The bell on the car eaves rings.
Nanpu River flows rapidly beside it.
Every time Zhang Yue went to the city to study, he was very greedy for the scenery of the river and the mountains, so he couldn't stop looking at it. On the side, Guo Lin was sitting on the swaying car, trying hard to steady himself and reading while holding on to the bamboo leaf.
In Zhang Yue's last life, he couldn't even look at his cell phone on a smooth highway, but now on this bumpy road, senior brother can actually read a book. It's really a miracle.
"Brother, we are about to take the county exam. Let's not worry about it for a while. If we study for two more days, we won't make any progress?"
Zhang Yue originally thought that Guo Lin would say that reading is a day's work.
Unexpectedly, Guo Lin said: "It's nothing to do anyway, so just study."
Zhang Yue couldn't bear to see his senior brother studying, and he didn't study at all, so he said: "Brother, think about Sanniang, then you will have something to do."
Guo Lin glanced at Zhang Yue, put down the book, and then sighed.
Zhang Yue burst into tears, senior brother, I was wrong.
But seeing Guo Lin pick up the book again, he said silently: "Although I know that I will never marry Sanniang in this life, but... I still have to read."
Guo Lin then smiled bitterly.
Even though we know what 996 is, what Houlang is, and what leeks are, we are still not just workers without emotions, but... forget it, I am still in tears.
But looking at my senior fellow students, others take six out of ten, and I have to be right, but I still have to go to the county school to recruit students, and I still have to read the book.
Senior brother's hope is actually slimmer than mine.
Zhang Yue thought of this and bent down to lie down on the cart. Guo Lin was already whispering in his ears while the donkey cart was still bumping up and down. With nothing in his heart, Zhang Yue fell into sleep.
Soon Zhang Yue was awakened by Guo Lin, and the two wanted to abandon their carriage and cross the river from Guandu.
Zhang Yue gave money to the villagers pulling the carts, but he still didn't ask for it. He just said innocently, "The two men are in high school."
"Thank you for your words!"
The villagers drove to say goodbye, and Zhang Yue and Guo Lin got on the ferry. On the left and right were farmers carrying chickens and ducks. When they saw two scholars in the same boat, their eyes were full of surprise.
The two men stood on the bow of the boat, their scholar's shirts fluttering in the wind. They looked at the great country and had a scholarly spirit, giving guidance to the country.
Zhang Yue suddenly pointed towards the distance and said, "Brother, look that's Mengbi Mountain!"
Guo Lin followed Zhang Yue's hand and looked forward, but when he saw a solitary peak standing up, he couldn't help but said: "Yes, Mengbi Mountain, Jiangyan Mengbi! This scene is really sad and ecstatic, it's just a farewell."
Zhang Yue knew that this was the first sentence of Jiang Yan's "Farewell".
Zhang Yue said: "Senior brother, there is another sentence in the farewell poem, spring water and green waves, send you to Nanpu. How is the injury?"
Guo Lin said with a smile: "Nanpu comes from the Songs of Chu, "The son is traveling eastwards to meet each other, and the beauty is sent to Nanpu." It is commonly used in farewell words, and it does not refer to the Nanpu stream below our feet."
Zhang Yue said: "I think it is that when Jiang Yan was the county magistrate here, he met a woman he fell in love with at first sight, and then they parted ways by the Nanpu River in the spring season."
"The name of this stream is Nanpu, not south of Pucheng, but because of the river flood."
Guo Lin smiled and said: "Maybe. But people are different after all."
The breeze on the stream blew the scholar's shirt on his body, and Zhang Yue's heart was ups and downs. As the ferryman held the boat pole by pole, the boat gradually sailed away from the stream bank.
Zhang Yue looked back towards the shore, but saw that he was getting further and further away from Wuxi, but getting closer to the county seat.
The two walked some distance to the county seat, first going to Zhang Yue's home on Shuinan New Street.
