The Daily Life of a Rich Peasant's Boy in the Imperial Examination

Sun Shan seemed to have waited for a long time, but in fact it was only two cups of tea.

When Instructor Deng brought Little Huming out, Sun Shan couldn't help but feel nervous.

Looking at Hu Ming's timid appearance, he muttered to himself: Could it be that his knowledge is not solid at all, and his usual image of a "nerd" is just a false prosperity. In reality, there are always people better than you, and he is nothing if he tries to make a living.

As the saying goes, when there is a dragon in the village, there will be a ground dragon.

Sun Shan winked at Gui Ge'er, who understood immediately and led Hu Ming out.

Sun Shan got straight to the point: "Teacher, these past few years, I've either been in Beijing preparing for the imperial examinations or serving as an official. I've done very little for my adopted son, and I have only a vague understanding of his academic progress. Teacher, just tell me the truth."

When Teacher Deng saw how serious Sun Shan was, he knew that he valued his adopted son very much.

Yes, if they didn’t take it seriously, they wouldn’t bring it to the post, let alone come to see the master in person.

Teacher Deng has always admired Sun Shan's investment in the county school. Since his parents want to hear the truth, he must tell the truth.

I wanted to say it was 70% good to 90% good, but now I can only say it is 70% good.

Teacher Deng said bluntly, "Sir, your son is a diligent and studious student, hardworking, and talented. Perhaps because he was previously educated in the village school, his knowledge is limited. You understand what's in the textbooks, but once the scope is expanded, he becomes clueless."

Having said that, Sun Shan already understood Hu Ming's situation.

In other words, you know the general meaning of the contents in the book, but you don’t know it if you go deeper, and you won’t be able to generate any thoughts.

To walk on the narrow path of the imperial examination, it is not enough to just remember the definitions in the books; more expanded knowledge is required to assist.

Hu Ming has always been taught by Zheng Tongsheng, and Sun Shan knows better than anyone how much Zheng Tongsheng has in his head.

When I first studied at Zheng's School, I only learned to read and had a basic understanding of the meaning of the books. I had no way of learning more from Zheng Tongsheng.

The reason why Sun Shan stands out is that he studied hard for ten years in his previous life, so he is better than ordinary children.

In fact, it is not just Zheng Tongsheng, Hong Xiucai is also the same. They are good teachers, but they are not learned teachers.

If you want to make progress, you must go out and find a teacher.

Sun Shan was lucky enough to be able to study at Yuelu Academy, and with his experience in his previous life, he was able to become the "first Jinshi" in Zhangzhou Prefecture.

On the road to the imperial examination, unless one is gifted, an ordinary child like him can only rely on external resources and be taught step by step by good teachers.

Although Hu Ming is smart, he is not a genius, and is even further away from being gifted. Moreover, Hu Ming is not a time traveler, nor is he reborn. He has no memories of his previous life, nor does he have rich life experience.

If you want to take the single-plank bridge of the imperial examination, you must lay a good foundation from a young age and find a good teacher.

Sun Shan certainly hoped that Hu Ming could reach the capital, climb the Gaoke in spring, and ascend to heaven.

But it would be nice to be able to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar.

Teacher Deng saw Sun Shan's frown, a hint of disappointment in his eyes, so he said soothingly, "Sir, you are still young. You can take your time. Don't worry. Some people may be slow to learn, but once they reach a certain age, they may make rapid progress. You are diligent and eager to learn. God will reward hard work. You will definitely succeed in high school, just like you."

Parents are always full of expectations for their children. Teacher Deng has been a teacher for decades and has met all kinds of parents.

Even though Sun Shan was the county magistrate, he was just an ordinary parent who wanted his sons to become successful and his daughters to become outstanding.

Sun Shan bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you, Master, for telling me the truth. I've been so busy with all sorts of things that I've neglected my child's studies."

Teacher Deng waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Sir, please don't say that. Your Excellency is young, hardworking, and has a certain talent. From today on, if you start learning again, word by word, with time, you will surely surpass your teacher."

No matter how empty and pretentious Deng's words were, Sun Shan was still comforted.

Yes, Hu Ming is only a few years old and still young. What he learned before was not solid enough. He has to throw away everything and rebuild the foundation, step by step, and take it slowly.

I don't expect to pass the imperial examination at such a young age like myself, but it would be nice to pass the imperial examination like Zhu Pengyun.

Sun Shan smiled with relief. "Teacher, please explain to me in detail where Hu Ming is lacking and where he is better than the average person."

After a pause, he explained, "Teacher, those involved are often confused, but those who are on the sidelines can see things more clearly. I am Hu Ming's adoptive father, and I see everything good about him. I can't see his flaws. Teacher, it's different. You have been teaching for decades and have seen all kinds of students. You can tell the good and bad of the guards at a glance. Teacher, please speak up so that you can learn from Hu Ming's strengths and overcome his weaknesses in the future."

Teacher Deng saw that Sun Shan was serious and could not help but admire him.

I have seen many parents who can accept the good in their children but cannot accept the bad in them.

There are not many parents like Sun Shan who listen to both the advantages and disadvantages of their children.

No wonder he was able to pass the imperial examination at such a young age. This kind of demeanor is rare in the world.

Teacher Deng and Sun Shan were good friends, and they shared the same ideals in "educating students." He analyzed Hu Ming's strengths and weaknesses to Sun Shan in detail.

To sum it up: Hu Ming has talent, but it's not a natural talent. Sun Shan needs to carefully cultivate his talent. Ideally, he should be trained from a young age by famous teachers and classics. He doesn't expect to reach the top, but being in the middle is possible.

After hearing Instructor Deng's analysis, Sun Shan's heavy heart couldn't help but relax.

It’s okay as long as Hu Ming is not a bad student. After all, bad students are hopeless.

Hu Ming is still full of hope, relying on the principle of "everything depends on human efforts".

Sun Shan chatted with the teacher for the whole morning. They started with talking about Hu Ming and then gradually turned to talking about the county school.

Finally, the teacher said, "Sir, I heard that you are good at mathematics. Could you please tell me how to learn it well? Well, my mathematics is only average, and the teachers at the county school are also average. So my mathematics is even more average.

Last time, Mr. Wang took the college entrance examination, he got all the math questions right. He said that it was thanks to your good teaching that he achieved such a good result. "Sir, could you share some methods with students and explain how to learn math well?"

Nowadays, the imperial examinations, starting with the academy examinations, all require mathematics. Although the proportion is small, it is still a scoring subject.

Teacher Deng hoped that the students could get all the points in the small categories. As for the large categories, his knowledge was limited and could not catch up with those in the provincial school.

Sun Shan thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Okay, I'll find some time to teach the students how to do math problems. Once you understand the patterns, math problems will be easy to solve."

Sun Shan was also thinking about whether he should publish a mathematics book in his spare time, specifically for the college entrance examination.

Now that he is only a county magistrate, the college entrance examination is his top priority.

So that more students under his jurisdiction can pass the imperial examination and become scholars.

Teacher Deng was delighted to see Sun Shan's willingness to teach. "Thank you, sir! The people of Yuanlu are fortunate to have such a caring official as you. My students and I are looking forward to your coming to the county school to give lectures."