Second Master Fei gave two rooms, but Han Xiufeng didn't dare to occupy all these two rooms.

Because there are only six rooms in the entire hall, if four or five people are lifted in a few days, the old man Qian, who has been living in the west wing, will have to move. It's not easy for anyone to go out, and even Du San is unwilling to do this kind of thing.

The four of them squeezed into a room, and Pan Er saw that there were only two beds in the room, so he went to the street to buy hay and came back to lay on the ground, and by the way bought a hundred catties of charcoal, a bunch of pots and spoons, and dozens of catties of rice and noodles to make a fire for cooking.

In Ba County, all the fires are made with dry firewood, and there are not only dry firewood but also straw in the hometown of Zouma. No one had ever burned charcoal before, and a few people had been busy in the yard for a long time and couldn't light the stove, but fortunately, Fei Erye came back from outside, stood on the side and pointed out, and Pan Er and Datou learned how to make a fire.

There is a request for others, Han Xiufeng said earnestly: "Second Master Fei, let's have a supper later, I'll let them go to the street to buy some wine and food." ”

Fei Erye has been in the capital for more than 20 years, and I don't know how many people I have seen who have come to take the test and alternate officials who have come to Beijing to fill the vacancies. As soon as they arrived in the capital, they were anxious to go to the provincial pavilion to seal the knot and have a guarantee, and they were anxious to visit the master of the house, and some of them finished these two things and studied hard behind closed doors to make the final preparations for the "Spring Festival", and some thought that it was too dilapidated here, and spent money to rent a house near the Gongyuan. And as soon as those alternate officials arrived in the capital, they went to visit relatives and friends, looked for ways everywhere, and spent all day drinking outside, like Han Xiufeng and Du San, who actually bought pots and spoons and came back to cook for the first time.

"Self-sufficient?" Second Master Fei couldn't help but ask.

"Do it for yourself," Han Xiufeng didn't think it was embarrassing, and pointed to the big head who was digging well water to wash rice: "I'm not afraid of your old jokes, we haven't had a few good meals along the way, especially after entering Jiangsu and Shandong, the locals don't put sea peppers no matter what kind of food they cook, and it is estimated that the capital is the same, it's really unaccustomed to eating, so it's better to do it yourself." ”

"yes, I can't eat this rice without sea pepper!" At the mention of sea pepper, Du San was hungry and drooled.

Although Fei Erye has lived in the capital for a long time, he is also from Sichuan, and when he heard them, he couldn't help but think of the taste of the food in his hometown, and said with a smile: "It's okay to make it for yourself, I won't be polite to you." ”

"Second Master Xie appreciates the light."

"Otherwise, you can do it first, and take it to the hall to eat, and if the dishes and chopsticks are not enough, go to my house to get them."

"Okay, it's cold outside, you go to the house to make a fire."

"Young master, Master Du, you accompany the second master to go in for tea, there are me and the big head here."

"It's okay, you guys get busy first."

……

Although Second Master Fei is the head of the guild hall, in fact, he is the only one in the guild hall, and those individual lifters and alternate officials who came before have never treated him so politely, and some even called him an old man.

Han Xiufeng and the others took a bite of a "second master", and the old man Fei suddenly felt that this group of juniors was very good, and walked into the hall while making tea for Han Xiufeng and Du San, and said with a smile: "The capital is not small, but it is not big, the news of your entry into Beijing to fill the vacancy, the Sichuan fellow villagers who are officials in Beijing will know it in two or three days at most, and when the time comes, some will send their families to invite you to their house to eat and drink, some will come to the hall to talk to you about friendship, some will help you find a way, and some will even borrow money from you." When the time comes, you must have a number in your hearts as to what to do. ”

"Second master, are they unreliable?" Du San couldn't help but ask.

Second Master Fei put the kettle aside, sat down and sighed: "It's not easy to be a Beijing official, it looks like it's about to be the New Year, and it's not easy to pass this year." It's been okay for the past two days, and you'll know in a few days. ”

"You know what?" Du San asked.

"In a few days, those hard-working Beijing officials, as soon as the matter in the hall is over, they will go to the provincial pavilion to wait for the exam, and some will even go to the prefecture and county pavilions, changing the way to fight the autumn breeze, and they can open their mouths if they can't fight the autumn breeze."

