Chapter 137 Chapter 137 End of the text
In the first month of the following year, Dafu entered the county school, and in the second month, Fan Xin and Shiwu took the examination together.
Good things come in pairs. After the provincial examination in April, both of them were on the list.
Fifteenth place is not bad, making it into the top ten. The whole Xu family is happy and has a promising future.
At the end of the red list, Fan Xin's name was also on it.
On the day of viewing the list, Fan Xin was so happy that he raised his sleeves to cover his face and actually cried.
When he was nearly forty years old, his half-life of study was finally worthwhile, and he finally had some fame and honor. Later, he taught and educated people, and finally stood up straighter.
During this year, Xiaofu spent all his time in the martial arts school practicing riding and archery, and he became stronger and stronger.
The first batch of female students and young men who came out of the martial arts school were all very skilled and had become a real reputation. In the second half of that year, before they even advertised for martial arts, many people had already made plans to send their children to learn martial arts.
While Fan Jing was busy teaching, he also took charge of recruiting several new teachers. He trained the good ones to be main teachers and the inferior ones to be assistant teachers.
As the number of students in the martial arts school increased, the teaching became more standardized and improved step by step.
Kang He was running the family business, opening branches and buying properties. Thanks to Dafu, a lot of taxes were exempted, and he became more motivated to run the business.
In this family, some read, some study, some teach, and some run business. Everyone has something to do, and most of them are fulfilled. There is no one idle.
The relatives and friends around me are also striving for a better life.
In Zhen'er's family, Luo Chuanyi got a vacant official position and served as the ambassador of the tax department in the county school of Huaixiang County. He was mainly responsible for assisting in the management of the collection of commercial taxes and city taxes.
Although it was not an official position that was in the mainstream, it was still a respectable position. Since he passed the imperial examination, he had taken the provincial examinations several times but did not get good results. Although he had not lost heart, he was quite tempted by the opportunity to get the job now.
According to the law, only candidates who had passed the imperial examination usually had the opportunity to be selected to fill vacancies, but occasionally one or two opportunities would fall to scholars.
Luo Chuanyi participated in the examination and unexpectedly was selected. For a moment he was hesitant about what to do. After all, once he became an official, he would no longer be able to take the imperial examination.
When Dafu heard that his uncle had this opportunity, he persuaded him to join the government. He often got the latest court reports from Teacher Wu and knew a lot about the court's developments.
Nowadays, the world is peaceful and there are more and more scholars. If this trend continues, scholars will certainly not be as valuable as in previous years. By then, there may be quite a few tongsheng, xiucai, and even juren.
In all walks of life where there are so many scholars, competition is bound to be fierce. It would be extremely difficult to get a chance to become an official. It would be better to seize the opportunity now.
Luo Chuanyi thought about it for a while, discussed it with his family, and finally accepted the position. He took Zhen'er and his two children to Huaixiang to take up the post.
Although this official position is small and he entered the officialdom as a mere scholar, he will not be able to rise very high in the future, but for ordinary people, it is extremely rare. No matter what, from now on, he will be an official.
Qiao'er was not the type of person who loved to take care of her husband and children and stay in the inner house. Not long after the birth of her child, she learned the business of the family tea shop. Her mother-in-law was happy to teach her and gradually handed the business over to her to manage, while she herself enjoyed playing with her grandchildren.
Qiao'er is energetic and runs the tea shop as well as her mother-in-law. She is planning to open a tea shop in another county with her husband.
As for the He family, the husband and wife are raising twins and living a happy life.
He Xiaoqiu taught the girl the family's braised food making skills, and also wanted to open another braised food shop in the north of the city; Zhang Shili taught the boy martial arts, and planned to send him to Fan Jing's martial arts school to learn martial arts when he was a little older.
I heard that the military examination has taken shape in recent years, and the treatment of warriors has improved a lot, so there is quite a prospect for it.
I won’t mention all the other relatives, friends and old acquaintances one by one. Although each family has its own worries and troubles, they are all living their lives patiently and enthusiastically.
