Chapter 116 On the road
The ancient carriage and horse shop was a bit similar to the current transportation company. The next day, when the sky was dimming, Zhu Ping'an left the guest room, carried his luggage and left the inn and went straight to the carriage and horse shop.
When you arrive at the carriage and horse shop, give the engraved horse card you received yesterday to the person in charge of the carriage and horse shop, and then you will be assigned to a carriage. The quota for a carriage is four people. There was already a potbellied businessman on the carriage. When he saw Zhu Pingan coming up with his luggage, he offered to help. He smiled and chatted with Zhu Pingan for a few words and got to know him briefly. , when he learned that Zhu Pingan was a scholar who came to Anqing Mansion to take the government examination, the fat-bellied businessman had an extra respect on his face.
After a while, another young man who was well-dressed came up from the carriage, holding a folding fan and looking like he was drunk.
After the man got on the bus, he felt that Zhu Ping'an's luggage was too big and took up space, and then he felt that the fat businessman's body smelled too bad.
The motorcade had already set off without waiting for the carriage's fourth passenger. There are a total of five carriages in the convoy, with about seventeen or eight passengers. Each carriage has a charioteer, and the entire convoy has five strong men who serve as guards and temporarily serve as replacement charioteers.
After the carriage set off, the well-dressed young man in Zhu Ping'an's carriage complained again that the carriage and horse shop only equipped the carriage with one horse, saying that his family only had two horses and three horses. The fat merchant Che Yunyun just smiled easily, with a little disdain in his eyes.
The emperor drives six, the princes drive five, the ministers four, the officials three, the scholars two, and the common people one. Two horses and three horses, who are you?
Zhu Ping'an just raised the corners of his mouth slightly, looking like a simple and honest scholar.
The shock absorption measures for ancient horse carriages were not done well, and the roads were uneven, so the carriages shook violently. This made Zhu Pingan give up his intention of reading on the carriages, and just closed his eyes to meditate and read the poems he had read in silence. Re-read the book.
Not to mention that the merchant was good at dancing with his upper sleeves. After walking on the carriage for less than an hour, the fat merchant mingled with the young man who looked too drunk. However, along the way, the two of them mostly talked about drunken women and modern times. Same, this is the easy topic for men to talk about.
Zhu Pingan is not a pedantic person. He has experienced a lot in modern times and does not have any objectionable feelings.
The carriage travels during the day and rests at night. Of course, there is also almost an hour of rest time for meals.
The carriage and horse guild provides simple food. Of course, you need to spend money to buy it. You don’t need to spend more. You only need five cents to get two cakes and a bowl of broth, which can fill your stomach. of. After dinner, I sat on the grass leaning against the carriage and asked about the horse-drawn carriage. The answer was that I would have to rest here for more than half an hour before continuing on my way.
It was still early, so Zhu Pingan opened the schoolbag he was carrying across his body, took out a book, and started reading slowly.
"Hey, you are still a scholar. What is the use of studying? It can neither be used as food nor as money. Looking at you dressed like this, you must not have much money. You are really useless as a scholar."
The young people in the same car seemed to be full of disdain for scholars. When they saw Zhu Pingan sitting on the grass and leaning on the wheel of the car, reading, he couldn't help but sneered.
Zhu Ping'an shifted his gaze from the book to the young man with an overdrunk look, glanced at it, hummed casually, and lowered his head to read the book again.
The over-drunk young man seemed not to have expected what he said to the young man who was reading. The young man just hummed and then stopped. Couldn’t this boy be stupid because of his reading? Is it my contempt? Not obvious enough?
"There is a poor scholar near my residence. Do you know what a scholar is? Looking at you like this, I know that you are still far from a scholar. But even if you pass the exam, what will happen? You have no money to manage relationships, except What else can you do with the arrogance of a scholar? Those who are successful in the imperial examination are all from well-known families, and the imperial examination is just to deceive poor scholars like you."
"What's the use of reading?"
