Hearing these words, Jian Xiu nodded in understanding.

The two brothers were already skilled in painting and had even received such high praise from Mo Shanhua.

As for arithmetic, Jian Xiu was even more confident.

“Dean Mo, let’s begin!”

Mo Shanhua nodded and asked the two, “Are you both ready?”

“Dean, we are ready,” they responded.

Mo Shanhua nodded again before stating the question, “You have ten copper coins to buy eggs. Each egg costs one copper coin for three eggs. How many eggs can you buy with ten copper coins?”

As soon as the question was asked, the two brothers did not start counting on their fingers like his other students usually did.

Instead, they calmly looked into the distance, clearly thinking it through.

Seeing this, Mo Shanhua grew a little anxious.

This was a common question, and he hadn’t intentionally made it difficult for them.

Normally, as long as someone calculated properly, they should be able to get the answer.

Could it be that this question was too hard for them? Were they completely lost?

Or was it…

“Dean, the answer is thirty eggs, right?” the brothers answered in unison.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, we’re sure!” they both replied in sync.

Hearing their response, Mo Shanhua fell into deep thought.

Judging by how they had answered, they hadn’t used any tools to calculate.

They had done it purely through mental arithmetic.

And they had answered correctly—and so quickly too.

Recalling what Jian Xiu had just said, Mo Shanhua continued,

“Very good. You passed this question. But I have another, more difficult one for you. Be ready.”

“Okay, Dean, please ask!”

“A vine is about seventy feet long, and two and a half feet are used up each day. How many days will it last?”

This question was indeed more difficult.

After asking, Mo Shanhua kept his eyes on the brothers.

But when he saw them still as calm as ever, he was even more puzzled.

If they could solve this through mental math again, then they truly had an exceptional talent.

“If you think it’s too difficult…”

“Dean, the answer is twenty-eight days!”

Before Mo Shanhua could finish his sentence, the brothers had already answered.

His eyes widened in shock, and he stared at the two of them for a long time, unable to speak.

He had come up with this question on the spot.

There was no way they could have prepared for it.

And he had watched them closely—they had definitely done the calculations mentally.

Thinking back to Jian Xiu’s words, Mo Shanhua suddenly became excited.

Seeing the brothers looking at him expectantly, he finally spoke,

“Congratulations, you have passed the exam and are now students of Xuewen Academy. You may start attending tomorrow.”

After hearing this, the brothers were visibly happy.

But remembering where they were, they quickly suppressed their excitement.

“You two may leave for now. I have something to discuss with your mother,” Mo Shanhua said to Zhang Feixuan and Zhang Feiyi.

As for his grandson Mo Ziran and Zhang Feilan, they had long since run off to play somewhere.

“Dean, you must want to ask about the arithmetic just now, right?”

Once the children had left, Jian Xiu spoke first.

“You are indeed straightforward!”

“To be honest, I read about this in a travel journal. It’s called the multiplication table. Once memorized, you’ll find it has many advantages,” Jian Xiu said casually.

In truth, she also wanted to tell them about addition techniques like the “making ten” and “balancing ten” methods.

But she knew that saying too much at once might backfire.

She decided to take it slow.

After all, she had traveled through time—her mind was full of knowledge. Why worry about not having a chance to use it?

“The multiplication table? Is this some kind of secret technique?” Mo Shanhua asked excitedly.

As he spoke, he even stood up, showing how thrilled he was.

Hearing the words “secret technique,” Jian Xiu couldn’t help but laugh.

The more she interacted with Mo Shanhua, the more at ease she felt.

He had the qualities of a scholar, but he wasn’t stubborn like many teachers.

“What are you laughing at?” Mo Shanhua asked seriously, oblivious to how amusing he looked at the moment.

Jian Xiu didn’t waste words.

She simply handed him a piece of paper she had prepared in advance.

“Dean Mo, take a look at this!”

“What is this?”

“Just read it first.”

“This says ‘two times one is…’?”

“This is the multiplication table! It represents one multiplied by one.”

Mo Shanhua was even more confused.

Jian Xiu had expected this.

So she patiently explained how the multiplication table worked, step by step.

“Take your question just now—I worked it backward using mental math. Not only is it much faster, but it also reduces errors…”

“Dean Mo?”

“Dean Mo…”

She called out to him twice, but Mo Shanhua remained frozen in place.

Jian Xiu: “…”

Was it really that shocking?

Seeing his dumbfounded expression, Jian Xiu was speechless.

With a sigh, she picked up a cup of tea and slowly took a sip.

She had talked too much—her throat was dry.

After a long while, Mo Shanhua finally came back to his senses.

He stared at Jian Xiu and asked,

“Miss, do you remember the name of the travel journal you read?”

Jian Xiu: “…”

Would “Jian Xiu’s Post-Apocalyptic Time-Travel Chronicles” be an acceptable answer?

“Miss, do you not remember?” Seeing her speechless expression, Mo Shanhua looked disappointed.

“Indeed, I don’t. The book was already old and tattered when I read it, and this was just a brief mention in it,” she said, making up an excuse.

“Multiplication table… Good, good! The name is fitting, very fitting. Truly… Good, good!”

Mo Shanhua was so excited he started mumbling incoherently.

At this point, he probably didn’t even know what he was trying to say.

But Jian Xiu understood well enough.

In her own time, the multiplication table was something every student had to memorize.

How much more valuable must it be in this era?

“With this multiplication table, I am sure that in the upcoming competition, our Xuewen Academy will surely win!” Mo Shanhua declared excitedly.

Seeing his enthusiasm, Jian Xiu could only shake her head helplessly.