reached out to stop him, "I don't like making friends by nature."
What a joke! They were afraid of running exercises, but he wasn't? His thighs were still shaking.
Although five cards sound like a lot, it’s just an sound. They are not enough for him.
Su Yichen, who originally thought he was in second place, was sadder than anyone else at this moment.
His face was terribly gloomy, and his heart was filled with anger and unwillingness.
How could a student from a remote state actually score better than me? There must be something fishy going on!
He thought secretly in his heart, and the muscles on his face twitched slightly.
Yes, the people who graded the papers, aside from the headmaster Jiang, were all from Juzhou. If they cheated, the headmaster wouldn't have noticed, right? Humph! What hypocrites! It's just an exam, and they're so despicable.
Just wait, after class, I will go find Principal Jiang and expose your true colors.
"Third place, Chen Shuyan, 318 points. A reward of five ounces of silver as an encouragement."
When Chen Shuyan heard his name and the reward, he was also stunned. He didn't know how he went up to get the paper. Only when the five taels of silver were placed in his hand did he react.
Looking at the silver in his hand, he fell into deep doubt. This, he had never heard that studying could make money.
Don't we all pay tuition to the school teacher every year? How can we take it back? He raised his head, looked at Gu Jiayue in confusion and asked, "Teacher? Is there a mistake? Why doesn't he have that so-and-so voucher?"
"This is your reward. As long as you keep working hard, you will get more in the future." Gu Jiayue said with a smile.
The rewards given to each person are set based on their actual situation.
Fu Wenhan likes to eat very much, so give him a meal coupon; Song Zhixu has enough food and clothing, so give him a free pass coupon; Chen Shuyan is poor, so give him silver.
Gu Jiayue didn't believe that even this couldn't arouse their desire for internal competition? Then these people were not worthy of being called the chosen ones of heaven.
Chen Shuyan suppressed the excitement in his heart and bowed to Gu Jiayue to assure her: "Master, don't worry. I will definitely work hard and strive to get the first place in the exam next time."
His eyes were full of determination and resolve.
"Well, the first place prize is fifteen taels." Gu Jiayue said.
"Fifteen taels???" Everyone couldn't help but exclaimed when they heard this number.
Director Gu is really generous!
Chen Shuyan secretly looked at Fu Wenhan. He scored 318 points this time, which was 34 points behind the first place Fu Wenhan. It wasn't a lot. As long as he worked harder, he could catch up.
Fu Wenhan was very sensitive to the look in Shen Shuyan's eyes, and he was very clear about the fighting spirit in his eyes. Therefore, the slight sense of complacency in his heart was instantly suppressed.
He turned around and found Song Zhixu also looking at him. He suddenly felt a sense of urgency.
Everyone wants to be number one, especially the second and third place who can surpass him at any time.
No! He must not be complacent and must continue to study hard.
What's the point of being number one once? He wants to be number one all the time!
The meal coupon of Qiushi Academy can only be his!
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