The skilled widow is busy farming

Chapter 74 Returning to the Village
Zhou Yi went home and asked his parents for instructions. The old father only said one sentence, "We have a higher family status. I am not picky about anything else. I only want to say one thing. I want your sister to take a look. She has sacrificed for your brothers and this family." A lot of effort has gone into it, so there’s no reason not to let her participate.”

"That's natural. I've already written a letter asking my sister to come to Beijing. I haven't seen her for a long time and I really miss her. I just take this opportunity to bring her and stay with her for a few days so that our family can reunite for a few days."

Zhou Yi thought of his miserable sister and his heart ached.

If my sister's tapestry paintings weren't there for my promotion this time, I might have to wait another two or three years. After all, it's my sister who loves me, and I just feel sorry for her hard work in planning.

"Son, Brother Qun is here this time. You have to take a good look at her and give me more advice in the future. Your sister is suffering too much. Hey!"

The old mother begged her son not to forget her grandson, who was her daughter's last resort.

"Don't worry, as long as Brother Qun has fame, I will definitely be with you to support and teach him. The marriage will be announced in the capital, and I will not let go."

Zhou Yi had already thought about it, and he would be sent to the capital to teach after his brothers passed the national examination.

Qun Ge had to observe filial piety so he could not take the imperial examination on time. He had to wait exactly three years from the year after tomorrow before entering the examination room.

Here, Brother Heng arrived home with four Jinshis in mid-May, and Lijia Village was once again excited. The children were back, and several families who had been looking forward to it were crying with joy.

Holding each other and crying.

It took a long time to sit together and talk.

"Mom, my son kowtows to his grandparents, father, mother, eldest brother and second sister-in-law to express his gratitude."

Li Heng knelt and kowtowed to his elder Qian, his voice choked with sobs.

"Good boy, get up."

"Brother Heng, you are doing well. You have lived up to our expectations. Congratulations. This is the honor you deserve."

Xiu Niang also gave encouragement and praise.

"Second sister-in-law, my brother kowtows to you. Thank you very much for your guidance and support. My brother will keep it in mind."

Brother Heng did not get up and kowtowed to his sister-in-law again. He could not be as smooth as he is today without his sister-in-law's hard planning and planning.

"When I went to the capital, I realized that the poor people in the capital were miserable. The salary was not enough to support themselves, let alone the favors and gifts. Only then did I understand that gaining fame was only the first step in an official career."

"That's right, elders, the officials in the capital are too poor. It's not unfair to call them mud-legged people from poor families. Many officials in the capital can't even wear cotton shoes in winter, and they still wear single shoes. This is what I have seen with my own eyes. Yes, we go to court on our own donkeys and can’t afford a horse. We are really rich and lucky.”

Another Jinshi lowered his head and sighed, full of emotion.

"Ah, I can't even wear cotton shoes."

"It's no exaggeration. The salary that Beijing officials receive is limited based on their official positions. Officials in Beijing are not allowed to do business, but slaves are allowed to do business. But in fact, we can't afford slaves at all. People are noble because they have the word "gui". That's how many ancestors we have. The painstaking efforts of the agent's business are family property and legal, and it is illegal for us to do business."

"That's right, Brother Zhou can reach the third rank of official today. He is really an outstanding person. He is outstanding in his own right. Few people can compare with him. Nine out of ten people in the capital who can secure the position of official in the capital are all outstanding people. We are too Tender.”

The other Jinshi also shook his head.

The children of Ethnology were greatly shocked when they heard this. In the past, they had heard too much that getting the honors was only the first step, and it was a bit of a fluke. I managed to pass the exams, but looking at what my brothers said, I couldn’t believe how many people there were in the capital. It's hard to get along, how cruel the officialdom is.

