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

When the two looked at each other, Liu Sanlang wanted to open his mouth to say hello.

But after looking in the direction of his brother-in-law, he held back and didn't say anything more.

After working in the officialdom for several years, he also knows that sometimes he has to strike a good balance in dealing with both superiors and subordinates.

Even the most ordinary greetings in daily life, when spoken at the dinner table, may cause someone with a keen eye to imagine five or six different stories and guess five or six different intentions and relationships.

I don’t know what’s going on with Mr. Tan now.

Liu Sanlang just smiled innocently and drank a cup with him normally.

Tan Yaoqi's performance was much more polite than he expected. He was upright, polite and well-mannered.

As a high-ranking local official, Du Zaiqing was well-versed in human relations and social skills. Although he intended to favor Zhang Pingan, he would not neglect Liu Sanlang.

He would be brought up in the conversation from time to time.

Liu Sanlang couldn't help but sigh in his heart that this man really knew how to behave.

"Sir Zhang, speaking of which, our Ezhou Prefecture is truly a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery. I am proud to have produced a figure like you, and the elders and fellow villagers of Ezhou Prefecture are even more so! However, there is still a long way to go from Ezhou Prefecture to the next town. Although the world is peaceful now, we cannot be careless. I have already arranged people to escort you all the way back to your hometown. You can rest assured!" Du Zaiqing said with a smile after toasting another glass of wine.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Du!" Zhang Ping'an bowed and thanked him with a smile.

"This is my job, I dare not take credit for it!" Du Zaiqing said politely.

Knowing that the Zhang family must be tired, the welcoming banquet at noon was just a welcoming banquet.

After the meal, Du Zaiqing arranged for someone to take everyone back to the inn to rest.

"Master Zhang, Master Liu, you must be exhausted after all this travel. It's a good opportunity to go back to the inn this afternoon to get some sleep and rest. We'll have dinner in the evening and enjoy the night view of Ezhou Prefecture. Many people have returned home in recent years, and the scenery is much better than in previous years!"

"Okay, then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Du!" Liu Sanlang thanked him.

After a few polite words, Zhang Ping'an took his family back to the inn.

The inn was renovated in recent years and the living environment is quite good.

Although Xu was eating in a private room arranged for the female members of the family and not with the men, Du Zaiqing specially arranged for the ladies in the back house to come and accompany the guest to show his respect.

So Xu was always polite at the banquet, fearing that she would be laughed at for being impolite.

This is a job that is more uncomfortable than going hungry.

Therefore, once they arrived at the inn and returned to their room, without any outsiders around, Xu collapsed and said wearily, "Ping An, please have the servants bring some snacks over quickly. Mother is still hungry!"

"Mom, you only care about the face and not the substance. No one will be picky about gifts for normal meals and drinks." Zhang Ping'an was amused and distressed, and ordered someone to go and get some snacks.

"I originally wanted to eat and drink normally, and just act like an old lady, but Mrs. Du was too talkative, and I couldn't keep up with her every word. It was also inconvenient to talk to her while eating, which would have made a fool of myself. I had no choice but to respond to her with "hmm" and "ah". As a result, I didn't eat much of the food and went hungry!" Xu felt so aggrieved.

She has seen the world in recent years and would not intentionally starve herself. It was simply that Mrs. Du talked too much.

Speaking of this, Zhang Laoer, who was so steady, couldn't help but feel a little proud and said, "Our status is different now. We can't embarrass our son. We have to learn to speak and act in a more civilized way. Look at me, Lord Du even toasted me just now, and I handled it very well!"

"You old man, you're the only one who knows how to show off, right?" Upon hearing this, Xu rolled her eyes at Zhang Laoer in dissatisfaction.

He held his head high and said, "No matter what, I am still much better than the two sisters-in-law from the first and third rooms. Madam Du doesn't even look at them. At the banquet, she mainly talks to me and Daya, praising my good fortune and Xiaoyuer's cleverness!"

At this point, Xu thought of her granddaughter Zhuzhu and suddenly became interested in talking. She said excitedly, "I see that Madam Du thinks highly of Zhuzhu. She probably has some ideas!"

"Well, is that so? Actually, Zhuzhu is not too big or too small. If we find a good family to marry her, we can settle her down now, otherwise all the good girls will be picked up by others!" Zhang Laoer agreed to choose one early. The flowering period of a girl is short, and if you are not careful, she will grow up and it will be difficult to find another one!

