After finishing her exams, Lin Yan returned to the small courtyard she rented.
Lin Bo watched Lin Yan's expression carefully, trying to gauge the outcome of her exam from her face.
"Cousin, you don't need to be so cautious. I think I did quite well," Lin Yan said, amused by Lin Bo's demeanor.
"I will transcribe this year's exam questions and write a letter home tomorrow to have a traveling merchant deliver it."
"Yes, and I'll also write down what the teacher tested us on today." Lin Bo felt it would be wonderful if Lin Yan could pass; it would be great for them to study at the academy together and look out for each other.
Seeing Lin Bo finally put away his concern, Lin Yan also relaxed. They chatted a bit more about the academy before returning to rest.
Meanwhile, the first letter they wrote home was delivered to Lin Family Village by a traveling merchant. The merchant handed the letter to the Lin family members.
"I will be staying at the inn in the county town for another two days. If you write a reply, you can send someone to deliver it to me there," the merchant instructed before leaving with some reward money.
Lin Old Madam and Mother Lin read the letter Lin Yan had written to them, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.
Since Lin Yan had left, they missed her every day. The child, from a tiny infant to her current teenage years, had never been away from them for so long.
That child was their hope and the center of their lives. Now, with just her absence, the house felt exceptionally empty.
Lin Old Madam and Mother Lin felt aimless, unable to muster enthusiasm for anything. Every day they would gaze at the entrance, hoping to see Lin Yan walk in at any moment.
Now that they finally had Lin Yan's letter, their anxious hearts could finally find some relief.
Lin Yan was only in her teens and had never left home. The farthest she had been was to the county town where the county exam was held.
Now she had traveled so far, accompanied only by a junior who also hadn't ventured out much. How could they not worry?
After the traveling merchant left, they opened the letter Lin Yan had written to them and carefully read about her journey.
"This child, she only reports the good and hides the bad," Lin Old Madam immediately knew Lin Yan wasn't telling the whole truth, but from what she wrote, she gained some understanding of Lin Yan's situation outside.
"I wonder if Yan'er has eaten enough and is warm enough. Fortunately, it's almost summer, so she won't freeze. I just don't know if she's accustomed to the food. I should have let her bring a cook with her."
The letter from Lin Yan did not alleviate Mother Lin's worries; instead, it seemed to give her an outlet for her anxieties, and she chattered on about her concerns for Lin Yan's well-being.
"Yan'er isn't like you; she knows how to take care of herself," Lin Old Madam still found her daughter-in-law difficult to get along with, but she had grown accustomed to it over the years.
"If you are truly worried, prepare more things for Yan'er and send them through a shipping company. This is just Yan'er's first letter. Once she settles down, she will surely write again, and then you can send things to her directly."
Lin Old Madam was also very worried about her granddaughter, but seeing Mother Lin's flustered state, she felt that Yan'er was much more capable than her mother and would surely be fine outside.
"Yes, I'll go and see now. I'll also make her a few more clothes to send with them," Mother Lin seemed to have been enlightened and quickly bid farewell to Lin Old Madam, hurrying back to her room to prepare things for Lin Yan.
Lin Old Madam watched her go, shook her head, and returned to her own room with the help of a maid.
She also needed to prepare some things for Yan'er. When traveling, it was best to have more money.
After the exams ended, the town became even livelier, with seemingly more people.
It seemed those who had been studying diligently were out to relax, and the tea houses and restaurants in town were doing much better business. Lin Yan didn't confine herself to the house; she went with Lin Bo to the largest tea house in town.
This was the biggest tea house in town, and when Lin Yan arrived, it was already quite crowded.
They asked for a table by the window, ordered a pot of tea, and began listening to the discussions around them. Everyone here had taken the entrance exam for the academy.
Lin Yan wanted to take this opportunity to get to know some of the scholars who had also come for the exam.
Listening to their pompous discussions, Lin Yan had no intention of actively befriending them. After all, she was still young, and if she tried to befriend them, others would likely not want to associate with such a child.
After Lin Yan and Lin Bo were seated, Lin Bo began to chat with people at several nearby tables. Lin Yan watched Lin Bo blend in so quickly with those around him. If Lin Bo were in modern times, he would definitely be an extrovert.
She knew people with such social skills; the last one was the sales manager at Lin Yan's company.
With Lin Bo there to gather information, Lin Yan sat quietly at the table, sipping her tea. Taking advantage of her age, she listened to the surrounding discussions about the academy.
From their conversations, Lin Yan heard many secrets about the academy. Some of these people had taken the exam multiple times, while others had family members attending the academy. Compared to Lin Yan, they undoubtedly knew more about the academy than she did.
For instance, they mentioned the academy's class division system and its dormitory requirements, details that Lin Yan and the others were unaware of.
The academy required students to live on campus, with one rest day every ten days when they could leave. However, students were not allowed to leave the academy during other times.
The dormitory rooms at the academy were for two people, and the academy provided three meals a day, though a monthly fee was required to be paid to the academy's canteen.
If students did not wish to eat the academy's food, they could arrange for restaurants in town to deliver meals daily. However, these meals could not be delivered inside the academy; students had to pick them up at the gate.
The academy permitted student attendants to enter but not maids or nannies. With student attendants taking care of their daily lives, students could focus wholeheartedly on their studies.
The academy held exams every ten days. The papers of the top three students in each exam would be posted on the academy walls. The students who ranked lowest would be required by the academy teachers to perform physical labor.
Lin Yan gained a lot of information that afternoon, and she had a preliminary understanding of this boarding school in ancient times.
Fortunately, her cousin had come along. She could share a room with him, avoiding the possibility of being assigned a completely unfamiliar roommate.
However, she heard that Maolin Academy also had a special kind of single dormitory, which she felt she could try to secure.