I go to the ancient imperial examinations

Chapter 79
Stay up all night on the [-]th, and twist and twist on the first day of the new year.

The new year is coming amid the sound of firecrackers, and the first thing the villagers say about the reunion dinner is the New Year’s gift that Zhan Feiyu received. Usually, seven or eight people in a family can’t save 50 taels of silver a year, but Zhan Feiyu received several hundred taels as a gift.

And the second thing people in the village talk about is the Zeng family in Baofeng Buzhuang, and the weather is cool!
On the 29th, Tao Baihu of the Nanxuanfu Guard Station led a group of soldiers to surround the Zeng family, and more than 60 members of the Zeng family were arrested.

The Zeng family's house and shop were sealed. That night, Zeng Yuquan, several shopkeepers of the Zeng family's direct line and the shopkeeper, the accountant and others were put on shackles, pulled into a prison cart and taken away overnight.

The servants, servants, and maids of the Zeng family were all imprisoned by the county government. After a few years, the Zeng family's case was found out, and then they were handed over to the county magistrate Chen.

"Father, since the Zeng family is over, can the eldest brother come back?" Second Zhan put down his chopsticks, with a look of guilt and anticipation.

The old man Zhan, who was about to pick up vegetables, was stunned for a moment. In the morning, he learned from his younger son that something had happened to the Zeng family.

Xiao Yao was run and ridiculed by the villagers in the past two days, and he was jealous of the annual gifts Li received, so he immediately echoed: "Back then, the Zeng family was unreasonable and wronged us. , It's all right now, eldest brother can also come back to have a reunion year with us."

Thinking about it carefully, this is indeed the case. Old man Zhan smiled on his dry bark-like face, and his voice was three-pointed loudly, "That's right, third, you go and call your eldest brother back, he is alone. How can we celebrate the New Year, take out the wine at home, and the four of us have a good drink!"

The Zhan family all laughed, as if they were all looking forward to the return of Boss Zhan.

"Ahhh..." The gloomy old lady Zhan raised her head, her skinny hand grabbed the third Zhan's arm, shook her head straight at him, and shouted twice.

Third Zhan was stunned for a moment, "Mother, what are you doing? I'll call my eldest brother back for the reunion dinner!"

Emotionally, the third Zhan is closer to the elder brother. Since he was a child, the elder brother has protected him and let him.

Rationally, the third child of Zhan wants the elder Zhan to go home. No one does the work in the fields and the housework.

Although Ma's and Xiao Yao's sister-in-law can also do it, their ears hurt because of their arguing every day. The key is that they do not work as quickly as Li's, and cooking is not delicious, and they are sloppy.

The most important point is that Zhan Feiyu is not what it used to be. No one in the whole village is jealous of those annual gifts worth hundreds of taels. The third Zhan is also moved. With so much money, where is he needed? Those who come and go in the rain go to the wharf to pull goods.

"Mother, are you confused? What are you doing with the third child?" Mrs. Ma stuffed a mouthful of meat into his mouth, swallowed it in twos and threes, and said, "The elder brother is back, and the elder sister-in-law will definitely come back, so many cakes , fabric, and maybe silver!"

If it weren't for the fear of the village leader and the old patriarch, Ma would want to go to the door to snatch a few hundred taels of silver. At that time, she will be like Landlord Zhu, who can eat meat at every meal and have servants to serve.

The old lady Zhan firmly grabbed the third Zhan's wrist to prevent him from leaving. The force was so strong that her sharp nails pressed into his flesh.

"Mother, let it go!" Ma looked at Madam Zhan dissatisfied, and she didn't even want the money she brought to the door. Mother was really confused!

Seeing that Mrs. Ma still dared to encourage Mr. Zhan to call someone, Mrs. Zhan's face was grim, and she grabbed the bowl with her left hand and smashed it at Mr. Ma who was chattering.

Bang!The large porcelain bowl hit Ma Shi's head, then fell to the ground and shattered, accompanied by Ma Shi's screams of pain.

