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

The two houses were not far apart, and Zhang Ping'an arrived in less than a quarter of an hour by carriage.

Two large carts followed behind, loaded with dowry items for Zhuzhu, mainly silks, satins, and jewelry—items that were easy to sell and could enhance her status at the wedding.

Daya was very happy to see her little brother arrive.

Upon seeing the items in the car, she immediately became both reproachful and touched, and proceeded to nag Zhang Ping'an for a while.

Zhang Ping'an didn't care at all, waved his hand and laughed, "Big sister, didn't we agree before that as your uncle, I would definitely give my niece a decent dowry? This is only part of it. There are also two estates in the suburbs. They are managed by dedicated farmers. They only need to pay attention during the spring planting and autumn harvest. This way, when Zhuzhu gets married and lives with her husband's family, she won't be controlled by anyone when it comes to money and will have some pocket money."

"Thank you for your trouble," Da Ya was very touched and wanted to say something to express her gratitude, but she felt that anything she said would be too polite and too formal.

Oh well, we're all family anyway, she'll keep this kindness in her heart.

After wiping her eyes, Da Ya stopped refusing and greeted her with a smile, "Come on in, have a seat. You're a rare guest!"

"Big sister, you've taken good care of your yard, it's very well maintained, it looks brand new," Zhang Ping'an said as they walked.

Although the house was not large, Daya was clever and had decorated it very warmly, with potted plants interspersed throughout, making it lush and vibrant.

A swing was installed on the left side of the yard, and the surrounding area was paved with clean stone bricks, showing that the lady of the house had put a lot of thought into the arrangement.

"Of course we have to take good care of our own place, but a house needs people to live in it. We'll be moving to the Northwest soon, and this house will probably fall apart quickly. Sigh, I'm quite reluctant to part with it," Da Ya said with a hint of regret and heartache in her voice.

As the two talked, they entered the second courtyard. Zhuzhu heard the noise and asked the old woman serving her to check. After confirming that it was her uncle, she quickly dropped her embroidery needle and ran out, calling out in a clear voice, "Uncle!"

"Zhuzhu!"

"Uncle, is it really you?!" Zhuzhu was both happy and excited to see her uncle.

"Waaaaah, I haven't seen you in so long, I miss you so much!"

"Isn't your uncle here to see you?" Zhang Ping'an said gently. "You're a grown woman now, and you'll be getting married soon. You can't cry all the time."

A young girl in her late teens, every smile and frown is full of charm, and with the good upbringing she has received, her eyes are always filled with innocent laughter.

Zhuzhu has now grown into a beautiful young woman.

“That’s right,” Daya said, affectionately smoothing her daughter’s hair. “Your uncle came today not only to see you, but also to bring you a dowry. It’s all good stuff, which will give you confidence in your future husband’s family. Hurry up and thank your uncle!”

"Thank you, Uncle!" Zhuzhu was very happy to hear this.

She flashed a bright smile, then lifted her skirt and twirled around, saying sweetly, "Look, Uncle, the skirt I'm wearing is made from the fabric you gave me before. I have so many clothes to wear, you don't really need to spend so much. My parents have prepared quite a lot of dowry for me."

"Silly girl, you can never have too many things to rely on," Zhang Ping'an admonished, his face full of doting affection for his niece.

At this moment, Donkey Egg's wife also came over with the help of her mother-in-law. She knelt down and bowed, looking gentle and harmless.

"You're pregnant, come in and rest. We're all family, no need for formalities."

Zhang Ping'an's tone remained very polite. He had no intention of doing anything to his nephew's wife; whoever's wife it is, should be responsible for her upbringing.

"By the way, big sister, is Donkey Egg coming back for lunch?"

"Not necessarily. Sometimes he comes back, sometimes he doesn't. But the weather's been nice lately, so he'll most likely be coming back," Daya replied casually.

Then he invited Zhang Ping'an to sit in the flower hall and personally brewed tea for him.

Zhang Ping'an took the tea but didn't drink it right away. "Then I'll have Chi Bao tell him to come back for lunch."

“Okay, I’ll have the old lady in the kitchen prepare a few more good dishes, and you two can have a couple of drinks,” Daya replied with a smile.

She was clearly in a good mood.

"No need to make anything fancy, let's just have a meal to remember the hardships of the past today," Zhang Ping'an said with a light tap on the table.

"A billion bitter meals?" Da Ya asked, puzzled.

"We eat what we ate when we were young, and we eat what we eat today."

Da Ya was clever. She shook her head and sighed with a smile, "Little brother, what are you trying to do now? You've finally come to my house. How could I possibly let you eat some kind of 'bitter meal'? If word got out, where would I put my face? I'd be laughed at to death!"

