"I advise you to drink another glass of wine. There will be no old friends when you leave Yangguan in the west."
Some children in the village who were studying martial arts and studying understood the meaning of this poem and lined up to propose a toast.
"Master, we can't bear to leave you."
"Master, you must remember to come back and see us."
"Master, this will always be your home..."
He Xiao drank one glass of wine after another, and he was already a little drunk. He looked at the people who came to toast with drunken eyes. The reluctance in his heart was like the wine in the jar, slowly fermenting and spreading throughout his chest. It swelled, and then turned into overflowing tears, and the eyes were wet, hot and sour.
Growing up, the eldest brother was the center of the family. He had never experienced father's love or mother's love, and even the only woman he loved betrayed him.
He doesn't know what love is, and the villagers in Dahe Village don't know what love is either.
But unfortunately, he felt warmth here.
He held his face in his hands and let the tears slip from his fingers.
Cheng Wanwan stopped everyone who wanted to toast, and said: "Xiao He is already drunk, let's let him go, San Niu and Si Dan, you two will support the master and go back to rest. San Niu, you will go with your master tonight." Sleep together, be alert in the middle of the night, and pay more attention to your master’s situation.”
Zhao Sanniu and Zhao Sidan nodded and helped He Xiao back to rest.
The villagers sat around the table. They had not yet gotten over the sadness of farewell. A group of people chatted until very late before leaving.
In the next few days, Zhao Sanniu has been in the excitement of going to the capital, while Zhao Sidan's eyes are filled with all kinds of envy. It wasn't until the day he was leaving that the silly boy Sanniu realized that after leaving this time , if everything goes well, he may not be able to come back for two or three years.
"Mom, I can't bear to leave you..."
The young man, who was almost sixteen years old, hugged Cheng Wanwan and cried.
Cheng Wanwan was already mentally prepared, but when the child cried like this, her eyes became extremely sore.
She patted her son's thick shoulder and said softly: "When an eagle grows up, it will fly out. When a child grows up, he should also grow up out of the arms of his parents. After you go to the capital, remember to write a letter to your family every three days. Letter... This is the seal of Luji Bank. If you are short of money, just use the seal to withdraw money... You must keep this seal. If it is stolen or lost, you will have no money to use. .”
Even so, Cheng Wanwan still prepared many scattered purses for him. One was sewn into his jacket, one was sewn into his pants, two were secretly hidden in his luggage, and even two pieces of silver were hidden in the soles of his shoes. Ticket... She is simply a broken-hearted old mother.
Zhao Dashan came over and warned: "Don't panic when something happens when you are away from home. If you need anything, write back and ask your mother."
Zhao Ergou came over with pursed lips and handed over the seal of another bank: "In case the seal of Luji Bank is lost, this can help. However, I am not as rich as my mother. I only have a total of three hundred taels of silver. You can Save your money."
Zhao Sidan hugged Zhao Sanniu's waist: "Uuuuuuuah, third brother, I can't bear to leave you, uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."
Zhao Sanniu was also crying so hard that he almost died from crying.
"Okay, okay!" Old Mrs. Zhao walked in and said angrily, "When your father went away from home and didn't come back for eight years at most, we didn't cry like this... It's a good thing to join the army and serve the court. It can be regarded as inheriting your father's mantle! Sanniu, you have to behave well when you go. Your father was a centurion when he died, so you must be better than your father."
Zhao Sanniu suddenly became energetic: "Grandpa, grandma, I will never lose my father's people!"
Cheng Wanwan suppressed his reluctance and said, "It's getting late, let's go quickly."
The people who went to the capital this time were He Xiao and Zhao Sanniu, and they also arranged for Cheng Bing to follow them. When the time comes, Cheng Bing will follow Sanniu into the military camp to protect Sanniu secretly. If something happens, he can also provide timely assistance to his family. Send a message.
He Xiao rode in front, while Zhao Sanniu and Cheng Bing were responsible for driving the carriage. In the carriage were birthday gifts sent to the capital.
The three of them first went to meet the Lin family at the gate of Hekou County. The Lin family arranged for the Lin family's young master Lin Yan and the housekeeper to lead a procession back to the capital. After the two parties met, Cheng Bing would rush to the provincial capital to meet Cheng Zhao and others, and then rush there together. Beijing.
Yun Province is located on the border of neither south nor north, and is far away from the capital. It takes nearly twenty days to reach it by land and slow travel.
Fortunately, the people traveling with us were all men, so there was no such trouble as women. They basically got up before dawn and started on their way, resting at the inn at night. Because the carriages had government marks, the journey was relatively peaceful, but there were quite a few people going to Beijing. The students who were rushing to take the exam asked to go with them, and the Lin family naturally would not refuse, so the convoy grew stronger and stronger. They rushed slowly and hurriedly, and finally arrived at the capital at the feet of the Emperor seventeen days later.
Shen Zheng got off the carriage and stretched his muscles, and exclaimed: "I thought Yuncheng was prosperous before, but I didn't expect that the capital city was more prosperous than Yuncheng, and the people walking on the road were all wearing silk and satin. There were so many rich people. .”
Lin Yan answered: "Otherwise, how could anyone say that in the capital, if a plaque is smashed down, two officials can be killed."
Shen Zheng hugged his shoulders very naturally: "When we reach your territory, we will have to rely on you to protect us."
They had been traveling together for nearly twenty days, and there were no other entertainment activities on the road. They sat in the carriage and talked all day long, which led to the rapid development of his relationship with Lin Yan. In addition, he had such a small selfishness, and the relationship between the two became even more intense. Closer.
"Brother Zheng, I see there is no building over there. There are many interesting things inside. I like fighting crickets the most." Lin Yan's face was filled with excitement, "We will go take a look later."
"Ahem!" Butler Lin stepped forward, "Master, let's settle in first. After settling in, we have to go to the head of the family to pay his respects."
Shen Zheng immediately became serious: "Yes, I have to pay a visit to Mr. Lin, and the things my godmother asked me to do must be done quickly."
He has to work seriously and not come across as playful.
Cheng Zhao twitched his lips. The two of them were talking about eating, drinking and having fun in the capital. It was hard for Shen Zheng to remember what his second aunt had asked him to do.
Butler Lin took a group of people to the small courtyard where the Lin family lived. It was a small courtyard with three entrances. It looked inconspicuous, but for a mere seventh-rank official to have a house in a place where land and land in the capital were extremely valuable, it was enough to show that the family background It's unusual.
After settling in, Lin Yan took Cheng Zhao and Shen Zheng to Lin Mansion.
Cheng Zhao and Shen Zheng didn't know much about the Lin family before. They only knew that the Lin family was from the capital. After having an in-depth chat with Lin Yan, they realized how great the Lin family was.
The head of the Lin family was the Imperial Tutor and a first-rank official. The Lin family's uncle's legitimate son is now a fourth-rank official in the Hanlin Academy. In addition, a daughter of the Lin family entered the palace and became a concubine. It can be said that the Lin family is already the leading family in the capital. .
"My aunt is very favored." Lin Yan said, "My mother has entrusted my eldest sister's marriage to her. If my aunt likes a young man from a certain family, she can just ask the emperor for a marriage."
Shen Zheng suddenly became excited.
Decree?
Marriage?
So is there still hope for him?
