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

By the time Zhang Ping'an returned home, the moon was already at its highest point in the sky.

Zhang Laoer also came back from his two daughters' homes after dinner. He had already washed up and gone to bed.

At dawn the next day, the father and son got up and prepared to return to Ci County without asking anyone to see them off.

As for his fifth brother-in-law Fang Ziqi, Zhang Ping'an thought it was not easy for everyone to come back, so he gave him two more days of leave so that he could set off back to Ci County on the eighth day of the first lunar month.

The father and son had a simple breakfast and when they got on the carriage to leave the city, Zhang Laoer showed some reluctance on his face and looked back frequently.

After all, it will take a long time to return to Lin'an after this trip.

The carriage also contained a number of small items prepared by various families yesterday. Large and small bundles were piled at the feet of the two men. They were not worth much money, but they were thoughtful gifts.

The carriage swayed along the official road.

After leaving the city for seven or eight miles, Zhang Pingan lifted the carriage curtain and told Chi Bao, "Let's go to Guo's Mansion!"

"I understand!" Chibao responded by leaning sideways on the carriage, then waved the whip.

"Go to Guo Jia's house? Doesn't he live in the city?" Zhang Laoer asked puzzledly.

"I asked my eldest brother-in-law. It's the New Year period now, and the inn is not busy. He is mostly at his house now. Whenever he comes back, he must visit old friends. This is the only way to show courtesy," Zhang Ping'an said lightly, looking out the window.

It was icy and snowy outside, and there wasn't much scenery to see. There were only dead vines, old trees, and crows, accompanied by desolate fields, so desolate and lonely!

After a while, the carriage arrived at the gate of a large mansion with blue bricks and black tiles.

The door is very low-key, with a few pomegranate trees and willow trees planted near the door, standing bare, like ghosts!

Even though the location is remote and the land is cheap, it still costs a lot of money to buy such a large house.

Apart from the foundation, bricks and tiles are also very expensive, so all of these things cost a lot of money.

"Wow, Guo kid is rich now and doing pretty well!" Even Zhang Laoer couldn't help but sigh when he saw it.

"Dad, let me help you get out of the car. You can sit in the main hall and have some tea and snacks. I'll go to the study and talk to Guo Jia for a while, and then we'll leave," Zhang Ping'an said gently.

"Okay, don't worry about me, just chat about your things," Zhang Laoer waved his hands with a smile.

After eating and parking the car, he jumped out and told the other followers to go and knock on the door.

After a while, an old servant came to open the door. He opened it only a crack, revealing a pair of sinister triangular eyes. He said unhappily, "Who are you? Who are you looking for?"

Chi Bao was standing nearby, and was somewhat offended by the old man's malicious gaze. He frowned and stepped forward, saying, "My master is Mr. Zhang, the magistrate of Ci County. He is an old friend of your master. Please go and inform him!"

After hearing this, the old servant looked Zhang Ping'an and his son from head to toe beside the carriage. His eyes were like a knife cutting into the body, making people feel very uncomfortable.

After a moment, he said, "So you are an old friend of my master. I apologize for not welcoming you in person. Please come in!"

After saying this, he opened the two doors and made a gesture of invitation.

Zhang Ping'an's brows twitched when he saw this. After thinking for a moment, he put one hand behind his back and said in a deep voice, "Eat your fill. Take my name card and ask Master Guo to come out for a chat. Mainly, we need to say goodbye to him. We have to hurry back to Ci County today. Time is of the essence, and we can't stay here any longer!"

This sentence is said to Chibao, and also to the old man.

A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall. There is something strange going on in Guo Jia's mansion right now. Zhang Ping'an thought about it and decided not to take any risks easily.

After eating, he didn't think much about it. After hearing it, he immediately went to the carriage to get the business card and gave it to the old servant.

Zhang Ping'an saw that the old man opened the business card and took a look at it, which showed that he was literate, which was quite rare.

Then, he looked at the people outside the door with that gloomy look again, then closed the door and went in to report.

Zhang Laoer frowned and spoke, "Why would Guo use such a servant? It's so uncomfortable to look at him, just like... like meat on a chopping board!"

After thinking for a long time, Zhang Laoer finally came up with this sentence to describe it.

Chi Bao also nodded and agreed: "That's right, those eyes are like knives, looking at him with ill intentions, why would Master Guo buy such a servant!"

Zhang Ping'an didn't respond. He squinted his eyes and looked at the yard, then looked around.

The nearest neighbor is probably a mile or two away.

There is nothing nearby, it's very empty!

Apart from being quiet, there seems to be no other advantages!

Ever since Guo Jia came back from Ci County, he has been acting mysteriously and no one knows what he is up to.

After a while, the door creaked open again. Zhang Pingan looked up and saw Guo Jia walking hurriedly in front, followed by the old servant.

After not seeing him for many days, Guo Jia was still the same as before, but his expression was a little more cheerful, unlike before, when although he was smiling, there was a gloom between his brows, and he always looked as if he had something on his mind.

"Ping'an, it's really you, a rare guest. When did you come back? Why don't you come in and sit down?" Guo Jia said with a smile on his face, surprised. After that, he warmly invited everyone in for tea: "Come on, come on, come in and sit down. Let's drink tea and reminisce!"

After saying that, he saw Zhang Laoer standing beside him, and walked forward to him and respectfully performed the salute of a junior.

When Zhang Laoer saw this, he smiled and said repeatedly that there was no need to be polite.

To be honest, Zhang Pingan was relieved to see that it was really Guo Jia himself who came out.

I’m afraid there are some unknown monsters hiding in there. Guo Jia is too mysterious now!

However, it was not easy to contradict what he had just said, so Zhang Pingan said with a smile: "I haven't seen you for a long time. You look so happy. Could it be that something good is about to happen?"

After saying that, he continued, "I just returned to Lin'an on the afternoon of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. I visited my relatives yesterday and set off for Ci County today. Although I'm a seventh-rank official, I can't leave the county for long. I have a lot of official business to deal with! Time is tight, so I won't go in and sit down. Why don't we take a walk around here together and take in the peaceful countryside!"

Guo Jia didn't refuse after hearing this and agreed happily: "Okay, then I'll take you around. There's nothing else around here, but it's quiet and much more comfortable than in the city!"

The two of them then walked along the dirt road in the suburbs, chatting as they walked.

Guo Jia was an extremely perceptive person. After chatting for a while, he noticed the temptation in Zhang Ping'an's words.

He simply stopped and asked, "If you have any concerns, just ask directly. I'll tell you everything I know!"

Zhang Ping'an hadn't actually intended to hide this from Guo Jia. He had been wanting to break through this window paper. He immediately looked Guo Jia in the eye and said word by word, "You know what I want to ask. You've changed so much in the past year. I'm afraid you'll take the wrong path and die at such a young age!"