Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Three: Preparing for the Child Exam

Chapter 133 Preparing for the Children's Imperial Exam

Tangyuan had been attending school for over half a year, and his teacher had conceived this idea because of his consistently good exam results during this period.

Of course, this suggestion wasn't just for Tangyuan; the teacher also spoke to other academically strong students and encouraged those who were slightly weaker to give it a try. Children from prominent families had many options; even if they didn't succeed the first time, it wouldn't be an issue.

The Children's Imperial Exam was relatively straightforward. Passing it qualified one to take the Xiucai and Juren exams, but each subsequent step became increasingly difficult, like scaling a sheer cliff. Some would reach the summit, some would fall halfway, and others would stall at the beginning, unable to advance further.

If Tangyuan wanted to take the Children's Imperial Exam after the New Year, preparations couldn't wait until the holiday. He needed to start early, as there were still over six months to go. To pass, he would have to study more diligently, even during breaks. It wasn't enough to just talk about taking the exam; he had to put in the effort.

Tangyuan looked at Lin Qiuran, then at Xiao Xun and Sun Shi, before finally turning back to Lin Qiuran and asking, "Mom, should I take the exam?"

In Lin Qiuran’s eyes, there was both happiness and a touch of bewilderment. She had originally thought he would need to study for at least two more years and take the exam when he was seven or eight. She hadn’t expected it to be next year. Even with her child excelling academically, as a parent, she still felt a little anxious.

She wasn't very familiar with scholarly matters. Modern education was different from ancient education, and the subjects studied were not the same. Xiao Xun and Sun Shi had even less formal education and couldn’t offer much advice, so they all looked to Lin Qiuran.

She said, "Since the teacher suggested it, then go for it. But from now on, even during monthly breaks, you’ll need to study more and not just think about playing. You have two monthly days off; we can hire a tutor for half a day during your break. What do you think?"

Lin Qiuran couldn’t help but think that if Tangyuan passed the Children's Imperial Exam, he wouldn’t be able to stay in his elementary class. The pace there would be too slow for him, and he’d have to transfer to another school where all the students were also child exam passers. To adapt better, he might even need to board at the academy earlier.

He was only five years old.

Tangyuan thought for a moment and asked, "What about after school? Will I have to study more then?"

If he had to study more after school, then forget it. Although accelerating through exams sounded impressive, it would be too much work, and he didn’t like that.

Lin Qiuran didn’t want to push him too hard. "As long as you complete your regular assignments and understand what you learned that day, that’s enough. Of course, if you want to study a bit more, Mom can also hire a tutor for you."

Tangyuan quickly shook his head. "That won’t be necessary. If everything else stays the same, I don’t mind having an extra half-day of lessons during the break. But it would be best to schedule that half-day on the same day as my zither lesson."

If he had to do it, he’d rather get it all done in one day so it wouldn’t interfere with his other day off. Otherwise, having two half-days occupied would leave him with no time to do anything else; he would feel rushed even going out.

Tangyuan was actually quite willing to take the exam. If he passed, it would be quite an achievement. While others hadn’t taken it yet, he would be a step ahead. Although Lin Qiuran had never explicitly said she hoped he would make a name for himself, Tangyuan took these things seriously. Since he was studying, he wanted to do well; otherwise, it would be a waste of time and he’d feel he had let himself down.

He wanted to be someone remarkable.

The matter was settled simply in the carriage. There were still a couple of weeks until the end-of-month break, so Lin Qiuran needed to hire a tutor for him. The first person she thought of was Mr. Huang, Tangyuan’s teacher at the academy, who was familiar with his academic level and could tutor him conveniently.

Lin Qiuran brought substantial gifts and personally visited Mr. Huang, who agreed to tutor Tangyuan. Mr. Huang was originally a renowned court scholar but had retired from court service due to his age. Though he was immensely learned and erudite, he had not intended to take on any disciples. However, Lin Qiuran showed proper respect, and Tangyuan was a likable child.

If Tangyuan passed the exam, Mr. Huang intended to take him on as his last personal disciple, hoping to nurture him into a pillar of the nation who could serve the country in the future.

Just as his father served the country, so should the son.

Although there were still six months to go, Mr. Huang believed that Tangyuan’s success was practically guaranteed. His academic performance was excellent, and he was sure to pass the exam the following year. The focus now was on targeted tutoring to help him stand out among the seven- or eight-year-olds, or even older children, and aim for the top score.

