After the Xu family discussed the business with several clan elders, they were accompanied by the eldest wife of the clan to the central hall to meet the female relatives of the clan.
In the east room, only a few elders of the clan were left.
The old man from the third room went through the seven young men nominated by Xu in his mind, and felt at ease. Shen Zhu was the first among the seven in terms of appearance and academic qualifications.
If the second brother and the third brother only adopt one person, then the old man of the third brother will not know. After all, there is Shen Rui, who has a deeper relationship with the second brother, and Shen Jue, who is older and more mature than the heir. Now that there are three people to adopt, With his great-grandson's qualifications, there is no way he would be on the list.
What he has to do now is to wait for the banquet to go home and have a good time, and don't let Shen Zhu be reluctant. Otherwise, if he is so cold-faced and unpopular, why would the second house masters choose him?
The Ninth House Master was worried about gains and losses. If there was no hope at all, he would give up. Now his direct grandson is also on the list of candidates for Beijing, but his qualifications are not outstanding, and he can go up or down.
On the contrary, the eighth master is the calmest. It is a good thing that Shen Bao can be chosen, and it does not matter if he is not chosen. Why is it so easy to make an heir? It is difficult to let go of the separation of flesh and blood, even if it is for the sake of a good future for the child.
The patriarch of the clan was a little disappointed. He was not thinking about how reluctant he was to let go of his adopted grandson who had been raised by him, but lamented that the outstanding children of the clan were being left to pick and choose like cabbage. In the final analysis, the second family is still stronger now. , because the clan house is weak.
If it were another family, if the clan leader's lineage was strong, most of these matters of rise and fall would be determined by the clan leader's words, and heirs would be arranged according to the equality between Zhao and Mu, taking into account relatives far and near.
It's just that the tribesmen are tribesmen after all, not enemies, so there's no point in arguing.
Although it was too tough for a woman of the Xu family to deal with the matter of choosing an heir, the head of each household was more than willing to do so, so it was pointless for the clan chief to intervene.
Not to mention how the Xu family was socializing with the female family members in the middle hall, Shen took the steward and set up the table in the back hall. The eldest master of the same clan came over and invited the patriarch and several elders to the table.
There were a total of six seats in the back hall. The patriarch and the three clan elders took the first seat, the clan elder and the heads of each house took the second seats, and the second clan clan elder and the three elders of the third clan, with the word "yu", took the second seat. A few older married people of this generation took the second seat. The remaining young men of the Jade generation and the boys of the Wood generation sat at three seats respectively.
Although the person who posted the banquet today was the Xu family, she was a female family member after all. She didn't have the sense to entertain guests at the men's table, so she asked the clan eldest father and his son to help entertain the guests. She herself was in the middle hall, greeting everyone with the clan eldest wife. House female dependents.
Shen Rui, Shen Jue, Shen Bao and others all had similar names and good relations, so they naturally sat at the same table.
When Shen Bao saw that the whole hall was full of relatives and there were no outsiders, he asked, "Sir, you are my cousin, why haven't we met yet?"
Shen Jue said helplessly: "I heard that it was arranged by Aunt Cang. She only asked people to prepare a separate table for the guest house, but did not ask them to come over to eat."
Shen Qin asked in confusion: "If you don't need those seats, why do you have to set up a separate table?"
Shen Jue looked around and said, "Maybe it's because today is the Shen family banquet. Several cousins came over, but many of them I don't know, and there are so many elders that I feel uncomfortable here."
Shen Bao couldn't sit still and said in a low voice: "Brother Jue, let's get down from the table quickly and go see Mr. and the others?"
Shen Jue was a little hesitant. Today he was on a mission and had to accompany the guests together with his father and brother. Needless to say, at the first table, the clan leader was there; at the second banquet, the clan elder was accompanying the guests; at the second banquet, although the second clan clan master was there, he could come to accompany the guests. It is Shen who is the one, after all, the second master has separated from the family and can be regarded as a guest when he returns to the clan house; the remaining three young men and boys have to be looked after by Shen Jue.
"I'll take you over later." Shen Jue saw Shen Bao's expectant face, and nodded after hesitating. They are all brothers and nephews of the clan, and there are no outsiders around, so there should be no one to pick on him.
