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

Zhang Pingan really felt innocent of this accusation, as his role in the matter was just to deliver a message.

Fortunately, he also knew that Green Bean Eyes was just joking and didn't take it to heart.

The two chatted and laughed for a while and then left.

On the day of Chen Jianqiu's wedding, the two of them made an appointment to attend the wedding together.

The Chen family had no relatives in the local area, so they only invited their own family members, Chen Jianqiu's colleagues in the yamen, and a few familiar friends, and set up a few tables in the courtyard to have a lively dinner.

The scene was not grand, but it was still lively, the food was very good, and there were even snacks.

Old Mrs. Chen did not look well. She was so thin that she was just a bag of bones, and her cheeks were completely sunken.

But he had a smile on his face and it was obvious that he was happy.

Zhang Pingan was shocked when he saw it. He remembered that it was not like this when he first came.

"Have you checked it out with the old lady? If you need any help, just tell me. I have a few hundred-year-old ginseng roots here."

"Yes, tell me what herbs you need and I will get them for you," said Green Bean Eyes.

Hua Wanli and Fatty Wu looked over with concern in their eyes.

Chen Jianqiu's smile faded a little, and he said helplessly: "Our whole family are doctors, you forgot!"

"If it could be cured, we would have certainly tried it. But the problem is that it's not curable. Plus, the old lady is old. She's in her sixties now, which is considered a long life. She finds it very painful to take the medicine and vomits after taking it. She's absolutely refusing to take any medicine. After discussing it with her family, we decided to respect her decision and let her eat and sleep well in her final days, leaving no regrets."

"No, if not, let's go to Lin'an to find a doctor," said Green Eyes.

"It's useless. Besides, for some diseases, living is more painful than dying. It's precisely because our whole family are doctors and we have seen so much that we take birth, aging, sickness and death more lightly," Chen Jianqiu became more depressed as he spoke.

Hua Wanli patted Chen Jianqiu's shoulder in silent comfort, then said, "Today is your big day. Let's not talk about these things for now. Old Madam Chen must also want you to be happy today!"

"Well, thank you all for your kindness. Please take your seats and enjoy your meal," Chen Jianqiu said after cheering up.

The atmosphere was pretty good throughout the whole banquet, and there was even some noise in the bridal chamber at the end. However, everyone was sensible and didn't go overboard, just joining in the fun.

More than a month later, news came that Mrs. Chen had passed away.

After hearing this, Xu sighed deeply.

I paid more attention to the diet and daily life of Mrs. Zhang and Old Man Zhang.

Although the Chen family has now fallen on hard times, the funeral was still held with great ceremony.

All the neighbors praise him.

Chen Jianqiu was a legal advisor and a private aide, not in the bureaucratic system. Therefore, he was not subject to the mandatory constraints of the official mourning system and did not have to go home to mourn.

However, Zhang Ping'an still approved him a leave of more than a month, asking him to have a good rest first and come back to work after the seventh day after Mrs. Chen's death.

With his qualifications as a legal advisor, it would be natural for him to arrange him to the medical department.

Perhaps compared to being a legal advisor, the position of medical officer is more suitable for Jianqiu.

Seeing the Chen family crying, Zhang Pingan also felt a lot of emotion.

Birth, aging, sickness and death are the normal state of life. Everyone will one day turn into a piece of yellow earth. The most important thing is to live well in the present.

It is gratifying that the Annam rice and sweet potatoes planted are growing well and are full of vitality.

Experienced farmers all say that this year will be a year of good weather and good harvests, and God will not be angry.

It was already the end of May, and Qian Youyi's belly had grown as big as if it were inflated. She would give birth in two months.

Because of her congenital physical weakness, she would get tired after walking for a while while holding her belly. Once, she even had spotting. The doctor came to see her several times, but there was no other way but to let her rest. Now she rarely gets out of bed.

Xu was both happy and worried. When the birth was about to begin, she even felt a little scared.

The daughter-in-law's body was as weak as paper, but giving birth is like going through the gates of hell for a woman, so she was afraid of any unexpected event.

Now I don’t even eat meat anymore. I eat vegetarian meals every day and pray to God and Buddha, hoping that they will bless the mother and child with safety.

Not only did he not eat it himself, he also didn't allow Zhang Laoer to eat it.

Zhang Laoer knew that it was for the good of his daughter-in-law and grandson, so he agreed.

The two of them were even more nervous than Qian Youyi, the pregnant woman.

Zhang was also a little worried, but there was nothing she could do. Women always have to go through this process when giving birth.

So I asked Yingniang to hold the child and talk to him more often when she had nothing to do, which would at least help to relieve her stress.

Tuan Ge'er is just over half a year old now. He is white, chubby and cute. He is at the stage where he is just learning to speak and is very lovable.

Yingniang has now become a skilled delivery woman and can help deliver babies for the poor families in the surrounding area. She can't make a lot of money yet, but she can receive some eggs and other things.

Once word of mouth builds up, we will naturally be able to sell to wealthier families and earn more.

Once she saves some money, she plans to buy two acres of land so that she and her son can be supported without any problems.

The more deliveries you deliver, the more experience you will naturally gain.

When he has nothing to do, Ben will come over to help feel Qian Youyi's belly and fetal position.

She also hopes that the mother and child are safe!

The peaceful days did not last long before the imperial court issued another conscription order, drafting one out of every four men.

The reason for choosing the end of May is to give the people a chance to breathe. At this time, the spring sowing has been completed and there is still some time before the crops fill with grain. It is a relatively idle time of the year.

The most important thing is that it has been some time since the previous tax increase, so the people will not react too strongly.

Zhang Ping'an had already prepared himself mentally.

Moreover, Ci County has always been prosperous, and most of the people there have some financial resources, so it is estimated that they can use silver to compensate for the loss.

Hua Wanli was a little worried: "Since the New Year, there has been no news from the front line. I don't know what the situation is. Everyone is born by their mothers and raised by their parents. If I let them die in vain, I will really be condemned by my conscience and unable to sleep."

"The key area for conscription is not here. In fact, it just makes the people here pay money. Even if a war is to start, it will at least be after the autumn harvest," Zhang Pingan pondered.

"In previous years, the war always started in winter when the Cangwu River froze. Why? What's different this time?"

"Lord Zhou has sent so many ships away from Ci County and other coastal areas, which is enough to train an elite navy of more than 10,000 people for water combat. Based on my understanding of him, I don't think he is a person who sticks to the rules. He may have some unexpected ideas," said Zhang Pingan.

"Alas, I don't know how long our peaceful days will last. It would be great if we could live in peace and safety," said Hua Wanli.

He doesn't have particularly high ambitions, he just hopes that his family can live in peace.