It is better to sharpen a knife in the moment of battle than not to sharpen it at all.
Jia Liu knew that even if he practiced till now, he wouldn't be able to become a good bow-stringer, but he could still practice his skills.
Based on his understanding of the Eight Banners disciples, he should be able to squeeze out many competitors with his superficial goods.
Of course, the premise is that it is based on fairness, justice and openness.
I just don’t know how much money Daquan gave Lao Zhao and the others this time.
"You want to practice bowing?"
Jia Daquan, who still had a slight pain in his head, looked at his son in surprise, who was already dressed in shorts.
"There is no problem with the classics, but I still have to take the riding and shooting test. My son has never practiced before. If he can't even draw the bow on the field, wouldn't it be a joke?"
Destiny always favors those who are more prepared.
Jia Liu firmly believed in this.
Jia Daquan didn't want to think about it but muttered: "What's so good about practicing bow? Don't worry, dad gave you some tips yesterday. Then you can just go on stage and show your face. Why bother to do it?"
This is all true. Lao Zheng and Lao Zhao patted his chest at the wine table yesterday. Moreover, he had already spent more than thirty taels so that his son could pass the second-class Baitang examination.
I still have to take care of a few other people today, and I guess it will cost twenty taels even with food and drinks, so after all, I have invested fifty taels, which is enough for his family's income for half a year.
If things still can't work out, it's simply unreasonable.
But having said that, if my son can really make up for the second-class worship Tang'a, he will not frown even if he spends dozens of taels of Jia Daquan.
In this world, how can any father really not love his son?
Tiger poison doesn't even eat seeds.
Thinking that his son has become sensible, filial, and willing to make progress, Jia Daquan drinks wine more smoothly than before, and does not need to shake three times after urinating.
"Okay, let's go back to the house and take a nap. Shuan Zhu said you stayed up late again last night?" Looking at his son's obviously red eyes, Jia Daquan couldn't help but feel a little distressed.
Jia Liu shook his head with a smile and said, "I didn't stay up late, I just memorized all the answers to the paper."
"Um,"
Jia Daquan nodded happily, "If my father had your ambition back then, our family wouldn't be in the situation it is today."
This statement is somewhat self-deprecating, but it is also true.
Back then, Jia Daquan had served as a fourth-level assistant leader in Qili, but he ruined his future because he was afraid that he and Zhaohui would die in battle back home.
Now that I think about it, can I not regret it?
He said that being an official was too hard and tiring, and not as comfortable as an idler. This was just his self-comfort.
Not to mention anything else, if he is still an official in the banner, can the newly appointed deputy commander Fu Chang'an just throw his Jia family into and out of the banner list?
"Dad, I'd better practice. Our old man was a military commander back then. As a great-grandson, I can't let him embarrass me."
Jia Liufei wanted to practice the big bow, just like driving in his previous life, he felt at ease when holding the steering wheel in his hands.
Even if it is just a formality, the premise of formalism is that there must be a form.
To shoot a big eagle with a bow, you must bend the bow first.
"That's it,"
Jia Daquan was anxious to see Ma Zhangjing, the printing house introduced by Lao Zheng, to completely pave the way for his son. So when he saw that his son wanted to practice, he went to the warehouse to tinker for a while, and then took a handful of long objects wrapped in oil paper.
Walked out.
After untying the outermost oil paper, a long bow was revealed. Both the bow handle and the bowstring were tightly wrapped in silk.
The oil paper that was thrown aside was covered with dust and had been there for who knows how many years.
"This bow was used by my father back then, and I haven't touched it in more than ten years." Looking at the bow and arrows that he often used to hunt rabbits in the past, Jia Daquan felt sad in his heart.
Time is not forgiving, and now he is fifty years old.
Whether the Jia family can regain its reputation depends on this precious son who has changed his temper and worked hard to make progress.
Seeing his son reaching out to pull the bow, Jia Daquan hurriedly said: "This is an eight-power bow, please be careful."
