Chapter 44: Chapter 43 Very Thick Thighs Chapter 44: Chapter 43 Very Thick Thighs Mr. Luo!
Luo Jin?
Yang Zhenshan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Something’s not right!
Since when did he have such prestige that Mr. Lu and the County Magistrate himself would pay a personal visit?
Although he was going to Chongshan Pass to hold the trial post of Hundred Households and be a garrison commander, it didn’t seem to warrant such attention from the Lu family and Luo Jin.
The ranks of military officers were inflated; a Trial Hundred Households of the Secondary Sixth Rank was actually inferior to those Eighth- or Ninth-Rank officials in the county government.
Even if he was a Hundred Households, it shouldn’t cause the Lu family and Luo Jin to take the initiative to cozy up to him.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration crossed Yang Zhenshan’s mind.
Was it not for him?
Then what for?
What did he have that was worth their attention?
The Yang family had nothing, but Chongshan Pass did!
Zhou Lan!
The only possibility Yang Zhenshan could think of was Zhou Lan.
Who was Zhou Lan?
The Guerrilla General of the Left Camp at Chongshan Pass. Merely this should not have been enough for the Lu family and Luo Jin to be so eager, but don’t forget that Zhou Lan came from Duke Ning Mansion.
Having any ties to Duke Ning Mansion, even indirectly, was not to be underestimated in Anning County.
All of a sudden, Yang Zhenshan felt as if there was a very thick and sturdy leg in front of him.
Holding onto a thigh for support!
Yang Zhenshan felt he should give it a try.
Unfortunately, he did not know if Zhou Lan’s thigh was available for him to grab onto.
Tsk.
Not that kind of thigh at all, not the same thing.
Coming back to his senses, Yang Zhenshan smiled and said, “Mr. Lu, let us go forward to greet them!”
“Certainly!” Mr. Lu replied.
Although the Lu family was a prominent family in Anning County and need not fear a Seventh-Rank County Magistrate, Mr. Lu was still a commoner. In terms of his own standing, he was not qualified to pose in front of Luo Jin.
The two of them stepped forward just as Luo Jin was getting out of the carriage.
“Mr. Zhengshan, I have come uninvited, please forgive me!” Luo Jin looked at Yang Zhenshan with a smiling gaze, then turned to Mr. Lu, “Mr. Lu is also here?”
“I, the humble one, pay my respects to the esteemed County Magistrate!” Yang Zhenshan gave a bow of greeting.
“The elderly has seen Mr. Luo!” Mr. Lu also bowed.
“Mr. Zhengshan, this isn’t right; you are no longer a commoner, you are now the Trial Hundred Households of Chongshan Pass!” Luo Jin cupped his hands as a return gesture, then reached out to help Yang Zhenshan and Mr. Lu to their feet.
“I and Mr. Lu have not met for some time, we should have a good chat today!”
Clearly, Luo Jin knew about Yang Zhenshan’s assignment to Chongshan Pass and naturally knew of Zhou Lan’s visit to Yang Family Village.
Yang Zhenshan didn’t bother with whatever he had in mind, exchanging pleasantries before inviting them all into the village.
However, he did not arrange for Luo Jin and Mr. Lu on the street in front of his own home, but had Yang Zhengxiang set up a table of wine and dishes in the house.
No special arrangement from Yang Zhenshan was needed; upon noticing Mr. Lu’s arrival, Yang Zhengxiang had already made arrangements.
Though Yang Zhengxiang was elderly, he wasn’t senile and naturally knew that the Lu family, unlike others, could not be seated in an outdoor setting.
The purpose of Luo Jin’s visit was the same as Mr. Lu’s – they both wanted to make Yang Zhenshan’s acquaintance.
Yang Zhenshan’s guess was correct; they had come because of Zhou Lan.
However, there was one thing Yang Zhenshan got wrong; they were not looking to connect with Zhou Lan. To put it unpleasantly, they were not qualified to form ties with Zhou Lan.
Their goal was simply to foster good relations with Yang Zhenshan alone.
Yang Zhenshan felt that the Yang family was not qualified to be friends with the Lu family or Luo Jin, and Luo Jin and the Lu family also had self-awareness; they were not qualified to associate with Duke Ning Mansion.