Morning is green and evening is snowy, sun and moon are dancing, and in the blink of an eye, four years have passed...
That summer, the sun was scorching.
Kang He took his family back to his hometown to attend a funeral. After having lunch, Fan Ye lay down under a tree to cool off. He fell asleep and never woke up again.
The old man passed away peacefully, without any illness or pain, and he was already very old, so it was considered a happy funeral and his family members had no difficulty accepting it.
In the autumn of the previous year, Dafu won the first place in the imperial examination.
Although the ranking is not excellent, it is still a rare talent.
However, he could not stop there. He was eager to study and did not enjoy the various honors of a scholar at home. Instead, he went to the famous Yue Heng Academy to study.
He returned home to attend the funeral after his grandfather passed away.
Just as he was back, he planned to stay at home for a few more days, firstly to celebrate Fan Jing's birthday, and secondly to accompany Xiaofu.
Who would have thought that this young man, when writing to him, was so affectionate and nostalgic, which made people miss home so much, but now that he has come home, it is difficult to see him all day long. This young man is either practicing martial arts in the martial arts hall or going out to race horses with the boy from the He family.
It's completely wild.
"The twenty-sixth and the twenty-first is your little dad's birthday. Time flies by so fast. You two have grown taller and bigger, and your little dad has also celebrated his full birthday this year."
That night, Kang He called the two children to his side and told them, "Dad doesn't like lively occasions. In previous years, he never celebrated his birthday. He just ate a bowl of longevity noodles made by me, and never ate anything else at the banquet."
Xiaofu sat at the table, biting a pear, his long, slender legs folded as he sat, saying, "So, for Dad's birthday this year, are we going to have a big celebration?"
Dafu was quiet and also listening attentively beside him.
Kang He said, "How could he not do that? He doesn't like socializing to begin with. If we hold a grand birthday party and ask him to entertain guests, wouldn't that be a waste of time?"
Xiaofu nodded, that was indeed the case.
"Then I'll go ask my little dad how he wants to celebrate his birthday this year. It's rare that my brother is back, and the whole family is together."
Kang He said, "I've already made arrangements. I just wanted to inform you two in advance so that we can go out together as a family and there won't be any other conflicts."
Xiaofu's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Can I go out for my dad's birthday this year?"
Dafu's eyebrows twitched. "Where are we going? It's summer and the weather is hot. Going out to cool off is better than staying home."
Kang He said mysteriously, "You two will know when the time comes."
Fan Jing, who was standing outside the door and about to open it to go in, stopped when he heard the father and his two sons secretly discussing his birthday in the house.
He pretended not to hear anything and quietly left the yard, thinking to himself, what is this guy trying to do now? It's a pity that he is accompanied by two children.
Although he thought so, Fan Jing actually started to worry about his birthday for the first time. You know, in previous years, if Kang He hadn't made longevity noodles and brought them to him, he wouldn't have even remembered it was his birthday.
Fortunately, the 26th arrived quickly. The family had breakfast in the living room, and Kanghe asked Shenghan to lead the horse out.
The family of four rode out of the city together before the weather got too hot.
It is quite comfortable to ride a horse along the path with the breeze as my companion.
Xiaofu was eager to ride a horse. Although Dafu specialized in studying, a gentleman pays attention to the six arts. He was a studious person and could ride a horse.
The two brothers were having a great time riding horses on the flat official road.
Kang He and Fan Jing rode side by side slowly, holding onto the horses' bellies.
Looking at the two young boys in front of me with their hair flying, I felt relieved and indescribably satisfied.
"Where are you going?"
Fan Jing turned his head to ask Kang He.
"We're both very familiar with every section of the county's official roads. There's nothing new you don't know. So, I might as well take you to a place you're very familiar with."
After saying that, Kang He threw away the reins and rushed to the front with a smile.
Seeing this, Fan Jing also chased after him.
The horses ran along the official road, through the narrow paths, and into the jungle one after another.
As the mountain rises, the trees become lush and green, and the hot temperature is left behind at the bottom of the mountain.
