amaotonovel Chapter 982 Flowing Seat
Chapter 982 Flowing Seat
Tie Zhu and his group's gifts were much heavier, but Chen and the others didn't seem to care.
The relationships are all different.
They were close friends with Qian Fengping, while Tie Zhu and Fang Tong were sworn brothers.
Everyone was already very happy to receive the gifts.
Dog Egg, wearing a wool cloak, glanced towards the backyard: "Tongzi, is there frozen venison and beef in the backyard?"
Look at that, he's clearly craving it.
Fang Tong scoffed at him: "On New Year's Eve, everyone comes to my house to eat."
Well, we don't plan to use the venison for the banquet tomorrow.
This stuff is so expensive! Fang Tong is still the same stingy Fang Tong; he just wants the good stuff to go to his own people.
"Okay!" Gou Dan was delighted.
He needs to take some extra care so he can become a father next year.
"Hey, why isn't Xiao Hu here today?" Tie Zhu was happy, but then he realized something was wrong.
“He went to the prefectural city to ship goods,” Sun Dacheng said.
Originally, he intended to go along to broaden his horizons and make connections.
But that little girl, Mu Lianxin, followed.
After thinking it over, he realized that being a third wheel wouldn't be good, so he decided not to go.
Hopefully, Little Tiger will get married soon.
The Qin family courtyard was bustling for a long time before it finally quieted down.
Early in the morning, the family began preparing for the banquet. Fang Nanzhi had already boarded the carriage; she was going to the prefectural city.
She used to receive acupuncture every two days, but yesterday she found a new acupuncture technique and will now receive acupuncture every day.
Therefore, she brought not only a medicine box but also a lot of homework with her when she boarded the carriage.
Otherwise, with her constantly traveling back and forth, she wouldn't have time to do anything else.
Wei Dao was still driving the carriage. The carriage had already left the gate when Fang Nanzhi remembered something, lifted the curtain and called out, "Dad, leave some goose for me."
Today's banquet includes stewed goose, but she probably won't get to eat it. What a pity, boohoo.
Before Fang Tong could speak, Fang Yin said, "Don't worry, your second uncle has hidden a goose leg for you."
Fang Nanzhi was now satisfied.
Once the carriage left the village, she calmed down and began to read and memorize.
Anmei, who was serving nearby, saw this but did not show it on her face. In her heart, she admired her. The young lady was really amazing. She was not only smart but also hardworking. No wonder she was different from ordinary young ladies.
No wonder His Highness... values it so much.
Fang Nanzhi's departure did not affect the Qin family's lively atmosphere.
It can be said that after they returned to the village, all the excitement in the village was concentrated at the Qin family's house.
Especially regarding the county magistrate's visit, the old village chief privately went from house to house and said a few words about it.
It's not for any other reason than to let the villagers know that copper and silver are different now.
They don't act like officials in front of us because they're old friends, but we can't be ungrateful.
Things like saying behind someone's back that Qian Fengping is a widow who brings bad luck to her husband, that Fang Yin is a fool, or that Fang Tong is nonsensical—these kinds of things can no longer be said.
Furthermore, this isn't just a village quarrel; it's private discussion about officials appointed by the imperial court. That could get you arrested and flogged.
The warned crowd: How could they dare? They really wouldn't dare.
Not to mention now, even a few years ago, when Fang Tong became successful in business and led the whole village to a better life, they dared not gossip about him behind his back.
I was mainly worried that Fang Tong really held a grudge, so I wouldn't need you anymore.
Also, the old village chief emphasized that it was a continuous banquet.
People hold banquets out of consideration for their fellow villagers, but the guests who come are not ordinary people.
If the county magistrate is coming, other officials might also come.
With so many people here, and you all dressed so filthyly, you're bringing shame to the whole village!
It would be shameful for you to rush to eat the meat after it's served, without waiting for the important people to even pick up their chopsticks.
It's even worse if you haven't even taken a couple of bites before recklessly pulling out a bag to pack up the meat dishes on the table.
Do you all understand the importance of eating elegantly at a banquet?
The villagers understood. Sigh, there are so many rules for going to a feast. We never used to do this when we went to other people's homes.
They would snatch the meat from the feast, take it home, and then boast about it throughout the village, letting everyone know how capable they were.
just now……
Well, even though the village chief has set some rules, everyone is still looking forward to the feast.
The Qin family is very capable. Attending their banquet can help build a closer relationship. Besides, the food is sure to be delicious.
So everyone rummaged through their homes, searching for decent clothes.
Some people only have spring clothes without patches, so they wear a tattered cotton-padded jacket inside and a spring garment on top.
Some people, unable to find patched clothes, have to borrow from relatives and friends...
They also have dignity.
Besides these two points, the old village chief also put aside his airs and found young wives from each household.
