Xiao Guoliang's time to visit the guests is only ten days, otherwise he will delay the gathering time to participate in the provincial examination in Bianliang City. Since there were more squires who sent people to congratulate him, Xiao Guoliang finished dealing with the matter of the private school and started a return visit non-stop.

First, the husband and wife discussed it and decided to return all the fields and properties that were sent. As for the silver taels that were sent, it was not easy to return, so I could only stay for the first time, and then have the opportunity to repay the favor later. Besides, the small family, which is already poor and white, also needs these silver taels temporarily, whether it is daily expenses or rushing to Bianliang to participate in the provincial examination, they need silver.

Every day, Sun hugged Xiao Yiran and stayed at home, and Xiao Guoliang went out early and returned late to pay respects. The sun and the moon are flying, and ten days have passed in a blink of an eye. Xiao Guoliang entrusted the small courtyard in the village to the care of Sishu, hired a mule cart, carried the family, and saluted a little, and in the blessings of the village chief and the people of the village, and said goodbye, gradually moved away from the village, and drove onto the official road to Bianliang City. Sishu mother and son have been sending a family of three to the official road before saying goodbye.

Before dark, before the gate of Bianliang City was about to close, the mule cart finally stopped at the gate of the city with a family of three. Since the mule cart had to return overnight, it was impossible to go into the city to see off Xiao Yiran's family. So, Sun hugged Xiao Yiran, Xiao Guoliang saluted on his back, went into the city and found an inn at random, and stayed first. Although the people from the new middle school in this era came to participate in the provincial examination, the state arranged room and board, but it was too late and they could only report tomorrow.

The family, who was no longer as poor as the last time they went to Luoyang City to participate in the township test, called a relatively hearty meal after freshening up in the inn room. One meat and two vegetables, two large bowls of white rice, plus a pot of tea. This is the best meal for the family since Xiao Yiran was born in this family, except for the day of the 100th day and the day when the good news arrived home.

Sun fed Xiao Yiran gently, and frequently served Xiao Guoliang vegetables. The scene in front of him reminded Xiao Yiran of the words "respect each other like guests". In his parents, these four words have been fully reflected.

Xiao Yiran, who has been more than five months, eats white rice for the first time, and Xiao Yiran doesn't like to eat pasta, so this night, Xiao Yiran finally let go of his stomach and ate a full meal, until he opened his small mouth and made a full burp, which made Sun and Xiao Guoliang look at each other and laugh, and then stopped eating.

"Yiran, my mother's good daughter, it used to be my father who owed my daughter, and I will never let my daughter starve in the future. However, you can't eat too much, otherwise you will have a stomachache. ”

Without Sun's reminder, Xiao Yiran already felt that he had eaten too much just now, and his stomach was aching faintly. After Sun fed Xiao Yiran a cup of boiled water, he felt a little more comfortable.

After dinner, Xiao Yiran was lying on the bed, and when he was about to fall asleep in a daze, he seemed to hear Sun say something to Xiao Guoliang:

"My husband has now passed the exam, and when the provincial exam is over, shouldn't I talk to my father?"

"We don't need to say it, I guess the family already knows."

Xiao Yiran wanted to listen to it, and so far, it is the first time that he has heard the husband and wife mention their family and elders. It's just that he was too sleepy, with heavy eyelids, he didn't listen to Xiao Yiran's command at all, and he only heard these two sentences, and closed them.

After breakfast the next day, Xiao Guoliang went to report to the meeting point of the new juren arranged by the state. When I came back before lunch, I changed an inn for Sun's mother and daughter, and after arranging it, I went back to prepare for the provincial exam.

In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, the country recruited talents, and only set up two examinations, one was the township examination, which was to take the examination, and the other was the provincial examination, which was to obtain the Jinshi. It is now the fourth year of Kaibao, and it was not until the sixth year of Kaibao that Zhao Kuangyin, Taizu of the Song Dynasty, carried out reforms and increased the palace test.

Since the provincial examination was held in the spring, also known as Chunwei, Xiao Guoliang and the new middle school were gathered together for pre-examination study and preparation. When I came to Bianliang City in early September, I had to wait until February of the following year to participate in the provincial examination hosted by the Ministry of Rites. By mid-September, considering that Sun's mother and daughter had been living in the inn, which was not only expensive but also inconvenient, Xiao Guoliang rented a small courtyard closer to Guozijian. The courtyard is very small, with only three north rooms and two east rooms. The north room is inhabited, and the east room is used as a kitchen and storage room. Sun's mother and daughter settled down.

Xiao Guoliang did not live in Guozijian, but came back to sleep every night, and returned to Guozijian after breakfast the next day.

At the end of October, Xiao Yiran, who was already six months old, was impatient to lie down every day, or was held by Sun, and began to try to learn to walk. Xiao Yiran, who has the memory of two lives, still learns to walk very quickly. It's just that Sun is worried that his daughter's premature walking will affect her physical development, so she just lets Xiao Yiran walk a few steps on the bed every day, leaning against the wall. I have always disagreed with Xiao Yiran to practice. That's it, Xiao Yiran, who has been able to say a complete sentence and is a toddler, still brings great joy to this small family. Especially after Xiao Guoliang came back in the evening, the cheerful laughter of the husband and wife could often be heard on campus.

