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

"There's nothing wrong with it. The house in the back alley has been rented. It's just a matter of using an extra pair of chopsticks for meals. Staying in Ci County will be good for them and their daughter, and you can have some peace and quiet," said Zhang.

Li thought for a moment, then looked at Xu and Zhang Laoer and said, "Second brother, second sister-in-law, what do you think?"

Xu was stunned for a moment, but quickly reacted and looked at her man. It was not easy for her to make the decision on such matters.

After hearing this, Zhang Laoer felt that this matter did not matter. Things were different now. The family conditions were better and there were a lot of servants and maids. Having two more people was really not a big deal.

So he said, "Ping'an's mother and I have no objection. After all, we are family. As for the extra pair of chopsticks, if you and your sister-in-law agree, then let Yingniang stay. She can keep Mom company. When Dad and Mom want to go back to Lin'an, Yingniang and her son can go back with them."

After hearing this, Li was silent for a while and sighed in her heart. She also knew that her mother-in-law separated the two mothers temporarily for the sake of peace and quiet at home. Her intentions were good, but this was not a long-term solution, especially since she was there!

But on second thought, Yingniang is indeed living much more comfortably here than at home, and this is all thanks to the old man and the old lady.

Forget it, the second family will have to go back for the New Year. It’s only a few months away, so let Yingniang relax here for a few more months.

After thinking about this, Li finally cheered up and forced a smile, saying, "As the saying goes, filial piety is the most important virtue. Since mother wants Yingniang to stay here and serve, then let them stay. It will save us from trouble. However, this will inevitably bother my second brother's family. I will have to take better care of them in the future. Thank you for your help!"

"Oh, what are you talking about? As long as mother feels it's good, anything is fine," Xu said nicely.

As the younger generations, Zhang Pingan and Qian Youyi certainly wouldn't say anything.

Dazhu was reluctant to do so. After all, they were married for life, and he had feelings for Yingniang. Otherwise, he wouldn't have insisted on not divorcing her even though they hadn't had children for so many years. He missed Yingniang after being apart for so long, so he hesitated and said, "Well...why don't we just go back? Staying here is too much trouble for my second uncle's family. We've already lived here for quite a while, and since we have two children only a few days apart, it's convenient to take care of them together. Besides, I think Ping'an has a lot of servants here, so there's no shortage of people to take care of us."

After hearing this, Li silently kicked her son under the table. When it comes to observing people's expressions and dealing with human relationships, she is the best among the sisters-in-law, and has always been the most valued by Zhang. Unexpectedly, her two sons did not inherit this quality from her. It was very dull.

Just say a few polite words at this time, why are you still being so stubborn!

Boss Zhang also coughed twice, picked up the teacup and drank tea, the meaning was self-evident.

He didn't think too much about it. He mainly felt that his family was getting an advantage if Yingniang and her son stayed. It wasn't a bad idea, as he had quite a few grandchildren anyway.

"It's settled. Yingniang stays for now, and we can talk about other things later," Zhang made the final decision.

The others also agreed.

Dazhu lowered his head and could only say nothing more.

There was still a lot of things to do at home, and Li was worried, so she stayed in Ci County for another day. On the third day, several people followed the escort agency back.

Before leaving, Dazhu held his son and played with him for a while, then left some silver for Yingniang. He said with some reluctance and melancholy, "I'm leaving now. Remember to tell grandma if you have anything to say. Don't keep it in your heart. Take good care of yourself and your son."

Yingniang's eyes were also red, tears welling up in her eyes, and she choked out, "You too!"

She was also very sad, but as she looked at the backs of Li and his companions as they walked away, she felt relieved.

Dazhu gave the child a nickname called Tuantuan, which means the family is reunited.

Originally, Li wanted to give the child a nickname containing "Dan" or "Gen", which was down-to-earth and easy to raise. However, Dazhu now worked in the government office and had broadened his horizons and had different ideas. She felt that she had to give the child a name that was slightly more pleasant to the ear, even if it was a nickname, it should not sound too vulgar.

As for the name, Zhang Pingan was the most knowledgeable person in the family, so the child was named Dazhu with the help of Zhang Pingan.

A name will follow a person for a lifetime, and when it came to naming his nephew, Zhang Pingan really thought about it seriously.

