Chapter 31 end

In August of the twenty-eighth year of Guangxu, the sixth master went to Xi'an to take part in the provincial examination. After two years of delay, he finally entered the Gongyuan Wenchang. When he went to Shaanxi, he wanted to take Liu Niang with him, but the old man flatly refused.He just recalled Mr. He and accompanied Mr. Liu to Shaanxi for the exam.After the wedding, the sixth master has been staying with Mrs. Sun, so how can he concentrate on preparing for the exam?But when entering the examination room, he really achieved the "extremely open mindedness" taught by Master He. After three examinations, there was no obstacle all the way.After the exam, it seems that there is still not enough fun.

Seeing Liu Ye's expression like this, Mr. He said, "Sixth Master, I will definitely guarantee you high school!" Sixth Master didn't care much about what Master He said, so he let him go to Xi'an after the exam.He himself went out of the city to play, looking for the old traces of the romantic honey trip with Liu Niang.But after walking a few places, he lost his patience and hurried back to the city to call Master He, leaving Shanxi and returning to Shanxi.He only felt that he had been separated from Liu Niang for too long. When the list was released, as expected, Liu Ye passed the Renyinke Township Examination, although his ranking was in the middle, after all, he was named on the gold list.

As soon as the Xi'an brand sent the telegram announcing the happy news, before the official office could officially announce the happy news, Mrs. Kang threw a grand and unusual celebration family banquet.Although he despises studying and becoming an official, he is still happy to have a decent candidate in his family.Especially this old sixth, he was determined to do this, and he finally made it.With this ambition and determination, nothing can be done!It is rare for him not to forget his motherhood.Kang Hunan felt that he was not mistaken, the sixth child is a talent that can be cultivated.Seeing that the court situation is getting worse day by day, even though the sixth son won the exam, there is no need to worry that he will fall into the officialdom too deeply, but he is just afraid that he will follow in the footsteps of the fifth son, only fascinated by his wife, and use up his talents and ambitions!Therefore, he wanted to use this to inspire him to have great ambitions and make great plans.

However, this family banquet did not invite outside guests, only members of the family.The only guests who can be counted are a few shopkeepers of the Kang family.There is another distinguished guest who should take the seat, that is Master He, the teacher of Liu Ye.It's a pity that he rushed to Shanghai as his "imperial envoy" before the announcement of the list.Boxer indemnities across the country must be remitted to Shanghai and handed over to foreign banks for remittance.Therefore, Shanghai has become an important financial center, and Tian Chengyuan's Shanghai account has always been weak, so Master He was sent to Shanghai.

But at the banquet, a seat was reserved for Mr. He, and he was respected.After the banquet, Kang Hunan also ordered the sixth master to salute the vacant seat of Master He. After the clansmen congratulated and drank, Kang Hunan asked the sixth master: "The capital is also a place where exams are banned. Where will the exam next year be moved to?" The sixth master said: "I heard that it is the Kaifeng mansion in Henan." "You have great ambitions, and you will go to Kaifeng to participate in the imperial court examination in March next year, right? Kaifeng also has our name."

"Father, I will take the exam next year, so I won't take the exam." "Is that postponed to the next year? I heard that this scientific examination is to make up an Enke, and then a Zhengke. The exam will last for two years. There will still be a test in the year after next, right?" "There will indeed be another subject exam in the year after tomorrow, but I won't take it either." "What's the matter? I didn't stop you from taking the road of scientific research. I will also congratulate you when you get the fame, and you are also honoring your ancestors."

"In Xi'an, I heard that these two major examinations, which were delayed, will be abolished after the make-up, and will be replaced by a foreign-style school. If I had known this earlier, I would not even participate in this rural examination. How much do you study hard? Years later, when the exam was due, it was delayed again and again; the exam was finally started, and the exam was finally passed, but it was a final exam candidate; only the exam was passed, and it would be a waste of time! I still have to take the exam. What? Even a Jinshi in high school is still a thing of the past?"

Kang Hunan was overjoyed to hear Lao Liu can say this: he finally saw the maze of scientific research clearly.But after being hit by this, he has become more obsessed with his daughter-in-law since then, not trying to make a difference, even cynical, and he is also a prodigal son.Therefore, he said: "You should also take part in the final subject examination. Even if you are not an official, you will let others know that you are not a mediocre talent. Besides, the thousand-year scientific examination will end here. Those who can experience it, It’s a rare experience.” The sixth master said: "I have already passed the provincial examination of the Ministry of Education, which is enough. I don't want to go to the examination anyway."