Covering his head, he felt bleeding, Ma Shi put down his hand and saw that there was dark red blood between his fingers, and Ma Shi, who stood up, shouted angrily, "Mother! You are crazy, what are you doing to hit me!"

The rest of the Zhan family were also dumbfounded, and no one thought that Mrs. Zhan would go crazy.

But as soon as he looked up, under the light of the candle, the skinny old face, the deep nasolabial folds, and the murderous look of Mrs. Zhan, the Zhan family were all startled.

Xiao Yao was delighted to see Ma's unfortunate misfortune, with a schadenfreude smile on her face, and she blurted out the sarcastic words, "Mother just missed, brother and sister, why are you a daughter-in-law yelling at your mother-in-law!"

However, Xiao Yao was also jealous of the New Year gift that Li received. If the elder brother didn't get rid of the family, Li didn't move out, and his parents were pressing on it. Most of those good things would go into the second room's pocket.

"Mother, I know you're angry. Big brother won't treat us as a family after we get rid of the clan. It hurts your heart." Little Yao came over and patted Mrs. Zhan's back soothingly, "But mother and son. How can there be any hatred overnight, mother, eldest brother is the most filial to you, knowing that you still miss him, eldest brother will definitely..."

Clap!The applause sounded crisply, and Xiao Yao's face still had a self-righteous smile, and the whole person was beaten.

Madam Zhan was so strong that this slap slapped Xiao Yao's face off, and in the blink of an eye, her face was swollen, and the prints of her five fingers were clearly visible.

"Ah!" Shouting hoarsely, Mrs. Zhan's thin old face was savage and twisted, staring at Xiao Yao and Ma, as if she would kill anyone who dared to call Mr. Zhan!

Zhan Erlang's children trembled with fright, and looked at the ferocious old lady Zhan tremblingly.

The old man Zhan was a little annoyed, but he didn't dare to confront the old lady Zhan.

Ever since he couldn't speak, old man Zhan felt that this old woman was like a ghost, her body was cold, and the look in people's eyes made people panic. After lying down every night, old man Zhan was afraid that old lady Zhan would get up in the middle of the night. strangle him.

"Everyone eats, if you have anything else to say after dinner!" Old Zhan started talking, and the others didn't dare to speak.

Besides, the two daughters-in-law, one's forehead was smashed by a bowl, and the other was slapped on the face, this is not a good time to call Boss Zhan back.

The crazy old lady Zhan finally stopped, but she looked at the two daughters-in-law with a vicious look like a ghost, and then she picked up the chopsticks and started eating.

Mrs. Zhan has not been out of the gate of Zhan's house since she became mute, but with Xiao Yao and Mrs. Ma there, Mrs. Zhan also knows that Zhan Feiyu has received many years' gifts, which are all valuable and good things, adding up to at least a few One hundred taels.

But when she thought that she was poisonous and dumb, old lady Zhan was really scared. She was afraid that the second son of Zhan and the others would plot against Zhan Feiyu and anger those people, and it would be too late if they lost their lives.

……

On the other side, Zhan Feiyu, who had eaten the New Year's Eve dinner, didn't seem to notice Li's absent-mindedness, "Mother, I went back to my room to read, and the article arranged by the master hasn't been written yet."

When he came back to his senses, Mrs. Li hurriedly said, "Okay, mother, I'll bring you the charcoal basin. Don't freeze."

Although the price of black charcoal is not cheap, Zhan Feiyu has to study hard every night until late at night, and the family is not short of money, so Mr. Li bought [-] catties of charcoal from a charcoal burner in the village.

When Zhan Feiyu warmed up his hands and started to write with a pen, there was a slight sound of opening the door outside. Zhan Feiyu smiled, restrained his mind and continued to transcribe the craftsmanship in his hand.

Yin Wuyan asked people to send two boxes, one big and one small, but the small boxes were not silver ingots, but the silver that big families used as rewards.

The specially made silver is in the shape of plum blossoms, gourds, and silver nudes. It is estimated that there are more than 100 taels in a box, which is enough for Zhan Feiyu to support the market.

