Du Tonghe had found someone long ago, and the other party was very willing to help after learning that the Su family's children had good academic performance.
Of course, the deeper reason was that Du Tonghe and his wife had helped this person in the past.
Therefore, the registration for the Su family siblings went smoothly.
After registering, they successfully obtained the exam scope and admission tickets.
Don't think that getting the exam scope will make it easier to get admitted. After all, the exam scope is there, but there are only ten days.
If one's original academic performance was not good, there would be no enough time to review.
When the fourth brothers, Xiao Liu, Xiao Qi, Xiao Ba, and Xiao Jiu, received the exam scope, they were very nervous.
When they were in the county's first middle school, their grades were good, and they had learned the content outlined here, but for some reason, they were still nervous.
In fact, the brothers did not know that it was not that they were not excellent enough, but that children from small places had more admiration for the capital, and also more inferiority.
They did not have enough confidence to believe that children in the capital should be better at studying than them, and they might not be able to cope with the entrance examinations in the capital.
Xiao Liu, Xiao Qi, and Chi Yiyuan were relatively better; they were taking the ordinary classes. With their current level, admission was not a problem.
Xiao Ba and Xiao Jiu were different. They, along with Su Xiaotian, were applying for the gifted class.
In the capital, this was the first time a gifted class was being recruited, and only forty students were to be admitted. However, there were already over seven hundred applicants.
Competing with so many people, the two young boys were even more terrified.
Knowing that the children lacked confidence in the exam, Shen Zizhen and Chi Ge went to Du Tonghe's house every day to explain the knowledge points.
Su Xiaotian also listened nearby.
However, she understood all this content and could integrate it and apply it to other cases.
Su Xiaotian could complete the questions posed by Shen Zizhen and Du Tonghe quickly, accurately, and without errors.
This stunned her brothers, who often looked blankly at their half-finished test papers.
Chi Yiyuan's level was slightly higher than that of the Su family brothers, but not much higher.
Seeing Su Xiaotian handle it with ease, Chi Yiyuan secretly resolved to study hard, as he couldn't be surpassed by a little girl.
Su Xiaotian's extraordinary performance made Shen Zizhen laugh and say that Xiaotian was simply a little monster.
Su Xiaotian just smiled at Shen Zizhen's evaluation and didn't say much.
But when listening to the lecture, Su Xiaotian didn't just listen; she would propose her problem-solving ideas at the appropriate time.
At first, Shen Zizhen and Chi Ge thought that Su Xiaotian's ideas might be inappropriate.
But after a few times, they found that all the problem-solving ideas she proposed were more optimized.
Moreover, solving problems according to Su Xiaotian's ideas was simpler and clearer than the conventional methods.
"Xiaotian, you can actually think of this step, it's really beyond my expectation!"
After verifying again that Su Xiaotian was not just talking casually but had indeed found a new approach, Chi Ge sighed.
No wonder people often say that new talents emerge in every generation, and the new replaces the old.
Xiaotian, a child in her teens, is already so capable; they, the old people, are indeed going to be phased out.
"I just thought it would be better this way!" Su Xiaotian said with a shy expression.
"Grandpa Chi, Uncle Shen, are we not going to pass? Xiaotian is so smart!" Xiao Jiu said hesitantly.
Without Xiaotian beside him, he still felt he had a chance.
Compared to his sister Xiaotian, he felt like an idiot.
"Xiaotian is a special case and is not representative!" Shen Zizhen quickly said.
This child has been discouraged.
It's understandable, anyone would feel inferior when encountering a monster like Su Xiaotian.
It was fortunate that the Su family children had good mental states; if they had weaker resilience, they would have been messed up by Su Xiaotian.
He looked at Su Xiaotian and couldn't help but consider whether to let her play by herself.
After all, with Su Xiaotian's current level, admission was not a problem.
If she stayed here, her brothers' mental states would collapse!
What if she was still affected in the exam?
Su Xiaotian understood Shen Zizhen's meaning.
Shrugging helplessly, she smiled and took her leave.
Chi Ge and Shen Zizhen watched Su Xiaotian leave before turning their gaze back to the other brothers.
