There was an exam the next day and I didn’t have much to say. Since there is a shortage of officers in the army, the test questions are not difficult. As long as you can read one or two thousand words, read an article that is not too difficult, and then write an article of more than 500 words by yourself, something similar to the composition of later generations. The main test of martial arts is the bow and horse. Mount your horse and ride five hundred steps until you pass successfully. The intermediate test is to shoot one stone with a foot bow, seven fights with a horse bow, and two stones with a crossbow.
For Wang Zhongfu, these test questions are like playing the same game, without any difficulty. Among the others who came together, Cui Liang was the only one who didn't know much about literacy. He felt that there were many different words in the composition, which made him feel uneasy.
The sun sets in the west and everyone has finished their exams. Most of the candidates were confident, and Xinye City suddenly became lively.
As soon as they returned to the inn, Shu Jiming came over and wanted to invite them to drink anyway.
Arriving in front of Qingfeng Building, Xu Shijie grabbed Shu Jiming who was about to enter. He said: "Brother, we are not from a wealthy family. We drink two glasses of wine, no matter whether it is good or bad. There is no need to enter this kind of restaurant. If you are rich, just eat more meat."
Shu Jiming said: "There is also Qingfeng Tower in Xinyang Military City. I heard it is an excellent place, with good wine, good food, and all kinds of excitement."
Xu Shijie said: "Yes, everything in this restaurant is good. But the price is really high. Drinking here costs at least two or three guan on average. For the seven of us, if we go in for a meal, we will lose a few dozen guan." .”
Shu Jiming was shocked: "Is it so expensive? I usually drink alcohol, no matter how good the wine is, five hundred coins is enough!"
Xu Shijie said: "Qingfeng Tower is one of the high-end restaurants under the Zhenfushi Division. How can it be a joke! Xinye is a military city with few businessmen, so there is only Qingfenglou, a high-end restaurant. In prosperous places, such as Xiangyang, Zhenfushi There are seven high-end restaurants under the company, and Qingfeng Restaurant is considered the least expensive one."
Wang Zhongfu was curious after hearing this. Asked: "It's scary to pay two or three dollars for a meal. If it's more expensive, how much does it cost per person?"
Xu Shijie said: "I come from a poor family, and I have never been to a place like this. But I heard from people that expensive places like Peach Blossom Land, etc., just go in, a person needs at least ten guan. If you don't have a net worth of tens of thousands of guan, ordinary people will have no money." Don’t dare to come close!”
Several people were speechless after hearing this. A meal costs ten guan, and I don’t know who the guests are there. Wang Zhongfu's family is a big village and can be considered a wealthy family. I was shocked when I heard the price.
Xu Shijie said: "If we talk about cheap, the most common one is the human fireworks. I heard that Zhenfu built it himself after arriving in Xiangyang. The dishes there are rich and the prices are not expensive. It is the most suitable place for people like us."
Shu Jiming originally wanted to show his pride, but after hearing the price of Qingfeng Tower, he had no idea. He said: "In that case, let's go to the fireworks in the world. The Xinyang Army also exists in this place, but we have never been there."
While talking, several people walked to the shore of the white water. It is already March, and the wind is filled with the breath of spring. A red sun sets in the western sky, casting rays of light all over the sky. The sparkling water was glowing with golden light.
Xu Shijie took a deep breath: "I haven't smelled the smoke of fireworks here for a long time. I miss you so much!"
A few people found a table by the river and sat down. The boy came over and filled tea for several people. "What do you guys want to eat tonight?"
Shu Jiming said: "When you get here, you can relax and order whatever you want! We won't go home until we get drunk tonight!"
Human Fireworks mainly cooks three kinds of dishes. One is barbecue, then cold dishes, and stir-fry. In addition to barbecue and cold dishes, all other dishes ordered here are stir-fried, which is a major feature. When I walked near the stall, the first thing I saw was a row of woks, with a man behind him holding a spoon. The fire filled the pot, kept rolling, and changed into various shapes, which was very spectacular.
Barbecue not only includes dishes such as grilled lamb kebabs and roasted kidneys, but also includes roasted chicken, roasted duck, roasted quail, etc. Overall, the colors here are very rich and easy to make. The ingredients are required to be fresh and the chef is required to control the heat.
Several people ordered thirty skewers of grilled lamb, a plate of fried loach, a plate of salt and pepper quail, a plate of cumin mutton, and a plate of tofu mixed with green onions. Shu Jiming ordered another large grilled catfish and asked the waiter to bring him wine.
The waiter said: "We have good plum wine and osmanthus wine here. Which one does the guest want?"
Shu Jiming said: "I drank a kind of shochu two days ago. It's light green in color and very strong. I don't know what kind of wine it is?"
The waiter said: "Our name is Zhuyeqing. This wine is easy to drink, but it is not very strong, and many people get drunk. If customers want it, of course they have it in the store, but the price is a little more expensive. You get what you pay for, and we are the best here It’s affordable.”
Xu Shijie asked: "How much does ordinary soju cost? How much does Zhuyeqing cost?"
