The First Gongsheng of Ming Dynasty

Chapter 8 The Duties of the Head of the Family
The servants of Jiang's family began to carry wine from jar to jar in the west chamber.

Jiang Dezhong looked very magnanimous, as if he wanted to treat his son-in-law and grandson well, he waved his sleeves: "I'll give you two dishes..."

old fox.

Zhang Zhouxin said, I can't hide this ghostly thought from me. The advantage of having a full meal before coming here is reflected. If I ask you to drink with food, then my advantage is gone?
"Don't let people think that my son-in-law brought my son here for a meal, and we drink as soon as we drink! Don't engage in crooked ways, or are you afraid of father-in-law?"

"Who wouldn't dare? Just drink!"

Jiang Dezhong glared at Zhang Zhou. Of course he knew the dangers of drinking on an empty stomach, but now that he has no food in his stomach, drinking like this will greatly reduce his drinking capacity, but he didn't take Zhang Zhou's drinking capacity seriously, and sneered Said: "I'll throw up after drinking, no one will take you back!"

"Father-in-law, don't worry too much. I can climb back by myself. Anyway, the dog will lead the way and won't die on the way! Father-in-law, please!"

Zhang Zhou specially asked someone to bring up a big bowl, filled Jiang Dezhong's bowl, and filled it up for himself.

Jiang Dezhong said to his servant: "Watch me carefully, don't let him spill at all, the old man just waits to see his jokes!"

"Gudong Gudong..."

……

……

After half an hour.

Jiang Dezhong hugged an empty wine jar, and sat cross-legged on the ground in a stable manner. Several servants went up to pull him up, but they didn't pull him up.

"Don't tear my clothes!"

Zhang Zhou stood alone, with a steady and long voice: "Father-in-law, let's come again. We haven't finished the two jars yet, so why are we going under the table? Dalang, help grandpa get up!"

"Cough cough cough..."

Jiang Dezhong's old face was flushed. Hearing his son-in-law's words, his old face was flushed with suffocation.

"drink!"

Face still doesn't allow him to give in, even if he is sitting on the ground, he still has to ask someone to fill up the wine for him.

But it was the servant who had just taken a sip and then spit out the wine with a "wow".

"Father-in-law, it looks like today's victory has been decided, and the fifty shibai rice..."

"Give it to him, give it to him!"

Jiang Dezhong lost his temper completely this time.

Zhang Zhoudao: "There is no evidence for empty talk. You need to make a written proof. The agreement is a loan. My son-in-law will never take it by chance. But my house is narrow and it is easy to attract snakes, insects, rats and ants. I will store the rice in your warehouse first. I will turn around." Go get it. Please, bring me a pen, ink, paper and inkstone.”

"master?"

"Take, take!"

……

……

As a victor, Zhang Zhou was not proud of his victory. When he picked up his pen, he said that it was like a god, and the writing was extremely fluent. After he finished writing, he asked Jiang Dezhong to sign it. I can't even hold a pen.

In the end, he only pressed his fingerprints, and Zhang Zhou took his "trophy" and left Jiang's house with his son.

But he said that Zhang Zhou walked steadily, as if he had never drunk, which made Jiang Dezhong look stupid.

"Dad, what happened?"

Zhang Zhou's brother-in-law and Jiang Dezhong's eldest son Jiang Shanquan came back from outside after hearing the news. He didn't see his brother-in-law and nephew, but his father was holding a wooden barrel and vomited.

The old servant at the side said helplessly: "Eldest young master, my master competed with the second master of the Zhang family for wine, and lost, and borrowed him fifty stones of food. This is the first time that the master has lost in a wine competition with countless people in his life..."

Jiang Dezhong's old face couldn't bear it, and he barely stood up straight, but he was still trying to be brave: "You bastard! I don't have any knowledge at all. Is it true that I lost my way when I was an old man? This is called strategy! What he owes to others is better than what he owes to his father. Turn around like this Ask him to collect debts, if he still doesn't make it, why don't you just send your sister back obediently... Ugh!"

The mouth is still showing off, but the body is very honest.

Jiang Shanquan asked with a puzzled face: "Why did Bingkuan come to our house to borrow food? Even if we can't eat, we can just borrow money. What's the use of borrowing food?"

