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

The tall city walls stood majestically in the afterglow of the setting sun, and everyone couldn't help but marvel at the grandeur of the capital.

The children's chattering dispelled the anxiety that some adults felt when they first arrived in a foreign place.

After the ship docked, the passengers on the deck disembarked one after another. Everyone was the last to come down from the second floor, so they didn't have to squeeze with others or rush.

The men went over to untie the cart and put the luggage and children in it to prevent them from getting lost. Everyone got off the boat and went into the city with a feeling of nervousness and anticipation.

The streets in the city are bustling with all kinds of shops. Even at night, it is very lively, which is incomparable to Yuezhou. In addition, after fleeing for so long, everyone is like a country bumpkin entering the city, and they can't see enough.

Zhang Ping'an saw someone selling candied haws with straw stalks. The children's eyes were full of desire, so he walked over and bought a string for each of the children. They had suffered a lot on the way, so he wanted to give them something sweet to satisfy their appetite.

The children took it happily.

As they were walking, they suddenly heard a commotion. It turned out that a group of officials were passing by with a sedan chair, and everyone tried to make way for them.

Zhang Ping'an thought that Lin'an was indeed extraordinary in every way, and their family's new life here was about to begin.

Everyone went to the inn introduced by the boatman on the boat. It was a place where boatmen or laborers from the Canal Transport Bureau often stayed. The price was reasonable, the location was not too far from the pier, and it was convenient to eat and drink nearby. The most important thing was that someone from the Canal Transport Bureau would come to ask Zhang Pingan to settle the accounts tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, so staying here would make it easier to contact them.

"This place is okay," Xu said after taking a look. Although the room is small, it is quite clean.

After everyone put their luggage away, they went downstairs to eat something. After eating dry biscuits all day, they were starving.

As soon as I arrived at the lobby downstairs, I could smell the aroma of food. It was past mealtime, so there weren't too many people eating, only two tables.

Everyone found a few tables around and sat down. The waiter came over enthusiastically to read the menu. Zhang Pingan found that there were quite a lot of dishes and the prices were not cheap.

But when it comes to eating, it’s up to each person to decide how much he wants to eat.

After ordering the dishes, I heard the conversations of the diners next to me. Some were talking about how renting a house in the city was getting more and more expensive, and some were saying that business at the docks was getting harder and harder. Basically, it was the lower-class people complaining about how difficult life was. It was obvious that Lin'an was indeed not a easy place to live.

At this time, an old man with simple clothes but shrewd eyes sat at the table next to him. He only ordered a plate of fried peanuts and a pot of wine and drank it slowly by himself.

Zhang Ping'an looked at the old man curiously. The old man seemed to notice his gaze and turned around and smiled friendly.

Zhang Pingan simply looked at him openly and asked with a smile, "Father, you don't have any luggage with you. It doesn't look like you're new to Lin'an. Why are you drinking alone at this inn where people from the Canal Transport Bureau often stay?"

The old man put down his glass and said slowly, "I live nearby. I have nothing to do at night so I come here to have a drink by myself. Where are you from?"

Zhang Pingan thought about it and realized there was nothing to hide, so he answered truthfully: "We came from Yuezhou and experienced many hardships along the way. Now we have arrived in Lin'an City and hope to settle down."

The old man nodded slightly, smacked his lips and exclaimed, "Yuezhou, that must be a thousand miles away. I heard that it's not peaceful over there. It must have been difficult for you to come all the way here. But now that you have come to Lin'an, at the foot of the emperor, it can be said that all the hardships have been overcome. It's very peaceful here. Do you have a place to stay now?"

Zhang Pingan was thoughtful after hearing this. Isn't this nonsense? Who would spend money to stay in an inn when they have a place to stay?

So he shook his head and said, "I just arrived today and haven't found a place to stay yet. I'm staying in this inn for now and will slowly look for a suitable house later."

A glint flashed in the old man's eyes, and he stroked his graying beard and said, "To be honest, I'm just a real estate agent, specializing in the rental business. I do have a few good properties on hand. If you're interested, I can introduce them to you."

When everyone heard this, they thought it was like a pillow given to someone who was sleepy, and they immediately became alert.

Xu quickly asked, "How much is the rent?"

The old man smiled and said, "It depends on the size of the house and the location, but for newcomers like you, I will give you a fair price."

As he spoke, he took out a piece of paper from his pocket, on which was a simple drawing of the layout of several houses.

Zhang Pingan understood that this person came prepared and was here to solicit business. He didn't know whether he was a legitimate dealer or a scammer.

I took the blueprint and looked at it carefully, and found that one of the courtyards near the market was quite nice.

The old man saw what he was thinking and said, "Although this yard is not big, it is enough for a family to live in. It is also convenient for travel, water and shopping."