Chapter 305: Hundred-Family Banquet

Qian Youyu was released from prison, and before he even arrived at Suxi Town, the news had already arrived.

I rented a minibus and stuffed the people from Laoyingzui in Yuetang Village into one car. I wasn't worried at all about them arguing now; after being released from prison, the unprecedentedly harmonious expression they showed made others feel as if they were all long-lost brothers, hugging each other after shaking hands and crying their eyes out.

They had fought a muddled fight and sat in prison for no reason. Suddenly being released, they naturally felt like they were seeing the light of day again. All the resentment and anger had vanished during the dozens of days of darkness. Moreover, when they stood before me in a row, I said one sentence: "A smile at the meeting wipes away all grudges; you are all brothers, don't pick up weapons. Those who want to continue sitting in prison can continue to make trouble, those who want to live a good life, follow me!"

When the car arrived at Laoyingzui and had just stopped steadily, a group of people poured out from the front and back of the car, led by Zhao Dequan, who laid out long strips of firecrackers on the ground. Before anyone had even gotten out of the car, the firecrackers had already exploded, and the red scraps of firecrackers filled the sky, instantly covering the ground. It added countless joy to the desolate winter earth.

Zhao Dequan was a man who knew the times. In the fragrant smell of firecrackers, he ran to the car, grabbed Qian Youyu's hand, bowed deeply, and grinned.

Qian Youyu's eyes searched everywhere. I knew he was looking for Yue Bai. But in such a situation, he should learn to cope! So I pushed him and signaled Zhao Dequan's actions.

Only then did Qian Youyu react and hurriedly bowed to Zhao Dequan.

The two of them bowed back and forth as if it would never end, causing the surrounding villagers to burst into laughter.

Just as it was getting lively, a burst of firecrackers sounded, and then I saw Sun Demao leading a group of people, carrying a jar of wine and holding a large stack of bowls.

The two bosses met, looked at each other, and both turned red-eyed, choking with sobs as they patted each other's arms.

Sun Demao greeted his own people to open the wine jar, poured a full bowl, and handed it to Qian Youyu, then poured one for himself—there was actually no share for me. The two of them clinked bowls heroically and drank it down in one gulp. After drinking, they both wiped their chins and grinned.

Qian Youyu threw the bowl onto the ground, smashing it against a stone into pieces, looked around, and shouted again, "I, Hu Hansan, have returned!"

Sun Demao followed suit and smashed his bowl against the stone. The two of them stood before me in a row, suddenly bowed deeply, and said with infinite emotion, "From now on, we will follow Town Mayor Chen!"

Zhao Dequan didn't miss the opportunity to applaud, and the surrounding villagers joined in the commotion, the atmosphere lively and happy.

The families of the few people who had been arrested this time, after crying and sobbing for a while, all stood before me. Before I could react, they all knelt down with a thud.

My heart panicked; I couldn't help this one or that one. In a hurry, I simply knelt down as well.

The villagers were startled by my action. Zhao Dequan and Sun Demao pulled me up from the ground, one on each side. Their eyes were filled with tears as they said solemnly, "Town Mayor Chen, you should just accept their bow."

I knew the simplicity of the villagers! In their view, only by kneeling could they express their gratitude!

After a lively while, Zhao Dequan waved his hand and said, "Town Mayor Chen, today our Laoyingzui is holding a Hundred-Family Banquet! Let's go, let's go drink!"

The Laoyingzui Hundred-Family Banquet was famous in the surrounding ten miles and eight villages. Previously, this custom was only held during the New Year; on the first day of the Lunar New Year, every household in the village would take out three dishes, place them in the village's ancestral hall, and all the men, women, and children in the village would gather together to eat and drink for a day.

In the past, one could tell at a glance at the Hundred-Family Banquet which daughter-in-law in Laoyingzui Village was clever, which was virtuous, and which was exceptionally stupid by the dishes they brought.

This rule had not existed since the Cultural Revolution. Today, Zhao Dequan suddenly proposed it, clearly he had been prepared for a long time.

Being able to eat the Hundred-Family Banquet was a blessing! It was fate! Sun Demao laughed and said he would be responsible for the wine. Qian Youyu couldn't take out anything, so he had to lean close to me and ask softly, "I want to give everyone a red envelope, but I don't have any money on me. What should I do?"

I patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I'm here."

Qian Youyu had previously given me a 50,000 yuan red envelope, which I had never touched. Today, encountering his thought, it was just the right time to use it.

