The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 350 Apricot Blossoms, Relatives (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
This is a bustling and lively street called Sihai Street. It is lined with shops, and business is booming. The name Sihai Street means "wealth flowing from all directions" and "business prospering throughout the world".

This street is the largest street in southeast Yuzhou, and it is also a purely commercial street. The Zhao family has a storefront here facing the street.

This facade has been passed down from our ancestors for countless generations, dating back to the Jin Dynasty.

It was thanks to this street-side storefront that the Zhao family did not suffer too much hardship in making a living, and they were able to thrive and multiply in Yuzhou City generation after generation, never losing their lineage even in times of chaos.

This storefront has always been rented out; the family tradition forbids future generations from occupying it themselves, saying that they should just live off the rent.

However, there were no lazy people in the Zhao family. Although renting out the house was enough to make a living, they still took on other businesses to supplement their income, but they did not occupy the storefront.

In this generation, Zhao's father did not work elsewhere. Instead, he fished and sold fruit in the spring and summer, and cut firewood and burned charcoal in the autumn and winter. He pushed a wheelbarrow and sold his wares along the streets of Yuzhou City.

Zhao's mother took on some spinning and embroidery work, weaving at home, and earned a considerable income on a regular basis.

It is precisely because of such diligence in living and accumulating savings that they were able to support a student; otherwise, how could they afford the enormous expenses of a scholar?

The saying "the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts" is relative. If one is truly destitute and living in poverty, one cannot afford to study literature.

Not to mention the daily wear and tear on writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, even books are unaffordable. Books are precious items, each one costing a fortune, and even borrowing books to copy requires a considerable amount of money for blank paper.

The reason why Zhao Ti's family encouraged him to study instead of following his father in small business, becoming an apprentice in a shop, or learning carpentry or bricklaying was because when he was born, he picked up a calligraphy brush three times in a row.

When Zhao's father saw this, he was overjoyed. For generations, the Zhao family had passed down the tradition of picking up writing implements at the time of birth. So he had the idea of ​​sending Zhao Ti to school when he was three years old.

Zhao Ti's ability to compose five- or seven-character quatrains at the age of four further solidified his father's belief that his family was destined for prosperity and that a literary star was about to emerge.

Generally speaking, a family that accumulates good deeds will surely have abundant blessings. For so many generations, they have always done good deeds without worrying about the future. So, as fortune turns, it was their turn, and they waited until the Zhao family had some good luck.

Therefore, his family spared no effort in supporting him, and Zhao Ti lived up to their expectations. At the age of thirteen, he passed the county-level imperial examination for the first time and became a Xiucai. He then entered the state school and is now sixteen years old, about to take the provincial-level examination.

The Zhao family has two children. Zhao Ti has a younger sister named Zhao Ling'er, who is nine years old this year. Although the family didn't send her to school for her studies, Zhao's father still gritted his teeth and sent her to a girls' school.

During the Great Qian Dynasty, there were girls' schools. In addition to reading and writing, the girls were also taught etiquette and music, as well as knowledge of playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, flowers, needlework, and tea ceremony.

Besides, Zhao Ti also had a younger uncle who got into trouble years ago for standing up for someone in need on the street. He left for another place to make a living and never came back. Zhao Ti had never seen him since he could remember.

As he walked through Sihai Street, he saw his own shop bustling with people coming and going.

The merchant who rented the shop ran a silk shop, selling colorful silks. The goods were all transported by water from various states in Jiangnan. Because the merchant had relatives who ran weaving workshops there, he was always able to get the latest colors and styles first, and his business was extremely good.

Zhao Ti deliberately crossed to the other side of the street, avoiding passing in front of the shops. He had to avoid suspicion, and precisely because it was his own house, he didn't walk in front of the door to avoid being seen by those inside and having any misunderstandings about his thoughts.

He has always been cautious and thoughtful in his actions. On the one hand, he follows the instructions of sages, and on the other hand, he believes that reading should not be done by rote. One should understand the ways of the world and be clear about the principles of things. The saying "reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles" is exactly the point. If all you read are dead books, then it is better not to read at all.

People and circumstances are ever-changing. Ordinary people should always tread carefully when out in the world. Even if one day one achieves high honors and enters a position of power, one should still examine oneself three times a day and act with utmost caution.

A virtuous person is constantly diligent and cautious, and remains vigilant even at night; thus, he will be free from blame.

Although this way of life is tiring and seems a bit too cautious, Zhao Ti still insists on it, especially before he has finished his studies and achieved success, he must be even more rigorous and prudent.

After passing his own shop, he turned back to this side of the street, went to a shop selling stationery, selected two inexpensive inksticks, bought a purple bamboo tube with a sheep's tail hair, and left.

Continue walking to the end of Sihai Street, turn into an alley, and pass through the alley to another street called Chunyu Street.

The street wasn't wide, and after passing another alley, a fragrant aroma wafted out. From afar, it looked like a colorful scene, as every household had planted fruit trees, which were in full bloom, making it look like a painting.

