Therefore, almost all those who signed up that day were daughters of prominent families in the city.
Someone from a family like Zhao Wanzi's would probably only be considered low-class at Hongxiu Academy.
He Tiantian also personally brought Zhao Wanzi to register. From afar, they could see a line of people standing at the entrance of the academy.
He Tiantian pulled Zhao Wanzi to stand at the back of the crowd. Of course, there were others who arrived later than her and could only line up behind them.
Not to mention the men around who came to watch out of curiosity, even He Tiantian found it pleasing to the eye when she saw so many young ladies from wealthy families.
The academy has a clear rule that applicants must register in person and submit their birth date and time information.
The person in question must sign their name on the spot to prevent someone from queuing on their behalf.
This caused great dissatisfaction among the young ladies who had servants at home, and they could only stand in line in the cold wind, bundled up in thick clothes.
"It's freezing! What a lousy academy! They're inhumane!"
The three or four girls in front of me seemed to know each other and had come together.
Several people couldn't stand it for long and started complaining.
The maids standing next to them all lowered their heads and dared not speak.
Once one of them opened up, the others naturally couldn't help but follow suit.
"Yes, in this cold weather, if we wait until it's our turn, we'll freeze to death."
"Who is the headmaster of this academy? I must make my father have a good talk with him."
These people are all older than Zhao Wanzi, but Zhao Wanzi isn't the smallest among those in line.
After about two incense sticks' worth of time, it was finally Zhao Wanzi's turn.
After handing over her birth date and time, the person in charge gave Zhao Wanzi another piece of paper to sign.
He Tiantian glanced at it briefly, and the general idea was similar to that of a modern version of a college admission brochure.
Signing the form means you've registered, but it doesn't guarantee you'll get in.
Because they had to take the academy's test in three days. Since it was the first year, no one knew who would set the questions or what the format would be.
The academy seemed to have anticipated the flaws of these scions of noble families, so it maintained strict and close secrecy.
After He Tiantian and Zhao Wanzi finished, there were still many people signing up and queuing up.
Looking at the long queue, Zhao Wanzi sighed silently.
"Mother, the competition for this exam is so fierce, what if I don't pass?"
He Tiantian had already thought of this problem.
I originally thought that in this era where women's education was not valued, the competitive pressure would be less.
But looking at it today, there are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, people who have signed up.
Moreover, these young ladies were born with a silver spoon in their mouths; their families may have had tutors from a very young age.
In this respect, Zhao Wanzi is indeed somewhat behind.
However, she couldn't undermine her child's confidence at this moment, so she comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, there are bound to be people worse than you among so many people."
Zhao Wanzi's brow twitched slightly. Even so, there were others better than her.
“But those rich young ladies started school earlier than me, so they must have learned more than I have,” Zhao Wanzi said, expressing her inner worry.
He Tiantian thought for a moment and then said, "They started earlier than you, but that doesn't necessarily mean they've learned as much as you have."
Zhao Wanzi looked at her mother with some confusion. What did this mean?
He Tiantian continued to explain, "Look at those people, they only care about comparing themselves and dressing up, they don't care about studying at all. Although they started learning earlier than you, they may not have absorbed it."
Zhao Wanzi suddenly realized. Right, some people just don't look like they're meant to study.
Okay then, actually she's not bad herself.
Anyway, the exam is in three days, so she should just give it her all.
"I need to go back and check again, just in case there are any parts I haven't memorized yet," Zhao Wanzi muttered to herself, pulling He Tiantian along as they walked quickly.
He Tiantian saw how hard Zhao Wanzi studied, so although she wanted her child to do better, she never put any pressure on her.
These past few days, everyone in the family has known that Wanzi is going to have an exam, and they've all been encouraging her.
Even the two rough men, He Shitou and Zhao Xiaohe, became quieter at home.
They deliberately slowed their pace, afraid of disturbing the scholars.
Zhao Denglong and Zhao Wanzi sleep in the same room, and these past few days he has deliberately kept his presence to himself.
The two sisters used to bicker a bit, but now Zhao Denglong doesn't say a word.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and even before heading to the battlefield, they were still holding the book and reciting it from memory, unwilling to let go.
He Tiantian stood with her child at the entrance of Hongxiu Academy, urging Zhao Wanzi several times, but Zhao Wanzi remained unmoved.
Finally, having no other choice, He Tiantian snatched the book from Zhao Wanzi's hand.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
