I trade in both worlds

Chapter 329 Envy and Jealousy

The preparations for the buffet had already been carried out in an orderly manner. Outside the ancestral hall of Xu Zhuang, next to the makeshift stove, the chefs were sweating profusely, spatulas were flying, the fire was burning, and one dish after another, delicious and beautiful, was coming out of the oven.

The alluring fragrance drifted in the wind, attracting passers-by to stop and look at it with envy.

At noon, with the blast of the first firecracker, the buffet banquet in Xu Zhuang officially kicked off.

Villagers, old and young, flocked to Xuzhuang in an endless stream. They sat or stood, surrounding every table filled with delicious food, with laughter and joy intertwined.

The buffet was rich in dishes, with good color, aroma and flavor. The delicious fish was delicate and tender, the golden fried chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and there were all kinds of seasonal vegetables, fresh and delicious, leaving people with endless aftertaste.

The villagers tasted the delicious food and talked about the grand occasion of the examination, their words full of admiration and envy for the five scholars.

As the sun rose higher, the guests took their seats one after another.

Surrounded by the crowd, the old patriarch Xu Kai slowly walked up to the makeshift platform.

He was wearing a long robe, cleared his throat, and announced in a loud voice: "Today, we in Xu Village are gathered together because of five scholars. This is the honor of my Xu family."

"Let us raise our glasses together, to the future of our children, to the dedication of Mr. Li and Mr. Chen, and to our scholars! Cheers!"

Below the stage, there was thunderous applause and cheers.

The five scholars, Li Mufeng, Xu Jin, Xu Zhun, Xu Weihao and Chen Xingrui, dressed in neat long gowns, stood respectfully beside the old patriarch, their faces filled with youthful smiles.

During the banquet, Mr. Li Wenyuan was invited to the stage to give a speech. He held a wine glass in his hand, his eyes gentle but firm: "My fellow villagers, today's happiness is not the result of my efforts alone."

"It is the children's hard work day and night, the support of the clan leader and clan members, and the spirit of 'diligent learning and great virtue' that the Xu clan has always upheld that have enabled us to achieve today's success."

"I sincerely hope that this honor can inspire more children to strive for progress and let the light of knowledge illuminate every corner."

The villagers who were eating at the banquet looked at Li Wenyuan on the stage, their eyes full of envy and admiration.

They all discussed that if their children could also go to the Xu clan school to study, maybe they could pass the examination and become a scholar.

"Oh, I heard that Xu Village has produced five scholars this time. I'm afraid the Xu family is going to rise." A villager at the table sighed to others.

"Yes, yes. Especially that Li Mufeng, who was the top candidate in the case, and it is said that he is also something like Yuan." Another villager echoed.

He was holding a piece of braised pork that he had just picked up from the table, and he was praising the food while eating it.

"That's called Xiao Sanyuan, which means getting first place in the county examination, prefectural examination, and academy examination." The villager sitting opposite the man explained, his tone full of praise and admiration for Li Mufeng.

"That's so amazing." A young mother, holding a little boy of five or six years old in her hands, had anticipation glittering in her eyes.

"Hey, do you think we can send our children to the Xu clan school?"

An old man nearby shook his head upon hearing this, with a helpless tone in his voice: "It's difficult. The Xu clan school doesn't accept students from outside. I heard that a few days ago, several families wanted to send their children in, but they were all rejected by the old clan leader."

"That's a pity," sighed the young mother.

The banquet lasted for six days, and such scenes were played out every day.

On the other side, in Yangjiaao, the old house of the Yang family was shrouded in dark clouds, and the atmosphere was so depressing that it was hard to breathe. Li Laidi sat in front of the stove with an angry look on his face, cursing non-stop.

She was envious and jealous in her heart, and she couldn't accept that Xu Xu was living a better life after the divorce than she expected.

"That jinx, that unlucky girl, I shouldn't have let her in in the first place." Li Laidi's voice was sharp and harsh, as if he wanted to pour out all the dissatisfaction and resentment in his heart.

Yang Laosan was smoking his pipe with a sad face. He seemed to have gotten used to Li Laidi's scolding. He would only look up occasionally and then lower his head again.

He sighed helplessly and tried to dissuade her: "Okay, stop scolding, it's been so long."

"How can I not curse?" Li Laidi stood up suddenly, put his hands on his hips, and his eyes were full of resentment: "Look at the Xu family, how prosperous they are now. They have two scholars, and maybe they can even become juren or jinshi in the future. But what about our family?"

"It sounds good, but being a Beijing official doesn't give us any benefits. Even Yang Erzhu is being controlled by that hen that doesn't lay eggs. If he's told to go east, he won't dare to go west."

"He hasn't come back to see us for three or four years. What's the point of giving him one thousand taels a year? His monthly expenses in his mansion are probably more than one thousand taels."

She had always been resentful about Xiao Xiangxiang sending a nanny to threaten her, but she was the daughter of a general and she was just an ordinary peasant woman.

Although he could rely on Yang Erzhu, and Yang Erzhu had to rely on his father-in-law, Li Laidi didn't dare to offend Xiao Xiangxiang at all.

Over the past few years, she could only curse a few words behind closed doors, and she didn't even dare to go to the capital, for fear that Xiao Xiangxiang would kill her.

Yang Laosan frowned upon hearing this, but did not refute. He knew in his heart that what his wife said was true.

Ever since his son Yang Erzhu married Xiao Xiangxiang, the daughter of a fourth-rank general, he seemed to be tied to the capital, and he could only go home a few times.

Although the one thousand taels of silver given to the family every year was not a small amount, it was only a small amount compared to the annual expenses of the Yang Mansion in the capital.

Moreover, they had been married for ten years but only had one daughter. In Yang Lao San's opinion, having no offspring was more important than anything else.

"Even if her brother passes the exam to become a scholar, so what? We don't even know if he has the luck to pass the exam to become a juren. Why are you so proud? He even sets up a buffet. Aren't you afraid of getting your stomach ache after eating?" Li Laidi cursed with saliva flying at the mouth, with resentment flashing in his eyes.

Yang Laosan's pipe was lingering between his fingers, and his expression became increasingly heavy. "How could Xu Xu be so capable? He raised several children by himself and even paid for their education."

"Hmph, no matter how capable she is, she was still kicked out by our Yang family." Li Laidi snorted coldly, his tone full of disdain: "Besides, who knows where her money comes from? Maybe it's..."

"Shut up!" Yang Lao San suddenly shouted, interrupting Li Laidi's words: "How dare you slander her casually? Not to mention that she has an imperial decree, just say that the Xu family knows about it, aren't you afraid that they will bring people to make trouble?"

Li Laidi was so frightened by Yang Laosan's shout that he shrank his neck, but he still muttered unwillingly: "I just can't swallow this breath. Why does Xu Xu have such a glorious life?"