The first year of Guangxu was 1875.

In Jiangnan, in April, the wind is soft, the air is fresh, and the sun is warm; The wheat seedlings in the field are like a sea, and the roadside and the river are full of all kinds of nameless small flowers, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, decorating the land south of the Yangtze River to the fullest.

April is also the busiest season in the countryside south of the Yangtze River. The green mountains are all over the white river, and the rain is like smoke in the sound of the sub-regulations. There are few idlers in the countryside in April, so the sericulture is planted again.

Liu Yong and Liu Ling came to Jili Village, and they found Song Hongsheng and Wang Baohe to learn about the preparations for this year's spring cocoon acquisition.

In the office of the 'Liu Shunheng' silk factory, Song Hongsheng said: According to the current situation, the mulberry leaves are growing so well, and the output of spring cocoons this year must be high. According to last year's market, we had better add two more stoves, otherwise, a large number of spring cocoons will be too late to dry.

Liu Yong asked: How can there be 20 days left?

Song Hongsheng said: Start immediately, it shouldn't be a big problem.

Liu Yongdao: Okay, that's it, you can arrange to start construction immediately.

Song Hongsheng said: Rest assured, I promise not to miss something.

......

Back in Nanxun, Liu Yong did not go home directly, he asked Liu Ling to go back to the silk store first, and he went to the 'Zhuang Maosheng' silk store.

Zhuang Maosheng was sitting listlessly on a chair smoking a hookah, since that time he had bad intentions, but he made himself destitute, although Liu Yong didn't care about himself, how could he be embarrassed to open up to him? I am worried about how to open this year's Spring Silk.

Seeing Liu Yong coming in, Zhuang Maosheng didn't know what he was doing, Zhuang Maosheng got up and said with a smile: Brother Liu is here, please sit down.

Liu Yong smiled and said: I was passing by here, and I came in to take a look, I don't know how Boss Zhuang is preparing for this year's spring silk scales?

Zhuang Maosheng thought to himself, maybe he came to see his joke. So, reluctantly, he said: preparations are underway.

Liu Yong said: According to the current situation, the output of spring silk this year is not low, which is an opportunity. If the boss of the village does not have enough funds on hand, he can first transfer 1,000 taels to me, and return it to me after the sale of Chunsi. Rest assured, I will not calculate interest with you.

Zhuang Maosheng was overjoyed when he heard this, and was amazed. Dao: Brother Liu is so rich and noble, I, Zhuang, am really grateful.

Liu Yong said with a smile: Hey, they are all from the villagers, and there is no temporary difficulty in any family. I've taken care of the bookkeeper, so you'll be able to get it later.

Zhuang Maosheng waved his hands to Liu Yong and said: Thank you, Brother Liu, Brother Liu.

......

In the courtyard of Liu's house, Hong Ying was playing with An Lu. At this time, An Jiang came out with two books.

Chunmei ran over and said, "Second brother, you are going to the house again tomorrow to take the exam, can you take me there?"

An Jiang smiled: You, when you go to school, study hard, and then go to take the exam.

An Lu said: Then I will be studying next year, can I take the exam after reading?

An Jiangdao: Yes, but you still need to know a lot of things before you can take the exam.

Chunmei Dao: Then I know.

Hong Ying came over and said to An Jiang: Tomorrow you will go to the government exam, and you will prepare all the things you should bring today, so as not to be in a hurry tomorrow morning.

An Jiangdao: Please rest assured, Mom, we are already adults, and our own affairs will be arranged.

Hong Ying smiled and nodded with satisfaction.

......

Liu Yong just entered the house, only to hear the shouting in the hall, and when he entered the door, it turned out to be Dongmei and her husband Jiang who came to the province with their daughter Yunyun.

Liu Yong pointed to Dongmei's hand and said with a smile: You, people say that the married daughter spilled the water. Do you still know this family?

Dongmei smiled and said: Why don't you know, don't I come?

Hong Yingdao: Oh, you are a person, Dongmei's family also has old and young, and she is busy enough.

Dongmei said again: I heard that the two younger brothers are participating in the children's test this year, I don't know what the situation is, anyway, Xikun is fine at home, so I came to take a look.

Liu Yong said: They are going to take the government exam tomorrow, and since they are here, they will stay for a few more days.

At this time, Chunmei, who had been leaning there, pouted. Dao: I don't want to, I want Yunyun to go back immediately.

