Chapter 108

“This is specially made for the villagers. It can save time and money. Let’s take them back to the village chief!”

When Liao Tingyu handed the farm tools to Liao Ming, he expressed gratitude for not forgetting his roots.

The village chief had just walked out of the village school when he saw Liao Ming, who had not been back for a long time, sitting at the door of his house waiting for him.

“Brother, why are you back? Why are you sitting here at the door? Don’t go in! Is everything okay in the town? Why don’t we have a sip of tea now,” the village chief greeted him enthusiastically.

“No, no, I’m just here waiting for you,” Liao Ming refused.

“Wait for me, what can you do?” the village chief asked curiously.

“Look, my son brought this back when he went on a study tour. Do you know how to use it?” Liao Ming took out the farm tools.

The village chief looked through it and found that it was a rice barrel. The only difference was that there was an extra wooden block inside.

“I can’t tell. It’s just a wooden block. Is there anything different about this?” The village chief didn’t think there was any difference.

“Bring a handful of rice here, I’ll get it for you.”

Liao Ming thought for a while and felt that he should demonstrate it to the village chief. In fact, he heard what his son said, but he didn’t quite understand and couldn’t explain clearly.

So, he took the farm tools and walked with the village chief to the village chief’s rice field.

The wheat plants in the field have already grown, one by one, very plump and green.

It looked pleasing to the eye, and it was ready to harvest when the green turns to yellow.

The village chief risked his life to entertain the guest. He was cruel, plucked a handful of wheat ears, and handed them to Liao Ming.

Liao Ming took it and put it in the rice bucket, followed Liao Tingyu’s instructions, and then gently took out the pole and poured out the wheat in the bucket. The village chief saw that it was really convenient.

And you could make a lot of them, it was convenient, which was great!

“This thing is quite magical. I don’t know how your boy came across it. If everyone uses it, it can save a lot of effort,” the village chief praised.

“He has handed over these matters to the villagers, and others will know how to do it.”

“I heard that your second son is going to take the imperial examination. Are you sure about it?” The village chief took the things and looked at Liao Ming with a deep expression, conveying what was in his heart.

“He should be pretty sure. His teacher and the dean of the academy are all in favor of him taking the exam. I thought about it and let him go. Anyway, there is nothing missing at home now,” Liao Ming replied.

“Now that you’ve made a decision, why don’t you look so good?”

“I’m worried about him. I’ve been concerned day and night these past few months. Who knows if there are those arrogant bandits along the way? I think about how many difficulties and obstacles we encountered when we were young.” Liao Ming reminisced about his youth, hoping his son wouldn’t face similar challenges.

“He is different from us. He has a lot of money along the way. When we went out, what did we have? We only carried two tattered clothes on our backs, and the money we had saved with great difficulty was less than one tael in total. Don’t worry so much. When the child grows up, he will always fly, and he will rush to his future.” The village chief comforted Liao Ming, patting his shoulder.

“I know it too, but some things can’t be solved with money. That guy is powerless. When he was out in wilderness, and I listen to him say that he can’t even light a fire without using that fire trick. I don’t know how he did it in the past few months. No matter what, he can be considered lucky.” Liao Ming sighed, reflecting on his son’s challenges.

He subconsciously ignored the role of the Xiao Qiu.

“I regret it now. Why didn’t I let him do some farm work in the first place? At least he would have some strength in his hands and knows how to hide when others fight.”

The village chief nodded in agreement, acknowledging the value of physical strength.

“How about you find a few young and strong people in the village to follow him when he goes out to take the exam?” The village chief suggested, considering a practical solution.

“How long will it take to follow him? I heard my son said, if he passed the Juren exam, he would have to take the Jinshi exam before he could become an official. The tone he said about his coming home wasn’t in short while. If it was back then, a few families would be willing to do it for half a year. Now that life has improved, not many people are willing to travel around like we did before. And I don’t know if that kid will do it.” Liao Ming expressed his concerns and uncertainties.

