Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 17 Going to the Town for the Exam
In the blink of an eye, it was late October, and this day was the day when Yanying Academy in Mudu Town enrolled students. In layman's terms, it was Xiaoshengchu.

In the Song Dynasty, the style of study was very prosperous and education was developed, especially in the Jiangnan area. Almost every village had a small school, where a Mr. Dong Hong led a group of young children to study.

After studying for three years, if the child's aptitude is not bad and he can continue to study, and his family's conditions allow, he will go to a regular school in the village.

However, the township-run schools are only of a popular nature, and the possibility of being admitted to the county school is extremely low. Most of the children go home to work in agriculture after they come out.

For example, Fan Ning's father, Fan Tiezhou, graduated from a school in the village and couldn't pass the county school, so he had to go home and become a fisherman.

In Fanning's memory, his father often sighed about this, and his mother said that this was a scar in his heart that had been difficult to heal.

If the family is better and wants to make their children stand out, they will usually choose a well-known private school.

It's just that this kind of private prestigious school has relatively few places and needs to be admitted by examination, so every year when the prestigious school recruits students, students from all over the world will come to apply for the exam, and the competition is extremely fierce.

In the past, Fan Daidai didn't even have the opportunity to run a school in the countryside, but in the past few months, Fan Ning has shown an amazing talent for reading, which made his parents put their hopes in him again.

Although the family was poor, his father made a decision that even if he sold the land and house, he would still have to pay for his son to study in a private school.

Today, Fan Ning is not the only one in Jiangwan Village to take the exam. A total of eight children are going to take the exam, all brought by their fathers. The village official specially arranged three boats to take them to the town.

When they arrived at the small pier, everyone had already arrived. A child turned around and saw Fan Ning, and asked a little strangely, "Dumb, why are you here?"

Fan Ning raised the schoolbag in his hand, "Of course I'm going to the town to take the exam!"

This sentence caused an uproar among the crowd. Sixteen pairs of eyes looked at Fan Ning and his son in unison. There were all kinds of eyes, surprise, ridicule, ridicule, but most of them were contempt.

"Brother Tiezhou, your stupid is really not a student, why do you have to bet on it!"

This is a slightly better relationship, and I know that Fan Tiezhou must have committed a bad temper.

"It's nothing, just go and try it, if it doesn't work, forget it." Fan Tiezhou also explained with a smile.

"It's such a joke in the world, no matter whether it's a cat or a dog, they have to go to Yanying Academy. What do they think Yanying Academy is?"

Fan Ning didn't want to continue to play dumb today, he smiled lightly, "Yes! No matter whether it's a cat or a dog, you have to go to the Yanying Academy."

"You...how did you talk!"

"Uncle Zhao, I'm just repeating what you said."

"Absurd! Absurd!"

Jiang Yuanwai next to him was heartbroken and shook his head again and again, "I can't even write my own name, but I dare to take the exam. In the end, I will embarrass our Jiangwan Village!"

Fan Ning looked down on this Jiang Yuanwai the most, he was stingy, mean-speaking, and self-righteous.

He immediately confronted him: "Since this is the case, Jiang Yuanwai should not take your son with him, so as not to embarrass Jiangwan Village!"

Member Jiang was so angry that he was so angry that a parent next to him gave him a hand, "We all know what to say to this little brat. If he can be admitted to the school, then my Feng'er will be admitted to the number one prize!"

Fanning wanted to fight back, but his father next to him pulled him to stop talking.

At this time, Fan Tiezhou's face was getting darker and darker, and finally turned into a purple eggplant. He bit his lips tightly and said nothing, with a burst of anger in his heart.

If it wasn't for the fear of affecting his son's exam today, he would have punched him long ago.

Fan Ning sneered, instead of being sharp-tongued, it would be better to slap the face with facts.

At this time, the sound of oars came, and three small boats finally arrived, and everyone boarded the boat. No one wanted to sit in the same boat with the Fan family father and son, for fear of getting bad luck and failing the exam.

The boat sailed slowly in the river, and the villagers in the two boats ahead were discussing today's exam, and their voices drifted along with the morning mist like a veil.

"Mr. Jiang, I heard that this year only [-] students will be recruited. Do you think we have a chance?"

"It's difficult! Last year, more than a thousand people competed for [-] places. The competition was so fierce that none of our villages got in. Who knows this year? Let's see luck!"

Amidst the low voices of the crowd, the paddles slid across the waves, and the boat sailed through the thick white mist to Mudu Town, ten miles away.

