After receiving Qin Dewei's instructions, Feng Yuan returned to Songjiang Mansion that day. A few days later, the Feng family sent someone to send a message, agreeing to meet at the water pier outside the south gate of Yangzhou City on the seventeenth day of the first lunar month of the following year.
The Feng family wanted to leave early, and Qin Dewei also understood this feeling. He only hoped that the Northern Canal would thaw in time this year and would not hinder the trip.
Then Qin Dewei began to prepare to go north as the Chinese New Year was approaching. As a young man who was only fifteen years old after the Chinese New Year, it was impossible for adults to let him travel far away alone.
Uncle Qin Baotou wanted to find a few servants to serve as long-term followers, but Qin Dewei felt that there were too many people and it was useless to pay for them, so he only asked Ma Er to follow him.
Commander Xu also sent a strong man named Duan Qing over. He was tall and strong, with a huge back and a strong back.
He also said that this man was a son of a military family in our army. He had been to the capital three times on official business and was familiar with the situation in the capital. He was also very skilled, so he was asked to follow Qin Dewei's instructions and serve as a guard at the same time.
Then there is the issue of money and expenses. The Xu family sponsored fifty taels of Cheng Yi, and Qin Dewei didn't want any more. Accepting fifty taels was considered a normal favor, but any more would become sour.
A few days before leaving, Qin Dewei went to his uncle's house again, trying to ask his uncle for some money while his aunt Jiang was out buying new year's goods.
Qin Captou laughed and said, "Why don't you go to Mrs. Gu and ask for it?"
Qin Dewei was a little distressed and embarrassed to speak out again.
Last year, Zeng's stepfather went to Beijing. This year, he spent a lot of money to get the first place in the exam in eight months. He also built a Jinshi memorial arch for his family, and spent a lot of money on daily expenses. He has already prepaid next year's dividends.
And it's really shameful to always ask Mrs. Gu for money.
However, Capt. Qin added: "I spent all my spare money to buy shares of Yuanfeng Bank a while ago. How can I have big money to pay for you? You should go to Mrs. Gu and ask for the money!"
Qin Dewei said suspiciously: "Uncle, there is something wrong with you! It turns out that you always stopped me from going to see Mrs. Gu. Although you stopped stopping me later, you also didn't encourage me. Why did you openly and secretly allow me to go to Mrs. Gu today?"
Qin Captou said sadly: "Uncle, I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to control it. But after the New Year, you are already fifteen, and you are getting older. My Qin family is very sparse, so you can have two houses and one person, so you should start to bloom as soon as possible."
Let uncle and I feel at ease soon.
In case I close my eyes one day, I don’t even have anyone to burn paper money during the holidays. I secretly asked someone to check her face, and Mrs. Gu is very good, and she is mature and strong at her age.
You can marry whoever you want as your first wife, and I don’t care if you have any children with your real father, or with your stepfather. But uncle, I, the wife of the second wife, all depend on Mrs. Gu."
Qin Dewei: ""
Generation gap, this is the generation gap, this is the generation gap that spans five hundred years.
He is only fifteen years old. Five hundred years from now he will still be a junior high school student. His uncle is already thinking about letting him start working on a planter?
It's so scary to want to be a father when you're just a teenager. This is a plot only found in domestic youth movies.
The reason why he is getting more and more afraid of Mrs. Gu is because Mrs. Gu is a woman from a good family. She still has to be responsible these days. Hooking up with a good family to sleep with her is a morally corrupt act!
The reason why she was so open-minded in front of Wang Lianqing was because Wang Meiren was from a humble background. At first, she thought she was an experienced driver with a low sense of responsibility, but she didn't expect that she turned out to be a virgin.
Qin Captou was still nagging: "Today's emperor has one person and two families, so what can't we do? Isn't our Qin family's incense no longer incense?"
Qin Dewei: ""
This great etiquette discussion was so thorough and enthusiastic that it was indeed the hottest topic in the early years of Jiajing.
In the end, Qin Dewei didn't get the money from his uncle's house, so he came to Mrs. Gu's house on Sanshan Street by accident. He always felt that things were not that simple.
Then when Qin Dewei was sitting in the hall waiting, Mrs. Gu did not show up. She only asked the maid to come out with the silver, and sent a message: "Young gentleman, go home as soon as possible. Don't miss the scenery outside."
Qin Dewei held two hundred taels of silver in his hand, but felt confused. We have known each other for almost three years, why are we still shy?
"There is also this. Young Master, please keep your copy." The maid of the Gu family gave Qin Dewei another document.
Qin Dewei opened the document in confusion, only to find that it was a marriage contract. The first wife's contract is called a marriage contract, and the other forms are called marriage contracts.
Qin Dewei was shocked. Could it be that Mrs. Gu couldn't remain a widow and wanted to get married? So she deliberately avoided suspicion and refused to come out to see her?
