She Only Cares About Cultivation

Caihua found it hard to believe: "Can we really take the exam?"

"Yes, but it won’t be too late if we take it next year or the year after, once I’m clear on the strategy."

"Then... if we indeed pass the exam, can we become teachers?"

An Yi laughed: "That’s the principle, but being a teacher isn’t that simple. You have to do a lot of homework; you’ll see in the materials I’ve prepared for you."

The sisters immediately showed respect: "Sister is right; teaching and nurturing aren’t jobs just anyone can handle."

The exam requires going to the county, so a week in advance, she chose classes with Teacher Song Gang, which meant for a few days she taught Chinese all morning. Other teachers felt there’s nothing wrong with being a local teacher, so why take the exam?

The round-trip fare from home to the county, accommodation expenses, plus the registration fee, would cost roughly twenty to thirty thousand yuan, too expensive given their monthly salary is only 120,000 yuan. So this year, only An Yi signed up for the exam.

That’s how they said it, but public-sector salaries would increase as An Yi believed it wasn’t about the money but whether they could pass the exam, planning to observe further. For example, if An Yi took the exam this year, wouldn’t she share the difficulty level, process, and questions?

They don’t fight unprepared battles; if they take the exam, they must pass, or else time and money will be wasted.

It makes sense to think this way; how many are as confident as An Yi, let alone starting with an advanced title?

Others still think she’s taking a primary level exam, naturally assuming so, and she never thought to explain.

Two days before the exam, Zhang Li offered to help babysit for two days, but An Yi politely declined, choosing to care for the child herself. At worst, she could be placed in the space to crawl around; An Yi set up a safe fence, ensuring the child couldn’t run far; people wouldn’t hear if she cried, as the fence offered views of chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, and cows, captivating her attention. The exam lasts 90 minutes; it would be manageable.

Because the exam starts at eight in the morning, she needed to go to the county the day before, with a letter of introduction, recommendation, and exam info. An Yi was taken by the commune’s cattle cart to town and then took an available cart to the main road for cars before bumpily traveling into the county, which took from morning until two or three in the afternoon.

Upon reaching the county, she quickly followed the address on the admission ticket to find the venue, checked the exam room, and entered the space in the nearby park.

With the space, she wouldn’t lodge at a guesthouse; everything in the space is hers, with ample space for the child to roam, and plenty of time.

Looking at the pile of chicken, duck, and goose eggs in the space corner, she had an idea. While her daughter slept, she used a pot to make a big batch of tea eggs; the eggs and tea are from the space, not only large but also fragrant upon cooking, amazingly delicious.

Currently, people can freely trade with money; tickets haven’t formally circulated yet, a few years remain.

Although the currency set would stop being usable around May next year, at that point, it could be exchanged for a second set.

Exchange rate at ten thousand yuan = 1 yuan shows how high the inflation rate is.

In other words, ten cents is equivalent to a denomination of one thousand yuan.

The first currency set stops circulating in May 1955, while the second set releases in the same year’s March, allowing only two months of overlap.

Just judging by the interest rate, it’s incredibly grand, one vs. ten thousand!

So, how to sell the tea eggs?

Selling two for one thousand yuan isn’t a bad deal, as her eggs are not only large but from the space, unforgettable in taste. After much consideration, she decided on this pricing.

If not braised eggs, then priced at four for one thousand yuan.

The currency set holds collector’s value; if she decides to open it, she’d choose complete sets and keep them moving, exchanging the excess when needed.

Raw duck eggs at one thousand yuan for three, goose eggs for two.

Duck eggs generally used for pickling, hers are especially good, large and juicy, salted duck eggs selling at one thousand yuan each.

In the Fifties, small counties were simple, with low houses and distinctly-era clothing; few cyclists seen on the streets. The wave of public-private partnerships just arrived, paper and red banners were hung everywhere for promotion.