12dz Chapter 1462 Money isn't everything, but you can't do anything without it.
Chapter 1462 Money isn't everything, but you can't do anything without it.
Those who failed the provincial examination gradually returned to Yuanlu County.
As soon as Sun Shan spoke, he received the exam answers from the candidates a few days later.
Instructor Deng said sadly, "Sir, this time the entire army was wiped out, and not a single candidate made it onto the list. I am truly ashamed."
Sun Shan comforted him, saying, "Instructor, don't say that. The education in our Yuanlu County is just so-so, so it's understandable that no candidates made the list. Don't be sad."
Instructor Deng felt truly ashamed, after all, no matter how difficult the government was, it had always allocated funds to the county school.
Instructor Deng never encountered a local official who cared so much about the county school.
They not only provided exclusive materials but also answered students' questions, showing him great respect as an instructor.
Unfortunately, fate was unkind, and he failed the provincial examination, truly disappointing Lord Sun's expectations.
Sun Shan saw that Instructor Deng had a long face, just like Wang Jiaxing.
He smiled and said calmly, "It takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to cultivate a person. It's not something that can be accomplished in one or two years, but rather ten or even a hundred years. Education is a long-term endeavor. Instructor, don't be impatient, take your time."
It would be a lie to say we're not anxious. What about ten years, a hundred years, or a few years? Not to mention where Instructor Deng might be staying, Sun Shan might not even still be in Yuanlu County.
It's rare to encounter a county official who values education so much, yet the students still aren't achieving good results; otherwise, they'll never be able to.
Instructor Deng took a deep breath, as if making a firm decision, and said, "Sir, please rest assured. When I return, I will definitely urge the students to study hard and not be so carefree anymore. I will strive to achieve a good ranking in next year's academy examination."
Sun Shan patted Deng Jiao on the shoulder and encouraged him, saying, "Thank you, Instructor. It is their good fortune to have met you."
Instructor Deng shook his head: "Sir, it is the students' good fortune to have met you. I was just doing my duty, nothing worth mentioning."
Sun Shan and Instructor Deng chatted about this and that, and as they talked, Sun Shan transformed into a psychologist, offering advice to Instructor Deng.
Sun Shan: ...
It seems he needed comfort too, right? How did he end up becoming a spiritual mentor?
After seeing Instructor Deng off, Sun Shan worked overtime to review the candidates' answers to the provincial examination.
After watching it, it's better not to have watched it at all.
Before watching it, I had hope; after watching it, I felt deep despair.
The candidates who went to the provincial examination were so bad at "professional skills" that they couldn't even understand the question, let alone write a good essay.
Sun Shan sighed, his heart as still and stagnant as a pool of dark water, without a ripple.
Seeing Wang Jiaxing's answers, Sun Shan wished he could drag him over and have Gui Ge'er smash him with a stick.
Two of the questions on the "Four Books and Five Classics" were misread, and the source of the questions was not found correctly. How can one answer these questions?
There are also issues with judgment. If you're not even familiar with the "Great Qian Laws and Regulations," how can you judge cases?
The only bright spot was the poetry question, which was answered in a mediocre way, making him the tallest among the short.
Sun Shan was speechless and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Gui, what exactly has this Scholar Wang learned in the past year or so at the prefectural school? Not only has he not improved, he has regressed, he's even worse than standing still."
Although Wang Jiaxing accurately predicted the questions for the provincial examination, he was still able to accurately predict the other questions.
What about the provincial examination? The mistakes were absolutely outrageous; the questions were completely unanswerable. How can someone like that even take an exam? No!
It's better to stay home and be a leisurely person than to waste money on studying.
Gui Ge'er fanned Sun Shan and said casually, "Brother Shan, do you think all candidates are as smart as you? Don't you know what kind of person Wang Xiucai is?"
He's a master of empty talk, but utterly useless at everything else. His passing the imperial examination to become a scholar is entirely due to your excellent teaching. Once he entered the prefectural school, there were few capable professors, and given his laziness, his studies naturally declined.
