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

The next day, just as the sky was getting light and the roosters had not yet crowed, Zhang Laoer got up. Xu was a light sleeper, so when she heard it, she also got up and put on her clothes.

Zhang Laoer was quietly getting dressed. Hearing this, he whispered, "Don't get up. It's still early. I'll take Ping An to town to buy some food later."

Xu refused to listen and started getting dressed. She went to the kitchen, lit a fire, boiled a pot of hot water, and filled two water bags. Then she brought in a basin of water for the father and son to wash their faces. She whispered, "We're going out, and we can't let others look down on us. It doesn't matter how expensive our clothes are, at least they have to be clean. We can't be dirty."

"I know, how could I not understand this?" Zhang Laoer replied, wetting his handkerchief to wash his face.

Xu took another wet towel to her son's bedside and gently wiped Zhang Ping'an's face. The wet touch woke Zhang Ping'an up. He rubbed his eyes and asked in a hoarse voice, "Mom, are you going to get up?"

"Yes, I told you not to go but you insisted on going. It's so cold today. It's more comfortable to be at home," Xu complained. She told her son not to go yesterday but he just wouldn't listen. The head of the household also said he had to take the child with him. She couldn't do anything even though the father and son were on the same side.

After hearing this, Zhang Ping'an chuckled twice without saying anything. He sat up and put on his clothes to avoid his mother's nagging.

Xu brought over a clean coat so she could look respectable when she went out. Farmers weren't wealthy these days, and even the Zhang family, who were relatively well off, lived on a shoestring budget. Zhang Ping'an only had this one thick cotton-padded jacket, which he had spent a fortune on. He usually wore it over a single layer of clothing, which made it easier to change and wash, and the jacket would last longer.

After a while, the father and son washed up and prepared to go out. Xu worriedly helped Zhang Laoer and his son tidy up their hats and clothes, then waved her hand and said, "Let's go! Come back soon!"

"Hey, we're leaving. My son-in-law is with us. It's okay, don't worry." After saying that, Zhang Laoer drove the donkey cart away slowly with a "bang".

Zhang Ping'an was blindfolded so that only his eyes were exposed. He turned his head with difficulty and saw Xu was still standing outside the door. Slowly, the donkey cart went away and disappeared in the morning mist.

Zhang Laoer didn't say anything either, but looked around vigilantly. This time when he went out, he brought his usual bamboo knife with him and stuck it on his waist. He also brought more than three taels of silver with him to buy seeds in the county town. This money was basically the family's surplus for a year, so he had to be cautious, especially since his son was by his side!

It was just daybreak and the donkey cart was not moving fast. It took more than an hour to reach the town, and by then the sky was just getting a little brighter.

Zhang Laoer took his son to eat a bowl of wontons first. The wontons were not big, each one was only slightly bigger than a thumb, and there were only ten in a bowl, which was just enough to fill the stomach. For an adult like Zhang Laoer, it was not enough to fill him up.

"Boss, give me a bowl of wontons with chopped green onions and an extra bowl of soup." Zhang Laoer found a seat at the stall and sat down.

"Dad, why did you only ask for one bowl?" Zhang Ping'an was puzzled.

"This bowl is specially ordered for you. Eat something hot early in the morning to warm your body. Don't you like wontons? Don't be hungry. Dad will go to see your eldest brother-in-law later. The in-laws will definitely provide meals, so Dad doesn't need to eat." Zhang Laoer said with a smile.

At this time, the wontons came. Zhang Laoer pushed the bowl with wontons in front of his son and picked up another bowl of hot soup to drink. Although there were no wontons, the soup was salty and tasted better than plain water.

Zhang Ping'an's eye sockets suddenly felt a little warm. As an orphan in his previous life, he had never felt this kind of feeling of being held in someone's heart. The orphanage was also a small society, and the children were divided into different classes. They had to fight for food, and there was no such thing as humility. The caregivers could not take care of them at all, and as long as they didn't starve to death, it was fine.

Thinking of this, he realized that he couldn't finish this bowl of wontons by himself. "Dad, I'll give you half, otherwise I won't eat it either. You haven't eaten it, so how can I eat it alone?"

As he spoke, he picked up the wonton with chopsticks and handed it over. Zhang Laoer was anxious, "You kid, just eat yours. I told you that your eldest brother-in-law's family will provide meals. Dad will be fine if he drinks some hot soup."