Han Xiufeng knew that those little Beijing officials were having a hard time, but he never thought that the little Beijing officials would be poor like this, and asked curiously: "Second master, how many grades does the old man Qian live in the west wing, and which yamen is high?" ”

"Master Qian is a native of Nanchuan, and in the twenty-seventh year of Daoguang, Ding Weike has one hundred and fifty-six third-class students, although he is born as a Jinshi, but it is still different from the first and second grades. Not only did he not choose Hanlin in the museum, but he studied in the Ministry of Rites for three years and failed to find a good vacancy. ”

Han Xiufeng asked puzzledly: "Second master, what does the Harmony Department do?" ”

Second Master Fei smiled bitterly: "Take charge of the palace court meeting, Yan Fang Zhule." ”

Du San couldn't help but laugh and said: "It turned out that he was a pipe musician, and he really didn't have anything to do as an official!" ”

"Yes, people are noble, he is hard, he can't even support his children with that bit of official money, incorruptible silver and seal money, and he has to take into account human contacts, and he has to send some silver to his hometown every year, so he can only eat grain and borrow money everywhere."

"Second master, you are old, why did you come to the capital?"

Second Master Fei didn't expect Han Xiu to ask this question, and he was stunned for a while.

Han Xiufeng saw that he seemed to have something unspeakable, and hurriedly said: "Second master, I just asked casually, don't take it to heart." ”

"Actually, it's nothing," Second Master Fei took a sip of water and said with a wry smile: "You are from Ba County, our hometown is not far away, my hometown Bishan, Daoguang 23 years ago, Daoguang 24 years in the capital will try, after the first day he didn't go back, always want to fight again, the result is repeatedly unsuccessful, the big pick is not picked, just go back to see the hometown fathers and elders, fellow villagers in the same year saw me pitiful, let me guard this hall." ”

I really didn't see that he was also a man.

Han Xiufeng didn't dare to slack off, and hurriedly got up and saluted.

Du San followed and couldn't help asking, "Second Master, do you plan to fight again?" ”

"This is nature," Second Master Fei looked back at the books piled up in the corner, and muttered: "Everything is inferior, only if you read high, you have to fight again no matter what!" ”

"What if Enko doesn't make it next year?" Du San asked heartlessly.

Second Master Fei was not angry, put down the tea bowl and said with a smile: "If I don't hit again, I will return to my roots and return to my hometown in Bishan, I don't want to die in a foreign country." ”

Du San asked stupidly: "If you always leave, what will you do with this hall?" ”

"Before leaving, I naturally have to tell a few officials from our Chongqing government in Beijing and ask them to find someone to take care of them." Thinking of Han Xiufeng's lack and not knowing that it would not be made up until the Year of the Monkey, Second Master Fei's eyes lit up, and he looked at Han Xiufeng with a smile and said: "Boy, if you are determined to stay in the capital to fill the vacancy, after I leave, you can take over for me to take care of the hall, not only do you not have to pay the museum fee, but you also have fifteen taels of silver a year." ”

"Second master, don't be joking, I'm ...... I'm new to the city and I'm ......."

"What's wrong with the first arrival, it's not for you to do anything big, just stay here and take care of this courtyard. Wait to fill in the vacancy and talk to a few fellow villagers who are officials in Beijing, they will not delay your future, and they will naturally find someone to replace you. Second Master Fei smiled, and pointed to the letter Han Xiufeng gave in the afternoon: "With Master Gu as a guarantee, those in Beijing will definitely agree." ”

There is a place to live, not only do you not have to spend money but also make money, although fifteen taels a year is not much, but it is better than nothing.

Han Xiufeng was ecstatic, thinking about it and asking curiously: "Second master, Master Gu's face is so big, his old man has been returning to his hometown for several years. ”

Second Master Fei knocked on the table and said meaningfully: "Boy, don't look at our hall is not big or even a little shabby, but this is the capital, every inch of land is expensive, and it is not easy to buy this courtyard." From the former Ming Dynasty to the twenty-four years of Daoguang, how many fellow villagers who were officials in Beijing wanted to do it, and it was not until Master Gu took the lead in advocating that this courtyard was purchased, and there is now this Chongqing Hall! ”