RPAGF Chapter 993 Gatekeeping
Chapter 993 Gatekeeping
This well-behaved appearance made Zhang Ping'an and Xu Shi feel very close to her; no one dislikes a sensible and sweet-talking junior.
Madam Xu beckoned the bald-headed man forward and said kindly, "When you were little, your grandma gave you the nickname 'bald-headed man,' but now I think you're quite a handsome young man, and the bald patches on your head are gone, which is good. Look at your mouth, so talkative, you must have inherited your grandma's personality. Your grandma was a very straightforward person when she was a girl at home, much more talkative than your great-aunt and me. How are they? Are they in good health?"
The man with the scabies head was much more energetic now, showing off his skills: "My grandparents are still in good health. We stopped them from doing anything a long time ago. They just stay at home and enjoy their retirement. Every day after dinner, they go out early to sunbathe at the alley entrance and chat with the familiar old men and women in the neighborhood. It's quite pleasant. When I'm at home and have nothing to do, I'll also go with them to sit at the alley entrance. When people get old, they're afraid of being lonely. Having me by their side keeps them company!"
"Yes, that makes sense. You are a filial child. Your grandmother's love for you was not in vain," Xu nodded in satisfaction.
He then gently took the bald man's hand and instructed him, "Once you're in the capital, treat it like your own home. If you need anything, just ask the steward. Try your best to settle down and build a career in the capital."
The bald-headed man was full of energy and nodded emphatically: "Yes, I will. I will definitely work hard with my uncle and cousin from now on! I will dedicate myself to the cause until my dying breath!"
Zhang Ping'an listened to the first part of the conversation with a smile, thinking to himself that this bald-headed man was still as eloquent as when he was a child. But when he heard the last two words, he couldn't help but clench his fist and cough lightly twice. He finally understood why the bald-headed man hadn't even passed the county-level imperial examination in all these years.
"To devote oneself to the cause until death is not the case. Since Heming brought you to the capital, he must want to train you well and keep you by his side to help him. The mansion is not short of servants, nor is it short of thugs. What it needs is someone who can get things done."
You've always been clever and quick-witted, and you speak eloquently. I'm not too worried about your interpersonal skills, but the capital is different from our hometown. Every word and action must be carefully observed. You need to be able to read people's expressions and know what to say and what not to say. You need to stay calm in the face of trouble and know how to handle things. The manor will arrange for someone to teach you these things later, so you must study hard and not let Heming's good intentions go to waste.”
Rascal had longed for the capital since he was a child. It was a great regret in his life that he was unable to return to the capital with Zhang Ping'an and the others when he was young.
His studies didn't go very well afterward, and the path of going to the capital through the imperial examinations was no longer viable. It was only by chance that Xiaoyuer took a liking to him and brought him to the capital. The man with the scabies head was determined to make a name for himself in the capital before returning home.
Hearing Zhang Ping'an's heartfelt concern, which sounded like that of a family member, he was moved to tears. He patted his chest and promised, "Uncle, don't worry, I will definitely not let you and my cousin down. Although I'm not very good at studying, I have no problem running errands. Just wait and see how I perform!"
Seeing that the time was right, Xiaoyuer smiled and said, "Alright, alright, cousin, come and sit down first. We'll figure out how to arrange things after you've gained some experience at the manor. There's no need to rush now. I brought you to the capital so you could make something of yourself, not so you could run errands."
"Hey!" the bald-headed man answered loudly and sat down.
He had a fairly decent and handsome face, paired with a pair of dark and bright eyes, and a straight back. He looked like a young poplar tree, much better looking than when he was a child.
Moreover, his manners and attitude were quite good, which gave Zhang Ping'an a decent impression of him, making him think that his son had good taste.
Then his gaze shifted to Liu Jin and Qi Jin, Jin Bao's two nephews. He remembered that when they were little, they would go with Jin Bao to the ancestral hall to get meat to eat.
At the time, I only remembered that Sister Jinbao gave birth to six boys, like a string of gourd brothers, but I didn't know which number six and seven jin were.
