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

Since the two children didn't get along, and the matter of the pageboy fell through, Xu Shi naturally had Zhong Xiaobao taken away so that she wouldn't have to see him anymore.

Zhong Xiaobao's behavior was nothing like that of a six-year-old child. His expression was frighteningly calm, and he obediently followed the servant.

It's rare for a child this age to be neither panicked nor crying, and they don't even seem very curious.

Zhang Ping'an couldn't help but pay more attention to the child a few more times, thinking that he would tell the child to eat his fill and then secretly send someone to Qing County to inquire about him.

Although he had already decided to keep the child, the child's unusual behavior and similar eyes made Zhang Ping'an decide to send someone to Qing County to confirm it again.

This has always been a knot in his heart. It's just a matter of spending a little more time, which is very simple for him now and doesn't take much effort.

This will put his mind at ease. If there are no problems, that would be best, and he can rest assured.

As everyone was talking, the gatekeeper cheerfully led Daya and her family in.

She was also carrying a lot of gift boxes.

More than a year has passed since I last saw her, and Da Ya has become even more impressive. Her hair is neatly styled and simply adorned with a few pieces of gold and silver jewelry. She is wearing an exquisitely made ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress).

Her demeanor is completely different from when she first got married.

Nowadays, I'm afraid no one can tell that Daya came from a peasant family.

Accompanying him were Donkey Egg, who was already married, and Donkey Egg's wife.

Judging from the way Donkey Egg's daughter-in-law is pregnant, the baby is probably at least four or five months along, and the family will soon be welcoming a new member.

Donkey Egg carefully helped his wife up as he greeted everyone in the yard, his face beaming with the joy of becoming a father.

This was also the first time Zhang Ping'an had met his nephew's wife.

Donkey Egg got married during Donkey Egg's western tour, so Donkey Egg missed his wedding banquet.

All I know is that the woman's family was of slightly lower social standing than the eldest sister's family, and they rose to prominence later during a period of chaos. They had quite a few children, about ten or more.

Judging from the other person's facial features, appearance, and eyes alone, they seem like a decent person.

I wonder what kind of person he actually is.

He understands the principle of knowing a person's face but not their heart all too well.

I hadn't heard my brother-in-law mention it much before.

Despite his thoughts, Zhang Ping'an treated his nephew's wife the same as everyone else, regarding her as family.

He invited the group inside to sit down.

"And me too, Uncle!" Cat Egg trailed behind with bags and packages, his hands red from the tight straps.

"Uncle Xiaohu, Uncle Xiaohu, someone come quickly and help me carry these things, they're so heavy!"

Zhang Ping'an couldn't help but chuckle.

Xu Shi, still feeling sorry for her grandson, instructed someone to quickly go and help, while scolding him slightly, "Silly child, why do you have to carry things yourself? Let the servants do it!"

"Grandma still loves me the most," Cat Egg said coquettishly, explaining, "Mother said that today it's all family eating together, so we don't need to bring too many servants. That means I'll have to be used. Old Gong has already helped me a lot, otherwise I wouldn't be able to see the ground!"

"You, you're so old, yet you're still so impulsive. It would be good if you could find a wife and get married soon, just like your older brother, so your personality would settle down," Xu said, tapping her grandson's head with a smile.

That's what she said, but her eyes clearly showed her favoritism.

This proves the saying that "the squeaky wheel gets the grease."

“Mom, don’t pay him any mind. He’s just bored. I’m his mother, and I’ve raised him with all my hard work, taking care of his every need. What’s wrong with asking him to do a little something? He even dares to talk badly about me to my face. It’s only because his father isn’t here right now, otherwise I would definitely give him a good beating!”

Daya was already used to her son's tricks and was immune to them.

After saying that, she smiled and took Xu's arm as they went into the house, nagging and instructing, "The things I brought today are all good for nourishing the body, Mother, don't be reluctant to eat them, or they'll go bad in the end."

"Oh, I've made you spend money again," Xu said, patting her eldest daughter's hand with a mixture of relief and heartache. "The lesson from last time when the food went bad was enough. It broke my heart to throw it away. This time I'm determined to eat it and it won't go bad. Have your younger brother keep an eye on me."

“That would be perfect,” Daya laughed heartily.

"Auntie!" Little Fish ran up to her and called out sweetly.

Then, being very polite, he greeted everyone in turn, just like a little adult.

Seeing this, Cat Egg grinned and went over to pick the person up, lifting them high and spinning them around. "Hey, yeah, you always pretend to be an adult, now let's see if you're scared!"

Little Fish rolled his eyes, somewhat speechless. He wasn't scared at all!

But Dad said that we should learn to be tolerant of each other in front of our loved ones, and it's best not to be a spoilsport.

So Little Fish had no choice but to reluctantly pretend to be scared, waving his hands and squealing, his laughter coming out in a giggling voice.

Da Ya was quite frightened when she saw this; what if she fell?

She quickly patted her son's hand and urged, "How childish! You still think you're a little boy with your hair in a bun. Put Xiaoyuer down! You're an official now, and you're still so immature. Tomorrow I'll listen to your grandmother and ask a matchmaker to come and find you a wife. Then your wife can keep you in check. Look how well your older brother is managed by his wife!"

These words seem innocuous at first glance, but Xu, being an experienced woman, immediately recognized that this was a conflict, and that there was a hidden meaning in her words, a dig at Donkey Egg!

Faced with Xu's questioning gaze, Daya gently shook her head, indicating that it was inconvenient to talk about it now.

Zhang Ping'an was all too familiar with this expression; he could tell at a glance that the mother and daughter would have some private conversations to share after dinner.

He didn't actively get involved in the women's affairs, and asked with a smile, his hands behind his back, "Where's Zhuzhu? Why didn't she come over?"

"She's busy embroidering her dowry at home and can't leave. She's getting married next month, so it's not convenient for her to go out freely now," Daya explained with a smile.

The youngest daughter is about to get married, and Da Ya's heart is filled with both anticipation and some worry. She only hopes that her daughter will have a good life after marriage.

The reason was quite plausible, and Zhang Ping'an didn't think much of it.

“Men should marry when they come of age, and women should marry when they come of age. Sister, don’t be too sad. I think Li Yue is a good boy. Are things at home almost ready? If you need any help, just let me know.”

"Fortunately, there's still time. As her uncle, I'll add another dowry for Zhuzhu, so she can hold her head high in her husband's family. We can't let our daughter suffer when she gets married!"

These words were spoken with great conviction.

Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi did not object, which meant they acquiesced.

With Zhang Ping'an's words and her parents' attitude, Da Ya was very gratified. However, she wouldn't cause trouble for her younger brother, so she smiled and politely declined: "Everything is ready, so don't worry. Donkey Egg and Cat Egg are both grown up and can help. Plus, with you as their uncle, this is better than any dowry. Even if her father isn't here now, he still has someone to back him up."

Honestly, Da Ya is very grateful to Xu Shi for giving her such a successful younger brother; otherwise, her life would never have been as smooth as it is now.

This feeling is even stronger now that my daughter is getting married.

Donkey Egg smiled but didn't say anything, his expression a little embarrassed, while Cat Egg crossed his arms and gave a soft "humph".

As a result, Da Ya glared at him with a sharp look, so he had no choice but to shut up and walk aside to continue playing with Xiao Yu'er.

The cold snort was clearly filled with resentment. Zhang Ping'an narrowed his eyes and, putting the context together, could roughly guess what was going on.

Could it be that the new bride and her sister-in-law are having a fight?