Zhu Pingan faded away, and his back slowly lost its outline, turning into a drop of fuzzy pale ink colour that slowly blended into the withered autumn colours.
By the Qinhuai River, that fifteen or sixteen year old girl held the ink treasure left behind by Zhu Ping An in both hands and looked at Zhu Ping An’s back, unable to calm down for a long time.
“Let’s go, Susu, such a young man is not something we can afford to climb.” The seventeen or eighteen year old girl shook her head, pulling the red-eyed girl’s scattered hair into a bun, and comforted with a despondent voice.
When the fifteen or sixteen year old girl heard this, her eyes became even redder, biting her shell teeth and nodding silently, walking along with the seventeen or eighteen year old girl towards the other side of the Qin Huai River
After this outburst by these two young girls, the time was already almost dusk.
Zhu Pingan left the bank of the Qinhuai River, and then casually strolled in the Yingtian City, to see if there is a good food, after two days, he will go home, Yingtian has a lot of food, and he has not yet eaten enough of it.
While Zhu Pingan was strolling casually, the official postman who had changed his horse three times on the stagecoach route had already steered his horse into the county town of Huaining, carrying with him the glad tidings of this year’s new recruits.
Sunset and Sunrise
When Zhu Pingan rushed from the inn to the Jiangnan Tribute Academy Mingyuan Building, from the county town of Huaining, there were several government officials wearing black and red costumes, full of joy, holding gongs, glad tidings, oboes, and so on.
The sky red clouds, full of golden waves, the red sun lit up the eastern sky.
Zhu Pingan and a group of square scarf and blue robe of the new students, in the red sun shine in the spirit of the south of the Jiangnan Tribute Academy, wading up to the Mingyuan building. Mingyuan building, “Mingyuan” two words, taken from the “University” in the “prudent end to catch up with the distant. The meaning of “Mingde is thick”. Mingyuan building three floors high, Zhu Pingan along with the crowd into the third floor. At this time, the Lord of the School Master had not yet arrived, so Zhu Pingan waited quietly with the crowd for the Lord of the School Master to host a banquet to present the flowers.
The ground floor of Mingyuan Building was surrounded by doors. The two upper floors had windows on all sides, Zhu Pingan stood by the window and looked down, indeed he could have a glimpse of the Tribute Academy.
While Zhu Pingan and the others were waiting for the scholar-advocate, the lower river village had already exploded at this time.
In the morning after breakfast, the people who work on the ground, from a distance, they saw five or six red-clothed government officials riding their horses, just arrived at the border of the village, they dismounted and hung a plate of cannonballs on a tree. Bam, bam, deafening up.
Afterwards, there were gongs and drums and suona sounding.
As soon as they entered the village, they were celebrating, and this was a treatment that only the head of the case could enjoy.
“Sir, what’s going on?” A bold old farmer came forward to ask.
“Congratulations, congratulations, congratulations to your village’s Master Zhu for being the head of the high school case in the boyhood exam, and for being admitted to the Xiu Cai.” The magistrate holding the red paper was full of smiles as he congratulated.
Upon hearing this, the old farmer did not hoe the land anymore. With one hand, he threw his hoe into the roadside ditch and ran up to the village.
“Uncle Li, what are you running for.” A curious man asked.
“Quickly, our village has a scholar. After so many years, we finally have a scholar. Quickly go to Old Zhu’s house to report the good news.”
The old farmer jogged breathlessly while talking about the good news of Xihe Village with an excited face.
“Really?” The hanyou was overjoyed.
“Old man I’m an old man, what’s the point of lying to you. Didn’t you see the yamen over there setting off cannonballs and blowing their heads off.” The old farmer blew his moustache and glared.
The old farmer’s side only finished speaking, and then he saw that Hanzi wailed. Running ahead of himself, he could only follow behind and eat dirt.
“You bast*rd boy. Wait for the old man.” The old farmer was so angry that he hated not being twenty years younger.
