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

Once the seeds of doubt are planted, they take root.

Zhang Ping'an has never been one to speculate about others in his heart. Since he has doubts, the best way is to verify them.

From the time I met Guo Jia until now, Guo Jia has always been helping me. It is no exaggeration to say that he is always willing to help me.

Therefore, even if he really intercepted the 30 taels, he would not report him.

He was more concerned about what he wanted so much money for and how far things had progressed.

Thinking carefully about the process of the two people getting to know each other, there is actually no way to verify Guo Jia's family background. All his relatives have passed away, and everything was said by himself.

The courage and spirit he displayed along the way, as well as his various behaviors after arriving in Lin'an, are all remarkable.

He also doesn't want to have children, which reveals his ambition to be inferior to others.

Everything is so difficult that people can't help but think about it.

After checking with everyone around him, Zhang Ping'an felt that it would be most reliable to let his eldest brother-in-law handle this matter.

In terms of personality, the fifth brother-in-law is actually the most suitable. He is smart and sensible, but Zhang Pingan is afraid that if he really finds out something, the fifth brother-in-law will have something on him and become restless.

I can only ask my brother-in-law to do it.

Firstly, my brother-in-law is in the Wucheng Bingmasi and often patrols. He has more opportunities to notice Guo Jia's actions by taking advantage of his position.

Secondly, my brother-in-law is a down-to-earth and reliable person, and he keeps his mouth shut, so if something really happens, we don’t have to worry about him letting it slip.

It is not realistic to inquire in the small town at the moment, so we can only wait and see. But there is no wall that is impenetrable. If we pay more attention in Lin'an, we will always be able to catch the clues.

After thinking about this, Zhang Pingan felt relieved and waited for the final result!

Qian Youyi continued, "It's not known how many people know about this, but it's not known how few either. Money can move people's hearts, so anyone could be tempted. I'll write a letter to my second brother later. You don't have to worry about it for now. It's more appropriate for me to reply!"

"Well, thank you, ma'am," Zhang Ping'an said gently.

Time flies and it is early April.

Although Zhang Pingan was very busy during this period, his government affairs were generally going smoothly.

The local area has been peaceful for a long time. Apart from rampant maritime smuggling, there is no rampant banditry.

As for the two issues of hidden farmland and loss of tax silver, the ice is three feet thick and it didn't freeze overnight. Zhang Ping'an is not planning to make any big moves for the time being.

The new policy itself is unstable. If this piece of cake is touched so quickly, some people will definitely take desperate measures.

Although a large part of the responsibility has been put on Yu Xiancheng, based on past practices, the deficit is only a matter of time.

Zhang Pingan was not prepared to take the blame during his tenure.

He met with the local gentry, clan leaders and wealthy businessmen and had them beat the drum. A loud drum does not need a heavy hammer, and smart people can understand it at a glance.

After dark, each family sent servants to deliver a lot of silver bills.

It can be considered as making these people bleed.

The eighth day of the fourth lunar month is Buddha's Birthday. According to custom, the county magistrate must participate in related sacrificial activities to express respect for the Buddha and pray for a good harvest and peace.

The locals of Ci County attach great importance to this event. It is very lively that day. Looking at the bustling crowd, it is hard to imagine that in the same land, people living in the north may not even have salt to eat.

Zhang Laoer, Xu, and daughter-in-law Qian Youyi all went out together that day to have a vegetarian meal in a temple outside the city, which could be considered a spring outing.

Zhang Ping'an was at a loss. As a county magistrate, he had more trouble during festivals.

After the Buddha's Bathing Festival, in early summer, crops enter a critical growth period. The county magistrate needs to take people to the countryside to inspect the fields, check the growth of crops, ensure that there is no invasion of pests and diseases, and take timely measures to solve possible problems.

We also have to inspect water conservancy facilities and monitor water levels to prepare for the upcoming high temperatures and droughts in the summer.

Although Zhang Ping'an and Hua Wanli were born in humble families and their families had been farming since they were young, they had hardly ever touched the land and were not very proficient in farming.

Not to mention the mung bean eyes, I guess they can't even tell the difference between wheat and leeks in the fields.

Zhang Laoer's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he volunteered, "Ping'an, why don't you take me with you? I was an expert at farming when I was in Zhangjia Village. If you have any questions, you can ask me. The people below can't fool you."

After saying that, he smiled and said, "Although I have good food and accommodation in the county government office, I am a little anxious because of the idleness. It would be nice to go for a walk in the fields in the countryside. Anyway, I am still strong!"

Zhang Ping'an knew that his father was a restless person, so he specially allocated a piece of land in the backyard of the county government office for him and Xu to grow vegetables.

But it is indeed boring to be stuck in one place all the time.

After thinking about it, I agreed. After all, I was bringing my own people, so it wouldn't matter much.

On the second day, the group boarded a mule cart and, accompanied by three shifts of yamen runners, slowly headed to a village on the outskirts of Ci County.

The main local crop in Ci County is rice, and the locals also eat a lot of rice.

But after simple processing, rice can be divided into many types, including polished rice, brown rice, and rice bran. Most ordinary people sell the polished rice they scoop out to grain merchants to get more money, and then exchange it for brown rice. Some families who are more poor even eat rice bran.

Therefore, most people at this time have a big appetite because of the lack of oil and water, and they need to eat more to relieve hunger.

In addition to rice, Ci County is located on the south bank of Wutang Bay. The soil and climatic conditions are very suitable for growing cotton, which has high yield and good quality. Basically every household grows some, which is considered an economic crop.

The registrar gave a detailed introduction.

Originally, this matter should have been reported by the county magistrate, but since County Magistrate Yu was executed, Zhang Ping'an has not promoted a new county magistrate.

The position of county magistrate has remained vacant.

Yang Dianshi was over forty years old and had worked in the government office for many years. He was also a native of Ci County and was proficient in general affairs. Zhang Ping'an asked him to temporarily take charge of the duties of the county magistrate.

It's also a signal.

With this piece of meat hanging in front of him, Yang Dianshi spared no effort in his work and firmly supported Zhang Pingan in government affairs, which saved Zhang Pingan a lot of trouble.

As they were talking, everyone came to the field.

The head of the village received the news in advance and had already been waiting at the village entrance with the village chief and the men in the village.

Many villagers still had wet mud on their feet, and it was obvious that they had been called up from the fields temporarily.

After seeing Zhang Ping'an and his group coming, the village head hurriedly urged everyone to salute.

He bowed and said in a flattering smile in broken official language: "My Lords, I am sorry for not coming to greet you. I hope you will forgive me!"

Zhang Pingan frowned at this and turned to ask Yang Dianshi, "Didn't we say not to disturb the people and just let the head of the village lead the way?"

Yang Dianshi quickly admitted his mistake: "Sir, it was my fault that I didn't arrange it properly. I know I was wrong!"

Although he said this, he actually felt quite aggrieved. Who knows if his superiors are saying one thing and thinking another? In his opinion, there is no official who doesn't like to be praised.

However, after so many years in the yamen, Yang Dianshi knew very well what to do. At this time, there was no need to make excuses, just admit his mistake.