Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law-Chapter 536: Buying Peace of Mind with Money
"Duke An?"
Lin Zhong looked at his brother-in-law, perplexed, and asked, "What’s going on?"
"I heard that the Government Office in Yi County put up a notice about the civil service examination. If you want details, ask Uncle Fu. He’s talking to Uncle Xuan at your place right now," said Wang Chong Er, Lin Zhong’s brother-in-law.
The Uncle Xuan he mentioned is Lin Zhong’s father, Lin Xuan.
"Cousin?"
Lin Zhong certainly knew this person; he was Ma Fu, the only Traveling Merchant in Ma Wang Village. In his youth, Ma Fu worked odd jobs for a Scholar’s family in the county, received basic education, and learned to recognize some characters. Later, he became a Traveling Merchant.
During the time Prince Huai ruled Huai State, he often led a mule, carrying heavy goods, traveling back and forth between Huai State and Fengzhou, occasionally visiting Jiangnan. He was well-read and was the cousin of Lin Zhong’s mother, of the Ma Clan.
It’s worth mentioning that after Lin Zhong settled in Ma Wang Village, he often received assistance from Ma Fu.
Concerning the civil service examination, Lin Zhong did not have the leisure to chat much with Wang Chong Er, and without even completely washing off the mud on his feet, he hurriedly put on his shoes and sped back home.
"In-law, I’m telling you, the notice is black print on yellow paper, very clear. As long as you pass the county examination, you can become an official. I heard the lowest position is a County Magistrate. I think Chung Er is smart and will definitely succeed," Ma Fu told Lin Xuan.
Although Ma Fu was a lowly Traveling Merchant, he greatly respected literate individuals.
Hearing Ma Fu’s confident assurance, Lin Xuan began to take it seriously but was still puzzled, "Didn’t the Holy Decree from the Court earlier state we were to go to Luonan for the county examination? Now what’s happening?"
"Matters involving such high-ranking figures, I don’t know. But on my way back, I heard an older gentleman say, Duke An was like a hidden dragon waiting for the right moment, and now the time has come. But I didn’t quite understand what it meant, and that gentleman often dodged the question. But once Chung Er returns, you can ask him and he’ll know."
Saying this, the smile on Ma Fu’s face faded as he pondered, "I wonder if Chung Er has neglected his studies over these years?"
"Never, never..."
Just as Ma Fu finished speaking, Lin Zhong’s voice came from outside. Lin Zhong had jogged all the way to the entrance, and as he couldn’t run anymore, he stood bent over, hands on knees, panting heavily.
"Chung Er is back." Seeing Lin Zhong return, Ma Fu immediately stood up with a smile and went over. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
"Cousin, what’s the deal with the civil service exam in Yi County?" Lin Zhong impatiently asked.
"See for yourself." Ma Fu pulled out a freshly folded sheet of white paper from his sleeve, "This is a copy of the Yi County notice, specially transcribed by someone. You are a literate person, and after reading it, you’ll definitely understand better than I do."
Lin Zhong nodded, and after finishing reading, his hand holding the paper trembled slightly.
Seeing Lin Zhong remain silent, Lin Xuan and Ma Fu quickly asked him what was wrong.
The next second, Lin Zhong clutched the paper, knelt down, and cried tears of joy: "Heaven has not forsaken me, Heaven has not forsaken me..."
"Son, what’s the matter with you?" At this time, Ma of the Ma Clan came in carrying some freshly made corn, and seeing Lin Zhong kneeling on the ground, she asked anxiously.
Having just unleashed his emotions, Lin Zhong saw his mother enter, got up, hugged Ma, and said tearfully, "Mother, I am going to take part in the civil service exam, to enlist in Yi County."
...
Two days later, Yi County.
Government Office.
"Name?"
"Lin Zhong, Zhong of devoted heart."
"Age?"
"23."
"Place of origin?"
"Ma Wang Village, Fengzhou County."
"Alright, you are registered. Here is your registration paper, keep it safe, be sure to head to Huai Zhou City for the exam on August 8th, don’t miss the date." The clerk at the government office handed Lin Zhong’s registration paper to him, reminding him earnestly before saying, "Next."
Upon leaving the Government Office, Lin Zhong felt a bit surreal.
From entering the office to leaving, it took less than a quarter of an hour to finish the registration, the efficiency of which he found too fast to believe.
Outside, Ma Fu, who was anxiously waiting, saw Lin Zhong come out so quickly and was immediately jolted, "Chung Er, why did you come out so soon? Did you fail to register, did you give the silver I provided to the junior official, or was it too little?"
As a Traveling Merchant, Ma Fu was aware of the nature of the officials within the government office, so before Lin Zhong entered, he specifically gave him one tael of silver to bribe the junior official to avoid any trouble.
Lin Zhong shook his head, "Cousin, I didn’t give any silver. As soon as I went in, he asked me for my name, age, and such, then said I had registered successfully."
He said this while handing his registration paper to Ma Fu.
Hearing this, Ma Fu widened his eyes in disbelief, as if doubting the truth of what he had just heard, "Could it be the office is tricking us?"
"Probably not, just now when I went in, I saw the previous examinee received the same registration paper as us." Lin Zhong said.
"It’s too smooth..."
It was so unexpectedly easy, it made Ma Fu feel suspicious.
Thus, the two waited until the Government Office closed, then immediately approached the clerk who had handled the registrations earlier in the day.
At this moment, they noticed that many others had the same idea.
A dozen or so people instantly surrounded the clerk, startling him. He thought they might be bandits, alarmed that they were so bold as to commit robbery right outside the office.
But they shoved a pile of shining broken silver in front of him, calling him ’Sir’ at every turn.
Upon understanding their reason, the clerk couldn’t help but chuckle.
These people were offering him silver, simply wanting him to tell the truth, because the morning’s registration had gone so smoothly that they felt uneasy.
To be honest, faced with the gleaming broken silver, the clerk was tempted. If it were in private, he might have accepted it. But with so many people watching and others passing by, he dared not take it.
He snorted coldly, flicked his robe, and said, "What do you take me for? The notice on the Government Office board clearly states in black and white, the morning’s matters aren’t a sham. Since you have successfully registered, you should return home to review your studies and aim for success in August."
Saying this, the clerk snorted again and left.
After arriving at a place with no one around, the clerk showed a pained expression, yet felt his earlier disregard for money was incredibly admirable.
He then cheerfully hummed a tune and headed home.
When Lin Zhong and Ma Fu returned to Ma Wang Village, they were still somewhat uneasy. Eventually, they decided to travel to Huai Zhou City.
As for travel expenses, Ma Fu offered to cover them.
Lin Zhong was quite moved and resolved internally that if his registration was legitimate and he successfully passed, he would make sure to repay his cousin well in the future.
