In Guangzhou, the climate is already very warm in February. Last year, the climate in this area was good, the harvest was gratifying, and the Fan family, who had just received a large amount of land, also got the sweetness in this harvest. A large amount of grain was paid as land rent, and several warehouses at home were already full, and several warehouses were rented in the city for storing grain.

Excited Mother Fan walked from one warehouse to another, although she didn't need to care much about the amount of grain now, but as a country woman who had just made her career, her love for land and food in her bones was actually far more than her preference for gold, silver and jewelry. In her worldview, land and food are the real reliable things, and the rest are useless waste.

Its body is very tough, and since Fan Jin's career, he has begun to raise the pampered Fan mother, who is not as poor as the poor woman in the original Confucian world. On the contrary, if there is enough food and a good mood, people's bodies will naturally improve. As a woman who has engaged in manual labor, her steps are calm and powerful, and her speech is full of energy, but her identity has changed from Aunt Fan to Mrs. Fan, so she naturally has to have a corresponding system, for example, she can't walk like a fly, and she must be weak and can't help the wind. Sister Hu and Brother Liang Pandi supported her left and right, while Hu Butcher and his wife led the way, as if they already had some clues of the local gentry and heroism.

"Look, old lady, this lot of food is enough for the whole village to eat for several years. At the beginning, someone still wanted not to pay the grain, but the villain called his son directly, he wore an official uniform and carried a water and fire stick, brought more than a dozen companions, and beat the man with a stick and cried wolf, where did he dare not pay the grain. ”

Hu Butcher bought it while walking, and his wife Liu helped beside him: "Yes, there is another family that says that they can't pay the grain, and they want to let their girl go to the house to be a maid to pay off the rent." doesn't pee and take pictures, what virtue does his daughter have, and how can she be worthy of doing things in the house. If you answer his offer, I am afraid that it will not be a rent collection but a relief, and then you will not want to collect grain. ”

Fan's mother looked at Liu, "Then what should I do next?" ”

"I paid with the silver, I heard that the housekeeper Liang borrowed his money, but I don't know what to use, and where is the silver taels. Our husband and wife are just running errands, and we can't handle the money and food, and we are not allowed to look at the accounts, but we can't tell. ”

Liang Pandi smiled, "Auntie, the silver was taken from the Yipin incense cabinet by the slave family, and there is an account." As for the mortgage, nothing is wanted. When Jin Tsai left, he explained that he should accumulate more virtue and do good, and don't push the tenants too quickly. After all, we are the first year of being landlords, and if we push too much, we will have a bad reputation. ”

Fan Mu nodded, "You did the right thing, Jin Tsai went to take the top prize this time, we have to give him blessings." Compared to my son's fame, a few grains of grain and a few pennies are nothing. I said that Uncle Hu, if you encounter someone who can't pay your food in the future, let him tell me, don't let you send someone to fight casually. Although your intentions are good, your means are inappropriate, and those who don't know think that my Fan family is a strong beam, then it is very inappropriate. Food is a good thing, but it is not worth anything compared to my son's future fame, and you two husbands and wives are not allowed to beat people indiscriminately under the banner of my family in the future. And Brother Pan, don't always enter the boy, he is your man, and this name is also what you can call? I don't know if I thought you were his elder. In the future, remember to call the master, that big family seems to be called like this, you learn a little. Shouting that I want to call the old lady, you are the eldest sister, always call me aunt, beware of shouting smoothly, you can't change it. ”

The two women hurriedly nodded yes. After turning around, Fan's mother was also a little tired, and when she returned home, she went to sleep first. Sister Hu said: "Third sister, sit down, I'll go to the Buddha Hall." ”

"Burning incense again?"

