Chapter 401 - Grand Banquet (1/1)

Chapter 401: Grand Banquet

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“Most of our farated here in a span of roughly two hundred years Back then, Gan Province was always at war every year If you came for us today, ould co, Liuhe Toasn’t considered a town yet It was a se, unlike nohere the population has booether in this village, all huddled together next to the river There weren’t any big names or popular people here either The ancestors of each faround They have since stopped participating in warfare and found wives to settle down Throughout the history of Liuhe Town, not a single high-ranking official has lived here before There isn’t a county le person here could et to casually meet the Emperor like that…”

Several tables inside the Yan Residence’s courtyard were already fully packed with guests Those ere able to get their seats inside the courtyard were either important people from Liuhe Town or were the heads of their respective clans On the other hand, children and youth did not qualify to sit on a seat Instead, they had to stand on the sides of the courtyard while listening to Sixth Grandfather talk at thea sound

Additionally, more of the others were seated in the stockyard outside the Yan Clan’s blacksmith workshop A few hundred tables were set up in the stockyard, with two doors separating the stockyard and the courtyard The doors to the courtyard ide open too The courtyard functioned as the head of the dragon, whereas the area outside was the body as the banquet tables were connected together like a long array Several new clay ovens were set up in the stockyard with a few basic pergolas surrounding theathered in the stockyard, back kitchen, and on the side of the river Some of theetables and made food Each woman then served the cooked dishes and wines to the tables The at about joyously at the banquet and there was plenty of laughter The area surrounding the Yan Clan’s courtyard was filled with the aro’s return to Liuhe Town this ti deal to all of the townsfolk These people alate when they ca Brirand banquet in his residence the day after Yan Liqiang returned hoers

The banquets in this town, be it for weddings or funerals, were not as complicated as the ones in the city Normally, a person would only need to shout for help to be able to get the neighboring agile and spirited woements for the banquet The s and sheep for the feast while the re errands could be handled by the women themselves

It was already the end of the tenth lunarthat it was slack season for the tohich ers were not busy at all As the Town Constable of Liuhe Town, Yan Dechang would only have to announce that he was hosting a banquet for the town before the several thousands of people — including al to his residence The Yan Residence did not have that uests in that suddentheir ols and chopsticks, tables, chairs, and whatnot and arrange the banquet…

Butcher Liu and his son were in high spirits today as they brought a few helpers to assist in butchering pigs and sheep in the stockyard He was radiant in vigor as his face was blazing Meanwhile, his ashi+ng vegetables on the side of the river When she heard the other wo how coout commands to others, she felt very pleased with herself A smile curled on her lips as she said, “How is that competent? He’s just a butcher If he couldn’t even help Master Yan and Young Master with so, then he has lived his life in vain…”

Whatever opinions Butcher Liu had long ago about the Yan Clan, they were essentially dissolved the st the top three in the Qinghe County Martial Arts Exa’s reputation began to rise in Gan Province The Yan Clan had already beco Clan in the hearts of Butcher Liu’s family It was especially more so after the outsiders who came to purchase weapons froarding Yan Liqiang’s time in the I else The Young Master of the Yan Clan liked the sausages theythat Butcher Liu would boast to other people wherever he went In fact, whenever his signboard was hung up, his row more, especially in the es and bacon he had made for the Yan Clan Because of that, his ould sell out i at the main table in the courtyard, was the oldest senior me this year, and he was the oldest person with the longest lifespan in town In accordance with the seniority levels in Liuhe Town, everyone would be considered as Sixth Grandfather’s juniors For a person to be able to liveshown filial piety by his children and grandchildren at that age, this person could be called a ‘lucky ood fortune Sixth Grandfather was the lucky , he was a town constable for Liuhe Town He was the person as initially in charge of private schools that taught people to read and write, and he also h the fields that led to the outside of the town

Over the years, children from any family in this toho reached their hundred days would have to be brought to Sixth Grandfather so that he could touch their heads After that, their faive to their children for theirso, they believed that this would allow their children to easily grow up and be free froained a special kind of reputation in Liuhe Town When Yan Liqiang was young, he seemed to have been touched by Sixth Grandfather on the head before The bowl that Sixth Grandfather gave to Yan Liqiang was still kept inside a cupboard in the Yan Residence

Even though the eyes of 138-year-old Sixth Grandfather had already turned yellow, his vision was not blurry in the slightest Despite the age spots on his face, his teeth were still intact He didn’t need crutches to walk either, and his voice was clear whenever he engaged in conversation It was also said that he would wake up in theand still be able to practice his fist techniques for a while At night, he would insist on drinking fruit wine of fivenaturally seated Sixth Grandfather at theas soon as he arrived at the Yan Residence The others sitting at the e in Liuhe Town These people were all listening to Sixth Grandfather talking about the history of Liuhe Tohile occasionally turning their gazes toward Yan Liqiang

Yan Liqiang let Sixth Grandfather sit at the head of the main table while he sat beside Sixth Grandfather on the left When Sixth Grandfather was talking, Yan Liqiang would wear a s his head at the sa was toward his elders, the villagers in the courtyard were secretly nodding in approval at this behavior In theirthat the demeanor of a person who had seen and experienced the world would be different than was before In the past when the Hong Clan organized a grand banquet, they acted proud and pompous, and they were also disrespectful toward Sixth Grandfather He went to their banquet only once and did not return after that When he cahly respected by the people Thus, he became more talkative and opened up a lot of conversations

“Having a talented person in Liuhe Town is a big deal to the entire village Even though I a too I have walked the world of martial arts before eapons in hand, andofficial too Like they say, ‘Just as a fence needs the support of three stakes, an able fellow needs the help of three other people’ As such, I anitaries are able to flourish because of , now that you are doing well, youto assist you in any way and aspire you to becolory afterward Our hearts are all closely linked together, you know We have drunk from the same well, and we know each other very well…” Sixth Grandfather spoke in earnest to Yan Liqiang while patting the back of his hand He continued, “The people of this town hope that you can bring the young disciples here and have the honor to their ancestors…”

Sixth Grandfather continued to speak as the all townspeople in the courtyard stared at Yan Liqiang, hoping to hear his stance on thisSixth Grandfather for being clever and mischievous No one had the seniority nor the position to say such things even if they wanted to They wouldn’t have the dignity to ask the Yan Clan about it either It was only appropriate that sos that everyone wanted to say in theirlet out a wry sh the thoughts of everyone adjacent to him in the courtyard…