The atmosphere was tense for a moment.
Xun Yin, the peacemaker, stepped forward to take charge:
"Old Tan, the kids all say it's nothing. If there were any issues, they would come to us adults for help. I don't think Huanhuan is the type to be bullied, so don't make a big fuss about it. I understand how you feel. You never attended the Imperial College, but the exam questions change every year. When I took the exam, it wasn't as simple as riding a horse to catch a chicken. Do you know what we had to do?"
He paused, teasingly keeping everyone in suspense before continuing:
"We had to catch fish and shrimp. Just think how I managed to get in back then, but this was just a bonus question. If you have a wealth of knowledge, you can still get in. Old Tan, I'm telling you this to show that bumps and scrapes in exams are normal. Kids shouldn't be too coddled; they'll grow up just fine."
