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"Ah, I see." Liu Gaoliang’s expression relaxed slightly, "The Pill King is indeed generous and kind-hearted, helping many either directly or indirectly. It’s good that you have a heart for gratitude, but with your current ability, you don’t even qualify to be an alchemy apprentice. How can you be of any help? Instead of thinking about this and that, you should focus on your studies and cultivation. If the Wang family needs you in the future, perform well."
"Thank you for your advice, Brother Liu." Li Mingtang bowed deeply.
Time flew as everyone chatted and laughed. Before they knew it, the merchant ship had approached the port of Xinping.
Guided by the pilot boat, the large merchant ship they were on slowly docked at berth number fifty-three at Xinping Port.
Having been around the block, Liu Gaoliang was naturally familiar with everything about this port. He led the inexperienced youths through customs and went straight to the reception point set up by the Changning County School.
Nowadays, the Changning County School is no longer the humble establishment it was when first founded. With strong support from the Sacred Land, the Government Office, the Wang family, and the local gentry, the school is now among the top in the nation in both scale and student quality, second only to the Wang Family School in status.
Moreover, compared to the Wang Family School, which mainly recruits family members, in-laws, and a select few from the local elite, Changning County School has a larger recruitment scope.
In recent years, it has continuously increased the proportion of foreign students, resulting in an even larger student body.
Today, managing the reception point at Changning County School was one of the school’s outstanding scholars—Dongfang Lingrou.
Though in her fifties, she still appeared youthful and vibrant, with bright eyes and a captivating presence like that of a twenty-year-old girl.
The girl who once bravely confronted a tavern on behalf of her family and pleaded directly with Wang Shouye had matured through the years, becoming poised and confident, exuding self-assurance from head to toe.
Upon seeing her, Liu Gaoliang immediately greeted her with a beaming smile and cupped hands, "Junior Sister Dongfang, it’s rare to find you on duty at the reception point today."
"So it’s Senior Brother Gaoliang. With the recent surge in newcomers, President Lu and teachers from various departments have organized students to join different departments for some early practice. I got recruited into the service," Dongfang Lingrou responded courteously, "I heard you went back to Da Zhou to visit family. How did you return so quickly?"
"Well, I happened to escort our young Da Zhou, scholars, here for enrollment. Besides, the Wang family is hosting the Duke banquet, and Rich Young Master is set to marry both Princess Chuan Nan and Princess Zhao Yu. Such a rare, bustling scene in the world, how could I miss it?"
Speaking of these two events, Liu Gaoliang was full of excitement, then sighed regretfully, "Unfortunately, this wedding banquet is attended by bigwigs from all sides, and small fry like me with no connection to the Wang family are unlikely even to get near the periphery of the banquet."
"Senior Brother Liu, if you want to get as close as possible to the action, it’s not impossible," Dongfang Lingrou smiled, "This time, the Duke banquet is causing a massive stir, attracting countless guests both invited and uninvited. Therefore, the Wang family is also recruiting some to help with reception duties."
"If you’re willing, Senior Brother Liu, you can ask President Lu to write a recommendation letter; there’s even extra compensation!"
Liu Gaoliang was overjoyed, "Such a wonderful opportunity? I would go even without compensation. Junior Sister Dongfang, quickly help register these kids…"
He was already in an impatient state.
The young people from Da Zhou all looked at him with curious and complex expressions.
Such a mature and worldly elite, how could he be so excited at the prospect of serving the Wang family? And why did he regard them as burdens?
Why exactly? Is this opportunity truly that rare?
"Don’t rush; let’s first ensure these future junior brothers and sisters are well taken care of," Dongfang Lingrou began registering and creating records, advising, "In the coming days, everyone will stay in hotels in Xinping Town. Use this opportunity to explore Xinping Town more. In a couple of days, when more people arrive, we will head to Changning County’s school together."
After the registration process, Liu Gaoliang led the young scholars onto the bus heading to the hotel.
This bus was a large coach with numerous seats, capable of holding several dozen people comfortably. Although slightly slow, it was extremely convenient, especially suitable for their sizable group.
On the way, from the variety of shops lining the streets to the attire and transportation modes of pedestrians, the dazzling array of new things left the Great Zhou scholars wide-eyed and open-mouthed, feeling as if they had entered a whole new world.
Even the hotel they stayed in differed from the traditional Da Zhou inns, clean, tidy, and equipped with various advanced facilities, the likes of which they had never heard before. According to Brother Liu, this was merely an ordinary hotel in Xinping Town.
If they were to stay in one of the top hotels, now that would be a real human indulgence.
However, those hotels were out of reach even for these students, as even the most basic room required payment in Spirit Stones. Eating a single meal there could easily cost a year’s worth of living expenses.