introduction
"The filth of the past is not enough to boast, and the debauchery of the present is endless. The spring breeze is proud of the horseshoe disease, and the Chang'an flowers are seen in one day. ---Mengjiao after Denko
The imperial examination system influenced china's history for more than a thousand years and was not abolished until the end of the Qing Dynasty. For candidates, a gold list title is enough to change their own life destiny, and even change the fate of their family's descendants. In the imperial examination system, the person who ascends to the top is not a champion. This quota is only available every four years and is the only one in the country.
However, among the Zhuangyuan, it is divided into Wen Zhuangyuan and Wu Zhuangyuan. Comparatively speaking, the gold content of Wen Zhuangyuan is higher, but it is not easy to take the Wu Zhuangyuan examination, if you are a Wu Zhuangyuan born in the future, it is just around the corner.
Niu Fengshan, a wu zhuangyuan in the late Qing Dynasty, was originally a mingyuepo person in Gongyi City, Henan Province, and his family was poor in his childhood, so he practiced martial arts with his uncle since he was a child, and he was proficient in sword riding and shooting. In the thirteenth year of Daoguang (1833), at the age of 27, he was admitted to the Wu Zhuangyuan Examination, and was given the title of Jinshi and Di, and was soon posthumously awarded the title of General of Wugong.
Niu Fengshan is not only a first-class talent himself, his son Niu Xuan is also not to be underestimated, Niu Fengshan's calligraphy and painting achievements are extremely high, he was valued by the Tongzhi Emperor in the fourth year of Tongzhi, and in the case of the determination of the title, he was hand-picked as the Golden Temple Chuanxu (the first place of the second rank) can be said to be deeply valued.
Niu Fengshan's hometown still has a Mansion, which was originally built by Niu Fengshan, and later renovated it again by his son Niu Xuan. At that time, this mansion was famous for its 2,000-square-meter mansion, not only many houses, but even cave dwellings.
However, after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the Niu family gradually lost its source of income and gradually declined. The Niu family compound, which was once full of doors, has now become a door to the door, until it reached the generation of Niu Shijing, the grandson of Niu Fengshan, the Niu family was completely broken.
Niu Shijing also had a short career of wealth and carefree life, because her father Niu Xuan spoiled his son too much, resulting in Niu Shijing not learning any skills, let alone like his grandfather Niu Fengshan, and even basic livelihood skills.
After the family was destroyed, Niu Shijing lived by eating old books, demolishing the house in her hometown and selling some precious materials. In the end, this Mansion completely lost its former glory, and Niu Shijing ate up the old book and left nothing. He has never married a daughter-in-law, nor has a son and a half daughter, and can only rely on picking up garbage to survive.
Because Niu Shijing's ancestors were very famous, there were some local people who had received the favors of his ancestors and often came to help him. However, because this Mansion has now been abandoned in the mountains, many times it is after Niu Shijing came down from the mountain that everyone gave him things.
Over the years, Niu Shijing has almost lived a begging life. However, no one in the local area will talk about his gossip, it is said that after all, a lot of money from the Niu family is donated, otherwise Niu Shijing would not be like this.
In Niu Shijing's body, what we can learn is that a person who relies on heaven and earth to rely on his parents is ultimately not as good as relying on himself, because everything that depends on the outside world will eventually have a time to lose, and only himself is the eternal dependence. This ancestral house can be said to be Niu Shijing's shelter, but it is also Niu Shijing's cell, if he can go down the mountain early, there may be a different life, now Niu Shijing is nearly ancient, can only spend the rest of his life in his ancestral home.