In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!
Chapter 1204 - 1116: Different Attitudes

Chapter 1204: Chapter 1116: Different Attitudes

These extracurricular "miscellaneous books" would certainly have been put away by these aristocratic families on the eve of the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination.

Indeed, there had never been such a precedent before, where questions even extended beyond the "Four Books" and "Five Classics," catching the offspring of aristocratic families off guard. And Su Ke had been crafty, having just happened to hear about it from his fourth sister before the Autumn Imperial Civil Service Examination, which led him to review them. Otherwise, he would have been unable to answer as well.

His words greatly satisfied Lei Yin.

Strictly speaking, Su Ke had only been taught by several tutors in rotation at the academy and had not undergone systematic training like those from the big families and clans.

It was only after the Autumn Imperial Civil Service Examination that he saw Su Ke’s talent and reluctantly adopted the title of mentor.

Although he held strong hopes for Su Ke, he naturally preferred Xue Qian, who was genuinely mentored by him, to succeed in the high school examination.

Regrettably, things did not go as wished!

Fortunately, Su Ke was sensible and offered a ladder for him to step down gracefully, and he naturally followed along.

"You see, this little scoundrel’s antics have made Zi Yun the subject of ridicule."

Lei Yin felt somewhat embarrassed himself and scolded a bit more before turning back and instructing them earnestly, "However, Zi Yun, although you have achieved good results, do not become arrogant. Both of you still have a palace examination to attend, and you must not relax. Remember to do your utmost, so as to live up to the years of hard study you have put in."

Zi Yun was Su Ke’s courtesy name.

At this time of the Metropolitan Examination, once someone was listed, there wasn’t a concept of retaking the exam as in later generations.

And the distinction between a Jinshi Scholar and his peers, though only a word apart, was immense. Once they entered officialdom, promotions and evaluations would be based on this. Although one could be promoted from a lower official position, this qualifying milestone for entering officialdom could not be amended.

"Do not worry, mentor. Su Ke will definitely heed your teachings," said Su Ke respectfully as he bowed. Then, he took out a gift box containing an inkstone that his grandfather had handed to him just before, and presented it with both hands to Lei Yin.

"This inkstone has been passed down in the Su Family. As the disciple is about to leave, my grandfather personally gave it to the mentor as a token of gratitude for your teachings."

Initially, when Lei Yin saw Su Ke presenting a gift, he was about to scold him.

However, once he heard it was an inkstone, his expression changed. He wasn’t interested in money, but he was very interested in stationery items like inkstones.

He eagerly opened the gift box and carefully held up the inkstone, examining it closely for a long while.

Xue Qian, too, with a sycophantic grin, leaned in and chuckled, "Mentor, it is said that ’The best inkstones are those where the stone grinds the ink well, followed by color, and then the craftsmanship. The natural decorations, although beautiful, do not make it any more functional as an inkstone.’ Do you like this inkstone, mentor?"

"Judging an inkstone generally involves four aspects: material, quality, craftsmanship, and inscription," Lei Yin’s fingers gently traced the textures around the inkstone. "That is to say, one should first look at the material. The stone should be warm and not overly dry, with a fine and dense texture, hard but not stubborn. One should feel its texture, tap it to listen, and discern its density. A finely textured feel indicates a high-quality stone. When tapped gently, different stones also produce slightly different sounds. Duan Yan is best when it produces a wooden sound, tile sound is second best, and metal sound is the least preferred. The Shezhou inkstone should be crisp, and the Helan inkstone should produce an empty sound. Then look at its overall quality..."

Lei Yin examined the inkstone meticulously, speaking knowledgeably about it, his attention completely captivated by this particular inkstone.

"Uncle, where does this inkstone originate from?"

While he spoke, Xue Qian stole a moment and slyly winked at Su Ke, making a mischievous face.

Su Ke almost laughed out loud, but he managed to restrain himself in time.

"This inkstone is clearly a Duan Yan. Look, this inkstone ’feels heavy yet light, tough yet soft. Touching it feels like touching a child’s skin, warm and tender without being slippery’—using it doesn’t harm the brush at all, suitable for producing vivid ink. It’s quite favored by hermits and scholars, never falling out of fashion!"

The more Lei Yin looked at it, the more he loved it, and his satisfaction increased with each glance. This softened his attitude toward Su Ke a bit.

"A valuable steed matches a fine saddle; this Duan Yan receiving the mentor’s affection is indeed its best destiny."

Su Ke clasped his fists, genuinely sighing.

"Since it is your token of filial respect, as your mentor, I shall accept it."

He really loved this inkstone and casually set it to one side then turned to Su Ke with a smile, "Do you know that your success in becoming a Tribute Scholar this time was really perilous?"

Su Ke inexplicably thought of Little Shitou going to check the result list, and the things Little Shitou had said when he returned. A thought flashed through his mind, and he hurriedly stepped forward to inquire.

"Mentor, what do you mean by that?"

"The meaning is simple: your success this time is also related to me as your mentor."

Lei Yin then started to explain everything from the beginning.

Last time, Lei Yin had summoned Su Ke to inquire how he had fared in the exams, and Su Ke had naturally answered meticulously. At the end, he even showed Lei Yin the draft papers of his dossier.

Lei Yin praised him greatly after seeing it. When he went back, he even took the draft with him. The more he read it carefully at home, the more he appreciated the profound implications in it, exclaiming ’wonderful’ repeatedly!

Thinking about how he had inquired about Xue Qian’s dossier, he didn’t hold much hope for Xue Qian successfully ranking high. As the premier among the Four Major Academies, Yingtian Academy to remain prestigious, its students must stand out in the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination.

An academy without students shining in the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination couldn’t last long. Over the years, he had focused on Xue Qian, tutoring him with great care. Seeing that Xue Qian’s success seemed unlikely, he naturally had to look for another solution...

His mind was a whirl of thoughts, and on the day of the results announcement, he went early to wait at the entrance of the examination hall.

Fortunately, the examination hall was set up in the Grand Academy, and he was friends with the head of the Imperial Academy. That day, when he saw two Apricot Lists being continuously posted and only the top five positions remaining unposted, he still maintained a calm demeanor, which naturally piqued the curiosity of the head of the Imperial Academy.

He jested at that moment, "Wasn’t it heard that this year you personally recommended a student? Yet, I don’t see your recommended student ranking high. What’s the matter, old fellow, feeling discouraged today?"

"Discouraged? Humph!"

Lei Yin, looking extremely smug, replied, "With the capabilities of my disciples, they are sure to place in the top five in this Spring Examination. If not, I’ll wash your feet for you!"

"Oh, what a situation this is!"

Immediately interested, the head of the Imperial Academy said, "You are that confident? Or is it that you have some kind of... hmm? Unspeakable secret?" As he spoke, he even winked at him.

There are always a lot of predetermined results in the Spring Imperial Civil Service Examination.

As an academician at Yingtian Academy, obtaining a predetermined spot, though difficult, was not impossible, hence his confidence.

"Nonsense!"

This comment made Lei Yin explode in anger, jumping up and even swearing.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.