Making money, taking exams and supporting the family

chapter 84: Entrance Exam 1

As a modern person who had traveled through time, Lin Ze placed great emphasis on public relations and advertising.

Despite the old saying that "good wine needs no bush," better promotion could achieve even greater results than doing nothing at all.

Of course, Lin Ze's decision to admit merchants' children as students has had some impact on him.

No matter how high-end Lin Ze claimed to be, within the literati circles of this era, socializing with merchants was considered disgraceful and contemptible. Now, most of the scholars and young talents around Nanyang Town disdained to interact with Lin Ze, thinking he had degraded himself for money.

Fortunately, Lin Ze didn't care about these opinions. If these young scholars didn't want to associate with him, so be it. There were still three years until the next imperial examination, so everyone would just have to wait and see.

Most of the students who registered for the recruitment exam were merchants' children or very poor rural children who were eager to study. Those with even slightly better conditions and clean backgrounds did not come to register.

Seeing the list, Lin Ze could only sigh. In the Grand Ji Dynasty, scholarship was valued, and literati were divided into factions; a teacher's reputation affected a student's future prospects more than their actual knowledge.

Those merchants who came to register did so hoping he could guarantee their children would pass the entry exam, perhaps planning to switch to a more respected teacher if they succeed. To them, he was just a stepping stone.

Thus, Lin Ze felt no guilt about the high tuition fees he charged; it was simply a matter of mutual needs.

This time, there were about 30 merchants' children and over 100 poor rural children registered. Most of the farmers' parents were just trying their luck since the exam was free.

Since wealthy merchants often provided early education for their children, while poor families' children hardly had such opportunities, Lin Ze couldn't just rely on a written test for today's recruitment exam.

However, because most rural children were illiterate and their numbers were large, ordinary screening methods were impractical.

Therefore, Lin Ze had no choice but to first give a public lecture to the rural examinees and then conduct a temporary test. After screening out some, the remaining candidates would be easier to assess individually.

In an era where education was regarded as a sacred activity, Lin Ze's practice of public teaching was both refreshing and controversial.

However, Lin Ze was mentally strong and indifferent to the local scholars' annoyance at his unconventional methods. As long as his wife agreed and supported his madness, he didn't care about public opinion, especially not from a bunch of old-fashioned thinkers.

The news of the event drew an even larger crowd of curious onlookers, swelling the space at the east market entrance of Nanyang Town beyond its capacity, surpassing even festival gatherings.

Unlike a setup with barriers, the children sitting on small stools at the center of attention, surrounded by their more anxious and excited parents, felt the intense scrutiny.

"Look, that's my son, the one in the blue shirt in the third row, second from the left. I dressed him in new clothes especially for today..."

"Look at our son, sitting so straight, just like you, stern and strong..."

"My dear, why does our son look so uneasy? He's shaking. It's just being looked at, how can he pass the enrollment test at Ze Private School* with such timidity? Look at the neighbor's kid, so clever and alert."