Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 411: Unfair Assessment

The first month had not yet ended, when Ding Xiang and his two sons set out for the Capital City.

Receiving the news in advance, Qin Yao and Liu Ji rushed a carriage to Jinshi Town to see them off from a distance.

The young lady was dressed in a thick red riding outfit, mounted on a tall horse outfitted with a complete silver saddle, astonishing many.

Before Mr. Ding returned, no family in Kaiyang County had seen a lady appear in such a manner.

Originally, only members of the Ding Clan were there to bid farewell, but by the time the procession reached the vicinity of Kaiyang County, the roadside was already filled with people.

Students from the county academy had come upon hearing the news, just to catch a glimpse of the lady of the Ding Clan.

On this day, that set of red riding outfit bewitched countless young men.

Such a high-profile entry into the Capital, it truly made the Ding Clan stand out in Kaiyang County.

Moreover, Ding Xiang’s attire upon departure became the object of imitation among the young ladies of Kaiyang County.

Mr. Ding hailed from the Capital City and married a woman from the Five Surnames; his daughter’s attire must surely be the latest fashionable makeup in the capital!

For a while, all the red silk and cloth sold in the city’s embroidery rooms were completely sold out, demand far exceeding supply.

With the factories having just resumed work before the new year, the first batch of stock was leftover from last year, and once sold out, more red cloth wouldn’t be available until February.

Under such circumstances, any young ladies who could don that red riding outfit reaped plenty of social esteem in Kaiyang County.

It was pitiful for the common women marrying around the same period, their wedding dresses hard to come by, and even when obtained, the price was double the usual.

Fortunately, this rather manic red attire craze was soon overshadowed by the second nationwide free enrollment school competition.

February 2nd marked the day when various academies in Kaiyang County held their enrollment competitions.

Compared to last year, the entire enrollment process was much more mature, with rules established, no longer as hasty and chaotic as the previous year.

Nonetheless, according to last year’s situation, families that arrived early evening the day before and queued all night at the academy gates were quite put through the wringer.

Information gaps exist always, whether in the past or the future.

Those who master the information gap can gain an advantage over others.

On the day of sending Ding Xiang’s family to the Capital, after seeing them off, Qin Yao and Liu Ji arrived at Ding Family Manor to visit the two teachers of Third Brother and Fourth Sister.

As it turns out, the reputation of being Great Scholar’s Disciple indeed works wonders.

Liu Ji, riding on the prestige of his teacher, easily inquired about this year’s criteria for free enrollment from the two teachers.

Even more so, upon learning that the enrolling child is Liu Ji’s niece, they generously offered that just a word from him would secure the child’s entrance to school, no need for the competition.

Liu Ji was very tempted but decisively declined.

It’s easy to repay a favor for some information, but repaying a free enrollment slot is not so simple.

Moreover, this is not like it used to be; the teacher’s status becomes more useful the higher it is, and with higher prestige comes higher demands.

This favor should not be casually mentioned, but once mentioned, it should certainly be substantial.

Besides, Liu Ji has great confidence in their Jinhua, knowing that she absolutely doesn’t need the teachers of the Ding Family to open the back door; she can pass the competition and enter on her own.

However!

"Master, have other children come to inquire about this?" Liu Ji asked, testing the waters.

To indirectly find out how many slots actually remain.

The teacher hurriedly waved his hand, asserting that rules were rules, and such exceptions he would only make for Great Scholar’s Disciples, others don’t have his endorsement.

This statement made Liu Ji’s heart swell with pride, as he laughed, "It seems I am truly one of a kind." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The teacher smiled gently, "Indeed!"

Having inquired what he wanted, Liu Ji and Qin Yao rose to take their leave.

The teacher escorted them to the main road, and as the couple boarded the carriage and drove away, they could still hear the teachers’ reminders:

"Take care, see you at the enrollment competition..."

On the carriage, Liu Ji’s previously beaming smile instantly disappeared, "These two, who knows how many slots they’ve promised outside."

Qin Yao chuckled softly, "Isn’t this expected? You and I know to visit the teachers, wouldn’t others think of it as well? Even if they can’t skip the enrollment competition, gathering some information about it is beneficial."

"Moreover, this year there are fifty enrollment slots, our Jinhua is learning well, already aware of the competition content, entry is surely unavoidable."

The words may be right, but having experienced the resit before, Liu Ji felt a bit uneasy inside.

Until February 2nd, the day of the enrollment competition, when he heard the steward of Ding Family announce the competition process, he secretly sighed in relief.

Qin Yao observed keenly, finding that there were also several other parents showing similar expressions as Liu Ji.

The family didn’t come, just the couple alone brought Jinhua, driving the carriage to register.

Liu Zhong was worried about not being eloquent enough, causing the child to feel upset, paired with the factory’s busyness, neither he nor Mrs. Qiu came.

Da Lang and siblings had already enrolled the day before and were currently attending classes.

The enrollment test venue was set outside on the small square area near the Ding Family Ancestral Hall, with 285 people registered.

Familiar villagers gathered together, adults and children alike, crowding the small square fully.

This year, the written exam was canceled, perhaps due to too many participants and the skyrocketing cost of paper and pen, which the Ding Family couldn’t bear.

The assessment process simplified to one task: reciting as much as possible within fifteen minutes, with those who recited the most ranked highest; the top fifty by rank would gain entry.

The teachers considered that many children weren’t literate, thus prepared to read aloud the recitation content for them.

If a child has a foundation, naturally they have a greater advantage.

But for those children with no foundation, this assessment approach was undoubtedly fairly relaxed.

The assessments were still conducted in batches, fifty per group, over two days.

Jinhua drew lots for her spot, securing a session on the second morning, both relieved and tense anew.

Noticing the child’s nervousness, Qin Yao fondly stroked her braid and asked softly, "Do you want to stay here and watch others’ assessments or shall we go straight home?"

Since they already knew the content thanks to Liu Ji, Jinhua had already memorized it by heart.

Jinhua thought for a while and replied, "Auntie, I want to go home."

The examination area was enclosed, so there was nothing to be seen; better to go home and study more.

Qin Yao nodded, "Alright, then let’s head home."

Qin Yao called back Liu Ji, who was squeezing in the crowd for fun, and the couple drove the carriage back home.

Unexpectedly, not long after they left, someone brought government officers directly to Ding Family Ancestral Hall square, storming into the assessment area and taking away two teachers.

It was discovered that the assessment at Ding Family School was unfair, with teachers privately selling assessment content, and the Lord County Magistrate detained them at the government office, issuing a stern warning.

If not for their Scholar status and the fact that the new free enrollment decree from the court had not yet established reward laws, the two would not have walked out of the county government unscathed.