"Brother Qing, you think you'll be back in the next two days, right?"

When Chen Qing was still outside the yard, he heard the familiar voice of his sister-in-law. It was a rare opportunity to eavesdrop on the corner, so he paused and stopped outside the door.

The woman in the courtyard with a thick waist and round arms and yellow skin was Chen Qing's sister-in-law Luo Xiu. Looking at that familiar figure, a flash of surprise flashed in Chen Qing's eyes.

I still remember that at that time, I had just started school, and my sister-in-law was fair and delicate when she got married. She didn't look like a daughter that the villagers could raise.

It is said that the eldest sister-in-law is the youngest daughter in her natal family and is extremely favored. She has never worked in the fields since she was a child. Perhaps the Luo family did not expect that their daughter would be trained like this in just ten years after she got married...

"Ah, I should be back in the next two days."

The voice that answered was my mother. She is actually not that old, she is only in her early 40s. If we were to say that in modern times, many top stars would still be competing for roles as girls in boudoirs at this age, but at this time, the woman in the courtyard looked extremely vicissitudes of life.

, I am afraid some people will believe it if she says she is a sixty-year-old woman.

Chen Qing looked sad. If it weren't for his education, the Chen family, who had fifty acres of fertile land, would have lived a good life even if his father was gone. How could the whole family be forced to move to the county town and grind tofu for a living?

Since ancient times, the three major chores are blacksmithing, punting, and grinding tofu. How many years have it passed? My mother and sister-in-law are both so old that they can hardly recognize themselves...

"It's almost, it's almost..." I smiled and poured the fermented tofu into the tofu rack covered with gauze, skillfully wrapped and compacted it, and went through the final process of making the tofu.

"Mother..." Sister-in-law asked while helping: "Brother Qing is about to become an official, why are you still working so hard?"

"Why don't we waste the dozens of kilograms of soybeans we bought a few days ago..." I said with a smile: "This is the last time, my wife, after this time, life will be good in the future..."

."

"Yes, yes..." Luo Xiu responded with a smile, but there was anxiety in her eyes.

When she walked in, the mother-in-law was coaxing herself like this, why did Brother Qing become a scholar? Our good days are coming. Our family has more than fifty acres of good land, but it was Brother Qing whose father became a scholar and became a gentleman.

The family fortune that I have just slowly earned.

So he helped in the fields and worked hard just to have a better life in the future.

Brother Qing was admitted as a scholar, but the promised date was different from what my mother-in-law had originally promised.

"Daughter-in-law, please listen to me. Our Qing brother's twelve-year-old scholar looks like he's a candidate for public examination. He can't be satisfied just now. He has to continue to serve. Once he's passed the examination, his life will be different from that of ordinary people who teach in the village.

Scholars are different. Let’s not talk about being an official. At least they are teaching in the county. In order to be decent, you have to think about the children in your belly. If you have an uncle who can be a scholar, won’t your children also have a good education in the future?

"

After suffering for two years, she heard that her mother-in-law's promise was not fulfilled. She was about to get angry, but later she heard what the other party said, and it seemed to make sense. If her uncle passed the Juren exam, her children would not be able to study or be in the future.

It is much easier to rely on my brother-in-law to find a job to make a living.

Moreover, if the daughter you give birth to has a brother-in-law to help you get married, you will be able to marry better...

With this thought, she continued to endure it. Brother Qing lived up to expectations and was admitted to the examination.

But the ideal good life still did not come. Not only was it not better, but it was even worse. In order for Chen Qing to go to school and go to Beijing to take the exam, the family's savings were almost completely wiped out. Not even one of the fifty acres of good land was given to herself and her husband.

What was left was sold out.

The family moved to the county town, rented a small remote house, and started grinding tofu for another three years!

"Daughter-in-law..." After the old woman wrapped the tofu, she held the other person's hand with a smile and found a place to sit down.

This tone of voice was so friendly, but it made Luo Xiu's body get goosebumps!

Because this is the tone every time my mother-in-law tries to trick her into continuing to be a bully...

But Brother Qing has already passed the Jinshi exam. She has never studied, but she knows that studying and passing the Jinshi exam is the end of her life, right?

Is there any other way to say it?

"Daughter-in-law, our brother Qing has a bright future..."

"Yes, yes, mother is right, brother Qing has great potential!" Luo Xiu responded with a smile, but her heart was full of vigilance.

"Brother Qing has become an official, and our family's good days are behind us."

Luo Xiu was shocked, why are the good days still to come?

"Originally, I heard Mr. Huang say that our Qing brother is not stable in his writing. At most, he can only pass the exam with a Jinshi background. Most of these Jinshis are sent to a remote place to become a county magistrate. This is not good for our family.

That's enough, but Brother Qing is very promising. People who heard the good news said that he actually passed the top two exams!"

"Two...what's the second armor?" Luo Xiu was a little wordy when she spoke.

"It's very possible for this second-class person to stay in the capital and become an official!" The old woman looked excited: "This capital is a good place. There are many good things at the feet of the emperor. From now on, our family will stay here with Brother Qing.

In the capital, you may be able to let your child go to the Imperial Academy, and Erya can also choose a family in the capital in the future. Picking any one will be better than Liuzhou!"

"Really? That's really a good thing!" Russell responded with a smile, but there was no joy on his face.

"But..."

Russell's face fell instantly, she knew, she knew there was a 'but'!!

"This capital is where the emperor lives. Every inch of land is precious. Brother Qing has just become an official and his salary is not enough. Our family's tofu skills can't be lost. We have to get a house in the capital, right?"

