Zhou Siyu's eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth curled slightly, as she said in a seemingly offhand manner, "Our teacher also said that if you're not doing well in studies, it might be better to drop out early and learn a trade."
In that era, becoming an apprentice was even harder than working as a long-term laborer for a landlord's family. You had to help cook, take care of children, and do household chores, and only if you encountered a good master, would you learn something.
But good masters were rare, like phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Many spent three to five years helping out in someone's house and still came out knowing nothing.
If Shen Mianmian went down that path, then her life would essentially be over.
Had they already decided she would not do well in the exams?