Dunhuang has been a major commercial town on the Silk Road since ancient times. The Silk Road starts from Chang'an and reaches Yumen Pass in Guazhou, and is divided into two lines north and south. The northern line continues along the north of the Tianshan Mountains and travels westward along Luntai.

The southern line is to go south from the Yumen Pass Zhe Road to Dunhuang, then go to Gaochang from Puchang Sea to go to Shule, go south of the Tianshan Mountains to Shule, and then cross the Pamir Mountains to the west.

Because the geographical location of Dunhuang City is extremely important, it is not only a transit city for goods from the Western Regions and the Central Plains, but also a convergence of the Western Regions and the Central Plains culture. Mogao Grottoes are the most outstanding representative of them.

Central Plains culture and Western Regions culture are organically integrated in this historical city. Dunhuang is like most cities in the mainland, with a chessboard-like structure. The north-south central axis is Ganquan Avenue, and the east-west central axis is Sanwei Street. The entire Dunhuang city expands around these two central axis.

There are many shops on Ganquan Avenue, and there are a wide range of goods, filled with silk, porcelain, paper and various exquisite utensils from the Central Plains, but more of them are various goods from the Western Regions, carpets, silverware, glazed glass, spices from Sogdians, gems, furs from Tochar, medicinal materials, etc.

In addition, there are various specialty shops, at most various schools, schools with training languages, where you can learn Chinese, Turkic, Sogdian, Persian, music shops that learn musical instruments and dance shops that learn dance.

There are also schools that learn painting, sculpture, calligraphy, and martial arts schools that learn martial arts and practice riding and archery. These skills can be found in Dunhuang.

What’s more interesting is the guide store, which is a bit like a travel agency in later generations. As long as you are willing to spend money, you can hire a guide in the store to take you to Gaochang, Kucha and other places for travel, with all kinds of travel equipment.

Living in such a prosperous commercial city, Li Zhen felt that he could use his previous life's experience and knowledge to make money in Dunhuang.

In a few months, Li Zhen will officially end his studies in the state and is completely free, but he is anxious and wishes he will start to implement his career tomorrow.

As noon approached, Li Zhen sent Sisi to the Wufang. He led his horse through the lively street and returned to Sanxian Lane where his home was. Sanxian Lane was named because there were three lush locust trees in the alley.

Li Zhen’s family is right at the entrance of the alley, opposite the city gate, and the entrance of the city is very good. Ten years ago, he was rented by a Sogdian merchant selling spices and half of the street. This Sogdian merchant is Kang Sisi’s father Conmad.

Li Zhen's grandfather passed away the year before yesterday, and this old house was left to Li Zhen, but now it is headed by Li Zhen's sister Li Quan.

"A Zhen, I'm back from practicing arrows!" Sisi's father Kangmaid stood at the door of the store and greeted him with a smile.

Conmad was about fifty years old and was very thin, like a short, withered and yellow bamboo pole, with a sharp and thin nose, and a pair of deep Sogdian eyes flashed with a cunning luster. He was a shrewd businessman and a devout Zoroastrian.

Perhaps because he was young, he traveled and did business on the Silk Road for many years. He didn't get married until he was thirty. His wife was ten years younger than him, but he was tall and strong. Now he is fat in middle age and is even more terrifyingly fat. Sometimes, Kang Maid clearly stood behind his wife, but he always listened to people say hello to his wife, "Have Lao Kang gone far away these two days?"

Although they looked really asymmetric, their relationship was very good. They raised two sons and one daughter, and they both looked like their mothers. The eldest son Kang Dali, who turned 20 last year, followed the tradition of Sogdians and took ten camels on the Silk Road.

The second son Kang Dazhuang is eighteen years old this year and is extremely majestic. However, he doesn't like doing business, but likes to practice martial arts and is determined to do big things. He has the best relationship with Li Zhen.

The younger daughter is Kang Sisi. She is only fourteen years old this year and she dances very well. Her biggest ideal is to leave Dunhuang and go to Chang'an and Luoyang.

"Hello Uncle Kang, Sisi has gone to the Wufang."

"I know, I heard from Dazhuang that you will participate in the Martial Arts Examination tomorrow, and you will definitely win the championship this time!"

"Thank you uncle, I will try my best to fight for it. If there is nothing else, I will go back and prepare first."

