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

"Mother, the Qian family is a powerful family that has been passed down for hundreds of years. Our ancestors were kings of different surnames. Our dynasty has also produced many high-ranking officials above the third rank, and there are many Jinshi and Juren. Being able to marry the legitimate daughter of the Qian family is almost like a pie in the sky," Zhang Pingan said slowly.

"Oh, so powerful!" Xu was shocked.

Although she knew that the family background of the man who could be proposed by the official media must be good, she did not expect that he would be such a prominent family.

Xu hesitated and said, "Son, a lid fits a pot. If you had mentioned the county magistrate's daughter, I would have been delighted. But bringing back such a large Buddha statue, I'm afraid there might be some hidden agenda, and I'm also afraid you'll be wronged!"

"We haven't even started yet," Zhang Pingan smiled.

I can’t describe how I feel inside.

"By the way, mother, my eldest brother-in-law is going to take an exam tomorrow. Please help pack some food and daily necessities and I will send them over later. It is also a token of my appreciation. My second sister also lives in the same courtyard now. I can't forget her. It's not good to favor one over the other. So pack two portions," said Zhang Ping'an.

"Okay, when your eldest sister came over a few days ago, she was extremely nervous when talking about the exam. My in-laws don't have much experience, so I told your father to take a few days off and accompany your eldest brother-in-law to take the exam these days. Your father has enough experience in accompanying exams, and having him around makes people feel more at ease," said Xu, standing up.

Then I went back to my room to pack my things.

Although Liu Sanlang is only a son-in-law, Xu really hopes that this son-in-law will work harder and pass the military examination, so that they can support each other in the future.

After lunch, Zhang Ping'an took his things and drove to Liu's house.

The Liu family had already eaten. The eldest brother-in-law, Liu Sanlang, was not there. He said he had gone outside the city to practice with his bow.

Butcher Liu took his other sons and grandsons out to work.

The older boys were all sent to school, and now there are only women and a few children left at home.

There was no movement at Erya's house.

Daya was very happy to see Zhang Pingan coming over. She helped take the things while scolding him, "You're here now. Why do you always carry so many things?"

"These are all prepared by mother. Second sister also has some. I will send them to her later. Many of the dry goods and food in it are gifts from the guests at the last banquet. There is also bird's nest. You can stew it and feed it to brother-in-law. It will replenish qi and blood."

"The gifts from customers are definitely not cheap," Daya said with a smile.

After saying that, he shouted a few times to the opposite room: "Arya, Arya!"

Erya hurried out of the room upon hearing the sound and replied, "Sister, what's the matter? I just said I'd take a nap after lunch!"

"Little brother, here you are. Mom has prepared something for us. Come and get it," Daya waved.

Erya walked into the main room, opened the bag, looked at it, and joked, "Oh, big sister, Mom spent a lot of money today. There's also bird's nest. I've only heard of it but never tasted it. I guess this is all thanks to you!"

Daya patted Erya on the shoulder and said unhappily, "What are you talking about? Hurry up and put it away. This is all from mother."

"Second sister, how is your second brother-in-law doing at the Canal Transport Bureau recently? Is everything going well?" Zhang Ping'an asked.

My second brother-in-law and Brother Liu both passed the recruitment assessment of the Grain Transport Bureau. They now work as boatmen at the Grain Transport Bureau's dock, sailing in several nearby state capitals and leaving home every few days.

But the salary is good and stable, and I can also buy some cheap local specialties and resell them in Lin'an.

Ever since the two of them became boatmen, the financial pressure on my second sister's family has been reduced a lot. The children have been sent to school, and there is no problem in eating meat every now and then.

Erya is a simple-minded person, and they are an old couple, so they don’t feel sad about separation. She was worried at the beginning, but now she is used to it.

Hearing this, he replied, "It's pretty good. I'm doing pretty well. I have the Xiao family kid's connections to look after me, so no one is bullying me. Plus, my eldest uncle is no pushover either. He worked at the docks for a few years before, so it's easy for him to get along with those people. Don't worry!"

"That's good. No wonder it seems like you've gained weight again, second sister. You can tell that you're living a comfortable life," Zhang Ping'an said with a smile.

Erya looked at her round waist, put her hands on her hips and said nonchalantly, "Well, I'm just like that. I gain weight when I eat something good. My mother-in-law says I'm blessed. I've gained almost 40 pounds since I got married. It's nothing!"

Zhang Ping'an couldn't help but sigh that his second sister was born in a good time. The current aesthetic taste tends to favor plump beauties. Skinny girls and cone-shaped faces are not popular and are considered to be mean-looking. Therefore, few women lose weight, which saves them a lot of trouble.

"Oh, big sister, mom said dad is coming to accompany me for the exam these days. Did she tell you?"

"The last time I went to see my mother, she told me that actually my father-in-law went with her. It was nothing, but she was just worried," Daya said helplessly.

"We have a mule cart at home, which is much more convenient. The place for the military examination this time is outside the city, which is quite far away. I am afraid of delaying things if I walk there," said Zhang Ping'an.

"Well, go back and thank your mother for me," Daya reminded.

Erya, who was watching from the side, laughed and said, "Look at you guys, you're so sour, still thanking me all the time. Wuya's getting married in a few days, and we have to go back to attend the banquet. Liuya's also got engaged now, so it's a double happiness!"

"That's right, my mother-in-law always says that I'm taking advantage of her and always go to my parents' house for banquets," Daya agreed with a smile.

The siblings chatted for a while, and then Zhang Pingan went home.

When I got home, Zhang Laoer had already returned and was sitting in the main room resting.

Seeing his son return, he quickly sat up straight and asked with concern, "Son, your mother said that the official matchmaker came this morning to propose marriage to you?"

"Well, the matchmaker said she will come again the day after tomorrow," Zhang Pingan replied.

"What do you think?"

Zhang Pingan rubbed his forehead and said, "Based on family background, this is indeed an excellent marriage, but I still feel uneasy. Let me think about it!"

This is how marriage works. It’s never comfortable to marry someone who is too high or too low. A marriage that’s not too far apart is the most suitable.

Zhang Laoer knew that his son was a man of his own ideas, so he didn't ask any more questions.

In the early morning of the next day, when it was still pitch black, Zhang Laoer got up and took Old Man Lu to the Liu family in the south of the city to take his eldest son-in-law to take the exam.

Xu prepared a lot of food and daily necessities, and put in the same effort as when Zhang Ping'an took the exam, hoping that her eldest son-in-law could also pass the exam.

Zhang Ping'an went to the Imperial College to attend classes as usual.

People say that once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea. He thinks entering the Imperial College is similar.

Once you have registered and enrolled, you are not allowed to drop out at will unless there are special circumstances. You have to wait until the next year's college entrance examination.

In Hua Wanli's words, "You treat the Imperial College as the gate to your vegetable garden. You can enter and exit as you please."

Zhang Ping'an is not a royal relative and has no background, so of course it is not possible!

I can only read it obediently first. After all, the teachers are all Jinshi, which is better than nothing.