Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 372
Yu Xiaonian went to Ping'anjing by boat the next day, while Fan Ning took his wife Zhu Pei to Xincheng, Han County, and started his tour of the state.

Before dawn, the family set off. Zhu Pei rode in a two-horse cart, and Fan Ning followed on horseback. They headed for Han County, more than 100 miles away, along the newly built official road. The reason why they didn’t take a boat was because Because the official ships were all berthed at the Han County Wharf, and the round trip time was too long, they simply took a carriage to Han County.

This official road connecting Han County and Tang County is three feet wide, that is, about nine meters. It was completely opened by nearly [-] Japanese laborers from the lush pine forest, and more than [-] Guangda trees were cut down. The precious amber wood was transported back to the capital, and the thick and strong trees became the raw materials for building houses, and the branches were used for heating in winter.

The road was rammed extremely flat and solid, not a single blade of grass grew, and even the melted snow water was difficult to integrate into the soil. Of course, with years of erosion, the roadbed will still soften a little bit, the soil will become loose, and eventually weeds will grow , regrown with big trees, and disappeared in the forest, but at least decades later, at least 20 years later, this official road will still be as flat and wide as ever.

There are still lush pine forests on both sides of the official road. Although it is early in the morning, the forest still looks a bit gloomy. Occasionally, black bears can be seen, and a herd of deer will run across the road ahead.

In addition to Fan Ning on horseback, there were twenty cavalrymen following him, and they were not the only ones on the official road. From time to time, pedestrians riding Japanese ponies could be seen. This was the war bonus distributed to the people of Kunzhou more than ten days ago. Every family is assigned a pony, which becomes their walking power.

Although the trip was a bit hard, Zhu Pei was full of interest and in a good mood. She sat by the window and looked at the situation in the forest, and she cried out in surprise from time to time, "Husband, look, there is a little bear over there. "

Her shout made the soldiers raise their bows and arrows, and their expressions became tense. If they found the cub, it meant that the mother bear was nearby, which was a very dangerous situation.

Fan Ning waved his hand, signaling to the soldiers not to be nervous. He also saw the little bear, who was still a little away from the official road.

At this time, a group of deer came out of the forest and flew past them like lightning. The soldiers shot arrows one after another. Unfortunately, the reaction was a little slow, and none of the deer were shot.

Surprised and delighted, Zhu Pei said to Fan Ning, "Husband, where are the deer herds?"

Fan Ning smiled slightly: "In two days, we will go to the northern grassland, and we should be able to see deer herds!"

It took a day's journey from Tang County to Han County. In the evening, they finally entered the county seat, and the county magistrate Cao Shi came out to greet them after hearing the news.

"The lower officials don't know that Zhizhou is coming, so they are far away to welcome them!"

Fan Ning dismounted from his horse, handed the horse to his attendants, stepped forward and said with a smile, "I'm not here to inspect Han County this time, but to take a boat in Han County, and take a look at the progress of the official residence and government office."

"The government offices and residences are ready, Zhizhou should go see them now, or stay here first and see them tomorrow morning?"

Fan Ning thought for a while and said, "Then let's stay here first!"

Cao Shi looked at the carriage and said with a smile: "That's right, after a day's driving, Madam should be tired too, Zhizhou please follow me!"

Han County built a special official post for VIPs, mainly to receive officials from the imperial court who came to Kunzhou for inspection. Other children of dignitaries who came to Kunzhou for mining could also stay temporarily for a few days, and Fan Ning's entourage lived in the ordinary post next to it.

Fan Ning and the carriage had just arrived in front of the VIP official post, and saw a person walking out of the official post, Fan Ning was startled, suddenly surprised and delighted, "Third grandfather, why are you here?"

It was Zhu Yuanfeng who came out of the posthouse. Seeing Fan Ning, Zhu Yuanfeng smiled triumphantly, "Didn't I say that I would also come to Kunzhou? You still don't believe me, thinking I'm too old to take a sea boat?"

Zhu Pei jumped out of the carriage, grabbed the third grandfather's arm and said excitedly: "When did the third grandfather come, why didn't you go to Tang County to find me?"

"You damn girl, you are already the wife of an official, why don't you be more stable?"

Zhu Yuanfeng said, but he was still very happy to see his granddaughter. He patted her on the head and said with a smile: "I just arrived yesterday. I took the Danzhou boat to Nagasaki. I stayed in Nagasaki for ten days, and then I took the long-distance boat again. Qi Qi’s merchant ship is coming, and I intend to visit Suzaku Island first, and then go to Tang County to visit you.”

Fan Ning said with a smile: "It happens that we are going north tomorrow, so grandpa can go with us!"

"Is it convenient?" Zhu Yuanfeng smiled.

"Of course it's convenient. Ape and I will go for a walk together, and my grandfather will follow along."

Zhu Yuanfeng nodded happily, "Then I won't be polite."

