Chapter 275 What is the capital city like?
Seeing that everyone in the family has made great achievements, only he has achieved nothing.
He is obviously a man and will take over his father's post to support the Duke's Mansion, but he is outdone by his sisters.
Su Changhe doesn't like to go to school now. Pei Yuan pesters him every day and asks him to bring Xiaoxiao to the school to play.
Since Pei Yuan ate the worm given by Xiaoxiao, it's like he has changed his brain. He used to be a complete idiot in studying, but now he can speak eloquently.
Su Changhe didn't care much about studying before. Anyway, he was far behind Tang Yongning, and he didn't think it was a big deal to be outdone by Tang Yongning.
But now, no matter how unhappy he is, he dare not take it lightly, because if he is not careful, he will be surpassed by Pei Yuan.
Pei Yuan was previously known for being useless. Although he was no longer the last, Su Changhe still couldn't bear to lose to Pei Yuan, so he studied harder than before.
The teachers praised him for his rapid progress, but he still didn't like going to school, because he always felt that he was only treated well by his father and sisters. The fact
that he was useless became a worry for Su Changhe. That day, he was halfway to school when he went to Kang Lun's place.
During the palace examination, Kang Lun won the first place without any suspense and became the number one.
Zhao Liming came in second, the runner-up. He wanted to do something practical like his father, so he chose to be assigned to an external post.
The emperor was so gracious that he allowed him to wait for his father Zhao Hongye to return from Xiling before he could take up his new post.
Kang Lun had now entered the Hanlin Academy and became an editor there, so it was naturally inconvenient for Zhao Hui to live in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion.
He now lived in Maoer Hutong, a house allocated by the court. Although he was the top scholar, he only had two rooms. The larger one was divided into half to serve as a bedroom and study, the other half was a living room, and the other was a small kitchen.
Although it was small, it was already the best for Kang Lun. It was many times better than the firewood shed in the top scholar's building, and it didn't cost any money.
He lived in a courtyard with seven or eight families. Others had families with them, but he lived alone, which was considered luxurious.
Su Changhe didn't think so. This Mao'er Hutong was too remote. If he walked further, he would almost reach the outskirts of the capital.
He decided to come here on a whim today and didn't prepare a carriage. It took him a long time to find the place roughly.
He asked a lot of people and went through twists and turns before he found out the specific location of Mao'er Hutong.
Walking into the alley, the road was muddy. Naked children were playing in the mud. An old woman in a coarse cloth shirt was cursing at the door, saying that her clothes that were hung out to dry were stolen.
Su Changhe had seen this scene before. He quickly quickened his pace and walked forward. He met two women with their hands on their hips quarreling. He
finally came to Kang Lun's yard. There was no one quarreling here, but it was also very lively.
Two women were sitting in the yard washing clothes, chatting as they washed, which was very noisy.
There were also several children digging ant nests in the yard, laughing constantly.
Su Changhe once suspected that she had walked to the wrong place, and didn't know whether to go forward or backward.
A woman washing clothes saw her and asked enthusiastically: "Young master, who are you looking for?"
While talking, her eyes kept looking at Su Changhe. No wonder, he was dressed in gorgeous clothes, and everyone would look at him a few more times.
When had Su Changhe been stared at like this? The servants in the family were well-trained and would not look directly at their masters.
Su Changhe said a little awkwardly, "Excuse me, does Kang Lun, the top scholar, live here?"
The woman did not answer, but turned her head and shouted at the top of her voice, "Kang Lun, the top scholar, someone is looking for you!"
Kang Lun was reading a book in the house. When he heard someone calling him outside, he hurried out.
When he saw it was Su Changhe, he was stunned at first, then a smile spread across his face: "Changhe, why are you here, come in!"
Su Changhe was led into the house by Kang Lun, and he said with some heartache: "Brother Kang, are you going to live here?"
Kang Lun knew what he was thinking, patted him on the shoulder and said: "Why, you still don't like this place? Let me tell you, if you don't rank in the top ten, you won't even be eligible for a house. Besides, isn't this place good?"
"It's not good here at all!" Su Changhe couldn't imagine that after becoming the top scholar, he would be assigned such an animal house.
Kang Lun smiled: "Changhe, the capital city in your eyes is only one side. It is the endless mansions of the aristocratic families and the prosperous and extravagant Ximen Street. In
the real capital city, the aristocratic families are only a small part of it, and there are more ordinary people. Many people are poor all their lives and cannot guarantee three meals a day, let alone have a house of their own. This is how most people live."
Su Changhe looked at Kang Lun in disbelief. He often went to give porridge with his mother and saw those street children and beggars.
In fact, he didn't quite understand why they were willing to be beggars and why their parents were willing to abandon them.
He couldn't imagine that someone was poor all his life and didn't even have a place to live.
"Brother Kang, why is this so?" Su Changhe asked a question that was difficult for him to answer.
Since he was born, he has been living in luxury. He knows that there is a gap between the rich and the poor, and different classes. However, he cannot accept that Kang Lun, such a talented man, a newly crowned top scholar, can only live in such a shabby room.
All this is completely beyond his cognition, and he completely forgot the purpose of his trip.
Kang Lun just smiled. His little brother needs to open his eyes.
He patted Su Changhe and said, "I happen to have a day off today. Come on, I will take you to see the capital city you have never seen!"
This Maoer Hutong is on the outskirts of the south of the capital city. The center of the capital city is naturally the imperial palace.
In the outer circle are the residences of the top aristocratic families and royal relatives.
For example, the Tai Shi Mansion and the Prime Minister's Mansion are in that circle. The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion and the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion are further away from the imperial palace. In short, it is almost impossible for people in this circle to get in without the efforts of more than three generations.
Some officials have struggled all their lives and can buy a house with one or two entrances and a separate courtyard in the south of the city. This is considered promising.
More officials look glamorous outside, but only those who are capable can live in places like Maoer Hutong, which are assigned by the government, without paying. Most people can only rent houses.
If officials are like this, you can imagine what kind of life other ordinary people live.
Kang Lun hired two donkeys and took Su Changhe out of Maoer Hutong to explore more remote places.
Looking at the increasingly crowded and dilapidated buildings in front of him, Su Changhe's heart sank again and again.
Men and women didn't seem to care so much about gender separation. A woman with patched clothes and a baby on her back squeezed into the group of men. Amid the men's laughter, she picked up a piece of wood and came out cursing.
Her cursing caused another round of laughter.
And those laughing men were not idle. They worked non-stop to transport the wood to the carriage on the distant road.