. . . . . . . . . .
Mudu Town is a large town, located at the foot of Lingyan Mountain [-] miles southwest of Wu County, with a population of nearly [-] households, convenient transportation, developed commerce, and a strong cultural atmosphere.

Not only that, there are hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the town, and many dignitaries live there.

There are many schools in Mudu Town, including social studies, private schools, government schools, and private schools founded by famous Confucians, the most famous of which is Yanying School.

The founder is a retired official, and it has been named after him for 30 years.

Most of the students who come out every year can be admitted to the county school, and four Jinshi are also produced. It is one of the three famous private schools in Pingjiang Prefecture.

Today is the autumn and winter enrollment day of Yanying Academy. Thousands of students and their families from Shiliba Township in Wu County packed Mudu Town.

Most of them set off in the middle of the night and arrived in the town early in the morning. In addition, there were many students from Kunshan and Wujiang counties. They would stay in the inn in the town for one night to avoid delaying the exam.

When Fan Ning and his boat arrived at the pier, it was already quite late, and the pier was noisy with people coming and going.

On the river bank, hundreds of small boats were densely crowded together, making it impossible for them to go ashore directly, so they had to borrow other small boats to go ashore.

The boat stopped slowly, and everyone got up and walked to the shore.

At this time, a painting boat was slowly approaching, and standing on the bow of the boat was a six or seven-year-old boy with red lips and white teeth. Wearing a Shizi scarf, a pair of small leather boots, and a short sword with exquisite workmanship around his waist.

Fan Ning suddenly felt that he looked familiar, where did he seem to have seen it?
Standing next to the boy was a little maid who was about the same age, chattering something, looking very excited.

At this time, a woman with a sword in a black samurai uniform walked out of the cabin. She was in her early twenties, with a pretty face and indifferent almond eyes, and her whole body was full of murderous intent.

But when she walked out of the cabin completely, she immediately looked different. I saw that she was about 1.8 meters tall, and she was very tall and eye-catching standing on the bow.

Fan Ning was stunned for a moment, isn't this the Great Swordswoman that he met in the capital?

Fan Ning suddenly thought of something, and quickly looked at the boy again, and now Fan Ning recognized it, it was indeed the little loli, but after she put on the men's clothing, her appearance changed a lot, and the sword on her waist was not the same as before No wonder I didn't recognize her just now.

Fanning couldn't help laughing, the world is really small!We met again in Mudu Town.

The boat slowly came to a stop on a special pier. An old housekeeper and several servants were waiting on the pier to respectfully welcome the little loli on the boat ashore.

"Has my grandfather come?" Little Lolita asked a little unhappy.

"The grand master has arrived long ago, and has been waiting for Xiao Ya Nei!"

At this time, Little Lolita's big black and white eyes fell on Fan Ning. Her eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.

Fan Ning smiled and waved to her, but little Lolita snorted softly, raised her head in disdain, and went ashore surrounded by everyone.

She got into a very gorgeous carriage, escorted by several entourages on donkeys, and drove away into the distance.

Fan Ning's hands froze in mid-air, and she was really ashamed. This damn girl has not changed her nature, so she pretended not to know her so soon?

"Let's go! This kind of rich and noble family has nothing to do with us."

Fan Tiezhou saw it and saw his son was embarrassed, so he pulled him sympathetically. Fan Ning went ashore angrily, and the father and son walked towards the school.

Fan Tiezhou signed up for his son a few days ago. Fan Ning only needs to go to the exam. Fan Tiezhou took out a bamboo card and handed it to his son, telling him: "Be careful, write slowly, and Daddy will wait for you outside. After the exam, we will go to eat."

Fanning nodded, "The child is gone!"

He carried his bookbag and walked towards the main entrance of the school. There were too many candidates, and Yanying School could not accommodate them. Yanying School borrowed several other schools as examination rooms at the same time.

Fan Ning's examination number is No. A74, and he took the examination in Yanying Academy.

However, this kind of entrance examination is not comparable to the imperial examination, and the control is not so strict. You can cheat if you want to, but the price is too high. In the Song Dynasty, which valued reputation very much, this was a major event that could not be lifted up in a lifetime.

They are all from the village, everyone knows the basics, and almost no one will cheat.

Fan Ning handed over the bamboo card to an old gentleman at the door. The old gentleman smiled and pointed to the first room on the left, "Interview first!"

"Thank you, old sir!"

Fanning bowed to the old gentleman first, and then walked into the gate.