The drunken and lustful young man continued to attack Zhu Ping'an and was full of resentment towards the scholar. This man was just like Tang Monk, chattering endlessly, and the fat businessman resting beside him tried to persuade him twice but couldn't stop him. This feels like the Monkey King in the Moonlight Box telling me not to hit the flowers and flowers in the hall of the children, and also like the modern hundred-yuan guy who keeps talking about a hundred dollars but doesn’t give me good or bad, which makes people unable to continue reading. .
So, Zhu Ping'an raised his head, looked at him quietly, and slowly said:
"There are three thousand prosperity in the world, please go ahead, I will worship the peach blossoms with my wine, and let you be golden and jade." The pair of beautiful horses are no match for the red beans and cinnabar between my brows."
The young man was stunned and didn't understand what he meant.
It's strange that you understand. This is the classical Chinese version of the modern popular saying "You start playing, I just want to be a quiet and beautiful man".
Zhu Pingan glanced at him again, shook his head slightly, did not give him a chance to speak, and spoke to himself:
"Although you have been belittling and ridiculing reading, What's the use, but how can this conceal your identity as a scholar? "
"That's right, I'm talking about you. Looking at your slightly black lips, I guess you have the habit of licking the tip of your pen when you grind ink and write."
"Look at your right side. There is wear on the sleeves, probably from reading and writing.”
"You resent studying so deeply, probably because you failed in this scientific examination."
"You are yearning for and resenting a wealthy and famous family. I am afraid you were born in a poor family. Well, maybe you are interested in a certain family." The lady is quite considerate, right? , but Luo Hua is ruthless, and the scientific examination failed, so hope is slim."
"The heavy smell of alcohol on my body should be caused by drinking to relieve my sorrow. Well, there is also a strong smell of powder. , slightly pungent and should be The quality is not high, I guess the one you have been with recently is not a very promiscuous woman.”
“The three armies can seize handsome men but not their ambitions. Get up from where you fell. If you fail. Just make a comeback. "
Every time Zhu Ping'an said something, the face of the over-drinking young man withered. At the end, the young man took off his disguise and changed from a proud young man to a discouraged one. A frustrated scholar.
"Alas, Han Chuang has been failing every year for thirteen years." The drunken young man sighed in despair, without any fighting spirit. "After failing the exam this year, I vowed never to touch poetry and books, and to go home and sell myself. The rich family is trying to make ends meet. "
He is also a poor person who was harmed by the imperial examination. Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but think of those scholars who were down and sad when they looked at the results. Now that they have met, he can't watch a scholar sell himself out. Slave.
So, Zhu Pingan stood up, closed the book, shook his head slightly, and said, "Although I am young, I also understand that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. You cannot reach a thousand miles without taking small steps. Persistence. There is always hope of success, but there is no chance if you give up.”< br>
The down-and-out scholar glanced at Zhu Pingan, sighed, and said, "You are still young. This is just the first time you have failed the exam. How can you understand the pain of failing eight times?"
Zhu Pingan looked into the distance with his hands behind his back and said lightly:
"Where there is a will, things come true, even if the cauldron sinks the boat, one hundred and two Qin Passes will eventually belong to Chu;
The painstaking efforts of man and nature will not be unworthy of him, and he will eat his gall while lying on his salary. Three thousand Yue Jia can swallow up Wu."
The down-and-out young man heard that As if being struck by lightning, he suddenly raised his head and looked at Zhu Pingan, silently read the couplet Zhu Pingan said again, and his eyes shone brightly again.
Where there is a will, things come true, even if the cauldron sinks the boat, one hundred and two Qin Passes will eventually belong to Chu;
The painstaking efforts of man and nature will not be let down, and the bravery of lying on the salary, three thousand Yue Jia can swallow Wu.
"Little brother is a great talent. This little brother failed the exam. He will definitely be admitted to high school in the future. He will not be as good as him, but he will also be taught. He is hanging on the wall, and Anqing Mansion will come again in the future." The down-and-out scholar became high-spirited again. , thanked Zhu Pingan with a long bow.
"I am not a great talent, I am just picking up people's wisdom. I heard this from an elder named Pu Songling."
Zhu Ping'an had a silly smile on his face, He waved his hand and said seriously.
"Then I have to thank you, little brother." The man insisted and thanked him again.
After the carriage set off again, the atmosphere in the carriage suddenly became harmonious. (End of chapter)