Don't get me wrong, he's not an old lewd man.
He was just offering some pointers.
Fang Yin returned with his wife.
Look at that woman, do you see her? We can't even recognize what she's wearing or what she's carrying, but it's all high-quality stuff. Just look at her coming and going; she's served by four maids. She's a young lady from a wealthy family, different from you.
Don't go to the banquet; you'll just get people gossiping and nagging.
But you can't ignore them. You have to be eloquent and chat with them. You have to talk about interesting things in the mountains or Fang Yin's past. You can't just casually touch their jewelry or clothes, you know?
Young wives: ...
Got it, so it means to worship Fang Yin's wife?
The old village chief was still worried, so he selected a few gossipy, opportunistic wives and warned them not to go near Meng Lan.
His original words were: "Fang Yin is now a great general, a great support for our whole village. He has brought his wife back, and our whole village must do our best to give him face and make his wife feel like she has come home."
Essentially, the whole village had to treat Fang Yin like their own child.
When a child becomes successful, learns to cultivate cabbages, and brings cabbages back home, the whole village should be filled with enthusiasm, but also maintain a sense of propriety.
The village elders thought what he said made a lot of sense, and privately taught it to their daughters-in-law again.
The Fang brothers were unaware of the secret dealings the old village chief and the villagers made to secure this meal.
Tie Zhu and the others had heard a little about it, but they pretended not to know.
They felt that the old village chief was right. There were some things that the Fang brothers shouldn't ask for help on their own, and it would be much more convenient for the village chief to do them.
In short, early in the morning, the aunts and young wives dressed in their best and came to the Qin family to help.
With so many dishes at a banquet, everyone has to come and help prepare them.
Although Qin Yan hired a chef through Yu Zhenghai, the more assistants the better.
"Is all this fish deep-fried?"
Ms. Chen was carrying a large basin filled with cleaned and scaled silver carp.
"Yes, deep-fry first, then bake," the chef chimed in during a break.
Qin Gaofei's wife, Xiao Heshi, was wearing an apron and holding a kitchen knife in one hand, chopping radishes with a clanging sound.
He worked all morning without slacking off or trying to curry favor with Qian Fengping.
Her personality is completely different from before.
There was nothing she could do; she was a pragmatic person.
Qian Fengping is now an official's wife, and her brother-in-law is a general, far superior to her. All her previous resentment and jealousy have vanished.
All she wants to do now is curry favor with people.
People who try to curry favor are afraid of missing out, like the He family.
With such a lively scene, doesn't Madam He want to come? It's just that she doesn't dare to come. She's done too many disgusting things before, and she no longer has the chance to come and curry favor.
She's gone, but Little He's still here.
Therefore, she cherishes it and she has to work hard.
If you curry favor with her, her son will have a powerful backer when he takes the imperial examinations and becomes an official.
The kitchen was bustling with activity, and three young wives who knew how to say "nice things" were assigned to keep Qian Fengping and Meng Lan company and prevent them from getting bored.
Okay, mainly to keep Meng Lan company.
Qian Fengping also had to go out from time to time to check what was missing or where everything was.
“In our area, when a bride gets married, she can ride in an oxcart with a red rope tied to the ox, which is considered a good omen.”
"Yes, yes, Fang Yin's wife, you've never ridden in an oxcart before? Fang Yin will take you on one later, it's quite fun."
It's not fun at all, it's just bouncing your butt around.
But since the young lady from the wealthy family has never ridden in one before, she might as well give it a try.
It's like playing a game.
"Fang Yin was strong since he was a child. Five or six children couldn't beat him. He was the most capable person in our whole village, and he was also handsome."
"Well, the reason we didn't arrange a marriage earlier was because Old Master Fang was biased and didn't give any betrothal gifts. But, to use a storyteller's words, what do you call it? It's just that our fate hadn't arrived yet. Meeting you, isn't that our fate?"
"The mountains around our village are so much fun! In spring there are red berries, in summer there are... and chestnuts... Some wild vegetables are bitter, some are delicious, Fang Yin loves them..."
The three young wives racked their brains to keep the conversation going; since they couldn't talk about poetry and songs, they chatted about interesting things.
To be honest, Meng Lan listened with great interest.
Qian Fengping, however, listened in for a while and found it strange.
The villagers don't usually chat like this.
It wasn't that I disliked it before, but there were too many tree roots and grass on the mountain, and I could easily slip and fall.
There are so few wild fruits growing on the mountain that we can't get any every year.
We're out of vegetables at home again, so we have no choice but to eat wild vegetables?
Watching them rack their brains for words to showcase the "beauty" of the village, Qian Fengping tried hard to suppress her laughter so as not to undermine them.
That's good too. With them around, my sister-in-law won't be too bored.