"You don't need to worry too much. With your current grades, admission should be fine," Shen Zizhen comforted.
"Don't focus on Xiaotian, and don't compare yourselves to her!" Chi Ge said after a pause.
The young boys were not foolish; they naturally wouldn't torment themselves by constantly comparing themselves to Su Xiaotian. Therefore, they quickly adjusted their mindsets and resumed their studies.
Su Xiaotian was also busy drawing renovation plans.
Although the exam was important, opening a restaurant was even more important.
She had already discussed it with her family, and the restaurant's name should have artistic conception, so it was named "Yiming Pavilion."
When she chose this name, the Su family couldn't understand it. According to their ideas, it should be called "Xiangyang Restaurant" or "Su Family Restaurant."
However, Su Xiaotian had already made up her mind and would definitely not use such a common name.
Fortunately, the Su family was willing to indulge her, and in the end, the name Yiming Pavilion was used.
Su Xiaotian had a clear idea of the two-story building and had memorized every location early on.
She didn't intend to renovate it extensively like in later generations.
But some necessary novel renovations were still needed.
Su Xiaotian did not plan to open a truly common restaurant but intended to open a mid-to-high-end one, preferably developing into a high-end restaurant in the future.
Given the quality of the ingredients and her grandmother's cooking skills, it was perfectly fine to aim for mid-to-high-end if not top-tier.
The reason for thinking this way was that Su Xiaotian felt that small restaurants would soon emerge like mushrooms after a spring rain.
When Liang Xiu saw Su Xiaotian's drawings, she was surprised.
"Xiaotian, what do you mean by this? Why draw the restaurant like this?"
"Mom, if our restaurant is to be done, it should be different."
"This will cost a lot of money, won't it? Besides, the house isn't ours. What if we spend a lot of money to fix it up, and the owner doesn't rent it to us anymore?" Liang Xiu said worriedly.
Su Xiaotian had to admit that her mother's thoughts were very accurate.
In this era where frugality was generally advocated, spending money on renovations did not conform to the mainstream.
Moreover, if it was renovated and the owner regretted it, the money would be wasted.
But this house belonged to Du Tonghe, and she believed that Grandpa Du and Grandma Du would not arbitrarily increase the rent.
As for taking back the house just because business was good, that was even less likely to happen.
"Mom, we can sign a contract, for three to five years at a time, and we can also stipulate that if the owner sells the house, they must prioritize our family," Su Xiaotian suggested.
Liang Xiu asked, "What is a contract?"
When did this word appear?
Why had she never heard of it?
Su Xiaotian then remembered that the contract law had not yet been promulgated, and the concept of contracts had not yet become popular.
Even businessmen in the capital might not know about it, let alone her mother.
"Mom, it's like we sign a document, and the party who violates the agreement has to compensate the other party with money."
Liang Xiu asked in surprise, "Can it be like this?"
"Of course, Mom. Leave this to me. You, Grandpa, and Grandma don't need to worry."
Su Xiaotian said earnestly, making Liang Xiu feel that she was looking at an adult with a plan, not a child.
"Okay, leave this to you! But you have an exam."
"Mom, I've learned everything. Don't worry about the exam!" Su Xiaotian said with a smile, pulling Liang Xiu's arm.
Liang Xiu affectionately stroked Su Xiaotian's head and said, "You child, you don't seem like a ten-year-old."
Of course, she didn't seem like one.
After all, she had lived a lifetime. Even if she lived again, she couldn't be like a ten-year-old child.
Su Xiaotian smiled.
When Du Tonghe knew that Su Xiaotian wanted to hire workers for renovation, he was startled.
He had originally thought that after purchasing tables, chairs, kitchenware, and tableware, they could open for business at a suitable time.
Who knew that the little girl had quite a few ideas?
Especially when he saw the renovation effect drawings Su Xiaotian presented, he couldn't believe they were drawn by a young girl like Su Xiaotian.
Although these drawings were not as perfect as those drawn by master artists, if the renovation was done according to Su Xiaotian's design, it would definitely give people a refreshing feeling.
A restaurant like this, once opened, would surely attract many people, and even if the dishes were priced higher, they would be accepted.
