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

Liu Sanlang had a look of disbelief on his face, scratching his head innocently and saying, "Ping An, I'm not as smart as you, I haven't read as many books as you, and I don't have much knowledge, but 'I can't obey the king's orders' is not the case now, I can still see a little bit!"

Zhang Pingan was very pleased to hear this and praised: "Brother-in-law, you have really grown a lot. You are much more sensitive to various situations than before!"

"You have to be sharp. You have to learn what you don't know, right? Otherwise, you will be a fool. The book says 'reading makes people wise' and it is true. I also feel that I have been inspired a lot after reading more books," Liu Sanlang said with a naive smile.

"Yes, that's the truth!" Zhang Ping'an nodded, and then continued: "Lord Zhou naturally has his reasons for not returning to Lin'an. I'm afraid that once he goes back, he will never come back again, and the situation we have worked so hard to stabilize on the front line will be wasted!

We don't know when the imperial court will be able to launch another northern expedition again. When will we be able to return to our homeland?!"

"I think I understand," Liu Sanlang replied in a muffled voice.

"The current situation of checks and balances is not bad for us. For the court, it is an inevitable process, and for the people, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages!

"You've seen our bumper harvest this time. The people can get food and have enough to eat. Their lives are much better than when they were refugees or working like two-legged sheep. This is how people should live. So from my personal point of view, I think there's nothing wrong with what Lord Zhou is doing. I personally support him very much," Zhang Ping'an said slowly as he rode on his horse.

After hearing this, Liu Sanlang nodded to indicate that he understood and did not ask any more questions.

"The current situation is changing rapidly, so just wait and see and deal with it! The more you know, the more troubles you will have. I am still here, and I will take care of everything. Don't worry, brother-in-law!" Zhang Ping'an added at the end.

He just pulled the reins and shouted "Go!", then rode forward freely.

Before I knew it, I had been in Ze County for almost a year.

Zhang Pingan was extremely looking forward to seeing his relatives soon.

Others quickly followed.

They arrived in Yangzhou the next afternoon.

Zhang Ping'an's plan was to first meet with his sixth brother-in-law in Yangzhou for two days, and then return to Chang County for an inspection to complete the process.

Finally, head north back to Ze County!

As an important leader of the newly established firearms battalion in Yangzhou, Yu Shiqi was arranged to live in a relatively good environment after arriving in Yangzhou. He had a separate small courtyard with an osmanthus tree and a well.

Although it is not big, it has a reasonable layout.

It is very comfortable to live in after cleaning it up.

It is said that it was once the residence of a minor official.

When Zhang Ping'an arrived, he did not alarm others.

He took people directly to the house to wait.

After Yu Shiqi finished his shift and returned home, he was surprised at first when he saw everyone, and then he couldn't help but feel happy.

"Brother-in-law, Ping An, why are you here?!"

Yu Shiqi opened the door as he spoke, and said, "Come on, come on, come in, let's sit down and talk!"

"Sixth brother-in-law, long time no see," Zhang Pingan said with a smile.

Then he followed his sixth brother-in-law and went in with the others.

After entering the courtyard, Liu Sanlang took a look around and said pertinently, "This house is not bad!"

Yu Shiqi boiled water to make tea for everyone while casually replying, "It's not bad. If we tidy it up a bit, it will definitely be nice to live in. But houses are not worth much these days. Each of the craftsmen who came here was given a house. It's just that mine is closer to the government office and is a little newer!"

After saying this, he became a little annoyed: "If I had known you were coming to see me, I would have traded some for some better tea and food. Now I have nothing at home, and I have nothing to treat you to."

"Sixth brother-in-law, you don't have to be so polite. We are all family. We won't be picky. Just eat whatever is available. By the way, I also brought you some fine grains this time," Zhang Ping'an said, waving his hand.

After saying that, he pulled the person to sit down and said, "Don't be busy, let's talk first. I have to go to Chang County the day after tomorrow."

Yu Shiqi felt a little embarrassed, so he put down his work, sat down and said, "Okay!"

Both Zhang Ping'an and Liu Sanlang were a little worried about their families and asked about the situation of each family member.

Yu Shiqi replied in a gentle voice, "Time flies so fast. It's almost been a year. My family is doing well. Liu Ya often brings the children to visit each family, which is also a way for big sister and parents to keep her company. There is nothing else, but I miss you. Big sister is such a strong character. She often can't help crying when she mentions big brother-in-law!"