This alley is called Xinghua Alley, and Zhao Ti's family lived in Xinghua Alley.

Neighbors were coming and going at the alley entrance. Zhao Ti greeted them and then went to his own door.

The wooden door wasn't bolted from the inside. He gently pushed it open and walked into the courtyard, where he immediately saw his younger sister, Zhao Ling'er, sitting on a branch of an apricot tree against the wall, sucking on nectar.

Zhao Ti frowned: "What kind of behavior is this? Get down here right now."

Zhao Ling'er is only nine years old this year, but she is very mischievous and naughty, no less so than boys of the same age. She is not very good at studying and her grades are barely average in the girls' school.

Zhao Ling'er made a face at him, then leaped down from the apricot tree and said, "Big Brother, didn't you go to a dinner party? Why are you back so soon?"

She was losing her baby teeth, so her speech was a little unclear.

"I've already eaten," Zhao Ti said. "What are you doing, Mother?"

Zhao Ling'er circled around him, her hands behind her back, her eyes sparkling as she asked, "Where did you eat? What good things did you eat?"

Zhao Ti glanced at her: "Taibai Tower has all kinds of delicacies, but I will only taste a little before taking my leave. Indulging in the pleasures of the palate is not good for studying."

"That's such a pity." Zhao Ling'er looked on with envy: "Mother is making new clothes, and I'll have one big pot for myself."

"Making new clothes?" Zhao Ti said, "Why would Mother make new clothes when it's not a festival?"

Zhao Ling'er shook her head and said, "I don't know, go ask your mother." With that, she skipped and hopped towards the depths of the courtyard, bypassing the houses to play with the dogs, ducks, and geese there.

"Have you finished your homework for today?" Zhao Ti asked hurriedly as he watched her run away.

"It's all finished writing..." Zhao Ling'er's voice came from afar, but her small figure had already disappeared.

Zhao Ti walked toward the house. The main house had five rooms, and there were two side rooms. One side room was used by Zhao's father as a warehouse, and the other was where Zhao's mother usually worked.

He entered the room where Zhao's mother was working and saw a middle-aged woman cutting fabric.

"Mother, why are you making new clothes for me and my sister at this time?" Zhao Ti asked softly.

The woman turned around, her eyes filled with affection: "Relatives will be coming in a few days. You and Ling'er are both scholars, so you should dress presentably so that people don't look down on you." "Relatives coming?" Zhao Ti was taken aback. His father's side was a single-lineage family, and his grandfather's generation only had one person. After his uncle left, they had no relatives left. Some of the distant relatives were already beyond the fifth degree of kinship and had not been in contact for decades.

As for her mother's relatives, she had never met them. She had asked them, but her mother said that she had married far away and there were no people left on her mother's side. Her maternal grandparents had passed away long ago, and she had no aunts or uncles.

"Is it Uncle who's back?" Zhao Ti asked.

Zhao's mother shook her head: "It's not your uncle. Your uncle left Yuzhou back then and disappeared without a trace. He never even sent a message back."

"Who is it?" Zhao Ti was even more puzzled, unable to think of any other relatives in the family.

“It’s one of your cousins. I don’t know how he found out about me in Yuzhou. He sent someone with a letter a while ago, saying that he would arrive in the next few days.”

"Cousin-in-law?" Zhao Ti was even more confused upon hearing this, because Zhao's mother had once said that she came from a humble family and was an only child, which meant that she did not have many relatives, nor did she have any relatives of high status or position. That was what it meant to come from a humble family.

So, how did this cousin find her after so many years of marriage in Yuzhou, with little contact with her maternal family? They were just ordinary people; asking around would have been like searching for a needle in a haystack. How could he have sent someone to deliver the message?

But it was not appropriate to question his mother's words, let alone pry into her background. Zhao Ti thought for a moment and asked, "Since it is my distant cousin who is coming, is there anything else I need to prepare?"

“There’s no need to do anything more. Your uncle likes to practice martial arts, but he’s terrible at studying. He won’t test you on your studies. As for asking if you know how to fight, just tell him you’ve never learned.” Zhao’s mother looked at him and said, “Actually, he can tell that, so he might not ask.”

"Oh." Zhao Ti nodded: "This uncle likes martial arts, so he must be like my uncle, or even better than my uncle. My uncle only knows street fighting, so is this uncle a member of the martial arts world?"

He knew that the martial arts world existed. In addition to studying the classics, the scholars of the state academy would also chat about worldly affairs, brothels, and the rough and tumble of the martial arts world. They were not completely oblivious to what was happening outside their studies.

"I don't know, after all, it's been more than ten years since I last saw him. I wonder what he's doing now," Zhao's mother said casually, biting off a piece of thread.

"I understand, Mother. I will not disturb you while you work. I will go and review my lessons now." Zhao Ti left the room and returned to his own room to begin reading.

