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

In the end, the incident ended with Ma pulling Dahua to reluctantly apologize. Xu knew it couldn't really be because of a small piece of cake, but she had to find an explanation for this matter, otherwise the children at home would come and snatch Ping'an's things when they saw Ping'an was little!

After staying comfortably at home for half a month, it began to snow. This place should belong to the central region of China in the previous life. The snow was not heavy and did not last long, just a thin layer. Zhang Pingan looked at it a few times through the window. Xu and Zhang Laoer were afraid that he would catch a cold, so they would never carry him out.

At this time, many people have died from colds, so we cannot be careless.

After Laba Festival, the whole family will be busy, mainly the women and children. They have to clean the house thoroughly, wash the tables, chairs and benches, make meatballs, and boil malt sugar to make sesame candy. Sesame candy is a major local specialty, and it is a good thing to eat yourself or give as gifts to relatives.

The whole family eats New Year’s Eve dinner together, with each family contributing a few dishes, and the atmosphere is quite harmonious!

After staying up until the early morning and setting off firecrackers, everyone went back to their rooms to rest. The next morning, each family gathered in the main hall. Several children first wished their elders a happy new year. Old man Zhang was rare in his kindness and gave each child a red envelope with a smile.

Older boys would follow their fathers to the village to take turns paying New Year's greetings, and the whole village was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Zhang Ping'an is the only boy in Zhang Laoer's family. He can't walk yet, and it's not convenient for him to be carried all the time. The weather is cold, and he's afraid of getting frozen. So this year, Zhang Ping'an missed the opportunity to go to the village to pay New Year's greetings. But they can go to his grandparents' house together on the second day of the New Year.

On the second day of the New Year, the whole family set out together, each wearing their best clothes. Xu held Zhang Ping'an in her arms, Daya held Liuya in her arms, and Zhang Laoer drove a donkey cart and took the whole family to Xu's house.

This was also Zhang Ping'an's first time visiting his maternal family. He could clearly feel that the Xu family had better conditions in all aspects. The house they lived in was more finely decorated, the tea and food for guests were better, and the overall atmosphere at home was harmonious. Although his aunt-in-law liked to be weird, she was not a bad person.

Zhang Ping'an especially liked being held by Xu's mother, because Xu's mother spoke softly and was very calm, even elegant, which made people feel very comfortable. Zhang Ping'an still remembered that his grandmother generously gave him a silver bracelet when he was one month old.

After a while of excitement, Xu Erniang also arrived. This second aunt was always in a hurry. Before she even entered the door, she shouted loudly, "Mom and Dad, we are here!"

As a daughter, she rarely has the chance to go back to her parents' home in a year, and when they do meet, they have endless things to talk about. It was almost noon and there was still no sign of Aunt Xu. A group of people were waiting with empty stomachs. Even the good-tempered mother Xu couldn't help but sigh and said, "Forget it, let's not wait any longer and eat first."

Just as he finished speaking, Madam Xu finally arrived.

Mrs. Xu looked apologetic and explained, "Something happened suddenly at home and I was delayed." Everyone was starving, but they didn't want to make a fuss, so Father Xu quickly invited everyone to eat.

During the meal, Xu Erniang asked, "Sister, what's going on?" Aunt Xu forced a smile and said, "Nothing much. The child's father drank a little too much last night and hasn't been feeling well. He vomited this morning, and I spent a long time cleaning him up."

When Zhang Ping'an heard this, he remembered that he had never seen his uncle before. Today, his aunt only brought her daughter with her. Moreover, this cousin was very thin, with dry and yellow hair. From what his parents said, it seemed that his aunt was not having a good time.

After hearing this, everyone tacitly stopped asking questions and decided to talk about happy things during the New Year.

After dinner, the adults gathered in the main room to roast fire and chat, while the children gathered in the side rooms to play. The ancients had no concept of secondhand smoke. Xu's father and uncle Xu both smoked water pipes, which choked Zhang Pingan and made him sneeze continuously. Finally, he couldn't help but grabbed Xu's collar with his little hands and said, "Let's go, let's go," pointing to the side room next door.

