Quick Wear: Passerby A's Daily Life of Eating Watermelons

There is usually an avoidance system for officials, that is, officials cannot serve in their registered place of residence or ancestral place. This system is called avoidance of household registration or avoidance of relatives. It is to prevent officials from abusing their power to seek personal gain for their family or local forces, to ensure the impartiality of officials and the stability of centralized power. Therefore, it is possible for people from the south to serve in the north, and for people from the north to serve in the south.

When Jiang's father set out from the capital to return home, the news had already spread back to the county. Although Jiang's father did not pass the imperial examination and become the top scorer, the magistrate was already very happy. How could he refuse such a free credit? He waved his hand and went to the village in person to report the good news. Thinking about it, he asked people to bring some gifts. Who knew what Jiang's father's future would be like? It was worth giving him some material things to build a friendship in advance.

So when the Jiang family was taking a break at noon, the door was suddenly pushed open. The person who came in ran out of breath. After entering, he saw someone coming out and started shouting, "Quick, the person who brought good news is here again. Your master Jiang passed the exam again!!!"

"what!"

"Hurry! Quick, clean up the yard. The person who brought the good news will be home soon."

While they were talking, they heard the sound of firecrackers. Grandpa quickly instructed everyone to clean up. The family followed his instructions and got busy. They swept the floor and put away the hoes, dustpans, brooms, etc. on the ground. The people who came later to report the good news also started to help clean up.

As soon as he finished cleaning and reached the front door, the person who brought the good news came. This time the team announcing the good news was different from the previous two times. In addition to having more people than before, there were also dragon and lion dances and other ceremonial guards, and they were beating gongs and drums along the way, which was so festive. No one had ever seen such a scene before, and their house was packed with people.

Afterwards, the yamen runner announced the rank of Jiang's father in the exam, and the magistrate praised Jiang's father for his good parenting. But in fact, this was not the end. The rest had to wait for Jiang's father to come back. Although the third-place candidates could not boast of their official positions on the Imperial Street in the capital like the first-place candidates, they could still parade around the village after returning home, and such a big event also had to be celebrated with a banquet.

He has to offer sacrifices to his ancestors, inscribe his name on a stele, visit his teachers, and send "thank you gifts" to local officials, the education commissioner, and his former mentor. However, these are all things that Jiang's father has to worry about when he comes back. He just has to entertain others during these few days. He has to know how to refuse those who offer too much money, as not all money can be accepted. Jiang Yue's grandfather said that everything will be discussed after his son comes back, as he, an old farmer, doesn't understand these things.

Father Jiang arrived many days later than the messenger. When he came back, he was riding a horse, wearing a red robe and court robes. He was surrounded by gentry and toured the village before returning to the last stop, the village.

Of course Jiang Yue didn't know what happened afterwards. As a little girl, she was very sleepy after being "busy" all day. She fell asleep when Jiang's father was receiving guests. She was woken up by Jiang's father because it was time for dinner.

"Yuer~, Yuer, get up and eat."

Jiang Yue was sleeping soundly when she heard someone calling her. She tried to open her eyes and saw her father's big face. She called out "Dad" and stretched out her hand out of habit. Her father smiled and picked her up and took her directly to her grandparents' room. She woke up after her mother wiped her face with a cold towel.

During the meal, Jiang Yue sat next to her father, listening to their conversation while eating. When Jiang's father answered the questions of her grandparents, he could even add some dishes for her.

"How many days should we set up this buffet?"

"Let's put it up for three days. Everyone does it for three days."

"Who told you to put it on for three days?"

"Isn't that what the opera says?"

"What do you think, Third Brother?"

"Just listen to your mother and do it for three days."

"Then put it up for three days. When is the right time to start?"

"Let's start the day after tomorrow. My son will go visit his teacher tomorrow."

"Okay, then Dad will contact the chef tomorrow."

After the meal, everyone was so excited that they didn't feel sleepy. We chatted until 11 o'clock in the evening before we were ready to go to bed. Jiang Yue and her brother were taken to their grandmother's room to sleep, leaving some private space for the parents. A short separation is better than a new reunion.

The next day, Father Jiang went out early. There were a lot of things to do in the past few days and everyone was busy. The children were taken care of by their grandmother, and everyone else was busy. After that, there were three days of banquets, and everything was done according to the established rules.

Three days later, Jiang's father had visited everyone he was supposed to visit. By the time the family tree was completed and the Jinshi archway was erected, Jiang's father had been at home for almost a month, and there was not much time left for him to take office.

Jiang Yue's family was going to go with them this time. Originally, his parents wanted grandparents to go with them to enjoy a better life, but his grandparents had concerns. Jiang's father had not yet taken office and settled down. They were afraid that Jiang's father would be distracted and had to take care of them. So they didn't plan to go with them this time. They would wait until he settled down and then take them over.

In fact, the Jiang family's life has really improved because of the tax-free policy. Many people have registered their land under the Jiang family's name, and the family can collect rent without doing anything. In addition, most of the gifts given by many people this time were kept by Jiang's father at home.

All my brothers were sent to school, and my grandparents were planning to build a new house. If I wasn’t used to being served by others, I would have probably bought servants.

The day they left was sunny and windy. Father Jiang, Jiang Yue and Mother Jiang kowtowed to their grandparents, and asked their uncle and aunt to take good care of their grandparents. They asked them to write to them if they had any problems. The family hugged each other and cried for a while, but no matter how reluctant they were, the time to say goodbye had come.

"Dad and Mom, please take care of yourselves. I will take you over to enjoy your life after I have settled you down."

"Don't worry, don't worry. Remember that business is the most important thing. You must be a good official and serve the people. Your parents can't bear the hardship with your elder brother and second brother around. We can only enjoy the good life. Don't worry about us. Take good care of your wife and two children. They have never been far away. You should keep an eye on them."

"Don't worry, Third Brother. We will take care of your parents. You should be careful when you go there because you are unfamiliar with the place. Don't let others bully you."

"I've made a note of my eldest and second brothers. If you have any questions, please remember to write to me. I've made arrangements for the children. I'll have their teachers take care of them. If there are any good students, please send them to me and I'll teach them myself."

"We understand. It's getting late. Let's get going."

Jiang Yue and her mother were saying goodbye to grandma, aunt and second aunt. The men were fine but the women were crying their eyes out. They didn't know when they would meet again these days. Just in case, Jiang Yue left a copy of Bai Ze and some elixirs at home in case something happened and they were afraid they wouldn't be able to get back in time.

After walking a long way, Jiang Yue could still see her grandmother and the others looking at this side, until she could no longer see them at the next turn. Even though Jiang Yue had experienced many separations, she still felt sad every time.

After leaving the county town, they arrived at a post station. The family planned to rest there. They had plenty of time and did not plan to travel overnight. They just wanted to arrive before the registration deadline.