As expected, registration closed right at noon. Clara and the others, already signed up and waiting, turned to look behind them—an endless line of people was still queuing.
When word spread that the deadline had passed, the crowd could only sigh in frustration, blaming themselves for not arriving earlier.
The steward announced the afternoon examination schedule, dividing the children into groups. Chad and Deb, Ryder and Rosie—were split into two batches.
Ryder and Rosie's turn would come first. The twins would follow later.
Clara checked the sun—it was still early. Calm as ever, she decided to take the children into town for lunch before returning.
This composure was in stark contrast to the other parents huddled anxiously under the trees, whispering last-minute instructions to their children.
Brandon was restless. His children had no foundation at all—not even able to hold a brush properly. How could they possibly pass?
But the children's stomachs had long been growling, and Clara simply said, "How can they take the exam on empty bellies? We'll eat first."
Truthfully, she herself was famished. They had left before dawn, waited all morning to confirm the list, and the small breakfast she'd had was long gone.
Back on the main road, Caleb and Adam were also growing restless, craning their necks to look toward the town.
Ben, however, was darting in and out of the crowd. When he returned, he muttered with regret, "Should've brought a pot of sweet syrup. With this many people, one bowl each and we'd have made a fortune."
Adam shot him a glare. "All you think about is money! Aunt Clara's not back yet—we don't even know if they made it in."
From where they stood, they only overheard that registration had closed after noon. They couldn't see whether Clara's group had been ahead or behind. Watching other villagers return home disappointed only made them worry more.
They waited, and waited, their stomachs hollow, until at last, familiar figures appeared.
Caleb hurried forward, grabbing his daughter's hand. "Well? Did you get registered?"
Rosie's nervous face made him think they had failed. He was about to sigh when she gave a small nod.
"You silly girl! If you made it, why the long face? You nearly scared me to death." Caleb scolded, half in relief.
But Rosie's worry wasn't about registration. What weighed on her was the test. With her father before her, she could no longer hold back. Her mouth trembled and she whispered tearfully, "But Papa… what if I can't pass this afternoon?"
Caleb blinked—so that was it? "Then you don't pass. Who cares? We weren't expecting you to anyway. If you hadn't insisted, we wouldn't even be here."
Brandon quickly swatted him. "Shut it! The child's already nervous enough, and you're making it worse!"
Realizing his mistake, Caleb hastened to comfort her. "Alright, alright—it's fine. At least we tried. Come on, Papa will take you to eat something good."
Only then did Rosie's face brighten a little.
They piled into the cart and headed to town, stopping at a noodle shop. But it was packed—no seats left. They had to eat outside, bowls in hand, squatting by the door.
The adults ate standing. The children balanced their bowls on the cart shaft, the height just right for them to lean over and slurp.
Clara polished off four bowls in one go. At last satisfied, she let out a burp, set down her chopsticks, and began analyzing for the two brothers:
"I checked the list earlier. There are seventy-six competitors in total. Of them, twelve are from the prominent clans. Those twelve already have some foundation, so they'll surely take the top twelve spots."
"That leaves eighteen openings for the rest of us. Looking at the other fifty-two children, most are from villages. They don't seem to know much at all. Chad and Deb I don't worry about one bit."
"As for Ryder and Rosie… it's a little late to cram now, but memorizing two short passages shouldn't be too hard. There's still hope."
The moment Brandon and Caleb heard this, they grabbed their children mid-bite. "Forget eating! Go recite with your Aunt Clara!"
With noodles still dangling from their mouths, Ryder and Rosie froze. "Huh?"
Clara sighed at the brothers. "Don't rush them. Let them finish first."
It gave her time to think—what to teach that would give them the best chance.
Prediction. A skill modern students excelled at.
Here, children began with two texts: The Thousand Character Classic and The Hundred Family Surnames.
The latter was always the first primer—short, lively, and, most importantly, cheap.
The Thousand Character Classic went a step deeper, teaching moral lessons.
The Ding family tutors surely knew most of these country children had zero foundation. The questions wouldn't be too advanced—likely assessing virtue, intelligence, and bearing, to see if they were teachable.
So The Thousand Character Classic was less likely.
Better to have Ryder and Rosie memorize the Hundred Family Surnames. With quick drilling, they could recite forty or fifty names. If asked what books they had read, this would at least set them apart from those who answered, "None."
As for virtue, the key was proper etiquette. Easy to learn, and just enough for the occasion.
So after the children finished eating, the group moved the cart to a quiet grassy spot near the Ding estate and began emergency training.
To keep Chad and Deb from forgetting yesterday's practice, Clara had Adam and Ben take them aside for review.
Brandon and Caleb couldn't help admiring Clara. Calm, systematic—so much better than their own headless panic.
Glancing around, they saw she had been right: aside from the clan children, the rest had never read a word, and didn't even understand basic courtesy. They were just drilling their kids to kneel and flatter the tutors—useless tricks.
Meanwhile, Ryder and Rosie, boosted by Clara's rhythm, were reciting, "Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li, Zhou, Wu, Zheng, Wang…" fluently.
They also practiced standing straight and performing proper bows, all in good form.
For the first time, both fathers felt a surge of confidence in their children.
Soon, the sound of a bell tolled from the academy. Hearts clenched across the crowd as parents hurried their children toward the gates.
Ryder and Rosie were in the first batch. Brandon and Caleb crouched to give them courage. "Don't be scared. Just do what your Aunt Clara taught. Show everything you've learned. We'll be waiting outside."
The siblings nodded, drawing deep breaths as they readied themselves to step in.
Clara leaned down behind them, reminding, "Pay attention to the rules. If you fail one stage, another may suit you better. Don't let one mistake shake your spirit."
"Don't think of it as an exam. Think of it as a chance to see the world. Weren't you always curious what an academy and its tutors look like? Today you'll see for yourselves. Your uncle said this Ding family academy is built finer than even the county school."
"Finer than the county school?" Ryder whispered in awe.
Clara nodded. The siblings' eyes brightened with curiosity. Much of their fear dissolved, replaced by excitement.
Brandon and Caleb exchanged grateful smiles with Clara. Truly—without her, they might not even have gotten registered today.
(End of Chapter)
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