Finally, the name "Siheng" was decided, which was taken from the sentence in the Mountain Ghost Chapter of "Nine Songs" "Covered by the stone orchid and carrying Du Heng, the fragrance was broken and the thoughts were left behind", implying that the child will have a broad mind and be able to distinguish right from wrong in the future.

It was also catchy, and Li liked it the moment she heard it. She smiled and said, "You can tell it was chosen by a learned person. It's even better than Chen Yang and the others' names!"

Therefore, the child now has both a full name and a nickname.

Although Li and others returned to Lin'an, when the child was one month old, Qian Youyi, as the mistress of the house and also the aunt, still prepared several tables of very decent full-month banquets for the child and invited several familiar families to come and have dinner together.

Everyone brought gifts, and Qian Youyi also prepared a small pure gold peace chain, which was a perfect fit for the child and not too heavy.

If I had gone back to Lin'an, it might not have been so lively.

Yingniang held the child in her arms, feeling very grateful.

I don’t know if it was because he was tired from organizing the full moon banquet or what, but Qian Youyi has always been in low spirits since the full moon banquet. Even if he goes to bed early every night, he still can’t get up the next morning. He feels weak and yawns all the time.

My appetite is also poor and I eat less than usual.

Zhang Ping'an was very worried and suggested asking a doctor to take a look. Qian Youyi waved his hand to refuse again: "I know my body. It's nothing serious. I just need to rest for a few days."

That evening, while having dinner together, Zhang Pingan saw his wife put down her chopsticks after eating two pieces of red bean cake, each no bigger than her thumb. He could not bear it any longer and ordered the servants, "Go get a doctor."

Qian Youyi stopped wiping his mouth and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Let the doctor come and check you out. Although you ate less before, you never ate so little. You've looked much more haggard recently. Whether you're okay or not, we'll feel at ease if the doctor takes a look," Zhang Ping'an replied, patting his wife's hand.

His appetite is not even as much as that of a two-year-old child. It really makes people worried.

"You, I've already told you I'm fine. Don't I check my pulse every month?" Qian Youyi smiled helplessly.

Apart from feeling a little tired, she really didn't feel anything else. She probably wasn't sick, as she knew her body well.

"It's good to take a look. The food is indeed too little," Xu said with concern after looking at her daughter-in-law's bowls and plates.

There are so many delicious dishes, but some people don’t want to eat them. She doesn’t understand how the daughters of these wealthy families are raised. Alas!

After a while, the doctor came over. He was an old doctor who was well-known in the mansion. He usually checked the pulse of the family members.

When I saw the servant coming to invite him, I thought someone was seriously ill.

After listening to Zhang Ping'an's explanation of the situation, he did not dare to delay and hurriedly took Qian Youyi's pulse again carefully.

After a moment, he smiled, retracted his hand, and bowed to Zhang Ping'an, saying with a smile: "Congratulations, sir, congratulations, madam's pulse is like beads rolling on a plate, which is a slippery pulse! However, it is still early in the month, so I can't diagnose it too accurately. I will come back for another diagnosis at the beginning of next month, and then I will be able to confirm it. I guess madam's fatigue and sleepiness are caused by this. Just pay attention to rest more. If you are really worried, you can eat some medicinal food to replenish your body!"

Zhang Pingan and Qian Youyi were stunned after hearing this, and some of them couldn't believe it. Qian Youyi knew her own body well, and Zhang Pingan had guessed it a little, so he didn't dare to have any expectations for the time being. He didn't expect that she was pregnant!

The most excited people were Zhang Laoer and Xu.

"Doctor, are you telling the truth?" Zhang Laoer asked again.

Xu also looked over with anticipation.

The doctor stroked his beard and smiled, "My old master, my old lady, it's almost right."

"Oh, God has finally opened his eyes. It's not in vain to pray to the Bodhisattva. Chen Ergu's prescription is really effective." Xu was overjoyed after hearing this.

He fished out a few coins from his pocket and gave them to the doctor as payment. He said with a broad smile, "I'm glad to see you. Thank you for your hard work, Doctor. I'd appreciate it if you could come back at the beginning of next month!"

"Thank you, madam. I will take my leave now," the old doctor replied with a bow. He had seen this kind of situation many times and understood it very well. He asked the medicine boy to carry the medicine box and went back.