"Then what are your plans for the future?" "Let's go out for a trip with Liu Niang first, and see the world's wonderful scenery." Ancestor, is he really going to follow in the footsteps of the fifth child?After Kang Hunan heard this, he felt very unhappy, but it was inconvenient to have it on this occasion of congratulations.I had no choice but to keep my composure and ask again: "You can't make traveling around the world, can you?" Liu Ye said: "Travel for a year or two, and wait for the capital to open a foreign-style university, and then go in and experience it for yourself."

It's okay to have such a plan.Kang Hunan didn't ask any more questions.The festive atmosphere was not interrupted. However, Liu Ye sent two people away when he won the examination.One is his biological mother, Mrs. Meng who has long since "dead", and is now the only Yuedi left in the nunnery in Fengshan.One is the fourth master that no one expected. The news of Liu Ye's selection was "spread" to Yuedi's ears within a few days.Of course, this was deliberately arranged by someone, and the intention was to give her some comfort.But when Yuedi heard the news, he finally felt that everything could be let go.Last September, when she heard the news of Liu Ye's marriage, she felt that she had let go of a heavy concern.It's all right now, nothing to worry about.For her, everything in the secular world is really broken.

But with this kind of thorough understanding, she felt that she suddenly collapsed all over, as if the strength in her body was beginning to radiate away strand by strand.Tea and rice are also tasteless, and I can no longer sleep peacefully at night. After being amazed, she realized that her real limit was approaching. Realizing this, she also calmed down.After thinking about it, before she really fell into the underworld, she had to be a "ghost" again to bid farewell to Liu Ye.She didn't ask to see Liu Ye again, as long as the Kang family had another haunted scene, Liu Ye would know that it was her who came to say goodbye. This is the last time. After seven days in the sixth master's election, the Kang family really had another haunted scene.The shrill gong sounded for a long time in the middle of the night.This time, Liu Ye really believed that it was his mother who came to congratulate him, and knelt down in front of her tablet, crying uncontrollably.The next day, he and Liu Niang went to the front hall to pay homage to the portrait of his late mother.They also worshiped in front of Mrs. Du's portrait. Yuedi came back from down the mountain this time, and passed away quietly within three days.But she was overwhelmed by too much grief, she just didn't want to say it. A few days after Yuedi passed away, fourth master was seriously ill and was bedridden.Not many people in the Kang family knew about Yuedi's passing away, but the whole family was amazed at the sudden bedridden fourth master!Fourth master is the most silent person in the Kang family, even if he is in charge of the housekeeping, he is still the same.But he has always been free from disasters and diseases, and he also knows medical skills to keep in good health. He often gives medicine to the villagers without receiving a penny. Why is he suddenly so sick that he is a good person? Kang Hunan was surprised when he heard about it.He personally came to Si Ye's sick bed several times to inquire, and Si Ye just said plainly: "Father, don't worry, just lie down for a few days and you'll be fine. Who can be free from disasters?" Kang Hunan invited famous doctors in the city, and after diagnosis, he always said that there was nothing serious.But fourth master's illness is getting worse day by day. Fourth Master also knew that his end was approaching, but he would not tell the reason until he died. Of the six sons behind Kang Hunan, the eldest and second master were born to his original spouse, while the third and fourth masters were born to his second wife.The original partner and the continuation's second wife really died young.Especially the second wife, who has only been married to Kang Hunan for seven years, but he loves this one the most.She let go suddenly, and he was really saddened.The third wife, the fifth master's biological mother Zhu Shi, was selected by comparing with the second wife.But not long after she got married, she realized that everything was in vain!This bride, how can there be any shadow of the former beloved wife!So I didn't like it more and more, and finally came up with such a secret method of "abolishing the old and establishing the new". The third and fourth masters, because they were born of his favorite woman, Kang Hunan paid special attention to them.This is probably one of the reasons for entrusting foreign affairs and housekeeping to these two people. The third master strives to be the first to show off, but the fourth master is so silent, it seems to be his nature.In fact, there is a reason for it, it's just that fourth master swore not to tell. It turned out that when Si Ye was twenty years old, Kang Hunan sent an out-of-favor "lady" in the old courtyard to Si Ye's courtyard and assigned her to do odd jobs.At that time, in the old house, the third old lady Zhu had successfully "died of illness", and the fourth old lady Meng had not been married for a few years.When this old woman was favored in the old hospital, she happened to hear the inside story of Mrs. Zhu's "death of illness". Apart from being horrified, of course she dared not speak out.But after falling out of favor, he was expelled from the old home and changed to doing chores, and he felt suffocated.Once, perhaps unable to hold his breath, he actually told fourth master the top secret of the old courtyard! Fourth Master didn't believe it at the time, he just thought that this old woman was speaking out of anger, she must have been