A Top Scholar From A Humble Background.

Summary

In this era, studying at school does not allow for a Sunday break; most follow the government's holiday schedule, which generally includes over 50 days off each year. Children just starting their education have a light workload, reading passages from the Analects and copying them to memorize. The teacher focuses most attention on students preparing for the child scholar examination, which consists of three rounds. Upon passing, students enter the local school as "xiucai" and enjoy privileges like exemption from labor duties. Students are divided into "linsheng" (receiving government rations), "zengsheng" (added beyond the quota), and "fusheng" (lowest tier). Shen Xi has been in school for 5 days, where he daydreams while looking at his books, having already memorized the Analects' content. His grandmother, Li Shi, has come from the countryside, likely furious about his schooling, and Shen Xi's father has gone to pick her up. Shen Xi's mother, Zhou Shi, fears Li Shi will want to send them back to the village, ruining their flourishing lives. To convince Li Shi, Shen Xi suggests competing with his cousin Liu Ge to determine who continues studying. However, Li Shi chastises her son, Shen Ming Jun, for sending money for Shen Xi's tuition instead of supporting the family, questioning if they are still a family.

Full content