Su Xiaotian's renovation drawings borrowed from some Western restaurant styles of later generations, naturally making them look more stylish and luxurious.
"This will cost a lot of money!" Du Tonghe clicked his tongue.
"Didn't you already waive a lot of rent? You can use this money to renovate," Su Xiaotian said, covering her mouth with a smile.
"As expected, I can't hide it from you!" Du Tonghe hadn't intended to hide it from Su Xiaotian; the child was smart and would surely guess.
"Thank you, Godfather. It's just that you're at too much of a disadvantage," Su Xiaotian said seriously.
The value of that small two-story building was not low. Not to mention only forty yuan in rent per month, even two hundred yuan would likely be willing to rent it.
"No disadvantage, no disadvantage!" Du Tonghe looked at Su Xiaotian and said, "Xiaotian, don't be polite with me. Just leave the matter of finding renovation workers to me!"
Du Tonghe sincerely wanted to help Su Xiaotian.
Su Xiaotian also knew that she was unfamiliar with Beijing and was far less capable than Du Tonghe, so she did not stand on ceremony.
She only proposed that the renovation costs be borne by herself.
Du Tonghe said, "Xiaotian, I know your family's conditions. I'll pay in advance, and you can pay me back when the restaurant makes money."
He didn't say "don't bother" right away. He knew Su Xiaotian's or rather the old Su family's character. If he really said not to, they would definitely not accept it.
"Godfather, I have money!" Su Xiaotian said in a low voice, "Really!"
Du Tonghe was amused by Su Xiaotian's serious and secretive demeanor and couldn't help but tease, "How much money can a child like you have?"
Without waiting for Su Xiaotian to answer, he added, "When I recognized you as my granddaughter, according to Beijing customs, I had to give you a meeting gift. A golden bowl and silver chopsticks are essential."
Su Xiaotian was startled to hear Du Tonghe's words.
What did he mean by that? Silver chopsticks were one thing, but a golden bowl too?
"I don't want it. A golden bowl or something is nice to look at but not practical. Godfather, just give me a porcelain bowl!"
Su Xiaotian guessed that bowls and chopsticks should be essential items, but whether a golden bowl was necessary was debatable.
After all, the act of recognizing godparents was not exclusive to wealthy families; ordinary families also did it.
If the family could barely make ends meet, who would have spare money to buy golden bowls and silver chopsticks?
"That's fine too!" Du Tonghe said in a very accommodating manner.
Su Xiaotian didn't react immediately; she thought Du Tonghe would insist.
"Xiaotian, when the restaurant opens, we will formally perform the godparent ceremony. I will discuss this with your grandfather. Don't think about anything else these few days; just focus on studying."
After a pause, Du Tonghe smiled and said, "Zizhen said that you are putting too much pressure on your brothers. You should study in your room and don't add to their pressure!"
Having such an excellent younger sister might not make a brother feel very comfortable.
The Su family children were outstanding in other families, but because they had a sister who was even smarter, more sensible, more capable, and better at studying, their brilliance was almost completely overshadowed.
Su Xiaotian was speechless at Du Tonghe's remark.
Was it wrong to study well?
Forget it, if it was wrong, then it was wrong.
She went back to her room to read her books. Anyway, she was extremely familiar with the exam content, so she continued to study agricultural knowledge.
However, to Su Xiaotian's surprise, the book she took from the system library this time was not about agriculture.
She knew that in the past year, nine out of ten times she took out books, they were specialized works on agriculture.
But this time, it was an economics book.
This was the first time an economics book had appeared.
Su Xiaotian looked at the book in her hand in a daze, not knowing what was going on.
However, in the system library, as long as a book was provided, the next time it was taken out, it would be the same book until it was finished.
Economics it is then.
Su Xiaotian held the book and studied it diligently.
In addition to studying economics, Su Xiaotian still faithfully provided ingredients to Guanghui at the agreed-upon location.
The ingredients provided by Su Xiaotian benefited Chef Ding greatly, and he was eager to discuss with Su Xiaotian about providing more ingredients.
