Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 187 Departing from Home with Sword, Bidding Farewell to Family for a Distant Journey [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]

After the front door was closed, the noise brought by the diners during the day completely disappeared, and the courtyard became quiet again.

As the night passed and dawn approached, a small circle of warm yellow light emanated from the oil lamp on Lu Beigu's desk.

He was carefully stacking the last few books into the bottom of his bag—two notebooks by an unknown predecessor, "Spring and Autumn Annals: Annotations and Examples," and two books given to him by Mr. Baisha. These were his most treasured possessions.

As for the silver plaque that read "Top Scholar in the Luzhou Prefecture Examination of the First Year of Jiayou," it was placed in the North Room Hall along with the iron plaque that had previously awarded the top score in the county examination.

Lu Yanxi slipped in unnoticed, holding a paper packet in her small hands. She sniffed and handed it to Lu Beigu, saying, "Uncle, this is for you to eat on your way."

Inside the oil paper package were several pieces of his treasured sesame-sprinkled shortbread.

"Where did you get this?" Lu Beigu took it, and the sweet scent filled his nostrils.

"Aunt Feng secretly gave them to me yesterday," Lu Yanxi said softly, with a hint of shyness as she shared her secret. "I... I didn't even finish them, so I'm giving them all to you!"

Lu Beigu reached out and pinched his chubby cheeks: "Okay, Uncle will take you, eat slowly on the way."

"Uncle!"

A clear, childlike voice, still slightly nasal from just waking up, rang out as Lu Yuchi ran out wearing only a single layer of clothing. The red ribbon in her hair swayed with her movements, and she was completely unaware of the cool floor beneath her bare feet.

"I'm going to miss you!"

Lu Beigu squatted down and gently stroked her little nose with his finger: "Promise your uncle that before you come back, you will listen carefully to the old monk's sermons every day and learn to read well, okay?"

"Ok!"

The little girl nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling.

She clutched a small purse sewn from new cloth in her hand. Although the stitches were still immature, they were much neater than the one embroidered with peach blossoms last time. She tiptoed and stuffed the purse into Lu Beigu's hand.

"Inside are... the bamboo amulet for peace given by the old monk, and a peace charm I just drew!"

As she spoke, she opened her purse, revealing a small piece of neatly folded yellow paper with crooked drawings on it. Her expression was extremely serious: "I spent a long time drawing this! It's definitely more effective than the old monk's!"

Lu Beigu glanced at it. It was only given to him by Lu Yuchi. If it had been given to him by someone else, he really wouldn't have dared to wear it.

"Okay, Uncle will definitely keep the peace charm drawn by Yu Chi close to his body."

Tofu lightly leaped onto the desk, her amber eyes shining like two glass beads under the lamplight.

It stretched out its pink paws and gently patted the scroll of "The Book of Rites" that Lu Beigu was organizing. Then, with a "meow," it gracefully lay down on the scroll, its tail tip swaying leisurely, as if to say, "Stop organizing, stay with me."

"Does the tofu not want me to leave?" Lu Beigu reached out to touch it.

The white cat twisted its body symbolically, but didn't actually move away, making a low purring sound in its throat, as if it was enjoying it.

In the kitchen, Pei Yan was busy under the dim light.

The dough was kneaded and rolled out in her hands, making a soft sound.

On the cutting board, the aroma of finely chopped minced meat mixed with scallions and ginger filled the air.

The oil sizzled in the pan, and the pancakes, thickly filled with meat, were baked until golden brown on both sides, glistening and fragrant.

She was extremely patient in making them. After they were cooked, she separated them with clean linen cloth, carefully wrapped them with thick oil paper, and finally wrapped them with another layer of linen cloth to keep them warm.

"Sister-in-law, that's enough, it's too much." Lu Beigu stood at the kitchen doorway at some point, looking at the tall stack of oil paper packages.

Pei Yan didn't turn around, focusing intently on turning the pancakes in the pan: "When traveling, it's better to bring more. The food on the ship is rough, and now that it's autumn and the weather is cool, these pancakes will keep you full and last longer. You also have classmates traveling with you, so their food must be more refined. Don't neglect them."

She paused, then lowered her voice: "You...you also need to remember to eat on time. No one is watching you outside, so don't ruin your health by just studying."

Lu Beigu looked at his sister-in-law's slender back, the lamplight casting a soft halo around her hair.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law, I've got it. Don't overwork yourself with the shop at home. Feng Jinhua is capable, so you don't need to do everything yourself. If you pass the imperial examination next year and become an official, you won't need to manage these businesses anymore."

Although Lu Beigu didn't particularly value this private restaurant, as it was merely a business he set up for his sister-in-law, he wasn't oblivious to Feng Jinhua's purpose in being so attentive.

But Lu Beigu didn't mind Feng Jinhua's intentions at all; on the contrary, he was happy to see them come to fruition.

Because my sister-in-law lives in Hejiang County with two children, she needs someone to help her.

Feng Jinhua was a good choice. She was outspoken and efficient, and no one in the neighborhood wanted to mess with her. As a result, many troubles were actually avoided because of her presence.

Feng Jinhua was willing to be so attentive because she knew that if Lu Beigu passed the imperial examination, the Lu family would no longer live in Hejiang County. In addition, Old Man Feng had saved Lu Beigu's life, so if the Lu family left, she would most likely be able to take over the operation of this private restaurant.