"Yes, you calculate, it's the eighth day of the second month today, doesn't it mean that you have to take the exam on the ninth day of the junior high school of my brother, I have to go to worship Emperor Wenchang every day these days, and ask them to bless me to enter the brother's middle school. As long as I enter Ge Neng, I can eat fast and repay my vows for the rest of my life, or deduct my yang longevity. ”

The two women were originally not pleasing to each other, but after Fan Jin left, they were the only ones in the family who served Fan's mother, and they had a little taste of relying on each other. After all, Sister Hu is a kind and simple woman, such as Fan Jin gave Liang Pandi a restaurant but didn't give her anything, Hu Butcher will care very much, she doesn't take it to heart. There is no conflict with Liang Pandi, but the relationship is closer than in the past.

Liang Pandi spat and said, "Bah, bah! Hurry up and take a sip, don't talk nonsense if it's okay, the gods are very powerful, what if I really hear your words? Just enjoy a few days of happiness, and you will have to lose your longevity. ”

Sister Hu was a little lonely and said, "Enjoy happiness? There are good food and good clothes, and everyone laughs when they see me, but I always feel that this is not a blessing. In the past, although I didn't have enough food and no good clothes to wear, I could see my brother every day, running around after him, and when he was happy, he would talk to me and tell me stories. He smiled at me and told me to get my eyes cured, and my heart was more happy than anything else. At that time, there was nothing, but there was a brother, and now there is everything, and the people are gone, and I don't feel that it is a blessing at all. If he brings back a very powerful Jingshi lady this time, will we be kicked out of the house, or driven into a black house, and we will not be allowed to see my brother every day? In that case, it would be better to die. I had a dream last night that I was kicked out of the house by a very fierce woman, and I was not allowed to see my brother again......"

Liang Pandi took Sister Hu's hand and sighed: "If that were the case, I would have been driven out earlier." Silly girl, you think it's useless to think this. Jinzi is destined to be developed this time, how can he not ask a wife to come back? You have an aunt to take care of, and the new daughter-in-law shouldn't dare to touch you, so it's hard for me to say. After all, I'm old and married, so I have to walk if someone says a word. Master Jinshi is different from Master Juren, and it may not be appropriate for a woman like me to stay by his side. ”

Sister Hu said: "Then why don't we pray together, so that Brother Jin can't marry a wife?" ”

Liang Pandi tapped lightly on her head, "What nonsense?" Let the aunt hear it and beat you or not? If you dare to curse into the boy, you will be driven away now. We still have to pray to God and worship Buddha and bless the champion. Think about how majestic our man would be if he was the champion. ”

"But...... But in the drama written by Brother Jin, he said that if he won the champion, he would recruit a horse, and then he would deny us and send someone to kill us. Isn't that so? ”

"I don't know if that's the case, but it's almost the same when I think about it, if you marry a princess, of course you won't recognize us. But if Jin Tsai can really recruit a horse, even if he kills him, I am willing. My man is a colt, and I feel happy when I think about it, and I admit that he killed him. ”

"Me too, me too." Sister Hu nodded and said, "Then let's go and ask the gods for help, so that we can be the champion in the brother and be a colt." If Brother Jin wants to kill me, I will never run away and sue like in the play, I am his, and he will do whatever he wants me to do. ”

On Dayuan Island, on the originally uninhabited plain, buildings have risen one after another. A large number of men and women from the sea have taken this place as their new home and are in full swing into construction.

Deer, once ubiquitous, became the main source of food for these outsiders. They hunt deer, but they also hunt people. The original natives of the island fought one heroic and tragic battle after another against these outsiders, but each time they ended in defeat. Now these natives have to hide in the mountains, away from these terrible devils, and look for an opportunity to take revenge. During the battle, the indigenous women, who were as beautiful as water, became the target of young adults among the immigrants. Male prisoners of war became the cheapest consumables.

In a fortress that was already quite large, a tall woman was naked, lying on a bed, enjoying a massage by several young women. Lin Haishan's pregnancy reaction was quite obvious, and she had to vomit for a while from time to time, and her mood became bad because of this. If a few women do not get a good massage, they will be kicked or slapped a few times, followed by a bunch of Hokkien vernacular.