The other box is full of books, ten of which contain excellent works of craftsmanship and art from the prefectural and rural exams in recent years, as well as excellent craftsmanship and art by the students of Guozijian.

The most important thing is that these articles have comments. Although the handwriting is different, it can be seen that it is comparable to the handwriting of calligraphy masters. Zhan Feiyu knows that these comments are written by great scholars. For Zhan Feiyu, these ten books are Make art textbooks!

Not to mention that Zhan Feiyu was fascinated by learning how to write and make art. Mrs. Li went out with two baskets. The snow had not yet melted, and the moonlight did not appear to be dark.

"Fengyu?" Boss Zhan, who opened the door, stared blankly at Mrs. Li outside the door. After reacting, his dark face showed ecstasy, "Why are you here? I...you..."

Mr. Li handed the basket in his hand to Boss Zhan. Seeing how excited he was that he was almost speechless, he finally walked in relentlessly.

The old hunter has two wooden houses, the one on the right is divided into two, the front is the kitchen and the back is the bedroom, the one on the left is the main house, with tables and chairs, and a wooden partition behind the table is used to store grain and sundries. Small warehouse.

"Sit down quickly." Boss Zhan put two baskets on the table and pulled the chair to let Li sit down, but he looked embarrassed looking at the messy room.

"You haven't eaten yet?" Mrs. Li looked at the dishes on the table.

It is estimated that there are six plates for a good meaning, one plate of scrambled eggs, bacon fried with garlic, one fish, fried cabbage, flour radish balls, and stewed tofu.

The food didn't move a single chopstick, so the heat would be gone, and Li Shi was inexplicably a little sad.

Looking at the nervous boss Zhan, Mrs. Li choked and asked, "Are you happy now? For the second child Zhan, you don't care about me and Xiaoyu, Zhan Dashan, you deserve it!"

"I..." Boss Zhan opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

At the beginning, he replaced the second child to eliminate the clan because the second child was not in good health after being stabbed seven times, and the mother cried so much. Dalang Saburo knelt down and begged him to be the uncle. Boss Zhan knew that he was sorry for his son and daughter, but he really didn't think so. I did it wrong myself.

But now, the solitary one lives in a wooden house, and he works in the fields and no one gives him water. When he returns to the house, he has a cold pot and a cold stove. At night, he sleeps alone on the bed, and the blanket is cold. panic.

The torment of the day has passed, and when he turned over in the middle of the night and couldn't fall asleep, Boss Zhan regretted it. Parents are important, brothers are important, but neither is more important than his wife and daughter.

Especially Xiao Yao stomps around in the village all day long, saying bad things about Li and Zhan Feiyu everywhere. Boss Zhan is honest and careless, but whether the village is right, the clan elders, and other people of the same age in the village, Everyone talked a lot, and Boss Zhan gradually realized that the younger brother Zhan [-]nd was not as good as he thought.

If the second child really respects the big brother and sister-in-law and loves Zhan Feiyu, the niece, why is he never restraining the little Yao family?

After a while, Boss Zhan, who seemed to be pressing a mountain on his body, said in a low voice, "I'm sorry for you and Xiaoyu!"

When I lost it, I knew I regretted it. Everyone else was a family reunion, and only he who was a big New Year had no one to talk to.

Li Shi suddenly laughed, "You're not sorry for us, Xiaoyu can study after he adopts it, and when he moves out, I don't need to serve a whole family, and I don't have to let two younger siblings, there is delicious food and drink. We can give everything to Xiaoyu, our mothers have lived much better than in your Zhan's house."

Because she is the elder sister-in-law, she doesn't know how much grievances and losses she has suffered over the years, but what can she do?Her own man is a personality, and her mother-in-law is partial to the second bedroom and the third bedroom, so Mrs. Li can only swallow her anger, all she wants is the peace of the house.

Boss Zhan stared blankly at Mrs. Li. She was wearing a new cotton-padded coat and a silver hairpin on her head, because she seemed more gentle and gentle when she smiled.

