RPAGF Chapter 108 Hongshun Building
Chapter 108 Hongshun Building
After Liu Shengyuan and Li Mingxuan left the examination room, everyone returned to the inn together. Right after dinner, Lin Junhui sent someone to say that everyone would be invited to have lunch at Hongshun Building the next day. This would be a reward for everyone after the exam and would also allow them to exchange their experiences with the exam. He repeatedly reminded everyone to invite their elders from the family to come along.
The results will be announced in three days. During these three days, Zhang Ping'an wants to discuss his studies with other outstanding students in the city, and also learn about the situation in each county. There are 13 counties under Ezhou Prefecture, and the customs and habits of each county are different. It won't hurt to know more.
The next morning, Zhang Ping'an wanted to sleep a little longer, but he had formed a long-term work and rest habit, so he couldn't sleep even if he wanted to. He woke up just after the hour of Mao, and it was still drizzling outside the window.
Zhang Ping'an simply stood up and prepared to go for a walk outside. At this time, the vendors who had set up stalls outside had already started shouting. No matter whether it was raining or snowing, ordinary people could not rest. They were worried about where they would get food for the next day.
But when I got outside, I found that Liu Shengyuan, Li Mingxuan and others had already gotten up. It seemed that everyone was in a similar mood.
"I didn't expect everyone to get up so early. Why don't we go for a walk outside together and have breakfast," Liu Shengyuan suggested.
Zhang Ping'an was also planning this. He smiled and said, "I'll listen to the spring rain in the small building all night, and sell apricot blossoms in the deep alley tomorrow morning. It's nice to go out for a walk."
Li Mingxuan didn't say anything, but turned back to his room to get an oil-paper umbrella, obviously willing to go out with them.
So Zhang Ping'an said hello to his father and followed Liu Shengyuan and Li Mingxuan out of the inn.
As soon as I walked out of the door, the cold spring wind made me feel chilly and I became completely awake in an instant.
The three of them walked slowly along the cobblestone road. Along the way, there were vendors selling steamed buns, wontons, fried dough sticks, and soy milk—everything available. But none of them had yet felt like eating. They simply stopped here and there to take in the layout of the city's streets and the various people there. They'd been so busy with exams the past few days that they hadn't had time to truly explore the city.
Zhang Ping'an smiled as he walked and said, "The cool spring breeze is really refreshing. I was a little dazed in the inn just now, but now I'm completely awake. The provincial capital is indeed much more lively than our county town, and the streets are wider. However, the food here is not as authentic as in our county town. The buns and fried dough sticks are all made much more delicately."
Liu Shengyuan nodded in agreement: "Rice is expensive in the capital, and it's not easy to live in a big city."
Li Mingxuan also took over and said lightly: "The capital city is nothing, it's even more expensive when you get to the provincial capital. When my father took the imperial examination, the round-trip travel expenses were at least thirty taels, which is not affordable for ordinary people. So if you are lucky enough to pass the examination, you have to find a way to make money later, otherwise you will not be able to continue taking the exam."
Even though Liu Shengyuan was mentally prepared, he was still shocked: "It's too expensive. Very few people can pass it in one try. It's not surprising to have to take the exam two or three times. If that's the case, ordinary students will have to spend all their money to take the exam."
Zhang Pingan shook his head: "Not necessarily. When I was in the academy, I heard Lin Junhui say that many students from poor families would choose to marry the daughters of merchants. Merchants are also willing to marry educated scholars. It's a kind of investment!"
"This is the only solution," said Li Mingxuan.
When the three of them reached a bridge, they found a noodle shop that looked relatively clean and ordered a bowl of noodles each. Looking at the busy waiter, Zhang Pingan couldn't help but think of his former playmate and classmate Liu Shuisheng. "I wonder how Shuisheng is doing in the city now. My parents said he found a job in a grain store in the city. If we have some free time these two days, we can go see him."
"Sure. We've only been apart for half a year, but it feels like I haven't seen Brother Shuisheng for a long time. I also want to go see him and let him take us on a tour around the city. I don't know when we'll be able to come again," Liu Shengyuan agreed.
After finishing their meal, the three of them returned to the inn. They had to go out for lunch later, and they didn’t want to keep the host waiting for too long.
Because Lin Junhui invited students from the academy this time, it was not appropriate to bring Li Mingxuan along. Zhang Pingan and others greeted Li Mingxuan before going to Hongshun Building with other students from Qingsong Academy.
Hongshunlou is a well-known restaurant even in the capital. It is three stories high, with long red lanterns hanging at the entrance of each floor, and waiters enthusiastically welcoming guests. The lobby on the first floor mainly has small tables for individual customers, and the second and third floors have private rooms. It was the first time for Zhang Laoer and Liu Sanlang to eat in such a luxurious restaurant, and they were very nervous.
The elders of the other students were in a similar state, but Master Yang was calm and composed. He followed the waiter up to the second floor with a swagger, and the others followed him up.
Lin Junhui was a wealthy man who was also well versed in the ways of the world. He set up three tables in total. The elders sat at two tables in a private room, and the students sat at another table in a separate private room, so they could eat comfortably.
Tan Yaoqi sat next to Lin Junhui, still as pretentious as ever, and even wore a fan.
Seeing that everyone was present, Lin Junhui said, "Please sit down, you're welcome!"
After everyone was seated, Lin Junhui instructed the waiter to serve the food and drinks. After filling everyone's glasses, he raised his glass first and said, "How many people can truly be my close friends? It's fate that we can study in the same academy and take the same exam. I'll drink first in respect."
Everyone applauded and said, "Well said, you are indeed a descendant of a prominent family!"
Zhang Ping'an also felt that Lin Junhui had great leadership skills. If he continued to grow at the current rate, he would definitely be the leader of the next generation of the Lin family.
Regardless, these banquets were quite expensive, and everyone at the table was quite enthusiastic. The meal was a great pleasure for both the host and the guests. They drank sake, which was not too intoxicating, just the right amount of tipsy, and both the guests and the diners were very happy.
When talking about this exam, some people cried and some laughed, but the results are out and we can only wait for them to be announced the day after tomorrow.
It was almost 3 p.m. when they finished eating. The restaurant also served sobering tea and snacks. Everyone was really unable to eat more, so Lin Junhui asked the waiter to pack a portion for each person to take home.
Zhang Laoer and the others had almost finished their meal. The food and wine on the table were much cleaner than here, with almost nothing left. Even Liu Sanlang was rarely seen burping while holding his stomach, which showed that he had eaten quite a bit.
Although Lin Junhui was slightly tipsy, Liu Sanlang was too conspicuous. He was very curious about this person. He had only heard of a few such tall and strong men in the previous dynasty, but had never seen one in this dynasty. He couldn't help but step forward and said with a smile: "Brother Liu, it's a pity that you can only be a butcher with your physique. You can join the army or be a bodyguard. Even carrying goods at our docks can earn much more than butchering pigs. If you are interested, you might as well try our Fucheng dock in the next two days. It happens to be the peak season for transporting cloth."
Liu Sanlang was indeed moved when he heard this, but Lin Junhui didn't look very clear-headed at the moment, so he could only ask him tomorrow.