A total of more than thirty young girls signed up for the competition but they needed to answer the qualifying question to officially participate.
The qualifying question was about the Four Books and Five Classics. They were written on a note and you had to draw out the question yourself from the case.
Nan Baoyi reached out to draw a question.
Everyone in every direction was waiting to see a laughing matter but she looked surprisingly calm at this moment.
In the previous life, she was instigated by Nan Yan to participate in the competition so that she could perform well in front of Madam Cheng. In the end, however, she was embarrassingly eliminated by the qualifying question.
She remembered clearly, at that time, she drew a topic to recite the three parts of The Analects of Confucius.
Obviously, it was an extremely easy topic, but she could not even recite one single part.
At that time she stood alone on the platform. She looked at Madam Cheng meekly trying to please her, struggling to recall in her memories and trying hard to recite just one part.
Alas, she blushed and mumbled a poem about "The Peasant's Lot".
The entire audience laughed out loud.
She at once became the biggest gossip and laughing joke in Jinguan City and could not show her face in public for a long time after that.
However, it would be different in this life.
She was confident.
Nan Baoyi slowly opened the note:
―― Please explain "Knowledge in the morning, dying at sunset".
She held the note and trembled lightly.
The ways of the world were difficult. Was it true that the heavens would reward hard work in this world?
Was it true that the more hardworking you are, the luckier you become?
Last time Nan Baoyi did not believe it. But right now, she believed it!
She actually asked Xiao Yi about this when she moved into Chaowen Yard!
When it was finally her turn to answer, she handed the note respectfully to the examiner.
The examiner looked at the topic and could not help but looked at Nan Baoyi pitifully.
This topic was the hardest in the case, you could not answer just by memorizing mechanically.
It was too bad for the daughter of the Nan family.
He still read the topic out loud dutifully.
The entire audience was silent. Not because they were looking forward to Nan Baoyi's answer but looking forward to seeing her humiliate herself.
In the sidelines.
Nan Yan said to Xia Qingqing, "This kind of topic is similar to discoursing of policies. To a normal girl, it is a bit difficult."
Xia Qingqing sneered, "She did this to herself, it would be fun to see her unable to answer! Yan'er can you explain what does this sentence means?"
Nan Yan purposely said it out loud, "This sentence means that when the truth is understood in the morning, it does not matter if we die at night, expressing people's pursuit of truth."
"Yan'er, you are really brilliant!" Xia Qingqing was stunned.
The girls surrounding them also looked at her admiringly.
Nan Yan was delighted.
She secretly glanced at Madam Cheng, who was smiling slightly in acknowledgment, and behaved like she was introducing her daughter-in-law, praising her to the dames surrounding, "Look at that, Yan'er is really talented."
Nan Yan humbly bowed slightly towards the audience.
When she thought of what could be, she could not help but felt overjoyed.
On a seat not far away, Old Madam Nan furrowed her brows in disgust.
Her darling granddaughter was not even married over yet and Madam Cheng was already behaving like this. The marriage contract that she initially thought would bring honor to the family now seemed unpleasant.
She glanced at Xiao Yi.
He looked calmly at the platform, his thin lips curling up slightly as if waiting for something to happen.
She looked at the platform, feeling confused.
Such a hard topic, would her Jiaojiao be able to answer?
On the platform.
Nan Baoyi explained in a crisp voice:
"Knowledge in the morning, dying at sunset. This sentence is from The Analects of Confucius. It means, when a person understands the truth in the morning, he would not feel any regret when he dies at night, expressing people's pursuit of truth.
"But in actual fact, the true purpose of learning is not just to understand the truth but also to practice in person. For instance, those benevolent people who love and believe in the country. When they would not hesitate to protect and die for the country and the people, that is the real meaning of 'knowledge in the morning, dying at sunset'.
The little girl looked graceful.
Her blue-green flower skirt swayed with the spring breeze like blue waves surfacing.
Her voice was sweet and tender. Her explanation may not be as complex as those scholars discoursing policies but it had enough profound content.
Those who were waiting to see a laughing matter looked at each other.
After a long silence, the examiner was the first to clap and praised loudly, "Good answer!"
Many enlightened officials and wealthy businessmen also applauded.
After all, Nan Baoyi was only a young normal girl. Being able to answer like this was already extraordinary.
Amongst the lively applause, Nan Baoyi secretly looked at Xiao Yi.
The young man stood against the wind, looking as cold as ever.
Inexplicably, she blinked naughtily at him.
The little girl looked silly and cute.
Xiao Yi frowned. He felt his heart was shot by an arrow and a weird feeling started to spread.
He could neither control nor get rid of that mysterious feeling.
His sight instinctively chased after the little girl, his fingertips unconsciously touching the braided hairband.
He hoped that she could shine in the competition but wanted to hide her brilliance at the same time.
Could it be that every brother in the world has such secret thoughts towards their own sister?
In the sidelines.
The same dame who was mocking Madam Cheng awhile ago clapped and smiled, "The daughter of the Nan family is really outstanding, today I have increased my knowledge and experience. Madam Cheng, whose answer do you think is more brilliant, her or Nan Yan?"
Madam Cheng pulled a long face and did not answer for a while.
In the end, she tossed her handkerchief fiercely and smiled fakely while saying, "This is only the qualifying question, the hard ones are behind."
Nan Yan was equally awkward.
She even purposely explained loudly just now but did not answer as well as Nan Baoyi.
This was great, everyone would see her as a joke!
She bit her lip harshly and stared angrily at Nan Baoyi.
In the official competition later, she must beat her!
"Open for bets, place your bets!"
Several good looking servants shouted out, carrying a red lacquer tray over, "Odds are three to one, three to one to bet on Miss Nan Yan to win!"
Bets in the Spring Flower Festival was an old tradition in Jinguan City. It was said that some people became rich from this.
Maybe a lot of people thought that Nan Yan had the highest chance of winning, and so many people bet on her, the money next to her tag was piled up high.
Madam Liu touched her pockets.
The three thousand gold her Lord gave her previously now only left one thousand gold after paying rent and buying some clothing and jewelry.
As a mother, she should take it out and support Yan'er.
Yan'er would definitely win anyway. By then she would be able to earn three thousand gold effortlessly!
Thinking of this, she bet the money on Nan Yan without hesitation.
Madam Chang liked to gamble.
She glanced at the little girls on the platform and bet a thousand gold on Nan Yan, not forgetting to instigate, "Madam Cheng, this is a guaranteed business, quickly bet on Nan Yan, you can earn three thousand gold in a blink of an eye. There's nothing more worthwhile than this in the world!"
Madam Cheng really took out a thousand gold banknotes.
Not only did she bet on Nan Yan, she even smiled and looked at Old Madam Nan, "Not that I as her future mother-in-law do not want to help Baoyi but Baoyi is really stupid, I'm afraid she will lose very shamefully later. Old Madam should listen to my advice and bet on Nan Yan to win too?"