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

Zhang said in a deep voice, "Let's talk about it tomorrow. Maybe things will turn around. Don't panic."

After saying this, he returned to the main room and told his granddaughters-in-law to set the table.

Zhang had always been the authoritative figure in this family, so no one mentioned the military service again. However, the meal was tasteless, and even the children could feel the uneasy atmosphere in the house, and they were much quieter than usual during the meal.

After dinner, Zhang called Zhang Pingan to the bedroom alone, closed the door, and said, "Pingan, sit down!"

Growing up, Zhang Pingan rarely entered his grandmother's bedroom alone, and the same was true for other people in the family. This was the first time he was called in for such a serious conversation. Zhang Pingan sat up straight and said, "Grandma, please sit down too!"

Zhang didn't sit down immediately after hearing this. Instead, she tiptoed to the door and opened it with a swish. Three or four eavesdroppers at the door immediately rushed in and said awkwardly, "Grandma!"

"If I find anyone eavesdropping again, I'll be the first one to be sent to military service," Zhang said expressionlessly, and then closed the door again.

"Oh, they are worried too. They thought that this would be my life, but I didn't expect that I would encounter such a thing when I am so old. I don't know if I can be buried in Zhangjia Village in the future." Zhang sighed and sat down. In fact, she was not as angry as she had just shown.

"Grandma, maybe things are not that bad, don't worry too much," Zhang Pingan comforted.

Zhang waved her hands and said in a deep voice, "Ping'an, you're an educated person who's seen the world. They don't understand, but don't you understand? What does conscription mean? It means there might be a war. Besides, Ezhou Prefecture hasn't conscripted soldiers for decades. Conscripting soldiers right after the old emperor's death is a bad omen!"

Zhang Pingan remained silent. He understood the situation, but expressing his speculations would only make his family more worried.

"I know you are a smart person and you know everything clearly. I called you in today not for anything else but to come up with some rules," said Zhang.

"Grandma, how can I ask this?" Zhang Pingan was helpless. He would offend anyone if he asked them to go.

"Let's not talk about who should serve in the military for now. I also need to think about this matter. Let's talk about what we should prepare next. If a war breaks out, life will not be easy. It will be the same no matter who serves in the military at that time," Zhang continued lightly.

Zhang Pingan said frankly, "I have indeed thought about this matter just now. First of all, food and medicinal herbs are indispensable. We must prepare them quickly, otherwise the price of food may skyrocket and we may not be able to buy it even if we want to. Secondly, there is a car. If something happens, we have a lot of people in our family, young and old, and we have to carry luggage. We can't do without a car. Finally, the most important thing is to get the news clearly, otherwise we will be like a headless fly flying around."

"Well, I've thought about what you said, and it makes a lot of sense," Zhang nodded. "Then let's see what happens when you go to the county town tomorrow before making a decision!"

After saying that, he went to rummage inside the cabinet, and after a while he took out an oil-paper package and whispered, "This is the family's land deed."

Zhang Pingan was surprised when he heard this. Did he want him to sell the land?

Zhang ignored her grandson's reaction and continued, "Although we divided the family property, I still have the land deeds. We own about 40 acres of land. Take these 20 acres of land deeds. If things don't go well, you can sell the land quickly to cash in."

Zhang Ping'an really didn't expect that his grandmother had such courage. The land deed was no trivial matter. It was the lifeblood of the family. At the beginning, Uncle Xu was trapped in the clinic by a blackmail and almost went to jail, but Grandpa Xu refused to sell the land. This shows the importance of land.

Zhang looked at her grandson's surprised eyes and said calmly: "If something really happens, the land cannot be taken away, so it is just a piece of waste paper. It is useless."

He then recalled calmly, "My family was once considered a wealthy family in the county, with over 800 acres of land on the outskirts of the city. Then we encountered a drought and a locust plague, and for over a year, the fields yielded nothing. The granary originally held tens of thousands of kilograms of grain, but it was all snatched away by the common people. My family and I had no choice but to flee the famine. There were 23 of us brothers and sisters at the time, and when we arrived in Zhangjia Village, only my eldest brother and I were left. So, don't even think about changing the status quo. In the face of such a disaster, as ants, all we can do is flee."

Zhang Pingan's heart tightened when he heard this, and he asked, "Did the others starve to death?"

Zhang shook her head and said calmly, "Two died of starvation, eight died of illness, and the rest were sold along the way. This can be considered as finding a way for everyone to survive!"

"You didn't go back afterwards?"

"Why go back? Besides, you can't go back anymore," Zhang shook her head and said calmly.

Zhang Pingan fell silent again. No matter how much he read in history books, it was not as shocking as hearing it with his own ears. He always thought that his grandmother was a person with a story, but he did not expect that her experience was so tragic. Although it was described simply in a few words, she must have experienced a lot on the way.

"So, if the situation really goes wrong, we should run away quickly and not care about others. If we can't run anymore halfway, you should run by yourself and don't care about anyone else. Among so many grandchildren, I am most optimistic about you, and I hope you can bring honor to our family in the end," Zhang said seriously.

"Grandma, don't worry too much. It hasn't come to that stage yet. I'll go to the county town to ask tomorrow," Zhang Ping'an said as he took the land deed, to reassure Zhang.