Before Su Taifu could finish speaking, Gu Yanxi placed the prepared clay pot on the table. As soon as the lid was opened, a pungent aroma wafted through the air.
He sniffed and couldn’t help but swallow his saliva—the little girl had made another new dish.
Gu Yanxi heard him say the Academy was full, which meant they weren’t accepting new students, right?
She deftly closed the pot again, preparing to ask elsewhere.
Seeing this, Su Taifu panicked. “Hey, why are you putting it away? This is for me, right? You’re such a good girl, always thinking of this old man.”
As he spoke, he reached for the pot.
Gu Yanxi hugged the pot to her chest, eyeing him warily. “This Cold-Eaten Rabbit is for A-Yu’s future teacher. Since Yunchang Academy isn’t accepting students, I’ll take my leave now. I’ll visit you another day.”
Cold-Eaten Rabbit?
This was rabbit meat?
He loved rabbit meat more than anything—whether braised or stir-fried, it always tasted fantastic!
Seeing the siblings about to leave, he quickly changed his tune. “However, making an exception to add one more student to the class isn’t entirely impossible. But you must pass the entrance test before you can enroll.”
The original purpose of Yunchang Academy was to accept scholars from all walks of life, but not just anyone could enroll. For instance, those without foundational knowledge were rejected. Most ordinary families couldn’t afford to send their children to school, so they naturally lacked basics. Thus, the Academy mainly consisted of students from wealthy families, with only a small number from poorer backgrounds.
Now that a prospective student had come seeking admission, Su Taifu felt obliged to give him a chance—though it certainly wasn’t just for the food!
“Young Gu, are you confident?”
Seeing them return, Su Taifu took the clay pot with both hands, carefully placed it on the table, and smiled at Gu Yu.
Hearing there was still a test, Gu Yu grew nervous and looked at his sister.
Gu Yanxi nodded at him. The test would likely involve some rote memorization and simple arithmetic problems. She believed Gu Yu was more than capable of handling it.
“In that case, let the test begin!” Su Taifu arranged for Gu Yu to take the test alone in a separate room, lighting a stick of incense to time the examination.
Seeing her younger brother no longer nervous when faced with the test paper, Gu Yanxi felt relieved. She joined Su Taifu in the tearoom for some tea and Cold-Eaten Rabbit.
“This Cold-Eaten Rabbit is truly delicious! It’s numbing, spicy, and a little sweet. Even the chili peppers are fried until crispy—crunchy and refreshing with every bite.” Su Taifu ate until sweat beaded on his forehead, unable to stop.
“It’s even better than the stir-fried rabbit I usually eat. Little girl, who taught you these cooking skills? They’re absolutely remarkable!”
Taught?
She learned from recipes on her phone, of course.
But she certainly wouldn’t tell him that.
Gu Yanxi picked up several pieces of meat with her chopsticks and placed them in his bowl. “If you like it, have more. This is a new product I haven’t even started selling yet. You’re the first to try it.”
Hearing this, Su Taifu’s vanity swelled. “You’re such a sensible girl.”
“I’ll make sure you’re the first to taste any new dishes I create in the future.”
Since Su Taifu couldn’t drink alcohol during his duties, he ate plenty alongside his tea.
Gu Yanxi had brought a full large pot, estimated to be about two pounds including the chili peppers. Su Taifu ate to his heart’s content.
After they finished eating and cleaned up, the test time was almost over.
Su Taifu entered the examination room and saw that only a small portion of the incense remained. Gu Yu was still bent over his paper, answering questions diligently. Su Taifu nodded in satisfaction.
As the last bit of incense burned out, Gu Yu set down his brush and handed in his paper right on time.
Su Taifu graded the examination paper on the spot.
Gu Yu stood nearby, his palms sweating with nervousness. He stared intently at Su Taifu’s expression, afraid to detect even the slightest hint of displeasure.
But no matter how hard he stared, Su Taifu maintained a stern face from beginning to end, making it impossible to tell whether he was satisfied or not.