"Bah! That kid said that there is going to be a disaster in the Huanghuai River, and that the price of rice will rise sharply. I believe him, a dude like him, he will lose all his money in business... What are you still doing?" ? Get me some hangover tea for this old man..."

"When did that bastard drink so much? Ugh..."

……

……

Zhang Zhou felt a little better after crossing. Even after drinking nearly two jars of low-alcohol liquor and leaving the gate of the Jiang Mansion, his body began to shake a little, but his mind was still clear.

"Father, grandpa said he would give us [-] Shimi, why didn't someone take it away? Stay at his house, and next time, can he admit it?" Zhang Jun felt that his father had done something wrong.

Zhang Zhou said in a calm tone: "Your grandfather deliberately gave me a chance to win him. He will not renege on the debt. Besides, the food is safe in his warehouse, and I can use it to fight. If it is shipped home, Cars, horses, and power require money, and storage is not easy. If someone comes to loot them, can we stop them?"

"Oh." Zhang Jun seemed to understand.

"You lead the way, my eyes are a bit blurry, if I can't hold on, you can leave me by the side of the road, go back and tell your mother to find someone to get me back."

"it is good!"

The father and son supported each other, walked and rested along the way, and finally returned home.

After Zhang Jun knocked on the door, Jiang Pingyu and Han Qing came out to help people into the hospital, Jiang Pingyu was still talking: "What's going on? Why do you have to drink so much wine?"

Zhang Zhoudao: "Ma'am, I didn't mess around outside. I competed with your father for wine and won him. He agreed to lend me fifty shimi to start a small business. This is two hundred Wen, which is from my elder brother." You don't have to pay back what you asked for."

"what?"

Both Jiang Pingyu and Han Qing were stunned.

Zhang Zhou barely supported his tired body, smiled and said, "Ma'am, I didn't disappoint you, did I?"

"Husband..." Jiang Pingyu was also very moved.

Zhang Zhoudao: "I really can't hold it anymore, let me sleep first. I may have suffered from the wind and cold recently. After this meal of wine... it may take several days. When I get better, I will use the fifty dollars your father gave me." Shi Mi, with a small fortune, earn us a fortune."

Han Qing asked, "Are you going to gamble?"

"It's not gambling, it's business! I will never touch those unclean things as a husband in the future." Zhang Zhou corrected.

Jiang Pingyu hurriedly said: "Okay, hurry up and help him to rest. Don't talk about your husband, you are the head of this family, and we will all rely on you in the future. Don't work so hard, your health is important."

……

……

Gongyuan, inner curtain.

At the end of the three-day examination, an inner curtain official selected two papers and showed them to Liu Ji and Wang Jia, who are the chief examiners of Yingtianfu Township Examination.

"Two superiors, the review of the first round of four books in Zhujuan is coming to an end, here are two excellent papers selected, both of which have been approved by more than six graders, and I specially brought them for you two to have a look at. "

Liu Ji brought two papers, looked at one of them and said, "I have an impression of this one. It is brilliant, and its understanding of the scriptures is very profound, and all the dictionaries are appropriate. The best candidate for Xie Yuan."

Wang Jia picked up another one and said, "But I think this one is better."

Liu Ji asked, "Why?"

Wang Ji said: "Look at his exposition of the ambition of benevolence, as well as his understanding of the loyalty and forgiveness of self and others. He treats the world with generosity and benevolence. The use of classics, meanings and allusions in Chinese literature is not perfect, but in the imperial examinations of the Ming Dynasty, officials were selected, not talents."

"Jizhi, what do you mean to say that I pay too much attention to the clarification of the classics when I take this?" Liu Ji seemed to have realized something, "Speaking of it, it is really as you said. From the perspective of conception, it is still your share." , more in the style of "Quan Shu" and "Heng Lun". Then use this to explain the Yuan Juan?"

Wang Jia said: "There's no rush, it won't be too late to make a decision after reading the papers for the next two rounds together. Speaking of which, we have been away from Beijing for more than a month, so it's time to end our errands for Neilan earlier and return to Beijing."

Liu Ji said with a smile: "No hurry, I'd better wait until after the Lu Ming Banquet is over before leaving, even I want to see what kind of person can write such an article. It is said that Jiangnan is so talented, it really is so .”

(End of this chapter)