The Xu family was also very surprised. He could speak at just over half a year old?

Mrs. Xu said proudly, "My son Ping'an is very smart. He learned to speak by himself." She then told the story about the pastries again.

Xu's mother said with relief, "You are a smart child. You will be blessed in the future." Then she changed the subject and said, "Your elder sister...ah, let's not talk about it anymore!"

Xu understood what her mother meant and said nothing more. Then she obeyed her son's wishes and carried him to the side room.

A group of children were playing in the wing room. Xu carried Zhang Ping'an in. The older children were clamoring to see their younger brother, and all wanted to pinch the younger brother's face. Zhang Ping'an really couldn't handle this enthusiasm. Later, whenever someone reached out his hand, he would hold back his voice and pretend to cry.

This made the children feel very regretful. After all, they couldn't really make their brother cry. They all knew that he was a precious baby, and their parents would not forgive them if they made him cry.

Zhang Ping'an noticed that there was only one little girl who stood out among them. She was the daughter brought by his aunt. She was like a little transparent person, afraid that others would notice her. She didn't come forward and didn't speak. When others were playing, she just sat quietly and watched.

"Pan Di, come here." Seeing her son staring at the corner curiously, Xu smiled and waved to the little girl, "Come and play with your brother..."

The little girl then came over timidly.

"Look, does my brother look good?" Xu asked with a smile.

"It looks good," Pan Di replied softly, looking very timid.

"Be good, your aunt brought some candy, and grandma will share it with you later," said Xu. She seemed to be used to it, but Zhang Pingan was very curious. Was the family also hoping to have a son? Did they get what they wanted?

It was not until lunch that Zhang Ping'an had a rough idea of ​​the situation. It turned out that this aunt's situation was somewhat similar to his own, but much worse off than his mother's.

At least my grandparents don’t particularly like to meddle in their sons’ affairs, because they have so many sons.

Grandma Zhang instigated my father to do this after he had several older sisters and because he couldn't stand being laughed at by the villagers. Zhang was a very proud person.

My father is quite down-to-earth and responsible. When the relationship between my husband and I was at its worst, he just kept silent and never hit me.

But this aunt is different. My uncle is an only child. His father passed away just after he got married to my aunt. He has been living with his mother-in-law. His mother-in-law wants to get involved in everything and has a strong desire to control. In today's words, my uncle is a mama's boy. You can imagine how his life is.

The worst thing was that after being married for many years, they only had two daughters, named Zhaodi and Pandi. Later, I heard that they finally gave birth to a son, but he died before the full month. As a result, my aunt had even less status in the family.

My uncle is a drunkard and gambler, and he also beats people and goes crazy when he is drunk. The family only has a few acres of thin land left from selling it, and there is no other income. No family would be willing to marry their daughter to him, so he has never divorced his wife. But my aunt is almost treated like a slave at home, and her life is very miserable.

Every time they meet, Xu's father and mother would try to persuade them, saying that they felt sorry for their daughter and that they could just get a divorce if it really didn't work out. However, my aunt is a cowardly and traditional person, and has always been unwilling to do so. Now Xu's father and mother find it difficult to control her.

After hearing this, Zhang Pingan was very sad. It was too difficult for women in this era. They were completely dependent on their husbands and their in-laws. But in the end, it was also because their parents' families did not have enough power to protect them.

Zhang Ping'an could somewhat understand his aunt's thoughts. His parents were old, and his brothers had their own families. They were all ordinary people. Even if he came back, what would happen? He might not have a place to stay. Instead of troubling his family, he might as well stay at his in-laws' house.

If my mother's family is really capable, then my aunt's decision might be different.

At this moment, Zhang Ping'an had some new ideas about his future life plan. He didn't want to be rich, but at least he wanted to be better than ordinary people so that he could have a say.

The family had a lively lunch at Xu's house before returning home. Zhang Ping'an didn't know what a wonderful day today would be. It was also the beginning of a turning point in his destiny. Many years later, the whole family would still remember this night!