It was Xiaofu's first time to be in such a forest. He saw trees that were thicker than waists reaching straight to the sky, covering the whole sky and the ground. Moreover, the trees grew very similarly. If one was not careful, it would be easy to get lost.
The sparrows perched in the woods have shiny feathers that are so beautiful that they dazzle the eyes.
He wrinkled his nose and sniffed around, feeling that the mountain smells were very rich, sometimes the refreshing smell of forests, sometimes the smell of damp, rotting leaves...
At this moment, the experiences in the mountains and wilds that Xiaodie had talked about seemed to become more concrete.
Dafu also felt that he had seldom been to such a dense forest. He vaguely remembered that when he was very young, he seemed to be taken into the deep mountains by his family.
I don’t remember it clearly, but today when we went on this trip together, I was able to write a few poems.
Compared to the child's curiosity, Fan Jing knew where Kang He was going to take him when he saw the winding path that was so familiar in his memory.
Memories came flooding back, and Fan Jing suddenly felt as if he was in a trance.
It seemed as if he could still see a thin figure wrapped in animal skins, with a cold and vigilant look, walking silently by with a longbow in hand on this forest road that had not changed in years.
The young man suddenly looked up and looked at Fan Jing who was riding on the horse. Their eyes met and there was silence between them.
At the age of 20, Fan Jing was still aloof and cold, his heart was almost numb, and all his remaining consciousness was spent on making money to support his family.
He had never thought about what his future would be like, or perhaps he had never thought about having a future at all. He once felt that one day he would be buried deep in the mountains.
Perhaps it was because he was attacked by a wild beast, or perhaps he accidentally fell off a cliff... Maybe when he was young, maybe when he was middle-aged...
"Do you feel any changes?"
Seeing that Fan Jing was silent and his expression was different from usual, Kang He couldn't help but step forward and ask softly.
Fan Jing pulled himself out of his memories, retracted his distant gaze, and said, "The mountains are evergreen, but people grow old easily."
Kang He smiled and said, "It's quite elegant."
"Look, there's a house over there! It's so spacious!"
Xiaofu's clear voice rang out, causing Fan Jing to look over. He knew that the wooden house where he used to live while hunting was just a little ahead.
But this child always knows how to flatter others by saying that houses in the city and the countryside are all big, and when he sees a small wooden house in the mountains, he even praises it as spacious.
However, when Fan Jing rode his horse forward a few steps and saw the family Xiaofu mentioned, he couldn't help but be slightly stunned.
The small wooden house that was once a single building has now been built several times wider and has a solid courtyard.
If it weren't for the fact that he had lived alone in this place for several years and the wooden house from the past had not been demolished, he would almost not be able to recognize it.
In addition, many trees have been cut down around here, so sunlight can penetrate more and the place is much brighter.
It seems that someone is taking care of it every day, and there is even a well built to draw water.
Hearing the voices, the door of the wooden house quickly opened and people came out. Seeing the newcomer, several people hurried forward to greet him.
He called out to them one by one: "Master, husband, and two young gentlemen."
"I'm afraid you must be tired from the journey. Tea is already prepared in the house. Come in and rest."
Both Fu and even Fan Jing looked at Kang He in surprise.
Kang He smiled and said, "Why are you still standing there? Aren't you thirsty? Come inside and have some tea."
After hearing this, Dafu, relying on his fragmentary memories of hiding from bandits, said, "This seems to be where my father and I used to live while hunting."
Xiaofu's eyes lit up when he heard this: "I begged my father to bring me here, but he always refused."
After saying this, he happily rushed in as if his feet were greased.
Fan Jing hadn't expected Kang He to make such a big change. After watching the two children go into the house, he turned around and asked Kang He, "When did you arrange this?"
Seeing Fan Jing's surprised look, Kang He jumped off the horse and reached out to hold his hand.
"I've already arranged it. I wanted to give you a surprise on your birthday this year."
Fan Jing got off the horse. He hadn't been to this mountain for a long time. Seeing its current appearance, he liked it. However, in recent years, Dafu had a good future and the Fan family had become a family of scholars. It was inevitable that they became cautious in everything. Seeing this, he couldn't help but feel a little worried.