"Oh……"

Russell's face turned pale. She finally understood. She and her husband still had to buy a house for Chen Qing in the capital. How many years would it take to buy a house in the capital?

At the thought of this, Russell's pale face instantly turned livid, and he was about to get angry. Chen Qing, who was eavesdropping at the door, coughed lightly: "Mom, I'm back!"

"Brother Qing?" The old woman had a look of surprise on her face. She didn't even bother to continue to fool her stupid daughter-in-law. She hurried over and grabbed Chen Qing: "Why have you lost so much weight? I'm sorry for you.

child….."

The sister-in-law behind her rolled her eyes, "Don't you pity your eldest son who goes to deliver goods before dawn? This Chen Qing is so thin and tender that he thought he was a son-in-law raised by someone outside the Communist Party of China. He looks like he is suffering."

of?

"Brother Qing is back?" Because of what her mother-in-law said just now, she was not as enthusiastic about the returning Jinshi master as she expected. Instead, she said with a smile: "I heard that you have a great future and are going to be a doctor in the capital."

official?"

Seeing her elder sister-in-law looking like she was about to go crazy, Chen Qing smiled bitterly in her heart. After not seeing her for a long time, I am still so good at drawing cakes. I even thought of fooling my elder sister-in-law. This is a decent entrepreneurial qualification in modern times.

ah…..

"No, no... Where in the capital can you stay if you want? The county magistrate on the northern side of my assignment this time is here to pick up the whole family."

"County magistrate? Or the north?" Before my sister-in-law could react, I was surprised.

"Son, the people who heard the good news said that you are a second-class Jinshi master. How come... why can't you stay in the capital? But who did you offend?"

In order to prevent Mr. Huang from hiding it secretly, Mrs. Chen Qing often sent things to Mr. Huang’s house. She also heard Mr. Huang talk about a lot of scientific examinations. According to him, the new dynasty was short of people, even if Brother Qing only took the exams.

If you get a Jinshi degree, you will most likely be able to work as an official in a place with beautiful scenery. If you can get the second grade, you will most likely be able to stay in Beijing.

"Mother..." Chen Qing quickly explained: "This scientific examination is Enke, which was opened by the Holy Emperor to supplement officials in the north. Except for the first-level students, no one can stay in the capital!"

"Oh, how could this happen?" The old woman immediately stamped her feet anxiously and kept mumbling: "If I had known better, I would have listened to Master Huang. We will stay for another two years and make you wait for the next subject. It's all your brother's fault. You said

You’ve been doing it for so many years, why are you so anxious?”

The sister-in-law on the side almost got angry when she heard this. Fortunately, she persuaded her to stop listening to her mother. Otherwise, the whole family would have to buy a house in the capital for this brother-in-law!

Chen Qing had no choice but to smile bitterly, and hurriedly persuaded my mother: "Mom, what's the benefit of staying in the capital? The officials of Sesame Mung Bean are full of people you can't afford to offend. They can't afford to rent a house with a low salary. They are sent to the county.

As for your son, who is the eldest, what is he saying? Isn’t it good for our family to live in a spacious county government office?"

"What's good?" The old woman rolled her eyes at her son: "There are many benefits in the capital. Although it will take some years of hardship, the good times are ahead!"

The sister-in-law rolled her eyes after hearing this. Now that she hears that good times are ahead, she wants to hit someone...

Chen Qing comforted my mother with a funny face for a long time, and then looked at her sister-in-law: "Sister-in-law, where are Brother Yong and Erya?"

The elder sister-in-law came in to give birth to a son and a daughter for her eldest brother, and she has struggled for so many years to study. Although she was tricked by my mother, the Chen family owes her a real debt. If nothing else, she was just fooled by my mother.

The dowry alone is enough for me to pay back... I have to make up for it in the future.

"Brother Yong and his father went to deliver goods early in the morning, while Erya and Sister Hui are doing embroidery in the room." The sister-in-law curled her lips and replied.

Chen Qing was stunned. How old is Erya, and she can already do embroidery?

For such a young girl, I don’t know if my eyes will be damaged if I learn that every day...

Chen Qing sighed in his heart and said quickly: "Sister-in-law, please pack up and go directly to the pier to find your elder brother. Tell him not to deliver goods today and come back quickly for a reunion dinner. Early tomorrow morning, he will set off for my place.

!”

"In such a hurry?" I was stunned: "I have just made tofu all over the yard..."

"Sell it to Aunt Liu next door cheaply." Chen Qing smiled and squeezed the old woman's calloused hand, comforted her and sat down and said: "The people in the north are urging me urgently, and we can't afford to delay. Let's take office early and get familiar with each other early. When we arrive,

Over there, stop grinding tofu. If you are bored, mother, just take care of the backyard of the county house and make it whatever you want. Aren’t you envious of Mr. Huang’s pond of koi? Let’s do that.

Also raise a pond!”

The old woman's eyes lit up when she heard her son talking about raising koi, but she still couldn't reconcile herself and said, "You really can't keep Jing?"

"I can't keep it..." Chen Qing shook his head in amusement. In the past, he might have been a little self-motivated and tried to find a way to stay in Beijing and join the Sixth Department. Now he has no such idea at all. The things he designed like to go to prosperous places, such as the royal city and the front.

Chaotiandu is definitely the hardest hit area. Now you can hide as far away as you can.

"Sister-in-law also asked Erya and Brother Yong to clean up." Chen Qing turned to look at her sister-in-law: "When we get there, I will arrange for Brother Yong to go to the county school. The child is late in enlightenment, but it doesn't matter. I'll be free for a while.

If you teach me personally, our family will definitely support a second Jinshi!"
To be continued...