Studying in Guozijian, not only do you not have to spend your own money, but you also have a monthly money, one tael of silver, a bag of flour, and a bag of white rice every month. Because Xiao Guoliang eats two meals a day in Guozijian, this monthly money is enough for the food expenses of Sun's mother and daughter for a month. The days are getting more and more nourishing.

After months of waiting, after the New Year, it was time for the provincial exam. Seeing off Xiao Guoliang in the morning, Sun did not show a restless look like last time. Xiao Yiran, who has been guarding for almost ten months, walks around the yard every day. From his expression, he couldn't see at all his concern and worry about Xiao Guoliang, who participated in the provincial examination.

Whenever Xiao Yiran was tired of playing, Sun picked it up and picked up the book to read to Xiao Yiran. Xiao Yiran is no stranger to traditional Chinese characters, and to study archaeology, you must not only know traditional Chinese characters, but even learn seal scripts and oracle bone inscriptions. What made Xiao Yiran unacceptable was just the vertical arrangement of ancient books. Sometimes, when Sun was busy with other things, such as cooking and doing laundry, Xiao Yiran would also take a book, sit on the bed and flip through it. In Sun's eyes, he didn't think that his daughter could recognize the words above, but he just thought that his daughter was curious, or just like an adult. This is also the reason why Sun has to read to his daughter in his spare time.

The books at home are nothing more than the Four Books and the Five Classics, and there are almost no idle books to read. Xiao Yiran prefers to read the "Thousand Character Text", the "Three Character Classic" has not yet appeared at this time, in Xiao Yiran's memory, he knows that the "Three Character Classic" first appeared in the Southern Song Dynasty, and it will take more than 100 years to appear. When Xiao Yiran was in college, he liked to read "Thousand Character Text", especially "Thousand Character Text" written by Zhao Mengfu in four fonts: Kai, Lishu, Xing, and Cursive. It's just that Zhao Mengfu is also a figure in the late Southern Song Dynasty and early Yuan Dynasty, and he naturally can't read it now.

When Xiao Guoliang left the scene and went home on the evening of February 19, there was no need to ask about the results, just from Xiao Guoliang's face, the mother and daughter already knew that the exam should be very smooth.

"Good wife, if nothing happens, this time you will be able to fulfill your long-cherished wish."

"My husband has studied hard for so many years, and he is full of talent and finally has a place to use. Husband, this is all the good luck that Xiao Yiran has brought us. Since the birth of my daughter, everything has been going well in the family, so let's celebrate tonight. ”

Sun said, handing Xiao Yiran in his arms to Xiao Guoliang. Xiao Guoliang stretched out his hand to take it, kissed Xiao Yiran lightly on the face, and said:

"Yes, Yiran is a good daughter of her father. Of course, this is also the credit of the good wife. ”

Sun smiled, turned around and went to the kitchen to work.

"Yiran, sue sù daddy, can daddy win?"

"Yes."

Xiao Yiran's crisp children's voice made Xiao Guoliang laugh. Sun also poked his head out of the kitchen and said:

"Last time I took the township exam, Sishu's mother came to play, and when we talked about you going to take the exam, my daughter said the word 'medium'. Later, the husband really won, and it seems that the husband will definitely be able to win this time. ”

"Yiran, tell sù daddy, why do you say that daddy can win?"

"Dad, mother, is a good person."

For a time, a joyful atmosphere permeated the entire courtyard. Xiao Yiran didn't want to stay in Xiao Guoliang's arms, struggled to slip down, walked to the kitchen, took out a small branch, and wrote three crooked words on the ground, "Thousand Character Text".

"Good wife, good wife, come and see, my daughter can write."

Xiao Guoliang's voice was pleasantly surprised, with a hint of urgency. Sun walked out of the kitchen and saw the three crooked words on the ground, and his eyes widened with a look of disbelief. After a long time, he said to Xiao Guoliang:

"Husband, is my daughter too smart?"

The worry in his tone can be heard by anyone.

The reason why Xiao Yiran wanted to write down three words was that he wanted that when he read the book again in the future, he would not arouse the suspicion of the husband and wife. didn't want it to backfire, Xiao Yiran forgot a saying: Children who are too smart are easy to lose their lives. This is a phrase that is widely circulated among the people.

The consequence of this incident is that from then on, Sun no longer reads to Xiao Yiran, and does not even let Xiao Yiran touch books, but only takes Xiao Yiran for a walk every day, or plays games for children. This made Xiao Yiran very speechless.

On the morning of the list, Xiao Guoliang went to see the list early. Next, the errand soldiers who came to report the good news were all led by the Sun family to support Xiao Yiran. Xiao Yiran didn't know when Xiao Guoliang came back, because he waited until late and didn't see Xiao Guoliang, Xiao Yiran couldn't bear to fall asleep and fell asleep first.

When I woke up in the morning, I hadn't seen Xiao Guoliang's figure yet, so I couldn't help asking:

"Mother, where's Daddy?"

"Yiran, your father won the twenty-fifth place. Yesterday I was busy worshipping the teacher, and I didn't come back until late. I went out early this morning, and I had to go to the same window, and I had to report to the official department. ”