How can someone travel through time and space and become a beggar?

A lot of questions came at her, and Zhang Zhou answered her one by one without getting annoyed.

"I haven't taken office yet, so it must be no fun."

"The capital is more prosperous than Lin'an. I don't have the heart to play around, and I don't know if it's a good idea."

"There's more food than in Lin'an, and it's pretty good."

"It depends on the person whether they are easy to get along with or not. Most of the time they are easy to get along with."

"The academy is a big pot, pretty much."

"Arrived half an hour ago."

"Brought a gift."

"I miss home very much." He looked at Dong Xiaohuan and spoke sincerely as he said the last sentence.

Dong Xiaohuan's eyes were sore. She turned around and wiped her eyes, then pulled her daughter over like a machine gun. "Okay, okay, sit down."

Jia Qingwu and Wang Yong came back one after another. One of them put off the work in the shop, and the other asked for leave, so they came back a little later.

Zhang Zhou kowtowed to his father again, then turned to Jia Qingwu and kowtowed as well.

Wang Yong squeezed his son's shoulder and said, "Good boy, Dad is proud of you."

Zhang Zhou looked at his parents with admiration. This period had not been without fatigue or trouble. Fortunately, he had two good friends by his side and letters from home to support him.

How lucky he is to have so many people who truly care about and love him in his life.

Once the family was together, dinner began to be served. Halfway through the dishes, Zhang Zhou realized that they were all his favorites. He bowed to Jia Qingwu and said, "Thank you for your concern, Auntie."

"No need to be so polite, we are all family." Jia Qingwu smiled gently. She loved the children as much as she loved the whole family. She selfishly treated these children as her own.

At the dinner table, most of the questions were about Zhang Zhou's life in Beijing, not so much about his imperial examinations. The adults were concerned about his daily life, while the children asked about Beijing's customs and interesting places.

The meal was a harmonious one. After the meal, Wang Qiuyu clung to Zhang Zhou, his expression no different from Da'an and Xiao'an.

"Alright, your second brother just came back today. He didn't get enough rest after the long journey. Let him get some sleep today. We can ask you tomorrow if you have any questions." Dong Xiaohuan said to her youngest son, "Have you finished your homework today? Your third brother went to the study after dinner."

When Wang Qiuyu mentioned schoolwork, he visibly wilted. He walked towards the study, looking back every few steps. "Second brother, can I sleep with you tonight?"

Before Zhang Zhou could even speak, Dong Xiaohuan had already refused, "No! I told you to have a good rest, but you're not a good sleeper. No one can sleep well next to you."

Wang Qiuyu snorted and stomped his feet as Wang Shufang walked away.

Zhang Zhou couldn't help laughing, "I'll show you the gift I brought back tomorrow."

"Okay~!" Upon hearing this, Wang Qiuyu came back to life, jumped a few times and disappeared in the corridor.

"Okay, go to bed quickly. You've lost so much weight from sleeping in the open air. You'll be busy in the next few days." Dong Xiaohuan patted her second son's shoulder. She felt that the child had lost a lot of weight.

"Yes, I'll be going right away." Zhang Zhou was at a loss for words. He hadn't really endured any hardship. He'd only lost some weight during the expedition, but he'd recovered since then and didn't really feel like he'd lost much weight.

Back home, Zhang Zhou slept peacefully. The next day, he was in high spirits. Fu Yang had already packed up all the gifts he had bought. At breakfast, Zhang Zhou distributed the gifts one by one.

Dong Xiaohuan was given a pair of silver bracelets, not expensive, but very delicate, a style never seen in Lin'an. Wang Yong was given two jars of Beijing's famous fine wine, the mere smell of which piqued Wang Yong's appetite. He took the opportunity to secretly drink a small cup while moving back to his room.

Xia Tian didn't return, so the gifts remained. The one for Xia Chu was a pipa, made by a famous craftsman. The craftsman had long since stopped making pipa, and Zhang Zhou had to visit him several times before he finally agreed to give it to him.

Guan Xu got a piece of good paper and a box of ink sticks, while Wang Qiuyu got a box of toys. A complete set of Luban locks, ranging from simple to complex, was enough to keep him entertained for a long time.

Jia Qingwu got a round fan with Beijing embroidery on it, which was very exquisite.

He also brought a box of the latest rouge and powder from Beijing for the girls in the family to choose from.

Everyone is very happy to receive their own gifts. Regardless of the value of the gifts, the thoughtfulness that goes into each person's gift is the most heartwarming.

Zhang Zhou had just returned, so naturally he had to go to the academy to visit his former teachers. Uncle Fu helped him pack the appropriate gifts and had Fu Yang drive the carriage to deliver them.

After visiting the academy, the news of his return spread. However, most people only knew about the Wang family, which gave Zhang Zhou a lot of peace and quiet.

But they didn't have much peace for a few days before they all came to the Jia family. Zhang Zhou refused to meet them, saying that it was inconvenient for him to be a guest, and only went to a few banquets.

The first was the prefect, a position he couldn't refuse. Only a handful of people had passed the Lin'an exam this year, but each one was a significant achievement. The prefect was quite affable, even hinting at promising his concubine's daughter to Zhang Zhou. After all, among the five men, aside from his son, only Zhang Zhou remained unmarried. Young and promising, with handsome features and good character, while not worthy of his legitimate daughter, a concubine's daughter was more than enough.

Zhang Xin changed the subject briefly. He knew Zhang Zhou wasn't interested for the time being. Furthermore, in his opinion, his half-sister wasn't worthy of Zhang Zhou.

Zhang Zhou raised his glass to Zhang Xin, his gratitude unspoken. He couldn't refuse; the other party was the prefect. Even if she was just a concubine's daughter, she was giving him great honor. If he refused, he would be ungrateful.

The same thing happened on the day the results were announced. If it weren't for Zhang Xin, he would have been caught by the "son-in-law from under the list".

After the prefect, there was the county magistrate, who hinted at a marriage proposal in various ways, both overtly and covertly. Zhang Zhou pretended not to understand and fooled around. After all, it was his daughter's marriage, so the other party couldn't push too hard and had to give up.

Wang Yong took Zhang Zhou to visit the grave again. Since the family had a Jinshi who brought honor to the family, it was natural to comfort the ancestors.

The ancestral tomb was rebuilt after Zhang Zhou passed the imperial examination, so there was no need to repair it this time.

Wang Yong patted Zhang Zhou's shoulder and said with a smile, "There hasn't been a scholar in the Wang family for five generations. Your father is truly honored! Perhaps it was truly a blessing that a scholar was born."

"That's the reward my father deserves. If it weren't for my father and mother, there would be no Zhang Zhou today. Maybe he would have died in that river long ago." Zhang Zhou said gratefully.

Wang Yong avoided the issue of jumping into the river and said, "Nonsense, that's just your own doing."

"It is my parents who treat me like their own son and support my education." Zhang Zhou always feels that he is where he is today thanks to the love of his family.

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore." Wang Yong finished burning the paper and said as he packed up his things, "What do you think about your marriage? The matchmakers have been trampling on the doorstep these days. You're not a child anymore, so why don't you want to get married?"

Zhang Zhou shook his head, picked up the basket and stood up, "I don't want to think about this for now."

"Then let your mother push it away."

As they walked back, Zhang Zhou thought for a moment and said, "Can we ask Mother to spread the news that my marriage is settled? This will save us a lot of trouble. When I get to the capital in the future, I'll have a reason to refuse."

"Tell your mother yourself that neither of you will get married. I see that your mother's mouth is blistered and she is so anxious." Wang Yong waved his hand.