Then why was he given a copy of the marriage contract? He looked down and saw Mrs. Gu’s signature on the marriage contract, but behind it was his name, and there was a fingerprint on it!
Damn it! Qin Dewei was shocked again. When did he press his fingerprints?
I continued to look at it for a few more times, but in the guarantor column, I was horrified to see the name of Secretary Yao of the gift room, and then I saw my uncle signing the security on behalf of the elders!
At this time, Qin Dewei couldn't help but remember that when he was eating and drinking at his uncle's house on New Year's Eve, his uncle forced him to drink a few glasses of wine, and then he fell asleep. When he woke up, he still wondered why his fingers were red.
Qin Dewei wanted to cry. He didn't want to take responsibility, let alone be bound by a marriage relationship. A single fifteen-year-old boy was forced to bear a heavy burden by his elders. This is the evil feudal society.
In the blink of an eye, the day of departure came in mid-January. Qin Dewei, with two followers and two hundred and five silver, left Longjiang Pass like countless predecessors, went down the river, and then crossed the Guazhou canal northward.
After meeting the Feng family outside the water pass in the south of Yangzhou City, Qin Dewei changed to the Feng family's boat and continued northward.
The Feng family is indeed a wealthy family. In addition to Feng En's mother Wu and Feng En's eldest son Feng Xingke, they also brought four maids and eight healthy servants with them on this trip. They shared five boats and a steward was stationed in advance.
At this time, Qin Dewei realized that it would be fine if he didn't bring any money, and he could definitely take advantage of the Feng family along the way.
Speaking of the Grand Canal, it can be called the lifeline of the northern capital. Four million tons of grain are transported from the southeast to the capital every year, all relying on the Grand Canal. There is also a special governor for the river and canal matters.
If he is not in a hurry to go to the capital, going north along the canal can be a very pleasant journey for Qin Dewei. He will not be lonely and boring while visiting relatives and friends along the way.
In the city of Yangzhou, there is the former residence of Zeng's stepfather. You can visit it and write poems and so on.
Let's learn from Li You and go to the north of the city to register the name Slender West Lake. Forget about Little Qinhuai, we will have to wait another twenty or thirty years for this geographical prototype.
It's a pity that I have to hurry and don't have the time.
Leaving Yangzhou City and heading north to Gaoyou Pier, you can get off the boat and go to Xinghua County in the east to comfort Li Chunfang and Li Dongzhu.
I heard that Dongzhu Li, who had always relied on his cleverness, was severely hit by the exam last year. He actually started looking for famous teachers everywhere, and planned to study seriously for ten or eight years before leaving the profession.
It's a pity that I have to hurry and don't have the time.
Qin Dewei could only write a letter to Li Chunfang with a poem attached. He also spent money to find someone at Gaoyou Wharf and asked him to travel dozens of miles to Xinghua County to deliver the letter.
After Li Dongzhu received the letter, he only saw this poem: "What I saw in the boat at night. In the dark moon, I can see fishing lanterns, and a solitary firefly. In the gentle breeze, the waves are scattered, and the stars are scattered all over the river."
What a poem! Cave Master Li couldn't help but exclaimed, he was worthy of Qin Dewei! Then he thought with great confusion, it's the first lunar month and it's late at night, where are the fishing boats coming from?
Forget it, forget it, if you are too smart you will have no friends. It is rare to be confused in this world.
Continuing north from Gaoyou, we arrived at Huai'an, a major water transport hub. Shen Kun, who failed in the general examination last year, and Wu Chengen, who failed in the provincial examination the year before last, were both from Huai'an.
It's a pity that I have to rush on my way and don't have time to delay eating and drinking. I would like to give Wu Cheng'en some advice on writing Journey to the West.
Qin Dewei could still only write two letters, so he asked two people to deliver the letters on the pier. The poem was also attached, so he repeated what he saw in the book at night in the boat to save resources.
Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty had not yet entered the Little Glacier Cycle, otherwise the north would still be completely frozen. Sail further north from Huai'an and gradually enter the eastern part of Shandong.
At this time, the eastern part of Shandong was also one of the most prosperous places in the Ming Dynasty. Because the canal passed along the way, there were several intersections of flood and drought docks.
There is a historical reason why the legendary book "Jin Ping Berry" is set in the eastern part of Shandong. Only a place with a prosperous economy can produce such a wealthy and indulgent official in Ximen.
Therefore, Jining Prefecture, Liaocheng Prefecture, Linqing Prefecture, and Dezhou along the canal are all very developed prefectures and counties today.
You read that right, Liaocheng, where Zeng's stepfather worked, is also among them. So, if he is not in a hurry, Qin Dewei will not be lonely along the way.
Even if the Feng family was in a hurry, it would not prevent Qin Dewei from visiting his parents. He would have to disembark in Liaocheng and delay for a few days.
It just so happens that we have been working hard all the way, so it would be good for everyone to rest in Liaocheng for a few days. I also heard that Cangzhou has not completely thawed further north, so I will wait a moment.
