The two women entered the room to talk about women's private matters. Hou Yao also discussed with Hou Fu what to buy for the New Year.
Hou Fu didn't have any ideas, so he let Hou Yao figure it out by himself, and then lowered his head to read.
Hou Yao had no choice but to wait for Zhou Yu and Yu Xiuer to come out to discuss with them.
Just when he was bored, Zhang Guangcai, the newly appointed mayor outside the door, knocked on the door and entered the house:
"Hey, Mr. Xiu Cai is at home."
The crime of Bai Tao's liaison with pirates was so serious that he and the two neighborhood chiefs he promoted were also questioned.
Three spots suddenly became available in the village. Originally, the county planned to hand over the position of village chief to Hou Fu.
But it was unanimously rejected by the villagers, and Hou Fu himself was not very interested.
Finally, it fell on Zhang Guangcai.
Zhang Guangcai is relatively old, usually generous and cautious, and has a good reputation in the village.
In the end, he was elected as the head of the village. Their family was also one of the few villagers who had a close relationship with the Hou family.
Therefore, Hou Yao was still relatively polite to him:
"Oh, Uncle Zhang, why don't you come to my house today? Just don't ask for money. Our family is not rich."
Zhang Guangcai smiled and said:
"Master Xiu Cai is joking. I was entrusted by the county magistrate to deliver this message to you."
When Hou Yao heard the message, his brows furrowed into a Sichuan shape:
"Sending a message? Is it a red or white matter? How much money should I pay?"
Zhang Guangcai hurriedly made a silent gesture and said:
"Hey, my dear scholar, please don't talk nonsense.
You have a great reputation and are not afraid of the county magistrate. I can't bear this.
I heard that this post is about some kind of poetry gathering. Alas, it’s a matter for educated people anyway, and I don’t even understand it.
I heard that there is also the most talented person in the South China Sea. Anyway, the county magistrate attaches great importance to him.
I just ask you to go and participate, you are not just following some random elements."
Hou Yao opened the invitation and looked at it. It said that he would like to participate in the "Hai County Qunxiu Poetry Festival" on the fifth day of the first lunar month.
Since it is a poetry meeting, there is no need to follow the etiquette. Hou Yao breathed a sigh of relief:
"Oh, I understand, I will definitely attend on time."
Zhang Guangcai nodded:
"Then the old man's mission is completed, so he will leave first."
The two people in the room also walked out. Yu Xiuer's face was still stained with tears, obviously she had cried in the room just now.
"What did you say in the room? Xiu'er, why are you still crying? What's going on?"
Zhou Yu looked embarrassed and whispered:
"It's getting so late. I...I'm going to cook first."
After saying that, he ran away in a flash.
Hou Yao looked at Yu Xiuer again,
Yu Xiuer just lowered her head and wiped her tears:
"Ms. sir, I'm fine. Just don't ask. Anyway, it's all Xiu'er's fault."
The more he said it was okay, the more serious it became. Hou Yao definitely couldn't let it go so easily:
"No, you have to tell me clearly what happened? What did my mother say to you?"
Seeing Hou Yao's serious face, Yu Xiuer finally couldn't resist the questioning and spoke out.
It turns out that just now Zhou Yu pulled Yu Xiuer into the room and talked about asking them to get married as soon as possible.
Hou Yao is already twenty-one years old this year. In this era when people can get married at the age of fifteen or six, he is already considered an older bachelor.
Yu Xiuer is already eighteen years old and can be considered an older unmarried woman.
Zhou Yu asked for her birthday horoscope last time. She found a fortune teller and found out that she could be matched with Hou Yao.
So when Zhou Yu saw Yu Xiuer this time, he wanted to urge her to get married.
The two of them were talking about this matter in the room just now.
If it is a marriage between ordinary people, there is nothing to say. As long as both parties agree, they can get married if they want to.
After the banquet is held, just ask the village chief to report it. There is no censorship or other issues.
But Hou Yao couldn't. He had a great reputation and had to report to the government for any marriage.
Moreover, there is a detailed investigation and filing of the net worth of his wife.
Yu Xiuer was born on Haixing Island and has not registered her household registration with the government. She is a hidden household, also known as a runaway household.
It's okay for someone with such a status to marry an ordinary person.
But if you want to marry a scholar openly, the problem will be serious.
Daxia has a strict household registration system. People like Yu Xiuer who do not have household registration,
If caught by the government, it can be regarded as a runaway.
It is a serious crime to run away from home. Once caught, the men will be exiled to the army, and the women will be sold into official prostitutes.
Although the scholar has a good reputation and can meet officials without kneeling, he still does not have the ability to protect a runaway.
If two people get married forcibly, once they are reported to the government, they can be punished with a stick, or they can be dismissed from their honors and their futures will be ruined.
Just now Zhou Yu explained the reasons clearly to Yu Xiuer in the room.
After Yu Xiuer knew these things, she couldn't stop crying.
"Ms. Xiu'er knows that she is of low status and is not a good match for you. Otherwise, you should marry another Xianhui."
Hou Yao lowered his head and thought for a while. In fact, he always felt that the identity of this scholar was dispensable.
Anyway, he had never thought about becoming an official. Officialdom is a place where individuals gather together, and there are countless constraints.
Instead of spending your whole life arguing with these corrupt officials,
It would be better to be a Poseidon like Wang Zhi. According to my previous thinking,
He originally planned to return to Haixing Island after the Chinese New Year to start arranging the production of glass.
Use the killer weapon of glass to make a huge sum of money, and then recruit troops to form an invincible fleet.