The old man stroked his beard and looked at Fan Ning's back and nodded, "You can teach a child!"

Walking into the yard, I saw more than a dozen candidates lined up in two lines, and everyone was whispering and discussing something.

"Dumb, this is not where you came from, get out!"

A fierce voice came from the team, and Fanning realized that there were two people he knew in the team.

One was Jiang Agui, the son of Yuanwai Jiang. He was tall and fat, with the fat on his cheeks hanging down his face, and his small eyes the size of mung beans gleamed fiercely.

The other person is called Zhao Xiaoyi, who is the opposite in stature, small and thin, like a monkey, he is Jiang Agui's dog leg.

The two mingled together all day long to bully the young and the weak. It is estimated that Fan Dada used to be bullied by them a lot.

Fanning ignored them and went straight to the back of the line.

Seeing that Fan Ning ignored him, Jiang Agui immediately became angry. In the past, he would have rushed to beat him up, but today he dared not.

He suddenly turned his eyes, pointed at Fan Ning and said with a smile to everyone: "This is a well-known fool in our village. He is called Fan Idiot. He can't even write his own name. He actually came to Yanying Academy. Do you agree?" funny."

More than a dozen pairs of eyes looked at Fan Ning together, their eyes were full of surprise and confusion, a fool actually came to take the exam, what's going on?

Zhao Xiaoyi was extremely proud, stomping his feet and laughing loudly.

Fanning looked calm and ignored the performance of these two bastards.

At this time, the door suddenly opened, and an examiner came out and said angrily: "No noise, anyone who makes any more noise will be disqualified from the exam!"

Zhao Xiaoyi's laughter stopped abruptly, and he quickly lowered his head. Jiang Agui also lowered his head, but gave Fan Ning a hard look.

"Go in, all of you!"

The examiner put all the fifteen candidates in this batch and arranged them smoothly according to their heights. Fan Ning was the second to last, and Jiang Agui was the tallest and ranked last.

The school for the interview was very spacious, and there were three gentlemen sitting in front of them with expressionless faces. All three of them were wearing shirts, the two on the left and right were wearing black cloth crowns, and the old man in the middle was wearing a black gauze cap.

In the Song Dynasty, the black gauze hat with wings was the official hat. The black gauze cap worn by this old man is just a kind of common clothes, but it still looks different.

"The first Zhao Xiaoyi!"

Zhao Xiaoyi is the thinnest, and his name ranks first.

He stepped forward, and under the guidance of the examiner, he took out a lottery from the small basket on the table. This was his test question, and handed it to the examiner.

The chief examiner glanced at the question and said calmly: "Recite the surnames of hundreds of families, let's start!"

Perhaps because of being too nervous, Zhao Xiaoyi stuttered and had several pauses in the recitation.

"Zhu Qin You Xu, He Lu Shi Zhang. Kong Cao Yan Hua, Jin Wei Tao Jiang. Qi Xie Zou Yu, Bai Shui Dou Zhang. Yun Su Pan Ge, Xi Fan Peng Lang. Lu Wei Chang Ma, Miao Feng Hua Fang... "

Fan Ning shook his head secretly, even the simplest "Hundred Surnames" is so hard to memorize, it is probably too much.

Zhao Xiaoyi memorized half of "Hundred Surnames", the examiner finally stopped him, and the examiner next to him gave him a note, "Go! Listen to the result outside."

Zhao Xiaoyi accepts the verdict of fate one step at a time, but Fan Ning is a little strange. Could it be that the exam is over like this?This is too simple!
"The next Yang Shun!"

Fan Ning quickly glanced at Jiang Agui behind him out of the corner of his eye, and saw that he was full of panic and trembling with nervousness, and now he couldn't care less about laughing at Fan Ning.

The next examinee stepped forward without asking, directly took out a lottery from the basket on the table, and handed it to the examiner.

"It's "The Analects of Confucius", let me say something, you continue to memorize it, and I will tell you to stop!"

Fan Ning already understood the process, and he looked at the little basket, wondering what kind of exam questions he could get?

The interview progressed quickly, and it was his turn after half an hour. Fanning took a deep breath to calm down the tension in his heart.

He walked forward and saw at least hundreds of bookmarks in the small basket on the table densely packed vertically, each bookmark had a small cloth strip that was easy to pull.

The chief examiner above looked at his name, was slightly startled, and a complex expression flashed in his eyes.

Fan Ning was about to draw lots, but the examiner stopped him, "You don't need to draw lots, I will give you a question!"

(End of this chapter)