Chapter 2: Outcompeting All the Parents

Why did the Su clan establish a clan school?

And pour massive resources into it?

Wasn't it all to sift out those children with outstanding talent from a young age? Then nurture this batch of children heavily, so that once they grew up, they could become the Su clan's bellwethers, leading the Su clan forward.

Therefore, every batch of children entering the Su clan school had been carefully selected. Those who weren't very sharp, whose comprehension was poor, had already been filtered out in the first wave of enrollment screening.

"Liu Shi, how many points is each spiritual plant we grow worth?" Su Lan was small in stature, but her courage was not small.

She bravely stood up and asked.

"Each plant only counts as one point. Twenty plants would be twenty points.

Passing the planting task requires at least twenty points. Below twenty points, and you're eliminated and expelled.

Only above twenty points counts as passing.

If you grow two hundred plants, that counts as two hundred points. Add your written exam score, and that's over two hundred points — you'd definitely rank among the top of the whole grade."

Liu Shi hinted.

Su Lan's heart immediately burned with enthusiasm.

She wanted to rank among the top!

Liu Shi quickly pulled out a large wooden box from a drawer beneath the lectern. After lifting the lid, inside were small wooden compartments. Each compartment held a small bag. The bags were also labeled with the name of some kind of seed.

"Then who dares to come up first and pick seeds?" Liu Shi asked with a smile.

"Me." Su Lan raised her little hand again.

"Alright, Su Lan, then you'll be the first to come up and pick seeds."

"Yes, Liu Shi."

The moment Su Lan heard that, she immediately stood up from her seat and walked toward Liu Shi.

After she finished choosing, Liu Shi asked again. "Then who's next to come up and pick seeds?"

Me, me, me…

A group of children all raised their little hands.

Liu Shi noted the order in which they raised their hands.

Calling them up one by one to pick seeds.

When it was Su Jin's turn, the little one frowned as she looked at the large wooden box still holding about ten kinds of spiritual plant seeds, and finally chose red ginseng seeds.

"Why choose red ginseng? This kind of spiritual plant isn't easy to grow, you know?" Liu Shi asked with a smile.

"Sigh, all the easy ones have been picked by them." Su Jin wore an expression that said there was nothing she could do about it.

Liu Shi nearly laughed out loud at her.

"Then how about you pick green radish? That's easy to grow." Liu Shi suggested.

Su Jin shook her head. "The soil in my backyard has gone dry, somewhat sandy. Red ginseng is more suitable to plant. Green radish needs a lot of watering, and I don't have the time to tend to it."

She thought, red ginseng only needs to be buried in enough fertilized soil — three to five days without watering is fine, no problem leaving it alone.

But green radish needs watering every day, three times a day. What a hassle.

"But red ginseng is prone to insect damage." Liu Shi reminded her.

"Daddy used to grow red ginseng, I know how to keep the bugs away." Su Jin said.

"Fine then, take the red ginseng and go." Hearing that little Su Jin knew how to prevent insects, Liu Shi didn't say any more.

Su Jin had just returned to her seat when Su Yue, who sat in front of her, turned around and asked in a small voice, "Little Jin, what seeds did you take? I took some star-spot grass seeds."

"Huh? Star-spot grass is said to be very hard to grow — the slightest carelessness and it withers." Su Jin hurriedly said. "Why would you pick such an ultra-difficult seed to plant?" Su Jin asked in surprise.

Their Su family was a great clan that had risen to prominence through alchemy.

The children in the clan began learning various knowledge of alchemy and planting from the age of two or three. For instance, she had started memorizing the "Spiritual Plant Compendium" at just over two years old.

So Su Jin knew that many older clan cultivators weren't keen on growing star-spot grass either. It was easy to lose money on it.

"It looks pretty when it grows. I always wanted to grow star-spot grass before, but my family wouldn't let me. Now I've finally got my chance. I must grow star-spot grass." Su Yue clenched her little fist, her expression resolute.

Su Jin frowned upon hearing this. "Then what if you can't grow it alive and can't complete the school task?"

"I'll definitely grow it alive. Besides, if I can't grow it alive, I won't talk to you tomorrow. Hmph, not just tomorrow — for the next three days I won't talk to you." Su Yue said in a tsundere manner.

Su Jin was rendered speechless by her.

She thought, just now you were still earnestly tugging at me, begging me to help you. How long has it been, and you're already threatening me by saying you won't talk to me.

Sigh, no wonder Mother says a woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea. Especially hard to fathom.

When Su Jin got home, her eldest brother Su Jian was already waiting for her.

Eldest Brother and his wife Liu Yunniang were both in their twenties. They had brought their eldest daughter Su Hua, eight years old, and their youngest daughter Su Xiaohe, and moved over to take care of Su Jin.

Su Jian was somewhat handsome, but not in the sense of looks — rather the rugged, masculine handsomeness of being tall and sturdy. His wife Liu Yunniang was a gentle, graceful beauty. Her temper was good too, and both her eldest daughter Su Hua and youngest daughter Su Xiaohe took after her in looks.

"Jin-jin, how did your first day at the clan school feel?" The moment Su Jian saw her, he pulled her over to sit beside him. He also took her little satchel and little basket from her.

"It was alright. A bit of pressure, a bit of nerves. Liu Shi said the clan school only cultivates the Su clan's elite, not mediocrity. She also said there's an exam every end of term. You need sixty points to pass, and if you don't get sixty, you get expelled.

I'm a bit nervous about this end-of-term exam. I don't know if I can pass sixty.

Oh, and they also gave us a school task — to plant two hundred spiritual herbs. But you only need to turn in twenty harvested spiritual herbs to pass.

That part's alright, I can handle it.

No wonder the children in our family all learn to recite the 'Spiritual Plant Compendium' from a young age and have to learn herb planting from their parents — turns out it all comes in handy once you enter the clan school."

Su Jin was simply in awe of her parents' foresight.

Su Jian thought: And it's not just learning the 'Spiritual Plant Compendium' and herb planting, is it?

What their own children learned in advance was all adjusted according to the child's spiritual root talent and future learning direction.

If they wanted their child to learn talismans, they had the child learn drawing from a young age, then study the 'Complete Compendium of Basic Talismans' — before entering the clan school, the child could basically master a dozen or so talismans.

Those who wanted their children to learn other things also gave them all kinds of early training.

Parents go to any lengths to ensure you little ones can keep up with the future teaching progress of the clan school.

They engage in all sorts of advance preparations, grinding themselves to death.

"Jinjin, do not worry too much about your studies. You have been an extremely intelligent child since you were small. Your father, your mother, and I, your eldest brother, all believe you will have no problem learning knowledge at the academy; you will certainly pass the final exams in the future." Su Jian still had considerable confidence in Su Jin. "Your sister-in-law has already prepared your medicinal bath for you; why not go soak for a while? You will likely begin studying the Cultivation Technique tomorrow, won't you? Today's medicinal bath is to strengthen your resonance."