Liu Yong kicked down funny and asked, "Why do you want Yunyun to go back immediately?"

Chunmei said: You see Yunyun is here, and my mother has been holding her. Yunyun is here, you all like Yunyun anymore, but you don't like me anymore,

In a word, it made everyone laugh.

Liu Yong picked up Chunmei, pointed to his little nose and said: You are really a stingy ghost. You're already an aunt, so you should give way.

Yun Yun didn't show weakness, pouted and said: What a stingy ghost, and he rushed to suck my mother's milk with me.

Wow, it made everyone present roll back and forth with laughter.

I heard that Dongmei was back, and the old lady also came to the hall with the support of the cuckoo.

Dongmei and Jiang Xikun immediately stepped forward, took the old lady's hand, and said in unison, "Grandma, how are you old man."

The old lady said: A lot of years old, useless, eyes are dazzled, and ears are deaf. You don't come back often. And that Qiumei, I haven't been back for a long time. I, O see you for a while, and I will be less than a moment.

Dongmei said with a smile: My grandmother has a long life, and she has to see a few more great-grandchildren.

The old lady smiled and said: Just my Dongmei's mouth.

A three-piece set for a woman to chat: husband, children, and clothes.

The women were chatting. Liu Yong and his son-in-law were also chatting.

Liu Yong asked: I don't know what my son-in-law has been doing recently?

Jiang Xikun said: I don't hide it in front of my father-in-law, my father's business has been average recently, and my son-in-law is just helping out.

Liu Yong thought for a moment and said: At present, the salt industry in Yangzhou and the reclamation in Nantong are lacking suitable management candidates, I don't know what you think?

Jiang Xikun said: It is my great fortune that my father-in-law loves my son-in-law so much, and I will definitely live up to your expectations.

......

After the first round of elimination in the county examination, less than half of the candidates for the government examination have left. In the examination room, Liu Anlan and Liu Anjiang sat there and answered the papers attentively. The invigilator often goes to Liu Anjiang's table to watch his answer sheet, don't look at him is still a Zitong face, and his pen is fluent and comfortable, rigid and soft, and he is surprised not to scribble and change on the answer sheet.

After three days of exams, Liu Anlan and Liu Anjiang were out of the circle at the same time.

Later, they took the college exam in August.

The number of students admitted to the first of the two examinations is double the number of talents who should be selected, and they are announced in circles, and the seat number is written, and the name is not written, which is called the "draft". After the second re-examination, the seals were opened, the names were written, and the children who passed the hospital examination were called "students", commonly known as "Xiucai", which was regarded as having "fame". enter the scholarly class; There are privileges such as exemption from errands, not kneeling in the county, and not being punished casually.

After the red list, I knew that Liu Anlan and Liu Anjiang were involved at the same time, and Liu Anlan was a tribute student, and Liu Anjiang, who was only 13 years old, became a gift.

Knowing that Liu Anlan and Liu Anjiang became Xiucai at the same time, the Liu family was overjoyed. Nanxun Town is also a household name, especially Liu Anjiang became a talent at the age of 13, becoming the youngest talent in the history of Nanxun Town, all of which are passed down as good stories.

The old lady also smiled and said: Amitabha, that is the virtue accumulated by my Liu family ancestor!

I heard that the sons of the Liu family were both involved in the case and had become talents, and the villagers came to congratulate them.

The old lady smiled and said to Liu Yong: Ah Yong, my grandson has become a talent at the same time, which is a great joy for my Liu family for several generations, and it should be put on a few tables to celebrate.

Liu Yong said with a smile: It is the ancestor who accumulates virtue, and it is free to put a few tables.

Knowing that his two sons have become Xiucai, especially the eldest son An Lan is a tribute student, and the second son An Jiang is a gifted student (reading is given food by the state), Liu Yong was really happy in his heart, but he behaved very calmly and low-key. It looks like it doesn't matter.

He called his two sons to his side. Dao: Now you are two people of insight, and you are also the first generation of educated people in the Liu family. This is your own effort, relying on your own true talent to learn is true, and it is also the virtue accumulated by your ancestors. But this is just the beginning, the road ahead is longer, you know, what is most lacking in you now?

An Lan said: Daddy means that he understands in his heart that what we lack is social knowledge and human knowledge.

An Jiang also said: Knowledge does not mean that there is culture.

Liu Yong looked at his two sons with satisfaction.