Du Meng Zhou returned the next day around noon. As soon as he got back, he heard that Lin Yan had arrived.
However, he didn't rush to see her. After all, he was a teacher, so why should he be so eager?
He first went back to his courtyard, patiently savored a cup of tea, and then told the attendant beside him to bring Lin Yan over.
When Lin Yan arrived, she saw Du Meng Zhou sitting there calmly, drinking tea.
"Lin Yan pays her respects to Lord Du," Lin Yan said, bowing.
"Alright, no need for such formalities. Sit down," he waved his hand, gesturing for Lin Yan to sit.
Lin Yan didn't stand on ceremony and sat down. A maid then came over and poured Lin Yan a cup of tea.
"I've heard about your results in the prefectural examination. To become my disciple, you've barely passed."
"Thank you, Lord Du," Lin Yan started to stand up.
"Enough," he stopped Lin Yan. "I am no longer a Lord. But you will soon be my student, so you should call me Teacher."
"Yes, Teacher."
"Later, I'll take you to meet your Teacher's wife and your senior and junior disciples." Du Meng Zhou had two sons and one daughter, all born to his wife.
"You've already met my elder brother, haven't you?" Since Lin Yan had already settled in the Du family, she must have met the masters of the Du family.
His elder brother had been curious about Lin Yan for a long time and would surely come to see him as soon as he had the chance.
"Yes, I have met him," Lin Yan recounted her encounter with the elder Mr. Du.
"My elder brother is quite approachable. If you need anything or are uncomfortable with your living arrangements, you can tell him."
After all, Lin Yan was a man and couldn't enter the inner courtyard. He also couldn't have his wife constantly running over here. It would be better to trouble his elder brother.
"I am quite comfortable here."
"Good. The apprenticeship ceremony will be held in ten days. I'll inform my elder brother, and you'll go to the clan school to attend a few classes tomorrow."
Du Meng Zhou knew that the Du family members would be very curious about his student, so it was better to introduce them to everyone directly.
He was quite confident in Lin Yan's abilities and wanted to show those arrogant young men what a true genius looked like.
"Yes." Lin Yan didn't know what Du Meng Zhou was thinking, but she was eager to see the clan school of such a prominent family.
The Du family was a scholarly lineage that had existed for a century. Their clan school, if nothing else, would surely have a vast collection of books.
Just as Lin Yan was preparing to enter the Du clan school, Lin Bo's social circle had become even wider.
However, Lin Bo did not neglect his studies because of this. Having passed the provincial examination, his family had even higher expectations for him. Burdened by this sweet weight, Lin Bo also prepared to work even harder.
Although Lin Bo's appearance was not as refined as Lin Yan's, he was still handsome and upright. Coupled with his success in the provincial examination, he was considered a promising young man. The teachers in the academy who had daughters also placed him on their list for consideration.
Lin Bo was unaware that he had been added to the teachers' list, as he was very busy every day. Since passing the provincial examination, his finances had improved considerably, but he still continued his transcription work.
He found that transcribing books, among other things, helped him concentrate better. If he wasn't focused, a single misplaced character could render an entire page useless.
A fixed amount of paper was provided for each book. If he made too many mistakes, the money earned from transcribing might not even cover the cost of the paper.
Transcribing also helped him memorize the books better. The Four Books and Five Classics, which he frequently transcribed, he could now recite by heart.
After transcribing commentaries and other related works once, he also remembered most of the content within them.
Through transcribing, Lin Bo learned a great deal. He felt that his grasp of knowledge was better than when he had taken the prefectural examination.
However, his essays were still somewhat weak, which was also related to his experiences. With the materials and gazettes that Lin Yan regularly sent him, he felt that he had some hope for the imperial examination.
After entering the Du clan school, Lin Yan maintained a low profile. However, her status as Du Meng Zhou's future student meant that she could not truly be inconspicuous.
Lin Yan maintained her persona of a shy, academically gifted teenager. The young men of the Du family were more concerned with superficial harmony, and it was only after Lin Yan conquered them with her knowledge that their attitudes towards her improved.
On the day of the apprenticeship ceremony, Lin Yan woke up early. The Du family had informed her of the day's proceedings, and a servant was constantly by her side to ensure she didn't forget anything.
Lin Yan's home was quite far away, and she only had two elderly female relatives left. Therefore, they did not come. However, everyone from the Du family was present, and Du Meng Zhou had also invited many of his friends.
Upon arriving at the venue, Lin Yan could see the importance the Du family placed on this apprenticeship ceremony.
Her teacher, despite appearing somewhat dismissive of her on the surface, was truly very satisfied with her.
Lin Yan followed the procedure and presented her apprenticeship gifts. After bowing to her teacher, she received a gift from Du Meng Zhou.
It was a piece of exceptionally clear jade, symbolizing the meaning of "a gentleman is like jade."
Not only Du Meng Zhou, but also other elders of the Du family and Du Meng Zhou's friends presented gifts.
Lin Yan felt a bit overwhelmed. Du Meng Zhou instructed Lin Yan to hand over all the gifts to his subordinates. Thus, after this apprenticeship ceremony, Lin Yan became a small magnate.
Some elders, knowing that Lin Yan's family was not wealthy, even gifted her a manor, ostensibly for her to "play with."
Within a single day, the news that Du Meng Zhou had taken in a disciple with an eidetic memory spread throughout Yuyao.
However, these rumors had little bearing on Lin Yan. After the apprenticeship ceremony, she continued her studies at the clan school.
Du Meng Zhou also taught at the clan school, but he only lectured once every three days. Lin Yan felt that studying there was no different from studying at an academy.
However, the Du family, as a centennial clan, indeed had far more knowledgeable instructors than those at the academy.
Lin Yan diligently organized the knowledge imparted by the instructors every day. After a month, she would compile these notes and send them to her cousin.
Yuyao was not far from Maolin Academy, and her letters were sent through the Du family's network. The Du family had estates there, and there were regular couriers traveling back and forth. Lin Yan took advantage of this connection to send letters to her cousin.
Within the Du clan school, Lin Yan remained the shy girl who stayed hidden behind everyone else.
Lin Yan was not someone who did nothing, however. She simply had the most innocent face, spoke the most guileless words, and then proposed the most outrageous ideas.
However, Lin Yan's performance was always impeccable. Even when these young men caused trouble, none of the instructors suspected Lin Yan.
Du Meng Zhou, as Lin Yan's teacher, had a certain understanding of his disciple. He was quite content with this, as being too naive was not conducive to a career in officialdom.