Chapter 130

Chapter 130

Jiuyuan County was only about 150 li away, and it took less than two days by carriage to arrive.

The hired carriage driver was a local from Jiuyuan County, a man in his forties wearing coarse hemp clothes and toe-exposing straw sandals. He spoke in the local Qingzhou dialect and asked, "Where are you from? Are you going to Jiuyuan for some business?"

Hearing the familiar hometown dialect, Old Madam Zhao burst into tears. She responded in the same dialect, "We've returned to look for our relatives. Our hometown is in Tianma Town, Jiuyuan County."

"Oh, you're from around here! I didn't expect that," said the driver upon learning they were locals, and he immediately began to chat openly.

"Did you flee during the famine years ago? Qingzhou was almost depopulated by the drought. It wasn’t until a few years ago, when the government resettled people here and many original residents returned, that it became lively again."

Old Madam Zhao wiped away her tears and said, "It’s been nearly thirty years. I don’t know if any relatives are still alive there."

The driver sighed, saying, "I was only about ten back then. My family also fled north due to the drought, but we turned back because of the floods. We ended up returning."

Old Madam Zhao's voice trembled as she replied, "My child drowned in that great flood."

It had rained cats and dogs in Qingzhou after nearly a year of drought. The rain was fierce and unrelenting. Some people turned back upon seeing the rain, but Old Madam Zhao and her family chose not to return.

In truth, returning meant starvation due to the lack of money and food supplies. Even the tree bark had been stripped for food, leaving nothing to eat. They decided to head north, where the land was said to be fertile and there were many unclaimed lands—whoever occupied them could claim them as their own. They decided to take a chance, hoping to find a way to survive. They followed the fleeing crowd all the way to Pingzhou.

Later, they settled in Wan'gou Village. At that time, Zhao Beichuan was just a newborn and was too young to remember any of this.

The driver said, "It was right that you didn't return... Do you know that out of ten people who did return, only one or two survived?"

"Why is that?" Old Madam Zhao asked.

"Without food or seeds, people starved to death, died of illness, and... some were even cooked and eaten as food," the driver said, his eyes reddening at the memories that sent shivers down his spine.

"At that time, my family had six children. My parents couldn't afford to raise them all, so they gave away my youngest siblings, hoping they could find a way to survive. But the next day, I found my little sister's small clothes... and a pile of bleached bones at that family's doorstep."

"Ah!" Zhao Beidou exclaimed in horror, his hair standing on end.

The driver blew his nose, wiped his face with his sleeve, and continued, "My mother lost her mind and fought with that family. My father, my older sister, and my second sister died of starvation one after another. In the end, only my younger brother and I survived."

He did not elaborate on how he and his brother survived, but just imagining it was enough to understand how difficult it must have been.

Compared to them, the Zhao family, who had migrated to Ping Prefecture, were leading a more comfortable life. At least in Zhao Beichuan's childhood memories, he hadn't gone hungry.

Back then, his father farmed and hunted, and often collected wild fruits from the mountains. His mother sold the game his father hunted in the town to make money and started doing embroidery, saving enough soon to build a small house.

The Zhao family, including Old Madam Zhao, lived similarly. Their life was simple, but they hadn't endured such terrible tragedies.

This memory was too painful, and the middle-aged man was unwilling to continue discussing it, changing the subject. "Which town in Jiuyuan County are you from?"

Zhao Beichuan replied, "Tianma Town. Have you heard of it?"

"Tianma Town? I haven't heard of it. You can inquire once you arrive there. After all these years, the name might have changed." That's possible, as many towns with too few people had been merged and renamed by the local authorities.

After a full day of travel, they finally arrived at Jiuyuan County in the afternoon of the second day.

The county was quite small, and they found a small post station. Zhao Beichuan paid the driver, giving him an additional 100 wen beyond the agreed 200 wen.

The middle-aged man was so excited and kept thanking him, saying, "You're such a generous person! I'm sure you'll find your relatives!"

At the post station, Zhao Beichuan asked for two rooms. Probably because they looked like out-of-towners, the innkeeper overcharged, asking 200 wen for a small, cramped room.

Granny Zhao hurriedly said, "That's too expensive, Big Brother Chuan. The two of you should share a room; I can just sleep in the carriage."

"That's not acceptable. It's getting colder, and sleeping in the carriage might cause a cold. We're only staying for a day; it won't cost much."

Granny Zhao had no choice but to put on her pack and follow Zhao Beichuan to the accommodation at the back.

The room likely hadn't been occupied in a long time; the table was covered with a layer of dust, and the kang was also quite dirty.

A worker came over with a wooden bucket and quickly wiped everything down, barely making it livable.

The brothers weren't picky by nature; they hadn't grown up pampered. In their early years in the village, they had slept in the fields when tired, so they weren't fussy.

