Before Zhuo Mingda could speak, the two individuals introduced themselves as teachers from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) responsible for admissions.
Upon hearing "USTC" and recalling some recent rumors, Jiang Si instantly understood their purpose.
During the symposium in August, besides the explicit reinstatement of the national college entrance exam, the leadership had also put forward the guiding principle: "Cultivate talent early, produce talent quickly."
Among all, USTC had reacted the fastest. Not long after the meeting concluded, they initiated preparations for a "Juvenile Class."
The first cohort of Juvenile Class students would not need to take the national college entrance exam; they would be selected independently by the university.
As for the specific selection process, Jiang Si was not privy to the details.
She only knew that the children who could enter the Juvenile Class were basically geniuses among geniuses, with an average age not exceeding 15.
The two teachers didn't beat around the bush either. After a few pleasantries, they directly stated their purpose.
Just as Jiang Si had anticipated, they had indeed taken a liking to the two children, Jingxing and Jingyan, and intended to recruit them.
Jiang Si wasn't particularly surprised by this.
Over the past few years, the two children had demonstrated mental maturity and learning abilities far surpassing their peers.
It was only a matter of time before they attracted attention.
Seeing that Jiang Si remained silent after hearing them out, the older teacher hurriedly added, "Comrade Jiang, please rest assured. If the children join our USTC Juvenile Class, we will absolutely invest the best resources to nurture them, striving to uncover their fullest potential."
Before Jiang Si could respond, the other teacher continued, "The first cohort of Juvenile Class students only selected twenty-one individuals nationwide. Your two children are the youngest among them and also possess the highest talent. We believe such promising seedlings will achieve remarkable accomplishments in their respective fields within a few years."
"Yes, Comrade Jiang," the first teacher chimed in again persuasively. "This opportunity is truly rare. It would be a real shame to miss it."
No one dislikes hearing their children praised, but at this moment, Jiang Si was simply an ordinary mother.
Fame and fortune meant little to her compared to her children's genuine happiness.
She didn't want them to be driven by "external expectations" or "worldly success," but rather to choose the path they truly wanted from their hearts.
"Thank you for your high regard, teachers. However, regarding this matter, I believe the children's own thoughts are most important," Jiang Si said, her tone gentle yet firm. "I need to discuss it seriously with them and respect their wishes."
Although the two teachers felt somewhat disappointed, they didn't press further, only saying they would visit again in a few days.
After seeing the teachers off, Zhuo Mingda was the first to explain, "Old Huo, sister-in-law, I swear I didn't recommend them. I was just as surprised when they showed up at my door today."
Zhaozhao was his prized student; he hadn't even taught her enough himself, how could he bear to actively recommend her to others?
Seeing his troubled expression, Huo Tingzhou and Jiang Si exchanged a glance.
Logically, if the teachers had found their way here, they should have already obtained fairly detailed information about the children.
They could have come directly to the residential compound; why visit the Zhuo family first?
Jiang Si suddenly thought of something and asked, "Teacher Zhuo, is it because of your child, Qingyun..."
"Yes, our Qingyun was also selected," Zhuo Mingda sighed, his expression complex. "The key is he agreed to it."
Just as he spoke, the siblings returned from the Hu family.
Entering the courtyard, they happened to hear this last sentence.
Zhaozhao asked curiously, "Who agreed? Agreed to what?"
"Jingxing, Jingyan, come sit down first. Mom has something she wants to discuss seriously with you."
Jiang Si didn't brush off the children or make decisions for them just because they were young.
After they sat down, she explained the matter to them thoroughly from beginning to end.
"Mom, is this USTC Juvenile Class really impressive?" Zhaozhao asked, blinking her eyes.
Jiang Si nodded, answering seriously, "Extremely impressive. The children who get in are basically one-in-ten-thousand talents."
People naturally admire excellence, and the siblings were no exception.
Especially upon learning that the Zhuo family's Zhuo Qingyun had also been selected and agreed to join, a clear flicker of yearning appeared on their faces.
