Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Entering Beijing
There's so much to prepare for going to the capital; at the very least, I need to settle things at home, and also take care of these two chickens.
Speaking of which, Jiang Ru had specially raised two hens hoping they would lay eggs, but they didn't lay a single egg and instead ate a lot of grain.
Now they have no choice but to sell these two chickens, since they can't take them with them to the capital. They also have to sell the millet grown in the field.
Jiang Ru tied the two chickens up, but as she was about to leave, she hesitated again. Looking down at the chickens in her hands, she decided not to sell them.
They're about to embark on a long journey, so these two chickens will be a good way to help them recover.
In the afternoon, Jiang Ru boiled water and sharpened a knife.
Pei Wu stood to the side, keeping a distance from her, afraid of stumbling upon a murder scene. He wanted to look but dared not, and hesitated before asking, "Do you know how to kill a chicken?"
Jiang Ru sharpened her knife: "Of course I can."
As she spoke, she swiftly brought down the knife, and Pei Wu abruptly closed his eyes. Jiang Ru had already killed the chicken and placed it in the hot water beside her.
Pei Wu rubbed his eyes in shock and said in surprise, "You actually know how to do that."
Jiang Ru looked up, as if to say, "You've never seen the world," and proudly raised her chin.
After killing and cleaning the chicken, add some seasonings and cook it in a pot.
The two of them couldn't finish the chicken, so Jiang Ru called the children over. They gathered around the table and each took a bite, finishing the whole chicken.
Both chickens were eaten, and what remained was millet grown in the mountains. Jiang Ru went to check on it and found that it would be a while before it could be harvested, and it probably wouldn't be ripe before they left.
Jiang Ru had no choice but to hand over the land to Aunt Zhang. The location of the land was not good and it was difficult to reach. Entrusting it to Aunt Zhang was barely enough to ensure that someone would be able to harvest the millet.
In a way, it was Aunt Zhang who helped them. But Aunt Zhang didn't accept it for nothing; she gave them some grain, which served as provisions for their journey to the capital.
The Great Xia Dynasty provides subsidies for candidates who travel to the capital for the imperial examinations. The local government will provide each candidate with an official carriage and official vouchers along the way. Food and lodging along the way are also waived, so there are almost no other expenses. In addition to these, the local government will also provide a few strings of cash as a subsidy, which is basically enough.
In ten days, they bought some food and supplies, packed their clothes, and then just waited for the government to send a car to pick them up.
Before leaving, I still need to visit the teacher at the academy.
The group traveled together, and the gentleman only said a few words of concern. But at the end, he called out to Pei Wu, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
Pei Wu asked, puzzled: "Sir?"
Back in the academy, the teacher had always favored Pei Wu and never hesitated to praise him. But this time, the teacher looked at him with a hint of worry in his eyes: "I only wish that my child is foolish and dull, and that he may reach the position of high official without any disaster or hardship."
Pei Wu frowned. Just as he was about to say something, the teacher suddenly grasped his hand and admonished him, "You must remember to always leave yourself an out and always protect yourself."
Pei Wu wanted to ask a question, but the man held his hand very tightly, his eyes filled with complex emotions, as if he wouldn't let go until Pei Wu said yes.
Pei Wu could only nod: "I've got it."
The man then loosened his grip slightly, but before leaving, he still worriedly reminded him, "Remember to take good care of yourself."
These words made it sound as if Pei Wu wasn't going to the imperial examination, but rather to some dangerous place. Pei Wu probably understood what he meant, so he said, "Don't worry, sir."
As the group walked out of the academy, Jiang Ru lowered her voice and asked, "Why did the teacher keep you here?"
Pei Wu pondered for a moment: "He told me not to be too reckless."
Of these people, Pei Wu is probably the most reassuring. At least he is calm and composed and won't act impulsively. In comparison, the others seem more reckless.
Jiang Ru asked in confusion, "Why only call you?"
This time, Pei Wu was also puzzled: "I don't know."
This was just a minor incident. The group went to the government office again. The government vehicle was already prepared, and what they needed was to recognize the official seal.
The information on this document is similar to that on the examination slips for the provincial examinations; it also records information. However, the individuals involved still had to identify each other's characters and sign their names. This time, Jiang Ru's name was also added to Pei Wu's identification seal.
Not only because she was Pei Wu's cousin, but also because she was going to the capital with him, which meant that she and Pei Wu were completely bound together.
This seal contains more complete information than the floating ticket. A few days ago, the government sent people to collect information, and even Aunt Zhang and the others signed it. It is Pei Wu's only proof of identity.
The group took the official stamped tickets and went home to prepare.
Pei Wu carefully put away the seal and official certificate. When he looked up, Jiang Ru had already sneakily moved to his side.
They were so close, so close that she couldn't hide her thoughts on her face. Pei Wu paused, then said, "You want to see?"
Jiang Ru said secretly, "My name is on this seal."
Pei Wu completely misunderstood Jiang Ru's meaning: "You're my cousin, shouldn't your name be on the list?"
Jiang Ru: "..."
It's better not to have this cousin anymore; whoever wants her can have her.
In the past, if Pei Wu committed a crime, Jiang Ru might not necessarily be implicated. But now they are truly bound together.
Jiang Ru felt a mix of emotions. It is said that constantly instilling ideas in a person will subtly influence them, just like Yue Fei's loyalty to his country. There must be some truth to that.
Jiang Ru silently looked at Pei Wu's back. The young man didn't have a very broad back; his spine was rather thin. Jiang Ru's gaze fell on his back, wondering if she should carve one for him as well.
However, it's probably not visible on the back, so it's better to have it engraved on the stomach. That way, when he looks down while taking a shower, he can see it and it will constantly remind Pei Wu of it.
