The Cannon Fodder in Quick Transmigration Refuses the Usual Path

Chapter 625: The Antagonist Cannon Fodder in the Imperial Examination Story 9

It… it was actually real!

Such divine, miraculous skill. For a moment, Lin Ting almost couldn't wait to press the selection button. However, after a brief pause, the rationality ingrained in her since childhood regained the upper hand.

Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke:

"The I Ching and divination calculations, achieving great mastery in such things is difficult, right?"

"Yes, extremely difficult."

"But, as long as you can achieve a passing grade above the required standard, the system will reward you with auxiliary tools."

Is that so?

In her ear, it was still that familiar, low female voice. But this time, Lin Ting decisively pressed the "A Literary Giant" option first. After a slight pause, she then spoke:

"Can… can I choose both?"

The response from the other side remained without hesitation:"You can! However, host, you might find it quite strenuous from now on."

Strenuous? Lin Ting didn't mind that in the slightest. Not worrying about food or drink, what was there to fear about a bit of hardship? Could it be any harder than when she was a child, sweeping floors, boiling water, keeping night watch in the dead of winter, and being punished by the stewards?

Instead, she wondered about the system. As a divine artifact, was it really this easy to talk to?

Inside the gauze canopy, Madam Lin couldn't help but grit her teeth. After a moment, she cautiously asked in a low voice:

"Don't you think I'm being too greedy?"

"Why would I think that?" Within the empty spiritual sea, the female voice on the other side seemed particularly curious:

"According to Xiao Ba's analysis, given your identity, your upbringing since childhood, and your current environment, your margin for error is not high. Wanting security is human nature."

Not just not high; saying it was pitifully low wouldn't be an exaggeration.

"In short, this is not your fault…"

Not your fault…

Although the tone was still cold, whether it was her imagination or not, the voice on the other side did seem gentler.

She had to admit, she was a bit moved.

At this same moment, clutching the soft felt rug tightly around her, Madam Lin didn't feel ashamed or annoyed. Instead, she had a sudden moment of clarity:

Oh, so this is called 'margin for error'!

At this moment, Lin Ting frankly admitted that she indeed did not possess such great daring.

Choosing the literary path, at worst, she could still earn respect with this talent and ability. At the very least, with effort and the annotated teachings within the space, she could properly educate her two children. Barring accidents, becoming a Xiucai, or even a provincial graduate's mother, a lifetime of peace and comfort wouldn't be a problem.

She could also find a good family for Ning Ning.

But the I Ching and divination calculations…

She had read some related books recently, and they were indeed obscure and difficult to understand. Forget about mastering them, how much time would it even take? Even if she truly mastered them, given her status, the Liang family was merely a merchant household. Even Master could be crushed effortlessly by those in power above, let alone a concubine like her with no foundation.

If there were those with ill intentions, wouldn't she be forced to separate from Ning Ning and the others?

Just thinking about this, Lin Ting's heart felt as if pierced by a knife. She shook her head violently.

No, this ability was powerful, but the risk was also great. Even if she truly obtained it, she would need the right opportunity to display it.

However, Lin Ting couldn't help but purse her lips. To give it up easily was also impossible!

This place wasn't far from the capital. For merchant families like the Liang's, some news wasn't actually inaccessible. Compared to Buddhism, the emperor placed more faith in Taoism. Who knows, maybe in the future she could truly rely on herself to become someone of high status!

If it were before, the emperor—Madam Lin wouldn't have dared to even think about it. But now, she possessed such a divine object, she might even be able to glimpse the workings of heaven and earth. How could she not dare to think about it!

Taking a deep breath and looking at the flickering candle nearby, Lin Ting soon turned her gaze back to the book in front of her.

What? Rest!

Rest for what! Perhaps because she had a goal, or a clear vision of the future, Lin Ting felt she had inexhaustible energy and wasn't sleepy at all.

Moreover, it probably wasn't her imagination. After using the elixir, not only did her body feel much better, but her memory and mind seemed sharper too!

With such good conditions, not studying more would simply be a disservice to herself!

An Ning: "…"

Ending the dialogue and witnessing this scene through the system, An Ning swiftly burrowed into her nest, pulling her soft little blanket tightly over herself with a blissful expression.

Not bad, not bad. With the host working so hard, whether as "System Xiao Ba" or as a daughter striving for her mother, my heart is very comforted!

The real system, Doggie: "…"

"Host, don't you think you're being a bit too much of a Scrooge?"

More importantly, does the original host know you're exploiting her main character like this?

Thinking of Madam Lin, still striving hard at this hour, the system couldn't help but twitch the corner of its mouth. Clearly, these skills came effortlessly to its own host. Wouldn't it be better to use them herself? And even went to the trouble of using energy to create a "pseudo-system!"

At the very least, since you have the energy, making a real one isn't difficult!

Thinking of the mechanical female voice its host deliberately imitated earlier, the system couldn't help but cup its hands (in a gesture) and let out a soft click of its tongue.

In the darkness, An Ning rested her hands behind her head, glanced upward, and snorted lightly:

"So you see, system, you don't understand human emotions. Didn't you notice? Madam Lin herself is actually a person with very little sense of security."

But then again, born into a farming family, even though the family lived quite well (before Young Uncle Lin started studying), she was sold by her family as a child. A mere few-year-old child had to survive as a servant, a maid, in the vast Liang residence.

For someone like that, having a sense of security would be strange.

It was even worse than those families who sold their children out of sheer desperation.

At least the feeling of being abandoned by one's closest family wouldn't be so intense.

Not to mention later becoming a concubine, and after Young Uncle Lin passed the exams, the thinly veiled contempt and attitudes from certain people in the family.

"For people like this, the more they hold in their hands, the more they can truly feel at ease and composed!"

Finally, An Ning's voice was exceptionally soft.

In the darkness, the system couldn't help but glance at its host and silently closed its mouth.

The facts turned out as An Ning predicted.

Visibly, day after day of diligent study did not cause Madam Lin's appearance to become haggard. On the contrary, as time passed, she grew more and more radiant.

Especially when teaching An Ning and her brother, she was so effortlessly proficient. An Ning was fine, learning quickly by nature. However, poor little brother Liang Jing, being mercilessly schooled in turn by his birth mother and younger sister, nearly began to doubt his entire existence.

Particularly when, often, what Mother taught his sister took him a long time to understand.

Liang Jing: "…"

"Little sister, is Mother… that amazing?" Actually, there was another sentence poor little Liang Jing was too embarrassed to say.

Forget about Mother, why is little sister so amazing too!

Why is he… just a while ago he felt he was learning things more and more easily.

In response, little An Ning, wearing a ball-pink ruqun skirt and two small hair buns, currently resting on the soft couch beside the desk, merely looked up in confusion upon hearing this.

"Hasn't Mother always been amazing?"

Her expression clearly said, 'Brother, how come you're only noticing this now? You're so silly.'

Liang Jing: "…"

Is… is that so? But then again, in his memories, Mother always seemed to love reading.

Thinking of this, young brother Liang couldn't help but scratch his head sheepishly. He stopped looking at his younger sister who was already leisurely lying down to rest and resignedly picked up the Huzhou writing brush on the table, starting to write stroke by stroke with great effort.

Hmph, he's the older brother, he's definitely not an idiot!