As dusk fell, Zhao's father returned pushing a wooden oxcart. This oxcart was shaped like an ox's head, with a single wheel underneath and two ox horns serving as handles. A rope could be tied around his neck to push it. It could carry a lot of goods and was very easy to push.

This item was created by a marquis in the court during the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty. The marquis's surname was Zhuge, and he had made many military achievements when he helped the emperor establish the dynasty, so he was always called Zhuge Wuhou by the people.

Zhuge was also one of the eight great families in the world, and this Zhuge Wuhou was the head of the Zhuge family at that time.

This wooden oxcart has brought great convenience to the people of the world. It has not only been popular in the Great Qian Dynasty, but it has also spread to foreign countries. It is used in Huokun and Chiluo in the south of the Great Qian Dynasty, Shuiyun Island in the east, Mengji in the north, and some countries in the west.

Zhao's father was a slightly dull-looking but very tall man. He quickly moved the remaining goods from the cart to the side room in the courtyard. By the time Zhao Ti came out to help, the work was already finished.

"Father, Father, you're back!" Zhao Ling'er ran over at some point and called out to her father.

Father Zhao rubbed his hands together: "Where's your mother? Why haven't I seen any smoke from the chimney today? Is she cooking so late?"

“Mother is cutting new clothes for my sister and me. She said that an uncle is coming to visit and we should dress nicely,” Zhao Ti said.

“Oh, it’s that kid Yang Chen coming. That kid… he’s always been a bit superficial. If you’re dressed plainly, he’ll look down on you,” Zhao’s father said thoughtfully.

"Father, do you recognize this cousin?" Zhao Ti asked, puzzled. "Has he been to Yuzhou before?"

Zhao's father glanced at him and said, "He has never been here before. I saw him once at your mother's house. He was very young then, and he was very flamboyant. He was particular about his clothes, food, housing, and transportation, judged people by their appearance, and was very arrogant."

Zhao Ti asked in bewilderment, "Isn't my mother's family a humble household? How come my cousin..."

Mr. Zhao seemed unwilling to explain, and waved his hand, saying, "You'll know when we get here."

At this moment, Zhao's mother came out of the house: "The meal was prepared early, a pot of steamed buns was steamed, and the dishes are also finished. Just heat them up."

"Okay, okay." Zhao's father scratched his head. "I'll go wash up and then we'll eat."

"Okay, dinner's ready!" Zhao Ling'er exclaimed happily, then ran towards the kitchen.

Zhao Ti followed along, helped his mother heat up the dishes, and then began carrying them into the house with Zhao Ling'er.

Afterwards, the family sat down to eat. Zhao's father had a big appetite and ate five or six steamed buns in one go before catching his breath and looking at Zhao's mother: "Will Yang Shisan be able to arrive tomorrow?"

Mother Zhao seemed somewhat displeased with the way he was addressed, and rolled her eyes at him: "If Thirteenth Brother said he would be here in the next couple of days, then he must be right."

Father Zhao chuckled, "I wonder if he's still the same as he used to be. A perfectly healthy man, yet he insists on making himself smell so sweet..."

"Don't say everything in front of the children, after all, they are elders," Zhao's mother interrupted him.

"Yes, yes..." Zhao's father said awkwardly, and began to drink the vegetable soup in silence.

What do you mean by "fragrant"? Zhao Ti, standing nearby, was somewhat confused. Did you mean that this uncle liked to wear flowers and powder in his hair?
Before the Great Qian Dynasty, during the Great Jin Dynasty, aristocratic men had the habit of wearing flowers in their hair and applying powder. They also liked to take a kind of medicinal powder, indulging in pleasure and neglecting their studies. This practice also became popular among the common people, leading to corruption in officialdom, decline in military strength, and an inability to recover from weakness, which led to foreign invasion.

Finally, Emperor Taizu of the Great Qian Dynasty slew the white dragon of the Luo River and started a rebellion, resisting foreign enemies, quelling internal strife, conquering the north and south, stabilizing the east and west, overthrowing the Sima clan of the Jin Dynasty, establishing the Great Qian Dynasty of the Yang family.

After the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty, Emperor Taizu issued an edict prohibiting men from wearing flowers, applying powder, or taking medicinal powders. However, this practice could not be eradicated, as it originated among the nobility and was merely imitated by the common people.

While Emperor Taizu was alive, this practice was still in place, but after his death, it gradually resurfaced. By the time Emperor Taizong passed away, the law had become virtually meaningless. While people were still somewhat cautious about taking medicine, there were no restrictions on wearing flowers and applying powder.

After the family of four finished their meal, Zhao Ti continued reading until 9 PM.

The next morning, after getting up, tidying up, and having breakfast, he set off for the state school.

Yesterday was a day off, but today I have to go to class.

He had just reached the alley entrance when he saw a carriage pull up and stop, and then a man in white emerged from the carriage.

As soon as the man in white stepped out of the carriage, Zhao Ti smelled a rich, refreshing fragrance that instantly overpowered the scent of apricot blossoms in the alley.

(End of this chapter)