Ziying naturally wouldn't think of these things, she was immersed in joy, calculating the gifts for everyone in the family, how many pairs of earrings, and pendants should be one per person. Zifu listened to her muttering to herself, and lovingly rubbed her head.

  Zi Qing suddenly asked: "Big brother, what kind of pendant do you like? Otherwise, draw one yourself and let Master Li carve it out for you."

  "Hmm, let me think carefully, what kind of person does Qing'er like?"

  This also made Zi Qing stunned, and she couldn't figure it out even after returning home. After dinner, the whole family sat in the study room, Shen Shi making a long shirt for Zi Fu, Zeng Rui Xiang and Zi Fu reading books, Zi Lu, Zi Shou and Zi Xi practicing calligraphy, and Zi Qing learning to draw flower patterns.

  "Father, Mother, there's something I want to tell you."

  Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at him as soon as they heard Da Jia's serious tone.

  "I don't want to go to the prefectural school, I've thought it over and over again. I want to go to Baihe Academy, although the tuition is a bit higher, but the teachers there are all erudite scholars, which is still better than the prefectural school. Moreover, the discipline at Baihe Academy is strict and comprehensive, and it's said that they also offer courses in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I've always dreamed of going to Baihe Academy, I will definitely cherish these three years well. Father and mother, just let me go. If it were before, I wouldn't have dared to speak up, but now our family is not short of this bit of silver either."

  "It's not a matter of being a silver medalist, the entrance exam for Baihe Academy is very strict. If you want to go, you still need to take their entrance test, it's not just because you have a Xiucai identity. Moreover, the academy only has two breaks a year, one in summer and one during Chinese New Year, can you bear not going home for half a year? Can you take care of yourself? Have you considered these things?" Zeng Rui Xiang asked.

  "Dad, don't worry, I've been training at the county school for a few years now. Doing laundry and sweeping is no problem. The White Egret Academy has a cafeteria, so I'll definitely be able to get used to it. I've asked around, and this month's 20th is their entrance exam date. I'm all set. It's just that I have zero foundation in music, and as for chess, I only know a little bit. But other than that, I still have some confidence." Zifeng said.

  "Isn't it difficult? If I don't pass, can I still go to a provincial school?" asked Shen.

  "Of course you can. Don't worry. Get everything ready for Ziru to go to school tomorrow." Zeng Ruixiang patted her hand and said.

  "Go get the Go board and set it up, I'll play a few more rounds with you." Ziqing knew a thing or two about Go and watched for a while. She even made a few random moves, earning her a sideways glance from both of them.

  "Big brother, do you guys study math?" Zi Qing suddenly thought of.

  "Studying is important, of course. Every student should understand some math. You've forgotten that I even taught you when you were little. If you don't understand math, how will you manage the income from agriculture and commerce in the future when you take the imperial examination and become an official?" Zifu said.

  Zi Qing's interest was piqued upon hearing this. He said, "Then I'll tutor you in arithmetic. I learned Western numerals from a Western clock, and addition and subtraction are very convenient with them."

  Several pairs of eyes in the house stared at Zi Qing suspiciously. Zi Fu smiled and said, "Just now you said your math was taught by me, but now you're teaching Mr. instead?"

  Zi Qing patted his head. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then took the Western clock from the bookshelf beside him and pointed to it one by one, "This is what the clock seller told me, 12 o'clock at noon, 3 o'clock in the afternoon is also 12 o'clock, from 1 to 12 in sequence, haven't you all learned?" Zi Qing listed the addition and subtraction formulas from 1 to 99 with equations, letting them practice slowly by themselves. Everyone felt incredible, more straightforward than Chinese characters. Zi Fu habitually wanted to rub Zi Qing's hair again, but was dodged by him.

  "Is this something you came up with yourself?" Zeng Rui Xiang asked.

  "One part is, at the beginning, it was that jade seller who taught me, he learned a bit from Westerners, I learned it, and then filled in the rest. However, don't go bragging about it outside, lest you stir up unnecessary trouble, just knowing it yourself is enough. If big brother weren't taking an exam, I wouldn't have planned on saying it out loud." Zi Qing thought for a moment, and still warned a few sentences. Zeng Rui Xiang also knew that this matter could be either big or small, and followed with a few more warnings.

  After seeing off Zilu, Zifu was busy preparing for the exam and spent several days cooped up in his study. Ziqing didn't dare to disturb him easily. On the 20th day, early in the morning, Zeng Rui Xiang said he would take him to Bai Yue Academy, but Zifu politely declined, smiling: "A person has to grow up eventually, let's just say I've gone to county school, don't worry."

  The White Egret Academy is located in the east of Anzhou City, on a small island just outside the East Gate. When Zifeng arrived, he saw groups of people entering the academy in twos and threes. Inside, ancient trees towered above, green grass was like a carpet, fresh flowers were in full bloom, and the blue-bricked and blue-tiled buildings were covered with vines. The quiet atmosphere was filled with vitality. Zifeng gazed at the four powerful characters "White Egret Academy" for a long time before walking towards the gatehouse to register.

