The Cannon Fodder in Quick Transmigration Refuses the Usual Path

Chapter 632: The Villainous Cannon Fodder in the Imperial Exams, (16)

No wonder it’s you!

That knack for coaxing—no, motivating—people is really practiced!

Watching her eyes sparkle and her spirits soar, Ms. Lin, who’d switched into full grind mode, made the system twitch at the corner of its mouth.

“By the way, host, why do you seem not the least bit worried that Young Uncle Lin might pass?”

“Xiucai, is it supposed to be that easy?”

June. From outside the window came the occasional cicada chirp.

Unlike the Old Lin Family, whose faces were full of worry and whose branches bickered without end, the entire Liang household had been in a busy-but-happy mood for the whole first half of the year, thanks to Young Brother Liang’s success in the exams and his fairly high ranking.

Especially recently, after the Eldest Young Master’s marriage, An Ning’s eldest sister, that is Liang Eldest Miss, had her wedding arrangements quickly put on the schedule.

At dawn, in a corner by an artificial rock, sat a pale blue-white glazed porcelain bottle with a gourd-shaped belly.

With precise motion she dropped a small pellet into the bottle. At twelve, An Ning had grown particularly delicate—wearing a chest-high hibiscus-and-plum patterned gauze dress—her lively expression unchanged, a clear sign these years had been comfortable.Hearing the words now, she didn’t even blink:

“Or rather, System, you really underestimate the poor households, no—it's still not accurate to call them poor households. More accurately, they’re the kind of scholar from a farming family who’s just made Xiucai. Not to mention anything else, just look at what my brother has read over the years—so many classical texts, annotations, even full books.

Those were all things the Liang family spent big money to find over the years.”

“This is still only the surface. If it weren’t for the ready-made explanations in Mother’s space, for Young Brother Liang to become a Xiucai at this age—don’t talk about becoming a certified student, he wouldn’t even have a chance!”

So Tutor Yang knew his limits; that was why he said it wasn’t his credit.

Even he had dawdled for decades before barely scraping by to become a Xiucai.

In this era, unless you were a heaven-sent prodigy who could learn a hundred things from smelling one, the importance of a good teacher and good resources was obvious.

She chattered casually with the sisters around her. In the morning light, the girl’s tone was ordinary, but still sharp enough:

“Students from humble farming families, they don’t even have many books, just on breadth of knowledge alone they lose out so much.”

Of course, if it’s just Xiucai, it’s not that dire—work hard and it’s still possible, just like that Scholar Zhang before.

There was also once a man of another background, likewise the son of a small landowner who became a brother-in-law.

“But System, do you know how Scholar Zhang did it?”

“Since he passed the preliminary Tong Sheng exam at eleven or twelve, he started copying books for the study hall, never missing a day for years, cultivating a good relationship with the study hall owner, and treating his classmates with full consideration without losing dignity. Those are books, and also social capital.”

“When visiting teachers, he always helped with every task, serving carefully; at festival times, even if he couldn’t give expensive gifts, he made sure the teacher could see his sincerity.”

“If he had difficulties and wanted to ask the county graduates for help, he’d sit on the cold bench in their house, waiting most of the day. Even if eight or nine times out of ten he couldn’t see them at all, or get a single sentence answered, he never once complained.”

Add breadth of knowledge together with all that.

“In terms of social ties, Scholar Zhang could afford to study and to take exams partly because his elder sister was skilled at embroidery.”

But what did they actually do?

Before he even became a Xiucai, he would often bring his sister’s children over and personally teach their first lessons. He did not stint with notes on the classics; even if someone occasionally made envious remarks, he acknowledged others’ contributions openly.

After passing, aside from the teacher, his first act was to handsomely send gifts to his brother-in-law’s family; after that he often kept his nephew by his side.

This is gratitude.

Whether sincere or not, at least they did it; they made their elder sister hold her head high in her husband’s household, and future generations benefited greatly.

“System, if you were the teacher or the magistrate’s instructor, and you had to choose between Zhang the Scholar and someone surnamed Lin, to fully mentor or promote one person, who would you pick?”

“Is that even a question? Naturally Scholar Zhang!”

Right! An Ning nodded involuntarily:

“A person might be cold-hearted and ungrateful themselves, but they’ll want those they help, or are about to lift up, to remember them.”

“So what can Young Uncle Lin use to compare with that!”

And Scholar Zhang was just one of the thousands of rural kids who rose through the imperial exams.

Being dignified and proud is good, but in circumstances like this, if you can’t lower your head, don’t be surprised when the road ahead is rough.

Taking advantage of the cool early morning, after a little play and a simple wash, the three sisters walked together to Shou’an Hall.

“Eldest Sister, what’s with you today? You’re absent-minded, even more than Third Sister!”

Along the way, An Ning winked teasingly, having roughly guessed some of the reason.

You must know—the one who loved play the most was usually this sister herself!

Where there’s something off, there must be a reason. As she finished, Xuan Yu couldn’t help but smother a laugh and look over.

“Oh, you two… hmph!”

Facing the teasing glances of her two younger sisters, Liang Eldest Miss stomped her foot.

When it came to marriage, even the careless Shu Yu would feel embarrassed.

But after years of sisterhood and thinking of her second sister’s cleverness, Shu Yu reluctantly decided to lay her cards on the table:

“Fine, I’ll tell you.

That He’s Tea Shop is the one on West Street in the prefectural city—we’ve been there before.”

Oh—An Ning thought. So it seems they are old acquaintances of the Liang family. But in terms of wealth, household assets, and the prefectural city connections, compared to the Liang family hiding in Strange Rock County, the He Family was far stronger.

After all, they had been steadily established in the prefectural city for years.

An Ning nodded.

It was clear Madam Wu truly worried for Eldest Sister. Lately, watching Young Brother Liang’s prospects, there were indeed scholarly families in the county who showed interest.

But here in Huai Shi County, even the stronger scholarly families at best produced provincial graduates, and those were of the parents’ generation.

Higher ranks, like county magistrate, were out of reach for their family.

Besides, such families weren’t necessarily wealthier, and often bound by stricter rules. Eldest Sister’s temperament meant marrying into such a family could lead to suffering; before Young Brother passed, she’d have little standing at home.

She might even be looked down upon as mercenary.

But if it was the He Family—and if she remembered right—they had a Third Young Master about Eldest Sister’s age, a legitimate youngest son who was currently planning to study for the imperial exams.

Although—cough—he was only seventeen and had only passed the Tong Sheng exam so far; Xiucai was still nowhere in sight!

Still, among merchant families, that was considered especially driven.

A family with money that was willing to accept the hardship of study was rare among big merchants.

The He Family’s intent in courting Eldest Sister was obvious; merchant families rarely found good teachers easily.

Thinking that, An Ning smiled and asked:

“Was the one who came the other day Third Young Master He?”

Perhaps from years of study he looked refined and free of bad habits.

“Second sister is sharp!” Shu Yu couldn’t help but give a thumbs-up, then added a teasing complaint:

“The rest are fine, only he looks a little dull!”

“And compared to me, I think he might like Second Brother more!”

“Achoo!” Perhaps from being too relaxed, An Ning suddenly choked and almost sputtered out a sound.

Beside her, the instigator Eldest Sister looked puzzled.

“What’s wrong! Does Second Sister not believe me!” Shu Yu put her hands on her hips, her slightly flushed face full of conviction:

“I saw it with my own eyes. When he saw Second Brother, Third Young Master He’s eyes seemed to light up!”

The man even looked less dull!

An Ning: “……”