And Zhou Lan’s personal visit to Yang Family Village to look for Yang Zhenshan was a sign of great respect for him. With this respect, Yang Zhenshan now had the qualifications to become friends with Luo Jin and the Lu family.
Due to the deliberate friendliness of Luo Jin and Mr. Lu, the banquet was a very enjoyable affair, a true delight for both the guests and the host.
The banquet lasted two hours, and it was only after that time that the two men got up to take their leave.
Yang Zhenshan and Yang Zhengxiang together saw them off from Yang Family Village, watching them leave before they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
However, this breath was short-lived, as they had to summon their energy once again to attend to the other guests.
The arrival of Mr. Lu and Luo Jin brought much liveliness to the banquet.
The invited guests were extremely surprised by this and looked at the Yang family with newfound respect, their attitudes even warmer when they left.
Today’s banquet was truly exhausting to hold.
Welcoming guests took over two hours, partaking in the feast took another hour, and seeing off guests took yet another hour.
After an entire day, Yang Zhenshan felt his mouth parched and his voice hoarse from talking.
Yang Zhengxiang felt even dizzier; after all, he was of an older age and his energy was not as abundant.
By the time Yang Zhenshan had sent off the Li and Wang families, who were related by marriage, it was nearing dusk. Dragging his tired body, he returned home.
Once the banquet was over, the villagers helped clean up everything inside and out.
When Yang Zhenshan got home, only his own family members were left, sorting through the gifts brought by the guests.
Those coming to the feast naturally couldn’t come empty-handed.
Today, the Yang family received a courtyard full of gifts.
Looking at the gifts filling the yard, Yang Zhenshan said with a look of astonishment on his face: “Why are there so many?”
The gifts in the yard were clearly divided, with the left side filled with agricultural products such as chickens, ducks, eggs, and meat, while the gifts on the right were much more neatly organized, packaged in exquisite boxes or covered with oilcloth.
“Dad, these are from the Lu family and Mr. Luo, those are from the other guests!” Yang Mingcheng ran over and pointed out the gifts on each side.
Yang Zhenshan had already guessed as much but was still surprised.
“Wow, did we make a huge profit from this banquet?”
“Not just a huge profit, we made a killing!” Yang Mingzhi also ran over, saying excitedly.
To hold this banquet, Yang Zhenshan had actually spent quite a bit.
He had hired the best chefs from the city, generously providing all kinds of poultry and meats, preparing over twenty tables with an average cost of more than one Silver per table.
Originally, he thought hosting a banquet would be a loss, which is why he told Yang Zhengxiang that he would cover the banquet’s expenses himself. But as it turned out, the banquet was not only not a loss but made them a tidy sum.
However, the profit was mainly from the gifts of the Lu family and Luo Jin.
Even if the banquet expenses came from within the clan, the gifts from the Lu family and Luo Jin were for Yang Zhenshan.
Yang Zhenshan stepped forward to inspect the gifts from the Lu family and Luo Jin.
Ink, paper, brushes, inkstones, gold and silver jewelry, silk fabrics, pelts, and medicinal materials, the quantity was no less than what Zhou Lan had previously sent.
However, in terms of value, certainly, the gifts from Zhou Lan were more precious, and in terms of sincerity, Zhou Lan’s were delivered with greater intent.
Looking at these items, Yang Zhenshan thought for a moment and said, “Let’s store them for now, we will have to reciprocate later.”
Now that they had received gifts from Luo Jin and the Lu family, if Luo Jin and the Lu family needed something in the future, they would need to send gifts in return.
Since they came to the banquet, naturally, there must be a reciprocal exchange of courtesies.
If their relationship became even closer, then during festivals they would also need to send holiday gifts.
For prestigious families, this reciprocal exchange of gifts was very important and represented the willingness to maintain a friendly relationship.
And for the Yang family to develop and grow stronger, they could not avoid interacting with some of the established prestigious families.
Even more, the Yang family had to take the initiative to make friends with these established families.
Yang Zhenshan had not considered so much before, but with Luo Jin’s and Mr. Lu’s visits this time, he had to think about these matters.
The Yang family was busy once more, finally arranging all the gifts properly.
But looking at the pile of gifts atop the Kang bed, Yang Zhenshan felt a headache coming on.
Their home was running out of space to even keep the gifts, truly a “happy problem”.
Yang Zhenshan began to entertain the idea of building a new house.