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

"You are defeating me? Then do you know where this sentence comes from?" Zhang Ping'an glanced at his son and asked with a smile.

"I know, this sentence comes from the Xiangdang chapter of The Analects of Confucius," Xiao Yuer replied confidently.

"You only know one side of the story. Confucius' words are actually aimed at specific occasions, such as the etiquette requirements of sacrifices or formal banquets, rather than an absolute prohibition in daily life. Now it is often misinterpreted by people who are half-learned. In "The Analects of Confucius", Confucius himself also discussed knowledge with his disciples while eating, such as the sentence "When there is wine and food, the teacher will serve", which is proof of this. You still have a lot to learn," Zhang Pingan explained slowly.

Xiao Yuer was stunned when he heard this, "Dad, you are even better than the Master!"

Xu was filled with pride when she heard this and said with a smile, "Of course not. Your father was a second-class Jinshi. Is your husband also a Jinshi?"

"No," Xiao Yuer shook his head.

"At any time, you can't be one-sided in your obedience. Even if the teacher is not as famous as your father, there is always a teacher among three people. You can still learn a lot from the teacher. You must have your own independent thinking habit," Zhang Pingan taught.

The child is still young, and Zhang Pingan doesn't expect him to understand the meaning of his words now.

The more life experiences you gain, the more you will slowly understand the truths contained therein.

After hearing this, Xiao Yuer nodded obediently.

Zhang Laoer was very pleased to see that his son was teaching his children on his own, which was completely different from how he taught them in the past.

Xiao Yuer was able to listen most of the time and was obviously much more sensible than before.

No wonder the old saying goes, "If a son is not taught well, it is the fault of the father." This is something that the father has to do.

Zhang Ping'an didn't know yet that the results of his son's education during this period would save him a lot of trouble in educating his son in the future.

Otherwise, if the old couple tried to stop him by crying, making a fuss, or even threatening to commit suicide, he might not be able to withstand it.

After dinner, Zhang Pingan went to his second brother-in-law's house first and put forward his ideas.

Finally, he said directly, "Second sister, second brother-in-law, you two don't have to rush to make a decision. Discuss it with eldest brother, uncle, and aunt. After all, this is not a trivial matter. Everyone has their own way of living."

"Ping'an, thank you very much," said my second brother-in-law Liu Husheng, rubbing his hands in thanks.

Although he and Liu Shuisheng are brothers from the same mother, he is far less cunning and clever than Liu Shuisheng. He is a decent person with a good temper.

This is also the reason why Erya can live so comfortably, the couple's personalities complement each other perfectly.

"However, I know my own personality. I'm not a particularly successful person, nor do I have much ruthlessness. I can't control anyone in the canal transportation. Now that I can be a small leader, to be honest, I'm quite content. This life is much better than before in my hometown," Liu Husheng said slowly, his face full of seriousness, and it was obvious that he was speaking from the heart.

"Actually, I've discussed this with your second sister many times, as well as with other family members. In the end, we decided not to leave and stay in Lin'an. Pengpeng and Manman are older now, and they're doing well in school. We're also worried that if we return to our hometown or go to the capital, the children won't be able to adapt, which would delay their education. Sigh, I really... I'm sorry for your kindness."

At the end of the conversation, Liu Husheng felt really embarrassed.

Erya also sighed, feeling extremely regretful in her heart, but as the saying goes, one should follow his lead, so she would not oppose her husband's opinion and insist on having her own way.

Besides, what my husband said does make sense.

"Little brother, your second brother-in-law's concerns are reasonable. My parents-in-law are not in good health right now. They can't eat or hear people talking. They are very hard of hearing. It may only take two years for them to recover. We won't bother with them anymore," Erya added. "If there is anything, we can communicate at any time!"

"Okay, I understand. I also understand your decision. If Pengpeng and Manman are really promising and can get admitted to the capital, I will cover their tuition and examination fees. It's a small token of my appreciation as their uncle," Zhang Pingan promised.

As long as the younger generations have a promising future, he will not be stingy with this little money.

"Oh, no, no, it's too early to say these things now, don't make a fool of yourself later." Arya was happy and excited when she heard this, but still refused.

She is not the type to take advantage of others.

My second brother-in-law Liu Husheng also thanked him and then declined.

The couple has been married for more than ten years and their relationship is still very good. The husband follows his lead and the wife follows his lead.

"Okay, it's settled. It's not a big deal," Zhang Ping'an made the final decision.

Liu Husheng smiled and said nothing more. He then asked about his third brother: "Ping'an, if you see Shuisheng again, please help me persuade him to come home. His parents miss him so much. It's been so many years since they last saw him. If my brother and I weren't so busy with our family, we would definitely go look for him ourselves."

Zhang Pingan sighed when he heard this. He had tried to persuade her before!

But in front of his second brother-in-law, he still comforted him: "Okay, second brother-in-law, don't worry, I will take this matter to heart!"

"Hey! Tell him that a son-in-law is a son-in-law, and it's no big deal. It's okay as long as he is a good person. He always tells us good news but not bad news in his letters, which actually makes us more worried!" Liu Husheng frowned when he mentioned his third brother.

Erya felt better after she persuaded him a few times.

After leaving the Liu family, I learned about the decision made by my second sister's family.

Zhang Ping'an asked Chi Bao to go to the house of a former classmate of his and invite him out for dinner.

This person is currently working in the canal transportation industry. He has some real power and knows his limits. It would be best for him to help with the transfer of my second brother-in-law.

Smart people don't need to explain things in detail. After listening to this person, he pretended to be casual and talked about his eldest son's academic problems, which he was worried about.

Zhang Pingan smiled and expressed his willingness to recommend this man's eldest son to study at the Imperial College.

The matter was settled.

Although Taixue was affiliated with the Imperial Academy, it was the highest institution of learning in the Zhou Dynasty in the actual sense.

It is the first choice for training officials and pillars of the court.

The most important thing is that Tai students can be directly appointed as officials through "Shexuan" or take the imperial examinations, and their passing rate is much higher than that of local students.

Everyone who can get in is a smart person, definitely not a nerd who only knows how to study.

The competition is also particularly fierce.

There are many students who use their power to bully others.

Therefore, Zhang Ping'an never thought of sending his nephews in early.

This man's eldest son only passed the first level.

The future is still uncertain.

Zhang Ping'an doesn't mind doing a favor and achieving his own goal at the same time.

Time passed like flowing water, and Zhang Ping'an didn't even realize how much time had passed.

Qian Youyi's fifth, sixth, and seventh days passed one after another.

It seems that since I turned twenty, time has been passing faster and faster.