“Hahaha, Uncle Li, it’s better to let my nephew me run this errand job.” The Hanzi giggled, his head didn’t turn back, and he could run forward with vigour.
“You bast*rd boy,” the old farmer laughed and scolded.
The man just smiled, the more scolded, the more joyful running.
Along the way more and more people heard the news, along the way to join the army of good news.
This is the whole village of the lower river of good news ah, the lower river village why will be shorter than the village of the upper river a head, but not only on the river village rich, the greater part is still because of the village of the upper river of the Sun old man so a scholar sitting in the town.
Now finally, finally down the river village also out of the scholar, or the case head, tsk, what is called the case head of the old farmers they do not know, but listen to the meaning of the official who reported the good news, bullish very much, as if more than the scholar is also higher than a head.
More and more people heard the news, but also more and more people joined the army of good news, a group of people to the Zhu family’s old house rushed to rush, anxious to dare to notify the old Zhu family before the official messenger of good news. You have to clean up the house neatly, brightly, fruit melon seeds reward money can be ready, but this is the next river village head of a scholar, can not be in front of the official loss of face of the next river village. If the old Zhu family temporary short of anything, we these folks also from their own family to bring, can not let the official messenger look down on our next river village.
As for why Old Zhu’s family
I can think with the buttocks ah, people officials have said congratulations to our village Zhu Laozi high school students test high school head, Zhu Laozi, our village on the old Zhu family boss and young grandson is a student, and only the two of them went to catch up with the examination, can call the old man, must be the Zhu family boss. The last time I saw my grandson, he won a case, but he was a student, and I was congratulated for his success, but not for the fact that he was a good son,” he said. The first time I saw this, I was in the middle of a long journey, and I was in the middle of a long journey, and I was in the middle of a long journey, and I was in the middle of a long journey, and I was in the middle of a long journey, and I was in the middle of a long journey, and I was in the middle of a long journey.
So, the old farmers they took for granted that it was Master Zhu who was talking about the Zhu family boss Zhu Shouren.
The next river village is not big, these people did not take a moment to run from the village to the village.
Zhu Pingan’s mother, Chen, was under the front door of the shoe soles, saw a group of people rolled from the door to the village whistling away, bringing up a large dust, could not help but curiously asked a familiar village people, what is going on.
“The second family ah, you do not know it, your family Shouyi his big brother Shouren in the Xiu Cai it. Just now the two pals said they saw the announcer of good news at the entrance of the village and were heading here.” The village man described it in a loud and clear voice.
Upon hearing this, Chen, who was knitting the soles of her shoes, accidentally stubbed her hand.
“Then, what about my swine?” Chen asked with an eager face.
“It seems like I heard that we’ve won one in our village.” Another person added, and then hurriedly urged the villagers, “Quickly go, we must dare to tell Uncle Zhu before the officials, so that Uncle Zhu’s family can clean up.”
“Your family’s little swine didn’t pass the exam, but it’s good that you’re young, it’s nothing. Let’s go, Lao Er’s family, let’s go together to give your family Shou Yi his big brother’s good news.”
“That’s right, let’s go, Lao Er’s family, it’s good to have a student, don’t think too much Lao Er’s family, I believe that next time your little swine will surely win.”
The townspeople who came after them were talking to comfort each other, and then a group of people whizzed past, eager to brush up their goodwill towards the newly promoted Xiucai’s family, so that they could talk to each other about anything in the future. They are the masters of the Xiu Cai, and they are on a par with the county officials, so they will have a lot of time to ask for help in the future.
Zhu Pingan’s mother, Chen, looked at the crowd of people roaring to the old house in a daze, clenching the soles of her shoes, even the needle stuck in her hand again and stuck out the blood did not know. Although he did not think that the oldest two can pass the examination, but his eldest uncle passed the examination, his own oldest two did not pass the examination, or let Chen’s heart is very bad.