Boss Zhan suddenly remembered that when she first saw Mrs. Li many years ago, she also smiled like this, warm and comforting.

"There are dumplings in the basket. You cook and eat them tomorrow morning. The remaining three dishes are also your favorites." Mr. Li didn't care about the bamboo basket and dishes, and turned around and left after speaking.

"Fengyu, I..." Boss Zhan came back to his senses and hurriedly grabbed Li's arm.

"I know you want to live with our mother, but I will ask you in Zhan Dashan, if your mother, your brother, and your nephew all come to you to cry and be poor, borrow money, borrow fabrics, borrow pen, ink, paper and inkstone, what would you do? manage?"

Li's voice was clear and fast, and seemed aggressive, "That's my daughter's stuff, why should I give it to others?"

Pulling back his hand forcefully, Mrs. Li strode out without waiting for Boss Zhan to answer.

Cold wind poured in from the open door. Boss Zhan thought about Li's words, how many gifts Xiaoyu received, and Boss Zhan knew that those fabrics were enough to make twenty or thirty clothes.

If it was before, he couldn't watch his nephew and niece wearing ragged clothes for the new year, but Xiaoyu had endless new clothes, and even if he didn't open his mouth, his mother would ask for it, and the two younger siblings would quarrel. There must be a compromise.

But he satisfied his nephew and niece, but it was his daughter who was wronged!Boss Zhan wiped his face fiercely. Feng Yu was right. After moving out, their mothers would have a better life. They don't need to be wronged anymore, but why is he so uncomfortable.

……

On the first day of the new year, after eating dumplings, Zhan Feiyu and Mrs. Li went to the old patriarch's house to pay New Year's greetings with the New Year's gift. A jar of good wine, half a catty of tea, and four kinds of cakes are definitely considered a great gift in four villages and eight villages. .

"Grandpa, Happy Chinese New Year, Xiaoyu wishes you good health and all the best." Zhan Feiyu wore a bright red cotton jacket and combed two small tweezers with a hairband, two dangling at the ends of the hairband. Pearl, swaying slightly, looked luxurious but childlike.

"Haha, the great grandfather is in good health, and I'm still waiting for you to set up a wine for you after you are named on the golden list, and I will set up a memorial archway for you in the future!" The old patriarch laughed loudly, in a very good mood.

When the daughter who is married on the second day of the new year returns to her parents' home, I believe that people in all four villages and eight townships know that the county magistrate Chen gave Xiaoyu a New Year's gift. Who would dare to underestimate their Zhan family in the future!When Xiaoyu takes the exam again, the Zhan family will be prosperous!

After that, Zhan Feiyu went to the village and the hometowns of several clans. There were also some elders in the Zhan family who were kind to Li and Zhan Feiyu.

Although Boss Zhan was expelled from his family, he still lived in the village, especially the Zeng family who were imprisoned. Boss Zhan also went to several elders' homes to pay New Year's greetings, and was warmly stayed for dinner, but he was politely rejected by Boss Zhan. .

"Haha, you three brothers have a tacit understanding." In the room, the talking clan elder laughed, and beckoned Boss Zhan to sit down, "You came as soon as the second and third were seated."

Boss Zhan put down the cake, "Uncle Wutang."

The five clans are always the cousins ​​of old Zhan in the next room. The two families are very close. The old Zhan and the others bring their children here every year to pay New Year's greetings, but this year, the old Zhan is alone.

"Big brother." Second and third Zhan also hurriedly called.

Compared with the enthusiasm of the two brothers, Boss Zhan looked dull and indifferent, nodded and said nothing.

"Dashan, the Zeng family has all been taken away by the government, and the story of your excommunication can be turned over. I will go to the patriarch in two days, and then write your name on the genealogy!" The five clan elders touched it. He touched his beard and sighed, "At the beginning, there was no way for the clan to do anything. The Zeng family was so powerful that I could only wrong you. Fortunately, God opened his eyes."

