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

Chen Ergu looked much older than before and dressed much more simply, but she was in good spirits and still had that gentle and decent look with a scholarly air.

Seeing Xu's enthusiasm, Chen Ergu couldn't help but smile and said, "It's me, Madam Zhang. We haven't seen each other for a long time!"

"That's right, but I've always been thinking about you," Xu said excitedly.

After saying that, he patted Chen Ergu's hand and comforted her, "I've heard everything about the Chen family from Jianqiu. It's good that everyone is alright now. You can settle down in Ci County with peace of mind. With your ancestral skills, whether you continue to open a clinic or something else, you will definitely be able to get back on your feet soon. When that happens, I'll be the first to see you!"

Chen Ergu laughed: "I appreciate your kindness, but being sick is not a good thing. It's better to be healthy!"

Upon hearing this, Xu clapped her hands and laughed, "Haha, look at my mouth, it can't speak. I was saying that I'd ask you for some prescriptions to nourish my body. I always feel like I'm lacking in energy and blood. That's what I meant, hahaha!"

"That's no problem, I'll show it to you later," replied Chen Ergu.

There were more than 30 people from the Chen family this time, including men, women, young and old, all of whom were direct descendants of the Chen family.

After everyone exchanged greetings and got to know each other, Zhang Ping'an invited everyone in for tea.

He ordered that after eating, he would take the people with him to greet first.

He also asked his servants to go to the best restaurant in Ci County and inform the owner in advance to book the whole place.

County Magistrate Yang only received the news at this time and ran over quickly to help with the reception. Because he ran so fast, he was out of breath and his head and face were covered in sweat.

"Sir, how come the people they are escorting arrived half a day earlier than agreed? The people from Shili Pavilion didn't say anything about coming to report in advance," said County Magistrate Yang.

"They are all military men and can move fast. Besides, the navy is commanded by Lieutenant General Zhou and his men. If there is nothing important, there is no need to inform us. We just need to do a good job of receiving them and there is no need to be overly attentive," Zhang Pingan replied.

"Do we need to send someone to notify Lieutenant General Zhou?" County Magistrate Yang hesitated.

"No need, I think he'll be here soon. He's more informed than us." Zhang Ping'an waved his hand and continued, "I've already sent someone to greet the restaurant and set up a welcoming banquet for these people. Later, you, Chief Secretary Tao, and County Magistrate Zhu, will go over and help entertain the guests to show your respect!"

"Oh, I understand," County Magistrate Yang nodded.

Sure enough, after a while, Lieutenant General Zhou came over on horseback with his men.

After contacting the escort, he checked the list to make sure it was correct, and then directed people to go directly to the camp outside the city. He had put aside his usual careless appearance, and handled his affairs clearly, distinguishing between public and private matters, and was decisive and efficient.

"Sir Zhang, I will bring my people to the welcoming banquet later. I'll take my leave first," said Lieutenant General Zhou, bowed, then got on his horse and left in a hurry with his people.

However, he did not deliberately ask his sixth brother-in-law Yu Shiqi to go along, but deliberately left him behind so that Zhang Pingan and the others could have time to exchange pleasantries.

This is a pretty good way to deal with people.

After Lord Zhou and his men left, Qian Youyi took the time to step forward and said, "I've already instructed the kitchen to prepare food. I estimate we'll have four or five tables. They've come all this way and must be exhausted. I thought we could have lunch at home first. Firstly, they'd be comfortable, and secondly, it would make us seem closer. It wouldn't prevent you from having lunch with Lieutenant General Zhou and his men later. After dinner, we'll have the servants take them to the inn to wash up and rest. We'll then entertain them at the restaurant in the evening. It wouldn't be impolite. Do you think this is okay?"

"Well, that's great. Thank you for your hard work, ma'am. This is what I planned. After they have eaten their fill, I'll go find a few houses nearby for them to settle down," Zhang Ping'an said with a smile.

"We are husband and wife as one, why are you saying these polite words?" Qian Youyi said angrily.

The two returned to the flower hall together.

The Chen family used to often deal with officials and their families. They were all very tactful and knew etiquette, so communication was not difficult and gave people a good impression.

Although Xu hoped that Chen Ergu could help her with the issue of her son and daughter-in-law continuing the family line, she was also really worried about the Chen family's affairs and wanted to help, so she offered a lot of advice.

Regardless of whether it is useful or not, the intention is good.

Giving timely assistance is often more heartwarming than adding icing on the cake.

Chen Ergu also knew what was good for her and was very grateful, saying a lot of words of thanks.

Mrs. Xu waved her hand and said, "You are all people with real abilities. Curing illnesses and saving lives is a great merit. My third daughter and her son-in-law became pregnant right after taking your medicine."

After hearing this, Zhang coughed twice.

Only then did Xu realize that she had accidentally said the wrong thing, and she felt sad and emotional.

But she quickly regained her composure, gave a few dry laughs, and pointed at Yingniang beside her, changing the subject. "By the way, Yingniang, do you remember when my eldest sister-in-law and I took her to see you? We said there was no help at the time, and Yingniang really couldn't get pregnant for a long time. Then, at the beginning of this year, the Bodhisattva opened her eyes, and she suddenly got pregnant. Later, you can help her take her pulse to see if it's a boy or a girl, so we can have a better idea."

"Really? That's great news, congratulations," Chen Ergu said with a smile, "but it also shows that my medical skills are still not very good. The pulse diagnosis results later can only be used as a reference."

"Oh, it's okay, it's okay. Doctors are not gods, so how can they be accurate every time? I understand this," said Mrs. Xu with a smile.

He then asked Yingniang to sit over.

Yingniang just smiled awkwardly, and after sitting down, she seemed a little uneasy.

Seeing this, Chen Ergu smiled at Yingniang and said, "Don't worry, I'll give you a closer look when I come over in the evening!"

After a while, the servants began to serve the meal.

The Chen family was really tired and hungry.

Zhang Laoer and Zhang Pingan didn't ask the servants to serve too much wine. They just poured a glass each and toasted each other as a token of their appreciation!

So that they can eat in peace.

After dinner, Chen Jianqiu took his family to the inn to wash up and rest.

Only then did Mrs. Xu turn her gaze to her sixth son-in-law and asked with concern, "How's everything going at home? Is Liu Ya pregnant? Is she okay?"

Yu Shiqi smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, mother. Everything is fine. Liuya is also fine during her pregnancy. She has gained a lot of weight. She has been thinking about you all the time. It's just that her belly is so big that it's inconvenient for her to go anywhere. Otherwise, she really wants to come and see you!"

"That's good. Don't run around with a big belly. We will go back after the New Year. There's nothing to worry about," said Mrs. Xu.

Yu Shiqi came here on official business and had to stay in the military camp, not the county government office. Xu helped pack a lot of food and daily necessities for her sixth son-in-law to take to the military camp, which was also a kind gesture.