Guo Lin couldn't help being surprised when he saw Zhang Yue's home outside the city: "I thought your family lived in the city, but it turns out they live in the city wing."
Zhang Yue said: "Where is it? Households in the city are exempted from servitude, and my family is still a rural household. However, in the past, households were classified as first-class households. This year, they were changed to third-class households."
Guo Lin sighed: "It's hard for my junior brother, how could it be like this?"
Zhang Yue sighed: "It's all my second brother's fault!"
"It's because of the escape from marriage..."
The Song Dynasty's household system was inherited from the Five Dynasties. City households were divided into ten levels, and rural households were divided into five levels.
Different from today's urban household registration, which is proud of, in the Han Dynasty, Guo households were not allowed to be officials, and in the early Song Dynasty, businessmen's children were not allowed to be officials. Although this regulation is now relaxed to allow businessmen's children to serve as officials, there is still discrimination against businessmen's children in the officialdom. Therefore, although Zhang Yue's family runs a shop, it has always remained a rural household.
Zhang Yue knocked on the door at home, but Zhang Shi opened the door himself.
Zhang Yue introduced: "Brother, this is my senior brother Guo."
Zhang Shi smiled heartily and said, "Haha, I've admired my name for a long time. I ask you to take care of Zhang Yue more often. As a brother, I really don't know how to thank you."
Guo Lin smiled shyly: "I don't dare to take it seriously. I will invite Mr. Zhang Dalang to Wuxi as a guest another day."
"That's for sure," Zhang Shi scolded Zhang Yue: "They say you'll be back in the next two days, but there's no guarantee. I'm not prepared at the moment. You go in with your senior brother and sit down, and I'll buy you some food and drinks." ."
Zhang Yue and Guo Lin quickly tried to persuade him.
Zhang Yue knew that his eldest brother had a bad temper. In the past, Zhang Shi had to go, but now that Yu had taken advantage of him, he didn't have much confidence, but he still wanted to be generous in front of the two of them.
The two of them pulled Zhang Shi into the house. At this time, Mrs. Yu had cooked the meal and said apologetically: "Uncle, I didn't even say a word, and I didn't prepare any meal at home."
"Don't take it seriously, it's me who is disturbing you."
Zhang Zhi thought to himself, Third Brother is a good brother, and thanks to God's blessing, Third Brother has met good people along the way.
When the family was eating, Zhang Shi placed the dishes in front of Guo Lin and urged him to eat, but Guo Lin didn't move his chopsticks.
Zhang Shi asked repeatedly: "Sanlang, why don't your senior brothers eat vegetables? Don't be polite, just treat this as your own home. We are all your brother and sister-in-law."
Guo Lin smiled and just picked up the bowl to grill the rice. After everyone had finished eating, he ate some leftovers.
After leaving the house, Guo Lin said to Zhang Yue: "Junior brother, your family has a better life on weekdays than mine does during holidays. At least... at least we have enough to eat."
Zhang Yue looked at Guo Lin and said, "Senior brother, you are very good too. You are full of poems and books, so you are full of energy!"
Guo Lin looked at his belly and smiled.
By this time, Zhang Shi had been at Cao Baozheng's home for a long time. Zhang Yue got impatient with waiting and immediately went with him.
When I arrived at Cao Baozheng's home, I saw Zhang Shi standing by the door with his chest crossed. As for Cao Baozheng, he was rummaging through boxes and cabinets at his home and said while searching, "Hey, where is the guarantee letter? Where is Sanlang's guarantee letter? Why can't I find it?"
"I clearly put it here just now. Dalang, please wait for me for a while and let me look for it again. Dalang, Sanlang, have you had dinner?"
Zhang Yue and Guo Lin looked at each other.
Zhang Shi also saw Zhang Yue, and Guo Lin said, "I've eaten earlier, Baozheng. You're just confused on weekdays. Why is it the same today?"
Zhang Shi said to Zhang Yue: "Wait a minute, I don't know where Baozheng put your guarantee letter?"
