diskusbooks Chapter 911 Everyone has his own destiny
Chapter 911 Everyone has his own destiny
Soon, Xiao Hu instructed the servants to prepare the meal.
The group moved to the flower hall.
For an ordinary scholar, being able to dine at the same table as a high-ranking Privy Councilor of the first rank was an immense honor.
Many candidates, carrying gold and silver, were disoriented when they went to the capital for the imperial examinations, unsure of which temple to visit.
Therefore, Wen's father cherished this opportunity very much, and he was the most active person at the dinner table.
His smile carried a hint of flattery and humility.
Although Xiaoyuer didn't think much of this behavior, he did give Wen Xiange some face since she had helped him in Yangyuan County, and occasionally chimed in to keep the scene from becoming too quiet and awkward.
The others were relatively quiet, especially the Li family father and son, who barely spoke.
Zhang Lao Er also dined at the table that evening, and occasionally couldn't help but glance at Li Chengye and his son across from him. Fortunately, he was always composed and reserved, so nothing seemed amiss on his face.
Zhang Ping'an was fully aware of all of this.
They were quite adept at this kind of polite conversation at the dinner table. Halfway through the meal, they slowed down and casually remarked, "So it turns out that both Young Master Wen and Young Master Li studied at Yuelu Academy. I've long heard that Yuelu Academy, located on the banks of the Xiang River, is renowned for its literary excellence and has produced many outstanding talents, providing the court with numerous pillars of society. Seeing it today, I can confirm it's true. Are you two from the same place? Why didn't you go to the capital to take the imperial examinations with your other classmates from the academy?"
When asked this question, Wen Xiange couldn't help but look at his father with some resentment. The academy's teacher had indeed asked them whether they wanted to go to the capital to take the imperial examination with the others.
However, his father wanted to go to Datong to do business, and he was also afraid that the other classmates traveling with him would plot against them. So he insisted on going with Li Chengye, and he couldn't persuade him otherwise.
Since he and Li Chengye had always had a good relationship, he reluctantly agreed.
Fortunately, nothing bad happened along the way, otherwise he would have regretted it to death.
Father Wen also thought of this, pretending not to see his son's eyes, and replied with an awkward smile: "As the saying goes, reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. We are going to Datong, and the rest of them are unwilling to take the detour to come with us. Only the Li family and I are willing to go, so... hehe, we are separated from them!"
Our family and the Li family both originate from the same place, in the same county. These two children have known each other since childhood and have a good relationship. They both got into Yuelu Academy on their own merit. In our county that year, only three people were admitted, and they were one of them.
Although Wen's father often complained that his son lacked social skills, he was actually proud of his son. With such a son, he felt he had done right by his ancestors.
Moreover, his words just now indirectly saved face for the Li family father and son, doing them a favor.
You should know that Li Chengye started herding cattle for his family when he was only five years old, and his father also rented their land to farm.
They were not on the same level in terms of status.
However, things are different now, and these words can no longer be mentioned!
Wen's father was also planning to win people over, hoping they might be able to help his son in the future!
"I see," Zhang Ping'an smiled upon hearing this, though it was unclear whether he believed it or not. "They should travel more while they're young. They're lucky to be born in such a good time. Back when I was studying for the imperial examinations, it was during a chaotic era, with war and famine everywhere. It was truly hell on earth. Fortunately, all of that is in the past!"
Speaking of that time, Father Wen sighed, "Yes, thankfully it's all in the past. Back then, the granaries of every household in our clan were constantly looted by bandits and refugees, and countless people died. Fortunately, the late emperor quickly quelled the rebellion and established a new dynasty, otherwise, who knows how much of our ancestral legacy would still be left!"
This is a topic that resonates with many people, as they have all experienced that difficult period and come from that time; most people can relate to it.
However, neither the Li father nor his son responded.
Zhang Ping'an stopped asking questions and smiled, urging everyone to eat.
Because of his approachable manner, the meal was quite pleasant.
After the meal, Xiaoyuer arranged for a carriage to take them back to the inn.
He then invited them, saying, "It's almost the end of the year, and with the imperial examinations coming up in February next year, there will definitely be many gatherings of literati in the capital. In a couple of days, I'll have someone pick you up and introduce you to the literary circles in the capital so you can get to know them better and avoid feeling too lonely."
"Thank you very much!" Mr. Wen was overjoyed and quickly expressed his gratitude.
She secretly pinched her son's waist hard.
Wen Xiange shuddered in pain and almost cried out.
Barely managing to maintain his composure, he said, "Thank you, Brother Zhang. Let's meet again in a couple of days. Goodbye!"
Li Chengye also bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you very much, Brother Zhang. Let's get together again another day!"
Little Fish returned the greeting: "Take care!"
After the two pairs of fathers and sons left, Xiaoyuer turned around and went back into the mansion.
Zhang Ping'an was reading in his study, but he hadn't turned a single page in a long time, clearly not getting into it.
No one knows a father better than his son. Little Fish snatched the book away and said, "Dad, if you can't read it, then don't. You're just pretending."
After saying that, he poured himself a cup of tea to rinse his mouth, crossed his legs, and asked leisurely, "Is there anything special about Li Chengye and his son? I see you seem to be quite interested in them, Dad."
"Really? I didn't say more than ten words to them the whole time at the dinner table," Zhang Ping'an said casually.
After saying that, she looked at her son and couldn't help but scold him: "Put your legs down, what kind of posture is that, sitting like that? You have no manners."
"We're at home, why are you putting on airs? Dad, don't try to change the subject. I can see right through you. You can fool others, but you can't fool me!"
Despite saying that, Xiaoyuer still put his leg down, showing that he listened to Zhang Ping'an.
"I didn't mean to hide it from you, but actually Li Chengye should be your cousin," Zhang Ping'an said calmly.
After saying that, seeing her son's wide-eyed surprise, she added, "Oh, he was born to your third aunt. He and Zhong Zheng should be half-brothers."
"He...he is my third aunt's first child, the one who was abandoned on the way to escape the war?" Xiaoyuer stammered, which was rare for him.
He had heard Xu mention this occasionally when he was a child, but as time went by and the family had more and more grandchildren, Xu never mentioned it again.
"What a small world!"
“Yes, the world is vast and full of wonders,” Zhang Ping’an remarked.
Little Fish rubbed his chin, pondering, "Given Aunt's current situation, there's no way she'd acknowledge him anymore, right?"
“I don’t think there’s any need for him to acknowledge us. He’s a respectable scholar now, with a bright future ahead of him. His adoptive father has been good to him, and his family is harmonious. Wouldn’t it just cause him unnecessary trouble if your third aunt acknowledged him back? We should just keep this to ourselves and give him some help within our means. The people who have wronged him are his biological parents, not us,” Zhang Ping’an said calmly.
Xiaoyuer sighed with regret: "Alas, they are all cousins, but their circumstances are so different. Cousins Donkey Egg and Cat Egg are doing very well in the Northwest Army. As long as nothing unexpected happens, they will at least reach the third or fourth rank in the future."
My cousin Pengpeng is a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations). He has three wives and four concubines in Lin'an, and Uncle Shuisheng also supports him financially. He has no worries about his future and wealth. My cousin Manman is now a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examinations), and it seems that he will definitely continue to take the exams.
Although my fourth aunt's children are not so good, with my fourth aunt's husband around, they won't be too far behind in the future. My fifth aunt's cousin is still young, so I won't talk about him. My sixth aunt's family is the happiest and most harmonious. My cousins have never suffered much hardship since they were young.
The contrast is quite stark!
Zhang Ping'an was well aware of this, but he simply said, "Everyone has their own destiny!"