RPAGF Chapter 743 Passing through Yangzhou
Chapter 743 Passing through Yangzhou
"We are all family, you are too polite," Zhang Pingan quickly supported the man.
Seeing this, Tan Yaoqi, who was standing nearby, echoed, "That's right. You're all family, so why be so polite? Besides, it's the duty of an official to redress grievances for the people. Even if we weren't related, we wouldn't sit idly by."
It sounds good, but everyone knows that if there is no such relationship, this matter may not be taken care of. After all, it is indeed a tricky matter, and how many people would go to such great lengths for irrelevant people!
After the matter of overturning the verdict was handled, the tasks of Erhe cousin and his fourth and fifth brothers-in-law were also decided. They would first gain experience at the grassroots level of the government office for a period of time, and then be assigned to other positions after they were familiar with the situation in the government office.
With Tan Yaoqi looking after him, Zhang Pingan felt relieved.
Just like Grandma Zhang said, as long as he doesn't fall, the family will be fine.
No matter how reluctant Erhe, Siya and Wuya were, they could only go to the dock with tears in their eyes to see Zhang Pingan off.
Also traveling with them were a number of officials from the government office, both big and small. Tan Tongzhi and Tan Yaoqi were both in high spirits, with rosy faces. Zhifu Du's face remained the same, and he was still very enthusiastic towards the Zhang family.
Seeing that the boat was about to leave, Magistrate Du and others got off the boat first, leaving some space for the Zhang family members to talk.
"Okay, stop crying. Go back. We will send someone to send you a message after we arrive in the capital," Zhang Ping'an said while standing on the deck and waving to his fourth sister and the others.
After giving a few instructions to the others, Xu urged them on, fearing they would miss the time, "Let's go, let's go. There's always something to talk about. When you have the chance to come to the capital, we can chat about family matters. We will also send you letters from time to time when we get there. Take care of yourselves! You all need to live your lives well, okay?"
The last sentence was a reminder to Si Ya and Wu Ya, especially Wu Ya, that if something happened again, they would have no way out and that was death, as no one could help them.
After hearing this, Si Ya, Wu Ya and Er He all agreed.
Zhang Laoer finally added, "As parents, we all hope that our children live a good life. Just like your mother-in-law said, if our daughters do something wrong, we will never cover it up. But if you dare to treat them badly, their mother's family will not be vegetarians either. They have their brothers to support them!"
This was a warning to the two sons-in-law, Sun Liujin and Xu Kezhang.
These two people were both smart people. Upon hearing this, they immediately bowed and said, "Please rest assured, father-in-law!"
Zhang Pingan knew when to stop and helped smooth things over with a smile: "Dad, my two brothers-in-law are both scholars, knowledgeable and reasonable. How could they treat my sisters badly? That's too harsh!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the boatman came over to report that the boat was about to set sail.
Zhang Pingan could only say goodbye to everyone again.
Let Erhe take the reluctant Si Ya, Wu Ya and others off the boat.
Only after the boat had sailed far away and Si Ya and Wu Ya could no longer be seen standing on the shore did Zhang Ping'an help his parents return to the cabin and sit down.
Xiao Yuer was not seasick, but after running around the boat a few times, he was no longer bothered by it and simply sat in the cabin reading a picture book.
No matter what era, there is never a shortage of entertainment for the wealthy and powerful, such as comic books.
Picture books of this era were considered expensive luxury goods, mainly for children from powerful families to pass the time. They contained various interesting fables or strange stories about mountains and seas. Each book was hand-drawn by an artist, and then colored and bound according to the character images, making it very beautifully made.
The price is naturally not cheap, much more expensive than enlightenment books.
Seeing Xiaoyuer reading with great interest, Madam Xu said with relief, "It seems our Xiaoyuer has a talent for studying. He might even become the top scholar in the imperial examination. He'll be better than his father!"
"I think so too. He is so studious at such a young age. It's amazing!" Zhang Laoer also agreed, laughing happily.
"Dad, Mom, I've fallen out of favor with you so quickly, haven't you? You've forgotten your son now that you have a grandson!" Zhang Ping'an pretended to be helpless.
"Why, are you still jealous of your son? He's such a grown-up. If outsiders knew that a second-rank official was like this, they would definitely say that you are unstable. How dare the emperor give you such an important task?" Zhang Laoer said with a displeased smile.
