Shen Qingqiu's gaze
His gaze lingered on that still somewhat boyish face for several seconds.
Only then did he lower his head and look at the rating sheet in his hand.
"Before announcing Lin Que's results, I would like to read a passage from the judging panel's comments."
Shen Qingqiu cleared her throat.
"Laughter, anger, and curses can all become literature."
"Use absurdity to depict reality, and madness to depict the human heart."
The poem begins with a farcical scene of everyday life, but ends with endless sorrow.
The entire piece never uses the word "sorrow," yet through scenes of great joy and happiness, it fully expresses the profound sorrow felt by scholars throughout history.
"The moment this article was published, the title 'Happy Event' became the biggest irony."
After Shen Qingqiu finished reading, she put down the paper and scanned the whole class with her eyes.
The classroom was deathly silent.
The PE student in the back row scratched his head, looking completely bewildered, and nudged his deskmate:
"Hey, what is Teacher Shen saying?"
Why is this so hard to understand? Is it a compliment or an insult?
"Sounds like a compliment... right?"
My deskmate isn't sure either.
"Wasn't the topic supposed to be a joyous occasion? Why does it sound so melancholic and ironic? Did Lin Que go off-topic?"
Wu Di shrank his neck and muttered under his breath:
"Oh no, Brother Que, this comment sounds sarcastic. Could it be that it barely passed the test?"
Lin Que ignored him, continuing to spin the pen rapidly in his hand.
Zhang Ya and Li Bowen exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.
They understand.
That's too high a compliment.
It's so advanced it doesn't seem like it was written for a high school student; it sounds more like a preface to a work by a literary master.
"Lin Que".
Shen Qingqiu's voice rang out again, this time less tense and more filled with undisguised pride.
"Your rating is..."
She paused, then parted her lips slightly and uttered two words:
"Preferred".
The classroom was silent for a second, then erupted in chaos.
"Preferred selection? What's that?"
"Don't I know ABC? What the heck is this 'preferred' option?"
"Is it one of those... excellence awards? Actually, just a consolation prize?"
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
In the "Fuzhiyao" rating system, A+ is the highest level. Although there is an S level above that, it is a very rare occurrence.
This suddenly appearing "premium selection" sounds both unfamiliar and like a label for a supermarket discount section.
"teacher!"
The class monitor raised his hand, his face full of eagerness to learn.
"How many points would a 'preferred' grade be worth? Is it higher than an 'A grade' grade?"
"Level A?"
Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but smile.
She picked up the chalk and turned to stand next to the huge "X" that had been on the blackboard.
He drew a circle heavily.
Then he wrote the two big characters "Preferred" in the circle.
"Put away your pathetic imagination."
Shen Qingqiu accurately tossed the chalk into the chalk box, patted the dust off his hands, and his tone became exceptionally serious.
"Optimal selection is neither a score nor a grade."
"Uh... it's a kind of privilege."
privilege?
Upon hearing these two words, even Lin Que paused in his hand as he twirled his pen.
Shen Qingqiu braced herself against the edge of the podium, leaning forward:
"Receiving this rating means that the judging panel unanimously approved it."
All review processes are eliminated, directly securing a spot in the semi-finals.
She paused for a moment, her voice lowering:
"And, the highest-level publishing contract from a national-level publishing house."
boom--!
Now, the classroom ceiling is really going to be ripped off.
The boy who had just thought it was a "consolation prize" was now gaping in astonishment.
Zhang Ya froze completely; she had just been basking in the glory of getting a B-.
I feel that even if I can't compare to the masters, I'm at least a skilled player.
As a result, Lin Que ascended directly?
Li Bowen pushed up his glasses and his Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.
His once-proud logical thinking seemed to collapse at this moment.
He didn't understand.
What kind of writing should be done to express the utterly clichéd title "Passing the Imperial Examination with flying colors"?
How could those picky judges give such a "privileged" rating?
"I don't believe it!"
Wu Di slapped his thigh hard, his face trembling with excitement.
"Brother Que! Did you cast a spell on the judges? Or is there some perfect score code hidden in your article?"
Lin Que rolled his eyes at him.
"teacher!"
A girl in the front row, unable to contain her curiosity, stood up and asked loudly:
"What exactly did Lin Que write? Could you read it to us?"
We also want to learn how to write articles that can be published by national publishing houses!
"Yes, teacher! Please read it!"
"Let us open our eyes!"
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