Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 146: The mother hopes that Shitou will repay Yuyu's family with his fame, while the sch

The two returned to the dilapidated courtyard. Sanniang squatted down and looked into the child's eyes with a firm yet gentle gaze. "Child, the Yuyu family has been so kind to us today. If you want to pass the imperial examinations in the future, you must thank the Yuyu family very much, understand?"

The stone that had recovered from the fever nodded vigorously: "Mom, I know, I will try my best."

A breeze blew by, ruffling their somewhat worn clothes.

Sanniang stood up and gently touched the child's head. With a hint of helplessness in her eyes, she said, "Okay, okay, let's eat. We only have wild vegetables. When life gets better in the future, I will definitely make you something delicious."

Shitou sensibly took Sanniang's hand and responded sweetly, "Mom, wild vegetables are good too. I'm not picky."

After that, the two of them walked towards the simple dining table in the house.

Sanniang picked up a piece of wild vegetable with chopsticks and slowly put it into her mouth. As she chewed, her eyes gradually became red and her voice became a little choked: "While eating, I was talking about your father. He died in the war, leaving only the two of us to depend on each other."

"But we have to live well too. You have to work hard. If you pass the imperial examination in the future, it will bring honor to our family."

Shitou listened, put down the dishes in his hands, held his mother's hand tightly, and said seriously: "Mom, I remember, I will definitely work hard and will not let you down."

He frowned, looking at the simple wild vegetables in front of him, and said with a worried look on his face: "Mom, but we can't even afford to eat, how can we take the imperial examinations? Studying will cost a lot of money, and we can't even afford to buy pens, ink, paper and inkstone."

Sanniang sighed softly, reached out and touched the child's face, and comforted her, "Don't be discouraged, child. Even if it costs me my old bones, I will find a way to support your education. Let's take it step by step, there will always be a way."

Shitou's eyes were red, and he quickly grabbed his mother's hand and said anxiously, "Mom, don't say that. I know our family is in trouble, and you've been worried about me and suffered so much for me."

"I can also go and help others with work and earn some money. Let's find a solution together. I can't let you carry it all by yourself."

As he spoke, Shitou held Sanniang's hand even tighter, as if this could give his mother more strength.

Sanniang's eyes were filled with pity. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but stopped herself. In the end, she just sighed softly and said, "You... well, that's all. Mother knows you're sensible, but you're still young. How can you start working so early?"

"Mom, please think about it again. We can't delay your study and get a good degree. The two of us will persevere and eventually get through it."

After saying that, Sanniang put some wild vegetables into the stone bowl, her eyes full of expectation.

Shitou raised his chin slightly, his face revealing a stubborn look as he said, "Mom, it's already like this. The poor have been in charge for a long time. I'm not young anymore, I can help share some of the burden. I'll go to work to earn some money, and then find time to study. I'm sure I can do it."

"We can't just wait, we have to find a way to change this day."

As he spoke, he patted his thin chest, as if to cheer himself up.

Sanniang hesitated for a long time, her eyes filled with worry and reluctance. Finally, she nodded gently and said, "You, just go and take a look yourself. But you must be careful and don't try too hard. If you exhaust yourself, I will be very sad."

"If you encounter any difficulties, come home and tell your mother." As the mother said this, she raised her hand to help the child tidy up his messy clothes.

Shitou swallowed the last mouthful of wild vegetables in his bowl, wiped his mouth with his hand, stood up, and said to his mother, "Mom, I'm full. I'm going to the market now to see if I can find a job."

Sanniang quickly stood up and warned, "Then be careful on the road, be mindful of crowded places, and go out early and come back early."

Shitou responded and walked out of the yard. His small figure revealed a spirit of not giving up, and he soon disappeared from his mother's sight.

As he was walking in the market, he suddenly saw a familiar beggar sitting on the side of the road. It was the same beggar who had been chatting with the scholar at the door of Zuixianlou.

Shitou walked forward, squatted down, and said with longing in his eyes: "Uncle, I want to pass the imperial examination in the future."

The beggar was stunned at first, then he grinned, but there was a hint of sarcasm in his laughter. He responded: "Hahaha, how can you pass the imperial examination if you can't even eat enough?"

"Don't daydream. Nothing in this world is that easy. Let's just focus on filling our stomachs first."

When Shitou heard this, his face turned red, but he raised his head stubbornly and said, "I will find a way. As long as I work hard, I will definitely be able to do it."

He continued walking in the market, still thinking about the beggar's words. After a while, he saw the scholar again.

Shitou's eyes lit up, and he walked forward, as if he had found someone to talk to, and told him about his desire to pass the imperial examination.

After hearing this, the scholar shook his head slightly, his face filled with helplessness and regret. He slowly said, "What's the point of passing the imperial examinations if it's just so-so? Look at the world these days. Those high-ranking officials and wealthy ladies can afford beauty cream for fifty taels of silver a bottle. They spend money like water, living in the utmost luxury."

"Even if we work hard and pass the imperial examinations, what good will it do? We still have to struggle to survive in this complicated world. At best, we can only get a small job and make a living. How can we live a life of wealth and leisure?"

Zhao Shitou stood there, his brows slightly furrowed, the scholar's words echoing in his mind.

He looked at the bustling market where people came and went, some smiling, some in a hurry, but his own future seemed shrouded in a fog.

The determined look in his eyes, which originally showed his determination to pass the imperial examination, now showed a hint of confusion.

He didn't know whether his persistence was meaningful, or whether it was really as the scholar said, that even if he passed the imperial examination, he would just live a mediocre life in this world.

The stone just stood there quietly, lost in deep thought, and the noise around him seemed to be far away from him.

After a long time, Shitou seemed to come back to his senses from a long dream and shook his head gently, as if to shake off all those messy thoughts.

He sighed slightly and said to himself: "Forget it, let's go back first."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards home. His steps were a little heavy, and his small figure seemed a little lonely among the crowd in the market.

But every step he took carried the traces of his rethinking of the future. It was just that at this moment, home seemed to be the place where he could temporarily put his confused mood to rest.

"came back?"

"came back."