"I knew you'd be here." Ma Fuquan walked over and saw Jian Ning, and said with a smile, "I only found out you were here when I ran into Lao Liu and Uncle Liu. That's not nice of you. I haven't heard you mention this before, and now you're here to take the exam out of the blue. You're trying to surprise us!"
"Speak properly instead of using weird words. Let's see if Mr. Jian can understand you." Tian's mother glared at him with a smile.
In the past, Tian's mother and her son-in-law would seldom exchange a word. But now that Ma Fuquan had become easygoing and close to her, she was no longer as cautious as before when speaking to him, fearing that something she said might upset her son-in-law and bring disaster to her daughter.
Jian Ning took Tian's mother's arm and said with a smile, "It's okay. Even if you don't understand, I can guess. Brother Ma has become more insightful since he experienced life and death. I rarely heard him say a few words before, but now he talks more and smiles more often. I think he's better than before."
"Isn't it?" Tian's mother patted Jian Ning's hand and laughed, "This guy went through the gates of hell and came back alive, only to find a new way to live. His face was always so long, I guess the King of Hell must have been annoyed by it, so he kicked him back."
"Think about it, there are so many sad faces in hell, who would want to see his ugly face?"
Tian's mother's words amused everyone, and Ma Fuquan himself laughed too. After laughing, he asked Tian's mother, "Was I really as bad as you say?"
"Yes." This time it was Captain He who answered. They had worked together in the town hall for several years, so he had the most experience. "You used to be like a gourd with its mouth sawed off, never saying a word about good or bad, good or bad, fragrant or smelly. Now your temperament has improved a lot, and your skills have also improved."
"Haha, I don't have any special abilities, but I just kept them to myself and didn't show them off before. Now that I've opened an escort agency, it's natural for me to let people know about my abilities. Anyone who wants to rob the escorts of my Longmen Escort Agency should think carefully about whether they have the chance!"
Second Brother Tian said, "With your special police team backing up our escort agency, who on the street would dare to rob our escort? They would have to give us some face. Since ancient times, the people have never fought against the officials. Brother-in-law, you are an official after all. Who would dare to mess with us so easily?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his mother slapped him, "Stop talking nonsense. The more you say that, the more you should keep your tail between your legs. Don't bully the good, and don't fear the evil. This is the right way."
"Yes, the old lady is right. Our mother is wise and has great insights!" Ma Fuquan flattered her at the right time.
Jian Ning found that he had really changed. She had never seen Wu Tuan flatter anyone before. It showed that some people could still change. It just depended on whether they were willing to change for someone.
Take Ding Youtian, for example. It's not like he can't change; he can even become better. He just needs someone to push him from behind. Without that external push, no matter how harsh the living environment, as long as it's within his tolerance, he'd rather stay in his shell like a snail, galloping and soaring in his own free world, muddling through.
"Brother, mother, we're leaving now. We still have to go patrol the streets. Many people from various towns are coming to take the exam today, so I'll have to trouble you to take care of things here." Ma Fuquan and his companions were passing by Scissor Alley and came in to take a look. Before leaving, he informed Jian Ning, "The invigilator is County Magistrate He. I'll ask him after the exam and find out how Brother Youtian did. You can have lunch here at noon, and we'll come over later."
"Okay, I'll go pick him up." Jian Ning walked forward with them, and Mr. Ding San also followed.
"Call Uncle Liu and Old Six as well, come along." Ma Fuquan said as they walked. When they reached the courtyard outside, he changed his mind and turned to tell Tian's second brother, "Let's eat out. I'll book a restaurant at Zhang Mazi's, Dingsheng Restaurant. You can call Mom, Dad, Big Brother, and the others later. You know the place."
"Okay, then have a safe trip. I won't see you off. See you later." Brother Tian stopped and said loudly.
Jian Ning and Mr. Ding Sanye emerged from the escort agency and parted ways with Ma Fuquan and his men at the intersection ahead. The county town was crowded today; even the head of their special police unit was out patrolling the streets. She boarded the carriage, and as it neared the examination hall, she lifted the curtain and spotted Ding Youtian in the distance, looking around for them.
He was quite conspicuous in the crowd, standing out like a crane among chickens. Because he was not a scholar, the lapels of the robe he wore were not open on the left and right sides, but were cut and sewn at the diagonal part. The collar could not be a stand-up collar, so he had to wear a collarless robe like the merchants.
Seeing his complacent look, Jane Ning guessed that he must have performed well this time. She lowered the car curtain and breathed a sigh of relief.
Ma Fuquan blamed her for not informing him beforehand, but how could she say anything? What if he failed the exam again? If people knew that he had failed the Tongsheng exam four times in a row, he could afford the loss, but she couldn't!
Ding Youtian saw his carriage and hurried over. He lifted the curtain and said with a smile, "I was thinking that if I didn't see you, I would go to Scissor Alley by myself, but I didn't expect to see Third Uncle the moment I turned around."
"Fourth Brother, how did you do on the test this time?" Uncle Ding saw that the other candidates had not come out yet and was worried that he had handed in a blank paper like before.
He heard that he had handed in a blank paper.
"We'll know the results the day after tomorrow. We'll also have a test this afternoon on a five-character six-rhyme poem. Let's find a place to stay first, have a meal, and rest before coming back."
"Uncle Liu is here. Old Six knows you're here to take the exam, so he's taking a day off. Big Brother Ma and Second Brother Tian are treating us today, and we've booked a room at Boss Zhang's restaurant."
"My master is here?" Ding Youtian was a little surprised. In the past, Blind Liu said that he could become a prime minister and encouraged his parents to send him to school. But after he started studying, Blind Liu said in words and deeds that he did not approve of him taking the imperial examination. When he was drunk, he often cursed the sky and the earth. He didn't expect that his master would support him today.
It's really strange.
When they arrived at Zhang Mazi's branch in the county town, Liu Xiazi and Lao Liu had just arrived. Lao Liu had come back to pick up the wine order, but when he heard that Ma Fuquan and others were hosting a dinner here, he greeted Master Ding San and went to the kitchen to help make arrangements in advance.
"Sixth Brother has really made it big now. He has a good method in dealing with people." Uncle Ding saw that he still respected himself as an elder in the clan and did not look down on him just because he drove the carriage for his fourth brother and his wife, so he concluded that he was useful and reliable.
Old man Ding Erdan is still lucky. Except for the fifth child, the other kids are pretty good. Although the older ones are not as smart as the fourth and sixth children, they may be able to stick to their duties.
It is considered good for farmers to do their duty and be filial to their parents.
I just wonder if that old guy Ding Erdan will be so angry that he will die when he finds out that the fourth brother can pass the exam and become a scholar this time?
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