Lin Zhao's memory is very good, coupled with his mother's careful teaching over the years, he has memorized the Four Books and Five Classics very well, which is much stronger than his two brothers who can't even memorize the original text.

After memorizing the two rites very skillfully, Lin Erniang nodded with satisfaction, turned around and went to give Lin Zhao a meal, while serving the meal, he said: "Four books and five classics, you have memorized them very well, but this is not enough, you have to find a special gentleman to teach you how to write scriptures and poems, so that you can have a chance to gain fame." ”

She frowned, and continued to whisper: "But my eldest mother is probably not willing to give you money to find a learned gentleman, and the gentleman in the Lin family's private school is not as good as me, so it's useless to find it." ”

Lin Zhao took the rice bowl handed over by his mother, and after taking two bites, he looked up and said to his mother with a smile: "What A-Niang thinks about every day is to let me take the merit test, what is the use of taking the merit test?" ”

Lin Erniang is a very gentle character, she glanced at her son, and said softly: "In this world, if you don't have a fame, you can only float in the world of Yanfu, and you can't help yourself, and you get fame, even if you are like your father, just a show of fame, your future life will be much better." ”

At this, she sighed softly.

"It's better than sending people under the fence and watching other people's faces live like now."

Lin Erniang was a dusty woman in her early years, and after being ransomed by Lin's father, although she had a place to go, after all, she was just a concubine, not a master's house, especially in the past few years, Lin Qingyuan has been a master in other places, and she can only go home twice a year.

"Tomorrow I will go and tell your aunt that I don't want you to herd the cows."

Lin Erniang took her son's hand and said softly: "You remember things quickly at this age, you can't delay, tomorrow A-Niang will give you some money, you go to the county lord's house to ask, see if the master's homeschool still accepts students." ”

Because she showed her face in the early years, Lin Erniang after redemption was more concerned about these, except when she had to go out, she didn't go out at other times, hiding in this small courtyard, taking care of her son.

The Lin family in Donghu Town is just a small branch of the Lin family, the main family is the big family of Yuezhou Mansion, in recent decades, there have been two Jinshi masters, one of them is still an official, it is the prefect of the neighboring house, there is such a lintel, the main family's family study is naturally very good, at least it is also a meritorious talent to teach, and sometimes there are people who come to give lectures, which is very beneficial to the fame of scientific examinations.

Because her husband is away all the year round and is not at home much, Lin Erniang's thoughts over the years have been all on her son, and she wants to train her son to become a talent, but fortunately, her son is also very competitive, and it only took three or four years to read through the four books and five classics.

However, more than 200 years of the dynasty, the rules in the scientific examination have been very perfect, to be recommended with the two talents of the county as a guarantee, to be eligible to participate in the scientific examination, seeing that her son is successful in studying, Lin Erniang wants to let her son go to the city, go to the main house to study, with Lin Zhao's current knowledge, that is, into the main family should also be favored by the master of the family, when the time comes to find a few guarantor, it is easy.

Lin Zhao sat opposite his mother, and while picking up rice, he said, "Auntie, if I leave, the people on my mother's side will bully you." ”

Lin Erniang sandwiched some vegetables for her son, and said quietly: "As a woman for your mother, where can you be bullied if you let them bully, for your mother to let you study well, just so that you will not be bullied in the future." ”

Lin Zhao's age is the time to grow his body, so he eats quickly, and after eating a bowl of rice in three or two bites, he goes to serve another bowl.

"Auntie, otherwise I will accompany you in Donghu Town for a few more years, anyway, I am still young, and I am not in a hurry to take the exam."

"In a few months, you'll be thirteen."

Lin Erniang seems to have a great obsession with fame, and when she heard Lin Zhao's words, she had always been gentle, and her angry eyebrows were upside down.

"If you don't go to school, you'll herd cattle in Donghu Town for the rest of your life!"

Lin Zhao sighed secretly in his heart.

It's not that he doesn't want to go into the city to see and learn, it's just that his mother is too weak, and he is at home, no matter what, he can help her block some of them, if he goes to Shanyin County, she stays in Donghu Town alone, and I don't know what to bully the main house.

However, seeing that his mother was angry, Lin Zhao didn't say much, he hurriedly put down the dishes and chopsticks, and said: "A-Niang, don't be angry, I'll go to the city, and it's ...... to go to the city."

Lin Erniang nodded, stretched out her hand and put Lin Zhao to clean up the dishes and chopsticks that Lin Zhao had eaten, and said while cleaning up: "You go to bed early today, and you will go to the city with Lao Zheng's car early tomorrow morning, he has to go into the city every morning to deliver food." ”

Lao Zheng, a vegetable farmer in Donghu Town, has some ways in the city, and drives his donkey cart early every morning to deliver fresh vegetables to two or three restaurants in the city.

Lao Zheng is very good, if someone wants to take his car, he will never refuse, nor will he accept money, he is a rare good person in Donghu Town.

In desperation, Lin Zhao could only nod and agree, and after a brief wash, he returned to his hut and fell asleep.

In this era, there are basically no entertainment activities, and as soon as it gets dark, Lin Zhao easily falls asleep.

Early the next morning, before dawn, Lin Zhao was called by his mother, at this time Lin Erniang had already made breakfast, and after watching Lin Zhao finish breakfast, she took out a palm-sized cloth bag from the box and stuffed it into Lin Zhao's hand.

"This is some money, for you to eat in the city, if it is not enough, let Lao Zheng bring the letter back, and my mother will send it to you."

Lin Zhao carried the cloth bag with his hand, which was quite heavy, and it was estimated that he had almost the same amount of money.

You must know that Lin Zhao's father, Lin Qingyuan, is a master in another county, and his annual income is almost sixty or seventy yuan, Lin Zhao's mother and son are not of high status, and sometimes the mother and son can't get the same money from the main house for a few months, so much money, most of which Lin Erniang slowly saved by relying on her embroidery skills.

Lin Zhao sighed, lowered his head and said, "A-Niang, if I enter the master's family's homeschool, the master's family will take care of food and housing, and you don't need so much money, you better keep it for yourself......"

"Let you take it, and you will take it."

Lin Erniang said softly: "What money can my mother spend in the town?" There is money everywhere in the city, and this is not necessarily enough. ”

Lin Erniang instructed Lin Zhao again, then sent her son to the door, and said softly: "It's not early, let's go, Zhao'er is so smart, it shouldn't be difficult to enter the master's family to learn." ”

"When you get to the city, remember to bring a letter back to your mother."

Lin Erniang waved goodbye to Lin Zhao.

"Got it."

Lin Zhao knelt on the ground, kowtowed to his mother, then got up and walked out of the house with a burden on his back.

At this time, there were still stars hanging in the sky, and when Lin Zhao walked to the door of Lao Zheng's house, the brand-new cloth shoes on his feet had been stained with a lot of grass and dew.

At this time, Lao Zheng, who has always gotten up early, has not gotten up yet.

Lao Zheng was very enthusiastic, and after beckoning Lin Zhao to sit down, he went to prepare the vegetables to be sent to the city today, and Lin Zhao followed behind the old man and helped him carry the vegetables onto the donkey cart.

After tossing and turning like this for a while, by the time Lin Zhao got on Lao Zheng's donkey cart, the sky was already a little white, and the moon was still hanging in the air, but it was slowly fading.

The young man sat on the donkey cart, looked up at the moon in the sky, and with a loud whip from Uncle Zheng, the donkey cart moved slowly, and walked towards the county seat of Shanyin one by one.