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

"I'm sorry, Wenchang is late," the young man said as he came in and apologized to everyone present.

Han Juren put down his teacup and said with a smile, "Sit down. I heard from Shibei that you've been researching an ancient inscription recently. How are the results? Learning is important, but health is more important. Don't stay up late anymore. Look at how dark your eyes are now."

Liu Wenchang sat down and replied with a smile, "There has been some progress, but some parts are too badly damaged. I'm still checking the ancient books."

"Take care of yourself," Han Juren said with concern. After that, he introduced Zhang Pingan, "Ping'an, this is your second senior brother Liu Wenchang. He's a studious guy. He's now managing the household department at the government office. It's a leisurely job, but it makes it convenient for him to tinker with those fragments of inscriptions every day."

"Hello, Second Brother," Zhang Pingan said with a salute.

Liu Wenchang smiled and replied, "No wonder you were chosen by the teacher. Third Junior Brother is obviously a man of great talent and intelligence."

After a few people exchanged pleasantries for a while, Han Juren said, "Well, it's almost time, let's start the apprenticeship ceremony."

"Okay," Pan Shibei nodded, stood up and said, "The first step in becoming a disciple is to dress properly."

Zhang Ping'an then stood up and walked to the middle of the main hall, where Mr. Han personally helped him tidy up his clothes.

"The beginning of etiquette and morality lies in straightening your appearance, harmonizing your complexion, and following your words. You must remember this," said Mr. Han after he stepped forward to help tidy up his clothes.

"Students will remember this," Zhang Ping'an bowed.

"The second step is the baptism ceremony," Pan Shibei said from the side.

The ceremony of washing hands means that students, under the guidance of their teachers, wash their hands in a basin of water. This symbolizes cleansing the hands and the mind, removing distractions, so that they can concentrate on their future studies without distractions.

"The third step is the kowtow."

The first step in the kowtow ceremony is to pay homage to the ancestor, that is, the portrait of Confucius, and the second step is to pay homage to one's own teacher, that is, Han Juren.

After Zhang Pingan kowtowed three times respectfully, Mr. Han gave him a red envelope and his personal token, which was a jet-black jade pendant with the word "Han" engraved in the middle.

After presenting the gift, Han Juren helped Zhang Pingan up and said with a smile, "Get up, the ground is cold."

"The fourth step is to present the six gifts of Shuxiu."

Zhang Laoer had prepared these long ago, and hurriedly handed them to his son upon hearing this.

Compared with the gifts given by several uncles and the red envelope given by Mr. Han, the six gifts of celery, lotus seeds, and red beans are not worth much. They are just a token of appreciation and a tradition of apprenticeship since ancient times.

Mr. Han accepted it with a smile and asked his servant to take it to the kitchen.

"Step five: offer tea at an auspicious time."

Offering tea is the last step. Not only does it require choosing an auspicious time for marriage, but it also applies to becoming a disciple.

The Han residence had a water clock that measured time, and when the auspicious time came, servants would bring tea.

Zhang Pingan took the teacup and said respectfully, "Teacher, please have some tea."

Han Juren took it with a smile and drank half of it. Pan Shibei laughed and shouted, "The ceremony is over!"

This was considered a real success in becoming a disciple. Zhang Laoer and Xu were so excited that they almost cried. They never dreamed that their son could reach this point today and become a disciple of such a great teacher. To them, becoming a Juren was once out of reach.

After the ceremony, they had to eat. Pan Shibei had already reviewed the menu with the servants last night.

Today's dishes are mainly elegant and delicious, without any heavy oil or sauce. Each dish looks like a painting when it is served.

Xu was amazed and said, "Oh my god, radish can really be cut into flowers. I've learned something new!"

Zhang Lao Er tugged at Xu's sleeve and said in a low voice, "Don't talk."

After saying that, he tried his best to put on a smile so that he wouldn't look so timid.

Zhang Ping'an was the protagonist today, so drinking was inevitable. By the end of the meal, he was already dizzy and was trying hard to pinch his thigh to control himself from losing his composure.

Fortunately, no one was the type to make things difficult for others. Seeing that Zhang Pingan couldn't hold his liquor, they let him go. In the end, they just chatted and commented on the dishes.

Zhang Ping'an was helped onto the mule cart by his father. After arriving home, he fell asleep immediately. He vaguely heard Liu Shuisheng touching his forehead and saying, "How much did you drink?!"

Zhang Lao Er replied, "He didn't drink much. Ping An doesn't drink much normally, so he can't hold his liquor. He needs to practice more in the future."

When Zhang Ping'an woke up, it was already dark.

After relaxing in bed for a while, Zhang Pingan got dressed and went to the main room. There was an oil lamp lit in the room. Xu was eating melon seeds and chatting with her family. When she saw her son wake up, she quickly stood up and said, "Son, you're awake. Do you have a headache?"

Zhang Pingan had a good sleep and his voice was a little hoarse. He replied, "My head doesn't hurt, I'm just a little hungry."

"We have already had dinner. I didn't wake you up because you were sleeping soundly. Just wait, I'll make you a bowl of fish soup noodles." Xu said, patting the melon seed shells on her body.

After saying that, he walked towards the kitchen, humming as he walked, "It's more than winning the first prize in the imperial examination. I'm just waiting to be appointed a general and crowned a king. I've given birth to a good son, oh good son!"

Zhang Pingan was surprised: "Mom is in a good mood, how could she have learned the lines from the opera?"

Zhang Laoer poured his son a cup of hot tea and said with a simple smile, "Shuisheng taught me this. Have a cup of tea to moisten your throat."

Liu Shuisheng ate melon seeds and said, "Hey, I've seen operas a few times in the capital city, and I learned these lines. My second aunt heard it and wanted to learn it, so I taught her a few lines."

Wu Ya and Liu Ya's eyes sparkled. They leaned over the table and asked, "Little brother, did you really take a scholar as your teacher? That's amazing!"

Zhang Laoer frowned and said, "Girls should sit properly, not lying down. Didn't I tell you this afternoon? Ping An's teacher is very powerful. His friends all work in the government office, and his two senior brothers also hold official positions in the government office. But don't go out and tell others about it. It's not good if others know about it. It will ruin your reputation, okay?"

Wu Ya and Liu Ya sat up straight, stuck out their tongues, and said, "Dad, I know!"

Soon, Xu had finished cooking the noodles. Zhang Pingan ate while saying, "Shuisheng, I won't be able to play chess and read with you at home tomorrow. I have to go to my teacher's house for classes. He wants to give me a feel for the situation before the school starts."

Liu Shuisheng waved his hand nonchalantly: "It's okay, go on your own, I'm an adult now, I don't need anyone to accompany me."

After a good night's sleep, Xiaohu drove Zhang Ping'an to Han's house early the next morning, but saw the servants of Han's house busy tearing up couplets and taking down the red lanterns at the door.

Zhang Pingan went forward and grabbed a servant and asked, "What happened? Why did you take the lanterns and tear up the couplets?"

The servant recognized him as his master's new disciple from yesterday, and replied, "The current emperor has passed away. The master received the news at 3:00 AM today and went to the government office in the middle of the night. When he returned, he told us to quickly remove all the red couplets and lanterns, and change into white mourning clothes."