  The Shen family took Zi Yu to her mother's house early in the morning, while Zi Qing was alone at home, sitting on the floor of the study. It had been over four years since she came, and she felt that many things from her past life were gradually fading away, becoming blurred, and sometimes even thought it was just her own illusion. As soon as this idea flashed through her mind, Zi Qing became afraid, fearing that with the passage of time, she would no longer be able to recall the faces of her parents in her previous life, nor remember the laughter and tears they had shared. Zi Qing desperately tried to recall those memories, and as she did so, she burst into tears, crying bitterly for a long time.

  After crying, Zi Qing felt that she should do something, so she ran to the back mountain and pulled out a few goose hairs from the big white goose. She came back and dipped them in ink, using simple Chinese characters to record some things. She thought that when she had the chance, she would still open a glass factory, anyway, she wasn't the first one, and it wouldn't stir up too much of a commotion.

  Several hours passed, and Zi Qing's mood had also settled down. After putting away the things, Zeng Rui Xiang took the children home. After dinner, after sending them off, Zi Qing was idle and started drawing the house she wanted to build in the future. Zi Qing liked modern European-style villas, but Beijing's siheyuan were also good. If there was money, she would build both. Thinking of money, Zi Qing felt that she needed to think of ways to earn some extra money, so that she could do something in the future, such as exchanging for more jade or Western goods again. Every time she asked Shen Shi for money, it was a hassle to explain. It took several years for Zi Qing to save three or four taels of silver by embroidering handkerchiefs and pouches, which was too slow.

  Here is the translation:

  Speaking of Zi Qing, he was at home thinking deeply and anxiously. The examination at Bai He Academy had reached its most difficult part - the zither and chess sections, which were his weak points. As a poor commoner's son, where would he have the leisure time and money to learn these things? The zither could only be abandoned, but fortunately, the previous sections on calligraphy and painting had all gone smoothly, with excellent results. Fortunately, there was still one more section - arithmetic, which Zi Qing had intensively coached him in over the past few days, so it should not be a problem to get an excellent grade. Bai He Academy made its judgments on the spot, refusing admission if two sections were not passed, so when the teacher announced that Zi Fu had barely passed, his back was drenched with sweat, and he let out a sigh of relief.

  Because Zi Fu was about to leave home for several months, Zeng Rui Xiang still invited Old Master and Tian Shi over for a meal before he left. Also invited were Li Zheng, San Po Po, Si Po Po, Xia Yu and Qiu Yu naturally followed. Old Master knew that Zi Fu had been admitted to Bai Yue Academy and said a few good things.

  Tian's family then pulled Zi Fu's hand and kept reminding him, saying: "You child, the last few times you went out without telling Grandma, this time is also going to leave before coming to tell Grandma, Grandma didn't prepare anything for you, you're on your own outside, be careful with everything, take care of yourself, in the future Grandma will rely on you..."

  "Yes, Zifeng, you're the eldest in the Zeng family, and you've set a good example for your younger brothers. The future of the Zeng family depends on you, so you must remember that you come from the Zeng family. Because of you and your father, my grandsons have also started working hard. You brothers must unite and become as strong as a rope, then outsiders won't dare to bully you easily. Also, for the sake of your mother's past hardships, you must strive to make a name for yourself." said Sanpopo.

  Zi Fu hurriedly responded, and Tian Shi glanced at San Bao with a slanted gaze, saying: "My grandson naturally knows who is far and who is near. What about the Zeng family? Such a big household, can my grandson handle it?"

  Li Zheng listened and said, "Zi Fu is not only the pride of the Zeng family, but also the pride of the entire Dongtang Village. Today, I originally wanted to bring that stinky kid from my house over, so he could learn from you properly. However, when it was time to leave, he actually felt embarrassed and said he would wait until he had learned well before coming to compete with you. This stinky kid really doesn't know his place! But since he can sit down and study peacefully, I must truly thank your family."

  Zi Qing wasn't very interested in listening to the elders' chat, and when she saw Xia Yu and Qiu Yu studying the new window screens in the house, she didn't think much of it either, so she went into the kitchen to help Shen Shi with her work.

  In the evening, the family sat in the study room. Zifeng was sorting out the books and other things he needed to take with him. Shen Shi was packing clothes, shoes, and socks. Zishou looked at his older brother with envy and said that he would also go to Baihe Academy in the future. Zixi, who was already five years old, had been learning for a few months and said: "When I have money, I will set up my own Baihe Academy."

  Zi Xi's words made everyone laugh loudly, and also alleviated some of the sorrow of parting. After all, Zi Fu was leaving for a long time and wouldn't be able to take a break until December 15th, Shen Shi's heart was reluctant, always worrying that the child would not eat well or dress warmly.

  "Daughter, don't worry, I'm the eldest in the family. Since childhood, I've taken care of my younger siblings, so how can I not take care of myself? Besides, our family has been through poverty for over a decade, we couldn't even afford to eat our fill, let alone have good food. It's only been a few years since then, how could I forget my roots so quickly and be unable to adapt to the college cafeteria food? You just take care of yourself." Zifeng advised.

  Shen's tears flowed even more uncontrollably after hearing Zi Fu's words, and Zeng Rui Xiang could only coax her into the bedroom, whispering softly to her for a long time.

  Ziying leaned her head on Zifu's knee, and her heart was also sour, very reluctant to part. The care given by this elder brother was not inferior to that of the elder brother in her previous life. Ziying often felt dizzy, taking them as the same person. This bone-and-flesh relationship had long been integrated into her blood.