Chapter 193: Last-Minute Cramming
As expected, the registration time ended at noon. Qin Yao and others who had already registered and were waiting looked up and behind them, and saw that there was still a long queue.
After learning that the registration had closed, everyone could only sigh and regret that they had not come earlier.
The manager explained that the afternoon assessment time was divided into several time periods. Sanlang, Si Niang, Jinbao and Jinhua were just divided into two groups, upper and lower.
Jinhua and Jinbao come in front, and the twins, boy and girl, come in a little later.
Qin Yao glanced at the sky. It was still early, so she planned to take the children to town for lunch before coming back. She was very calm.
This was in stark contrast to the other people who were anxiously giving instructions to their children under the tree nearby.
Liu Bo was very anxious because his child had no basic skills and couldn't even hold a pen. It would be a miracle if he could pass the exam.
However, the children's stomachs were already growling, so Qin Yao said, "How can you have the energy to take the test if you are not full? Eat first."
The main reason was that she was starving. She rushed here before dawn and waited for the whole morning to confirm the assessment list. The little food she had in the morning had long been consumed.
Liu Zhong and Dalang, who were waiting on the official road, also looked forward frequently, and the wait was very painful.
Erlang, on the other hand, jumped here and there in the crowd, and came back and said with great regret:
"I should have brought a pot of sugar water with me earlier. With so many people, I could earn a lot of money by serving a bowl to each person."
Dalang looked at him unhappily and said, "You are obsessed with money. Aunt Yao and the others haven't come back yet, and we don't know what the outcome will be."
They were standing far away and only heard others say that registration would stop after noon. They couldn't see whether Qin Yao and her group were at the front or the back of the line. Seeing other villagers returning home with regret, they couldn't help but worry.
After waiting for so long that my stomach became exhausted, I finally saw those familiar figures.
Liu Zhong ran forward, took his daughter's hand and asked, "How is it going? Have you signed up?"
Jinhua looked anxious, and Liu Zhong thought she hadn't been accepted. Just as he was about to sigh, Jinhua just hummed again.
"Kid, why are you not happy after you signed up? You scared me to death." Liu Zhong said unhappily.
Jinhua was already worried about the test in the afternoon, and after hearing what her father said, she became even more anxious. She had just endured it without the most familiar person around her, but now her father was right in front of her. She flattened her mouth and said in a crying voice:
"I have another test in the afternoon, Dad, what if I don't pass it?"
Liu Zhong thought it was no big deal. "If you can't pass the exam, then you can't pass it. I didn't expect you to pass it in the first place. If you hadn't insisted on coming, we wouldn't have had to make this trip."
After hearing this, Liu Bo patted his brother and said, "Shut up, the child is already anxious. Not only do you not help, but you also say these discouraging words."
Liu Zhong realized that he had said the wrong thing and quickly coaxed him, "It's okay, we've tried it anyway. Come on, Dad will take you to town to eat delicious food!"
Only then did Jinhua feel a little happier.
Everyone got on the carriage and came to a noodle restaurant in the town to eat. Because there were so many people today, there were no seats in the restaurant, so everyone squatted at the door of the restaurant with their bowls of noodles to eat.
Qin Yao and several adults ate while standing, and the children placed their bowls of noodles on the shaft of the cart and ate from them; the height was just right.
Qin Yao ate four bowls of noodles in one breath, then burped with satisfaction, put down his chopsticks and analyzed to his two brothers:
"I just looked at the list. There are seventy-six competitors for our child, twelve of whom are from the big clans. They all seem to have some basic skills, so they will definitely be among the top twelve."
"There are still 18 vacancies left for our children to fight for. I see that the 52 children are all from various villages and they don't look like they can read. I am not worried about Sanlang and Siang at all."
"As for Jinhua and Jinbao, although it's a bit late to cram now, it shouldn't be difficult to memorize two paragraphs of the book. There is still hope."
When Liu Bo and Liu Zhong heard this, they grabbed the child and said, "What are you eating? Go and recite the lesson with your third aunt!
" Jin Bao Jin Hua, with noodles still hanging in his mouth, was stunned. Huh?
Qin Yao looked at the Liu brothers helplessly, "Why are you in such a hurry? Let the children finish eating first."
She was just thinking about teaching them what would give them a better chance of success.
Predicting the topic is one of the skills that modern students are best at.
The enlightenment books here are Thousand Character Classic and Hundred Family Surnames. For every student who has just arrived at the school, the teacher will start with Hundred Family Surnames.
First, the content is short and interesting, and second, this book is the cheapest.
Thousand Character Classic is at a deeper level and teaches students some simple principles.
The gentlemen of the Ding family should also know that these country children have zero cultural level, so the questions will not be too difficult. They may be assessed in terms of morality, intelligence, and physical fitness to see their character and whether they are smart enough for easy teaching.
Therefore, the probability of passing the Thousand Character Classic exam is not high.
Then let Jinbao and Jinhua memorize the Hundred Family Surnames. The time is short, and if they memorize quickly, they can memorize forty or fifty surnames. In case the teacher asks them what books they have read, they can use them and leave behind those who directly say they have never read any books.
In terms of character, etiquette is the main thing to look at. This is easy to learn and you will learn it after a little teaching. It is no problem to deal with it temporarily.
So, after Jinhua and Jinbao finished eating, they drove the carriage to a secluded meadow near Dingjiazhuang and began emergency special training.
Afraid that Sanlang and Si Niang had forgotten what they had reviewed yesterday, Qin Yao asked Dalang and Erlang to take them aside to review it a few more times.
Liu Bo and Liu Zhong were very impressed by Qin Yao's calm and organized attitude.
This is much better than the two of them worrying about nothing like headless flies.
Turning his head to look around, he found that the opponents were just as his third brother's wife had predicted. Except for the children of those clans, the others had never been to school and didn't even know etiquette. They only knew how to teach children to kneel and kowtow, and how to say sweet words to please the teacher, which were useless things.
Looking at Jinhua and Jinbao again, with the help of Qin Yao's quick mnemonics, he could recite Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li, Zhou, Wu, Zheng and Wang very fluently.
They also know to stand up straight and bow properly.
The two brothers suddenly gained confidence in their own child.
Soon, a bell rang from the school. The people waiting for the test couldn't help but feel nervous and hurriedly gathered towards the school.
Jinhua and Jinbao were the first wave. Liu Bo and Liu Zhong encouraged the children, "Don't be afraid. Just do as your third aunt taught you. Show all your skills. Dad is waiting for you outside."
Jinbao Jinhua nodded, took a deep breath, and prepared to enter.
Qin Yao came up behind the two of them again and told them to pay more attention to the test rules. Even if we can't pass one level, there is always another level that we can pass. Don't slack off just because of the failure in the first level, which will affect your mentality for the next levels.
"Don't think of this as a test, just think of it as an opportunity to see the world. Aren't you always curious about what the school and the teacher are like? Today is a good opportunity to visit. I heard from your third uncle that the Ding family's school is better built than the county academy."
"Better than the county town?" Jin Bao asked in a low voice in surprise.
Qin Yao nodded, and both the brother and sister became curious. Their attention was diverted from the test, and their tense emotions were obviously relaxed.
Liu Bo and Liu Zhong once again gave Qin Yao a grateful smile. Really, if it weren't for her, they might not even have registered today.
(End of this chapter)