"I don't care. If you don't eat it, I won't eat it either," Zhang Ping'an insisted.

As he grows older and goes to school, Zhang Pingan is becoming more and more independent-minded. Zhang Laoer talked for a long time, but when he saw that his son really didn't want to listen, he took over, otherwise the wontons would have been cold.

"Why are you so stupid, kid?" Zhang Laoer felt uncomfortable while eating. In fact, he was happier watching his son eat than eating himself. After this incident, he felt that his son was too honest. He must help his son to watch over him more in the future, otherwise he would suffer!

Zhang Ping'an didn't know that he was labeled as an honest person by his father.

The two of them quickly finished their meal before going to Liu the butcher's house. By then, it was already dawn and the Liu family had just set up their stall.

Seeing his in-laws coming, Butcher Liu was very enthusiastic: "Hey, in-laws, what brings you here? Come in and sit down."

Zhang Laoer followed his son in. The Liu family was making breakfast. Butcher Liu shouted into the kitchen, "Eldest brother's wife, make two bowls of white noodles! Sanlang's father-in-law is here!"

"Hey," someone answered loudly in the kitchen.

After sitting down in the main hall, Zhang Laoer explained his purpose: "My dear relative, this is the reason. I am going to the county town to buy books for my son. He needs them for school at the beginning of the new year. The teacher said that it is cheaper in the county town, so I want Sanlang to accompany me. After all, having more people can help and make me feel at ease on the road."

Butcher Liu touched his belly and nodded in response: "That's right, studying is a big deal. It's sunny these two days, so it's convenient to go out. Once the ice thaws in the new year, the roads will be difficult to walk on."

Zhang Laoer smiled innocently and said, "That's right, that's why we're going today."

Butcher Liu was a straightforward man, and he immediately said, "Then let Sanlang go with you after breakfast. Although he can't speak fluently, he's a normal-sized scoundrel and can easily take on two or three of them. He can also intimidate those ignorant ones."

After saying that, he shouted to the outside of the door: "Goudan, Goudan, are you a human, you little brat?"

"Master, what do you want me to do?" A black boy ran out of the yard and answered crisply, playing with a pig piss bubble in his hand.

"Go call your third uncle over," Butcher Liu ordered.

"Okay, Uncle San is killing a pig in the backyard!" The black boy answered and ran to the backyard.

After a while, Liu Sanlang came over, covered in blood. When he saw Zhang Laoer, he greeted him, "...Father-in-law...Father-in-law...Father-in-law!"

Zhang Laoer smiled and recounted what had happened. Liu Sanlang nodded, then went to the kitchen to bring breakfast over for everyone to eat first.

Butcher Liu lit a cigarette and chatted with Zhang Laoer on the side: "Let's not talk about other things about my third son. He is not afraid of going out and is also a good worker. Now he is the one who basically does the pig slaughtering. It's like a game. Don't worry, my dear!"

Mrs. Liu prepared a pretty substantial breakfast. Little kid Zhang Pingan picked out a big bowl of noodles, which he couldn't finish at all. Liu Sanlang noticed it, brought the bowl over and said, "I...I...I...eat."

Zhang Pingan breathed a sigh of relief: "Brother-in-law, I really can't eat anymore, thank you!"

Liu Sanlang smiled innocently and finished it in a few bites.

After eating the noodles, they went out together.

Shuanghe Town is about an hour and a half away from the county seat, and that's if you take a bus. If you walk, you may not be able to get there in three hours.

It was almost noon when the three of them arrived at the county town.

It was the first time for both Liu Sanlang and Zhang Ping'an to come to the county town, and they were almost dazzled by the sight. Perhaps because the New Year was approaching, the streets were very lively, with vendors setting up stalls and people bargaining for their purchases everywhere. The air was very lively, which was something they had never seen in their previous lives when online shopping was popular.

Once you enter the main urban area, the roads are paved with bluestone slabs, wide enough for three carriages to pass at the same time. The ground is also relatively clean, at least much better than the countryside where the fields are covered with mud and cow dung.

After asking someone about the location of the county school, the few of them walked towards the east of the city to look for Master Luo first. It was always better to have an acquaintance lead the way.