"Sigh, I think it would be better for Scholar Wang to stay at the county school; at least with you keeping him in check, he wouldn't dare to misbehave. Once he's at the prefectural school, he'll be completely unrestrained, and he won't be able to concentrate on his studies at all."
He then sighed and said, "The mountains are high and the rivers are far, and Master Wang and Old Master Wang can't control him. Tsk tsk... That's just how Scholar Wang is; he can't improve any further."
Sun Shan was taken aback, then realized that Gui Ge'er's words made some sense.
Apart from a few geniuses, the path to the imperial examinations was all about relying on resources, connections, and hard work.
The academy has resources, but Wang Jiaxing is not an outstanding student, so the scales will not tip in his favor.
Coupled with a lack of connections and a lack of effort, one naturally falls into a state of decline.
Sun Shan once studied at the Zhangzhou Prefectural School, and he saw many scholars gradually lose themselves.
They indulged in romantic escapades, laughed at the world, and even participated in gambling and prostitution.
Students from particularly small towns, once they arrive in big cities, often make friends with bad company, and even the most talented can be dragged into a deep abyss from which they cannot escape.
When Wang Jiaxing arrived at the prefectural school, it was unknown whether he had made any bad friends or been led astray.
Sun Shan said to Gui Ge'er, "Have Master Wang and Old Master Wang come to the yamen tomorrow at noon. Tell them they have something to say about Wang Jiaxing's studies."
Gui Ge'er nodded: "Shan Ge, I understand."
He then added, "Brother Shan, you're so good to Wang Xiucai. He's really lucky to have met you. If you had had one or two professors personally tutoring him back then, becoming the top scholar would have been a certainty."
Sun Shan rolled his eyes at Gui Ge'er: "Gui Ge'er, you've been flattering me a lot lately, do you have some ulterior motive?"
Gui Ge'er immediately retorted: "Brother Shan, where did I flatter you? Do you know me? I would never flatter you. I'm always the most honest person, I always tell the truth."
Sun Shan ignored Gui Ge'er and continued to look at the other candidates' answers.
Upon reading Zhong Xiucai's article, he shook his head and said, "Zhong Xiucai's article is just ordinary; it's difficult."
Such an ordinary essay, to stand out in the provincial examination, is an almost impossible feat.
Gui Ge'er then said, "Shan Ge, Aunt Li said that Scholar Zhong is going back to the county school to study and will not go to the prefectural school anymore."
Zhong Xiucai was poor and his grades were not outstanding, so he could not attend the prefectural school on public funds. He had to scrape together money from various sources to finally enroll.
Despite my best efforts, I still failed the exam.
To ease the burden on his family, he had no choice but to sheepishly return to the county school to continue his studies.
Sun Shan sighed helplessly: "Money isn't everything, but you can't do anything without it. Scholar Zhong is quite perceptive; he didn't do anything that would put him in a difficult position. Returning to the county is also a way out."
Sun Shan recalled that after passing the county-level imperial examination, he went to Guangzhou Prefecture to take the provincial-level examination.
Unfortunately, his grades didn't improve, and he couldn't secure a free spot, so he had no choice but to return to the prefectural school with his head down.
Zhong Xiucai's current situation is even worse than mine; he can't even attend the prefectural school, and I'm afraid he'll have a hard time getting ahead in the future.
The imperial examination system was indeed cruel, with candidates being weeded out for all sorts of reasons.
Zhong Xiucai was like an impurity in the sand and gravel, and was ruthlessly eliminated.
Sun Shan continued reading the exam paper.
Upon seeing the chubby scholar Bai, his eyes lit up: "Oh my, although this chubby scholar Bai failed the exam, his studies have improved a lot compared to before. Hmm, very good."
After reviewing so many papers, Sun Shan was finally pleased to see that someone had made progress.
Gui Ge'er said cheerfully, "Brother Shan, don't call Bai Xiucai Fatty anymore. He's not fat anymore. He even treated Uncle Dali to dinner the other day. He was so thin. He lost a full 40 pounds. Oh my, he's become a slender scholar."
Sun Shan asked curiously, "What? Why are you so thin?"
I'm wondering if I should ask for weight loss tips? There are two people in my family who need them.