Lin Qiuran was unaware of these expectations and didn’t set her hopes too high. Tangyuan was still young, and there was no need to pressure him. Moreover, high hopes often led to greater disappointment. She decided to let things take their natural course; if he didn’t pass this time, he could always try again next year.

This was what Lin Qiuran told Tangyuan: "It’s fine, just do your best. If you don’t pass, it’s okay. Treat this as testing the waters for next year."

Sun Shi, however, took it very seriously. Although she didn’t understand much about studies, she made sure the maid brought Tangyuan some snacks and broths and soups every evening.

Eat well, study hard, and he was sure to do well.

Tangyuan couldn’t finish most of these snacks because he didn’t study much in the evenings anyway. The family meals were delicious, and he usually played after dinner. So, Lin Yang and the house servants ended up eating most of the snacks. But Tangyuan would tell Sun Shi that he had eaten them and that they were delicious, which made everyone happy.

When Lin Qiuran found out about this, she couldn’t help but say to Sun Shi, "Mom, don’t always bring up the exam with him or ask how his studies are going. He knows he needs to work hard, and we don’t need to push him. It’s good enough that he’s motivated on his own."

Sun Shi nodded. "Alright, I just wanted to help in some way. This child is clever, just like you. Xiao Xun is more burly and straightforward. But if I had sent him to study back then, maybe he would have worked hard to earn an official rank and wouldn’t have had to go through such life-threatening hardships."

Lin Qiuran comforted her, "You and Dad raising him was already a tremendous kindness. How could we ask for more?"

Sun Shi sighed. "Everything in this family was built by you and your husband. It must be destined. How could his birth parents bear to abandon such a good child? Over the years, we’ve asked around nearby, but there’s been no news. Perhaps heaven pitied my difficult life and gave me such a good son, and now you take care of me. I can enjoy my remaining years in peace."

Lin Qiuran felt a pang of sadness. She smiled at Sun Shi, held her hand, and said, "You’ve done an act of compassion, so you’re being rewarded."

At the end of the month, Lin Qiuran sent Tangyuan to Mr. Huang’s house for tutoring in the morning and music lessons in the afternoon. Seeing that he was adapting well, she focused on preparing for the opening of the new branch.

The branch was originally scheduled to open in late August, but due to continuous rain and Tangyuan’s tutoring, it was postponed. Unexpectedly, the delay pushed the opening to early September.

The chosen date was the third day of the ninth month. The original shop was in the south of the city and had been open for over half a year. The new branch was also in the same area but several streets away, which would help spread out the customers. Recently, the waiters had been mentioning the new branch’s upcoming opening when serving or billing, encouraging customers to check it out.

There were bound to be customers who lived closer to the new location. To celebrate the opening, both the old and new shops would offer discounts, and the new restaurant would also provide free drinks. Business was expected to be good.

Now, with another branch opening, Lin Qiuran wasn’t as nervous as she had been when the first shop opened after arriving in the capital. She knew the business would do well, the cooking skills hadn’t changed, and all that was left was to wait and just count the profits.

On the morning of the third day of the ninth month, Lin Qiuran went to the new shop early. Shopkeeper Zhu came to congratulate her.

Shopkeeper Zhu had been transferred to this branch, and a new manager had been hired for the old shop.

Shopkeeper Zhu, who had gained a little weight, cupped his hands respectfully and said, "Madam Lin, congratulations! There’s quite a crowd outside already. Business is sure to be good today."

Opening another branch essentially doubled the profits. Lin Qiuran also had the farmstead, from which supplies were sourced. Since the fourth and fifth months, there had been a noticeable increase in profits.

With the recent autumn harvest, a lot of grain had been delivered. The shop didn’t need to spend money on ingredients, which also helped reduce costs.

No other shops in the capital opened branches so quickly. Golden Tripod Restaurant truly had timing, location, and people on its side. Backed by the Count of Dingyuan’s estate and with excellent culinary skills, how could it not make money?

It was worth celebrating and being happy about.

Lin Qiuran smiled. "Congratulations to you too. The restaurant’s success today is thanks to your hard work, Shopkeeper Zhu. I thank you here first."

Shopkeeper Zhu waved his hand. "Ah, I’m just acting on your orders and doing my duty. The big decisions are still yours to make. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be where we are today."

