Chapter 204 2/3

Li Qingzhi ate joyfully while carefully memorizing everything.

Today’s dishes were extremely lavish, with several seafood options. He had no idea how much Zhu Qian and the others had spent.

Even Li Qingzhi thought the banquet was extravagant, let alone others.

Li Laogen was stunned, and Uncle Jin’s family hesitated to pick up their chopsticks.

Jin Xiaoye, who was more worldly, remained calm. She sat with her two children, Jin’s parents, Jin Xiaoshu and his wife, and Li Laogen, soothing Jin’s parents’ nerves and helping them with food.

She also didn’t forget the timid Li Laogen, giving him a generous helping of food.

The banquet was held only for lunch. After the meal, Gou Tongzhi and County Magistrate Wang left. Li Qingzhi let the guests divide the leftover food and went home with Jin Xiaoye.

Li Laogen, initially anxious, perked up after the officials left. He decided to stay in Miaoqian Village to brag.

Since returning from the provincial capital, Li Laogen had been ecstatic, chatting with anyone about the provincial capital and occasionally dropping some official language to show off his newfound sophistication.

Li Qingzhi found it quite embarrassing.

After the banquet, Li Qingzhi stopped socializing to focus on preparing for his trip to the capital.

Wu Baichuan had provided him with a ship, which he then outfitted.

After inspecting the ship, Li Qingzhi began loading supplies and arranging the living quarters.

On the first day of October, the Shen family’s fleet passed by Chongcheng County, and Wu Baichuan’s two ships joined them.

Li Qingzhi’s departure was no secret, so many came to see him off.

As the fleet sailed away, those gathered at the new pier felt a sense of loss.

Chang Zhan was particularly downcast, initially unnoticed by Chang Cui. But as the fleet disappeared, she burst into tears, “Brother Xiaodou, Brother Damao, waa…”

“Cuicui, don’t cry, don’t cry,” Chang Zhan comforted her.

Holding onto his neck, Chang Cui cried even harder.

Qian Changsheng clutched his chest, feeling teary himself.

His health had significantly improved, thanks to Li Qingzhi’s help. His cousin had given him a second chance at life and taught him many things. Li Qingzhi was both a mentor and a friend to him. Now that he was leaving, Qian Changsheng felt truly sad, unsure when they would meet again.

Fang Jinniang was openly weeping.

Jin Xiaoshu quickly consoled her, “Jinniang, don’t cry. Sister and brother-in-law will be fine.”

Fang Jinniang nodded but couldn’t stop her tears.

These people were deeply affected, while the students from Chongcheng Primary School, Li Qingzhi’s classmates, merchants from Chongcheng County Chamber of Commerce, and the curious townsfolk were quite excited.

“Wonder if Mr. Li can become the top scorer this time!”

“I think he can, he’s always ranked first!”

“If Mr. Li tops the exam, that would be amazing!”

“He must be a literary star descended to earth!”

“Speaking of the literary star… have you been to Miaoqian Village? I heard many people are visiting Mr. Li’s old home for his talent’s aura.”

“I went, and I even got a bowl of food during his banquet!”

“I went too. They gave me a big bowl of soy-braised pork, it was delicious.”

…

Li Qingzhi stood at the stern, watching the new pier grow smaller. As the fleet turned a corner, it disappeared from view.

He then looked at Chongcheng County, a beautiful, water-laced town, gradually fading from sight.

Most of his time since coming to this world had been spent in Chongcheng County, never leaving Jiang’an Province. Now, he was finally leaving.

He didn’t know when he would return.

In Daqi, after passing the imperial examination, one usually returned home before assuming their post. However, with many tasks awaiting him in the capital—understanding Daqi’s situation and seeking revenge for the original host—he decided not to return to Chongcheng County.

“Brother Li!” A shout interrupted his thoughts, and he saw Du Yongning waving from the adjacent boat.

Speaking of the boat, Daqi’s vessels, compared to modern ones, were quite small. Even the canal connecting Jiang’an Province to the capital was narrow. Thus, life on board wasn’t very comfortable, though Du Yongning seemed excited, having just boarded.

On the narrow canal, the boats sailed close together. Du Yongning asked, “Brother Li, how have you been?”

“Very well,” Li Qingzhi replied with a smile, then inquired about Du Yongning.

“I’ve been busy with banquets and drinking, hardly finding time to read,” Du Yongning confessed.

“Then make good use of this journey to study,” Li Qingzhi advised.

“Absolutely!” Du Yongning agreed and started chatting about receiving a bicycle as a gift.

After “A Solitary Travelogue” was published, he had experimented with hatching eggs and building a biogas digester. However, nearing the provincial exam, his family had stopped him, so he didn’t get a bicycle of his own.

“The bicycle is fun, but tiring after a while. My legs were trembling after one ride,” Du Yongning said. “But its design is ingenious! The weaving machine mentioned in the book is also impressive, it works so fast!”

As they chatted, the river narrowed, and with other boats traveling in the opposite direction, their boats could no longer sail side by side, falling into a single-file formation.

Du Yongning moved to the bow to continue their conversation, his voice straining to be heard.

Li Qingzhi admired his persistence. Despite the close proximity, speaking required raising their voices. He quickly felt a strain on his throat, wondering if Du Yongning felt the same.

As he pondered, Du Yongning rubbed his throat, “Brother Li, wait a moment, I need some water.”

Li Qingzhi laughed, “Brother Du, let’s chat when we dock for the night!”

The Shen family’s fleet wasn’t in a hurry, planning to stop each night for rest, as the crew needed breaks.

Bidding Du Yongning farewell, Li Qingzhi went inside the cabin.

The lunar calendar’s October corresponded to mid-November or December in the Gregorian calendar, and the weather was already quite cold.

He and Du Yongning, young and warmly dressed, could chat outside, but others stayed inside.

Oh, Li Laogen was outside too, bundled in a thick coat, chatting with a crew member—no doubt bragging again.

Ignoring him, Li Qingzhi entered the cabin, greeted by the smell of ginger tea.

Jin Xiaoye was cooking ginger tea on a small copper stove, while Li Damao and Li Ermao warmed themselves by it.

Cooking on board was possible, but to prevent accidents, the stove was specially designed, encased in a wooden box with four legs that fit into the box’s corners, stabilizing it.