Chapter 1175: Gifts to Sun Shan
As soon as the list of the college entrance examination was announced, it caused a stir in Yuanlu.
The onlookers were also very happy. They finally had some gossip to talk about in their ordinary lives, and this topic could last for a month or two. They didn't have to worry about finding gossip for the time being.
After Sun Shan received the gift from the Wang family, he then received a gift from Widow Li.
Widow Li came to visit with her high school son.
In fact, Sun Shan didn't want to be summoned. He was very busy and had no time to meet people.
But I met the Wang family without much thought at the time. If I didn’t meet Widow Li, wouldn’t it be considered as being snobbish?
You reap what you sow.
What's more, he is a new scholar, so for the reason of "appreciating talents", he should also be met.
The gifts that Widow Li brought were much simpler. They included a few chickens, ducks, and geese, some nicely packaged cakes, and some raw melons and vegetables that she grew herself.
She looked at Sun Shan awkwardly and greeted him hastily, "Greetings to the magistrate."
Widow Li's son Zhong Yiren also followed behind and greeted Sun Shan.
Sun Shan nodded and asked them to sit down. Nanny Wang came in and poured tea and water.
Sun Shan smiled and said, "Mr. Zhong, congratulations."
When others pass the imperial examination and become scholars, we always congratulate them.
This time, Mr. Zhong's ranking was stuck in the middle, neither up nor down, so it was impossible for him to be admitted as a student.
Zhong Yiren immediately stood up and bowed, "Thank you, sir. I was able to pass the exam thanks to your help. I have no way to repay you, but I will remember it in my heart."
This time, I was hesitating between taking the college entrance examination and not taking it.
There was no money at home, so I had to borrow money from everywhere. The old debts had not been paid off, and the relatives around me were all poor, so where to borrow money was also a big problem.
If you don't take the exam, you will miss a year. The youthful time will never come back. How many more years do you have in your life?
What's more, as you get older, taking exams becomes more and more difficult.
Just when I was worrying about it, the government office said that they would provide food, accommodation and escort. This was simply unprecedented and I couldn't believe it.
It was not until I finished the exam that I realized that all of this was true.
The government not only confiscated money, but also provided loans.
For example, registration fees, mutual insurance fees, etc. are interest-free loans and can be repaid on time.
Zhong Yiren shamelessly found Wang Jiaxing and Uncle Dali who were in charge of this scientific expedition.
I tossed and turned the night before, and hesitated and hesitated. The next day I finally mustered up the courage to borrow money.
But it went so smoothly. I didn't have to say a word and the money was lent to me as soon as I asked.
You just need to sign and seal, pay the registration fee and mutual insurance fee.
It went so smoothly that it once again felt unreal to him.
Zhong Yiren looked excitedly at the county magistrate who was a year or two older than him and had passed the imperial examinations twice, and his heart was filled with gratitude.
Sun Shan shook his head and said, "You made it to the list entirely because of your own efforts. What I have done is insignificant. I hope Mr. Zhong will not forget his original intention and strive to move forward."
Sun Shan said so, but Mr. Zhong did not dare to think so.
It is true that I have worked hard, but without the financial support from the magistrate, my state of mind when entering the examination room would be completely different.
Mr. Zhong bowed to Sun Shan again and said, "Sir, I am not good at speaking. I don't know how to express my gratitude. I will never forget your kindness."
Sun Shan didn't want to argue with Mr. Zhong about this issue, so he tested his academic performance.
Mr. Zhong seemed a little nervous and answered Sun Shan's questions intermittently.
Sun Shan smiled gently and comforted him: "Don't be nervous, just treat it as a normal academic discussion."
Mr. Zhong said quickly, "Yes, sir."
After a pause, he added: "I had the courage to submit my article to you. Thank you for your comments. I benefited a lot from it. It is my honor to discuss academic matters with you this time."
Mr. Zhong had previously delivered articles to Sun Shan through Widow Li and Nanny Wang.
Who would have thought that Sun Shan actually made revisions, and that there were a lot of densely packed red revision comments on the article, proving that Sun Shan made his revisions carefully, without being perfunctory or making empty promises.
From then on, Mr. Zhong believed that their county magistrate was a scholar with real evidence and who combined knowledge and practice.
It is a blessing for the people of Yuanlu to have such a kind official.
Sun Shan smiled and continued to test Mr. Zhong, but he secretly sighed in his heart.
In fact, Mr. Zhong’s knowledge is not solid. No, it cannot be said that it is not solid, but his foundation is too shallow.
This kind of knowledge is fine for the examination for scholars, but for future examinations, the road to Shu will be extremely difficult, as difficult as climbing to the sky.
Alas, this is also a common problem for children from poor families. Unless they are gifted, the rest depends on their family background.
Mr. Zhong's knowledge is obviously not enough to take the next exam. It took all his talent and luck to pass the exam and become a scholar.
Sun Shan thought that if he didn't have a helpful aunt and cousin, didn't have the memory of his previous life, and didn't have a bit of luck, he would be the same as Sun Xiucai. It would be a great honor for his ancestors to pass the examination and become a scholar.
But it doesn’t matter, as long as each generation improves a little bit more than the previous one.
Mr. Zhong is already a scholar now. As long as he doesn't do stupid things or go astray in the future, his life will have undergone tremendous changes.
As long as we educate the next generation well, each generation will be stronger than the previous one.
Sun Shan asked, "Mr. Zhong, are you going to continue your studies, or...?"
For a poor family like this, even if one passes the imperial examination to become a scholar, it doesn't mean everything will be fine.
If I continue to take the exam, the cost will increase step by step and it will be difficult for my family to afford it.
Speaking of the future, Zhong Yiren said firmly: "Sir, I want to continue taking exams. If there is a chance, I want to study at the provincial school."
Chenzhou Prefecture is different from Zhangzhou Prefecture.
The academic atmosphere in Chenzhou Prefecture is much stronger than that in Zhangzhou Prefecture. There are not only many juren (imperial candidates) but also many jinshi (imperial scholars).
Even though Yuanlu is located deep in the mountains and forests, the study atmosphere is much better than that of Huangyang County.
Therefore, the scientific examination results are much better than those of Huangyang County.
Mr. Zhong's academic performance was neither good nor bad. If he entered Chenzhou Prefecture School, he would most likely have to pay for it himself, and the cost would be quite high.
This also means that we will have to continue to live a frugal and hard life in the future.
Sun Shan neither supports nor opposes such behavior. Young people will never be willing to accept it unless they fight hard.
Sun Shan smiled and said, "You are still young, so it is good for you to continue taking the exam. But you can't get around the saying 'do what you can'. Mr. Zhong, work hard."
Zhong Yiren is not a fool since he was able to pass the imperial examination and he understands the meaning of “do what you can”.
I also know that stopping the imperial examination at this moment would be best for my family, but I am unwilling to do so and have only one thought in mind: to continue taking the exam.
Mr. Zhong was not angry at Sun Shan's "suggestion". He thanked him and said, "Thank you for your reminder, sir. I understand."
Sun Shan chatted with Mr. Zhong for a while, then turned to chat with Widow Li and asked with concern, "Madam Li, you have raised a good son. Thank you for your hard work."
Widow Li became even more anxious and uneasy when she was called "Madam".
Especially the county magistrate in front of him, who was almost the same age as his own son, seemed even more restrained.
She also knew that the magistrate was young, so she just watched him from afar.
Talking to her at this moment, I found that she is younger.
Flattered.