Mrs. Xu didn't want to listen to Zhang Laoer scolding her son, so she quickly changed the subject and asked, "How long does it take for us to get to Yangzhou from here? I haven't seen Liu Ya in years, and I really miss her!"
"We have a favorable wind and favorable current, and since it's an official ship, we won't stop on the way, so it will take about ninety days," Zhang Ping'an replied after calculating.
"I've already sent a letter to Yangzhou in advance. I believe Sixth Sister and Brother-in-law should have received the news that we're coming. We happen to be passing through Yangzhou on our way to the capital. This is a good opportunity. Otherwise, I don't know when I'll see them again. I heard that Sixth Brother-in-law is now a key protected person in the Ministry of Industry. Maybe he's going to be promoted again!"
"That's good!" Xu was relieved after hearing this, and she felt very blessed. "When I gave birth to your sisters, everyone in the village laughed at me and said that daughters were money-losing goods. Your father and I couldn't hold our heads up for many years. But now, my daughters are marrying better than the other, all of them are wives of officials, and my sons are high-ranking officials in the capital. They are so envious of them. Who wouldn't praise your father and me for our good fortune?"
"You're capable of that," Zhang Laoer shook his head, seeing things more clearly: "The reason why some of these girls can marry so well is because they have sons."
"Oh, I know," Mrs. Xu waved her hand. "After all, it's all because of my son's success, and my daughter and son-in-law have also worked hard to achieve success!"
"My brothers-in-law are all capable. We can just say this among our family members. Don't say anything nonsense in front of them, as it will easily cause resentment. Although I have a high rank, my foundation is weak, and I can't stand alone in the officialdom. In the future, I still have to support each other with my brothers-in-law and move forward," Zhang Pingan reminded.
Zhang Laoer and Xu nodded, "Of course we know that!"
Although Xiao Yuer seems to be still reading a picture book, he has actually already pricked up his ears to listen to his grandparents and dad talking.
Zhang Ping'an knew that he was naturally bright and intelligent, and he wanted to teach him a lesson. He reached out and took the book from his hand, then picked up his son, flicked his forehead with his fingers, and said jokingly, "Okay, I know you're not reading. If you want to listen, listen openly. Don't pick on others."
"Hehe, I was listening openly!" Xiao Yuer was not annoyed when he was discovered. He smiled and replied with confidence.
Zhang Pingan smiled and taught him earnestly, "Dad knows you're smart and you understand what I'm saying. I'm not trying to avoid you. Just like I said just now, our family may look prosperous on the surface, but our foundation is actually weak. When you go to the capital, you have to be sensible with your words and actions, understand? It's okay to have some fun, but you must never act like a little bully!"
"But we still have grandpa and several uncles. Who dares to mess with the Qian family?" Xiao Yuer asked back.
"Dad is going to tell you something today, remember it. All under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people in the world are the king's subjects. Your grandfather is powerful, but he also has things he fears. Officialdom is a spider web with a thousand threads entangled with each other. It's not just about judging by the rank of officials. You may not understand it now, but you have to remember this sentence and comprehend it slowly, otherwise you may not even be able to be a rich kid who only eats, drinks and has fun in the future."
Xiao Yu'er looked confused after hearing this. Zhang Ping'an patted his son's head, slowed down his tone and sighed, "There's no turning back in a family like ours. As long as Dad is here, he will definitely protect you, but you also have to learn to grow up on your own. After all, Dad will get old one day."
"Dad isn't old!" Xiao Yu'er was anxious. He grabbed his father's hair and said seriously, "Look, his hair is all black!"
Zhang Laoer and Xu were listening with laughter on the side. The world of children is so simple.
Zhang Ping'an was also amused and said no more.
A few days passed in a flash, and just as Zhang Ping'an expected, the ship arrived at Yangzhou Wharf on the morning of the ninth day.
The people who came to pick them up were from the Yangzhou government office and the chief steward of my sixth brother-in-law's house.
When the housekeeper saw Zhang Ping'an, he kept bowing and apologizing, explaining, "My master has a special position, and right now he's in a critical situation, so he's forbidden from going out to complicated places for fear of danger. That's why he can't come to greet my uncle. My wife is a female relative, and it wouldn't be easy for her to come alone without my master. I hope the old master, the old lady, and my uncle won't blame me, please don't blame me!"
"Okay, I understand, it's no problem!" Zhang Ping'an waved his hand to indicate that he heard it, and then greeted the people who came from the Yangzhou government office.