Zhao Beichuan asked for hot water and made two bowls of noodles in the room. After eating, he let his brother rest while he went out to ask about Tianma Town.

It was likely younger people wouldn't know if the town had changed its name. He would need to ask older people.

It wasn't too late in the day, so Zhao Beichuan walked slowly along the narrow road, occasionally stopping older passersby to ask.

Most hadn't heard of it. In this era, news didn't travel far, and villagers rarely went to town unless necessary, usually only for supplies.

After asking more than a dozen people without learning the location of Tianma Town, Zhao Beichuan began to doubt if his father had remembered the name correctly.

Just as he hesitated, a woman called out to him, "Young brother, are you asking about Tianma Town?"

Zhao Beichuan was startled and quickly walked over to her. "Yes, ma'am, do you know?"

"I don't, but our old man has mentioned it before. He used to live in Tianma Town. Later, when the town emptied, the officials moved everyone to another town and renamed it San Shima Town."

Zhao Beichuan felt a surge of joy. "Thank you! Thank you!"

The woman waved it off and turned away.

With this new town name, it became easier. Zhao Beichuan asked around, and many people knew San Shima Town. A couple of older folks confirmed that San Shima Town was a new name combining three former towns, located southeast of the city, approximately seventy li from the county.

Early the next morning, Zhao Beichuan woke his brother early, and they continued their journey by carriage.

*

Meanwhile, nearly a month had passed since the provincial exam, and these were the days when the results would be announced.

Every day for the past few days, Lu Yao and Xiaonian had been visiting the teahouse near the government office, waiting for the official announcement.

This morning, the teahouse was noticeably more crowded. Some had heard that the results would be posted today.

Lu Yao and Xiaonian sat at a window table, listening to a few nearby people discussing excitedly.

"This year's exam questions were too difficult. Several well-known scholars didn't do well."

"Yeah, the last essay question was too tricky; many people strayed off-topic."

"Ah, nothing can be done about that..."

Xiaonian's face turned pale. "Sister-in-law, do you think Xiao Dou might fail?"

Lu Yao was nervous too but tried to reassure her. "Even if he fails, it's not a big deal. He's only fourteen; he has plenty of opportunities. Even if he never passes, your elder brother and I can still support the three of you without any issue."

Soon after, a shout came from outside, "The results are posted!"

People in the teahouse immediately stood up and rushed out. Someone even tripped and was trampled a few times but got up, cursing, and continued running outside.

Several officials came out to maintain order, worried that those who failed might react drastically.

Such incidents were not unheard of. Two sessions ago, when the results of the provincial examination were posted, a scholar who had passed to become a junior official was so excited that he was dancing and flailing his arms. However, this provoked the resentment of a failed candidate, who, in a fit of anger, picked up a stone and beat the successful scholar to death.

Since then, every time the results were posted, the authorities would deploy personnel to strictly oversee the event, just to prevent any further incidents.

Both Lu Yao and Xiaonian were small in stature, and unable to squeeze their way into the crowd, they could only stand on their tiptoes to try and see. But it was too far; they couldn't make out the words on the list, only a sea of heads.

Lu Yao grumbled, "I should have asked Zheng Tie to come and check." Zheng Tie, another manager at the wine shop, was taller and sturdier than Zhao Beichuan, and would definitely have been able to squeeze his way in.

From time to time, sorrowful cries echoed from within the crowd. Some candidates who had failed the exam multiple times collapsed from distress and were carried out by the bailiffs.

There were also those who cursed the imperial court’s injustice, claiming that despite their literary talent, they had been overlooked by the examiners. These people, for showing contempt for the imperial court, were inevitably 'invited' into the yamen to receive a few strokes of the cane.

Most people simply shook their heads in disappointment, planning to return home and study hard for the next provincial exam in three years.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, Lu Yao and Xiaonian finally managed to push their way to the front. They started reading the list from the bottom up, one name at a time.

"Oh no!" Xiaonian exclaimed.

"What's wrong?"

"Zijian is in fourth place!"

Lu Yao looked up and sure enough, fourth place clearly showed the name Lin Zijian from Pingyang County. His heart raced as he continued to look up the list. Not third, not second, and first place...

Pingyang County — Zhao Beidou!

"It's him, he got first place!" Xiaonian shouted excitedly, drawing glances from those nearby.

Xiaonian grabbed Lu Yao's arm and shook it excitedly. "He's first, Xiaodou, our younger brother, is first!"

"I know, I know." Lu Yao's vision blurred, and it felt as if a wad of cotton was stuck in his throat, making it hard to breathe. It took him a moment to catch his breath.

The two quickly made their way back to share the good news with everyone.

When they returned to the wine shop, it was just noon. Lu Yao generously waved his hand and waived the bills for all the customers that day. The diners were astonished and asked for the reason.

