The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

Zhang Laoer smiled and nodded: "It's the 28th place. Then you have to take the college examination. After passing it, you will be a scholar."

"Oh my God, you have finally opened my eyes. I knew my son has a bright future," Xu slapped her thigh and cried and laughed.

Zhang Ping'an helped his mother to sit down and said, "Mom, good days are still ahead, don't cry." Then he took out the golden lilac that he bought in the provincial capital and said, "This is a birthday gift prepared for you."

After Xu took it, she cried even louder. After a long while, she wiped her tears and said, "My son has really made it and is so filial!" After that, she hurried to boil water and cook.

Zhang Laoer and his friends took a shower before sitting down to eat a hot meal. "Home is still the best. There is no place like home."

Zhang Ping'an and Liu Sanlang nodded after hearing this, saying that home was still more comfortable.

"Son, what are your plans for the future? I think we should take some time to go back to the village in the next two days. One is to visit your grandparents. We didn't go back during the Chinese New Year. Another is to open the ancestral hall to worship our ancestors. This is a big thing that brings honor to the family." Zhang Laoer said after eating a few bites.

"Dad, I am planning to go back to the village with you, but tomorrow I have to go to the academy to thank the teacher and the headmaster," Zhang Pingan nodded and replied.

"That's as it should be. Thanks to their teaching, you can learn so well."

"Well, after dinner I'll take a nap and then go find Jinbao. I brought him some things from the city. I had a lot of schoolwork before and haven't gotten together with him for a long time. In the evening I'll ask him and his grandparents to come to our house for dinner," said Zhang Ping'an.

Zhang Lao Er smiled and said, "Okay, it's been a while since I've seen this kid come to our house. Ask your mother to cook a few more dishes tonight."

They ate up all the food on the table, even letting Liu Sanlang mix the soup with his rice. After they finished eating, Xu urged the uncles to rest, knowing that they must be very tired.

Zhang Ping'an felt refreshed after a good sleep. Seeing that the school was over, he picked up his things and walked slowly towards Jinbao's house.

When we arrived at Jinbao's house, the gate was open. Jinbao's grandparents were picking vegetables in the yard. They were very surprised to see Zhang Ping'an coming over. They smiled and greeted him, "Are you back, Ping'an?"

"Yes, I just came back at noon. Where is Jinbao? I came to see him and brought him something from the provincial capital," Zhang Pingan replied with a smile.

Grandpa Jinbao said with a smile, "He's doing his homework in his room. I see he's lost a lot of hair. You can teach him a lesson."

"Okay," Zhang Ping'an replied, then walked into the room. When he opened the door, he saw Jinbao scratching his head. It was obvious that his homework was not easy. Zhang Ping'an patted Jinbao's shoulder gently from behind and joked, "Hey! What question is giving you such a headache? Let me take a look."

Jinbao was deep in thought when he was suddenly patted on the shoulder and startled. He turned around and saw that it was his good brother Ping'an. He couldn't help but said in surprise: "Ping'an, when did you come back? I was thinking of going to your house to ask tomorrow. I heard from the teacher that you passed the examination and became a student. That's amazing. I knew you could do it."

"Master, did you know it so quickly? I was thinking of going to the academy tomorrow to thank you," Zhang Pingan said in surprise.

Jin Bao was also confused and scratched his head and said, "Anyway, I heard about it in class this morning. This time, the three people from our outer dormitory all passed the exam. The teacher also said that he would prepare you well for the college entrance examination!"

Zhang Ping'an nodded. Perhaps the academy had known about it in advance from the government office, so he didn't care about it anymore and said with a smile: "My mother specially stewed a chicken tonight. I came here to invite you to have dinner together. I will teach you how to do your homework later. Take a look at the things I brought you from the city first."

Jinbao opened the bundle and took a look: "Wow, where did you get the money to buy me such fine glass chess pieces?"

Zhang Ping'an explained, "I copied a few books for others in the city, and then wrote a storybook myself. I earned some money, and with the money I saved, it was enough for me. Besides, this glass chess set is not very expensive. It's very popular in the city now, and there are many shops selling it. I thought you like playing chess, so I bought you a set."

"Ping'an, you are so nice to me, I am so touched," Jinbao couldn't let go of the chess piece.

"Let's go, let's go eat first, then play after dinner. We still have homework to do."

"Yeah!" Jinbao nodded, put down the chess piece, and followed him out.

When Jinbao's grandparents heard they were going to eat together, they didn't refuse. Jinbao's grandmother put down the dishes, went into the room and brought out a plate of preserved fruit, "Bring it over and let's eat together."

"Okay, grandma, I'll support you. We're not in a hurry, so let's walk slowly," Zhang Ping'an said with a smile.

"Good boy, I'm in good health, I don't need your support." Grandma Jinbao patted Zhang Ping'an's hand and sighed: "Time flies so fast. I still remember how your mother looked when she first got married. In the blink of an eye, more than 20 years have passed. Now you are actually a Tongsheng master. It's incredible!"

Zhang Pingan smiled and said: "Grandma, you are so lucky. Jinbao is so good. He is with you and you live a happy life.

"Yes, yes, they are all good!" Jinbao's grandmother smiled rarely and praised them, "They are all good children!"

In the evening, Xu prepared a sumptuous meal and said, "Eat as much as you can, don't be polite!"

The two families had a good relationship, so everyone was relaxed during the meal, enjoying themselves. Afterward, Zhang Pingan helped Jinbao with his homework and played two more games of chess. Only then did Jinbao return home, still unsatisfied.

Have a good night's sleep!

The next morning, Zhang Ping'an returned to the academy. Master Lin was already waiting in the study. After Lin Junhui, Zhang Ping'an, and Liu Shengyuan arrived, Master Lin slowly said, "I'm a little surprised that all three of you made the list this time. I've also heard a little about the leaking roof in the provincial exam hall. It seems you three are indeed lucky. Now it's time to prepare for the academy exam. Learning requires a balance between effort and relaxation. I'll give you three days off. Go back and rest well, and then come back to the academy after you've rested."

Lin Junhui was a carefree person, and he said immediately, "That's great, thank you very much, Master. I was just about to have a good sleep in!"

Master Lin rolled his eyes at this and said, "If you were willing to work a little harder, it wouldn't be impossible for you to get first place in the college exam."

Lin Junhui smiled but said nothing.

Zhang Ping'an and Liu Shengyuan bowed together to express their gratitude. After the three of them left the study, Lin Junhui left in a leisurely manner. Liu Shengyuan hesitated and said, "Then we didn't do anything in the academy today!"

"You don't have to do anything, just rest for a few days and listen to the teacher," Zhang Pingan smiled. It was just right for him to go back to the village during these few days and he didn't have to ask for leave.

After returning home, Zhang Laoer heard that the teacher had taken three days off, so he ordered Xu to pack up and they all drove back to the village together.