In the blink of an eye, two months have passed.

As the Spring Festival approaches, the streets and alleys in Ba County are lively again, and the wharves outside the city are still busy, and even the stilted buildings that were originally collapsed by the wharf have miraculously risen one after another, higher and denser than before, and there are more people living in it than before, everything looks like there was no dragon two months ago.

It is necessary to help the Han family handle the funeral, but also to help the Pan family handle the funeral, and also take into account the pawnshop and tea house jointly opened by the Han, Pan, and Duan families in the city.

No matter what you say, you're finally done, even if you haven't been busy this year, you can't miss a lot of human contacts. So he hired eight porters, asked the porters to carry the New Year's gifts prepared in advance to the riverside, and rushed to Jiangbei Hall City by boat, first gave the New Year's gifts of Liu Shanyang and Liu Caizhu, the two in-laws of Jiangbei Hall, and then rushed to Duanjia Garden with Liu Shanyang with the remaining gifts.

Duan Dazhang originally planned to let him "recognize his ancestors and return to his ancestors", so naturally he would not avoid it. Beckoned him and Liu Shanyang to sit down and drink a few sips of tea, and then asked how Han Si's father Han Yugui's funeral was going.

"My lord, Zoumagang is too far away from the county seat, not to mention that Zhixing's hometown is still in Cili, and he is still in the countryside, and it takes three or four days to walk back and forth, so it is inconvenient to take care of it. I helped Zhixing to be a master, and asked Mr. Feng Shui to find a feng shui treasure in Wujiaba in the west of the city, and buried his father in Wujiaba. ”

Duan Dazhang didn't expect him to help the Han family be such a big master, and subconsciously asked, "What about Zhixing?" ”

"Took it."

Duan Jiqing sighed lightly and said with a look of regret: "Come to think of it, blame me, if I had helped Zhixing to bring his father and mother to the city earlier, my father-in-law would not have suffered such a catastrophe." Now it's too late to say anything, so I can only eat a trench and grow wise, and bring his mother and his aunt together. originally planned to let his three brothers come with him, but his eldest brother and sister-in-law couldn't let go of the newly purchased 100 acres of land, and they didn't want to come no matter how much they were persuaded, but they didn't want to delay the two babies, so they asked his second brother and third brother to help bring the baby. ”

Thinking that Zoumagang was a little far away from the county seat, Duan Dazhang muttered: "It's good to bury his father in the west of the city and bring his mother and aunt together, not only can he take care of him, but he won't have to worry in the countryside when he comes back." ”

"yes, that's what I thought at the moment."

"But so many people come at once, can he live in his house?"

"I can stay," Duan Jiqing hurriedly said: "My lord doesn't know, when Zhixing married the little girl Qin'er, I helped him set up a small courtyard in the city. Later, the little girl and the baby moved to a new home behind the Huguang Hall, intending to give the small courtyard as a dowry to his cousin and sister, but his cousin and the pillar followed the little girl to Zhili, and the courtyard was always empty.

I thought that the yard was going to be given to the second room, but his aunt and his third brother, who had just passed to the second room, came again, so he simply let his aunt and third brother and third sister-in-law live in the courtyard. His second brother and sister-in-law and several nephews and nieces live in a new home behind the Huguang Guild Hall, so that his mother and aunt have someone to take care of, and they also have grandchildren in front of them, although they have just entered the city, they will not be lonely. ”

Duan Dazhang thought about it and asked, "Do his two elder brothers have something to do, have his nephews' studies been arranged?" ”

"His two brothers have something to do, didn't I co-open a tea house with others, I asked his two brothers to help in the tea house." Duan Jiqing paused, and then said: "His nephews have also been arranged, and they will all be sent to Cui Huanzhang Cui's new academy to study. ”

The arrangements are comprehensive, and it is worthy of being in the government for so many years.

Duan Dazhang secretly praised, looked at him and Liu Shanyang and muttered: "Zoumagang is next to Bishan and Jiangjin, and Jiangjin is next to Tongzi in Guizhou. ”

Referring to Tongzi, Liu Shanyang couldn't help but ask: "Lord Duan, I heard that the bandit leader who committed rebellion on Tongzi's side was originally a soap subordinate who had worked as an errand in the yamen, and I heard that he responded to every call and led a group of traitors to occupy Tongzi County, I don't know if it's true." ”

"This is indeed the case," Duan Dazhang nodded slightly, and said helplessly: "That bandit leader's surname is Yang, his name is Xi, and there is a tailor surnamed Shu who is advocating chaos with him." Obviously, it is a robbery of the house, and it is claimed that the officials forced the people to rebel, but as far as I know, several Tongzi magistrates are also to blame. ”

"Then when will this group of bandits be exterminated?"