Xiaonian excitedly explained, "My younger brother passed the provincial exam and became a junior official, and he got first place!"

The customers instantly erupted in excitement. This was fantastic news!

No one had expected that Lu Family Wine Shop had such a talented connection.

They had even extended an invitation to a celebratory banquet. This meal, held in autumn when the osmanthus flowers bloom, was also called the Osmanthus Banquet.

Unfortunately, Beidou was not present, and Lu Yao had to explain on his behalf. The governor, of course, didn't make things difficult.

These officials were exceedingly shrewd; they knew exactly who could and could not be offended. They sent a congratulatory scroll to encourage Zhao Beidou to strive for greater achievements.

His classmates from the prefectural school also came to congratulate him. Lu Yao received them, and when they learned that Zhao Beidou wasn't in Ping Prefecture, they felt a little regretful. However, the Lu family's food was indeed delicious, so the trip wasn't in vain.

The horse-drawn carriage clattered along the rural dirt road, making Zhao Beidou feel uncomfortable.

"Brother, how much longer until we arrive?"

*

"It should be soon," Zhao Beichuan replied, though he was unsure. The road ahead was increasingly difficult, filled with potholes, jolting old Madam Zhao until her old bones felt like they would fall apart.

But Zhao Beichuan didn't say anything, just kept looking around.

The place looked familiar. Even though he hadn't been back for thirty years, it still seemed familiar.

After traveling over ten li, they suddenly came across a three-way intersection. Zhao Beichuan pulled the reins.

"Whoa~" This was problematic. He didn't know which of the two roads led to the town.

Just as he was hesitating, Old Madam Zhao spoke up. "Beichuan, take the left road."

"You remember?"

"I have a vague memory. Go ahead and see if there's a river."

Zhao Beichuan immediately steered the cart onto the left path, and after about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, he saw a small river ahead. The water was knee-deep, and the cart could cross it.

Old Madam Zhao looked a bit excited. "This is it! This is the place! Keep going!"

"Giddy up!" Zhao Beichuan flicked the reins, and the horse slowly waded through the water. As they continued down the path, they finally encountered a person ahead.

The man had probably come to collect firewood on the nearby mountain. He had half a load of firewood on his back and an axe in his hand. He looked at the carriage approaching with a puzzled expression.

Zhao Beichuan said, "Excuse me, is the town ahead the Three Stone Horse Town?"

The man nodded. "That's right."

Granny Zhao leaned out and pointed at a nearby hill. "Is that Zhao Village over there?"

"Yes."

"Are there still people living in the village?"

The man found Granny Zhao's question puzzling. Why would a perfectly good village be empty? "Yes, there are people."

"Wonderful, simply wonderful!" Granny Zhao was so excited she could cry. She patted Zhao Beichuan's arm and said, "We don't need to go into town. We can just cross the mountain and we'll be home!"

Zhao Beichuan immediately turned the horse toward the small mountain road. After an hour of bumpy travel along the road, they finally saw Zhao Village in the distance.

The village looked almost the same as it did thirty years ago. Granny Zhao excitedly pointed out all the familiar sights. "Do you see that flat piece of land? It belonged to us! And that big rock over there, it was moved there decades ago by our men, including my father, who were conscripted for labor. The village head had everyone move it to the village entrance to serve as a guardian stone for the village, to bless the Zhao family with prosperity..."

Zhao Beichuan listened to her words and imagined what his parents' lives had been like here when they were younger.

As the carriage entered the village, they encountered many children along the way who curiously chased after the carriage.

Granny Zhao got off the carriage and grabbed one of the children to ask, "Who do you belong to?"

"The Zhao family, of course." The child, with chubby cheeks, wasn’t afraid of strangers, perhaps because the other person was just an elderly woman.

"What's your father's name? And your grandfather's?"

"My father is Zhao Luo, and my grandfather is Zhao Suzi."

"Suzi? The grandchild of Suzi has grown up so much?!" Granny Zhao was overjoyed upon hearing the familiar name.

In the distance, a woman with her hands on her hips shouted, "Wood, are you asking for a beating?! What time is it and you're still not home for lunch?"

The boy immediately turned and ran home. Granny Zhao quickly followed after him. When they arrived at the front gate, the woman looked at Granny Zhao with confusion. "Who are you looking for?"

"Is Zhao Suzi at home?"

The woman said, "Are you looking for my old man? He’s out working and hasn’t come back yet. You can wait a bit if you want."

Granny Zhao sat down on the wooden stool by the door. The woman found her face familiar and felt a sense of friendliness, so she went inside, scooped some cold water, and handed it to her.

"Thanks, dear."

Hearing her local accent, the woman grew more curious. "Where are you from, ma’am? Why haven’t I seen you around before?"

Granny Zhao’s voice caught in her throat. "I’m from here. I’m from Zhaojia Village."