Xiaoyaoshanjun

Chapter 21 Giving Favors

Liu Menjing rode back on horseback and went to his mother's place after returning home.

Mrs. Liu was talking to her eldest son and daughter-in-law when she saw Liu Menjing rushing in.

"Mother!" Liu Menjing shouted.

Mrs. Liu said helplessly, "Didn't I ask you to go out and meet your classmates? Why are you back so soon?"

Liu Menjing said quickly, "Mother, I didn't understand what the first and second speakers said, and I didn't even understand what the last speaker said, so I came back quickly."

"You are smart." Liu Menli laughed and said, "Just show up today, I will find you a job in the future so that you won't be idle!"

Liu Menjing ignored his elder brother's words and continued to talk to Mrs. Liu about what happened today.

"Mother, do you still remember Tian Buli who sent tofu to our family? Why doesn't he send tofu to our family anymore?"

Madam Liu said casually, "This matter has nothing to do with you. I will talk to your eldest brother and his wife about it."

Liu Menjing quickly explained, "Why is it okay? The place I went to today is where Tian Buli lives, and the gentleman he is taking care of is the top of this list!"

"Not only did that gentleman get the top spot, but Tian Buli himself also got the top spot, and he was the last one! Their family got both the top and the bottom spot!"

"Just now when I was in the room with the three of them, he was able to interrupt and say something when Kang Biyong was talking to Mr. Hu. He used the money I gave him to buy books, and also used it to buy medicine for Mr. Hu's medical treatment."

Mrs. Liu frowned, "Really?"

Liu Menjing said anxiously: "How could it be false? I saw and heard it with my own eyes, Kang Biyong is still there!"

Madam Liu looked at her eldest son and said, "Li'er, go ask Yao'er why the tofu that was delivered before was delivered to someone else. Your father really likes the tofu from that store, and he was so busy that he didn't even notice the change."

Liu Menli nodded and said, "I'll go ask my second brother right away."

It sounds like he had received a favor from his family in the past, but they didn't know why they had a falling out.

This matter must be investigated thoroughly, after all, it is related to the two students.

It was not a small matter. After Mr. Liu came back, someone told him about it.

Madam Liu and Mr. Liu sat in the main hall, with the eldest son Liu Menli and the second son Liu Menyao standing on both sides.

Butler Liu knelt on the ground and kowtowed to beg for mercy: "Master! Madam! I was blinded by greed. I changed the tofu from that family just to find something for my brother-in-law's daughter and son-in-law to do!"

"Damn it! Damn it! I never thought that there would be two students from that tofu shop! Damn it!"

Butler Liu kowtowed and begged for mercy, which made Mrs. Liu feel a little sorry for him.

"That's enough." Madam Liu looked at Master Liu, "Master, from what Jing'er and the kitchen helper said, Tian Buli doesn't hate us. If we send him some supplements and silver, will this matter be resolved?"

Liu Tiegu actually didn't care much about those students, as there were quite a few old students in the county.

However, Hu Yuwei is at the top of the list, so we have to give him some face. It would be hard to say what would happen if he became a high-ranking official.

But it didn't look like that sickly guy could live for long.

"That's all. It won't be too late to move around after you pass the imperial examination."

Liu Tiegu did not blame the housekeeper who had followed him for many years. He just gave him a symbolic punishment to give the two men face.

A tongsheng has no power or influence and is at best just a scholar.

***
Fuyuan Escort Agency
Chief escort Xia Bayuan was practicing martial arts and keeping fit in the yard. He had been standing for more than ten minutes with two stone locks weighing 100 kilograms in his hands.

At this time, the disciple who had just been accepted for more than a year walked over quickly.

"Master! Something happened!"

Xia Bayuan quickly put down the stone lock, slowly adjusted his breathing, and looked at the twenty-year-old Ying Xiansheng.

"What happened? Which team's escort had trouble again?" The first thing Xia Bayuan thought of was something bad.

Ying Xiansheng didn't know whether to be happy or not, he frowned and said: "It was someone from our escort agency who passed the exam."

"Who is it? Whose son-in-law or son?" Xia Bayuan narrowed his eyes. "Is it the son of my son-in-law?"

Xia Bayuan’s eldest son is an official in another place and is a military officer.

The second son is a captain of police, the third son is in charge of the escort agency affairs at home, and the fifth and sixth sons are studying in martial arts schools outside.

