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

After Liu Ya entered the palace, the house became even more deserted.

The next day, Daya and Erya came with their children. They were more open-minded and felt that even if they entered the palace, they would not necessarily be selected. This comforted Xu for a long time.

However, there were a lot of things to do at home and the children had to go to school, so I didn't even stay for dinner and rushed home.

The days go by slowly.

The Street Office hasn't notified me yet, which means Liu Ya has passed the previous appearance screening. Generally speaking, if she fails, she will be rejected on the same day.

The Imperial College was still the same. Several doctors were not paying much attention in class, and the class atmosphere gradually became relaxed.

This is the best class. You can imagine the situation in other classes, which is even worse.

It is nothing but wishful thinking to compare with the provincial school.

Zhang Pingan was so worried that he couldn't sleep at night and was always in a half-asleep and half-awake state.

Zhang Laoer had a relatively smooth journey in finding a shop. He found one in the east of the city, not far from his home. The monthly rent was not too expensive. The Ministry of Revenue was nearby, and next to it was a residential area, so there was a lot of traffic.

When Zhang Ping'an was on rest, Zhang Laoer took his family to see it for reference.

Xu happily followed them in a car, but when she got there, her face turned green. She said speechlessly, "Dad, what can you sell in this tiny place?"

The shop that Zhang Laoer liked was less than four square meters, and it was difficult for several people to turn around inside.

Zhang Ping'an looked around and saw that this was an area specially separated out by the inn next door that had occupied the space behind the shop.

"Dad, how much is the monthly rent?" Zhang Pingan asked.

"Four taels of silver a month, paid once every six months," said Zhang Laoer.

After that, he explained, "It's not a big place, but it's in a good location. Here's what I thought. Mrs. Hu is good at cooking, and she doesn't have much washing up to do at home. She's idle anyway, so I might as well have her come to the store to help in the morning. I'm going to sell breakfast, like pancakes and buns that are easy to take away. The Ministry of Revenue is not far away. Firstly, there are many people on duty there, and secondly, there are also many minor officials from other places. After work, they always need to eat, so my business will definitely be good!"

"How's business at the inn next door?" Zhang Ping'an thought for a moment and asked.

"It's quite good. Those officials will bring their entourage and servants with them and book several rooms as soon as they arrive. The inn business is quite prosperous, but the price is not cheap," said Zhang Laoer. He didn't book the room casually, but also inquired around.

"Well, the monthly rent is four taels, so the daily shop rent is about one hundred and thirty-three wen. A bun is three wen, and the gross profit is one and a half wen. I can break even if I sell nearly one hundred buns," Zhang Ping'an calculated and felt it was okay.

Finally, he said, "Dad, if you think it's okay, then give it a try. I support you. If the flow of people is strong, we will definitely sell more than a hundred buns every day. We can also sell fried dough sticks, braised eggs and other things together. Anyway, they are all packaged, so it is very convenient to take them out."

Zhang Laoer couldn't help but smile when he heard his son say that. He said with a simple smile, "Okay, I'm relieved now. After all, it's not a small amount of money. I'll find a broker to book it!"

"Okay," Zhang Pingan said with a smile.

His father has nothing to do at home now. He knows that his father is not used to it. He has been a hardworking man all his life, and if he is asked to stop suddenly, he will feel empty inside. It would be nice to open a small shop and find something to do.

Although Xu felt that the shop rent was too expensive, she always listened to her husband and son, so she did not object.

So I went to the broker to sign the deed that morning.

Zhang Laoer couldn't wait any longer, so he moved all the necessary kitchen utensils, seasonings and other things over that afternoon, preparing to choose an auspicious day to open the business.

Old man Lu also started to get busy.

Zhang Pingan suddenly felt that there were not enough people at home, and the matter of buying a servant was imminent. Even if the servant could not read, it would be fine. He would first buy one who could help with chores, deliver letters, and drive the carriage.

The last time, the kid named Lu Yi left him with some shadows in his heart about buying people. He always felt like someone was watching him.

This time he wanted to go to the human city by himself.

The human market is still the same. It is the place that best witnesses human nature. There are too many parents selling their children. Most people in this world have a hard life.

Zhang Ping'an walked around for a long time but didn't see anyone he liked. He was a little disappointed. When he was about to leave, a hoarse male voice suddenly called him.

"Mr. Zhang...Mr. Zhang?" The man seemed unsure and called out hesitantly.

Zhang Pingan was always very sensitive to people with the same surname. He turned around and asked in confusion, "Are you calling me?"

After seeing Zhang Ping'an's face clearly, the other party immediately said, "Mr. Zhang, it's me. I'm from Black Wind Ferry near Ezhou Prefecture. I accompanied you on your way to Yingzhou. Don't you remember?"

After saying this, the other person pulled his hair aside and rubbed it hard on his face, wanting Zhang Pingan to see clearly.

However, no matter how he put on some paint on his face, it was still black, and Zhang Ping'an really didn't recognize him.

But it seemed that the other person was not having a good life. He was as thin as a bamboo pole, dirty, and half-dressed. Not only were his clothes tattered, but his face and hands were covered with cracks, and he only had a pair of tattered straw sandals on his feet. Fortunately, the weather had not yet gotten cold, otherwise it would have been unbearable.

There were a few people sitting next to the man, all with straw tags on their heads. They looked like they were together and looked over curiously.

"What's your name?" Zhang Ping'an asked. He still had some impression of the names of the boatmen at that time.

"My name is Eat Full, Horse Eat Full," said the man.

"I remember there seemed to be a boatman with this name among them. Why did you come to Lin'an? How is the city now?" Zhang Ping'an turned around and asked.

After asking, seeing the embarrassed looks of the few people, he felt that something was wrong and quickly said, "Come on, get up and talk. I'll take you to eat something first. We can talk after we're full!"

He had a pretty good impression of the boatmen at that time, especially the village chief, who had a bottom line in everything he did.

When fellow villagers meet, their eyes are filled with tears. This is not just talk. Ma Chibao burst into tears upon hearing this and wanted to kneel down and kowtow to Zhang Pingan, but was stopped by Zhang Pingan.

He took a few people to a nearby noodle stall and ordered a bowl of noodles for each person.

Although he could make money, the noodle stall owner was not very happy. A few people came here like beggars, and other customers stopped coming.

If Zhang Ping'an had not been dressed respectably and had a kerchief on his head, indicating that he had achieved honors, he would definitely not have done this business.

Zhang Ping'an didn't care what the boss thought. After the noodles were served, he immediately finished eating after exchanging a few polite words with the others.

In a short while, the whole bowl of noodles was gone.

Zhang Pingan understood very well, and estimated that they had been hungry for quite some time. "You have been hungry for too long, it is not advisable to eat too much at once. Drink some noodle soup to digest it, and then eat later."

"Well, thank you, Mr. Zhang," Ma Chibao said gratefully, and several people around him also thanked him repeatedly.

"There are four great joys in life: rain after a long drought, meeting an old friend in a foreign land, passing the imperial examination, and the wedding night. Today we can be considered to have met an old friend in a foreign land. We have a deep bond, so you're welcome," Zhang Ping'an said with a smile.