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Chapter 231 Better to go home

The boat sailed into Jiangwan Village. The village was very quiet. The big trees on the shore formed a thick green barrier, and houses were hidden between the green trees and the river.

The boat passed a big locust tree with mixed roots, and a brand new mansion suddenly appeared in front of Fan Ning. It turned out that several tiled houses in Uncle Liu's house had disappeared, and turned into a new house with high walls, which was connected with Fan Ning's original home.

"Such a big house?" Fanning couldn't help but exclaim.

"It's not big actually!"

Fan Tiezhou smiled and explained to his son: "The depth is not enough, so it is built very long, and in fact it covers only five acres of land."

The boat stopped at a new pier, and his mother Zhang Sanniang had been waiting on the pier for a long time.

As soon as Fan Ning jumped ashore, Zhang Sanniang was so excited that she held her son in her arms, "My son is back, let me take a good look, oh! I have grown a lot taller again."

Fanning pushed her mother away with a little embarrassedly, "I haven't seen each other for half a year, how could she grow taller? Mom is so exaggerating."

"What an exaggeration is there? His father, look at whether Ning'er has grown taller."

Fan Tiezhou smiled and said, "Let's see your son slowly when you go back."

At this time, the housekeeper Lao Yuan brought a few people to carry the luggage. Zhang Sanniang took her son's hand and returned home happily. She had calmed down from the joy of her son's admission to the Jinshi. Now she only has the warmth of her son going home.

"How is Ado now?" Fanning suddenly remembered her sister and asked with a smile.

"She! She is naughty now. I ask every day, when will the prince come back?"

As soon as he entered the house, a little girl rushed over and said, "Aguo!"

It is Fanning's little sister Ado. She is almost three years old and has grown up to be fat and speaks much more neatly.

Fanning picked her up, clicked her little nose, and smiled, "Why are you still calling Aguo?"

"Brother, have you bought a gift for Nannan?" The little guy had a sweet mouth. He kissed his brother's face twice and then asked for a gift.

Fanning laughed, "Yes! There are a lot of them! They are all you like."

Ador cheered, struggling to go downstairs to find a gift, but his mother was carried over, "Little guy, wait a moment, my brother's box has not been moved in yet!"

Lao Yuan was taking two family members to carry boxes, while Fan Ning entered the inner hall and sat down.

"What is this?" Fanning found a large plaque on the table, with paper wrapped around it, as if it had just been delivered.

"This is your father's plaque of honorary officials. County Magistrate Gao applied for your father. He is now Yunqiwei, and he is so majestic! You can get a concubine."

Zhang Sanniang glared at her husband dissatisfiedly. If the plaque had not been delivered today, she would not have known that her husband had applied for a medal.

Fan Tiezhou looked embarrassed and had to explain, "Isn't this a benefit from Aning? If Aning hadn't had a future, how could it be my turn? When the magistrate Gao said this, I didn't take it seriously, and this honorary official was nothing. There were several Yunqiwei in the town!"

Seeing that his father's explanation was not the core issue, Fan Ning smiled and said, "Mom, Daddy will not marry a concubine."

"He doesn't want to marry a concubine, what should he do to build such a big house?" Zhang Sanniang said incisively.

Fan Ning also looked at Dad with some doubts. Logically, their family doesn’t need such a big house. What is Dad doing for building such a big house?

Fan Tiezhou smiled bitterly, "With the land, of course I want to build a house, otherwise what else can I do there? And you know, if you don't build a house, where will Agui and the others live?"

"Forget it, I don't care about you. If you want to marry me, I will take my daughter and son over there to give you freedom if you marry a concubine."

"Sanniang, Aning is back today, so we won't mention these unhappy things."

"Yes! Yes! Looks like I'm so angry that I'm confused by you."

Zhang Sanniang hurriedly said to the housekeeper: "Lao Yuan, wait for this plaque to hang Agui and Dongzi on the gate."

"Madam, I get it!"

Although Zhang Sanniang was seriously dissatisfied with the fact that the honorary officials could marry a concubine, she was still very satisfied with other aspects of the honorary officials. For example, she was called the eldest lady or the wife of the official, but now her husband is the honorary official, and she can also be called the wife.

In addition, Mr. Jiang's family has been secretly competing with his family. Now that his son has passed the Jinshi exam and his husband has a meritorious official, even if he completely suppresses his family, Zhang Sanniang feels secretly happy.

"Mom, who are Agui and Dongzi?" Fanning asked curiously.

