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

Uncle Xu immediately cried out in injustice: "Brother-in-law, Ping'an, I am really busy. The child's mother is ignorant, how can I be ignorant? Tomorrow I will go to Tianjia Village to apologize to my in-laws and bring my daughter-in-law back. You can rest assured!"

Zhang Laoer and Zhang Ping'an didn't dwell on the matter at this moment. No matter what their plan was, they would know the result in a few days.

Moreover, Uncle Xu is a smart person. Zhang Ping'an has already made the matter clear to him, so Uncle Xu will not have any other ideas. After all, his nephew Zhang Ping'an is the only big tree he can rely on in Lin'an.

After a while, the sun set and Guo Jia came over after finishing his shift. Everyone had fled here for a long way, so they were all familiar with each other.

And knowing that he had established himself in the post house and had even been promoted to a small manager, they also admired him and looked up to him. It was always a good idea to have a good relationship with him.

Four tables were set up in the yard for dinner. There was a woodshed at home with plenty of spare space, so Zhang Laoer simply set up three tables, two large and one small. Together with the eight-immortal table left by the original owner, there were four tables in total. It was enough for the family to set up a feast at home, and if they were not in use, they could be stacked up and placed in the woodshed.

Although there were only two more servants, Xu felt much more relaxed. In the past, she would be busy with her daughter at such times, and would just eat some leftovers after the banquet. She was very tired.

But today, with Mrs. Hu and Old Man Lu helping to cook and serve the food, Xu was able to sit at the table and eat after half of the dishes were served.

A seat was specially reserved for the woman at the table where she sat.

Zhang also praised: "Ping'an's mother, you have worked hard today. The two servants you bought are good. They know the rules and are efficient. Ping'an and Wu Ya and Liu Ya are not married yet, so you can't buy some little girls and young men back. You are also the mother of a scholar. In the future, you should be more generous and show your dignity. Go out and visit your neighbors more often."

It was rare for Xu to be praised so directly by Zhang in front of everyone. She said excitedly, "Don't worry, Mom. I will think more before doing anything in the future and will never embarrass Ping An!"

When Ma saw this, she became jealous again, and it was so sour that the food no longer tasted good.

Seeing that her second sister-in-law had servants to serve her and was praised by her mother-in-law, and her son was very hardworking and far ahead of her, she became angry and decided to let all her grandchildren go to school. She didn't believe that they were all descendants of the Zhang family, so how could her own family be any worse than hers!

Li was much calmer. Although she was envious, she had a good attitude. She was a person who believed in fate very much. She grew up in a poor village. She knew that people had different destinies in this world. She was very satisfied with her current life.

The children don’t have so many thoughts. They eat well, drink well, and get pocket money. They are all very happy and their mouths are full of oil.

The meal didn't end until dark.

Everyone said goodbye and left one after another.

Guo Jia didn't rush to leave, but sat on a chair and drank tea.

Zhang Ping'an took the person to the study. The study was very large. In addition to a bookshelf against the wall, there was a desk, a stool, a tea table and a low couch. Most of them were left by the previous owner. Zhang Ping'an thought the layout was very good, so he didn't make many changes.

After pouring a cup of tea for each of them, Zhang Pingan asked, "I see you stayed until last. Is there something going on?"

Sometimes smart people don’t need to say anything explicitly; they can understand each other’s meaning with just a gesture or a glance.

Guo Jia felt much more at ease in his study. He picked up his teacup, slumped in his chair, and said lazily, "I overheard a few officials resting at the inn talking about the imperial court holding a beauty pageant for the emperor."

Zhang Pingan paused, looked up and said, "The emperor is only a child of a few years old. I guess the selection is mostly political considerations, and has nothing to do with us ordinary people."

"According to the practice in previous years, it is indeed the case that daughters of three dynasties' veteran ministers or military commanders are more likely to be selected because such family backgrounds can provide political support and security for the emperor. But this year is different. I heard that the scope of the selection will be expanded, and daughters of good families from minor officials' families can also participate. In addition, a large number of palace maids will be selected," said Guo Jia.

"Your fifth sister is a widow, so there's no need to worry. But your sixth sister is of the right age. She's in her prime, and with you, a successful candidate, it's easy for her to find a good marriage. If she were to enter the palace and become a maid..."

Although she hadn't finished her words, Zhang Ping'an understood what she meant. If she entered the palace as a maid, even if she could leave the palace smoothly after ten years, she would be 26 years old, which was considered to be almost middle-aged in ancient times. It was impossible for her to have a son of the right age. She could only be a concubine, and most likely a stepmother. Her life would be ruined!

"Thank you for telling me this news. I will ask my mother to ask a matchmaker to find a suitable person for engagement as soon as possible in the next two days," said Zhang Ping'an.

"At least it should be done as soon as possible. Now that I have heard the news, I guess it will be posted soon. It will be difficult to deal with it then," Guo Jia sighed.

The people in power can turn the lives of those below upside down with just a flick of their fingers. This world has always been a place where the strong prey on the weak.