Jia Liu didn't know what eight strengths meant. Anyway, it was very difficult to pull the string. Fortunately, he could pull the string to full if he gritted his teeth and persisted. However, he could only hold on for two or three seconds before letting go.
Seeing this, Jia Daquan nodded, as this was the first time he drew the bow, and then told his son to just give it a try and not to tire himself, otherwise his arms would definitely be sore tomorrow and he would be in trouble if he missed the Baitang'a exam.
"I got it, Dad!"
Before leaving, Jia Daquan did not forget to ask Yang Zhi to feed the big black horse well and give him more beans. During the riding and shooting test, the big black horse will have to go on the field together.
Don't expect everyone to be ready by then, but this beast did something wrong.
After his father left, Jia Liu walked around the yard with his bow, and then asked Yang Zhi to find a wooden board from the stable and hang it with a rope on the old locust tree at home.
I went back to the house and drew a big circle on the board with a brush dipped in ink, and then drew two smaller circles inside the circle, and a simple target was completed.
"Shuan Zhu, watch out, Master, I'm going to shoot an arrow!"
Jia Liu gave a loud shout and gathered his luck.
Yang Zhi ran directly from where he was standing to the stable, which was probably several feet away.
Jia Liu, who had already exerted all his strength to fully draw the bow string, did not bother to scold Shuan Zhu for his lack of loyalty. The thumb and index finger of his right hand had already "popped" loosely, and then there was a "swish" sound, and the long arrow on the string was pointed straight towards the locust tree.
Fly away.
During the lightning and thunder, the eyes of both the master and the servant opened wide, as if they were suspended at the same time.
After fast forwarding, there was no sound coming from the wooden board that Jia Liu wanted to hear.
Apart from swaying slightly in the breeze, the board was almost motionless.
Where are the arrows?
Jia Liu took a closer look and saw that the arrow he shot was inserted into the brick wall on the left front several feet away from the wooden board.
It doesn't matter if he misses, Jia Liu is not discouraged at all. Once he is born, he will become familiar again. There are no natural archers in the world.
As a result, I aimed a few more arrows, but none of them hit the target, and my arms became quite weak.
"Young Master, I think it's better not to practice. It makes me feel sad just looking at it... Didn't the Master say that we can just show up on stage..." Yang Zhi said with a sincere look on his face.
"..."
Jia Liu really wanted to make a name for himself, but the facts told him that some people were not born to be archers.
For example, him.
Finally, after a few more missed arrows, Jia Liu gave up his struggle.
Because he wants to preserve his strength.
After dark, Jia Daquan came back drunk again. When he passed the alley, he even kicked down two jars of pickles.
Fortunately no one saw it.
Compared to yesterday, the father is much more conscious today. While picking at the gap between his teeth with a needle, he told his son that he can take the exam tomorrow without worry, as everything in the Dutong Yamen has been taken care of, and there will be no one in the Jia family this time.
They are too embarrassed to meet their ancestors.
"The exam is tomorrow? So soon?"
Jia Liu glanced at the fourth room to the east. The portraits of the Jia family's ancestors were all hanging in it.
"Wouldn't you make up for it if you took the exam earlier? Liu Zi, you have to shame dad..."
Jia Daquan said that he would take the classics test at Dutong Yamen in the morning and go to Deshengmen to take the riding and archery test in the afternoon. He asked Jia Liu to eat early and rest early so as not to miss anything tomorrow morning.
When asked how his bow practice went today, Jia Liuzhi said that it would not embarrass him anyway.
"That's good, that's good. From now on, our family will point to you."
While talking, Jia Daquan touched his son's bare forehead, and tears flowed from his eyes.
After he and Yang Zhi put his father back into the house to sleep, Jia Liu went to the old locust tree without any leaves in the courtyard alone and looked up at the stars.
The late autumn night sky looks so empty.
Tomorrow is the real beginning of his Jia Liu life.
It's like a journey, you don't have to care about the destination.
Everything is just a matter of trying your best.
A row of lanterns hung in the alley outside the courtyard wall made Jia Liu's figure under the locust tree look so tall on the ground.