1471 A Multitude of Guests (1/2)
Starting from the second day when the mourning hall was well arranged, the old mansion in Golden Light City had started to be boisterous. The head and the elders of Huaiyuan Palace in Yanghe Prefecture came to offer their condolences first, followed by the heads of branches of Huaiyuan Palace. After that, all the representatives of major clans and sects from Gaozhou Province, Mozhou Province, Tongzhou Province, Qiongzhou Province, Yanzhou Province, Huizhou Province and Chaozhou Province within Northeast Military Region poured into Golden Light City. Then, major clans and business partners which cooperated with Fire-Dragon Bounty Territory and Jinwu Business Group across the country arrived one after another.
Additionally, none of them were small figures. Actually, all of them were clan heads, grand elders or regimental commanders. As they all knew that Zhang Tie was in the old mansion of the Zhang family. If they assigned small figures here, they might not even have a chance to meet Zhang Tie, which would be in vain.
Golden Light City had never been so boisterous since it was founded. Now, it was even more boisterous than that when major clans scrambled for the provincial governor of Youzhou Province years ago. The sky above Golden Light City was covered with airboats. The airports outside the city had almost been filled with airboats as those airships in the airports had been transferred to other places by the mayor.
Thankfully, the Zhang family had long predicted that many people would come here to offer their condolences to the old man's death. Therefore, two walls in the old man had been demolished in the very evening for the sake of the space of the mourning hall.
Besides Zhang Taixuan who left Golden Light City for Youzhou City after offering the condolence due to public affairs, Elder Muyuan, Elder Muyu and Elder Muen just stayed there and greeted moguls from all walks of life. With the help of the three elders, the old mansion didn't meet any trouble.
Zhang Tie was the grand elder of Huaiyuan Palace. Therefore, the death of his grandpa was a major event for Huaiyuan Palace and it was reasonable for the clan elders of Huaiyuan Palace to stay here for greeting guests.
The best hotels and inns in Golden Light City had long been rented by the Zhang family for the sake of their guests.
Due to the large population, officers and soldiers were maintaining the two streets outside the old mansion.
Zhang Tie put on a mourning dress and started to greet those guests in the old mansion on the second day. After offering their condolences to Zhang Haitian, those clan heads and elders of major clans and sects would be guided to Zhang Tie for a short chat. After that, they would be arranged to take a rest somewhere.
There was an old Hua saying——the poor would be ignored in the boisterous market while the rich would have relatives in deep mountains. That was how things went. Zhang Tie could accept this fact; instead of being cynic and self-assured. Zhang Tie knew his role in the old mansion and the purpose of many guests. Therefore, he just listened to the arrangement of family members tenderly. At this moment, the arrival of these guests represented their sincerity and was the the glory of the old man. Therefore, Zhang Tie treated them politely. As for those who wanted to have a short chat with him, Zhang Tie didn't put on airs at all; instead, he just talked with them casually and kindly so that they could return satisfactorily.
Disasters and pain would make people mature. After the old man passed away, the future of the Zhang family would be determined by Zhang Tie. Zhang Tie found that he became much more mature overnight.
As more and more guests arrived, the monetary gifts frightened Zhang Tie's uncles and aunts.
...
The first night fell soon. After 12 am, according to the rules, nobody would come to the mourning hall any more although the old mansion was brightly lit with an open gate. Those who hadn't offered condolences could only come here after sunrise. The mourning hall would last for 7 days. After then, they would hold funeral rites such as amnesty, offering sacrifice in each 7 days and burial ceremony. The entire process would last 49 days.
Of course, it was the custom persisted by major clans in Taixia Country. As for small families, the funeral ceremony would only last 3 days or 7 days.