Laoyingzui Village currently had no ancestral hall, so there was no place to set up the Hundred-Family Banquet.

Sun Demao gave a shout, and they took steel pipes and plastic sheets from the construction site to set up a shed on the spot. All the villagers, plus the people Sun Demao had left at the construction site, all went into action together. In less than an hour, a large shed that could accommodate hundreds of people was erected under the old locust tree in the center of the village.

The cold wind was biting, but it couldn't disperse everyone's enthusiasm.

The first bowl was served: stir-fried scallions with cured meat, the fragrance was mouth-watering. Then the women of each family came out of their homes one after another, each carrying a wooden tray, offering the best dishes of their families, using all their life's skills.

I was marveling when I suddenly saw Yue Bai, with a white handkerchief tied around her hair, also carrying a wooden tray, walking over gracefully.

Qian Youyu stared blankly, his hands unconsciously fumbling, and he actually fumbled into my hands, grabbing one and refusing to let go no matter what.

I laughed, "Old Qian, why are you nervous?"

Qian Youyu swallowed a mouthful of saliva and praised, "A fairy, truly a fairy."

I knew he was talking about Yue Bai, so I teased him, "Old Qian, you look at an old sow now, and it's double-eyelided, believe it or not?"

Sun Demao on the side heard this and laughed until he fell backward, slapping his face with his hand.

Yue Bai walked straight toward us, smiled sweetly, and placed the tray in her hand on the Eight Immortals table in front of us. There were three bowls of dishes: a bowl of stir-fried cured sausage with white chili, a bowl of braised wild rabbit meat, and a bowl of stir-fried taro stalks with fermented black beans, sprinkled with a layer of green onions on top. It was red and green, looking quite beautiful.

Seeing our surprised look, Yue Bai pursed her lips and smiled, "What's wrong? For the Hundred-Family Banquet, can my Zhao family not count as a share?"

"Of course, of course!" Qian Youyu was the first to express approval. He stood up, looked at Yue Bai, stuttered for a long time, and squeezed out two words: "Virtuous."

Sun Demao couldn't wait to reach out to pick up the food, but was pulled by Zhao Dequan on the side, so he retracted his hand, glared at Zhao Dequan, and said, "What? Can't I eat it?"

Yue Bai laughed, "The food is made to be eaten. Where can't you eat it? It's just that the Hundred-Family Banquet has a rule: the person who takes the first chopstick must be a person of high virtue and prestige. If Boss Sun feels he meets the requirements, naturally he can take the first chopstick."

These words, half soft and half hard, made Sun Demao's face turn half red. He had to laugh awkwardly, pointed at me, and said, "If we are talking about high virtue and prestige, besides Town Mayor Chen, who else could it be?"

I waved both hands and said, "Boss Sun is joking. What virtue or ability do I have? I dare not take on such a heavy responsibility. Besides, this Hundred-Family Banquet is the first time it has been restored in Laoyingzui Village in thirty years, how can an outsider like me take the first chopstick?"

Qian Youyu kept staring at Yue Bai, and no matter what we said, he wasn't moved. It was as if in the whole world, except for Yue Bai, everything else was floating clouds and not in his eyes.

Yue Bai clearly felt it. She intentionally avoided Qian Youyu's gaze and said to me, "Town Mayor Chen, come home with me, I have another dish that needs someone to help."

I was hesitating when Qian Youyu volunteered, "I'll go, I'll go. I can help."

Yue Bai smiled faintly and said, "You and Boss Sun sit here and wait. You are guests of Suxi Town, and Town Mayor Chen is the host, so naturally, the host should entertain you guests."

Since it had reached this point, I couldn't refuse, so I had to get up and follow her home.

I had been to Yue Bai's house many times, and every time there was something heart-stirring waiting for me. Along the way, I met several daughters-in-law carrying trays and walking hurriedly. Seeing me, they all stepped aside, their faces full of smiles.

Yue Bai walking in front, her plump buttocks swaying, made my heart sway.

I tried hard to suppress my wild spirit and looked straight ahead.

Suddenly, a thought grew wildly in my heart: if on such a day of village-wide celebration, I could have a secret affair with Yue Bai in her house, how crazy and exciting it would be!

Once this thought arose, it could not be suppressed! I slapped my face hard, the sound making Yue Bai turn to look at me. Perhaps she had guessed my thoughts; she looked at me deeply, pursed her lips, smiled, and quickened her pace. ===== CHAPTER 306 =====