"It's our family's tenant, two young young people who have just become fathers, rent our land to grow. They will come to help if there is any problem at home."

There were two types of tenants in the Song Dynasty. One was a local, who directly rented land from a wealthy family to farm. The relationship with the landlord was to pay the tenant rent every year.

Another type is called a tenant. The outside farmers are a bit like refugees. They work everywhere with their families and most of them go to the city to work as partners, but some are willing to come to the countryside to be tenant.

Although the income is a little lower, the expenses are also small and the pressure on life is not great. Especially in the Jiangnan area, as long as you are more diligent, there is basically no problem in supporting yourself and your whole family.

After the tenant household signed a land lease contract with the owner for three or five years, they usually had to live in the owner's house, which was considered half a servant. This is actually the fundamental reason why Fan Tiezhou wanted to expand his residence.

Since Fan Ning enjoyed tax-free treatment after passing the imperial examination, Fan Tiezhou bought land continuously in the past few months. Their family has already had 800 acres of land and recruited five tenant farmers, and they had to provide accommodation for them.

These things were also mentioned in his letter to him by his father Fan Tiezhou, so Fan Ning didn't ask more questions.

At this time, my sister Ado ran over with a good Mohele, snuggled into her brother's arms, and began to fiddle with her new toy.

This was given to her by Zhu Pei. The inside was twisted into the torso of a doll with fine copper wire, then wrapped it with thread, sewed it into skin with cloth on the outside, then put on silk satin skirts and clothes, and painted with eyebrows, eyes and mouth, and became the girls’ favorite doll.

The more refined the work, the more exquisite the materials used, the more expensive the price. The Miaohe Le on Adu’s hand is sold in the best store in Beijing. It is extremely fine in workmanship and has a double-ring bun. This doll costs two chunks of money.

Zhang Sanniang suddenly remembered the most important thing and asked, "Ning'er, when will you return to Beijing?"

Fan Ning scratched his head and said, "Mom, I still have nineteen days off today, so I can stay at home for up to ten days."

"I'm leaving so soon!"

Zhang Sanniang couldn't help feeling a little disappointed when she thought that it would be difficult to see her son in the future.

Fan Tiezhou quickly changed the topic, "Aning, are you going to continue studying after you return to Beijing? I heard that even the Jinshi of the Boys must continue studying in the Imperial Academy."

"Dad, my situation is a bit special. I am actually a 8th-rank master and serve as the Secretary-General."

Fan Tiezhou and his wife were both shocked, and Zhang Sanniang was so excited that she couldn't even speak. Her son was only thirteen years old and had become an official.

Although Fan Tiezhou was also very excited, he was not as excited as his wife so that he couldn't even speak. He asked in confusion: "How old is the eighth grade?"

Fan Ning explained with a smile: "Let me say this! County Magistrate Gao is from the eighth rank, one level lower than me, and I am a Beijing official. He is currently an alternate official, so he will have to wait for at least another five years before he can reach my level."

Zhang Sanniang finally realized, "Will County Magistrate Gao give way to you?"

She still remembers the incident of seeing two county magistrates fighting for the road during the Spring Festival.

"It can be said that, but he is a senior after all, so I should give way in the end. But we should not tell this for the time being. If something happens, people will be laughed at."

Of course, there will be no changes, but Fan Ning wants to be a little low-key. Once the incident of his appointment as a Beijing official is spread, many rules in the officialdom will come. He has to visit this and that. If one does not do it properly, others will say that you don’t understand the rules.

He only had ten days at home, and he just wanted to spend it quietly at home.

Of course, Fan Tiezhou and his wife fully supported their son’s ideas. The admission to Jinshi is enough to be honored. As for becoming an official, let’s talk about it later!

At this time, Zhang Sanniang remembered something and said with a smile: "Su Liang came to see you the day before yesterday, and he thought you were back."

Fanning was excited and asked with a smile: "How is he?"

"It is of course a glorious to pass the Jinshi exam, but when he came to see you, he vaguely revealed why things seemed to be quarrel with his family."

Fan Ning was stunned. Su Liang had a quarrel with his family? Could it be because of Cheng Yuanyuan's incident?

"Did he say why?"

"He didn't say it, but I felt it was related to marriage."

Speaking of this, Zhang Sanniang's expression became serious, "Ning'er, I want to have a good talk with you about this."

Fanning didn't want to talk about this matter now. He quickly picked up his sister, stood up and smiled, "I'm going to see the grandma. I bought her a lot of things."

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