Sensing her younger brother’s anxiety, Gu Yanxi held his hand and whispered reassuringly, “Relax. You’ve done your best.”
After a while, Su Taifu added a few comments to the paper with his brush before setting it aside and looking up at Gu Yu.
“From the paper, it’s clear you’ve received some basic education, but you haven’t completed the foundational texts.”
Gu Yu replied respectfully, “Yes, I only attended a private school for one year.”
This surprised Su Taifu. “To answer so many questions after just one year of schooling shows you have a talent for memorization. You left the essay questions blank—this area needs significant improvement. Your arithmetic is passable; you answered the basic questions correctly. With more practice and guidance from the teacher, you’ll make great progress in more advanced topics. However…”
Su Taifu paused here.
Gu Yanxi noticed the hint of a smile at the corner of his eyes and remained calm.
But Gu Yu was terrified, fearing he had made some mistake that would leave a bad impression on Su Taifu. “Academy Head Su, has this student done something wrong?”
“The last question—you answered it well.”
With just that one remark, Su Taifu said no more.
The final question was a difficult problem he had devised himself. So far, only one person in the entire academy had solved it—Gu Yu was the second.
It was evident that Gu Yu had a natural talent for studying.
However, young people tend to become arrogant when overconfident, so Su Taifu decided not to tell him this openly. Instead, he resolved to personally supervise Gu Yu’s studies in the future.
Seeing Su Taifu’s satisfied expression, Gu Yanxi knew her younger brother’s admission was secured.
In the end, Su Taifu placed Gu Yu in the beginner’s class.
When it came time to collect the tuition offering, Su Taifu firmly refused to accept the silver money. “I founded this academy myself and have the authority to make this decision. I’ll accept the dried meat, cloth, and wine, but keep the silver money. In the future, just remember this old man when Gu Girl has delicious food to share.”
“One thing at a time. If Academy Head Su refuses the silver, it means you’re unwilling to accept A-Yu as a student. In that case, we’ll have to look elsewhere.”
Twenty taels of silver for tuition was no small amount, and Gu Yanxi didn’t want to owe such a significant favor.
Favors are easy to receive but hard to repay. Settling accounts clearly now would allow for better interactions in the future.
Knowing how stubborn she could be once her mind was set, Su Taifu conceded, “Very well, I’ll accept the silver money. But in return, I’ll gift A-Yu the student uniform and writing supplies. You mustn’t refuse this.”
“Alright, thank you, Academy Head Su. Whenever you wish to eat something I’ve prepared, the Gu Family will welcome you at any time.”
Su Taifu accepted their tuition silver money and issued two sets of student uniforms, a set of books, and a set of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
Considering her family lived in Xi Shi and worrying that Gu Yu would be exhausted from traveling early every day, Gu Yanxi spent an additional tael of silver to arrange accommodation for him.
With everything settled and formal enrollment scheduled for the next day, Gu Yanxi asked her younger brother to return home and inform their parents, suggesting he stay there overnight and come back with her when she set up her stall the following day.
“Su Guanjia, see them out.”
“Thank you, Academy Head Su.” Gu Yanxi expressed her gratitude sincerely.
She understood Su Taifu’s intention. She and Gu Yu had sneaked in earlier, and if they were to leave just like that, the gatekeeper might directly report them to the authorities and have them arrested.
Su Guanjia was a favorite of Su Taifu. With him accompanying them, the gatekeeper naturally wouldn’t cause any trouble.
Upon reaching the gate, Gu Yanxi didn’t forget to thank Su Guanjia, “Thank you, Su Guanjia. When you have time, come to our home for a cup of tea.”
Su Guanjia waved his hand, “Go on, go on.”
Watching the siblings walk away, Su Guanjia pulled the gatekeeper aside and instructed, “These two are esteemed guests of the headmaster. Don’t trouble them in the future.”
The gatekeeper was puzzled. Esteemed guests? Dressed like that?