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

Then three groups of yamen runners came to the inn to report the good news. They were all between 30 and 42 people. Unfortunately, they were all from other academies. Among the eight students from Qingsong Academy staying at Hongtu Inn this time, only Zhang Pingan and Jiang Yaozu made the list.

Uncles Zhang Laoer and Jiang Yaozu discussed it and decided that both families would treat the other students to a meal together and share the expenses equally.

The other six people sighed for a while and had to accept the fact that they had failed the exam again. Those who could pass the exam to become a student were not stupid. At noon, none of the other people said that they were ashamed to be with the other party as they had said a few nights before. They just said nice things and the atmosphere of the meal was quite harmonious.

Passing the imperial examination was a big deal, so the lunch could not be too shabby, and thus this meal cost a lot. In the end, it cost more than one or two taels of silver for the meal, and after sharing the cost, the family had to pay more than 700 coins. Although Zhang Laoer felt distressed, he felt that the money was worth it, as others wanted to spend it but couldn't!

Fortunately, the rules in the provincial capital were similar to those in the provincial capital. The innkeeper waived half of the room fees for the successful candidates and also gave them a small jar of "Nü'erhong" wine. All they had to do was leave a calligraphy painting, which was enough to offset their losses. Zhang Laoer refused to drink the wine, saying he wanted to take the jar of "Nü'erhong" back to Zhangjia Village and bury it as a family heirloom, to pass on to his grandson, who would drink it when he passed the imperial examination.

As long as his father is happy, Zhang Ping'an will let him do whatever he wants with such a small matter.

Zhang Laoer drank a bit too much during the banquet and was already unconscious after the banquet. Zhang Pingan helped his brother-in-law to help him to bed to rest. Even though he was unconscious, Zhang Laoer still held the daughter's red wine given by the innkeeper tightly in his arms, muttering to himself, "I can't drink it, I have to pass it down to the family."

Drunk people are particularly heavy, and Zhang Pingan was sweating from exhaustion. "I've rarely seen my dad this drunk in my life!"

Liu Sanlang smiled innocently and said, "Dad... Dad is happy!" After he finished speaking, he paused and continued, "When... when we return to town, I will send Maodan'er to school as well."

Zhang Pingan nodded and said: "Studying is a good thing. It doesn't mean you have to take the imperial examination. At least it can help you understand the world and find a good job."

However, Zhang Ping'an knew that this matter would definitely not be so easy. Although the Liu family was well-off and had no shortage of money for tuition, the family had never separated. With a series of naughty boys, if they sent this one to school, what would happen to the other children? Moreover, the Liu family had been butchers for generations and had adapted to making a living from this craft. They did not particularly value reading and writing. When the time came, he would probably have to drag his father to the Liu family to talk about it. For now, there was no need to say it out loud and upset his brother-in-law.

The sun was blazing outside, so Zhang Pingan simply stayed inside the inn. Suddenly, he heard Zhang Laoer crying from the bed. His brows were furrowed, and he kept muttering, "I'm not a childless family. I have a son, and he's a scholar!"

He kept repeating it six or seven times. At first, Zhang Ping'an didn't hear clearly. Only when he got closer did he hear what he was saying. His heart ached, but he didn't wake anyone up. He turned around to wring out a cool towel and wiped the sweat off his father's head and neck. Perhaps he felt much more comfortable, and Zhang Laoer fell into a deep sleep again.

It was not until after the afternoon that Master Yang came and knocked on the door, waking them up.

Zhang Pingan stepped forward, opened the door, and invited the person in: "Master Yang, come in and sit down. I'll pour you a cup of tea."

Master Yang waved his hand and said, "No need to sit down. I just came to tell you that Lin Junhui and Tan Yaoqi are also on the list. This time, out of the ten people in our academy, only four of you have passed the imperial examination. He just sent a servant to invite us to dinner at Wangjiang Tower. It's the most magnificent and elegant restaurant in Yingzhou City. Only scholars and literati can enter. You should dress in advance to avoid bringing shame to our Qingsong Academy."

"Okay, I get it. Lin Junhui is really going to spend money this time," Zhang Pingan nodded and smiled. Even he, who rarely goes out to socialize, has heard of the reputation of Wangjiang Tower. The expensiveness is secondary. The most special thing is that it is said that it only welcomes scholars. Illiterate people and businessmen are not allowed to enter, and they have to reserve a table in advance.

Wangjiang Tower has a total of six floors and is the tallest restaurant in the provincial capital. The roof is covered with golden glazed tiles and supported by 72 columns. There are 60 corners extending outwards on the upper floor. Outside the building, there are cast bronze figures of the twelve zodiac animals, which look very much like a pagoda. Inside, there are archways, corridors, pavilions and other buildings surrounding it. The vast Cangwu River can be seen on three sides.

After entering, guests need to leave their calligraphy works, such as poems or songs, which will be hung on the first floor. Therefore, although the first floor has the largest area, meals start from the second floor. The higher the floor, the more expensive it is.

"He has money anyway, so what is there to be afraid of?" Master Yang said nonchalantly.

"It's a pity that I heard that they only entertain scholars. It would be great if my father and my eldest brother-in-law could go together. This would be a rare opportunity to see the world." Zhang Pingan felt very regretful. He didn't know if he would have a second chance to have dinner at Wangjiang Tower in his life.

Master Yang laughed and said, "Once you pass the imperial examination, this bullshit rule will no longer exist."

Zhang Pingan smiled and hoped that day would come!

After waking up, Zhang Laoer sat at the head of the bed and listened for a while. He knew that his son was going to the best restaurant in the provincial capital for dinner. After Master Yang left, he hurriedly took out his son's most decent clothes from his bag, but he felt that these clothes were no longer worthy of his son.

"I should have asked your mother to make you a satin dress when we were in the county town so that you could look decent when going out," said Zhang Laoer in annoyance.

"Dad, it's okay. The fine cotton cloth is already very good. It is breathable and comfortable. Besides, there are so many people eating here. Who would notice me?" Zhang Ping'an said with a smile to comfort him.

Zhang Lao Er shook his head. "You're still a child, you don't understand. People always respect their clothes before they respect others. Even a country boy like me knows this. You're a scholar now, you need to have some nice clothes to go out and meet guests. It's too late to buy them now. I'll ask your mother to make them when we get back."

"Let's talk about it after we get back." Zhang Ping'an didn't care about this. He waited until Youshi, washed his face and combed his hair, changed into clean clothes, and then went to Wangjiang Tower with Master Yang and Jiang Yaozu.

Before reaching the door, you can see a brightly lit tall building in the distance, which is very conspicuous even at night.

In ancient times, candles were expensive, and almost no restaurant would light so many lights at night. This shows the luxury of Wangjiang Tower.

When the three of them arrived at the door, Lin Junhui's servant was already waiting at the first floor door. "Master Yang, Master Zhang, Master Jiang, the table the young master has reserved is on the third floor."

A few people nodded and stepped in. Immediately, a waiter on the first floor came over with a long tray, bent down and said with a smile: "Dear guests, please leave your own calligraphy works."