The Marquis doesn't support his beloved wife's ambitions, so I'll take the imperial e

At this, the student named Brother Zhou was mostly convinced. Even Scholar Kang was studying here, so it couldn't be a place that was deceiving people.

He mustered his courage and walked to the counter. "Shopkeeper, is it true that this flyer says... a pre-deposit of five taels of silver?"

"Absolutely true." Jiang Zhenxue took out a brand new ledger, turned to the first page, and said, "If you decide to proceed, I will write down your name and give you a special bamboo tag. You can use the tag to pay for your expenses in the future."

Her procedures were clear and transparent, without any ambiguity.

Brother Zhou looked at her, then at Kang Mingyan who was studying diligently not far away, gritted his teeth, and pulled out a heavy money bag from his pocket.

"I...I'll do one!"

"Alright." Jiang Zhenxue quickly wrote down the bill, took the money, and then took out a smooth bamboo tag from under the counter, on which the character "壹" was engraved in small regular script.

"Young Master Zhou, this is your voucher. Please keep it safe."

This action completely put the minds of the students who had also been drawn in and had been peeking around outside the door at the same time at ease.

"It's true! It's not a scam!"

"With Kang Xiucai here, it must be reliable!"

"Let's go, let's go, I'll get one too! Five taels of silver gets you a 10% discount, and if I study for a few months, I can save a lot of money!"

The few people who had been hesitant earlier rushed in now.

"Shopkeeper, I want to do it too!"

"Give me one that costs ten taels!"

"I want the twenty-tael one! What's that collection of poems by a famous poet?"

The once deserted study room instantly became lively again. Shen Yu was stunned and quickly stepped forward to help maintain order.

Jiang Zhenxue remained calm and unhurried, handling each task, keeping accounts, and dealing cards one by one.

Soon, a long queue formed at the entrance. Students who had previously scorned the flyers had somehow heard the news and rushed over, craning their necks to peek inside.

"It really is Scholar Kang! And aren't those Brother Liang and Brother Zhao next to him? They are both extremely learned!"

"Look! How exquisitely made those bamboo plaques are! Keeping accounts using these plaques—this method is ingenious!"

The crowd's discussions grew louder and louder, and the queue grew longer and longer, eventually blocking half the street.

Jiang Zhenxue raised her head and looked at the faces outside the door, which had gone from doubt and observation to eagerness and longing. A subtle smile appeared on her lips.

She looked at Shen Yu, who was sweating profusely from his work, and called out, "Xiao Yu, bring out another account book. This one needs to be filled up."

Upon hearing the sound, Shen Yu seemed to have just woken up from a long dream. He stared blankly at the account book in his hand, which already had seven or eight pages of entries, and then looked at the seemingly endless queue outside the door, his mind buzzing.

Is this... all written down?

He originally thought that Sister Jiang printing 500 flyers was already a pipe dream, but he didn't expect that reality would be even more crazy than he imagined.

"It's here!" Shen Yu suppressed the turmoil in his heart and hurriedly took out a brand new account book from under the counter.

Jiang Zhenxue took it, opened it, dipped the pen tip in ink, and moved with fluid, graceful movements.

Just then, the crowd's enthusiasm seemed to reach its peak; to burn any higher, it would require an even stronger fuel.

She knew that discounts and novelty alone could only attract the first wave of customers. To keep them loyal and even get them willing to spend more money, she needed to offer something truly unique and irreplaceable.

The time has come.

Jiang Zhenxue put down her pen, cleared her throat, and addressed the restless crowd in a loud voice: "Everyone, please quiet down!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it had a strange penetrating power. The noisy crowd actually quieted down slowly, and everyone's eyes were focused on her.

"Thank you all for your support of our outstanding achievements. The pre-deposit method is simply for your convenience and to save you from the hassle of small change."

She paused, then changed the subject.

"But what we at Jinbangti really want to do is to provide real assistance to everyone's scientific research journey."

As she spoke, she gave Shen Yu a wink.

Shen Yu understood, turned around and took out a booklet wrapped in blue cloth from the inner room, and solemnly placed it on the counter.

Jiang Zhenxue unveiled the blue cloth, revealing a neatly bound handwritten book with a few powerful characters on the cover: "Notes on the Experiences of Previous Provincial Examination Students".

The moment those words were uttered, the crowd erupted in chaos.

"Thoughts and reflections?!"

"Is it someone from a previous provincial examination? Really?"

An impatient student squeezed to the front, leaning against the counter and eagerly asked, "Shopkeeper, what...what is this? May I borrow it?"

Jiang Zhenxue smiled slightly, "This notebook was painstakingly compiled and transcribed by a servant in my family's study. It records the personal experiences, test-taking skills, and even lessons learned from mistakes of my father and several classmates when they participated in the provincial examinations. The contents are all valuable insights that cannot be learned from books."

Her gaze swept over Shen Yu almost imperceptibly.

Shen Yu stood to the side, his chest slightly puffed out. This was the most important task Jiang Jie had entrusted to him. He had worked almost non-stop, organizing all the manuscripts left by his father and his own insights from memory. Seeing his hard work being presented so solemnly now, an unprecedented sense of value welled up within him.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

The path to the imperial examinations was like a thousand soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge. Besides diligent study, what was most lacking? Experience! The path paved by predecessors!

This notebook was like a beacon in the darkness for them!

"Shopkeeper! How much is this notebook? I'll pay for it!"

"Yes! Name your price!"

"I'll offer three taels of silver!"

"I'll offer five taels!"

Jiang Zhenxue extended a finger and gently shook it.

"Sorry, this note is not for sale."

Everyone was stunned, their enthusiasm instantly dampened.

"Not selling? What's the shopkeeper's intention in bringing this out? Is he just making fun of us?" someone complained.

Jiang Zhenxue, unhurried and unperturbed, slowly spoke: "This notebook is an exclusive treasure of the study, offered only to the most sincere guests. Anyone who deposits twenty taels of silver in advance can borrow this notebook for three days free of charge. A deposit of fifty taels will grant access for ten days, and the shop will provide paper and pens for copying."

The room fell silent upon hearing this.

Everyone was so shocked by this condition that they were speechless.

Twenty taels!

This is no small sum; it's enough to cover the expenses of an average family for more than half a year.

The students, who had been gloating over having set up ten stalls, suddenly felt a bit hot in their hands as they held the bamboo plaque with the number engraved on it.

Brother Zhou, who was the first to sign up for membership, was flushed and internally torn.

Twenty taels... I... I can't possibly come up with that much money... But that notebook... If I had it, my chances of passing the provincial examination would be much better...

He wasn't the only one who thought this way. Most of the students present came from relatively well-off families, but twenty taels of silver wasn't something they could easily come up with.

The atmosphere at the scene instantly shifted from fervor to a tense stalemate, a mixture of longing and hesitation.

Just then, a clear voice broke the deadlock.

"I'll do it!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man surnamed Liang standing next to Kang Mingyan.