Chapter 401: Grand Banquet

“Most of our family members in Liuhe Town gradually migrated 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, we would come for you the next day. When I was young, Liuhe Town wasn’t considered a town yet. It was a small village, unlike now where the population has boomed. There were twenty or more families altogether 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 family mostly came from a military background. 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 magistrate either. Even so, not a single person here could meet the Emperor. You don’t get to casually meet the Emperor like that…”

Several tables inside the Yan Residence’s courtyard were already fully packed with guests. Those who were 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 the main table without making a 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 were wide 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 them. The women of Liuhe Town were all gathered in the stockyard, back kitchen, and on the side of the river. Some of them were also busy in the courtyard as they washed the vegetables and made food. Each woman then served the cooked dishes and wines to the tables. The atmosphere was bustling with noise. Children were shuffling about joyously at the banquet and there was plenty of laughter. The area surrounding the Yan Clan’s courtyard was filled with the aroma of dishes and sounds of laughter.

Yan Liqiang’s return to Liuhe Town this time around was a big deal to all of the townsfolk. These people almost destroyed the Yan Residence’s gate when they came to pay a visit and present their gifts to Yan Liqiang. Brimming with joy, Yan Dechang quickly organized a grand banquet in his residence the day after Yan Liqiang returned home to show his gratitude toward the villagers.

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 women in the streets to become excited about making arrangements for the banquet. The men would set up stoves and butcher pigs and sheep for the feast while the remaining errands could be handled by the women themselves.

It was already the end of the tenth lunar month in Gan Province, indicating that it was slack season for the town, which meant that the villagers 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 almost men and women of all ages — would come flocking to his residence. The Yan Residence did not have that many tables or cutlery for their guests in that sudden moment, so the neighboring townspeople would bring their own bowls and chopsticks, tables, chairs, and whatnot and arrange them together to create a never-ending 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 wife was washing vegetables on the side of the river. When she heard the other women washing vegetables at the side of the river praising how competent Butcher Liu was when she saw her husband cleaving meat and shouting out 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 something, then he has lived his life in vain…”

Whatever opinions Butcher Liu had long ago about the Yan Clan, they were essentially dissolved the moment Yan Liqiang ranked first amongst the top three in the Qinghe County Martial Arts Examination, especially this year when Yan Liqiang’s reputation began to rise in Gan Province. The Yan Clan had already become one hundred thousand percent more relevant than the Hong Clan in the hearts of Butcher Liu’s family. It was especially more so after the outsiders who came to purchase weapons from the Yan Clan in Liuhe Town told them about the news regarding Yan Liqiang’s time in the Imperial Capital. They could only look up to them and nothing else. The Young Master of the Yan Clan liked the sausages they made, so this fact became something that Butcher Liu would boast to other people wherever he went. In fact, whenever his signboard was hung up, his meat business would grow more, especially in the market where he would cry out about the sausages and bacon he had made for the Yan Clan. Because of that, his ware would sell out immediately.

Sixth Grandfather, who was sitting at the main table in the courtyard, was the oldest senior member in Liuhe Town. He had been alive for 138 years including 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 live more than 120 years in the Great Han Empire, as well as being shown filial piety by his children and grandchildren at that age, this person could be called a ‘lucky man’, an auspicious symbol for good fortune. Sixth Grandfather was the lucky man in Liuhe Town. Back when Sixth Grandfather was young, he was a town constable for Liuhe Town. He was the person who was initially in charge of private schools that taught people to read and write, and he also managed the roads through the fields that led to the outside of the town.

Over the years, children from any family in this town who reached their hundred days would have to be brought to Sixth Grandfather so that he could touch their heads. After that, their family would ask for one of Sixth Grandfather’s bowls to give to their children for their meals. By doing so, they believed that this would allow their children to easily grow up and be free from illnesses and disasters. Therefore, Sixth Grandfather gained 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 the morning and still be able to practice his fist techniques for a while. At night, he would insist on drinking fruit wine of five maces too. On an occasion such as today, Yan Dechang naturally seated Sixth Grandfather at the main table with Yan Liqiang as soon as he arrived at the Yan Residence. The others sitting at the main table were all influential families of some prestige in Liuhe Town. These people were all listening to Sixth Grandfather talking about the history of Liuhe Town while 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 smile of his face while listening and nodding his head at the same time. Upon seeing how respectful Yan Liqiang was toward his elders, the villagers in the courtyard were secretly nodding in approval at this behavior. In their minds, they were noting that 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 came to the Yan Residence for the first time, he was highly 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 am old now, I used to be young too. I have walked the world of martial arts before with weapons in hand, and met a Provincial Governor who is a top high-ranking official 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 am deeply moved. Those gentries and dignitaries are able to flourish because of mass financial assistance from a lot of people. Liqiang, now that you are doing well, you mustn’t forget the people in this town who are willing to assist you in any way and aspire you to become better. They will also be able to share your glory 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 them follow you to learn your skills, thus bringing 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 this matter. They were also secretly praising Sixth 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 someone like Sixth Grandfather could say the things that everyone wanted to say in their minds…

Yan Liqiang let out a wry smile. The Psychic Serpent in his mind had already seen through the thoughts of everyone adjacent to him in the courtyard…