Early in the morning, Zhang Fan packed his bags, said goodbye to Wang Xiucai, who lived with him, and walked home. On the way, Zhang Fan once again appreciated the northwest scenery of the Ming Dynasty. The natural grassland is particularly fresh in the birthplace of the Chinese nation, which makes people forget to return. Zhang Fan, who has lived in a modern city since he was a child, has never traveled because of his family, he has only learned about the vastness of the country he lives in through TV and pictures, but he has never experienced it firsthand. When he came the day before yesterday, Zhang Fan was in a hurry, and he was still in a state of being ransacked by robbers, so he was not in the mood to care about the quality of the scenery. But now Zhang Fan has the opportunity to enjoy this great scenery, and it is thousands of times better than the modern natural scenery that has been polluted and then artificially treated!

It belongs to the frontier of the Ming Dynasty, close to the remnants of the Yuan and Meng, and it is also a place where animal husbandry is highly developed. Along the way, Zhang Fan could only see a small amount of farmland, while some wild animals could be seen from time to time. Zhang Fan felt very novel, since five hundred years later, he could only see so many wild animals in the zoo, and he was still that lifeless. Zhang Fan was bathed in a vibrant natural scenery, and he didn't care at all about the Mongols not far away, after all, the border defense in the northwest of the Ming Dynasty was not a joke!

Anhua County is not far from Qingyang Mansion, and Zhang Fan's family lives in Anhua County. Before noon, Zhang Fan saw a county seat located on the Loess Plateau. The walls of the county town are a little dilapidated, but they feel alive. From time to time, people came in and out of the city gates. Zhang Fan came to the gate of the county seat, because it is now the weather in August, it is very hot, and it is not the season for the Mongols to plunder, it is only close to the border pass, not the border pass, the sergeants at the city gate are listless standing guards, and it is difficult to see the usual well-trained under the sun.

Zhang Fan didn't pay too much attention to these, he walked into the city gate and walked in the direction of his memory home. Obviously, Zhang Fan is quite famous in this small Anhua County, he saw that many people greeted him, probably because of his talent status, and now he has participated in the township test, and there is still a trace of respect in the eyes of those people! Zhang Fan did not show a high-spirited look, he still returned the salute to these people cordially, and Zhang Fan would greet anyone he knew in his memory.

"Aunt Wang, are you shopping for groceries? How's your body, it's better! ”

"Uncle Li, I heard that your son Da Niu's daughter-in-law gave birth to a boy, congratulations!"

"Aunt Chen, how is the business early today? No...... No, I ate in the morning, my mother is still waiting for me, I'll go first! ”

……

The neighbors talked to Zhang Fan very cordially, and they all felt that although Zhang Fan was a scholar, he was not at all as pedantic as those old talents in the school, Zhang Fan liked to deal with them very much, and he didn't mean to look down on them at all. There was once an old show who saw Zhang Fan talking with Aunt Chen, who was doing business, and came over to ask Zhang Fan on the spot: "As a scholar, why do you sit on an equal footing with people in the market?" Your indifference in dignity and inferiority is simply contempt for Confucius and insulting Sven. ”

Zhang Fan didn't think so, after the man left, Aunt Chen and the people on the side persuaded Zhang Fan not to be like this, but Zhang Fan said: "What are you lowly, and what are the nobles of scholars!" From the cabinet ministers to the common people, you don't have to rely on you for food and clothing! Scholars, it is possible to enter the court as an official in the future, but they look down on the people of the world, how can they help the Holy God govern the world! ”

Zhang Fan's words are reasonable, although this is just his consistent thinking, but this has won high praise from the neighbors. It's not that they haven't been treated coldly by readers, but they feel that it's really good to have a reader like Zhang Fan! Of course, it would be better if Zhang Fan became his own parent official!

Zhang Fan returned to his home, and his current home only has two earthen houses, one is a kitchen and eating place, and it is also separated from his mother's bedroom, and the other is his own bedroom and study place. Before entering the house, Zhang Fan saw his mother anxiously waiting for his return at the door. In my memory, my mother Zhao was the daughter of a hawker in Anhua County, and she married her father at the age of sixteen, and the only father in her mother's family, that is, Zhang Fan's grandfather, died. The next year, Zhao gave birth to Zhang Fan, and her mother, who was only thirty-four years old this year, was originally in the prime of a woman's life, and since the death of her father, the burden of the family fell on her mother alone. In order to provide Zhang Fan with education, his mother sold her dowry and sold the original three large tiled houses in the family.