"Why are we being laughed at? Frugality is a traditional virtue passed down from our ancestors. Besides, the hardships our family endured when we were young were nothing compared to others. We were among the best in the village. Many people today still don't reach that level!"

"I'm not here today to eat any delicacies. If I want something good, I can eat at home. My brother-in-law isn't here right now, so I have a responsibility to help you take care of things at home. Hmm, I think I know what you told Mom last time. It's not entirely Donkey Egg's wife's fault. Who doesn't have their own selfish motives?"

Ultimately, it was Donkey Egg's fault for mediating. He's the eldest son, the one who's supposed to carry on the family name and uphold its honor. He needs to be responsible and stand up for himself! To be honest, he does lack some of the spirit of Cat Egg. Going to the Northwest with him and finding a job in the army might actually be a good thing for him; even rough gems need polishing!

After all, he was her own son. After hearing this, Daya subconsciously defended him, saying, "Hey, I was just complaining to my mother casually. It's not that serious. It's not worth you making a special trip. Your mother is too loose-lipped. She has to tell you about such a small thing. I've already told her not to nag you about these annoying things."

Donkey Egg has always been a gentle and kind child. Now that he's about to become a father, it's understandable that he might not be as thorough in his considerations. It's nothing to worry about!

Zhang Ping'an disagreed with this statement and said slowly, "Indeed, everyone has selfish motives. I even admire people who will fight for themselves, but that's for outsiders, not for using their ulterior motives on their own family. The Hu family isn't exactly a prestigious family either. They've been married for so long. If Donkey Egg had been firm from the beginning and made things clear, things wouldn't have turned out this way. If they try to smooth things over this time, what about when Cat Egg gets married next time? If Cat Egg has children in the future, and the two families live together, there will be chaos at home every day. A man's ambition should be outside. If he has to focus on the trivial matters in his own home every day, he won't amount to much. He's not my nephew, Zhang Ping'an!"

“Little brother, you are a very learned man, and I can’t compare to you. But what you said makes a lot of sense. Alright, let’s eat a bitter meal today. You can talk to Donkey Egg later and break down the reasons for him. He has admired you since he was a child, and he will listen to what you say.”

Daya's greatest strength is that she can listen to advice. Zhang Ping'an explained the crux of the matter to her, and she stopped hiding anything and readily agreed.

“I used to think it was my wife’s problem, but now I realize that Donkey Egg also has a lot of problems. His attitude determines his wife’s attitude. As the saying goes, even a scabby son is still the best. No matter how you look at it, your own son is always the best. After you said that, I finally understand.”

Zhang Ping'an admires his eldest sister's clarity and decisiveness the most: "You don't need to play the villain, I will!"

Da Ya laughed upon hearing this and waved her hand: "Don't worry, Donkey Egg won't mind what you say. Your words carry more weight than his father's!"

In modern times, Da Ya would know that this is called academic worship. Because of his failure in the imperial examinations, Donkey Egg has always admired his uncle Zhang Ping'an, who passed the imperial examinations at the age of seventeen. He looks at him with a filter on.

While the two were talking in the flower hall, the servants had already filled the main room with the dowry that Zhang Ping'an had brought.

Hu looked through the crack in the window from inside the house and listened intently to their conversation.

Knowing that these were all for her sister-in-law's dowry, she felt both envious and jealous, and her chest ached with anger.

However, she didn't dare to act recklessly today. Daya was her mother-in-law, so it was fine for her to make a fuss behind her back. After all, they were family, and besides, she was pregnant with the family's eldest grandson!

But if you displease your brother-in-law, things will get very serious, as it concerns your husband Donkey Egg's future.

When Donkey Egg came back for lunch, Madam Hu subtly brought it up.

Donkey Egg hadn't noticed anything amiss yet, only that his uncle's expression was a bit cold. But when he saw the food, he was stunned and looked at Daya: "Mom, what's going on in the kitchen today? Uncle finally comes to visit, how can he eat this?"

Even the kitchen maids and servants eat better than what's on the table!

Da Ya didn't say anything, but looked at her younger brother.

Zhang Ping'an calmly picked up a piece of boiled greens and ate it.

Then he calmly said, "When we were little, your mother and I ate this kind of food. It was considered one of the best in the village. In the blink of an eye, your daughter is about to get married, and I'm getting old. I can't help but think of many things from my childhood. So today's meal is called 'Bitter Rice.' If anyone can't eat it, they don't have to eat it and the kitchen can make it separately."