After scolding his subordinates, Lin Haishan pointed to the north and said: "You decrepit boy harms people and gives your grandmother a good listen, if you don't pass the test, your grandmother will take you to the island to raise deer, and then take care of your grandmother." If you can't do it well, you can do it three times a day. Straighten up your waist and come back, your grandmother will let you poke a few more times, and give your family a lot of children! ”

As he spoke, he touched his belly again, "Decrepit boy, your father is going to be a jinshi, you were born not a little robber, but a little boy, when the time comes, there will be a lot of beautiful maids waiting for you, you can kiss their mouths, catch their sons, happy or not?" Scold your dad with your mother and let him hurry up to high school. ”

On the embroidery floor of the Xiangfu, Zhang Shunqing looked at the Gongyuan, looked at the hourglass beside him and estimated the time, "I am probably on the Gongyuan Street now...... Well, now let's start firing the cannon and ask God...... Now it should be the entry to search ...... "Tonight, destined to be sleepless."

The location of the test is Gongyuan Street in the eastern city of Jingshi. Like the township exam, there are not many people here, but when the exam period arrives, it is the most lively.

The examination officially started on the ninth day of February, and on the evening of the eighth day of February, it was already crowded outside the Gongyuan. The number of the lifters themselves exceeded a thousand, and with the retinue they brought, the total number must be as high as five or six thousand. You squeeze me and push, and don't give in to each other.

The advantages of the guild hall were shown at this time, with the guild hall as a unit, the provincial lifters formed a cluster, ruthlessly squeezed out the scattered moves, and gave priority to the entry position. The scale of the corps of each guild also reflects the cultural and educational level of the province.

The imperial examination of the Ming Dynasty was actually divided into three volumes, the south and the south, represented by the Tiansu Song, the southern Zhili, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Huguang, and Guangdong for the southern volume, and the northern Zhili, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, and Shaanxi for the northern volume, Sichuan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Fengyang, the place of the ancestral mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty, including Luzhou, Chuzhou, Xuzhou, and Hezhou, were the middle volumes.

This distribution method also shows the level of culture and education in each province. For example, in a weak province like Shaanxi, the reader has not even read the Encyclopedia of Sex and Science, and if he competes fairly with the south, it is likely that he will not be able to record any of them, so he can only use this way to adjust and maintain the balance of the imperial court at the same time.

Even so, the number of admissions in the three volumes is uneven, and in general, the southern paper has the largest number of admissions, followed by the northern paper, and the middle paper has the least. Within the provinces of a single volume, it is also divided into several grades according to the strength of literature and education. Among the provinces in the southern volume, Fujian's imperial examination strength is the weakest, and students have difficulty speaking official language, and their ability to speak in officialdom is also poor. The situation in Guangdong is slightly better, which is the second to last.

Like Lin Mengchu, the Guangdong Xie Yuan, he is the target of the stars in the hall, and he is also a well-deserved leader when he goes to the Gongyuan. However, compared with the ordinary lifters in Zhejiang and Nanzhili, it actually does not have much advantage, and if Xie Yuan is better than Xie Yuan, it is nothing.

This status directly affects the morale of the team, and it is the students of the Guangdong Guild Hall who seem to be very good news when they act. I can't dodge being hit by the lantern and shaking around, and most of the time, I can only endure it.

Although talented people are respected, when a group of talented people get together, the high and low are naturally separated. These Wenqu stars, who are above the top in their hometown, didn't know until Jingshi that they were not as good as they imagined.

Fan came in late, and many things didn't catch up. In the past, several literary meetings had been held in the Fangsi Hutong of Jingshi. Although it is nominally called by a certain famous Oiran, it is often launched by a certain talent or official behind it, and the test and competition before the start of the examination.

