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

The group finally arrived at the provincial capital Yingzhou. It was just after 3 p.m. when they stepped on the ground. They felt the surroundings were still shaking and they were not used to it. It took them a while to recover.

Although Liu Sanlang was tall, he suffered from seasickness just as badly as Zhang Ping'an. He kept biting his lips tightly all the way, fearing that he would vomit.

The one in the best condition among the three was Zhang Laoer. He had previously carried goods at the Ezhou Prefecture Wharf and was already accustomed to riding on a boat.

"Come, rinse your mouth," Zhang Laoer handed the bamboo tube to the two of them.

After Zhang Ping'an and Liu Sanlang took it, they rinsed their mouths and drank a few sips of water before they felt a little better.

"Dad, Yingzhou City is hotter than the provincial capital. I'm sweating and it's so uncomfortable." Zhang Ping'an wiped the sweat from his head and neck with a handkerchief. He felt like he was in a steamer.

"This is the situation in Yingzhou. It was also very hot when your third uncle, Uncle Daqiang and I were carrying goods at the dock in Ezhou Prefecture. You'll get used to it. Drink more water to avoid heatstroke." Zhang Laoer didn't have any good ideas as he was afraid that his son would get heatstroke.

Master Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead and organized everyone to follow. This time, since everyone had to take a boat to the provincial capital, no one drove a car. Instead, they were escorted by the escort agency. After everyone got on the boat, the escort agency went back. Now that they had gotten off the boat, naturally there was no car for everyone to ride.

Fortunately, it was the hottest time of the year, so the clothes they brought were light and they didn't have much luggage. The thing that took up the most space was Zhang Ping'an's bookcase, which was carried by Liu Sanlang. The remaining three packages were not big and were carried by Zhang Laoer and Zhang Ping'an. They followed Master Yang closely towards the pier exit.

There were many carts soliciting passengers at the entrance of the pier, as well as many horse-drawn carriages waiting to pick up people. As soon as Tan Yaoqi and Lin Junhui left the pier, they were picked up by people arranged by their families. Before leaving, Lin Junhui said goodbye to Master Yang, and after everyone in the academy was settled, he sent someone to the Lin Mansion in the east of the city to inform him.

With two people missing, Master Yang felt relieved. After consulting with the remaining eight families, he called four carts at the dock to go into the city.

The pier is about two quarters of an hour away from the city gate, and we arrived there in a short while. Most people were visiting the provincial capital for the first time, and they were amazed at the towering city gate. There were also two rows of patrolling soldiers on the city wall, which looked much more imposing than the provincial capital.

There weren't many people queuing at the city gate to enter the city, but the soldiers guarding the city were very slow in questioning them. The time it took to queue was even longer than the time it took to come by car. After a lot of effort, it was finally our turn. The soldiers were polite because they saw that we were students coming to take the exam. After checking our household registration certificates and travel permits, they let us in. Each person entering the city had to pay an entrance fee of two cents, and five cents for a cart, which was paid by the person riding the cart.

Zhang Ping'an was sitting sideways on the cart and happened to see a man who looked like a merchant in the queue behind him carrying a load of fine cotton cloth. He was repeatedly questioned and was not allowed to enter the city. In the end, he had to secretly slip a handful of copper coins to the soldiers guarding the city before he was allowed to pass.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Zhang Laoer asked quickly when he saw his son frowning.

Zhang Pingan shook his head: "Nothing."

I hope that the scene at the city gate just now was just an isolated case, otherwise the atmosphere of corruption in the officialdom will be too serious and the people’s lives will not be easy, Zhang Pingan thought.

"This time, Ayuan came to Yingzhou City with the people from the county school and didn't come with us. Otherwise, he could have kept you company and you could have talked about academic matters," Zhang Laoer said regretfully, thinking that his son was too lonely without classmates to chat with.

Zhang Pingan smiled helplessly: "Dad, what are you thinking about?"

After saying that, he stopped being dazed and turned around to take a good look at the city. His first impression was that it was very grand and bustling. The road was wider than that of the provincial capital, and could accommodate six carriages and horses running side by side. Most of the people were also dressed more decently than those in the provincial capital. There were two or three beggars on the street corners, and it was obvious that most of the people had enough food and clothing and lived a good life.

"The provincial capital is so rich. I wish we could settle down here someday," sighed Zhang Laoer.

A student who heard this said, "Our emperor once said, 'When Huguang is prosperous, the world is well-fed.' Our Huguang Province is a famous land of fish and rice, so of course the people are prosperous."

Another student also said proudly: "Our Huguang Province is one of the three richest provinces among the thirteen provinces under the rule of the imperial court. It is the thoroughfare connecting nine provinces and has always been a battleground for military strategists."

Zhang Laoer nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, "You are indeed very knowledgeable. This means that we are all blessed people, to be born in such a prosperous place, with food to eat, clothes to wear, and books to read."

Zhang Ping'an said: "I read the government bulletins before. People in the northern border towns are often invaded by foreign tribes. They don't have enough food to eat and they don't have enough clothes to wear. In comparison, we are indeed blessed."

With a topic to talk about, everyone gradually became lively and discussed various things in the provincial capital.

After a while, Master Yang found a relatively clean inn near the examination hall and asked everyone to get off the car.

Not only was the room rate double that of the city, the room was even smaller and breakfast was not included. Fortunately, the weather was hot, so sleeping on the floor was not a big deal, otherwise the room rate would have made Zhang Laoer heartbroken.

After everyone had packed up their luggage, they went out to explore the provincial capital. It was already the twilight hour, and the streets were lined with shops, displaying a dazzling array of goods. For the first time, Liu Sanlang felt his eyes weren't enough, and he rarely spoke, "Dad... Dad... Dad... The provincial... capital is... really... great!"

The snack stalls exuded an enticing aroma, attracting many people to stop. Everyone had different tastes, and they were arguing over what to eat. Master Yang simply said, "Go find something to eat on your own. Remember to return to the inn before 12:00. There are many bad guys in the provincial capital, and you are unfamiliar with the place. If you get lost, you won't be able to find it. Don't go too far."

After everyone agreed, they dispersed and went to different stalls.

Master Yang walked up to Zhang Ping'an and said casually, "Let's go. I'm alone, so I'll go with you."

Zhang Ping'an naturally had no objection, and Zhang Laoer was also very welcoming. The few of them found a barbecue stall and sat down. The stall owner came up to them enthusiastically and introduced the dishes. In addition to barbecue, the stall also provided the staple food of flatbread.

The men had big appetites, so they couldn't just eat meat. Mr. Yang took the initiative and ordered six flatbreads and thirty skewers of grilled meat. The restaurant also brought four bowls of jelly for the group to enjoy.

The grilled skewers and flatbreads were soon served. Zhang Pingan tasted them and they were indeed delicious. The meat was tender and had a rich taste. He could tell that a lot of seasonings were added. The flatbreads were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside with a hint of sweetness.

Zhang Laoer and Master Yang also praised the meal highly. Liu Sanlang didn't say anything, but it was obvious that he was enjoying the meal very much.

The meal cost more than a hundred coins, and Zhang Laoer rushed to pay the bill, not knowing that Master Yang had no intention of competing with him for the job.

After the meal, everyone returned home with full stomachs. Zhang Laoer muttered to himself that the prices in the provincial capital were indeed much higher than those in the provincial capital. However, he thought that seeing so many prosperous scenes in Yingzhou City was quite an experience. He would have something to brag about when he returned to the village during the New Year. His heart was full of longing for the future.