After that, he took this invincible fleet to conquer the world and became proud of the world.
The four sea kings, Japanese pirates, and foreign pirates all had to kneel down before their own invincible fleet and beg for surrender.
But now that I think about it, this plan seems a bit too simple.
This is not the era of later generations when commerce was developed and industrial capacity exploded.
As long as you have money, you can get anyone. In this day and age,
The truly capable and skilled craftsmen were all working for the imperial court.
It's not easy to get them to work for a group of pirates. You have to use some means.
Now that something like Yu Xiuer has happened again, it seems that this official still needs to do something.
"Xiu'er, this is just a small matter, but your concerns are right. It wouldn't be nice for us to get married without a grand wedding.
Previously, the magistrate asked us to participate in next year's autumn siege. It just so happens that we can take the examination and come back, so that we can become a county magistrate.
It's easy to apply for a household registration for you, okay, let's settle it, and we'll get married when your husband becomes the county magistrate."
Yu Xiuer looked at Hou Yao in surprise. She had never thought of such an operation.
Hou Fu looked at Hou Yao with a look of relief and said:
"My son's awakening is a blessing to my family. In this way, my father can rest assured. From today on, my father will urge you to study hard every day.
It will not be until after the autumn period that the nominations will be announced."
The results of the rural examination are released in September, when the sweet-scented osmanthus is in bloom, so it is also called the "Guibang".
Hou Yao rolled his eyes:
"Dad, can we do something with self-awareness? Are you still urging me? You should pass the third-level college examination yourself first."
After saying that, she took Yu Xiuer's hand and walked out the door.
"Xiu'er, let's go get some New Year's goods."
There are three levels of college examinations, which are taken in counties, states, and prefectures. The third-level college examinations are the county college examinations. Those who pass them can be called children.
Children can attend government-run schools in the county, but so far Hou Fulian has failed to pass the third-level college examination.
Hou Yao's words can be described as murderous and heartbreaking.
Watching the two people leaving, Hou Fu's old face turned red.
Zhou Yu made the meal and came out, just in time to see the two people's retreating figures, and hurriedly shouted:
"Yao'er, you don't want to eat anymore?"
Hou Yao waved his hands and shouted:
“We’ll eat it when we come back later.”
Zhou Yu held back his mouth, turned to look at Hou Fu, and said angrily:
"Have a meal."
Hou Fu happened to be angry and had nowhere to vent his anger, so he said angrily:
"Eat, eat, eat. I know how to eat all day long. It's because I married you, a foodie, that I haven't passed the imperial examination so far.
Eat it yourself, don't disturb me from studying the sages' books."
After saying that, he picked up the book, shook his head and walked out the door.
When Zhou Yu heard this, he immediately exploded. He was a loser. He had been taking exams for decades and even a child student failed. How dare you blame me?
He immediately slammed the door shut and cursed:
"If you have the guts, don't eat it, or you'll starve to death, you nerd."
…
The Hou family has lost contact with the clan, so the Chinese New Year is actually the same as usual, just having a meal as a family.
But after the Chinese New Year, I still have to visit relatives.
On the morning of the second day of the lunar new year, Hou Yao first sent Yu Xiuer on the boat back to the island, and then went with his parents to Zhou Yu’s natal home to pay New Year greetings.
This is also the only relative of the Hou family who is still walking around.
The Zhou family is a businessman, and their ancestors have made a living by doing small businesses for generations. They have a shop in a not-so-good location in the city.
He was able to make a living by putting the shop in Hou Yao's grandfather's name.
A few years ago, the county conducted a household registration census. Hou Yao's grandfather was declared dead and his household registration was cancelled.
The Zhou family had to look for other scholars to be affiliated with, but no one liked the three melons and two dates given by their family.
In the end, I couldn't find anyone to affiliate with, so I had to bite the bullet and pay high taxes.
In the past few years, the Zhou family's little wealth has been almost wiped out by high taxes, and life has become worse every year.
After Hou Yao was selected as a scholar, the Zhou family was overjoyed. They had long wanted to talk to this nephew about joining him.
But because Hou Fu was unable to communicate,
Hou Yao never came back. He finally came back, but within two days, he was captured by pirates again.
Until now, the Zhou family has never had a chance to talk about the affiliation.
The older generation of the Zhou family has passed away, and the current generation is headed by two brothers and sisters, Zhou Ming and Zhou Yu.
Zhou Ming actually gave birth to two sons. The eldest, Zhou Sheng, is two years older than Hou Yao. Now he is mainly in charge of the Zhou family's shop.
My wife is the daughter of tailor Zhao's family in the city. They have been married for many years and now have only one four-year-old daughter, Zhou Ping.
The second eldest child, Zhou De, is unmarried, three years younger than Hou Yao, and is a child student in the county. He is only one step away from being admitted as a scholar.
But this step is a bit difficult. He has already failed the exam three times, and the other half of the Zhou family's wealth has been swallowed up by him.
Poor scholars are not just screaming. Scholars who have not passed the examination are real gold-eating beasts.
Paper, pens, ink, inkstones, and books all cost a lot of money.
Especially when you are rushing to take exams, you have to spend a lot of money every time. Ordinary families really can't afford to study.
Zhou Ming got up early, cleaned up the house, and arranged for the family to start a fire and cook meals.
I prepared a large table of dishes and waited for my nephew and his family to come to visit me for New Year greetings.
I just didn’t expect that their family would arrive relatively late.
It wasn't until Mao that the family's appearance appeared, and Zhou Ming hurriedly greeted them:
"Sister, nephew, you are finally here, come on, come on, sit down in the room..."