This kind of literary meeting is not like the competition in the rivers and lakes, and the difference in literary talent between the two cannot be directly evaluated, but the general strength and weakness are still distinguished. Lin Mengchu's talent itself is not bad, but it is just not bad. In Guangdong, it is famous for lifting people through the scriptures, but in a large cultural and educational province like Jiangsu and Zhejiang, it is not a scarce product to lift people through the scriptures, and there are not many scribes who can do this.

These people may not all be interested in Oiran, but the Wenhui will always participate, and Lin Mengchu's talent is not excellent on such a star-studded occasion. The performance of several literary meetings was not lost, although it did not disgrace Guangdong, but it did not earn back any reputation. Just like Guangdong's current cultural and educational status, it is mediocre and not outstanding.

During this time, the more famous people, such as Xuancheng Shen Jundian, Xiushui Feng Kaizhi, Lanxi Lu Jingcheng and Linchuan Tang Yiyi, are the talents who are talked about by the famous scholars of the Beijing Division, and also represent the hope of winning the championship in this subject. Others, such as Zhang Sixiu, the second son of the Zhang family, although he reads hard at home behind closed doors, occasionally a few window manuscripts are circulated to the outside world through some means, which can also be called a pearl of words, and fellow scholars also have to write a word to come out.

His own talent is not hard, and he can't be hard when he enters the dragon gate. The closer the procession got to Gongyuan Street, the more scattered it became. Even if the number of students from Jiangsu and Zhejiang is smaller, they dare to rush through the ranks of Guangdong students, which is where the confidence of the major province of culture and education lies.

Looking at the scattered lanterns, Lin Mengchu's heart was also helpless. After all, the confidence is not as good as others, and the only thing that can be comforted is that the team in Fujian is even worse. When people are unlucky themselves, they will always be a little comforted when they see people who are even more unlucky.

Someone whispered, "Who saw Fan Huisi?" ”

"Yes, what about Brother Retreat? I wanted to visit him before the exam, but I never saw him. I only know that he had a quarrel with Dongchang, and there is no follow-up later. Shouldn't it really be taken by Dongchang? ”

"How is that possible! Now they will try, just grab a move in prison, do they still want to live? Brother Fan must be safe now, but I don't know where it is, don't be squeezed behind by these street fights and delay the entry. ”

Lin Mengchu's temperament is relatively modest, there is no problem in dealing with others, and he has his own knowledge, but his ability to make trouble is not strong. In the current occasion of this kind of fighting, the impact of this kind of head horse is not enough, and some people begin to miss Fan Jin, who can make trouble.

If he took out the strength to rush Feng Bangning and led everyone forward, he might be able to rush over. Moreover, as long as Fan Jin's name is called, ordinary movers have to be polite to their side, after all, among the thousands of moves, this is the one who really has the courage to provoke the Feng family.

The lifters in Guangdong are holding lanterns and shining around, but there are too many people now, and it is not easy to find a specific person. In addition to them, Tang Xianzu in Jiangxi Juzi, Zhang Sixiu in Huguang Juzi, and several other Huguang Juzi were all looking around, with different purposes, looking for Fan Jin's traces.

Not far from the gate of the Tribute Temple, a carriage was parked. It is said that there can be no cars and horses to stop at this place at this time, and conversely, being able to park the car here at such a time is enough to show that the identity of the owner is extraordinary.

Fan Jin got out of the car early and waited outside the gate of the Gongyuan to enter, while Xue Wu accompanied him and whispered. This carriage is not theirs, but the car that Mrs. Li is used to riding on weekdays, and most of the important members of the Beijing division know each other, and this car can be parked wherever they want, and there is no taboo. Li himself did not show up, but two beautiful women in Tsing Yi came to send the exam, one holding a lantern and the other holding Kaolan. Seeing that the hour was approaching, the two women said in unison: "Congratulations to Master Fan on the title of the gold list, and I wish you the title of the Nangong as soon as possible!" ”