“Why don’t you ask him what he means? He has also traveled far away and should know a little bit about it. You can mention it again and see what he plans to do.” The village chief suggested discussing the matter with Liao Tingyu, considering its significance in his life.

Liao Ming thought about it and agreed, bidding farewell to the village chief.

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Upon returning home, Liao Ming found his household bustling with activity. “Isn’t it about half a year before he leaves? Why are you getting busy now?” he exclaimed.

“We should prepare earlier now,” Mother Deng replied, embroidering clothes diligently.

“You can’t buy these clothes, so we can only embroider them ourselves. I’ll embroider them for him to make them more solid and not cold at night.”

“Stop what you’re doing first. I’ve discussed it with the village chief. Now, it will take a long time for him to go to Beijing to take the exam, and he has to pass through those remote places. I’m afraid that there will be some unruly people there, so you go ask him to have a meal at home tonight, and we will discuss who to take with him on the way.” Liao Ming ordered Mother Deng.

Sitting at the table in the evening, Liao Ming expressed his concern to Liao Tingyu about the safety of his journey to take the exam. Liao Tingyu mentioned plans to take Huang Zilan with him and, if possible, bring Xiao Qiu along.

“After all, when a person all alone, every time I look at the bright moon in the sky, my heart is full of loneliness. No matter how beautiful the scenery is, there is no way to share it without someone who knows and loves each other.”

Liao Ming, worried about their safety, disagreed. He expressed concern that going to the capital was not as simple as a study tour, considering the potential risks.

“Are you just going to take your wife with you? You two are still young. Going to the capital is not as simple as going on a study tour. Everyone knows these people are like fat sheep for the bandits to eat,” Liao Ming remarked.

“We can take good care of ourselves, and aren’t there just the three of us on the study tour?” Liao Tingyu countered, feeling confident in their ability to handle the journey.

“The child hasn’t come back yet! You can’t just leave everything to an outsider!” Liao Ming insisted, expressing concern about relying solely on Xiao Qiu.

“Why don’t we close the shop and go with our second brother? I’ve never been out in my whole life. Besides, we have a large family. I don’t think those bandits will surround us,” Liao Shi suggested, trying to find a compromise.

Mother Deng, deeply touched by the suggestion, supported the idea of closing the shop and going with their second son. Liao Tingyu was surprised by this proposal.

The two parents discussed and found it feasible. They decided unanimously to go with their son. The decision was made, and despite initial surprise, Liao Tingyu couldn’t refute the unanimous agreement.

After all, it had only been a few months since he left, and the family couldn’t let go. The decision was made to go as a family, helping Huang Zilan, who would be left all alone, during Liao Tingyu’s exam days.

While initially, they only needed to prepare things for Liao Tingyu, now with the whole family following, there was much more to prepare.

Mother Deng had been busy this month, losing several hairs in the process.

Wen Xiuer was feeling a bit nervous, constantly worrying that they might be missing something for the journey. Even when Xiao Qiu joined the preparations, shamelessly offering his skills in hunting, she remained on edge.

“Okay, don’t think about it anymore. Whatever you need, we can buy it when we get on the road,” Liao Shi reassured his wife, noting her unease.

“There’s still plenty of time. We don’t need to calculate every day. Besides, we’re quite wealthy now. The business in the shop is doing well, and the money we make is ours. We only need to give our parents a certain amount each month,” he added.

Wen Xiuer wasn’t easily convinced. “It’s not that simple. What if we need something on the road and there’s no store nearby? I have to think carefully about what essentials we need to bring,” she replied, sitting on the bed and taking stock.@@novelbin@@

“Our son is still quite young. What if we overlook something important?” Wen Xiuer continued, reflecting on their preparations.

Liao Shi felt a bit deceived; he had envisioned an easy family journey, but now, with cows turned into carriages and the house filled with various items, the simplicity he imagined was replaced by a chaotic reality.

“Ah, I wonder what the situation is like over there with my little brother?” he pondered aloud, contemplating the challenges that might await them on the road.