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

"Yeah," Zhang Pingan nodded, and then went to work.

The matter was resolved quickly. When Zhang Ping'an returned home in the evening, he heard that his fifth sister had agreed to go with his parents to find a day to secretly meet the couple. If what the matchmaker said was true, they would get married.

Being rejected is always a bad feeling. Zhang Ping'an saw that although his fifth sister was a little unhappy and not in a good mood, her mood was still stable.

The little girl's first secret love ended in vain, and no one could tell whether it was good or bad.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of December, and tomorrow was New Year's Eve. Wu Ya's marriage was quickly decided. It was the man that Wang the matchmaker had mentioned. Xu took Wu Ya to meet him secretly. He was a man who could support her family, and she was very satisfied with him!

The provincial school has already gone on vacation. It has been snowing intermittently and it is very cold. Zhang Pingan has hardly gone out since the vacation.

I only visited Jinbao's house a few times. After arriving in Lin'an, Jinbao picked up his old profession again and started writing storybooks. He buried his head in writing every day, thinking hard about the plot, and was very busy. It was not much easier than doing a regular job.

Fortunately, the result was good. Jin Bao said proudly, "I have sold two copies, and the price is much higher than what I paid when I was in the county."

There was a rare lightness on his face.

Jinbao's parents are very practical business people. They think this is much better than going out to find a job. It is sheltered from the wind and rain, and they don't have to suffer bullying. It is not too tiring. They are very supportive and proud of their son.

"After the Chinese New Year, his father and I will go out and set up a stall to sell food. Together with the money Jinbao earns from selling storybooks, we will save up enough and probably buy a small courtyard by the end of next year. It won't be a good idea to rent one all the time. Once we have a house, I will ask a matchmaker to find a good girl for Jinbao and give birth to a grandson. Then my life will be complete," said Jinbao's mother with a smile. It was a good plan.

Everyone is happy here, but Uncle Xu and his family, who share the house, are living a normal life.

After arriving in Lin'an, Uncle Xu took his two sons to start his old business as a carpenter. As he had just arrived and had no customers, he could only take on some small, low-priced jobs, so naturally the profit was not high.

Shen was as worried as Xu. Her two sons had grown up and needed to get married quickly. However, she thought that others with better conditions would look down on the Xu family as an outsider who had nothing. Shen, who was too poor, was not happy either. It was like half-cooked rice, neither good nor bad, which delayed the family!

Shen was always nagging and angry at home every day. Uncle Xu was very busy making a living and had a bad temper. The two of them would fight from time to time. There was a huge disparity in strength between the man and the woman, and Shen usually got beaten more.

Every family has its own problems. Xu came to persuade them twice, but seeing that it was of no use and nothing serious happened, she stopped caring.

Every time Shen saw Zhang Ping'an coming to play with his relative Jin Bao but not going to their place, she would deliberately "snort" and then slam the door shut.

It was totally inexplicable. Zhang Ping'an felt that his aunt was sick and needed treatment.

"She'll behave herself after a good beating," Jin Bao's mother said disdainfully while chewing some melon seeds. She paused, noticing everyone in the room looking over. "Why are you looking at me? Every time her man beats her up, she behaves herself for several days. I think I need to give her a good beating to teach her a lesson!"

When it was almost noon, Grandma Jinbao warmly invited us to have dinner there.

Zhang Ping'an smiled and declined, saying, "Grandma, I'll come to wish you a happy new year the day after tomorrow morning. It's such a pity that I have a lunch date today."

Grandma Jinbao was unhappy and said with a stern face: "Is this true? Don't lie to me!"

"Of course it's true. Our two families are so familiar with each other, why would I be polite with you?" Zhang Pingan said with a smile.

"Grandma, Ping'an has something serious to do. He has made an appointment with Xiao Yifei to have dinner with him to thank him for his help at the dock last time. Please don't keep him," Jinbao also chimed in, proving that Zhang Ping'an was not lying.

"Okay, then come over early the day after tomorrow and I'll fry some mung bean rice cakes for you," Grandma Jinbao also smiled.

