RPAGF Chapter 788 Heading West
Chapter 788 Heading West
Taking advantage of the rare days when he didn't have to work, Zhang Ping'an took his family to the countryside for an outing, a boat trip on the lake, and to burn incense at the nunnery. He also went to the bookstore and helped his son pick out many books and annotations that would be useful for his homework in the past year.
Xiaoyuer liked the first activity very much, was so-so about the second one, and had no interest in the third one at all.
Seeing his son's gloomy face, Zhang Pingan pretended not to notice. The child had become more and more spoiled in the past two days. If he opened his mouth to comfort or explain, it was guaranteed that several books would be taken away again.
Just like that, with Xiao Yuer's resentful eyes, Zhang Ping'an took a pile of books back.
In the evening, the second uncle Qian Jie came to visit specially. Ever since Zhang Ping'an wrote a letter requesting Qian Jie to go with him and was approved, he often came to visit. Unfortunately, Zhang Ping'an was not at home most of the time.
"Second uncle, why are you here?" Xiao Yuer was very happy to see his second uncle coming. In his mind, the uncles in the Qian family were all good to him, and his grandfather was also okay with him.
"Of course I can't bear to leave, Xiaoyuer, so I came to see you. Your father and I will leave tomorrow morning. I guess you will have grown a lot taller when we come back next year. Here, this is the gift your second uncle brought you." Qian Jie walked forward and picked up Xiaoyuer, then took out a box from his arms and handed it to him.
He seems to be passionate and generous, but in fact he is rough but meticulous, good at both literature and martial arts, and his abilities are no less than his elder brother Qian Ying.
Xiao Yuer was quite happy to receive a gift, but when he opened the box and saw that it was a black wooden sign, he was immediately disappointed: "What's the use of this wooden sign?"
It can’t be played with, and it’s not suitable for eating or drinking.
"You are still young, so it is naturally useless to you. It will be useful when you grow up. Keep it well and don't drop it!" Qian Jie smiled and touched Xiao Yuer's head without elaborating.
When Zhang Pingan came out, he saw his son holding a black wooden sign with a gold border, on which the word "money" was engraved with a special technique.
"Dad, look, my second uncle gave me a wooden sign!" Xiao Yuer said in a crisp voice, still a little unhappy.
This gift was not to his liking.
Zhang Ping'an recognized it at a glance. It was the Qian family's family token, and it was inlaid with gold edges. It was the highest level token and very important.
The role of ancient family tokens is far more than just an identification document. They also carry a family's core secrets, honor, and power.
Internally, one is required to show his/her token to prove his/her identity as a family member when attending important family events such as clan meetings, entering the ancestral hall, and checking the family tree.
Externally, when going out on business, using the token to negotiate with other families or government agencies can largely represent the will and credibility of the entire family.
As a thousand-year-old family, the Qian family's tokens are much more useful than gold, silver, and other common currency.
Moreover, the token can be used to mobilize the Qian family's resources, such as money, shops, food, connections, etc. These are all privileged rights.
When in danger, you can also use the token to seek help from the family's branches, allies or forces that have benefited from the family in other places.
In short, this represents the honor and spiritual cohesion of the Qian family, and is not just a wooden sign.
What Qian Jie's gift of this wooden plaque to Xiao Yuer means is self-evident.
"This is too expensive. Xiao Yu'er's last name is Zhang after all. It's not appropriate!" Zhang Ping'an frowned and refused.
There's no need to be tactful at this time.
Qian Jie laughed heartily and said nonchalantly, "It's just a wooden sign. Xiao Yu'er is not happy about it, saying it's not worth eating or drinking. Don't take it too seriously. This is just a little gift from Dad to your grandson. Since you don't plan to marry again in the future, Xiao Yu'er is the only child in the family. You must take good care of him. You can't always stay by his side. No matter what time, besides you, he still has the Qian family as his backing. The Qian family can guarantee this!"
Zhang Pingan was silent for a moment, but finally did not refuse. "Go back and thank Dad for me. He is so thoughtful!"
After that, he reminded his son: "Since it is a gift from your uncle, keep it well. It will be useful in the future."
"Oh, okay then!" Xiao Yuer pricked up his ears and understood a little bit of what was said. It seemed that this sign was quite important, so he took it more seriously and put the wooden sign into his small pocket.
"That's right, good boy!" Qian Jie smiled and praised the child.
He put Xiao Yu'er down and said goodbye, "We have to get up early and leave tomorrow, so I'll go back first. You should also rest early!"
"Well, then I won't see you off," Zhang Pingan nodded.
Qian Jie turned around and waved to Zhang Pingan, not caring about the empty formalities, and strode away.
Zhang Pingan secretly sighed that his father-in-law was cautious and thoughtful.
No wonder the Qian family has been able to stand firm through the vicissitudes of life throughout the dynasties.
Not long after, the carnival picture that the family had been looking forward to for several days was delivered. When they unfolded it under the candlelight, they found that it really looked like the real thing, and it gave them an inexplicable warmth.
Xiao Yuer held the baby tightly in his arms like a treasure and put it in the study room.
The next day came in a blink of an eye. While it was still dark, Zhang Laoer and Xu had already gotten up and started counting the luggage they had helped pack.
To get from the capital to Guazhou, one must go through Juyongguan and take the traditional post road from the capital to the Hexi Corridor.
First head southwest along the post road, pass Xuanfu and Datong, then go south through Taiyuan and Fenzhou, and arrive in Xi'an. This section is the core channel connecting the capital and the important military town in the northwest.
After arriving in Xi'an, head west through Xianyang and Baoji, enter Gansu along the Wei River Valley, and then pass through Tianshui and Dingxi in Gansu to reach Lanzhou. This section of the journey requires crossing the Long Mountains, which is the gateway to the Hexi Corridor.
Finally, continue westward from Lanzhou, along the Hexi Corridor post road, passing through Liangzhou, Ganzhou, Suzhou, Shazhou, and finally arriving at Guazhou.
The journey is very long.
At least Zhang Laoer and Xu Shi sounded really out of reach.
I have never heard of many of the place names.
This is also the reason why people at that time rarely traveled far. Lack of information and timidity were one reason, but the most important reason was that they had no maps and no direction.
It also shows how difficult it was for my fifth brother-in-law Xu Kezhang to return alive from the Western Regions to Ezhou Prefecture.
"Dad, Mom, don't be sad. We have the army to protect us. There's nothing to be afraid of. It's almost time now. I have to go to court. His Majesty will personally grant me the imperial edict for border patrol today. There will also be other gifts and encouragement ceremonies. It will take some time. After you eat, you can pack these luggage and drag them to the carriage door to wait for me. I will go directly to the city gate after court."