boyutpedia Chapter 1607 Setting up the Examination Hall
Chapter 1607 Setting up the Examination Hall
The aftermath of the fire remains unknown, and it's already mid-February, the annual county examination is about to begin.
In the busiest office, the examination room, Sun Shan was only responsible for setting and grading the examination papers.
Cui, the clerk of the ceremonial office, accompanied Sun Shan with a smile as they inspected the examination venue.
The examination venue in Yuanlu County was really rudimentary, comparable to that in Huangyang County.
They were all temporarily constructed using wooden planks. After the exams, the planks were collected and kept for use the following year.
However, the examination venue wasn't too bad; at least they had built a makeshift examination shed with wooden planks.
With a fawning smile, Clerk Cui suggested, "Sir, why don't we build an examination hall in Yuanlu County? That way, we won't need to build examination sheds every year."
Construction projects are great; there's money to be made.
Hehe, to build an examination hall, we need a gift room and a workshop.
Heh heh, Clerk Cui and Clerk Liu conspired to profit from the project.
Sun Shan shook his head and sighed, "I also want to build an examination hall, but unfortunately the treasury has no money. Alas, our Yuanlu County is not like other big places, where there are local gentry and wealthy people to provide financial assistance. We have to rely entirely on the government. It's very difficult."
He paused, then looked intently at Clerk Cui: "Clerk Cui, could it be that you can find funding for Yuanlu County? If so, I must thank you on behalf of the candidates from Yuanlu County."
Clerk Cui: .....
I was sweating profusely, and my head was covered in cold sweat.
He shook his head repeatedly and said, "Sir, don't you know my situation? Sigh, if I had such abilities, my family wouldn't need to live in the village."
My lord, my poor old mother and father are still living a hard life in the countryside. I want to bring them to live in the city, but I can't. My lord, I am ashamed..."
Clerk Cui was terrified by Sun Shan's words and quickly cried out that he was poor.
Since Sun Shan took office, anyone who flaunts their wealth is considered a sucker.
You must pretend to be as poor as possible. If you show your true colors, Sun Shan will definitely take everything from you with a knife.
Sun Shan glanced at Clerk Cui speechlessly.
If he has no money, who will? Don't be fooled by the fact that the gift room is a seemingly mundane position; it's actually quite lucrative.
Especially during the upcoming county-level examinations, there was ample opportunity to profit from the candidates. Both the regular schools and the county school had to deal with the ceremonial office. This interaction naturally led to illicit income.
In a village, if you want to open a private school, you can't just open it whenever you want. You have to register with the county school and get a "business license".
Hehe, Cui the clerk can make a profit through this process.
With the occasional spot checks and inspections, the school had to bribe officials to pass the inspections. This allowed Clerk Cui to amass a fortune once again.
The Department of Ceremonies is a pretty good department, with little work and plenty of free time, and you can even earn extra money occasionally. It's perfect for retirement.
After inspecting the examination hall, Sun Shan then approached Instructor Deng to inquire about the progress of students entering the county school.
Instructor Deng said with great confidence, "Sir, our students are improving year by year, and I believe they will achieve good results in this county examination."
Sun Shan nodded in satisfaction: "Instructor Deng, thank you for your hard work."
Whether the students perform well or not at the county school isn't actually that important. The examiners are like Sun Shan (a famous Chinese scholar known for his mediocre skills), and in the end, it's still the local students who are taking the exams.
Sunshan needs many junior students to advance in their studies, trading quantity for quality.
So he asked, "Instructor, how many students are there this year?"
Instructor Deng reported a number of people.
He said happily, "Sir, there are more children entering school this year than last year. Given time, our Yuanlu County will surely produce more outstanding candidates for the imperial examinations."
Sun Shan nodded, then said, "Instructor, there's something I need to ask of you."
Instructor Deng asked curiously, "Sir, what is it? Please speak freely."
