After the cannon fodder father and daughter married into the family, the whole family regretted it

Fang Tong and his wife went to the land brokerage shop every day. Yes, they planned to continue buying land.

It is mainly located around Huai'an Prefecture and the county town, and it is best to be in a continuous area, which is easy to maintain.

He has many brothers, and when the time comes, they will be separated and each of them will manage a small farm.

Fang Tong bought the land mainly to grow crops. He didn't plan to grow more watermelons and strawberries.

His daughter told him that things are valuable because they are rare. When the streets are full of watermelons and strawberries, they will no longer be valuable.

His son said that the court had regulations on arable land, and since he was planting crops randomly and was just an ordinary citizen, it would be easy for problems to arise.

Fang Tong has always listened to advice and is good at farming. He has recently been trying to grow rice three times in two years, and the yield has increased significantly.

And try to find the right time.

He asked many experienced farmers how to read the sky and estimate when to plant, weed, and irrigate each year.

I found out that there are certain rules to follow. When he was farming, he did whatever the villagers did.

Now he organized and recorded the information he had asked, and he discovered a pattern.

Yan Ge'er asked him to verify them one by one, and then teach him how to make a table and standardize it later, which would be very useful.

Fang Tong is not sure what great use it has, but it’s right to listen to his son.

The provincial examination is held every three years, and the next one will be in August next year.

With more than a year left, Zhou Zijing planned to go to Luming Academy in Jiangnan to study.

The entrance threshold to Luming Academy is very high, and only those with the title of scholar or above can enter.

Even scholars had to take an entrance exam, and only thirty people were accepted each year.

Zhou Zijing got the exam place from his father.

That day, Fang Nanzhi finished her new lesson and said goodbye with her medicine box on her back.

Elder Zhou called out to her, "Zhizhi, go to the pavilion and take a look. Your nephew wants to see you."

Nephew?

Fang Nanzhi reacted and said "Oh" obediently.

The scenery of the pavilion in the middle of the lake is just right. The breeze blows, the lake water gurgles, and the willow leaves flutter, which makes people feel relaxed and happy.

Zhou Zijing sat cross-legged under the pavilion, poured the wine with one hand and drank it all in one gulp, feeling extremely comfortable.

Seeing the little girl coming over, he became slightly serious. Without standing up, he just pointed his hand to the opposite side and made a gesture of invitation.

Fang Nanzhi put down the medicine box and sat cross-legged like him.

"Nephew, why didn't you review your lessons today?" She sniffed and widened her eyes: "You were drinking secretly."

She knew that her nephew did not want to follow the path of an imperial physician, but wanted to take the imperial examination. He had been preparing for the provincial examination for several years, hoping to win it in one day.

Zhou Zijing rolled his eyes. "Master, I'm still young. Isn't it normal for me to drink? Why do I have to be so secretive?"

Fang Nanzhi looked at him seriously and nodded after a while. Indeed, his nephew was quite old.

She scratched her face and gossiped, "Nephew, you are so old, why don't you get married?"

"puff!"

Zhou Zijing spat out all the wine in one mouthful, choking him and making him cough.

He covered his chest and said in shock: "Ahem, why am I old? Only someone like my grandfather is considered old, right?"

"Nonsense!" Fang Nanzhi sat upright, speaking righteously, "Master has only experienced more years and is more knowledgeable, but his heart is still young."

Zhou Zijing gave her a thumbs up for the flattery.

He wiped the corner of his mouth and brought the topic back on track: "Master, you are already eleven years old. Have you thought about your future?"

It turns out that I was talking to her about my ideal life.

Fang Nanzhi thought without hesitation: "To be a famous doctor, you must continue to study and become a famous scholar."

There have never been any women who are famous doctors or celebrities from ancient times to the present.

Zhou Zijing stared at her intently. "Master, there are two types of famous scholars and famous doctors. Since ancient times, there have been two types: one who lives in seclusion in the mountains, and the other who works in the government. I wonder which one you want to be?"

Fang Nanzhi hadn't really thought about this question: "It's all right."

"Whether in the temple or in the mountains, I am always doing the work of curing illnesses and saving lives. It doesn't make any difference what I want to do."

Her eyes were clear, as if they could illuminate people's hearts.

Zhou Zijing knew at a glance that this was her true thought.

Is this the sincere heart that my grandfather talked about?

My grandfather once said that he could not become a doctor because his ambition was too great, greater than the kindness a doctor should have.

"There is still a difference." Zhou Zijing pulled himself back to his thoughts: "In the countryside, if you save one person, you are only saving one person. In the government, if you save one person, you may be saving everyone."

This is not difficult to understand.

Fang Nanzhi lowered his head and pondered, then suddenly asked, "Does the Zhou family want me to be their imperial physician?"

Admiration flashed in Zhou Zijing's eyes.

She was talking about the Zhou family, not her grandfather, which shows that the master was very clear about the interests involved.