The boy said: "Replying to my guest, a bottle of two liters of soju usually costs one hundred and ten cents. A bottle of bamboo leaf green also costs two liters and one hundred and seventy cents."
Shu Jiming said loudly: "In that case, bring four bottles and let us both drink one! We won't come back until we get drunk!"
Xu Shijie waved his hand hurriedly: "Since it is a strong drink, how can one person drink a liter? Storekeeper, just bring one bottle!"
Shu Jiming said: "Du Tou, there is no need to save money for me! You have seen my purse, I have dozens of coins, I can afford it for you!"
Xu Shijie sighed and said: "Brother, you don't drink spirits often, so you don't know how powerful it is. Most of the shochu sold now, don't say that one person can drink one bottle, eight people can drink one bottle. Just don't worry, if If you’re not satisfied with your drink, just ask the store to pick it up again.”
In the wine towns of the Song Dynasty, most wines were sold by the bottle, with a bottle of two liters. This is done to ensure that it does not deteriorate easily, facilitates transportation, and most importantly, makes it easier for the government to collect taxes. Of course, the liter at this time was smaller than the liter in later generations, less than 700 milliliters. Xu Shijie is not a drinker and thinks that one bottle of wine is enough for the seven people present.
Of course, the store also sells loose wine. It is often said that one jiao of wine is four liters. This unit cannot be used for liquor, and it is generally used as a unit. It's just the boy's appearance when meeting a few people. He's not short of money, so of course he wants to drink from the bottle.
After an argument, the boy left. Not long after, a bottle of wine came over. After opening the mud seal and filling it up for several people, dishes such as loach, quail, and tofu were served. The seven people just raised their wine bowls, and the mutton skewers and other dishes were also served.
After taking a sip of wine, Shu Jiming wiped his mouth and said, "The food is served here so fast!"
Xu Shijie said: "It's different here. Because there are so many people, the meat skewers are grilled all the time, and there is no need to wait for the guests to order. Most of the rest are already prepared, so there will be no time delay."
A few people were drinking and chatting. The sun went down, the moon came up, and there was a soft mist between the sky and the earth.
Wang Zhongfu said to Shu Jiming: "In today's exam, I see that my brother is skilled in bow and horse, and his arrows are not missed. There is no one in the exam room who can compare with you."
Shu Jiming sighed: "I have been fond of swords, guns and sticks since I was a child. My family had a little money, and I learned to ride horses and archery when I was sensible. I am not boasting. There are not many nearby states and counties that can match me in this skill. It's just that I didn't like reading since I was a child. , I can only write my own name. I wanted to get into the military academy the year before last, but here we only have people who can read. I had no choice but to hire a teacher, and I studied hard at home for more than a year, and finally I was able to read an article."
Xu Shijie said: "How do you think you did in today's exam?"
Shu Jiming was a little depressed: "As for the martial arts of bow and horse, you have all seen it, so there is no problem at all. However, it is too difficult for me to write an article. I probably know that a 500-word article will not be enough." Twenty or thirty different words! Not to mention, there are some that I don’t know are actually wrong. How do you think this kind of article is successful?"
Xu Shijie said: "Don't worry. The military school's essay test is just to confirm that you can read and write. It's not a Jinshi test. It doesn't require you to be outstanding. Even if you have more Chinese characters, I think you are very proficient in martial arts, so you should be admitted."
Cui Liang said: "I don't know much about reading, so I feel that there are a lot of typos in my articles, and I feel very uneasy."
Speaking of this, Shu Jiming sighed sadly. He took a sip of wine and said, "Today's exam was over, and the official of the bow and horse exam specifically asked my name. It looked like he appreciated me. But I didn't live up to my expectations!"
After saying that, he tapped the table, feeling extremely frustrated.
Wang Zhongfu said: "Since I asked your name, I intend to recruit you. It doesn't matter if you have more aliases. You can just learn it after entering the military academy. In fact, among other armies, what are the problems with being illiterate? Many officials like those who are illiterate."
Not long after the founding of the Song Dynasty, Taizu once said that he wanted to make all military men in the world study. But when he arrived at Taizong, the policy changed somewhat. By the time of Zhenzong, things had completely changed. Zhenzong used generals to promote illiterate people.
This trend has a very profound impact. The Song Dynasty was a little better. Many military generals became high-ranking officials and knew how to read and write. For example, Yue Fei and Han Shizhong could write poems after becoming high-ranking officials. Yue Fei even left several famous poems. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, this trend became more and more prosperous, and many generals could not read a single Chinese character. For the emperor, if he was illiterate, he would not have much thought, and it would be reliable to use. But for the army, illiterate generals will directly affect the combat effectiveness of the army and further affect the inheritance of military experience.
Shu Jiming knew that his performance in the literary test was not good. But the martial arts test went so well that the examiner came to ask for his name, and there was a glimmer of luck in his heart. Make your own calculations. If you really pass the exam, you will have to work hard to learn to read when you enter the military academy. He saw that Wang Zhongfu was extremely relaxed in his literary test, so he deliberately approached him. If you really pass the exam, you will have such a familiar person by your side who can teach you.