"All the soldiers and soldiers that can be dispatched from Chongqing Town have been transferred, but Tongzi is under the rule of the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou after all, and the soldiers and horses who go from us will only be blocked in Jiangjin and Bishan and other places, and they will not go out of the province to quell the chaos without the emperor's will. When it can be exterminated, it depends on Guizhou. ”

"Can it be blocked?" Liu Shanyang asked.

"I don't know this old man, but in the old man's opinion, Yang Yixi and Shu tailors can't make any climate, and they can't be compared with Hong Xiuquan, Yang Xiuqing and other Cantonese bandits, and it is a matter of time before they are exterminated."

"That's good, this night's heart will be steady."

Duan Jiqing had already heard that someone in Tongzi had committed a rebellion, and even knew that the county magistrate had just convened the guest governors of the eight provinces and the local gentry a few days ago to discuss the establishment of a bureau of husbands and horses, and to levy a fee for husbands and horses, which was specially used to transfer the ordnance and food needed to quell the rebellion, as well as to receive past civil and military officials and peaceful soldiers.

It's just that the two who have just passed are too busy, and he really can't take care of these, and he is thinking about whether to ask this husband and horse bureau how well it is set up after he goes back, when Lord Duan suddenly asked: "Rongyuan, do you have any letters of ambition these days?" ”

"No," Duan Jiqing reacted, and hurriedly arched his hand: "My lord, until today, there is no letter of ambition, but the county magistrate went to announce a holy decree ten days ago, and also sent a plaque of 'Fengzhengdi'. “

"What decree?"

"For example, his father is appointed as a holy decree of the political doctor."

"Seal?" Duan Dazhang was confused.

"My lord, I was as strange as you at first, but after carefully looking at the date on the holy decree, I realized that his father had not had an accident when the emperor rewarded him with this ceremony." Duan Jiqing paused, and said with a wry smile: "Because of this matter, I also asked a stonemason to re-engrave a stele, which was just carved the day before yesterday, and I just took his two elder brothers to his father's grave to change it yesterday." ”

"I see," Duan Dazhang nodded, thinking about it and sighing: "Your letter will be sent to the capital in a month and a half at the earliest, Zhixing should have received the letter at this time, and he is even on his way back to mourn." Last year, he spent the New Year on the way back to the capital from Jiangsu, and this year he has to spend the New Year on the road again. ”

"Yes, even if you leave half a month ago, you won't be home until the end of the first month at the earliest."

……

At the lunch time at Duan's house, it was already evening when I returned to my daughter's house who had just hung up the "Fengzhengdi" plaque.

Han Da's two babies, Han Shitong, Han Shida and Han Er's baby Han Shitu, have already gotten out of school and are laughing and playing in the courtyard. Although Xiaolan, the daughter of Han Er's family, did not study, she was more sensible than those children who were studying, and she was sweeping the yard with a broom about the same height as her.

As soon as Han's second mother-in-law, Yang, saw Duan Jiqing, she said cautiously: "Master Duan, the supper is ready, my mother and the old lady are talking inside." ”

"Let the old lady and the babies eat first, I'm not hungry, I'll sit down and go back later."

"Okay, then I'll go in and call my mother."

The Zhang family, who had just lost his wife, was really not used to the days in the city, but fortunately, his mother-in-law Xu not only did not look down on her, but also came to talk to her every day, and even called Shangzhu Niang, Aunt Guan and her mother to accompany her to the temple to offer incense. Plus the grandchildren are turning around in front of me every day, but it's not very lonely.

She and her mother-in-law came out and sat down around the dinner table with their grandchildren, picked up the bowl and saw that her father-in-law did not eat, and she was a little apprehensive.

Duan Jiqing reacted and hurriedly said, "Mother-in-law, it's not that I don't eat, it's that I ate too much at Duan's house at noon." At this age, your appetite is not as good as before, so if you eat again, you won't want to rest at night. ”

"Mother-in-law, leave him alone, we'll eat ours." Xu smiled.

"In-laws, ...... So let's eat first? ”

"Eat, eat slowly."

Han Shitong, the eldest son of the Han family, studied in the village for a few days, and he was so bold that he couldn't help asking: "Master Duan, didn't you say that my uncle was coming back to Ding Wei, why hasn't he come back yet?" ”

"Yes, Master Duan, it's almost the New Year!" Han Shitu also asked with big eyes flashing with a bowl.

Duan Jiqing wanted to ask his husband if he had taught them what it meant to "eat without saying anything", but when he saw that his mother-in-law also raised her head, she simply sat down at the table, dipped her fingers in tea on the table, and explained as if she were a treasure: "Jingshi Huanghua Station is a total of 4,750 miles to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, 2,590 miles to Weishui Station in Xianyang County, Shaanxi Province, 50 miles to Baiqu Station in Xingping County, 90 miles to Wugong County Station, 60 miles to Fufeng County Station, 60 miles to Qishan County Station, 50 miles to Fengxiang County Station, and 90 miles to Baoji County Station......