"Did Grandpa come here alone?" Jupe asked again.

"And your sister-in-law, she is here with me this time."

The little girl Zhu Yuanfeng mentioned was his youngest daughter, Zhu Jie, in her thirties. Her husband died of illness last year. She currently lives in her natal family. This time, she accompanied her father to Kunzhou to take care of him.

Zhu Pei was overjoyed, "Where is sister-in-law?"

"Come out soon, we plan to go out for dinner, just as you are here, let's go together."

Just as Zhu Yuanfeng finished speaking, a young woman came out of the door. She was Zhu Yuanfeng's youngest daughter, Zhu Jie.

At this time, Yi Cheng stepped forward to salute Fan Ning and said, "The small courtyard for Zhizhou has been arranged. Is Zhizhou going now?"

Fan Ning said with a smile: "Let's go to eat first, and come back later."

"Zhizhou can come to look for a humble job at any time!"

Fan Ning asked Yicheng to take the luggage in, and handed over the carriage and horses to him, and he led a group of people to Wazi in the center of the county.

The businesses in Han County are all concentrated in Wazi, and there are also three restaurants, which are also opened by the proprietors of the restaurant in Tang County. There are also three brothels, basically replicating the main shops in Tang County.

The largest restaurant is called Yangji Restaurant. Zhu Yuanfeng smiled and said, "My sister-in-law and I had dinner here yesterday. It was not bad. The seafood is very special!"

Kunzhou prohibits Japanese men from engaging in the service industry, so the restaurants here are the same as those in Tang County, with seven or eight young Japanese ladies working as waiters.

Everyone went up to the second floor, Jian Meizi wanted to eat at the next table, but Zhu Yuanfeng stopped her, "Everyone is in a foreign land, there are not so many rules, you have been with A Pei for so many years, you are also a member of our Zhu family, just sit down , Aya also sit down!"

Jianmeizi and Aya couldn't refuse, so they had to sit down, and the six of them happened to sit at the same table.

Zhu Yuanfeng said with a smile to the shopkeeper who came forward: "Last night, the Haizu dinner was good. Let's have another table today, and add another roasted venison, some vegetables, and the best wine."

"Don't worry, old man, I'll be here soon!"

The shopkeeper hurried away, and Zhu Yuanfeng smiled at Fan Ning: "If no one told me that this is thousands of miles away overseas, I really feel that I am still in the Song Dynasty, and there is no difference between here and the Song Dynasty!"

"In fact, there is still a difference. It's just that my grandfather just came here and hasn't realized it yet. After living for a long time, he will know it, especially in winter. This is a world covered with snow, which is much colder than Da Song."

"Maybe! But the hot spring here is very comfortable, I like it very much, I heard from Yicheng, the hot spring here can also cure diseases?"

Fan Ning nodded with a smile, "It can cure diseases, such as skin diseases, or inconvenient hands and feet joints, and more hot springs are indeed effective."

As the crowd was talking, several young Japanese ladies brought them wine, which was Yuye sake brewed in Panlou, the capital city. Zhu Jie quickly filled the wine cups for everyone. Fan Ning toasted and said with a smile: "This glass of wine is for grandfather and sister-in-law. Take the wind and wash away the dust, we have done this!"

"Cheers!" Everyone raised their wine cups and drank in one gulp.

Early the next morning, Zhu Yuanfeng followed Fan Ning and Zhu Pei to see their official residence with his daughter. The official residence had just been repaired, and the furniture hadn't been furnished yet. It was currently vacant. The front yard, the atrium and the back house. The back house also has a small garden. There is a century-old maple tree in the atrium, which grows in situ.

There are more than [-] vacant houses in the front and back, and the back house is composed of three courtyards. The most wonderful thing is that there is a natural hot spring in the back house, surrounded by fences, and the pearl-like spring water flows out steaming, and finally along the An underground river flows out of the mansion. In fact, this official residence was built around this hot spring.

"Ah Ning, to enjoy the hot spring alone, as expected of a state official, it's a luxury!" Zhu Yuanfeng joked.

Fan Ning smiled and said, "Han County has more hot springs than Tang County. There are only three springs in Tang County, but there are seventeen in Han County. It's normal to leave one spring in my residence."

Zhu Pei liked it very much. She wished she could move here right away. At this time, she didn't have the mood to go shopping anymore, so she said to Fan Ning, "Let's get ready to go! Go back to Tang County as soon as possible, and I'll move here when I get back."

"It should be almost ready to move when we go back!"

Fan Ning said to Zhu Yuanfeng again: "The luggage has been delivered to the ship, why don't we get on the ship and head north!"

"Okay! I also really want to see my island, so get on the boat now."

When everyone came to the pier, a big ship with ten thousand stones had been waiting for a long time, everyone boarded the big ship, the big ship set off, slowly left the pier, and sailed towards the deep sea.

(End of this chapter)