Zhang Yue said: "Brother, I will register tomorrow. Without a guarantee, I won't be able to pass the exam."
Cao Baozheng heard this and continued: "Where is the book? Look at my memory, why can't I find it for a while?"
Zhang Yue said: "I can't wait any longer. Please give me another letter from Baozheng! It doesn't take much effort anyway."
Cao Baozheng hesitated and said: "It's too late today. I can't see clearly and can't write! Besides, I've already written the guarantee letter, but I don't know where to put it?"
"You brothers, give me some more time, and I will send it to you when I find it."
"Baozheng, Baozheng, this matter is related to the future of my third brother. Why do you say that?" Zhang Shi was a little anxious.
Cao Baozheng stopped what he was doing and muttered in a low voice: "If you don't take the exam this year, you can take the exam next year."
Zhang Yue said directly: "Brother, you don't have to guess, Cao Baozheng is unwilling to give us guarantee!"
Zhang Shi looked in disbelief when he heard this: "Is Baozheng serious about what he said?"
Cao Baozheng let out a long sigh, sat on the chair and said: "You two virtuous Kunzhongs, I guarantee that I treat you well on weekdays! Please forgive me for this, but I really can't give you a guarantee!"
"Why?"
Cao Baozheng said with a bitter face: "The court's selection of scholars depends on the eight elements of filial piety, brotherhood, harmony, grace, responsibility, compassion, loyalty, and harmony. There is something wrong with the character "婣" in your Zhang family!"
Wei means marriage, harmony between husband and wife.
"My third brother is not married yet?"
"It's your third brother who didn't get married, but his second brother...the second brother escaped from marriage? How do you ask me to confirm the agreement? The government officials will blame me." Cao Baozheng spread his hands and said.
"I see." Zhang Yue gritted his teeth and said.
Zhang Shi knelt down and said: "Bao Zheng is not the truth. Yes, my second brother's matter is that our Zhang family is not honest. But this matter is big or small. Please let my third brother go."
Cao Baozheng said: "I let him go, but the Yamen won't let me go."
"Baozheng..." Zhang Shi couldn't help shouting.
Zhang Yue had already stopped Zhang Shi and said, "Brother, forget it. Since Baozheng doesn't want to wear a weapon, we don't have to embarrass Baozheng."
Zhang Shi said angrily: "Why are you in trouble? Baozheng, don't try to deceive me into not studying on weekdays. I also have friends in the Yamen. Among the eight elements, filial piety, brotherhood, loyalty, and harmony are the most important, and the rest can be discussed. But you take a 婷Words tell the story, let alone my third brother who is running away from marriage."
But Jian Zhangshi shouted: "If you don't give me an explanation today, I won't leave. I'll see how you hold your head up in front of the neighbors in the future."
Cao Baozheng glanced at Zhang Shi, then knelt down with a bang and said: "Elder Master of the Zhang family, Sanlang, I kowtow to you. No, I really can't. Please don't make it difficult for me to protect my integrity."
As he spoke, Cao Bao was about to kowtow, but Zhang Yue was already holding him on the side.
"Brother, let's forget it. Let's go back and find a solution. Cao Baozheng, you don't need to do this. Although you have your reasons, I will remember this!"
After Zhang Yue helped Cao Baozheng up, he stood up. Zhang Shi was already furious at this moment, but he had no choice but to see that Cao Baozheng would rather kowtow than confirm the letter of guarantee.
After several people walked out of Cao Baozheng's door, Guo Lin said, "Senior brother, I'll go to my father's house and ask the county Xuezheng if there is any other way."
Zhang Shi said: "Okay, I'll also ask Xu Dutou to find a solution."
Zhang Yue nodded and let them leave, but he knew that nothing would happen to them. Because someone is trying every possible means to prevent him from taking the exam, suppressing him and preventing him from getting ahead. From his first step into the county seat, his exams have already begun.
Because his biggest difficulty in the county school entrance examination this time was not in the examination room, but outside the examination room!