The earth is springing and the weather is getting warmer.

On the second day of February, Zhang took Ding Liren to live in the Jiulu Weaving and Embroidery Workshop. The county test will be held on February 12, 14, 16, and 18, and Ding Liren will be able to live in the county seat early so that Ding Liren can get used to life there.

On the first day of February, Ding Erfu wanted to go to Tuodong Mansion in Central and Southern Province.

At the end of the fourth day of the new year, Lilac went to the big house with her grandfather.

This is the third time she has grown so old to go to the big house.

Ding Erfu is fourteen years old this year, tall, strong and dark, like an eighteen or nineteen-year-old man, and he looks more anxious than Ding Lichun.

Ding Zhuang's family has a very good impression of him, and they will rely on him after the big house.

Ding Sifu's child is also very good, but he is too good and weak to manage that family.

Ding Xiang took twenty taels of silver and gave it to Ding Erfu, "I heard that there are many Nanyi people in Central and Southern Province, and their costumes are different and very distinctive. The second rich brother helped me buy some of their clothes and headdresses, and I have seen a lot of knowledge, and I may be able to make beautiful clothes."

Lilac wanted to see which ethnic group Li's mother belonged to, and roughly delineated where she lived.

There are many ethnic minorities there, and Li's mother is not necessarily in Central South Province, and Lilac does not have much hope, so she always has to try.

Wang pouted and said, "The clothes of the Nanyi people are ugly and dead. Spending so much money on their clothes is a rich man."

Ding Erfu ignored his mother, took the silver and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll collect more clothes for my sister there, but I may not be able to collect them all." I heard that fruits are rare in Central and Southern Province, so I brought some back for my sister to try."

The jade and jadeite there are better, and he doesn't have the money to buy those precious things.

The road from Jiaodong to Zhongnan is long, and the terrain is complicated, and it takes four to five months to go back and forth. He came back after June.

On the way home, Ding Zhuang said, "The Nanyi people are not civilized, and their clothes are not good-looking."

For the first time in so many years, he felt that what Wang said made sense.

Lilac smiled and said, "My master said that if we want to win the heads of all families, what if there is something worth learning from us?

When Ding Zhuang heard that it was Tao Weng who said it, he must be knowledgeable. One voice said, "Yes, yes."

On February 20, before dawn, Ding Zhuang took Lilac and Ding Li to take a mule cart to the county seat.

Look at the list today.

Mr. Li has been living in the county seat for the past few days, and he has five students taking the county exam, including Ding Liren and Xia Wenguan.

After entering the county seat, the mule cart sent Lilac to the Jiulu Weaving and Embroidery Workshop, and Ding Zhuang took Ding Li to walk to the county government to see the list.

Lilac sat in the backyard with Zhang, waiting anxiously.

Ding Sifu came out with tea, "Brother Liren studies hard, and rests after every night. Mr. Li listened to his answer and said that he did very well in the test......". net

I put tea and snacks on the stone table and waited with them.

At the end of the day, Ding Sifu went to Hutongkou and waited for someone.

After more than two quarters of an hour, Ding Sifu's surprise was heard.

"Daxi, Daxi, Brother Liren has passed the county exam."

Everyone went out, and the neighbors ran out.

Ding Sifu ran as fast as he could, and his excited little face was flushed, "Second aunt, Sister Xiang, Brother Liren has tried it in the county."

Ding Da stepped behind.

He laughed, "Liren is over, he and Lilai have accompanied Mr. Li to the restaurant to celebrate, and they will come back next morning."

Lilac asked, "How many places did the second brother take the exam?"

Ding Zhuang said, "Forty-eight, the youngest of all the students. Of Mr. Lee's five students, only two have passed and the other is 29 years old."

A total of 50 students were admitted to the county examination, and this result is on the tail. But it is not easy for a twelve-year-old child to come from the countryside again.

It is said that Mr. Li was moved to tears.