Whether it's exterminating the clan or returning to the clan, after all, the clan has the final say. I used to be afraid of the Zeng family's revenge, but now I don't have this concern anymore.

"Big brother." Zhan Laosan looked at Zhan boss eagerly, just waiting for him to nod.

Although I earn money to go to the dock to pull goods, I leave early and return late. In winter, the dripping water turns into ice. The third Zhan feels that his face is cracked by the cold wind, and his hands and feet are also frozen with frostbite. There is no water.

Once the eldest brother comes back, he has so much money, and he will not be short of the money he earned from buying goods. He still follows his father as the cook to make a light meal, which is also hot in summer. Can eat good food.

The second brother Zhan choked and looked at the boss Zhan with red eyes, "Brother, I'm sorry for you, it's because my body is not good enough!"

"Family brothers, broken bones and tendons, the boss also knows that you have been stabbed seven times, and your body can't stand it." The old man of the five tribes looked a little sad, and said earnestly to Zhan Laodao: "You are the eldest brother, in the future you will Father and mother have to rely on you to support the elderly, Dashan, we all know your grievances as elders, you are good!"

Thinking of Li's words last night, Boss Zhan said after a moment of silence: "Uncle Wutang, I'm not returning to the ancestry, so that's good. Every year, I also give money to the elderly like the people in the separated villages."

Zhan's second and third Zhan's faces changed suddenly. They didn't look for the village chief or the old patriarch. They came to Wutangbo's house to wait for the eldest brother, just knowing that the eldest brother was soft-hearted, but he did not expect that the eldest brother would refuse without even thinking about it.

"Brother, don't be confused. I said something ugly. You can't be buried in your ancestor's grave in the future. Do you want to be a lonely ghost?" .

"Brother, are you blaming me?" Second Zhan's already pale face was now even less bloody, looking like he could fall down at any time.

"Big brother, I'm afraid of death. I should have killed the clan at the beginning, but I'm afraid that this body is useless. When I die, I will leave Dalang Saburo to suffer." Zhan Lao Er staggered forward.

Going to the chair of Boss Zhan, he knelt down with a plop, and the second lad Zhan pressed his forehead against the cold ground, "Brother, come back, I will let my father divide the second room out, come back, otherwise I will not be able to rest my eyes even if I die in this life! "

Zhan's third child has been looking at Zhan's second child for a long time, and he feels that he has a lot of heart, but looking at Zhan's second child who is kneeling and kowtowing, Zhan's third child can't bear to turn his head away. After all, he is a brother who grew up together.

The clumsy boss Zhan stared blankly at the second Zhan who couldn't afford to kneel. He didn't know what to say, but he always remembered what Mr. Li said last night, so the boss said: "Second, I don't blame you. , get up, but I won't be back."

If she doesn't go back, her parents will not be Fengyu's elders, so she doesn't have to be wronged; Xiaoyu has already adopted, and boss Zhan knows that no matter what, Zhan Feiyu will never return to his name, and he has no daughter.

So if I don't go back, their mother and daughter can live well, and the Zhan family has not changed much, and there will be no more quarrels. Boss Zhan is not smart, and he also has the intention of escaping. He doesn't need to be caught in the middle if he doesn't go home. Difficult.

No one would have thought that Boss Zhan was determined not to return to the sect. No matter how the third and five clan elders persuaded him, and no matter how the [-]nd Zhan knelt down to apologize, the dull and honest man, Boss Zhan, said one sentence: not to return to the sect.

Old Man Zhan, Xiao Yao Shi and Ma Shi saw the unsightly faces of the brothers, and their expectations were suddenly shattered.

"That renegade son! If he doesn't come back, he will die outside!" Old man Zhan yelled in anger, turned around and walked into the room, sitting on a chair smoking a dry cigarette, and resented the most filial and obedient old man Zhan.

　After checking, Guizong not only refers to the married woman and the return of the family, but also refers to the return of the branch to the direct branch, or the person who has left the clan to return to the clan.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)