wronged before Mrs Zhu was alive, so she made up this anecdote to vent her anger.Unexpectedly, within a few days after this happened, the old woman suddenly disappeared.When the fourth master asked, the butler Lao Xia said that she was crazy and had already been sent out of the Kang family. crazy?Fourth master thought about it, and felt that the old woman didn't look like a lunatic either.Besides, if she was a lunatic, the old hospital shouldn't have sent her to him.It's only been a few days since he came here, and he hasn't scolded her to get angry with her, so how could he suddenly go crazy?After much deliberation, Fourth Master became suspicious: the anecdote that my mother told him that time might be true? Since then, this suspicion has been on fourth master's heart, and it has never been released.It's just that he didn't tell anyone, and he couldn't tell anyone about the doubt that was pressing in his heart.Even to Siniang, she never confides a word.But his personality has gradually changed, and he has become so silent all year round.He doesn't have any ambitions anymore, he just likes to practice medicine, and he loves to give medicine to the villagers even more.In fact, in the bottom of his heart, he wanted to use his own good deeds to atone for his father's sins!Because he originally respected his father very much. He practiced medicine, and he also had a more secret purpose: to find out whether there really is such a kind of ecstasy that can temporarily kill people's souls.But with the "death" of Mrs. Meng and the haunting of the house, the fourth master no longer secretly visits this kind of ecstasy, and only devotes himself to doing medicine and doing good.After taking charge of housekeeping, he also tolerated everyone, obeyed everyone, and was willing to bear burdens and do good deeds.I hope this life can atone for my father's sins, and I have nothing else to ask for. The doubts that could be pressed in his heart have long been condensed into a huge stone.He knew that he would be crushed to death by it at any time, and if his death could atone for his father, he was not afraid of being crushed to death. When Mrs. Du "passed away", Fourth Master already felt that he could not hold on anymore.Therefore, he really wanted to be a filial son for Mrs. Du, so he died on the spot while crying to redeem his father's sin!It's a pity that the third brother beat him and became a filial son.The third brother's ability to do this really shocked him, and really moved him.But he couldn't express anything. This time, when Yue Di came to bid farewell to Sixth Master, the shrill sound of the gong finally knocked down Fourth Master.Because outside of Kang Zhai's old courtyard, only fourth master can understand the shrill gong sound!He fell ill that night. The death of fourth master made Kang Hunan very sad.Funerals are naturally very grand and luxurious.But Kang Hunan will never know that fourth master died for him. Kang Hunan lived until the Qing Dynasty collapsed and entered the Republic of China.Even in his old age, he is not confused, especially in business affairs, he is still superb and proficient.In the inner room, he seems to have finally passed his puberty and is no longer interested in playing "Wu Li".In the second year after the fourth master's death, Kang Hunan succeeded the sixth old lady.However, that was a very ordinary middle-aged woman, and they also lived a very ordinary life at home. After the fourth master's death, the Kang family's external affairs and housekeeping were all concentrated in the third master, and he gradually became a great weapon and gradually became better.It's a pity that he died before the old man, even though it was the Xuantong year.The third master was extremely tired all day long, but he did not appear sick.That day, a dinner party at the local chamber of commerce was on the wine table, and he went up to heaven without taking a breath.He has been secretly looking for Mrs. Du who is a monk, but to no avail.This matter, with his death, will never be known. After the death of the third master, there is only one sixth master left to succeed him.But Liu Ye took Liu Niang along and lingered in the capital all year round, and had no intention of coming back to manage the house.Kang Hunan had no choice but to ask his eldest grandson, the eldest son of the third master, to come out and take over the administration.This young master has never been outside the mouth to practice, nor does he have much admiration for business affairs.But with the old man as the backer, he can still handle it. Because of Kang Hunan's longevity, Sun Beiming was never allowed to retire and return home.Dai Ying, a veteran of the Beijing Bank, saw no hope of being promoted to be the treasurer of Dongda University. He called for the restructuring of the bank several times in the capital but failed. Finally, he retired and returned to his hometown before Sun Beiming. After he left office, the old gang of Jinghao was replaced by deputy gangster Liang Ziwei. Due to the death of the third master, Qiu Taiji was also unable to reach the high position of the treasurer of Dongda, he only got to the position of the old gang of Hanhao.Chen Yiqing's old gang of Hanhao also retired and returned to his hometown before Sun Beiming. However, since Xin Chounian returned to Beijing and Tianjin, despite the establishment of the Royal Bank, Xibang Bank has been doing good business for several years.It wasn't until the Revolution of 1911 and the collapse of the Qing Dynasty that the Western Gang flourished and then declined.Naturally, Tian Chengyuan of the Kang family could not jump out of this trend.On the contrary, Tianshengchuan Tea House, which has been neglected for a long time, has supported it for a few more years.Of course, it was only a few more years of support. (End of the book)