He has been teaching for more than 20 years, and only two of his students have been born, both of whom are still in middle school after the age of 30. A twelve-year-old student passed the county exam, and he didn't dare to think about it before.

Zhang asked, "Has Xia Wen passed the pass?"

Ding Zhuang's face wrinkled into buns, "Just him, don't even think about it, his father took the exam more than ten times

years have passed. Then how can the old Xia family compare with our family, our family has a family history, and the roots are there."

Others thought that the root of what he said was the Xue family.

The Xue family is now thriving in the provincial capital, not only a big family, but also a child who has been admitted to the provincial capital and become an official.

Only Lilac knew that he was talking about the Dong family. The ancestors of the Dong family have served as prime ministers, queens, and waiters, and Grandma An's inheritance is good.

Everyone congratulated.

Ding Zhuang asked people to go to "Baotie" to give Ding Zhao good news, and asked Gong to lead Ding Sifu to give joy candy to the neighbors.

Zhang cried excitedly.

Ding Liren is now the most learned person in Beiquan Village except for Tao Weng and Xia Yuan.

Before the end of the day, Ding Liren and Ding Lilai came back with Li Dalu. It was as if he had drunk wine, and his face was flushed.

Lilac greeted her brother and gave her brother a big hug, "I knew that my second brother was the best."

This encouragement from my sister made the little boy happy.

Ding Zhuang looked at his second grandson with doting eyes, "Boy, okay."

Grandpa's look was only given to his sister, and neither his father nor his eldest brother ever got it.

This time he gave himself, and Ding Liren had the urge to cry.

Ding Zhuang bought a lot of wine and vegetables, and several people returned to Beiquan Village.

Ding Zhao has returned home, and everyone in Beiquan Village knows the good news. Except for Xia Yuan's family, all the villagers rejoiced that there was a prodigy in the village.

Ding Zhuang wanted to invite a flowing water banquet.

Ding Zhao disagreed, "The government examination will be taken in April, and the hospital examination will be taken in August, and the most critical thing is later. Xiucai didn't dare to think that as long as he passed the government exam, he would be a child, and then we would invite him again."

Ding Zhuang wanted to scold.

Lilac said, "My dad is right."

Ding Zhuang stopped thinking.

At noon the next day, Mr. Li, Ding Shan's family, Ding Li, Ding Youcai, several relatives from Nanquan Village, Xia Er's father, Xia Lizheng's father and son, and Hong Dajia were invited to eat and set up three tables.

also asked Ding Xiang to take Ding Liren's brothers to invite Tao Weng, and thanked Tao Weng for guiding Ding Liren.

Tao Weng generally does not participate in the personal visits of Beiquan Village. But Ding Liren is special in this matter, he is very fond of the venue.

As soon as his old man came, Ding's family was full of brilliance, and the family and all the guests came out to greet him.

Mr. Li gave Tao Weng a bow and personally helped him to his seat.

Xia Yuanwai was embarrassed to take the initiative, and his two sons didn't take the test this time. Especially the eldest son, who has been studying in a private school in the county, is eighteen years old this year, and he has not passed the exam for three years.

At the end of February, Zhu Qian sent someone to send a secret letter to Ding Zhuang and his son.

The emperor and the courtiers attached great importance to ductile iron, and sent a Lang Zhong and a member of the Yu Heng Division of the Ministry of Industry, a member of the Ministry of War in charge of weapons, a general of the Governor's Office, a total of four officials, seven officials, and two craftsmen from the Military War Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to visit Jiaodong, and the officials of the Jiaodong Provincial and the Weapons Bureau, as well as him and Lu Zongbing and others, went to visit the Baoqing Iron Manufacturing Company.

Arrived on the third or fourth day of March. Some officials are familiar with Tao Weng and will definitely go to Beiquan Village to pay a visit......

Hinting at the beginning of March, send Lilac out to hide for a few days.