"Some people think so. After my father left the Imperial Hospital, no one from the Zhou family worked there. In a few years, I'm afraid everyone will forget that the Zhou family has been practicing medicine for generations."

Although the Zhou family wanted to pursue a career in politics, few were successful.

Zhou Zijing's father is considered promising, but he has not made any progress in many years and is likely to spend the rest of his life in the Censorate.

Among their descendants, apart from Zhou Zijing, no one else was very successful. The Zhou family wanted a way out.

Fang Nanzhi frowned and asked directly: "If that's the case, why not train one from among the descendants of the Zhou family?"

Zhou Zijing smiled bitterly and said, "It was cultivated naturally."

But my grandfather had seen me and said that my talent was average. I could only make a living by practicing medicine in the future, but I had no chance of joining the Imperial Medical Bureau.

Even if Mr. Zhou used his connections to get someone in, he would probably be left out in the cold.

If I had known earlier, the imperial physicians also had ranks. A seventh-rank imperial physician could only treat unfavored concubines on a daily basis. What future could he have?

Fang Nanzhi is Master Zhou's disciple and is extremely talented. The Zhou family has provided her with a lot of help in recent years.

Therefore, the Zhou family has a say in Fang Nanzhi's future.

Fang Nanzhi understood these principles.

"What does my nephew think?"

Zhou Zijing sat up straighter. "My grandfather studied medicine his entire life. When he was in the Imperial Hospital, he was considered one of the best doctors. Even so, in the eyes of the gentry, he was just a craftsman and could be looked down upon."

"My grandfather was unwilling to accept this. Doctors cure illnesses and save lives, so where is the lowliness in that? He hoped that one day, doctors would be respected like scholars."

"I hope that Master Auntie can fulfill my grandfather's wish and ensure that doctors will not lag behind others."

"But this road has never been taken before. I don't know which way to go. Perhaps if I join the government, I can have more say."

Zhou Zijing winked at her.

He held the kettle in one hand and poured her a cup of tea.

"But Grandfather doesn't want you to have any burdens. He hopes that Master Nun will choose the path she wants."

Fang Nanzhi looked at the tea in the cup and wondered, "Why did my nephew tell me this?"

"The Zhou family has paid something, so they definitely want to gain something in return."

Zhou Zijing speaks frankly.

If the grandfather only teaches his disciples himself, the family will not be able to control him.

But he used the power of his family. For example, he introduced Mr. Huang to Fang Tong, and the Qin family's new wheat seeds could be delivered to the emperor, all with the secret help of the Zhou family.

The Zhou family is not a noble family, but a small family, and they want benefits.

Fang Nanzhi nodded slightly, picked up the teacup and took a sip.

"I understand."

Zhou Zijing chuckled and didn't necessarily need her to promise anything immediately.

"The day after tomorrow, I'm going to Jiangnan. The family has two exam spots available. I wonder if your brother is interested?"

Fang Nanzhi raised her head and looked at him intently.

Both parties understood that this extra quota was still the Zhou family's contribution to her.

To be honest, Fang Nanzhi felt the pressure, but she was not very anxious.

She nodded: "Thank you, nephew. I will go back and ask my brother."

Fang Nanzhi left Zhou's house with a heavy expression on her face.

Since she was a child, her father taught her that she should repay the kindness received from others.

Mr. Zheng said, "A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring."

When she was young, she didn't know what role the Zhou family played in her family's affairs, but when she grew up, she had already thought about some things.

She remembers the Zhou family's kindness, and her family also remembers it.

Fang Nanzhi asked herself in her heart, can she pay it back?

She has always been confident and thinks she is smart enough, but she dare not guarantee it now.

No woman in the world can be an official.

In other words, whatever a woman does in public will be criticized.

As she grew older, Fang Nanzhi became increasingly aware of this.

No matter how smart or capable one person is, he or she cannot change the course of the world. It takes thousands and thousands of pioneers to seize even a glimmer of hope.

What if I can’t repay this favor?

Fang Nanzhi touched her chest and felt very calm. She was not nervous at all.

Then don’t pay it back.

Dad once said that there is no risk-free business in the world.

To be honest, the Zhou family helped her many times, not because she asked for it. Firstly, they did it out of kindness to Mr. Zhou, and secondly, they saw her potential.

The Zhou family is wealthy and powerful, so they must be prepared for investment failure.

If she really becomes a powerful person, she will definitely not forget the Zhou family.

If she could only be an ordinary person, she would not be ungrateful and would repay them in small ways.

Her father once told her a story about a farmer who saved a nobleman, and after the nobleman recovered from his injury, he repaid the farmer with a hundred gold coins.

A farmer saved an old widower. After the old man regained consciousness, he would send the farmer some firewood from time to time.

Both are repaying a favor, but with different abilities and methods.

Fang Nanzhi soon felt at ease.

Call her shameless or thick-skinned. In short, she couldn't let the Zhou family's kindness carry her forward, and her master wouldn't want her to do so.