"Okay! I'll encourage you tomorrow."

Li Zhen nodded with a smile and led his horse into the alley. Kang Mait looked at his back and said to himself: "Actually, it's good to marry Sisi, at least the rent can be waived."

...........

Li Zhen's grandfather Li Danping was a doctor of the Shazhou official school. He taught for more than 30 years and his family was poor. After his death, he only left three pieces of property to Li Zhen's siblings, one was thirty acres of land outside the East City, the other was the old house where the siblings currently live, and there was also a stone wall on the Mogao Grottoes.

Three years ago, Li Danping married his granddaughter, Li Zhen's sister Li Quan, to his decent disciple Cao Wen as his wife. However, Cao Wen's family was poor and his family was in Shouchang County, with only three thatched houses.

Li Zhen's grandfather died of illness two years ago. Before he died, he asked Li Quan to move back to take care of his younger brother. Li Quan asked her husband and mother-in-law Meng to move in with him. However, Li Quan had something to do with her husband. The house belonged to her younger brother. If the younger brother got married, they would move out to find another house.

Li Zhen led his horse to the gate, but the gate of the courtyard opened. His brother-in-law Cao Wen walked out of the courtyard. Cao Wen was weak and taciturn, and worked as a clerk in the Dunhuang County Government Office.

However, he wrote very well and usually copied scriptures for Buddhist temples to earn some money to supplement his family income. His father also died very early, and only he and his widowed mother Meng depended on each other.

"Brother-in-law, are you going to the county government office now?"

Cao Wen liked this brother-in-law very much. When he saw Li Zhen coming back, he quickly pulled him aside and whispered: "I have asked Zhang Xuezheng when you asked me to inquire last time."

Li Zhen heard a saying a few days ago that state students could finish their studies early, so he was moved and asked his brother-in-law to help him inquire.

Li Zhen was overjoyed, "What did Zhang Xuezheng say?"

"Zhang Xuezheng said that in special circumstances, you can end your studies early."

"For example, what kind of special situation is it?" Li Zhen asked again.

"I didn't ask about this in detail, but I think it's meaningless to say Zhang Xuezheng. The key is your eldest sister's attitude. What do you think?"

Li Zhen suddenly became listless. His brother-in-law was right. How could his eldest sister allow him to finish his studies early?

For more than a year, Li Zhen has been wanting to go out with a few good friends. This idea has become stronger in recent months, but because his studies have not yet ended, it makes it difficult for him to travel. In addition, he has a powerful elder sister, which makes it depressing to think about it.

Seeing his disappointment, Cao Wen comforted him and said, "Don't think about this today. Prepare for tomorrow's provincial examination. That is the most important thing for you now. If you get the quota, maybe Zhang Xuezheng will be especially allowed to finish your studies early."

"Thank you brother-in-law!"

Cao Wen smiled and patted his shoulder, turned around and left.

Li Zhen pushed open the yard and entered the yard. He wanted to feed the horses, but he faintly heard the voice of his elder sister coming from the kitchen, "Mother-in-law, only the old widow who has no children can donate money to women and asks women to handle her funerals. But you obviously have a son, why do you have to donate money to women? Isn't this a waste?"

"Don't worry about my affairs. I didn't spend your money anyway. Besides, you spent so much money on A Zhen to study and practice martial arts. I am your mother-in-law. Have you heard what I said?"

"Whatever you want! Donate if you want to donate, I won't care about your business anymore."

Li Zhen shook his head secretly. The relationship between the eldest sister and her mother-in-law was not good. For himself, the two of them quarreled for many times, but it seemed that they were going to quarrel again today.

At this time, Li Quan walked out of the kitchen angrily and happened to see Li Zhen, which scared her, "A Zhen, when will you come back? Is the door closed?"

"I just met my brother-in-law at the door, so I came in directly."

"Oh! Wash your hands and go to eat! Leave the horse to me."

Although Li Quan was extremely strict with Li Zhen, he was never stingy with his expenses for practicing literature and martial arts, which made his mother-in-law very unhappy. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law always quarreled about this matter, of course, it was also related to her having no children so far.

Li Quan took the horse away, and her mother-in-law Meng walked out of the kitchen with a medicine jar. Li Zhen smiled at her, "Hello Aunt!"

