How to Interview

Xu Yongyi and Madam Xie were both deeply moved.

"Miss Xi..." Madam Xie did not know what to say.

Xu Xi was unaccustomed to facing such things, so she hurriedly changed the subject. "Uncle, then we'll go to the county seat for the exam tomorrow."

A question occurred to her. "The Women's Academy has lodgings, doesn't it?"

Xu Yongyi paused. "I didn't think of that, so I didn't ask."

"We can ask tomorrow," Xu Xi said.

She thought for a moment, then invited the couple into the main room to sit down. Looking at them, she said, "If Xu Xue and I both get into the academy, and there's nowhere to stay there, what do you plan to do, Uncle and Auntie?"

Both frowned and fell into thought.

Before they could speak, Xu Xi continued, "Why don't we move into town? We can live at my house."

Madam Xie was about to speak, but Xu Xi quickly stopped her. "Auntie, please don't refuse yet. Hear me out."

"Look, Brother studies in the county seat, Xiaoxue and I will be studying there too, and Uncle goes back and forth all day. That means four out of the five people in our family will be there. Wouldn't it be more convenient if we moved into town? Besides, it's too hard on Uncle to go up and down the streets and alleys like this. He might as well start a small business in town."

She looked at Madam Xie. "I know you can't bear to leave the pigs and chickens at home, Auntie. But raising them is hard work, and it doesn't bring in much money. You could do some small business in town instead. You'd earn no less than you do raising pigs and chickens at home, and you wouldn't be worn out. You could also look after Brother Chongwen and little sister Xiaoxue."

Before Madam Xie could answer, Xu Yongyi gave a bitter smile. "But how can a small business be so easy to run? You need capital, a good eye, and you have to choose the right trade to enter."

He had been turning the matter over in his mind for a long time.

He was not a hidebound man. Though he would not take possession of the house in town, he would not refuse to borrow it to make a living. Once he made money, he could simply add more to Xu Xi's dowry. Besides, if his family prospered, Xu Xi could find a better family to marry into, and they would be better able to back her up in the future.

But no matter how he turned it over, he could not think of anything that would make money, require little investment, and carry little risk.

A family like theirs had no capital and could not afford the loss if an investment failed. So they did not dare borrow money to start a business.

"Give me a few days to think it over," Xu Xi said. "Perhaps I'll get some inspiration and come up with a good way for you to make a living, Uncle."

It was not that she had no suggestions to offer. She had only just arrived and did not yet understand the situation, so she needed to do some investigating before she could know what businesses were viable.

There was one thing she was glad of: in the story, the original owner had been a timid little wretch and a fool. The novel had not said why she became that way, but Xu Xi thought the various influences around her after she returned to the marquis's manor must have made her so.

The novel had not described her personality before she entered the marquis's manor. But Xu Xi had rummaged through the original owner's memories and found that she had grown up in town. As the daughter of a scholar, she could read and write and had some knowledge of the world. In front of the villagers of Little Banyan Village and Xu Yongyi's family, she had actually been quite confident, and the way she spoke and acted was not all that different from Xu Xi's.

Xu Xi had the original owner's memories, and she could make slight changes to the original owner's manner of doing things. With the marquis's manor coming to fetch her as an additional influence, changes in her personality would not arouse Xu Yongyi's family's suspicions.

Besides, although the two families were relatives and had visited each other regularly over the years, they had not lived together day in and day out. Scholar Xu Yongzeng had only one daughter and had devoted great care to her education. Xu Yongyi's family did not know what skills he had taught Xu Xi.

The deaths of the Xu couple, one after the other, had been a great blow to the original owner. For a long time, she had spoken very little, often shutting herself away to read and write, paying no attention to the world outside. She had gradually improved over the past half year, but she had not recovered the liveliness and competence she had shown when her parents were alive. To avoid upsetting Xu Xi, Xu Yongyi's family did not dare mention the past in town in front of her.

Thus, the Xu Family's second branch did not know what Xu Xi's true disposition was or what skills she possessed.

That gave Xu Xi plenty of room to act without breaking character.

Xu Yongyi felt relieved and smiled. "All right, then Uncle will look forward to seeing what you girls come up with." Since he did not need to make a decision now, he felt much less pressure.

When Xu Xue heard that she had a chance to enter the academy, she was so excited she did not sleep a wink all night. The next day, she boarded the carriage with her father, her brother, and Xu Xi.

Before leaving, Xu Xi drew Madam Xie aside and murmured a long string of instructions to her.

The driver was from Xu Family Village. Xu Yongyi had him take the boys to their school first, then turn around and head for the Women's Academy.

The Women's Academy was not in a remote location. It was a few dozen meters behind the county yamen, down a wide alley.

They had come fairly early, but many horse and mule carts were already parked at the mouth of the alley, nearly blocking all passage. On top of that, many more people were pouring in, packing the alley so tightly that not even water could have trickled through. Some were clearly whole families accompanying their girls to take the entrance exam.

The mule cart from Little Banyan Village had to stop a long way from the academy.

"Let's get down. We'll have to walk the rest of the way," Xu Yongyi said.

He truly had not expected so many people to come.

Xu Xi looked back and saw that many more people and carts were still converging from every direction. Judging by their clothes, some came from wealthy families and others were ordinary folk. But even the ordinary folk, like them, were neatly and cleanly dressed; none were sallow and emaciated or clad in rags. She could not help frowning.

It seemed there were plenty of people like her who understood that the Women's Academy was a path to advancement. So many had come to take the exam, but places were limited. Clearly, the competition was fierce.

"There are so many people, and they're only taking fifty. Won't the exam be very strict? Do we... do we stand a chance?" Seeing the crowd, Xu Xue had completely lost confidence too.

Xu Xi said, "When you go in, don't look around everywhere or casually chat and laugh with people. If someone speaks to you or asks you something, answer softly and gently, with a pleasant expression. Don't ramble on; keep your words brief and to the point. You must be polite to everyone. Even if someone offends you, don't argue with them, but don't be too weak either. Just return the slight with a needle hidden in cotton."

Seeing Xu Xue and Xu Yongyi both looking at her in surprise, Xu Xi paid it no mind and continued, "Also, whenever a woman teacher speaks, make sure you listen carefully and do as she asks. If anyone else behaves oddly, don't mind her. Just focus on doing your own part well."

Xu Xi was instructing Xu Xue based on what interviews had been like in her previous life.

As she saw it, the Women's Academy surely looked at more than learning and talent when admitting students. Otherwise, it would not be called an academy; it might as well be a talent competition.

Since it was an academy, it would surely look first at qualities such as moral character, intelligence, and emotional intelligence.

Someone upright, intelligent, and emotionally intelligent was a good seedling. With further cultivation at the academy, she would become outstanding.

Conversely, some people were rotten at the root. With only the time spent in academy classes and the limited attention teachers could spare, the chances of completely correcting a person's character were extremely low. Someone as stupid as a pig could not learn whatever she was taught; even after ten years of study, she would struggle to amount to anything. A student with low emotional intelligence who offended people whenever she opened her mouth would inevitably damage the academy's reputation once she went out into the world.

Therefore, the Women's Academy was bound to select good seedlings to cultivate.

But how would it select them? In Xu Xi's view, besides the exam, there were very likely other tricks, used without drawing attention when everyone had their guard completely down.

Therefore, from the moment one entered the academy, one had to watch every word and action.