Chapter 240 Loyal Servant
After verifying their identities, Sheng An and his group entered the city smoothly and stopped in front of a secluded house.
The gatekeeper saw a row of carriages at the entrance, silently calculated the days in his mind, and immediately guessed the identities of the visitors. He quickly walked to the front carriage and asked, "Are you all from Qingzhou in Dongjiang Prefecture?"
The carriage door opened, revealing Fang Qingzhou's face.
Looking at the white-haired but vigorous gatekeeper, Fang Qingzhou respectfully bowed and said, "Uncle Fu, my three junior brothers and I come from Qingzhou. We are here to stay on the orders of our master."
The old man before him was loyal to the Master and had saved the Master's life in his early years. He was no ordinary servant and deserved this respect.
Uncle Fu quickly returned the greeting, a kind smile on his face, but his eyes were slightly red: "Come in, come in quickly. The house has been cleaned and prepared, just waiting for the four young masters to move in."
Master Jiang once served as an official in the capital. This house was his private residence. After leaving the capital, he did not sell it, but left Uncle Fu to look after it.
This vigil lasted for more than ten years.
Half a month ago, Uncle Fu received a letter from Master Jiang, informing him that Master Jiang's four disciples were going to the capital to participate in the imperial examinations. He then led the others to clean the house inside and out, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Xu Jinnian and his party.
As the two were talking, Sheng An and the others walked over.
After learning of Uncle Fu's identity, everyone bowed to him.
Under Uncle Fu's arrangement, the group went inside to rest, while the guards carried boxes of luggage to the courtyards where their masters would be staying.
As soon as Tan Zhenlin sat down, he let out a long sigh of relief: "After more than a month of traveling, I can finally get a good night's sleep!"
Everyone tried their best to eat and stay well along the way, but since they were not in familiar territory, they could not really settle down to eat and sleep.
Now that we have arrived in the capital safely, and are staying in my own teacher's private residence, it feels just like being at home, and my whole body and mind can't help but relax.
Seeing that Tan Zhenlin was sitting with his legs crossed and not in a proper posture, the others expressed their understanding and did not correct his posture. They picked up their teacups and quietly drank tea and ate snacks.
Unable to find a place to eat lunch, the group ate a few pieces of dry rations. The kitchen had just been lit, so they could only have some tea and snacks to tide them over.
After eating two snacks, Sheng An felt a bit better and asked Tan Zhenlin across from him, "Are you planning to go home tonight or tomorrow morning?"
Tan Zhenlin glanced at the sky, then touched his roughened face, and decisively said, "I'll go back tomorrow morning."
Lord Tan came from an ordinary background and couldn't afford a house in the capital in his early years, but Madam Tan did have a two-courtyard house as part of her dowry.
A while ago, Madam Tan brought Tan Qingrou back to Beijing ahead of them and stayed in her dowry house. Tan Zhenlin did not plan to move in.
Firstly, the courtyard is not very large, and it would be very crowded when Lord Tan brings his concubines and children back to the capital to report on his duties.
Secondly, with the imperial examinations approaching, living with my three senior brothers would allow us to discuss our studies together. Studying here for two months would be better than staying at home and working in isolation.
Upon hearing Tan Zhenlin's words, Fang Qingzhou said, "We'll go with you tomorrow morning."
Mrs. Tan is an elder, so it is only proper etiquette for her to visit.
Tan Zhenlin was more than happy to agree: "Sure, let my sister show us around."
He left the capital at a very young age, and his memories of the capital are only a few vague fragments. Apart from being able to distinguish east from west and north from south, he only knew about other aspects of the capital from what Madam Tan had told him.
An hour later, the cook had prepared the meal, with more than a dozen dishes filling the entire table.
The cook's cooking skills were mediocre; she only knew how to make some dishes from the capital. Sheng An and the others weren't picky eaters, and they all picked up their bowls and ate with relish.
The men had big appetites, and they managed to finish all of the dozen or so dishes.
Seeing that they were eating with relish, Uncle Fu's old face beamed with joy, and his gaze towards them became even more kind.
As expected of the master's student, his appetite is just as good as the master's.
After the meal, instead of rushing back to their rooms to rest, the group talked with Uncle Fu about the situation of Master Jiang and his wife in Qingzhou.
Upon learning that his wife's condition had improved and that she was able to go out and walk around after more than a year, Uncle Fu was so excited that tears streamed down his face: "Good, good, God has taken pity on us, my wife is finally getting better!"
Madam Jiang was gentle and virtuous. After marrying Master Jiang, she was very kind to the servants who served him.
Unless an irreparable mistake is made, things are usually overlooked and the matter is left unresolved.
Later, Master Jiang left the capital with his wife, taking only a small number of servants with them. They originally intended to take Uncle Fu with them, but Uncle Fu stayed in the capital for other reasons.
Master Jiang then released him and the others from their contracts, allowing them to become ordinary people with good household registration, and left them a generous sum of money to keep them safe.
Uncle Fu and the other three childless men had nowhere to go, so they decided to stay in the house and help Master Jiang look after it.
For Uncle Fu and his three companions, who could no longer serve the master, this was the best place for them to stay.
Seeing Uncle Fu weeping uncontrollably, everyone felt a mix of emotions. They longed to know what had happened to the Master and his wife back then, but no one dared to ask.
After a long while, Uncle Fu finally stopped crying and said to the group, somewhat embarrassed:
"As people get older, they tend to pee more. Seeing you all today is like seeing my master in his younger days. I wonder if I will be able to see my master and mistress one last time before I die."
At this point, Uncle Fu's expression turned sad again.
Xu Jinnian and the others exchanged glances, and Fang Qingzhou spoke up to comfort them, "You miss the Master, and the Master misses you too. After the imperial examinations are over, we will return to Qingzhou, and you can come with us."
A look of surprise appeared on Uncle Fu's face: "W-will this work?"
Fang Qingzhou laughed and said, "Why not? Are you afraid we'll fall behind you halfway?"
Uncle Fu couldn't help but smile, but after being tempted, he shook his head and refused.
“This old servant’s bones are no longer useful. I can no longer serve the master and madam properly. As long as I stay here, I will be guarding the house for the master and madam.”
The master and mistress have left, but the young master is still here.
If he, this old man, were to pass away, who would offer incense to the young master every day, who would sweep the young master's grave during festivals, and who would keep the young master company?
The little master is so young, how lonely he must be without anyone to keep him company.
Unaware of what Fu Bo was thinking, and seeing that he was unwilling to leave the capital, no one dared to force him, so the matter was temporarily dropped.
After chatting for a while, Uncle Fu urged them to go back to the courtyard to rest.
The courtyard where Sheng An and Xu Jinnian lived was smaller than the one they temporarily stayed in during the provincial examination, but it was more than enough for the two of them.
Master Jiang came from a prominent family in Jinling, so his residence exudes the exquisite elegance of Jiangnan. Even though it had been vacant for many years, it was still well maintained by Uncle Fu and his family, and there was not a trace of dilapidation.
Sheng An lay on the soft bed, smelling the sunshine-filled scent of the new bedding, and couldn't help but roll around a couple of times before finally snuggling into the man's warm embrace.
"The teacher and his wife are so kind, and Uncle Fu and the others are very good too!"
It was so touching that even she, who had lived two lives, was moved.
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