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

"My lords, please come this way," the old yamen runner said respectfully.

Then he led the way with his subordinates.

At the same time, he sent a younger man back to report to the county magistrate.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery around him, Zhang Ping'an's expression softened considerably. He said gently, "It's still early, so there's no need to rush. I've been away from home for a long time and just returned. I miss every blade of grass and every tree in my hometown. It's nice to see the scenery along the way."

"As you command," the old yamen runner replied with a smile and a bow. Seeing Zhang Ping'an's friendly attitude, he boldly continued to chat, "Haha, sir, you are a young hero who is the reincarnation of Wenquxing, a pillar of the country. You passed the imperial examination before you were twenty, and have reached the second rank before you were thirty. The elders and villagers of Wushan County are also proud of it. The county magistrate has been looking forward to your return and has specially instructed us to wait here. We must not be careless in the slightest. If you have anything to say, just tell us!"

"Master Weng is very thoughtful," Zhang Pingan said politely, and then asked, "I wonder how many years you have been working in the yamen? From your accent, I can tell you are a local!"

"Your Excellency, I am a native of Wushan County. I joined the yamen in the second year after the establishment of the new dynasty. I originally served in the army and had some military achievements. Later, I was injured and could no longer march, so I was assigned to the yamen. This can be regarded as a preferential treatment from the court, and I can enjoy my old age in peace," explained the old yamen runner with a very satisfied tone.

It can be seen that he is very satisfied with the current situation.

"Oh? No wonder I noticed that the old servant walked with steady steps and swung his arms in a restrained manner, unlike the other yamen runners. It turns out he had this experience," Zhang Ping'an smiled.

"Your Excellency is too kind. My health has not been as good as before in recent years. I'm afraid I will have to become a doorman in a few years," the old yamen runner replied with a smile and a natural tone.

Zhang Pingan had some favorable impression of him.

Then he asked about the county government's harvest in recent years and the living conditions of the people.

The answers were similar to those found elsewhere.

Nowadays, except for a few large provincial capitals, most of the country is probably not very wealthy.

With so much work to do, even if the harvest was good, the money earned had to be used by the government to repair the city and revive various industries.

"Although we are not well-off, people rarely starve to death. Life is much better now than before. In troubled times, people are worse than dogs. It's good enough now. I am quite contented anyway, haha," the old yamen runner said at the end, still with a satisfied smile on his face.

Other yamen runners also echoed.

Zhang listened and remembered something. She sighed softly and smiled faintly.

As the group of carriages and horses were slowly entering the city, they happened to meet farmers from the outskirts of the county town who were leaving the city to return home after selling vegetables, eggs and other farm products.

Because the Zhang family's convoy was very luxurious, which was rare in the county, and they were escorted by yamen runners and soldiers, it was obvious that they were from a prominent family, so they instantly attracted the attention and envy of everyone outside the city gate.

As for going forward, no one dares to do so. Most people are afraid of offending an important person and getting into trouble even if they get close.

The experienced old yamen runner drove the pedestrians on both sides to clear the lane.

Listening to the envious whispers and discussions of the common people, Zhang Ping'an hugged his son and his feelings became more complicated.

There is joy in returning home in glory, but there is more regret.

Tan Yaoqi and Zhang Pingan came from different backgrounds. He was used to being the center of attention and was not too affected by it.

If there is any reason, it is probably just the regret for the family's decline and the ambition to restore its glory.

"Dad, is this our hometown?" Xiao Yuer leaned on the window and looked out curiously.

The smoked gauze she wore was worth more than gold, light, soft, breathable, and cool, forming a sharp contrast with the ragged clothes worn by the children outside the window who were following their parents out of town.

"Yes, this is our family's ancestral land. My father used to study in the county academy. At that time, being able to enter the academy was something that many people envied," Zhang Pingan replied softly.

As he said this, he hung up the curtain on the car window so that his son could see more clearly.

"Oh, but this place seems to be very poor, much poorer than the provincial capital. Those children are not wearing shoes. In our Lin'an, except for beggars, no one is without shoes!" Xiao Yuer pointed at the children in the distance and said puzzledly.

"In the final analysis, it's just the word 'poor'. These people are all born in the mud. Except for a very few who can make the leap to dragon gate, most people will live like this all their lives. Because they are poor, they can only live frugally, with not enough to eat or warm clothes. In summer, they basically don't wear shoes, or they wear straw sandals. Although you were born in a wealthy family, you have to understand the suffering of ordinary people," Zhang Pingan said slowly, touching his son's head.

"Oh, how can there be people who can't even afford clothes and shoes?" Xiaoyuer understood, but couldn't quite comprehend it. He asked again, "Can I share my unwanted clothes and shoes with them?"

"Don't do that," Zhang Pingan shook his head with a firm tone.

"Why?" Xiao Yuer asked in confusion, tilting his head.

"How much can you have left over, and how much can you divide? It's not the lack of things that's worrying, but the inequality of distribution. Dad has told you this before. Try to figure it out on your own!"

"Xiao Yu'er, your father is right. The same rice feeds a hundred kinds of people. Don't be fooled by the honest appearance of these low-level people. They are no less vicious than others. It's not enough to show kindness blindly. The way to control people is to use both kindness and force," Tan Yaoqi said with a faint smile.

"Let him figure it out himself. Human nature is complex and we can't generalize. He'll have to experience the details himself in the future. It's hard to teach people by people, but people will learn things if you teach them once," Zhang Ping'an shook his head and laughed.

"Hahaha, that's right," Tan Yaoqi nodded. "Come to think of it, my son is a little older than Xiaoyuer. Sometimes, seeing him not getting smart, I get so anxious that my heart aches. Now I finally understand how my father felt when he looked at me back then."

"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, don't be too anxious!" Zhang Pingan advised in a gentle voice.

While the two were chatting, the carriage slowly entered the city.

With an old yamen runner leading the way, they were directly placed at the front of the line. The soldiers guarding the city knew their origins and did not dare to neglect them. They nodded and bowed politely and let the Zhang family enter the city first.

At this moment, looking at the luxurious convoy slowly entering the city, and the familiar yet unrecognizable face appearing in the car window.

An old woman with disheveled hair was stunned.

She stood there for a long time carrying the load on her back. It was only after being urged several times by her little grandson that she came to her senses and continued to move forward.

After walking a short distance, she thought about it and felt a little unwilling to give up, so she took her grandson's hand and walked back.

Ignoring the glares and complaints of others, he squeezed his way to the city gate and inquired of the guarding soldiers with a fawning look on his face, "Sir, may I ask whose carriage just entered the city? What a grand display!"

"Go away, these are all noble people, what does it have to do with you? Stop asking around!" The soldier guarding the city was very impatient when he saw that it was an old woman, but he didn't take any action.

The old woman was used to seeing people look down on her, so she didn't care at all. After asking for a long time and paying two copper coins, she found out that the man was a high-ranking official who had returned from the capital.

If there is more, the soldiers guarding the city will become impatient and say it.

Seeing that the other party was becoming more and more impatient and aggressive, the old woman decided to quit and reluctantly withdrew.

Then he put his grandson into the basket, picked up the load and started walking.

His entire body seemed to be instantly filled with boundless strength, and he muttered to himself with a beaming expression, "Little Jinzi, our family might be about to have some great luck. Come on, let's go home and find your father! His last name is Zhang, and he looks exactly like him, so he can't be wrong!"

These poor days are finally coming to an end!