The little girl had put her worries aside. At the Zhou residence, Mr. Zhou held a cup of tea and did not move for a long time.

Zhou Zijing sat opposite him and sighed: "Grandfather, the tea is cold."

Old Zhou glared at him and said, "If you weren't so stingy, you would have to set a test for me to get a spot. Why would I get so angry?"

Zhou Zijing chuckled: "Master has grown up, she needs to exercise. Those who achieve great things must be thick-skinned, cruel and ruthless."

"Oh?" Old Zhou glanced at his grandson, and was somewhat unable to understand his thoughts.

He thought his grandson did this because he was listening to his son and forcing his apprentice to work hard to become an imperial physician to leave a way out for the Zhou family.

"Grandfather, my father's vision is far worse than yours. Of course I stand on your side." Zhou Zijing smiled ingratiatingly.

"It's just that the path you want Master Nun to take is too difficult. I don't know how many hardships she will face in the future. You have to temper her a little. If she can't withstand the Zhou family's demands for repayment, or if she loses her original intention in order to repay the favor, it means that Master Nun is still far from perfect."

Zhou Zijing simply laid everything out, broke it down and told his master about it.

It is equivalent to putting pressure on the master, and he will not interfere with what choice she makes under such pressure.

Mr. Zhou understood and secretly cursed the boy for being so cunning.

"We, the descendants of the Zhou family, have always been honest and loyal. Why did you become so crooked?"

Mr. Zhou looked at him with disdain and walked away slowly.

Zhou Zijing was speechless. Who was he doing this for?

Furthermore, although the Zhou family is not cruel and ruthless, how can they be honest when they are in the officialdom?

Fang Nanzhi returned home happily and talked about the examination quota for Luming Academy at the dinner table.

After Qin Yan dropped out of the provincial school, he often went to Songyuan to seek advice and made some progress in his studies, but the progress was very slow.

He had heard of Luming Academy. Just three years ago, Luming Academy had produced 28 successful candidates.

You should know that in each examination, the number of candidates selected by the court from all over the country was no more than one thousand.

There were less than a hundred people distributed to each provincial capital.

It is amazing that twenty-eight people were admitted to Luming Academy at the same time. All the scholars in the world aspired to be there.

The more Qin Yan's heart fluttered, the calmer he became. "Zhizhi, does the Zhou family have any requirements for this position?"

Fang Nanzhi shook his head.

"Then let's exchange something." Qin Yan said decisively.

Studying is not easy, and opportunities will never come right in front of you. It would be foolish not to use them for fear of owing favors to others.

"What to exchange?" Qian Fengping was happy and worried.

"I bought a book called 'World Craftsmanship' within the system and came across an article about a method for drying salt. It can extract salt from seawater and turn it into edible salt."

Nowadays, the salt we eat is well salt, alkaline salt, etc. There has never been any technology for seawater salting.

If I give this thing to the Zhou family, not only can it offset the quota for Lu Ming's book, it can also repay the favors they have owed me in the past.

That’s right, Qin Yan didn’t do it on impulse.

Mr. Zhou loves his sister wholeheartedly, so he has taken the initiative to make many sacrifices, but the Zhou family may not ask for anything in return. He doesn't want his sister to owe him a favor, so he has been thinking about this.

"Okay." Fang Tong was the first to support.

No one in the family has any objections.

In the evening, the brother and sister copied out the part about the salt-drying method.

The next day, Zhou Zijing, who was waiting for the results at home, received this big surprise.

He read it seriously and his expression changed.

"I wonder where did you get this method, Mr. Qin?"

"I found it in a miscellaneous book. I've read it and think it has some substance. Brother Zhou, can you send someone to take a look?" Qin Yan did not mention the title of the book.

Zhou Zijing didn't ask any further questions, he just nodded seriously.

The two agreed on the departure time for tomorrow, and Qin Yan took his sister and said goodbye.

Zhou Zijing was stunned holding the paper in his hand. He never expected that the Qin family had such a secret method and was willing to give it to the Zhou family.

Old Zhou passed by and snorted: "Some people treat sesame seeds as treasures, but they don't expect others to have watermelons."

Zhou Zijing, who was under the influence of yin and yang: ...

Qin Yan is leaving tomorrow, and the family can't go with him this time.

Luming Academy is located in the mountains, and all students live there, so they cannot see each other every day.

They were separated for only over a year and could be reunited, so Qian Fengping did not force it.

Because the time was short, the things his family prepared for him to take away were not all that complete.

"Brother, I'll put the meat sauce, cake, and sesame cakes in the gray bag so it's convenient for you to take when you want to eat."

"it is good!"

"Son, isn't bringing three sets of clothes for each season a little too little?"

"Not a small amount, mother. That's enough."

"I'll give the horse a bath. We're going on a long journey tomorrow, so we need to let him relax a little." Fang Tong called out.

He would drive his child to the academy, make sure he passed the exam, and then come back by himself.