Luckily, Donkey Egg, Cat Egg, and Zhu Zhu have grown up and can help share a lot of the burden. Donkey Egg even has someone come to propose to him!"

"Lu Dan'er is too young to get married at this age. Let's wait for two years. I will discuss it with his mother and we will make it easier for him to get married," Liu Sanlang said with a frown.

Speaking of this, Yu Shiqi also found it interesting.

He explained, "Don't worry, brother-in-law. We've already turned it down. That family didn't do things carefully. They just saw that Donkey Egg was tall and strong, much taller than the average man, and was so strong, they thought he was seventeen or eighteen. They didn't know that Donkey Egg was actually just thirteen, so they made a fool of themselves."

When Liu Sanlang heard this, he couldn't help laughing and felt very proud. His two sons had indeed inherited his height, and their height alone was enough to make them taller than others.

"How are these two boys doing with their studies? Have they made any progress?"

Yu Shiqi only talked about the good things, but did not dare to mention that the two children always wanted to join the army.

My head is full of dreams of becoming a general every day!

A child cannot be kept at home when he grows up. Now Daya cannot be beaten or scolded. She has to manage the household alone. Although there is no shortage of money, it is always difficult to take care of everything.

Thinking of this, Yu Shiqi couldn't help but feel sad about his situation. From now on, Liu Ya would have to live the same life as her elder sister.

Although the child is still young, there is still a lot to worry about.

Zhang Ping'an focused on asking in detail about Zhang Laoer, Xu, Qian Youyi and Xiao Yuer.

Yu Shiqi answered in detail.

I only say good things.

So that Zhang Ping'an wouldn't worry.

And worrying won’t help, it all depends on luck!

At this time, Chi Bao and his men had prepared dinner and boiled tea.

Everyone had their meal under the osmanthus tree in the yard. After opening the front and back yard doors, a breeze blew through, making it very cool.

Apart from the fact that there were a lot of mosquitoes and I had to swat them from time to time, the scenery in the evening was truly unbeatable.

After talking about family matters, the rest of the topic naturally focused on the matters concerning the Firearms Camp that was right before their eyes.

After asking carefully, Zhang Ping'an found out that the Firearms Battalion now has the technology to produce small artillery.

It is a technology learned from the Rakshasa people of Luzon, which was then improved and evolved.

Speaking of this, Yu Shiqi remembered and said, "Wasn't that Ge Li Ge Juren once your classmate? It was he who led the troops to Luzon and brought back artillery and Russians. I was really surprised when I first saw the blond and blue-eyed Russians."

"Why would they be willing to teach us?" Liu Sanlang asked in confusion.

"How could he be willing? I heard that he was kidnapped by Ge Juren and his men with a trick, and then tortured after arriving in Lin'an. He finally surrendered. There must have been a lot of twists and turns in between," said Yu Shiqi.

Zhang Ping'an thought about it briefly based on the situation before and after, and he roughly understood that Lord Zhou had calculated the ninety-nine steps before and after!

Every step was under his control.

I'm afraid he also expected the current situation.

Yu Shiqi continued, "The power of this artillery is indeed extraordinary, but it's not that easy to build. Some of it has already been used on the front lines, breaking through Zhengyang Pass and Huaiyang Pass, and it played a big role."

"Then why did the court let you come to Yangzhou? I'm afraid no one would trust Lord Zhou's people to control such powerful weapons. At least they should arrange people that the court can trust," Liu Sanlang asked with some confusion.

He felt that according to common sense, with such a powerful weapon, it would be safest to place the firearms workshop in Lin'an. He was so happy before that he didn't expect this.

Zhang Ping'an shook his head, borrowing a phrase Lin Junhui had said: "The ruler is weak and the ministers are strong, how can the court not agree? Do you think the court hasn't thought of a solution? Otherwise, it wouldn't have dragged on for several months!"

If Lin Junhui hadn't revealed it when he was in Ze County, Zhang Ping'an wouldn't have known the whole story.

The information barrier at this time is too serious!

After hearing this, Liu Sanlang finally understood something. He admired his brother-in-law even more and became even more worried.

Although Yu Shiqi had been in Lin'an before, he was obsessed with craftsmanship and had no obvious feelings about the changes in the court.

He felt that there was only one thing that had changed a lot, so he said to them, "You don't know, Lin'an is now very strict in checking people coming in and out, and the city gates are guarded more strictly than before. The Street Office even comes to verify households from time to time with their household registration books. We haven't heard much about the petty thefts in the past, and the gang members have become much more honest.