"Fan'er, I'm back!" When the mother saw her son return home, she was very happy and took Zhang Fan's hand and asked for warmth.

"Well, mother, I'm back." Zhang Fan didn't dare to tell his mother that he was no longer the original Zhang Fan, nor did he dare to tell her the news that he had encountered a robber. Zhang Fan looked at his mother's face, he was only in his thirties, he already had wrinkles, his back was a little bent, and his hair was faintly white! Zhang Fan really had a lot of thoughts in his heart, and he secretly made up his mind that even if it wasn't for himself, for the sake of his mother at home, he would make a career.

"How was the township test yesterday?" Mother asked, a little worried.

"Don't worry, mother, the child has been preparing for a long time, and I will definitely get back a 'Xie Yuan' for my mother!"

"Bragging!" Mother didn't believe it, but she was still very happy in her heart, "There are so many people in the entire Qingyang Mansion, and there are dozens of Xiucai in the small Anhua County alone to catch the exam, how can it be your turn!" ”

"Mother, don't believe it." Zhang Fan said confidently, "I think that Xie Yuan doesn't have a nose and eyes like me, why can't he get me!" Not only Xie Yuan, but next year I will also pick back the Huiyuan and the champion. ”

"Look at what you said so easily, I can be an official in my family!" Mother teased half-truthfully.

"Mother, you'll see! You have worked hard for your child for more than ten years, and your child will definitely study hard and repay your kindness. Zhang Fan said solemnly.

"My family has grown up!" The mother stroked Zhang Fan's hair with relief, and tears kept rolling in her eyes, "I think your grandfather heard that he was also a descendant of a family in Yangzhou, and he was also a scholar, but I don't know why he came to Anhua County to live." He always thought that your father would get ahead one day, but your father was not a student at all. After your grandfather passed away, your father also wanted to fulfill your grandfather's wish, and he put his hope on you. You don't know how happy I was when you were admitted to Xiucai the year before last! My mother is a stupid person, she has never read a book in her life, and she doesn't know how to read, so she can't teach you. Now that you have a chance, your father and your grandfather know it, and I don't know how happy they will be! ”

"Mother, you are not a stupid person, you have paid so much for your child, you are the best mother in the world!" Zhang Fan heard his mother's words, and his heart was very moved, the previous Zhang Fan didn't know the story of his family, he only knew that his family wanted him to study, but he never knew that his family still had such a past!

When Zhao heard Zhang Fan's words, she couldn't help but shed tears, she had worked hard for so many years, and she paid without asking for anything in return, isn't it just for this moment! Now that the child is successful in his studies and filial piety to his mother, his father knows about it, and he can also look at it, and he has the face to meet the ancestors of the Zhang family!

"Fan'er, you must be hungry after such a long journey, come and eat. My mother made your favorite braised pork. Zhao wiped away his tears and beckoned Zhang Fan back to the house for dinner.

"As long as it's made by the mother, the children like it." Zhang Fan said, accompanying his mother back to the house.

The conditions of the Zhang family can be said to be very poor. Zhang Fan remembers that when he was a child, his family still had several big houses, and his mother sold the deed to live here in order to study for herself. The lighting in the house is very bad, and even in broad daylight, it feels a little dim. The mother's bedroom was filled with needles and threads. And Zhang Fan's room is much brighter, a simple desk is full of books, and there is a simple bookshelf made by Sun Carpenter, who lives not far away, which is also full of books. On the north side of the room is a sturdy and simple wooden bed, the color of the sheets is very simple, probably because of years of use, it is no longer shiny, but it is very clean.

Zhang Fan was eating the meal cooked by his mother, and he had never eaten such a delicious meal before!

Suddenly, he thought of something, took out the remaining silver on his body, handed it to his mother, and said, "Mother, this is the remaining coil, give it to you." Things in Fucheng are a bit expensive, so ......" Zhang Fan didn't dare to say that he was robbed, so he had to lie.

"It's okay, my family has grown up and is sensible, my mother won't blame you." Zhao put away the money and looked at Zhang Fan lovingly.

After eating, Zhang Fan had to go to his husband to communicate with his classmates. And the mother still has work to do. Zhang Fanzhi didn't get home until it was almost dark, and after eating, the mother and son, who had been tired all day, went to rest.