Two of the three daughters were married off. One married a young hero from another martial arts sect as a concubine, one married a local county magistrate as a concubine, and the other married a local old scholar as his wife.

The fact that the escort business has been able to survive until today is not only related to Xia Bayuan's martial arts, but also due to his relationship with the government. Especially in recent years, he has begun to plan to develop into a scholar, and even has the intention of retiring from the underworld.

Ying Xiansheng said, "His name is Tian Buli. I asked someone and he used to work as a handyman in our escort agency. He was said to have been kicked out by Steward Lei last year." "Tian Buli?" Xia Bayuan had no impression of him either. "Is he really from our village?"

Ying Xiansheng was not sure either. "I'll go ask Steward Lei. The detective told me about this, but they don't seem to know the details."

"He's just a student. There's no need to make a fuss." Xia Bayuan picked up the stone lock with both hands. "Go ask and find out."

"Yes! Master!" Ying Xiansheng went down to ask.

There is really nothing to be surprised about Tongsheng, and it is no problem if he is offended.

But why offend them when you have nothing better to do?

When meeting scholars while escorting goods, especially those going to take exams, it is tacitly agreed that they would provide them with food and drinks and give them a ride on the way, in order to establish a good relationship with them.

***
The inner courtyard of Fuyuan Escort Agency

Several gorgeous women were playing cards together. The ox-bone wooden cards on the table were being touched by eight hands and eventually ended up in the arms of four beauties.

While they were playing cards, a maid came in quickly and shouted happily to the young woman:

"Grandma Thirteen, why are you still playing cards here?"

Bai Yanhong continued to draw cards and said unhappily: "What's wrong? What else can we do today? One card!"

The maid Hong'er urged happily, "Mrs. Thirteen, the scholar you sponsored last year has passed the imperial examination! I'm sure many people will give gifts to that boy today, why don't you give some?"

Bai Yanhong's hand that was picking up the cards paused for a moment, and the other three women and the maid behind them also looked at this side curiously.

"Hong Gu, where did you find your lover? How come I don't know about him?"

"You hid it so well! I didn't realize you had such good taste."

"What's your name? What place did you get in the exam?"

Hong Er quickly said, "His name is Tian Buli, and he ranked last in the examination! Just now, several masters in the village were asking who this person is!"

"The master has sent someone to send a gift, including three taels of silver!"

Zhang Xia, who was sitting opposite Bai Yanhong, clenched her hand and stood up quickly, saying happily, "This is a good thing. I'll give him two taels of silver too. Remember to say it's from me!"

Bai Yanhong is not Tian Buli’s old lover, Zhang Xia is.

Zhang Xia had never thought that the young man she seduced would be able to pass the examination and become a student. Although the other party would most likely not care too much about this, it was always nice to do a favor.

Bai Yanhong was no longer in the mood to play cards. In fact, her impression of Tian Buli had become very vague.

I only remember that the other person was selling tofu, he was not very old and could talk.

Xie Chunhuan, the beautiful and charming woman next to him, felt very uncomfortable.

"Look at how useless you are. I have experienced many things, but I am just an old student. Ptah!"

The women in these farms are actually kept prostitutes. They accompany high-ranking officials and powerful people for a few days every year. Generally, these people are either middle-aged men with big bellies or old scholars.

Bai Yanhong ignored Xie Chunhuan, "I remember he seemed to be in his teens."

"Nineteen years old!" Zhang Xia quickly told Tian Buli's real age.

Bai Yanhong couldn't sit still any longer, so she stood up and said, "I'll go check in a couple of days. If he doesn't recognize me, I'll pretend it never happened. If he still remembers me, I'll give him a gift!"

Zhang Xia felt that she should do this kind of thing herself as she was more familiar with Tian Buli.

But then he thought that he and others were concubines, and it was not appropriate to make such things public.

Several of them are the chief escort's concubines. The chief escort has a harmonious family and usually doesn't care what this woman does, so he is more free.

In fact, the chief escort also knew that these women were not faithful to their husbands, but they were originally commodities used to entertain people, so it was nothing for his family to use them.

It's not about tolerance, it's about not treating these women as human beings at all.

Bai Yanhong and others all felt a sense of urgency, knowing that they had to escape in this lifetime.

Zhang Xia was also a little worried that Tian Buli would turn against her.

I didn't speak up for him at the time, and I pretended not to know when he was driven away. Later, when I found out he didn't go too far, I went to find him and gave him some money.

"Ask him for me if he still remembers me."

(End of this chapter)