"Have you prepared this long ago? They've built a house in this forest, and arranged for all these people to come. If anyone knew about this, I'm afraid it would be bad."
Kang He smiled softly when he heard this, then took out a land deed from his pocket, took Fan Jing's hand and placed it in his palm.
"If it's private property, then I have nothing to worry about."
Fan Jing looked at the land deed in his hand and asked in surprise, "Private property?"
"Yes, from now on this forest is your private property. I used some connections and bought the mountain from the county government. I also selected someone to buy a house there. I wanted to give it to you today as a birthday gift."
Fan Jing stroked the title deed, and for a moment he didn't know what to feel in his heart. He was surprised and surprised, and there was also an indescribable throbbing.
He looked at Kang He and asked, "Why did you want to buy this place?"
"Business has been stable these past few years, and I've saved some money. Since I'm well off, and your birthday is approaching, I decided to buy it."
"Life here was hard in the past, but even after leaving for many years, I still remember this mountain, this cabin, and the time we spent hunting and roaming the mountains together..."
Kang He looked at Fan Jing and said slowly: "Here... is where we started."
The first throbbing of life, the heartache, the admiration; the first time sleeping in each other’s arms, the tenderness, the love.
Although they didn't live here for a long time, they had so many wonderful memories...
"Don't think I'm just rashly spending a fortune to buy this place just to please you. I've got it all planned out. I want to turn this place into a small mountain village where people can plant fruit trees, raise bees, and cultivate trees. I can also attract students from the martial arts school to come and hunt... Mountains and forests are just as profitable as fields.
"Every summer, when the weather is hot, our family comes here to stay and escape the heat, and we have a lot of fun..."
Fan Jing pursed his lips. These past few years had been filled with many lively scenes, honors and dignity, enough to occupy all the most unforgettable memories in his heart.
However, he didn't expect that Kang He would never forget his life in the mountains.
Fan Jing's mood was in turmoil.
They have all remained true to their original aspirations, just like the lush and evergreen trees in the mountains and forests.
How can we often find such affection in this world?
Fan Jingqing stepped forward and kissed Kang He on the forehead.
He said very seriously: "I like it very much."
Kang He was stunned. He looked at Fan Jing in front of him and felt happy.
At this moment, Xiaofu stuck half of his head out from the door and said, "What are you doing? Why don't you come in? It's so comfortable and cool in the room!"
Dafu put his head on Xiaofu's head and said, "There are some sweet cakes that Xiaofu likes to eat. Xiaofu has to wait for Xiaofu before he starts eating."
"I'm coming."
Kang He responded with a smile.
He said to Dafu and Xiaofu, "Don't lie idle in the house, you two. Go hunting in the woods soon. I'll cook dinner at home. Whatever you catch will be eaten for Daddy's birthday today."
Xiaofu's eyes sparkled when he heard this: "Great! I've been wanting to go hunting for a long time!"
Dafu also became interested: "It's interesting to experience my father's past life today."
Kang He looked at Fan Jing and said, "I'll make you and me some longevity noodles first, and you can take them hunting."
Fan Jing, however, changed his usual habit of being unable to sit still once entering the forest and said, "Let the people over here lead them there. I'll make longevity noodles with you."
Kang He smiled, feeling rather flattered. "After all, he's my good brother. So, do you want wide noodles or thin noodles?"
Fan Jing didn't answer him, but walked ahead, but he inadvertently took Kang He's hand and pulled him into the wooden house.
The palm of his large hand was warm and slightly moist.
It’s just like that time when I was twenty years old and grabbed a hand that was about to fall into a cliff on a rainy night.
At that time, he endured the pain of torn flesh and gritted his teeth to pull Kang He up.
Little did he know that what he was pulling up was actually the rest of his life. His originally overgrown path in life had been rewritten...
The original intention is as strong as a rock, and the years pass by slowly.
They will walk hand in hand into the next twenty years.
——The main text ends.
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