"Father, what will happen if I don't pass the entrance exam for the academy?"
Lin Zhongyuan packed all his usual writings into a cloth bag in his study, intending to take them to the academy to show his teacher.
He had never studied in the city before, and he felt a little uneasy.
Thinking about how his whole family had gone to such lengths for him, moving from the village to the city and even entrusting their farmland to the villagers.
However, since it's impossible to go home and take care of the crops in the fields all the time, the harvest is left to fate, and the seeds might just be wasted.
Thinking about all this, Lin Zhongyuan couldn't help but feel a heavy burden on his shoulders and a little sad.
"If you don't pass the exam, we can have Teacher Cui continue to teach you. It'll save our family some money," Lin Weiming said casually.
However, his words did comfort Lin Zhongyuan.
It seems that failing the exam has some advantages, at least it saves some money.
But before he could finish packing, there was a knock on the door.
Liu Junlan opened the door and saw a refined middle-aged man in a long gown with a smiling face: "Ma'am, is this Lin Zhongyuan's home?"
"Who are you?" Liu Junlan didn't recognize this person. Seeing his smiling face before he even spoke, she became more wary. "What do you want with him?"
They just moved from the village to the county town yesterday, and they don't know many people besides the Liu family. How did this person know their address?
It's really quite strange.
Upon hearing his son's name, Lin Weiming came out to see what was going on.
The middle-aged man wasn't angry. He smiled and said, "Auntie, don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person. I'm the headmaster of Song Family Academy. I heard that Lin Zhongyuan moved to the county town, so I wanted him to come and study at our academy. We live close by, so it's convenient for us to visit each other."
"Hey Song, you damn lackey, why are you running so fast?" Another man came running up, panting heavily. He looked to be about the same age as this Headmaster Song, but he was twice as heavy.
Upon hearing his voice, Headmaster Song's expression immediately changed. "You little copycat, you've followed me again! I got here first this time, don't try to take it from me."
"Hmph, a prodigy who can pass the imperial examination with the highest score in this year's county-level examination, you think I wouldn't compete with you for it? You're dreaming!" the chubby middle-aged man said in a very uncouth manner.
"Tch, let me tell you, Qiao Chuhong! Even if you try to take him, it won't work. He'll definitely come with me. Our academy is close by, our students are of high quality, and our teachers write excellent essays. What do you have? Nothing at all!" Headmaster Song gritted his teeth in anger, his eyes gleaming.
Lin Weiming and Liu Junlan silently glanced at the two headmasters, realizing that the conflict between them was probably not something that had just started recently.
"Hehe!" Master Qiao rolled up his sleeves and smiled contemptuously: "Just because our academy has produced more successful candidates in the imperial examinations! No matter how much you brag, it's useless. For nine consecutive years now, our academy has produced more successful candidates in the imperial examinations each year than your academy. Even the teacher is capable; everyone knows our academy!"
"It's all your despicable and shameless act! You always sneakily poach our students, you bastard! This time, I'll risk my life to make sure you don't steal my prodigy away!" Song Shanchang jumped up and down in anger.
He rushed to the Lin family's door early in the morning, just in case this guy came to snatch his person away.
I never expected this!
In the end, it was too late; that damned Qiao Chuhong had actually caught up with them.
The noise from the two headmasters outside attracted the attention of the local aunties who love to join in the fun.
Many of these women have children who attend school, and because the two schools are close by, most of them send their children to study at these two academies.
Seeing their children's academy principals arguing, the aunties joined in the fray, each offering their own opinion.
Everyone thinks that the academy their child attends is the best, and the other one should be trampled into the mud.
The Lin family members, along with three ghosts, also came out to watch the commotion. Lin Zhongyuan, fearing he would be discovered, deliberately held Lin Wanyue in front of him to cover his face.
Lin Wanyue: "..."
I've actually found myself on the front lines of gossip!
This family, made from peasant roots in the countryside, witnessed for the first time the fighting power of these city educated people, which was truly ferocious!
The argument between the two sides even managed to elicit words from sages, leaving the listeners completely bewildered.
“Zhongyuan…” Lin Weiming listened for a long time, feeling a buzzing in his ears. He whispered to his son, “Why don’t we let them argue for a while? Shall we go to the academy in Zhujiao first?”
Because of the geographical location, Lin Weiming and his group originally planned to visit the two academies along the Qingjiang River first, and then go to Zhujiao.
But seeing that the two academies were about to turn into a brawl, they decided it was best to slip away first.
Master Cui also fully agreed with their decision and wanted to go along.
While watching Headmaster Song and Headmaster Qiao arguing so enthusiastically that they attracted everyone's attention, Lin Zhongyuan, carrying Lin Wanyue, quietly slipped away from the base of the wall.
As someone outside the conversation of the two headmasters, Lin Weiming has it much easier to go out.
…
Upon arriving at Zhujiao Academy, Lin Weiming finally understood why An Yazi had said it was quiet here.
Because there are few people.
As an academy, even if it cannot attract countless students from all over the world to argue and maintain order like Headmaster Song and Headmaster Qiao, it is still a valuable institution.
However, apart from one headmaster and two teachers, Zhujiao Academy had only a dozen or so students from the beginning of their education to their twenties or thirties.
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