In that moment, Jiang Si finally understood the feeling Teacher Hu had described.
Yet she couldn't say anything about it.
Just as she thought the two little ones were also about to nod in agreement,
the siblings looked at each other and finally stated clearly that they would not go.
USTC was excellent, but it was located far away in Anhui Province.
Without their two little rays of sunshine, Mom and Dad would have no one to talk to when they came home from work.
Besides, their teacher had said, "Gold glitters wherever it is."
Even if they didn't go to the USTC Juvenile Class, they would still study hard and definitely not fall behind anyone else.
Hearing their children's words, Jiang Si felt both gratified and deeply touched.
When the two teachers visited again a few days later, she relayed the children's thoughts to them verbatim.
In truth, this wasn't the first time the teachers had encountered such a refusal.
They understood well that most of the children selected this time were around ten years old.
Many had never left their own city. Suddenly taking them to study and live in an unfamiliar environment thousands of miles away—
it was only human for both parents and children to have reservations.
Putting themselves in the parents' shoes, they would also have to weigh the pros and cons if it were their own children.
Therefore, a few days prior, they had already reported these situations and encountered difficulties in detail to their superiors.
The leadership attached great importance to this matter.
One teacher, surnamed Chen, said, "Comrade Jiang, if the classes were held in Beijing, would you be able to consider it?"
"Beijing?" Jiang Si was surprised.
Teacher Chen nodded. "To be frank, Tsinghua University also has the idea of establishing a Juvenile Class. Leaders from various parties met recently and finally decided to set up a Juvenile Class at Tsinghua as well. They will provide the venue and logistical support, while we provide the core faculty and funding. The training program and curriculum will be consistent with the main campus."
Of course, the prerequisite was that the children had to pass their unified entrance examination.
Remembering this, the other teacher quickly gave them a heads-up. "The preliminary test subjects are mainly focused on mathematics and physics, geometry, chemistry... The difficulty is no less than this year's college entrance exam."
After the preliminary test, there would be three more rounds of further assessments.
The first assessment would involve senior professors from USTC and Tsinghua giving live lectures to these children.
An exam would follow immediately after the lecture.
This primarily tested the children's learning speed and comprehension ability.
Next would be tests on psychology, life skills, comprehensive qualities, etc.
This stage mainly assessed the children's stress tolerance, independent living ability, and so on.
Finally, there would be one-on-one in-depth conversations between professors from relevant fields and the students, to thoroughly understand each child's interests and specialties. Based on these evaluation results, their major direction and cultivation path upon entering the Juvenile Class would then be determined.
The preliminary exam results account for 40%, and the comprehensive performance in the three rounds of follow-up interviews accounts for 60%.
The total score is 120, and the children must achieve a total score of 100 to pass.
After listening, Jiang Si couldn't help but secretly click her tongue in surprise.
In comparison, the college entrance exam seemed somewhat less demanding.
Since both children were present today, Jiang Si left the decision to them. "You both heard that, right?"
"Yes, we heard."
Although the siblings didn't voice their opinion immediately, the delight in their eyes was impossible to hide.
"Mom, if we get selected, can we go to and from school with you in the future?"
Jiang Si was embarrassed. "That would also require me to pass the exam first."
The two children were full of confidence about this. "Mom, you definitely can!"
So, does this mean they agree?
Sure enough, the children said, "Mom, we want to go."
"Wanting to go also requires passing the test."
"Oh, right, teacher." Distracted by the siblings' interjection, Jiang Si almost forgot something very important. "I wonder when this test will be held?"
"It's tentatively scheduled for the end of February next year."
After saying this, the two teachers added, "The required textbooks will be delivered to you when the time comes."
After hearing this, Jiang Si thought for a moment. It was already early December.
That meant, at most, there were less than three months left.
Time wasn't exactly plentiful, but since the children wanted to give it a try, Jiang Si didn't want to be a killjoy, so she nodded in agreement.