I see quite a few shops have closed down. I went there to buy dim sum before, and several long-established dim sum shops were gone. It's really strange. I don't know what's going on. I've been in Lin'an since I was born, and even when the capital was moved, I never experienced this."

"It's always better to be cautious and low-key at times like this. Those old businessmen with deep roots are the most well-informed," Zhang Pingan replied.

In fact, I was quite surprised after hearing it.

This is undoubtedly an important signal.

Rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea are the necessities of life for ordinary people, and business is indispensable.

Once business dies, then...

Zhang Ping'an had some guesses in his mind, but he didn't say too much. Everything has a process, and there shouldn't be any problems in the next one or two years at least.

After everyone finished their meal, they washed up and went to bed early.

After two days of travel, everyone was tired and soon started snoring.

The next day, after Zhang Ping'an got up, the first thing he did was to write a letter home. It was much more convenient to send a letter from Yangzhou than from Ze County.

Seeing this, Liu Sanlang, Chi Bao and others also prepared to send letters home.

Chi Bao and others were not very literate, so Yu Shiqi helped them write it.

Finally, a thick pile of letters from home was sent to the post station.

Yu Shiqi smiled and said, "Brother-in-law, everything is fine. I've asked someone to help me take a leave of absence today. I'll take you around Yangzhou. After all, I arrived a few days earlier than you, so I'm more familiar with the surroundings."

"I'm fine with anything. It depends on Ping'an's opinion," Liu Sanlang said with a simple smile.

Zhang Ping'an nodded and smiled, "Okay, I also want to take a look around Yangzhou. Yangzhou's geographical location is very important, and the city's appearance can reflect the governance of officials to a certain extent, so I can learn from it."

Yu Shiqi nodded in agreement.

So the group rode a mule cart and slowly traveled around the city.

The reason why we chose to take a car instead of walking was because a group of middle-aged men walking on the street would be too eye-catching.

Zhang Ping'an didn't want to cause unnecessary misunderstandings, so it was better to keep a low profile.

After a slow circle, Zhang Pingan said pertinently: "Yangzhou now is much better than when I first passed through it on my way to Ze County to take up my post!"

Liu Sanlang also agreed very much: "Yes, apart from anything else, there are a lot more trees. The willow trees planted along the river bank make people feel refreshed. The water in the river is also clear and lively. When I passed by here before, it was just a bare pool of stagnant water!"

"Have you seen the signs hung by businesses on the street? That means some businesses have opened for business, which is a good sign," said Zhang Ping'an, pointing to the sign hanging at the door of a restaurant not far away.

Yu Shiqi took a look and realized he had been there before. He explained, "When our firearms shop staff arrived, the welcoming banquet was held at this restaurant. I heard that the owner of this restaurant is the brother-in-law of a local official. There aren't many businesses in Yangzhou that can open for business these days, so they all have some connection."

"Of course, otherwise the supply would be a problem. However, this also indirectly shows that the area around Yangzhou is gradually becoming stable, and the government is recovering. This is the embryonic stage of prosperity for all industries. Otherwise, even if you have connections and background, no one would dare to open the door."

"That's it!" Yu Shiqi nodded.

Liu Sanlang said naively, "This is only possible in Yangzhou, where the waterways are convenient, connecting the two banks, and where there are many civilians and garrisons, so business can flourish. If it were in Ze County, it would be difficult, and we would have to wait at least a few years."

"Stable grain supply, returning population, smooth trade, sufficient taxes, and flourishing culture are the iconic sequence for prosperity and recovery throughout history. Yangzhou is almost at the third step," Zhang Pingan commented briefly.

In less than a year, Yangzhou today is completely different from what it used to be.

Zhang Ping'an looked carefully and found that when he arrived, the farmland around Yangzhou had been almost fully cultivated.

There is no wasteland in the fields, which means that a lot of grain must have been harvested during the autumn harvest.

Nearby water conservancy facilities, such as ditches and ponds, were also cleaned out, and fresh water was introduced to facilitate irrigation.

The streets and houses are neatly arranged and obviously have been renovated.

On the streets, people can come and go freely, which shows that the public security is good.

In time, with the introduction of more people, Yangzhou will surely regain its former prosperity.

After shopping, everyone had a quick meal at a nearby restaurant and then went back.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived at the door, Yu Shiqi found that there were guests visiting.

I haven't had time to greet you yet.

He was the first to speak: "Master Yu, this is your fault. Why didn't you say hello when you had a distinguished guest at home?"