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

The next day, when Zhang Ping'an went out to attend the provincial school, his elder brother-in-law and Liu the butcher and his son had already left.

Daya smiled as she worked on her work, "My father-in-law takes Sanlang's military exam very seriously. He got up in the middle of the night to take it. Besides, taking the exam in Lin'an City is more convenient than when you went to the county to take it. Don't worry, just go to work and wait for the results in three days!"

"Okay, then I'll be leaving. Big sister, please make more good meals for your brother-in-law these two days," Zhang Ping'an instructed.

"I know that. My mother-in-law has put a lot more rice in every meal these past two days, so Sanlang has a full meal at every meal. Don't worry," Daya knew what was important. Besides, their third room had a lot of private money, which was enough to keep them well fed during this period.

Donkey Egg, who had been wandering around the chicken coop for a long time, said enviously, "I really want to grow up quickly so I can take the military examination like my dad. Not only would I not have to do any work, but I'd also be able to eat well every meal. My family would be so kind to me. My grandma asked me to come over early in the morning and kill a chicken so she could stew it quickly for my dad to eat when he gets home in the afternoon!"

"Then why are you wandering around there instead of working?" Zhang Pingan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

"Oh, I've been choosing for a long time but still haven't made a decision. These are all hens that can lay eggs. Uncle, didn't you teach me the idiom 'killing the chicken to get the eggs' before? I feel like I'm killing the chicken to get the eggs now, but the chicken is not mine to eat, and I will have no eggs in the future," said Donkey Egg worriedly.

"Hahaha, such a little kid with a big brain," Zhang Pingan laughed.

Daya was amused by what she heard. She walked over and swiftly picked up a chicken from the chicken coop, tied its wings with straw rope and threw it on the ground. She said to Donkey Egg, "Okay, I've chosen it for you. Hurry and boil some water to kill the chicken so you can pluck its feathers. Old hens need to be stewed for a long time to be fragrant. I'll give you an extra bowl of chicken soup later!"

"Okay, Mom, I'll go right away," Donkey Egg responded excitedly.

Daya looked at it and shook her head: "Young boys are always impulsive, but daughters are more considerate!"

"Boys are like this. They will be fine when they grow up. Big sister, I'm leaving now," said Zhang Pingan.

"Go!" Daya nodded.

It was still early when Zhang Ping'an arrived at the provincial school. Two of his colleagues had not yet arrived. Yuancheng Liu and Schoolmaster Ye were leisurely drinking tea, looking very comfortable.

"Prime Minister Liu, I have some academic questions that I don't understand, so I have to go to Master Lu later. I'm asking for leave from you," Zhang Ping'an said with a bow.

Liu Yuancheng raised his eyelids, used the cup lid to stir the tea leaves, and said slowly: "Go ahead. If you are lucky enough to win, it will be like a fish leaping over the dragon gate. Don't forget us old people when the time comes!"

"Don't worry, I will always remember everyone's help to me, especially you, Dean Liu, who have been very accommodating. I am very grateful to you," Zhang Ping'an said seriously.

"Okay, Ping'an, our Dean Liu is the most reasonable person. Go ahead and study hard," Schoolmaster Ye encouraged.

After Zhang Pingan thanked him again, he went to Master Lu with the sorted questions. As time went by, the two of them were able to live in peace. Although Master Lu still felt a little disgusted, he no longer glared at him.

When the attendant saw Zhang Ping'an, he took him directly to the study with familiarity.

Half a day passed in a flash. After the class, Master Lu didn't rush Zhang Ping'an to leave. He said slowly, "You've been here to learn from me for a while now. Our relationship is a bit like that of teacher and friend. To be honest, I didn't think much of you at first, but over time, I found that you have a strong will and a clear mind. You may achieve great things in the future. So I've thought about it these past two days. If you are willing, I can recommend you to audit the provincial school."

Zhang Ping'an was a little unsure of what Master Lu meant by this. If he went to audit the class, he didn't know if he would be able to come back and continue asking for advice. Of course, it would be better to have the guidance of a Jinshi.

Seeing Zhang Ping'an's hesitation, Master Lu explained, "Even if you audit the class, you can always come back and ask me if you have any questions later. I'm old and not as energetic as I thought, and I don't want to delay you. Auditing doesn't require tuition, so it will be beneficial to you."

"Thank you very much, Master. I'm sorry for bothering you during this period. You should take good care of yourself. Your health is the most important thing." Zhang Ping'an bowed quickly after hearing this, feeling a little guilty. They had no relatives, and Master Lu had indeed given him a lot of guidance.

"This is a letter of recommendation. You can go find Master Huang from Class A of Zhongshe. He will understand after reading the letter," Master Lu handed over the prepared letter of recommendation.

Zhang Pingan respectfully took the letter of recommendation and thanked Master Lu repeatedly before saying goodbye and leaving. He had indeed gained a lot from studying with Master Lu for more than a month.

It is better to study early than late. After leaving, Zhang Ping'an went straight to the teacher's study in Class A of the Central Dormitory. It was lunch time now. He didn't know if Teacher Huang was there. He thought, let's try his luck first.

This time his luck was not very good, Master Huang was not at home, so Zhang Ping'an could only go to the cafeteria to eat first. After eating, he met his colleague Ye Xiaoshu again.

"Ping An, here," Principal Ye greeted.

Zhang Ping'an walked over with the food and sat down.

"Why are you so late today? I've almost finished eating," asked Principal Ye.

"I just went to the middle dormitory to look for Master Huang from Class A, which delayed me a bit," Zhang Ping'an explained.

"Why are you looking for him?"

"Master Lu wrote me a letter of recommendation, recommending me to attend the Zhongshe Class A class. I don't need to pay tuition. Moreover, the students in Class A are all scholars who will take part in the provincial examination. Our learning progress is similar, so it is very suitable for me," Zhang Pingan replied.

Ye Xiaoshu was surprised: "So you won't study with Master Lu anymore?"

Zhang Pingan sighed, "Master Lu is old and his energy is not up to par. He needs to rest for a while. I am not his proper disciple. I have no status and no position. I have troubled him for so long. I am embarrassed. It is better for me to go to Zhongshe."

Ye Xiaoshu understood as soon as he heard it. Master Lu's desire to rest was secondary. He was probably mainly afraid of trouble. There was no master-disciple relationship or interests tied to them, so it was good that he could persist in teaching for so long.

"Indeed, Master Lu is a pretty good person among the teachers in the provincial school. He has been teaching for such a long time, so he is quite good. Although he is a bit obsessed with fame and fortune, he has no bad intentions. He still has some literary integrity in his bones. This Master Huang is far inferior to him."

"What do you mean?" Zhang Ping'an put down his chopsticks and asked.

"This Master Huang is quite knowledgeable and is more than qualified to teach scholars, but he is arrogant towards students without any background and is greedy for money and lustful. You must not let him think that you are a soft persimmon that can be easily squeezed, otherwise he will use you as a target for everything he does," warned Ye Xiaoshu.