However, when Guanghui conveyed these words, Su Xiaotian refused outright.
What a joke, her points had not increased much recently, and she had even consumed quite a bit by exchanging ingredients. The remaining ones were mainly for her family's restaurant, so why would she benefit others for free?
However, even with just steady provision, Su Xiaotian had accumulated six thousand yuan.
This was already a large sum. Su Xiaotian calculated that besides renovations and purchasing tables, chairs, and kitchenware, it should be enough to support the newly opened shop for a while.
She would stop selling ingredients after a few more days, once she had accumulated enough for a month.
When Su Xiaotian handed three thousand yuan to Du Tonghe, Du Tonghe was very surprised and did not accept the money from Su Xiaotian.
He suspected when the Su family's financial background had become so good.
How could Xiaotian, a child, have so much money, three thousand yuan?
"Xiaotian, where did you get this money?" Du Tonghe asked nervously, worried that Su Xiaotian might have done something wrong.
He truly regarded Su Xiaotian as his own child, which was why he asked.
"Don't worry, it's definitely from a legitimate source."
She was supplying ingredients to several private kitchens by herself, which was as legitimate as it could be.
Du Tonghe could tell that Su Xiaotian was not going to elaborate, so he stopped asking.
This child was willful. As long as she made up her mind not to say anything, no matter how much she was asked, she wouldn't say another word.
"I won't ask anymore. Xiaotian, Grandpa knows that you are a smart child and know what you should and shouldn't do."
Listening to Du Tonghe's earnest teachings, Su Xiaotian nodded, "Godfather, although I call you Godfather, in my heart, you are the same as my grandfather. I won't do anything wrong; I want to make you proud of me!"
Su Xiaotian's solemn words made Du Tonghe's eyes well up with tears.
This child was reassuring him.
"Good child, you have always been Grandpa's pride!"
In the following days, Du Tonghe devoted even more effort to helping the Su family with the restaurant's renovation matters.
Chi Ge couldn't help, so he asked Grandpa Su early on what the new restaurant was called. Upon learning that Su Xiaotian had already said the restaurant was named "Yiming Pavilion," he personally wrote the plaque and found specialized craftsmen to prepare the plaque.
Grandpa Su, Liang Xiu, and the Su family brothers who did not need to take the exam all helped.
Grandma Su, along with Su Taohua and Yu Ruiyuan, was responsible for the family's meals.
In short, everyone was busy working towards a beautiful new future.
Su Xiaotian felt that she might be the most idle person.
She only needed to read books every day.
In a flash, it was the day of the exam.
Early that morning, Grandma Su went out to buy breakfast.
Grandma Su bought a bag of fried dough sticks and boiled eggs. Each of the five children taking the exam received one fried dough stick, two eggs, and a bowl of millet congee!
"Eat quickly. You must finish one fried dough stick and two eggs," Grandma Su urged the grandchildren to eat.
Su Ba touched his stomach and said, "Grandma, there's so much, what if I can't finish it?"
"Finish the fried dough sticks and eggs. If you really can't finish the congee, then don't eat it. I heard that eating fried dough sticks and eggs can help you score a hundred points."
Grandma Su had always been superstitious, otherwise, she wouldn't have firmly believed for years that Su Xiaotian was favored by the Dragon King.
Su Xiaotian smiled and said, "Grandma, if you give us two eggs, aren't you afraid we'll roll away?"
Hearing Su Xiaotian's words, Grandma Su immediately spat twice towards the door and said, "Children's words are innocent, children's words are innocent."
Grandma Su's devout appearance made everyone else laugh.
After breakfast, Du Tonghe and others planned to send them to the exam, but the Su family children refused.
The weather was so hot, and the elderly were old; why should they suffer with them?
In the end, it was Shen Zizhen who sent these children.
Chen Zi'an was busy with other matters. Among the remaining people, only Shen Zizhen was familiar with Beijing and younger.
Su Xiaotian originally wanted to say that no one needed to send them, but Shen Zizhen strongly disagreed.
What a joke, a group of children, all newcomers, what if something unexpected happened?
[Author's Notes]
I won't say anything else, just one sentence: don't forget your votes!