"Okay!" Zhang Ping'an replied, then said goodbye and left.

Jin Bao wanted to go out and see him off, but he had a cold recently and his nose was blocked. Zhang Pingan quickly waved his hand and said, "It's freezing outside. Just stay inside. Don't see me off!"

Zhang Ping'an was worried about getting his cotton shoes wet, so he went out and called a cart at the entrance of the alley to go to a small restaurant on the south side of the city.

He made an appointment with Xiao Yifei to treat him to dinner here today. It was thanks to him that they took the boat last time, so he had to thank him and chat with him. He planned to invite Jinbao along, but Jinbao had not recovered from his cold and had not been going out recently, which was a pity!

This small restaurant is called Shiwei, which was discovered by Zhang Pingan by chance. The food is very delicious. The chef is from Ezhou, and the food he cooks is very suitable for the taste of Ezhou people, and is of good quality and affordable.

The relationship between him and Xiao Yifei doesn't need to be empty; reality is what matters most.

After sitting down at the designated seat, Xiao Yifei arrived shortly afterwards. After entering the room, he looked around, obviously looking for someone.

"Here," Zhang Pingan raised his hand.

Seeing this, Xiao Yifei walked over and sat down, patted the snow off his body, and said with a smile: "It's really cold today."

"Yes, fortunately the snow is not too heavy, less than that in our Wushan County. Besides, it's not cold when it snows, but when the snow melts. It's uncomfortable when the snow melts," Zhang Ping'an said with a smile, pouring a glass of warm wine and handing it over.

"I ordered a large mutton hotpot and a chicken soup hotpot, along with peanuts, fried pork, and fried fish nuggets. I felt warm while eating. The restaurant may not look big, but the food is delicious and it's clean. The chef is from our hometown, so don't be disgusted!"

Xiao Yifei laughed and scolded, "Go away, why do we even need to say that between us? No need for those empty words. This way, the food is more substantial. By the way, why didn't Jinbao come?"

"He has a cold and his nose is blocked so he can't breathe. It's inconvenient for him to go out. Let's make an appointment with him next time," Zhang Pingan said regretfully.

Then he called the waiter to serve the dishes.

Zhang Pingan raised his glass and said, "Thanks to you at the Quzhou dock last time, otherwise I really don't know what to do. Let me toast to you!"

Xiao Yifei raised his glass and clinked it with Zhang Ping'an, then drank it all in one gulp. He said cheerfully, "It's a small matter, don't worry about it. It's your own ability that has impressed Lord Zhou. Besides, we are brothers. If you have any problems, I will help you. If I have any problems, you will definitely help me, right? Now that you have come to Lin'an, I have a companion. How wonderful! We can drink and eat together and chat about life. It's a great pleasure!"

The two of them ate their food while chatting about their recent situation.

Xiao Yifei talked about how his wife had just been diagnosed with pregnancy and that he would be a father in nine months. He also mentioned that the gate officer who appreciated him in the Canal Transport Bureau intended to train and promote him, and his salary would increase by two to three hundred coins every month. He felt that his life was getting better and better, and his face was full of joy!

Hearing these words, Zhang Pingan was genuinely happy for him, but at the same time felt a little sad. In the past, Xiao Yifei had never cared about a few hundred coins.

If there really were a military examination, he would definitely persuade Xiao Yifei to take the exam to become a military scholar. This way, at least he would be exempt from taxes, and his life would be much better regardless of whether he could become a military general in the future.

As they were talking, there was a sudden commotion outside the restaurant. It turned out that a drunk man had drunk too much and was throwing a tantrum. The boss came out to try to mediate but was pushed by the drunk.

Xiao Yifei couldn't bear to watch it anymore, so he stood up and walked over to subdue the drunk man in a few moves, and asked the boss to hand him over to the street department for handling.

Returning to his seat, Xiao Yifei shook his head helplessly, "There really are all kinds of people!"

Zhang Pingan jokingly said, "Not bad, not bad. Your skills are still the same as before, not rusty at all."

The two of them ate until after 3 p.m. before paying the bill, leaving the restaurant, agreeing to meet again after the New Year, and then going home.