She stared at Pei Wu's back for a while, then at his stomach, making Pei Wu feel uneasy and unsure where to cover himself. He asked, puzzled, "What are you looking at?"
Jiang Ru pondered for a moment and said, "I'm thinking, should I carve a few words on you?"
Pei Wu instinctively took two steps back: "What words do you want to carve?"
Jiang Ru looked at Pei Wu with unwavering determination and said firmly, "Serve the country with utmost loyalty."
Pei Wu: ""
He gave Jiang Ru a strange look: "Isn't that unnecessary?"
Jiang Ru: "Why not?"
Pei Wu awkwardly replied, "It doesn't look good."
It's definitely not a good look to have a few words tattooed on your body.
His face was full of rejection. When Jiang Ru tried to get closer to him, he took a step back defensively, as if Jiang Ru was about to do something to him.
He was being too obvious in his avoidance, and Jiang Ru said with displeasure, "Why are you dodging?"
Pei Wu remained silent.
"Just let me carve one, on my belly, okay?" Jiang Ru used her coquettish charm.
Pei Wu remained silent, instead quickening his pace to walk ahead of Jiang Ru, as if afraid she would catch up with him.
Jiang Ru chased after him, but Pei Wu walked even faster.
"If you can't carve the stomach, how about carving the arms?" Jiang Ru asked as a second choice.
But Pei Wu still refused.
Jiang Ru, with her good temper, asked, "Where do you want it engraved?"
Pei Wu abruptly stopped, his face drooping: "I don't want to carve anywhere."
Jiang Ru: "..."
Jiang Ru forced a smile: "Why not carve it? Carving it will keep it in mind at all times and leave a good impression on people. Think about it, when you go to participate in the imperial examination, as soon as you take off your clothes, others will see the words on your body. If they have a good impression of you, you will be able to become the top scholar."
In an attempt to deceive Pei Wu, Jiang Ru rambled on and on, and with each sentence she uttered, Pei Wu's face darkened.
Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer: "When I go to the imperial examinations, I won't take off my clothes in front of everyone. Even if you carve them, no one will see them."
"Furthermore, I can become the top scorer on my own; I don't need to rely on anyone else."
Finally, Pei Wu took a deep breath: "The desire to serve one's country is not something that can be achieved simply by carving two words into one's name."
This left Jiang Ru speechless. It wasn't entirely unreasonable, but something just felt off.
Jiang Ru pondered for a moment, then compromised: "Okay."
Since Pei Wu doesn't want to carve it, then let's not carve it.
Hearing this, Pei Wu finally breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could fully relax, Jiang Ru suddenly spoke up: "I'm wondering what kind of person would want to usurp the throne."
She deliberately brought it up casually, glancing at Pei Wu inadvertently. Her topic changed so quickly that Pei Wu didn't suspect anything and simply replied, "Then naturally they are treacherous villains who deserve to be torn to pieces."
Jiang Ru felt a pang of jealousy upon hearing this, and her first instinct was to laugh: "So ruthless!"
Pei Wu was filled with righteous indignation: "Of course, such petty thieves who steal from the country should be condemned by everyone in the world."
Jiang Ru quickly pressed him down, saying, "Okay, okay, stop scolding me."
If you keep insulting him, you'll be struck by lightning.
However, this is also a good thing, at least Pei Wu is still a patriotic young man and has no such thoughts.
Jiang Ru interrupted Pei Wu, who was about to continue cursing, and quickly took him home. If they continued, things would get out of control.
That evening, they packed all their belongings, and the bus would pick them up early the next morning.
The next morning, the villagers came to see them off. The children clung to Pei Wu and Jiang Ru's legs, crying and hiccuping, their little faces flushed, snot and tears streaming down their faces.
Pei Wu couldn't move his feet. Looking at the round head that only reached his waist, he first patted Zhang Xingjun's head.
Zhang Xingjun, usually a little tyrant, could only force himself not to shed tears, but they were still brimming with tears. Pei Wu said to him, "From now on, you should listen to your mother more and not always run around. When I return to the village, I will test your knowledge."
Zhang Xingjun nodded, choking back tears. Pei Wu then looked at another child, said a few words, and gradually calmed down the crying children.
Before leaving, they gave the children the gifts they had bought over the past few days: Zhang Xingjun's slingshot, Wang Hu's marbles, Zhao Jing's small hairpin...
After he had coaxed them enough, Pei Wu began to talk to the adults.
The village elders pulled them aside and said something about taking care of themselves, to which both of them nodded.
Besides them, Pei Wu's uncles and aunts also came. They stuffed some things into the carriage and chatted with Pei Wu for a while. As time was running out, they finally had to put Pei Wu on the carriage.
Actually, the feeling of parting had been lingering for days, but now that it's here, I'm not so sad anymore. It's just that there's a stone in my heart, making my chest feel heavy and suffocated.
The two boarded the carriage, looked at the crowd outside through the curtains, and waved goodbye.
The coachman asked Pei Wu a question, and Pei Wu nodded. The coachman then shouted "Giddy up!" and cracked his whip in the air, and the carriage slowly began to move.
The wheels left tire tracks on the yellow earth, and the people behind them gradually blurred. The carriage drove through the mountains, where the misty greenery was warm and verdant. In the distance, the mountains were shrouded in clouds and mist, with one peak after another. Behind them, a large expanse of golden fields was covered with glistening dewdrops, all of which were left behind.
The horses' hooves clattered, and the wheels creaked as they rolled on the mud. The surrounding scenery gradually became unfamiliar as they left Jinzhou and headed for Bianjing.
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Author's Note: There will be another chapter later, around 2 or 3 AM. Please read it tomorrow.
I only wish my child were foolish and dull, so that he might rise to high office without disaster or hardship. (From Su Shi)
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