Astonishment
When Dianjiang came to the Xu Family, he explained to the Xu Family couple why Zhao Jingli and Zhao Jing'an had come to visit; they wanted to discuss scholarship with Xu Chongwen.
Therefore, in the seating arrangement just now, Xu Yongyi specially arranged for Zhao Jingli to sit in the main guest position, followed by Zhao Jing'an, with Xu Chongwen accompanying Zhao Jing'an to the left.
The chubby Zhao Jingtai followed his sister to sit on the other side, below Madam Xie, while Xu Xue sat at the very end.
While Zhao Ruxi and Xu Yongyi were discussing business, Xu Chongwen also chatted with Zhao Jing'an, asking him how far he had progressed in his studies and whether he would participate in the imperial examinations for children next year.
However, Xu Yongyi got excited and his voice became quite loud, so Zhao Jingli and Zhao Jing'an both heard what he said.
Both of them looked at Zhao Ruxi with curiosity.
Zhao Jing'an asked Xu Chongwen in a low voice, "Was your family's business the idea of your fifth sister?"
"That's right." Xu Chongwen said with a face full of gratitude, "Xiaoxi invented the cold dishes. She also taught us how to roast chestnuts. If it weren't for these two skills she taught us, my family wouldn't be able to afford this house, and I wouldn't be able to get into your Zhao Family Clan School."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruxi laughed and said, "I only saw someone mention it in a book and told my uncle and aunt about it. They studied it for a long time before finally deciding on the formula. And that's it. I don't do anything, and they still give me a share every month."
This is the truth.
Even though she is now wealthy, Xu Yongyi still insists on giving her a share of the profits proportionally.
She said this to explain to the Zhao Family brothers that the Xu Family had not taken advantage of her in the slightest, and that their character was beyond question.
Such an explanation was very necessary. The doubts that had just arisen in Zhao Jingli and Zhao Jing'an's minds were immediately dispelled.
"Isn't this what we should do? There are plenty of people in the world who are willing to work themselves to the bone, but how many ways are there to make money? Xiaoxi, you've come up with a way to make money, so it's only natural that you get a share," Xu Yongyi said with a smile.
Madam Xie agreed.
Zhao Ruxi didn't bring the twins over to listen to these things; she immediately started asking about Xu Chongwen's studies.
Xu Chongwen often heard Xu Xue talk about Zhao Ruxi's outstanding performance at the academy.
Although Beining Women's Academy was Women's Academy, due to its nature and the amount of money paid to its teachers, all of whom were famous scholars who had passed the imperial examinations, their teaching level was higher than that of the Zhao Family Clan School. Therefore, Xu Chongwen had the intention of learning from Zhao Ruxi.
When Zhao Ruxi asked him a question, he brought up the questions he had encountered while studying and asked Zhao Ruxi for advice. Zhao Ruxi did not hide anything and answered them one by one.
During their question-and-answer session, Zhao Jing'an and Zhao Jingli realized something was amiss.
Why does it seem like Zhao Ruxi's scholarship surpasses Xu Chongwen's?
"Fifth Sister, how come you are so familiar with the Four Books and Five Classics? Besides learning to paint and teaching those officials to paint, are you also studying the Four Books and Five Classics?" Zhao Jingli couldn't help but ask.
Xu Xue, who had been sitting quietly, couldn't help but say, "My sister is amazing! In less than half a year, she jumped directly from Class Ding to Class Jia. During the annual exam, our academy shared the same exam questions as the Capital Women's Academy, and my sister got first place with an excellent score!"
Zhao Jing'an and Zhao Jingli were both shocked.
Although the students of the Women's Academy were not keen on taking the imperial examinations and had not achieved much success over the years, there were still some intelligent girls. The teachers of the Capital Women's Academy were all great Confucian scholars, and if the top students of the academy were to be compared with the students of the Imperial Academy, they might actually be evenly matched.
Zhao Ruxi's ability to rank first in the annual examination demonstrates her proficiency in the Four Books and Five Classics. No wonder Xu Chongwen just consulted her.
Zhao Jing'an immediately took the articles he didn't understand to Zhao Ruxi for questioning, and then discovered that Zhao Ruxi not only explained them very clearly, but also made them very easy to understand. He was more capable than many teachers.
Zhao Jing'an was now completely convinced.
"Fifth Sister, are the teachers at your academy exceptionally good? I wish Brother Xu and I could study at your Women's Academy," Zhao Jing'an remarked.
Zhao Ruxi joked, "Unless you turn into a woman, you really can't get in."
Everyone laughed at that.
After laughing, Xu Chongwen asked in confusion, "Brother Jing'an, you said you wanted to take the imperial examination, so why don't you go to school?"
He was quite puzzled when he learned from his conversation with Zhao Jing'an that Zhao Jing'an was not being taught by a tutor but was studying at home.
In his opinion, the teachings of the Zhao Family Clan School were truly excellent. No wonder they were able to pass the imperial examinations and become Jinshi and Juren. Zhao Jing'an wasted such good resources by studying at home on his own.
Zhao Jing'an smiled awkwardly and remained silent.
Could he say that his uncle had always hired renowned teachers to instruct them, and that he looked down on the teachers and classmates at the clan school?
Zhao Ruxi glanced at the two of them but said nothing.
Zhao Jingli and Zhao Jing'an are already fourteen or fifteen years old. They can decide their own path, and even Zhao Yuanxun can't interfere.
She turned her head and quietly asked Xu Xue about her storybook.
"I've written another book and sold it to a bookseller, following the same old rules. I've already received a total of twenty-five taels of silver in royalties for the first two stories. Sister, thank goodness for the method you suggested. Not only does it pay more, but it also provides long-term benefits. The shopkeeper always promotes my book first when selling other books. My reputation will also bring them profits."
Xu Xue smiled broadly when she talked about this.
The two sisters spoke softly, but Zhao Jingtai, who had sharp ears, overheard them.
He immediately exclaimed, "Sister Xu Xue, you can write storybooks? And you've made a lot of money? Wow, you're amazing! How did you manage to write them? Why don't you teach me?"
As a child in his early teens, Zhao Ruxi felt that if he spent all his time reading the Four Books and Five Classics, he would eventually become a little old man.
So if I see suitable travelogues, storybooks, or other leisurely books in the bookstore, I will buy them for Zhao Jingtai to read.
These books were naturally much more interesting than the obscure and philosophical Four Books and Five Classics, and Zhao Jingtai was extremely fond of and obsessed with them.
Hearing that Xu Xue could write storybooks and even make money from them, his eyes practically sparkled as he looked at Xu Xue.
Zhao Ruxi and Xu Xue spoke in hushed tones, but Zhao Jingtai did not; he shouted so loudly that everyone in the room could hear him.
Zhao Jingli and Zhao Jing'an both looked at Xu Xue in surprise.
Xu Xue blushed deeply.
Xu Yongyi, however, was very proud of his daughter, praising, "Indeed. Xiaoxue has had a talent for writing since she was little. Later, Xiaoxi took her to the academy and encouraged her to write storybooks. Now she has already sold three storybooks and earned more than twenty taels of silver in royalties. Although the money is not much, this is just the beginning. Xiaoxue is still young, and she may be able to write even better storybooks in the future, making everyone scramble to buy them."
"Dad, please stop talking," Xu Xue said embarrassedly. "What I wrote was just random scribbling; it's nothing serious."