In the courtyard, the men were busy setting up tables and arranging seating, while most others were chatting in small groups.
"Did you count them just now? There were more than a dozen horses in total. They were all very energetic, and each one must have cost at least thirty or forty taels."
"Tsk!" someone scoffed. "You're so ignorant. Haven't you heard that the general rides a thousand-mile horse? A thousand-mile horse is worth a thousand pieces of gold."
Everyone gasped in astonishment. A thousand jin—they couldn't even imagine how much that was.
"What is a thoroughbred horse?" someone asked.
"How would I know? It's definitely a good horse!"
Everyone scoffed, wondering what he was talking about.
However, they quickly changed the subject.
"Those guards, each carrying a knife, looked fierce. I inquired and found out that the captain in charge was sent by the Meng family, that is, by Fang Yin's father-in-law."
"Hey, isn't Fang Yin a gigolo?" someone blurted out, not thinking straight.
People around him quickly moved away from him, wishing they had never met him.
Before the person could react and realize what they had said wrong, just as they were about to ask, they were slapped on the shoulder.
He turned his head and was met with Shang Yin's solemn face.
The man's heart pounded. He was doomed. Someone had overheard him talking badly, and the village chief said he might get a beating.
Oh my god, he really didn't mean it, and it wasn't exactly a bad thing he said, he just said it offhand.
"Did you say I'm a kept man?" Fang Yin asked, frowning.
The man became even more frightened, his eyes scanning the people around him, but everyone avoided his gaze.
He was furious, but in this crucial moment, he had to rely on himself: "What I mean is, Yinzi, your father-in-law is good, he cares about you as his son-in-law. Your wife is good too, she has a capable family."
That's not a very good way to explain it.
But Fang Yin nodded happily.
“That’s right, brother, you have good taste. My wife and master are both very good. Of course, I’m not bad either. If I weren’t good-looking, I wouldn’t be able to live off a woman.”
In his mind, a man living off a woman is not a disgrace, but a compliment.
His third brother was a live-in son-in-law who lived off his wife's money. He ate very well and is now an official.
The third brother's only advantage in living off women was his good looks, a fact almost universally acknowledged in the family. (Except for Qian Fengping, who never commented on this.)
Fang Yin was very happy. He and his third brother were indeed brothers, both handsome and dashing, so he could also live off his wife.
The man was stunned for a while before he vaguely understood what he meant.
He finally got smart and went along with it: "That's right, in the Fang family, only you two brothers are good-looking, which is why you were able to find such capable wives. Now you are the most successful people in the whole village."
"Alas, people like us who are not good-looking are not as fortunate as you."
Fang Yin felt completely at ease listening to this and even comforted the other person in return.
"Don't say that, your wife is doing well too. By the way, let's have a good drink together later."
The man happily agreed.
other people:……
They remained silent until Fang Yin left, beaming with joy and touching his face.
Everyone suspected that Fang Yin's brain hadn't been completely cured, otherwise why would his thoughts be different from other men?
Sigh, is the emperor's judgment any good?
Regardless, Fang Yin is already a general.
It seems the old village chief's advance arrangements, with his wife helping Fang Yin save face, were correct.
What if Meng Lan discovers that Yin Zi's mind isn't quite right yet?
After a busy half-day, guests began to arrive one after another.
The first to arrive was Manager Hu of Juxianglou. He was very honored, as he hadn't expected the Fang family to remember him.
Someone was sent to the restaurant to find him and invite him to a banquet.
Shopkeeper Hu was so excited that he couldn't sleep well all night.
"This humble subject greets Lord Fang." Upon meeting, he would perform a grand salute.
Fang Tong quickly pulled the man away: "Brother Hu, you're being too kind. Since we're just inviting you here for drinks, we don't care about your status."
The word "brother" brought tears to Manager Hu's eyes.
Oh dear, it was fine when they used to be like brothers, but now Fang Tong is an official of the imperial court.
Before he could say anything, Fang Tong pulled his second brother along, saying, "Brother, our family was able to rise step by step, all thanks to Manager Hu's care in the beginning."
"Brother Hu," Fang Yin called out as well.
Manager Hu felt his knees go weak and wanted to kneel down.
He knew Fang Yin's current status, and stammered, "Oh, I... I... I can't accept that..."
Fang Tong gave him a disdainful look: "Brother Hu, it's been so long, why are you stuttering again? Stop stuttering, go sit down and relax for a while."
The tone and attitude were natural and friendly.
Although Manager Hu was still nervous, he was less reserved and, with someone's help, took his seat first.
Next came the owner of Taotielou, as well as some shopkeepers or owners in the county town with whom they had no prior dealings.
Most of them came uninvited.
They wanted to take this opportunity to befriend the Fang brothers, and since everyone who came brought generous gifts, they certainly couldn't turn them away.