"Yes, I know," Pei Yan replied softly.

In fact, she knew everything perfectly well, but her personality meant she was unwilling to say things out loud and preferred to keep them to herself.

She finished baking the last pancake and turned off the stove.

The room fell silent instantly, with only the lingering aroma of fried dough sticks floating in the air.

She turned around, her gaze falling on his face, as if trying to etch his image deeper into her mind. "Be careful in everything."

Lu Beigu nodded, then added with concern, "By the way, tell Yu Chi and Yan Xi to be careful on their way to the Fawang Temple to listen to the lecture."

"it is good."

As dawn broke, the streets and alleys of Hejiang County were still shrouded in a thin mist, and the bluestone pavement was covered with condensed dew.

Lu Beigu stood in front of the door, carrying a heavy satchel on his shoulder—containing books, a change of clothes, daily necessities, and most importantly, the "approval certificate" and "family certificate" issued by the government to prove his eligibility for the provincial examination of the Ministry of Rites.

In addition, he was carrying a short staff, with a bundle full of meat pies hanging from one end and a gourd filled with water hanging from the other end.

It was fashionable for Han Chinese to carry knives, and Tang Chinese to carry swords. However, after the founding of the Song Dynasty, although the "Song Criminal Code" only explicitly prohibited civilians from privately possessing military weapons such as armor, crossbows, spears, halberds, and armored vehicles, in practice, civilian weapons such as knives and swords were also prohibited.

Therefore, under such circumstances, if ordinary people want to carry some legal weapons for self-defense when traveling far away, the best choice besides the broadsword is the staff.

The long staff used by Wu Song to fight the tiger goes without saying, but the more common short staff can also be quite powerful in the hands of an adult man. This is because the wood used to make the short staff is extremely hard and will not break no matter how hard you chop or hit it. In addition, both ends are covered with iron, so it works similarly to a baton.

"If we reach Kaifeng..."

Lu Beigu looked at Pei Yan, but didn't say anything.

Pei Yan seemed to be intentionally hiding many things from him about their past family life.

Pei Yan looked at him, as if she had already thought it through.

"When you get to Kaifeng, if you have time, you can go to the market between Fanta and Hongqiao in the southeast of the city and see if you can find your elder sister Lu Nanzhi, whom you haven't seen for many years. If you can find her, she will tell you about the past if she is willing. It's all old news, so I can't say much more."

His sister-in-law didn't want to talk about it, and she must have her reasons. Lu Beigu nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Pei Yan straightened his clothes, which were actually quite neat.

"Go on, don't keep Cui Langjun waiting."

Tofu had also slipped out at some point and squatted on the threshold, its tail tip gently sweeping the ground.

It didn't try to jump onto Lu Beigu's shoulder as usual, but just stared at him with its amber eyes, making a low, almost sighing "gurgle" sound in its throat.

"Tofu, watch over the house."

Lu Beigu said something to it, then took another deep look at Pei Yan and the two children before finally turning around and stepping into the dissipating morning mist.

The streets were deserted, with only the crisp, lonely sound of his footsteps echoing on the bluestone slabs.

He strode toward the small dock on the banks of Anle Creek. On the misty river, a medium-sized passenger boat was quietly moored on the shore, with a lantern hanging at its bow, which stood out in the hazy morning light.

A middle-aged scholar dressed in a brown robe was standing at the bow of the boat. He was Cui Wenjing, who had come down the river from Luchuan County.

The two agreed to go to Kaifeng together to take the exam.

This was the fourth time Cui Wenjing had traveled this route downstream over the past ten years.

"Brother Cui! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!" Lu Beigu called out and strode forward.

"It's alright, family ties are strong, I understand."

Cui Wenjing smiled and waved his hand, his gaze falling on the bag on Lu Beigu's back and the package hanging from the whistle in his hand.

Lu Beigu handed him one of the packages: "It contains meat pies. My sister-in-law heard that Brother Cui was traveling with us, so she specially prepared it for you."

Cui Wenjing was slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He solemnly accepted the gift, saying, "I am unworthy of this gift! Thank you very much."

The boat fare to Jiangling Prefecture was split between the two of them.

Upon seeing the guests arrive, the boatman gave a shout, the boatmen untied the mooring ropes, and the oars plunged into the water, making a soft splashing sound that shattered the gradually brightening morning light on the water's surface.

Lu Beigu stood at the stern of the boat, looking at the shore.

As the boat traveled downstream, it gradually sped up, and the bluestone dock, the mottled city walls, and the rows of houses all quickly receded into the distance, eventually transforming into a long, serene ink painting scroll.

When they reached the confluence of the Anle River and the Yangtze River, he felt the passenger boat jolt slightly before merging into the wider and more turbulent current.

Upon entering the Yangtze River, the water suddenly becomes turbulent and the biting river wind blows against your face, carrying the unique fishy smell of the great river.

"Brother, the river wind is quite cold, let's go inside."

Cui Wenjing patted Lu Beigu on the shoulder.

Lu Beigu took one last look in the direction of Hejiang. The city had long since disappeared, leaving only the faint outline of green mountains and the flowing blue water. A red sun was struggling to leap out of the eastern mountains, scattering golden waves across the vast river surface.

He took up his sword and left his country, bidding farewell to his family for a distant journey.

(End of this chapter)