"You two came to the capital with me, have you settled everything back home? Your mother raised you six brothers all by herself, it wasn't easy for her!"
Although Liu Jin and Qi Jin are brothers, they are very different. Liu Jin is as thin as a bean sprout, and he looks malnourished. His features are very ordinary and his face is very pale. Only his eyes are very bright and calm. You can tell at a glance that he is a very patient person.
Qi Jin was tall and strong, clearly possessing considerable strength, but his eyes were more straightforward, and he was obviously not as clever as his older brother.
Hearing Zhang Ping'an's question, Liu Jin felt a little uneasy, but he forced himself to remain calm and not show any fear. He bowed slowly and replied, "Uncle, everything at home has been settled. My eldest, second, and third brothers are taking care of the family, my mother is in good health, and my uncle is looking after her from time to time. There's nothing seriously wrong. They were all very happy to hear that we were able to come to the capital! We are grateful to our cousin for thinking of us and bringing us to the capital. We will definitely work hard in the future."
Qi Jin nodded vigorously in agreement.
After listening, Zhang Ping'an realized that they were the fourth and fifth oldest among the brothers, a position that was neither one of the top nor the bottom.
"You are still young, it's good for you to come to the capital and try your luck. It won't hurt to broaden your horizons and learn more. Your uncle and I grew up together and have a very good relationship, so you don't need to be reserved in the manor. However, public matters are public matters and private matters are private matters. Our manor has always been fair in rewarding and punishing. If you do not behave well, or pick up any bad habits in the capital, I will not show any leniency."
Liu Jin and Qi Jin readily agreed. Although Zhang Ping'an's tone and attitude were relatively gentle, they were still quite apprehensive in his presence, feeling much more pressured than when facing Xiao Yu'er.
Perhaps this is the power of officials?
Zhang Ping'an has always been a legendary figure in his hometown and among his clansmen. Before coming here, the group even came with a sense of longing and admiration, as if on a pilgrimage.
Therefore, when faced with Zhang Ping'an's mild reprimands, the group felt no discomfort whatsoever; on the contrary, they felt extremely honored and proud! They were people who had personally spoken with a high-ranking official! Ninety-nine percent of the people back home didn't receive this treatment.
Back when the Zhang family returned to their hometown to mourn their parents and visit relatives, those local gentry, despite presenting them with precious gold and silver, could not even see them!
Zhang Ping'an was unaware of what the others were thinking, and even if he did, he would probably just laugh it off, since everyone has been young once before.
Afterwards, he inquired in detail about the backgrounds of the retainers he had brought back, which was a way of vetting them for his son.
The retainer Lü Liang, whom Xiaoyuer mentioned before who was skilled in observing celestial phenomena, was a failed scholar who came from a good family. He became famous very early, passing the county-level examination at the age of thirteen and becoming very well-known in the local county. However, for the next ten years, he failed the examination and never even passed the provincial-level examination, becoming a typical example of the tragedy of Zhong Yong.
This man had been slandered and ridiculed by rumors for many years, which honed his excellent mindset and patience. He was neither humble nor arrogant when facing Zhang Ping'an, making him a good candidate to be a strategist.
In Zhang Ping'an's opinion, this man was very ambitious. The ridicule from his neighbors over the years was just a temporary measure to keep him in hiding, waiting for the opportunity to soar to great heights.
There were also three other retainers, all of whom were people from the martial arts world. They seemed carefree and unrestrained, and it was unclear how Xiaoyuer had managed to persuade them to stay by his side.
One of them was named Crow, the most handsome and the youngest, only sixteen years old. His face still had a youthful innocence, and he had two dimples when he smiled. It was unclear whether this was an alias or his real name, Crow.
The other one was named Niu Jiancao. He was a strong man, somewhat similar in build to Qi Jin, but with a very cold and stern look in his eyes, his lips were tightly pursed, and he didn't talk much.
The last person was a man in his thirties, dressed in Miao ethnic clothing, with fine scars all over his face. He was also not very talkative. Zhang Ping'an only found out after asking that the man was actually only in his early twenties, but he looked older because of the scars.