Forty-five miles to Huangba Station in Ningqiang Prefecture, sixty miles to Shenxuan Station in Guangyuan County, 50 miles to Wangyun Station in Guangyuan County, 40 miles to Wenjin Station in Guangyuan County, 40 miles to Damu Village Station in Zhaohua County, 40 miles to Jianzhou Jianmen Station, 60 miles to Jianzhou Station, 40 miles to Jianzhou Shangting Station, 40 miles to Zitong County Station, 60 miles to Mianzhou Weicheng Station, 60 miles to Mianzhou Station, 30 miles to Xinpu Station, 30 miles to Luojiang Station, 60 miles to Deyang Station, 40 miles to Hanzhou Station, 50 miles to Xindu Station, To get to Xinduyi, you have to walk another fifty miles to get to Jinguanyi in Chengdu! ”

The little ones were stunned, and Han Shitong asked in surprise: "Master Duan, how do you remember so many places and so many place names?" ”

"Grandpa, I used to be in charge of the post shop, and I have been in charge of it for decades, can I remember?" Duan Jiqing smiled proudly.

"You're in charge of all these places?"

"I can't control the places I just mentioned, grandpa, I only take care of the post shops in the scattered halls of various prefectures and counties under the rule of Chongqing Prefecture, and I only know about the places I just mentioned, but in fact, I haven't been to a single place." Duan Jiqing thought for a while, and then said, "I can write it out for you to see when I go back, if I can remember it, it would be the best." ”

"Master Duan, we don't care about the post shop, what do we want to do with this?"

"Why did your father and mother let you go to the city to study, I don't expect you to be able to take the exam in the future and get ahead. If a few of you are competitive and get admitted to the Juren in the future, you will know these places, and you will have to go to these places. ”

"Why do you need to know these places?"

"Because this is our official road from Sichuan to the capital, also called 'Beida Road', all the twists and turns, official correspondence all take the 'Beida Road', and if you want to enter Beijing to catch the exam, you have to go to Chengdu's Xuezheng Yamen first, and then take the 'Beida Road' from Chengdu to Beijing. There are also some people who take the waterway, but compared to the 'North Road', there are only a few after all. ”

"But my uncle came back from the capital, why did he go to Chengdu?"

"Now that it is not very peaceful today, the waterway of the Sichuan River is blocked, he took your aunt and your cousin Shichang back to his hometown, and naturally he has to take the safe and secure 'Beida Road'."

"What about my uncle after he arrives in Chengdu?" Han Shitong asked curiously.

"After arriving in Chengdu, you have to take the 'East Road', that is, the Chengdu-Chongqing official road, the 'East Road' grandfather I did not go less when I was young, starting from the east gate of Chengdu, five miles to the Niushikou, then five miles to the Shahe shop, then ten miles to the Huangmen shop, then five miles to the big noodle shop, then ten miles to the boundary pai shop, then ten miles to the Longquan Station, then fifteen miles to the mountain spring shop, then ten miles to the willow ditch shop, then eight miles to the tea shop, then seven miles to the Nanshan shop, and then fifteen miles to the stone pan shop......

All the way to the east, passing through Longquanyi, Jianzhou, Ziyang, Zizhou, Neijiang, Longchang, Rongchang, Dazu...... All the way to our Ba County, it can be summed up as 'two gates, two passes, one post, one pass, five posts, three streets, five towns and nine shops', if you are a few of you are angry, you will have the opportunity to take this road to the provincial urban and rural test in the future. ”

Han Shida thought that the county seat was so lively, and the provincial city must be even more lively, so he couldn't help asking: "Master Duan, which are the two gates?" ”

"Two doors refer to Tongyuan Gate, Yinghui Gate, two passes refer to Futu Pass, Lao Guan, a post refers to your hometown of Zouma Gang, a pass refers to Dingjiaao, five posts refer to Longquan Station, Nanjin Station, Shuangfeng Station, Laifeng Station and Tongcan Station, three streets refer to Yangjia Street, Shijia Street, Yingxiang Street, five towns refer to Shiqiao Town, Yinshan Town, Zhenmu Town, Li Town and Anfu Town, Jiupu just told you several, all in all, if you walk seventy miles a day, this trip will take half a month."

"This is just from the provincial capital to Ba County!"

"Yes, from the capital to the provincial capital is farther, don't look at your uncle as an official and the master is very majestic, so that you babies can live a good life, in fact, your uncle is not easy. First traveled thousands of miles to Beijing to surrender, and then traveled thousands of miles to Jiangsu to take up his post, and was transferred back to Zhili after being an official in Jiangsu for more than a year. ”

Han's second daughter-in-law was already quite shrewd, how could she not hear the meaning of Duan Jiqing's words, and hurriedly said: "Have you heard it, you can have the light of your uncle today, if you don't listen to Mr., don't study hard, and you won't be productive in the future, not only sorry for your father, but also sorry for your uncle!" ”