"Dad, Mom, don't worry about it. My eldest sister and brother-in-law will definitely not agree. Lord Du's official position is not low, and our two families can be said to be well matched. But if Zhuzhu wants to stay in Ezhou Prefecture, it will be difficult for her to go back to her parents' home in the future. If something happens, there will be no one to help. There is no need to worry. There are all kinds of young talents in the capital!" Zhang Pingan said with a smile.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yu'er interrupted in a crisp voice, "That Madam Du looks very fierce. If Cousin Zhuzhu marries her, she will definitely be bullied. She can't marry her!"

"Oh, I forgot there was such a little thing in the room," Mrs. Xu pinched her grandson lovingly.

Then he warned: "Xiao Yu'er, remember this, don't tell anyone else. If you say it, it will bring bad reputation and nothing will happen to you!"

"I know, I'm not stupid!" Xiao Yuer nodded in response, with a smug expression as if to say, "I'm very smart, okay?"

It made everyone laugh!

"In the blink of an eye, Zhuzhu has grown up so much. She was quite lively and naughty when she was young, and often bullied her brothers. But when she returned to Lin'an this time, she has become much quieter and looks a bit like a lady from a noble family. I didn't notice it on the boat!" Zhang Pingan thought of Zhuzhu's appearance when she was a child, and it felt like yesterday.

"Who said it wasn't true? Your father and I are old too!" Xu sighed.

"This time when we return home, let alone others, your nephews are definitely the most popular candidates for marriage proposals. I guess matchmakers will be knocking on the door. Country people are not that reserved. I wonder what your eldest uncle and third uncle's families will do."

"I have my aunt at my eldest uncle's house, my third uncle at my third uncle's house, and my brothers Dazhu and Erzhu, as well as my cousins ​​Dahe and Erhe, who can all talk to each other at home. I'm not too worried. The main thing is my uncle's side, he still needs to be persuaded, otherwise when the people around him praise him, I really don't know where he will go," Zhang Pingan frowned.

"Your uncle used to have some sense, but he has become more and more confused in the past two years. Plus, your two cousins ​​are not capable of taking on the responsibility. Well, we have to talk to them. They won't listen to others, but they have to listen to what you say," Zhang Laoer said after hearing this.

Mrs. Xu has now become cold towards Uncle Xu and does not speak up for him.

After eating some snacks and drinking some tea, my stomach was finally half full.

At this time, Jin Bao Niang, Li from the first wife, Ma from the third wife, and her aunt Shen came over to discuss things with Xu and others.

"What, buying a house?" Xu was a little surprised.

Jin Bao Niang nodded. Although her hair had turned much whiter, she still had that cheerful disposition. She smiled and explained, "Just now at the banquet, I heard the other ladies talking about buying houses and land. They think it's a good idea to buy them while they're still cheap. I was thinking, who would really want to live in the village in the future? Even if they don't go to Yingzhou City, they'll at least live in the prefectural capital. Just now in the car, I talked about this with my eldest sister-in-law and the others, and they're all happy with it!"

"Yes, sister-in-law, I know that you and my second brother will definitely follow Ping An to the capital, but there will always be times when you can return to your hometown to settle down. I think it won't be a loss to buy a house and some land to store. The price is much cheaper than in Lin'an," Li responded with a smile.

She really thought she could get started.

Even if she wants to go back to the village to serve Zhang and Old Man Zhang, the children cannot waste time in the village. At the very least, they have to stay in the city!

When the old couple passed away, she might have to come to the provincial capital to live out her retirement.

Others thought similarly.

Xu couldn't help but look at her son.

Zhang Ping'an also understood everyone's thoughts, so he said, "If you want to buy land and houses, just let the government officials take you to choose. After you've chosen, just let them handle the paperwork. It's convenient. As for my family, there's no need for it at the moment, and I don't need it. I plan to go back to my hometown to renovate and expand my ancestral home and build a clan school. It can be considered a good deed for the clan!"

"Well, that's fine. We have people in the yamen, so we don't have to worry about being cheated." Aunt Shen was a little impatient when she heard this. It would be best if she could take advantage of it. With Zhang Ping'an's face, how could the people in the yamen not give the real price when they showed the house to her?

Although she is old, she still likes to dress herself up seductively and wear brightly colored clothes, which makes the other people feel a little uncomfortable.

How can an old woman dress more seductively than her daughter-in-law? She is a bit shameless!

If it weren't for the bad consequences of leaving her behind, Jin Bao Niang really didn't want Shen to come along.