Lin Wanrong's forehead was slightly sweaty. He was a distinguished student at Peking University, specializing in the sciences, a bona fide talent in the field. Solving complex calculus problems was like catching fish for him, and he had no trouble with reading, writing, or even memorizing ancient poems. However, when it came to reciting the Three-Character Classic, he found himself truly in a quandary.
In this world, it seemed that aside from his ability to recite a few poems, he belonged to the "illiterate" category. Lin Wanrong deeply appreciated his father, a primary school Chinese teacher. If it weren't for his father forcing him to memorize some Tang and Song poems since childhood, he might have truly become illiterate in this world.
It's not that I don't understand; it's just that the world changes rapidly. Lin Wanrong sighed in his heart as he picked up the brush. Writing with a brush was something he practiced before the age of ten when he attended supplemental classes. As for the Three-Character Classic, he could only recall the first twelve popular characters.
In secret, Lin Wanrong cursed Old Wei's ancestors. Now, there was no other way. He had to face it head-on.
Fortunately, he had a thick skin and never shied away from challenges. So, he picked up the brush and quickly wrote twelve characters on the rice paper: "At the beginning, human nature is inherently good, similar in nature but distant in practice." Then, with a light toss of his right hand, the brush fell onto the inkstone.
Filled with excitement, these characters appeared crude and twisted, individually recognizable but lacking brilliance. However, when strung together, they exuded a somewhat unrestrained charm.
"I can't remember the rest." Lin Wanrong looked at the examiner, stating without any change in his expression.
By the end of the day, there were nearly a hundred servant candidates for the interview. Lin Wanrong, with his "bold and unrestrained" demeanor, was quite unique among them.
The examiner found his arrogant demeanor displeasing and loudly remarked, "Handle the brush with care; hasn't anyone taught you that? This is high-quality Hui ink and a jade inkstone. You can't afford to damage them."
Lin Wanrong was indifferent to Hui ink and jade inkstone. Seeing the examiner's unpleasant attitude, he sneered and said, "Vice Steward Pang just let me in for an interview; he didn't mention anything about Hui ink and a jade inkstone. I learned something from you instead of him."
The examiner's expression changed when he heard Vice Steward Pang's name. He forced a smile and said, "Brother, were you introduced by Vice Steward Pang?"
Lin Wanrong secretly thought, I was introduced by silver coins. Smirking, he pondered, "Yes, I have some acquaintance with Vice Steward Pang. However, when I entered, he specifically emphasized the principles of openness, fairness, and justice. Nothing about Hui ink and jade inkstone."
"Of course, of course," the examiner flattered, returning Lin Wanrong's name tag. "Mr. Lin, congratulations, you have passed the first round." He then pointed at two dumbfounded candidates beside him, "You two, eliminated."
Only twelve characters written, and he passed? Lin Wanrong laughed and understood that this examiner was giving face to Vice Steward Pang. He didn't bother thanking him and entered the second room with the name tag.
The two eliminated candidates cried out, "Unfair! Unfair! Why can he pass, but we can't?"
The examiner scoffed, "What kind of people are you, and what kind of person is he? Can't you weigh the difference? With just these characters, can you write them?"
He tossed Lin Wanrong's paper in front of the two eliminated candidates. Although Lin Wanrong's characters were a bit rough, compared to these candidates from poor families, it was already outstanding. The two eliminated candidates, combined, hadn't even written eight characters.
Lin Wanrong paid no attention to their objections. The winner is king, and the loser is a bandit. Passing the test is the only truth. After a few steps, he arrived in the second room, where several colleagues were contemplating with a sheet of paper in hand. The furrowed brows of a few suggested intense contemplation as if they were trying to squeeze out water.
An examiner took Lin Wanrong's name tag and handed him an open-mouthed wooden box, expressionless. "Draw a question from inside."
"What kind of question is this?" Lin Wanrong didn't want to be as vague as other candidates. He preferred to understand the situation before proceeding.
"Just draw; why so much nonsense?" This servant seemed to have a short temper, probably dissatisfied with his previous night's romantic life.
"It's a Q&A, and you can only proceed to the next round if you answer correctly." A candidate standing nearby, whose hair was almost pulled out in frustration, informed Lin Wanrong when he heard his question.
I see. Lin Wanrong understood. It was an instant Q&A, testing the intelligence of the servants.
He extracted a folded piece of paper from the wooden box and unfolded it, only to see two brief sentences written on it: "One person crosses a narrow bridge with a wolf in front and a tiger behind. This person swiftly passes. How did he manage it?"
Faint. People in this world also enjoy brain teasers? Lin Wanrong laughed in his heart but pretended to be in deep thought for a moment before answering, "Could it be... he fainted?"
"Correct!" The examiner cast a glance at him and said, "This kid must have seen this question somewhere before. Otherwise, he wouldn't have answered so quickly. Good luck indeed."
"Object! Object!" Just as the examiner was about to announce Lin Wanrong's advancement to the next round, another candidate loudly protested. In this room with three candidates, besides Lin Wanrong, there was the one who had just answered his question and another who was vehemently objecting.
"What are you objecting to?" The examiner angrily asked, "Is there something you object to here?"
Seeing that he couldn't answer the question and would be eliminated, the candidate wanted to make a final struggle. He hurriedly said, "My objection is that why is his question so simple, and mine is so difficult? As long as he can answer my question, even if I'm eliminated, I'll willingly accept it."
The examiner roared, "You randomly drew these questions yourselves. Are you suspecting that I, the examiner, cheated?"
"It's fine, it's fine." Lin Wanrong smiled and said, "But I wonder, my friend, what is the question in your hand? Let me take a guess."
The guy picked up the piece of paper and loudly read, "When 50% cooked beef meets 60% cooked beef, why don't they greet each other?"
"Because they are not familiar, my friend." Lin Wanrong helplessly laughed. Did he really need to use his brain for such a small question?
Oh, the protester couldn't say anything anymore. Was it because he was too stupid? He suffered a massive blow, feeling too embarrassed to continue staying. He slinked away. The remaining candidate, a servant applicant, looked at Lin Wanrong with admiration.
Lin Wanrong easily breezed through
two rounds. He chuckled to himself, thinking that the servant selection of the Xiao family was truly fond of showcasing one's talents. Not only did they test literacy, but they also included puzzles. Could it be that they wanted to train their servants to be scholars as well?