"Hey! Go and have a meal!"

Meng sighed and walked slowly towards the room. Li Zhen went back to his room and hung the bow and arrow, turned to the canteen. The porridge, cakes and side dishes were already arranged on the small table. My brother-in-law Cao Wen had lunch and left, and the food was still hot.

Li Zhen sat down with a large bowl of porridge and rolled up a piece of Hu cake. The Hu cake was made of minced meat and sauce. It was very delicious. This was also Li Zhen's favorite. He practiced arrows for a whole morning and was really hungry and started eating them voraciously.

When serving the second bowl of porridge, Li Quan walked in. She sat down next to her younger brother, and picked up the bowl to drink the porridge slowly. She no longer asked questions about her usual questions, and seemed a little worried.

"Sister seems to have something to worry about?"

"Nothing, have a meal!"

Li Zhen knew that although it was not easy for the eldest sister to be the leader, she would not quarrel with her mother-in-law for some small money. This time, Aunt Meng must have donated a lot of money to the woman, which made the eldest sister unhappy.

Every family has a difficult sutra to recite. He didn't know how to persuade his eldest sister, so he stopped talking and buried his head in the meal. Li Quan didn't want to think about the troublesome things and asked again: "You went to see Master Wangchen yesterday, how is his health?"

Because the master is old, he cannot teach Li Zhen every day, and Li Zhen will see him every ten days.

"The master is just a little sick. The host Lingyin asked me not to worry, he will take good care of the master."

Li Quan sighed, "After that being said, you can't be careless. After the exam, you will take care of the master for a few days to fulfill your apprentice's filial piety. Do you understand?"

"Sister, I know."

Li Zhen hesitated for a moment and whispered: "Sister, I want to go out for a walk after the provincial examination."

"no!"

Li Quan flatly refused as always, "Your task is to study and practice martial arts. I have said a long time ago that before the end of your studies, you should concentrate on studying and don't think about going anywhere!"

Just then, a knock on the door came from the yard, and someone asked loudly: "Is this Li Zhen's home?"

"Here you come!"

Li Quan got up and came to the yard. When she opened the yard door, she was stunned for a moment.

There were four people standing outside the gate, two of whom were entourages, and the head was a middle-aged man in his fifties. He had fair skin, three-foot-long beard under his jaw, a veil hat, a lilac Confucian robe, and a jade belt on his waist, looking quite elegant.

Behind him was a tall young man. Although he was wearing a scholar's uniform, he could not hide his courage.

Li Zhen sat in the room and he immediately recognized it. The person who came was Li Jin, the head of the Li family of Dunhuang, which really surprised him.

They were just concubines from the side and were not even qualified to participate in the clan festival every year, not to mention that the head of the family came to visit. In Li Zhen’s impression, the head of the family only came once when his grandfather passed away.

Li Quan was stunned for a while and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Li Jin was a little unhappy. You should know that he was the head of the Li family in Dunhuang, and the fate of hundreds of people in the Li family in Dunhuang was controlled by him. Li Quan and Li Zhen, the juniors in the family, did not quickly pay tribute when they saw him, but instead asked him what was wrong?

But today he took the initiative to come to Li Zhen for help if he had something to do, so he held back his displeasure and forced a smile and said, "Can I go into the house and talk about it?"

Li Quan hurriedly said: "Please come in! Please come in!"

She ran back to the main hall like a gust of wind, cleaned up the room a little, and came out again, and smiled and said, "Princess, please come in and sit down!"

After all, this is the head of the Li family. Li Quan knows a little bit of human nature. Although she is married and is the daughter-in-law of the Cao family, she has to think about her younger brother. In the future, her younger brother will have many things to ask for in the family, so she really can't offend the head of the family.

Seeing that Li Quan was very attentive, Li Jin felt a little relieved, nodded and walked into the lobby with his hands behind his back. The young man stood behind him and looked at Li Zhen with a provocative gaze.

The young man is named Li Pan, who is Li Jin's nephew and the legitimate son of the Li family. Like Li Zhen, he studied in the state and also participated in the provincial examination this year.

Li Jin sat down and looked at Li Zhen standing at the door. Seeing that he refused to kneel down to him, he felt a little unhappy again.

"You are Li Zhen?" Li Jin asked lightly.

...........
Chapter completed!