Sun Shan smiled and said, "I trouble the instructor to go to the countryside and check how many children are still enrolled in school. See what level the children in each school have reached. The county school is certainly important, but the schools in each village and township are also very important."
He then said regretfully, "It's a pity that Yuanlu County has limited financial resources, otherwise I would definitely select good students from various villages and towns to study at the county school."
If you don't want to bury talent, it's best to search in various places. If you find promising talents, not only should they receive free education, but their living expenses should also be covered, and they might even receive subsidies.
For example, in China, talent selection involves passing exams at each level. If someone is truly outstanding, they certainly won't be overlooked.
In particular, sports selections are conducted directly in rural towns and villages to ensure the continuity of talent.
Selection within the elite circles of the wealthy often results in a lack of successors, or even a generational gap, ultimately leading to a complete mess.
Take the entertainment industry, for example. In the past, it was always handsome men and beautiful women paired together.
Nowadays? Haha, the children of capitalists bring their own funding to the production team, and their appearance is... well, let's just say it's not what you'd expect.
The so-called handsome men and beautiful women on the internet are all created by buying traffic; their actual aesthetic sense has been downgraded and turned into an appreciation of ugliness.
When Instructor Deng heard that Sun Shan wanted to select promising students from various townships, his eyes lit up.
He said admiringly, "Sir, your method is excellent. By selecting all the top students for the county school, Yuanlu County's academic performance will surely shine brightly in time."
Seeing how excited Instructor Deng was, Sun Shan quickly poured cold water on his enthusiasm: "Instructor, your plan is good, but unfortunately, you're short of money."
To put it bluntly, studying is really about acquiring wealth and resources. Alas, the treasury of Yuanlu County is empty; even with grand plans, nothing can be accomplished.
Instructor Deng hung his head as the cold water was splashed on him.
He said listlessly, "What you say is true, sir. Studying is all about family wealth and money. As the saying goes, even a hero can be brought down by a penny. To study, besides being naturally intelligent, one must have the opportunity to enter a school. Alas, the situation in Yuanlu County is obvious to all, and even if your suggestion is good, it is difficult to implement."
It would be a lie to say I have no regrets, but we also need to consider reality.
Instructor Deng was not the kind of detached scholar who was oblivious to worldly affairs; he was acutely aware of the costs of education.
Sun Shan turned to comfort him and said, "Your Excellency, do not despair. I will do my best to find a solution."
Talent requires financial investment, and wealthier areas tend to produce more talent. Therefore, Yuanlu County's most pressing need is to boost its economic development.
Instructor Deng reached out and grabbed Sun Shan's hands tightly: "Sir, I believe in you."
Don't question it; just believe unconditionally.
As long as the yamen's slush fund has money, Lord Sun will definitely transfer it to the county school.
Deng Jiaoyu had never encountered a county magistrate who emphasized both education and practice.
The examination hall was set up a few days ago, and the annual county examination officially began. Students had to get up early, and Sun Shan, as one of the examiners, also had to get up early.
Sun Shan once thought that after high school, he would never have to get up so early again. But after all the twists and turns, he still had to go through it, which was truly miserable.
Sun Bomin and Su Shi got up earlier than Sun Shan and watched Sun Shan, dressed in official robes, walk toward the county school.
Two pairs of cloudy eyes shone with an unusual brilliance.
Sun Bomin said excitedly, "My dear wife, our Shanzi is really capable. He's actually become an examiner and set exam questions for the students."
Madam Su was also very excited: "My dear husband, yes, he truly deserves to be the top scholar in Zhangzhou Prefecture. Our Shanzi has really brought us honor."
Uncle Sun shouted excitedly, "Shanzi, Uncle's Shanzi, set good questions and test your students well. You are Uncle's greatest pride."
Sun Bomin, Su Shi, and Uncle Sun San had an endless admiration for cultured people all their lives. Seeing their Shanzi become an admirable person within reach, they were incredibly excited.
Sun Shan's official robes, in particular, made them incredibly proud.