"When we started spring, Brother Zhou took us to the Meridian Gate to watch the beheading. The emperor beheaded a corrupt official at the entrance of the Meridian vegetable market. We were all covered in sweat. We were really taught a hard lesson. When a tile is thrown down, it can hit eight princes, nine officials, and one nobleman. You must be careful, otherwise you will die without knowing it."

"Oh my God!"

"You should study hard and don't let down the expectations of your tribe. These pens, inks, papers and inkstones are hard-earned money." Everyone started talking about each other, and several of them vividly talked about what they had seen and heard in the capital, which made everyone It opened my eyes.

After talking for a while, everyone went back to their homes, allowing the children to be alone with their relatives.Grandpa said that he should choose a good and auspicious day to open an ancestral hall to worship his ancestors.

Li Heng also followed his grandfather back home, but instead of changing clothes, he took paper money, drinks, and some gifts brought back from the capital and put them into baskets.

"Brother Heng, where are you going?"

"I'm going to see my second brother. I miss him and want to have a drink with him."

"Let's go, I'll accompany you. It's been a while since we three brothers drank together."

Li Mao took a deep breath after hearing this, and turned back to the house to get a jar of wine.

The mother-in-law lowered her head and turned her face into the house, secretly wiping her tears.

On the way, Li Hengcai told his eldest brother, "The eldest brother of the Zhou family sent people to investigate. The second brother was killed by gangsters. His body was thrown into the sea and was missing. Several gangsters were caught and said that the second brother was indeed dead. They threw the body into the sea themselves, and they searched for it for a long time but could not find it."

"..."

Li Mao raised his sleeve and wiped the corners of his eyes.

"That yard is what Xu Jin compensated to his second sister-in-law. Brother Zhou said... it's under my name. He will provide me with it first, and then support the younger one."

"Don't tell your sister-in-law about your second brother, for fear she won't be able to bear it. She and her elders agreed to give it to you as a wedding gift. If anything happens to Brother Qun and Brother Chun in the future, please think of your nephew. Just give it to your son, the family doesn’t care about these things, your sister-in-law is honest and she will give it to you as she said, so don’t feel bad.”

Li Mao took a deep breath, sat in front of the cemetery, wiped the tombstone with a cloth, pulled out the surrounding weeds, and cleaned up the area around the cemetery.

"Second brother, I passed the exam. I brought good wine from the capital. This is a specialty of the capital. You can try it."

Li Heng cried while talking. The journey from his hometown to the capital was not only a long journey, but also the hope of the whole village of the Li family. It was also the feeling that the Li family was in agony.

"Second brother, you see, my younger brother is very good. He passed the exam. Don't worry, our family will be better and better in the future. Just take your two children and younger siblings into consideration. I will teach Brother Qun and Brother Chun well and take good care of them. Brothers and sisters, our family will build a big yard next year. Our parents said that we will live with our brothers and sisters. Now that my brothers and sisters go to the clan school to teach, I see that she is more energetic..."

The brothers drank together and chatted about family matters. The brothers had not been reunited for a long time. If they drank together, they would not be able to reunite in the future.

After paying homage to his relatives, Li Heng went home, changed his clothes, and came out to talk to his family.

"Grandpa, grandma, parents, please come with me to the capital when I leave. Brother Zhou told me about the marriage. He is from the Qinggui family. My son may not be around to take care of you in the future, but this marriage is very important to me. Home is important.”

Li Heng matured overnight and became stable. He understood the difficulties and how to make choices.

He wants to be a pioneer, to break mountains and stones for Lijiacun, and to gain a foothold in the capital, so marriage is a must.

"Don't worry, I will live with Xiu Niang from now on, and we will accompany you. The capital is too far away and we can't go there more than once. You can just live well on your own, and we won't hold you back."

"When Brother Qun wins the imperial examination, go to the capital. I will take care of you there, and Brother Zhou will take care of you. There will be no problem with your studies."

Li Heng became more organized and understood the hard work of his relatives and elders.

"Hey, hit."

(End of this chapter)