"Oh, then I'll take this one too." Qin Shan didn't even look up, still focused on fishing, it seemed he really wanted to eat meat.
Master Hu was a little embarrassed and smiled sheepishly, "Since the headmaster agrees, your son will be a student of our academy from now on. I forgot to ask earlier, what's his name?"
"Lin Zhongyuan," Lin Zhongyuan said.
“What a good name! What a good name! It’s the same as the name of the first-place winner in this year’s imperial examination…” As Master Hu was speaking, his eyes suddenly widened. “Wait, you wouldn’t happen to be the first-place winner, would you?”
The Lin family members all nodded.
"Headmaster! The top scholar has actually chosen us! We're the number one scholar this time!" Master Hu exclaimed excitedly.
Qin Shanzhang was busy reeling in his fishing rod, his hands trembling with activity. Without turning his head, he said, "What's the big deal? Every year, the top scholar in the provincial examination comes from here."
He didn't take Qin Langshi seriously at all; he was just a nobody who had achieved first place in the county-level imperial examinations.
This time, it was the Lin family who were staring wide-eyed.
"Dad, I'll study here." Lin Zhongyuan looked at his father with expectant eyes.
Top scholar!
Only the top-ranking candidate in the provincial examination could be called the "Jieyuan".
As the saying goes, "A successful candidate in the provincial examination is worth more than a gold-medal degree, while a successful candidate in the imperial
The prestige of being the top-ranked candidate in the provincial examination (举人) and the provincial examination (解元) is self-evident.
Lin Zhongyuanguang felt excited just thinking about it.
Even though Zhujiao Academy was more than half an hour's walk from his home, Lin Zhongyuan felt it was worth it.
However, his father, Lin Weiming, ignored his son and instead looked at the tutor beside him and asked, "Tutor, how is the tuition calculated at this academy?"
Just as Master Hu was about to answer, Master Qin, who was busy fishing and didn't have time to look back at them, had already finished fishing and had time to speak before Master Hu could: "Send your little one over too. Don't mention the tuition fee."
Lin Zhongyuan, who ranked first in the imperial examination, was left speechless: "???"
Why does it feel like he's the free gift in a buy-one-get-one-free deal?
My sister is good, but the headmaster is bad!
Their gazes unconsciously fell on Lin Wanyue's face.
Master Hu and the Lin family father and son couldn't understand why Master Qin had taken a liking to Lin Wanyue.
Lin Wanyue is cute, but she is still young and hasn't even started her formal education yet. She's still a girl, so how could she possibly be sent here to school?
"Father, I don't want to, I don't want to..." Lin Wanyue grabbed Lin Weiming's trouser leg and tore it hard, almost pulling his waistband off.
In my past life, I'd been studying for the college entrance exam for so long. Now, I spend my days at home playing with ghosts and weasels, having fun in the mud. How wonderful! If I went to school, I'd have to study like my older brother, burning the midnight oil every day…
She doesn't want to go to school!
Lin Wanyue just wanted to lie down and be a baby.
Lin Weiming said with a smile, "Teacher, this is my daughter. How can I send her to school here? Why don't you just tell me how much the tuition is?"
“What’s wrong with a daughter? Girls can be smart too. They can be like the God of Literature descended to earth, and they can come to my mountain to study. If the emperor hadn’t objected, I might have raised a female scholar to be the top scholar in the imperial examination.”
Master Qin snorted, twitched his mustache, and said reluctantly, "Since the young lady is unwilling to come, then your son will pay sixteen taels of silver a year."
"So expensive!" Lin Weiming blurted out instinctively.
Master Hu opened his mouth, wanting to say something but too embarrassed to speak.
"Dad, why don't we go back and find Headmaster Song and Headmaster Qiao?" Lin Zhongyuan obediently took Lin Weiming's hand. He suddenly felt that since those two headmasters could fight for him right at his doorstep, they probably wouldn't need so much money, right?
"..." Lin Weiming also hesitated.
His thoughts were similar to Lin Zhongyuan's.
Tuition alone costs sixteen taels of silver a year, and then there are expenses for paper, ink, brushes, inkstones, and books.
"Daddy~" Lin Wanyue hugged Lin Weiming's neck at this moment and said in a soft voice, "Wanwan's money is all for Guoguo, Wanwan earns money for Guoguo to spend!"
Although she also felt that this Headmaster Qin was quite strange, the headsmasters of the other two academies weren't much better!
Comparatively, she felt that Zhujiao Academy had a more confident and arrogant attitude.
Sixteen taels of silver is quite expensive, but if they grit their teeth... their family can afford it.
If this were to jeopardize my elder brother's future, then it would truly be a huge loss.
“Sister…” Lin Zhongyuan’s nose tingled with emotion.
"Alright," Lin Weiming gritted his teeth and agreed.
Qin Shanzhang muttered a couple of things, picked up his fishing rod, and changed fishing spots, seemingly quite dissatisfied.
After seeing that Headmaster Qin agreed to accept Lin Zhongyuan, Master Hu led them on a tour of the academy.
Perhaps because land prices are cheap here, the academy occupies a fairly large area, with pavilions and towers that exude elegance. It doesn't look like a place for studying; it's more like the back garden of a wealthy family, with beautiful and refined scenery.
"By the way," Master Hu said, "I see you live quite far away. Why don't you stay at the academy? There are plenty of empty rooms; you can just pick one yourself..."
"No need!" Lin Zhongyuan and Lin Weiming said in unison.
Lin Weiming raised an eyebrow as he looked at his son.
“My father said that a gentleman should not only study the six arts, but also know how to strengthen his body. I think that going back and forth every day is a good way to exercise, so there is no need to rest here,” Lin Zhongyuan said.
Actually, he was just worried that it wouldn't be appropriate to meet with Master Cui, and that it would be inconvenient if his classmates saw him.
It's still more convenient to go home every day, and I can eat hot meals prepared by my mother and grandmother every day.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
