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

"What's the problem?" Zhang Pingan replied. He also wanted to chat with Ye Xiaoshu. It was quite interesting to chat with him every time.

When the two went to the cafeteria, it was not yet time for get out of class to end, and there were not many people in the cafeteria.

Principal Ye was not polite and ordered everything he wanted to eat. Eating in the cafeteria was not that expensive.

"You just went to see Master Lu, right?" Principal Ye asked while eating.

"I have been there. I was able to pass the exam this time thanks to Mr. Lu's guidance. No matter what, I must go and thank him," Zhang Pingan replied.

"Master Lu is a good person, otherwise I would not have recommended you to him. But he won't be able to continue teaching you after the exam," said Ye Xiaoshu.

Zhang Pingan stopped eating, shook his head and said with a smile: "You really should make a pretext to tell people's fortunes. You guessed this?!"

Ye Xiaoshu had an inscrutable expression on his face. After swallowing his food, he said, "His own students have already failed the imperial examination twice. I heard that Liang... Liang, whatever his name is, I've forgotten it. He's the eldest grandson of the family and quite competitive. He'll definitely be taking the imperial examination next February. He certainly doesn't want Master Lu to devote his energy to guiding a nameless junior like you!"

"That's what you guessed! But I understand it too. To be honest, I'm already very satisfied with passing the imperial examination. It will also allow my family and I to live a good life. Passing the imperial examination is the icing on the cake. It would be the best, but I can also accept failing," Zhang Ping'an said frankly.

Ye Xiaoshu praised: "You have a good attitude!"

Zhang Pingan said with a smile: "One should not be too greedy!"

"So what are you going to do next?" asked Principal Ye.

Zhang Pingan pondered for a moment. "Well, actually, it would be best to go to the upper dormitory of the provincial school. The teachers are all Jinshi graduates, and there are also famous scholars. I will definitely gain a lot. However, I am just a Juren, and I have no background. There are not many places in the upper dormitory of the provincial school. I don't think it will be my turn, so I plan to enroll in the Imperial College."

"The Imperial College?" Ye Xiaoshu repeated, "It's not as good as the provincial college. It just has a fancy name. It was built after the capital was moved, and the teachers there aren't very good either!"

Zhang Pingan spread his hands and said helplessly, "Everyone knows that the upper dormitory of the provincial school is good, but the key is that I can't get in. I guess even Master Lu can't do anything, otherwise he would have written a letter of recommendation for me. I thought that the Imperial College is short of students, and the master could at least pay more attention. Besides, there are many books and it is convenient to look up information. I'll go and take a look first!"

Ye Xiaoshu sighed when he heard this: "Ah, you're right, it's hard for ordinary people like us to make a name for ourselves!"

Zhang Pingan smiled and said nothing more. In fact, he felt that the two of them were already living a pretty good life. Compared with ordinary people, at least they had enough food and clothing, and they had education to go to. They were considered respectable people no matter where they went!

After the two finished their meal, Principal Ye returned to the library.

Zhang Pingan called a car to go home.

Xu and Zhang Laoer both waited at home and did not go out. They had agreed yesterday to go out together to look at houses today.

Seeing Zhang Ping'an coming back, Xu went to greet him and said, "Son, I see you didn't come back at noon. We already had lunch. Have you eaten yet?"

"Mom, I ate in the provincial school cafeteria with my former colleagues," Zhang Pingan replied.

Zhang Lao Er heard this and stood up and said, "Then let's go out and look at houses now. The sooner we see one, the sooner we can decide. We can't delay this imperial banquet!"

Zhang Ping'an nodded and said, "Okay, but Dad and Mom, I want to discuss this with you. Our family is not what it used to be. It's not appropriate for us to buy a house in the north of the city. We should still look for a place in the north, near the east of the city, but that might be a lot more expensive, maybe five or six hundred taels, what do you think..."

I thought my parents would be shocked, but unexpectedly, Zhang Laoer said in a deep voice, "Ping'an, it's okay. Ever since you passed the imperial examination, I haven't planned to buy a house in the north of the city. Buying a house is not easy, and it's not easy to change houses. If we are going to buy a house, we might as well buy a good one. It will also make it easier for you to make friends in the future. I understand this principle, and I have already told your mother!"

Xu continued, "Yes, if you're going to buy something, buy something good. Look at the people living in the south of the city. They'll haggle over a vegetable or an onion for ages, and they'll leave a bundle of firewood at the door and it'll disappear in the blink of an eye. What good can they learn from it? I don't want my grandson to be influenced by it in the future. This is what they call that? Yes, Meng's mother moved three times!"

Zhang Pingan was impressed by his mother's words: "Mom, you also know idioms and Biographies of Women!"

Xu narrowed her eyes and said proudly, "I heard from your eldest sister that they are also planning to buy a house, but it seems that they don't have enough money, so they can only buy a place a little further north in the city!"

"Buying a house is not easy, and there is no need to rush in one or two months. Let's wait until my brother-in-law finishes the martial arts exam. I will find time to talk to my sister tomorrow," said Zhang Ping'an.

"Okay," Xu replied.

Zhang Laoer drove the mule cart out and headed towards Ya.

Although the weather is hot, there are still many people on the road, and various hawking sounds can be heard everywhere. They are all small vendors who make a living. They are busy all day long.

When we arrived at the real estate agency and explained the type of house we wanted, the real estate agent said enthusiastically, "Wow, I didn't expect your son to be a successful candidate at such a young age. I was saying when your family came in, you had this air of elegance about you, and he looked extraordinary!"

Then he instructed his apprentice: "Hurry up and go to the Wenji shop on the street and buy a few bowls of iced yogurt to help our guests cool down!"

Although it was a compliment, everyone likes to hear good words. Zhang Laoer and Xu were obviously very comfortable with this flattery and couldn't suppress the smiles on their faces.

Zhang Pingan raised his eyebrows when he heard this. This broker is quite generous and willing to spend money. Ice cheese is not cheap.

It was the first time for all three of them to eat it. Xu ate it carefully and commented, "It's really sweet and feels so cool in my mouth!"

Zhang Laoer and Zhang Ping'an thought it was too sweet. Men probably don't like sweets by nature. In the end, Xu ate three bowls by herself, and Zhang Ping'an was worried that she would have a stomachache later.

"These are all good things, how could they cause stomach upset?" Xu muttered softly, she was reluctant to waste them.

Knowing that the buyer was capable and really wanted to buy, the real estate agent took Zhang Pingan and his friends to see several properties and introduced them very enthusiastically.

Each place has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some have spacious yards but poor interior layouts, while some houses are exquisite but a bit cramped.

Looking at houses in such hot weather is not an easy task, and several people were sweating profusely.

When they saw the last house, the three people's eyes lit up. This house was well-maintained, with a large courtyard planted with flowers and plants, which looked lively. There was also a pavilion. The rooms were spacious and bright. Not counting the kitchen and the woodshed, there were a total of six rooms. The layout was reasonable, facing north and south, very ventilated, and there was also a well, so it must be convenient to live in.

But the price is really not cheap, it’s six hundred and fifty taels.

The broker also saw that the people were dressed in ordinary clothes and guessed that they were the kind of family that tightened their belts to support one person's education. Their financial conditions might not be particularly good, so he did not introduce this place at the beginning.