Lin Qiuran didn’t want to engage in excessive pleasantries. She said, "After business hours today, each employee from both shops will receive a reward of one tael of silver and two catties of pork (approximately 1 kg)."

Then, Lin Qiuran called out to Lin Xia, who took a pouch from her sleeve and handed it to Shopkeeper Zhu. It contained five taels of silver.

Shopkeeper Zhu smiled as he accepted it. The Mid-Autumn Festival had just passed, and they had already received festival gifts. Now, they were getting more money. Lin Qiuran was truly generous.

When business was good, they all benefited. Shopkeeper Zhu repeatedly expressed his gratitude. "The hard work for the opening is only natural. Madam, you think too highly of us."

Even as he said this, he promptly pocketed the silver.

Lin Qiuran smiled and went to check the kitchen. Seeing that everything was in order, she went to the adjacent room reserved for her use. She sat there for a while, knowing that if anything came up, someone would come to find her.

Now, Lin Chun was managing the kitchen at the old shop, and Lin Ying was in charge of the new branch’s kitchen. Both were trusted people, so Lin Qiuran felt relatively at ease.

Around 10 AM, the sound of firecrackers erupted outside, lasting for over fifteen minutes. The crackling noise was very festive.

Even in the backyard room, Lin Qiuran could hear the lively chatter from the front.

It wasn’t yet mealtime, so most of the early arrivals were regular customers, securing seats in advance to avoid the crowd later.

People of all kinds came in, found seats, and looked around.

Some regular customers recognized each other. Their eyes met and lit up. "Hey, you’re here too?"

"Hey, what brings you here?"

"The new branch is opening with discounts, and their red-braised lamb is delicious—I’ve always had a weakness for it. It’s a shame they don’t serve it in summer, so I came as soon as it was available."

"I’m a fan of their red-braised pork belly. No other restaurant in the capital can match its flavor and texture. Just order a plate of red-braised pork belly and a plate of shredded potato stir-fry—take my advice—and pair it with a fermented rice steamed bun. It’s so satisfying."

Even after all these years, some people still prefer ordering just these two dishes.

A complete stranger chimed in, "Old timer, is the fermented rice steamed bun really that good? I’ve never tried it—I always go for the steamed dumplings."

"It’s delicious! It has this indescribable aroma. I haven’t tried the dumplings—why eat them outside when you can make them at home?"

Up north, folks eat dumplings a lot. Although Golden Tripod Restaurant offers shrimp and steamed dumplings, customers here rarely order them. Homemade ones have thin wrappers and generous fillings, so there’s little reason to get them out.

"Oh, but it’s different here—the filling is really tasty, something you can’t replicate at home," the man said, glancing at the menu. "I’ll change my order today and try the dishes you mentioned, plus two dumplings."

The customers chatted among themselves. "Aside from the red-braised pork belly, what else is good here?"

"Ginger Duck, spicy chicken—all delicious. They also have crab roe soup dumplings now—incredibly fresh and absolutely top-notch."

"You can order anything here blindly—there’s no bad dish. Even their stir-fried cabbage is different from other places. I’ve been eating at this restaurant for months. Sometimes it was too crowded, so I’m glad they finally opened a branch. They should’ve done it earlier."

The group sat together, some acquainted, some not, but everyone chatted lively without hesitation.

Drinks were served first. Since it wasn’t mealtime yet, some tables ordered cold dishes to kick things off.

"Look at this cold dish—even the chili oil is delicious, spicy and fragrant," a customer remarked after taking a bite. "Mmm, the taste hasn’t changed."

Shopkeeper Zhu observed the scene with relief. As long as the dishes maintained their consistent flavor, business would surely thrive.

How wonderful.

Lin Qiuran spent the entire day at Golden Tripod Restaurant. In the evening, her family came to dine there. Today, some even sent flower baskets to show support. She made sure to greet everyone who came, and by the end of the day, she had met many people and was pretty worn out.

Tangyuan thought the flavors remained unchanged, and the new additions to the menu were also delicious. There were several new river and seafood dishes, exceptionally fresh and sweet. However, these were seasonal and wouldn’t be available after autumn.

After finishing his meal, Tangyuan said, "The food is great—keep up the good work."

Lin Qiuran glanced at him. Tangyuan had invested three hundred taels in the new branch for a five percent stake, earning over ten taels in profit monthly.

He took the new branch very seriously, knowing that better business meant higher dividends for him.

Though young, he juggled school and making money without a hitch.