445 Peaceful Arrangement

After using the alarm clock for a while, Sun Sicheng couldn't let it go. It was so convenient that he asked Ping An for another one. Ping An simply gave five to his master, letting him use them as he pleased or give them as a favor.

I still have thirteen, and I will give one to Fu An and Chen Xuan, one to my biological father and one to my stepfather, and I can give some to Chu Feng and Hao Ting, and I only need to give a pair of glasses to Grandfather Zhang.

An alarm clock is enough. You have to remember to set it every day, otherwise it will stop working the next day.

The glasses were actually good things, made of real good crystal, which he would not give away easily. There were only twenty-five pairs in total, and four pairs were given to the master's family.

New Year's Eve was spent in the mansion. The Chen father and son spent the New Year together. The guards alone set up five tables, and the tables and chairs were all brought by the cook. Sometimes money really is the best bargain.

Ping An asked Chen Xuan for one or two taels of silver, which was considered as selling him an alarm clock. Chen Xuan loved it so much that he gave Ping An many of the small jade items he carried with him.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, unexpectedly the Marquis and Wang Tao came over on horseback, saying that they wanted everyone to have some fun together. They couldn't leave for the time being and would probably have to leave at the end of the first lunar month.

On the third day of the junior high school, he was invited to the Ying family. The Ying family was so warm and welcoming that both Sun Sicheng and his apprentice felt embarrassed. They brought back many local specialties, including Fu An.

The Ying family wanted Ping'an to take Fu An with him first. If that didn't work, they would let Fu An study in Yingtian Prefecture, and then go to Ping'an during his days off to read the great scholar's notes.

The second young master of the Ying family seemed to want to do the same, but he finally held back.

It's not good to be afraid of one, let alone two. If Fu An can be accepted, the notes can be brought to the Ying family.

Ping An felt helpless. If Fu An was brought along, Chen Xuan would definitely be the same. There would be two more people, and he didn't know if his master would be angry.

He also wanted to take Yuanqing as his study companion. Now it seems that he can only send Yuanqing and Xu Song to the provincial school, and let them live together when they come back at night. He would look at Yuanqing's notes and teach him if he doesn't understand.

Yuan Qing is not very ambitious. He only wants to be the accountant next to him. Even if he is the accountant, wouldn't it be nice to have the status of a juren? Maybe after passing the juren exam, he wants to pass the jinshi exam and become an official?

He still hopes that things will be better for his friends who have been with him for seven or eight years. Of course, there is nothing wrong with them being with him for a lifetime. Life is short and the purpose is to live comfortably.

He felt very sympathetic towards Xu Song's experience. It would be better for him not to have relatives like that. If his father was a good man, the boy of seventeen or eighteen should have become a scholar long ago. Why was he still a student?

Even though he had thought about not continuing his studies since the day he met her, Ping An still didn't want him to have any regrets.

Xu Song has no shortage of money, but he is hurt and wants to repay his kindness. He doesn't really care about kindness at all. Besides, it's just repayment and he can take his time over his lifetime. If they have the opportunity to study, he should be allowed to study as much as possible. People like Erqiang, Huzi and Fang Wu would not want to study even if they are forced to do so.

Early in the morning on the fourth day of the New Year, Sun Sicheng and his entourage bid farewell to the Ying family and the old shopkeeper and set out on the journey back to Yingtian. This time they had two more horse-drawn carriages to carry their luggage.

Fu An was riding in the same car with Chen Xuan and Ping An. He didn't feel reluctant at all. On the contrary, he was extremely excited.

In his words, there was no reason to be reluctant to leave, because his father would be coming to Hezhou soon, and his mother would come as soon as his father arrived. It only took five or six days to travel from Yingtian to Hezhou.

Ping An thought about it and agreed. It was right for his family to leave the capital temporarily. Once the old woman died, the eldest lady would be left alone. After all, they were just two brothers after the family was divided, not elders.

People can live a hard life, but the mess in the backyard is annoying. If they were in the capital, even if the family was divided, as long as the old woman was still alive and deliberately made trouble for Fu An's parents, the word "filial piety" would make them helpless.

But if the old lady really died, Lord Fu would still have to observe three years of mourning, and officials would have to resign and stay at home. It is still unknown whether they would be able to find a good job after three years.

This was the most annoying thing in the ancient workplace.

His master won't have to worry about this in the future.

Ten days later, on the night before the Lantern Festival, they entered Yingtian City at dusk.

Fu An and Chen Xuan, father and son, moved into the Sun Mansion together.

Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, the last day of the lunar new year. Sun Sicheng plans to take Ping An to visit the Wang family's elders to wish them a happy new year at noon. Chen Xuan and his son and Fu An will naturally go with them.

Whether Master Wang will lead them to study depends on this one move.

After staying in Yingtian for three days, Sun Sicheng was ready to return to Beijing.

Potatoes need to be planted in the spring, and there is no time to waste. Ping An has already written down the potato planting method on a piece of paper. It is not very detailed, and farmers have to cross the river by feeling the stones, but he still knows how to cut the potatoes according to the sprouting position and wrap them in wood ash before planting.

Besides, Changqing’s marriage cannot be delayed. He is the eldest son, and the character of his eldest grandson’s wife is very important, as is the character of the other party’s family.

Ping An gathered his men together that night.

"Master will be returning to Beijing in three days. I will stay here to study for the time being. I think you all know this.

Xiao Wu, your child has been born for several months. This time you should go back with the master.

Erqiang, you should also go back to Beijing and get married to Lengyue. I will write to Master Qin and Dawu and help you make it a grand wedding.

I plan to arrange the marriage of Tong Lin and Leng Shui for you the day after tomorrow. If you think it’s too soon, you can set the date yourself.”

Xiao Wudao said, "Master, I won't go back. The children are all well at the farm. They have food and clothes. The doctor is right beside them. If the eldest son goes back, Uncle He, Uncle Wan and the others will definitely follow him. It won't work if there are too few people here."

Erqiang was unwilling to leave, either. It was okay to get married later. Didn't his uncle get married at the age of 26? Now he has a son and a daughter. Besides, he was only 20 years old. No, he was still a few months away from 20.

"Ping An, I won't leave either. It's not too late to get married next year or the year after. Leng Yue will only be twenty next year."

Tong Lin said, "Master, you just arrived, so you can come a few months later, or even a year later."

Ping An nodded: "Then we will get married in a few months. Xiao Wu and Er Qiang should go to the capital. By the way, bring the eight people who came from the valley, as well as Wan Xiang and Xiao Ming back to Beijing and hand them over to Master Qin and Da Wu. They must be trained. My people cannot be left behind.

The master may come by the end of the year, or next spring at the latest, and you can come with him then.

Xiao Wu, ask Da Wu to go to the pawnshop to buy a suitable person, preferably between ten and fifteen years old. Older ones are harder to train. Older ones with a skill can also be bought, but quality is more important than quantity.

I have Tong Lin, Lin Feng, Hu Zi, Qing Shi and Fang Wu here, which is enough for now.

I plan to send Yuanqing and Xusong to the government school. Don't say anything. Even if they become my accountants or stewards in the future, it's good for them to study more. I'm your master, and I have my own plans for making this arrangement."

After Ping An said this, everyone fell silent.

Newcomers do need to go to the village for training. Following the young master, they will understand many things. It is better to concentrate on learning skills in the village or in the valley.