The brothers of their tribe were enjoying themselves happily, but at the table where Shen Zhu and Shen Quan were sitting, several of the disciples looked at each other in silence. They were sitting next to the second seat, and the elders on the second seat did not cover their voices when speaking. So, they I learned that seven brothers from the clan will go to the capital together with the second wife's wife to visit the masters of the second room. On their table, there are two, Shen Zhu of the third room and Shen Quan of the fifth room.
Shen Zhu's face was so dark that he could cry out, but Shen Quan didn't care. His parents had long planned to ask him to travel to the capital. Taking advantage of the second wife's return to the capital, it would be a cheap thing to go with him, and it would also make his parents happy. Worry less.
Shen Quan never thought that the choice of heir would have anything to do with him, but he knew why Shen Zhu was unhappy.
It is no secret that the old man of the third house and the old man of the ninth house are both eyeing the position of the second house's heir. Shen Zhu has always been proud and arrogant. With all the stars in the family holding the moon, she is definitely not willing to curry favor with the second house.
At Shen Rui's table, the clan brothers were talking among themselves, and they mentioned that Shen Rui would go to Beijing with the second wife, which aroused everyone's envy.
Shen Rui thought of Wang Shouren and Shen Li, and felt a little hopeful. He was even more curious about the capital city five hundred years ago.
When Shen Bao saw this, he was about to make a move and asked Shen Rui: "Will Brother Rui follow him to Suzhou, or will he wait for his aunt to return from Suzhou and follow him north?"
Shen Rui thought about the geographical location of Suzhou and Songjiang, as well as the Xu family's big banquet for family members today, and said: "We should follow to Suzhou. Suzhou has a canal wharf."
When Shen Bao heard this, his eyes lit up: "Then...then...can I go with you and cousin He to Suzhou? I will come back after I send you off to the ship?"
Shen Rui was a little helpless when he heard this.
Doesn't this kind of thing for a child to travel far away require the consent of the parents first? Seeing how the old man from the eighth room behaves, I'm afraid he won't want his great-grandson to disturb the old lady from the second room who he doesn't know well.
Shen Bao obviously thought of this, his expression turned gloomy, and he laughed at himself: "Cousin He just said something like a child in Touwu, but I took it seriously. How could the elders agree?"
When Shen Qin saw this, she became helpless.
If it were the elders from other houses who were going out, Shen Bao really wanted to follow him and he could just say hello. However, the eldest wife of the second room was really not familiar with the other house heads. Even though Shen Bao was now the nephew of the eldest wife of the second room. It's better not to follow him blindly. After all, they are only the in-laws of the second wife in Suzhou, not the second wife's own family.
Because of this little episode, the table was always a little dull and not lively.
As hot dishes were served one after another, the hall became quiet, with only the sound of chopsticks falling.
Because he was thinking about taking Shen Bao to see Zhu Zhishan, Shen Jue put down his chopsticks after eating a bowl of rice. Seeing that Shen Rui and Shen Bao were about the same, he and his brothers from the same clans at the table loudly apologized and said hello to Shen Rui. , took three people to the guest house.
He Taizhi was having dinner with Zhu Yunming, and Wei Xiao was having dinner with He Taizhi. When they saw them coming, they immediately stood up happily to greet them.
Zhu Yunming and Principal Wei also put down their chopsticks.
Seeing that the food on the table had not yet been touched, Shen Jue hurriedly said: "The two cousins and cousin He will eat first. Let's go sit in the flower hall first."
Zhu Yunming and others also brought servants to serve them, and ordered tea to be served.
He Taizhi was impatient. After eating two mouthfuls of rice, he put down his rice bowl and ran to the flower hall to talk to everyone.
"Is your clan's banquet lively?" He Taizhi asked curiously.
The He family has only been prosperous for two generations. Although there are two old relatives in the countryside, they only chat in the autumn breeze every year and do not have much contact with each other.
Shen Jue smiled and shook his head: "This is just a small gathering of the direct descendants of each house. It can only be regarded as a small banquet. How can it be called a clan banquet?"
He Taizhi only knew that many carriages came to the front yard one after another in the afternoon. He heard that the clan banquet was divided into large banquets and small banquets, so he asked: "How many people are there in total and how many seats are held?"
Shen Jue counted the number of people in his mind silently and said: "There are four great-grandfathers, four grandfathers, ten uncles, twenty-four brothers, seven nephews, and there are a total of forty-five people in the family clan. Six seats were opened."
After hearing this, He Taizhi couldn't help but exclaimed: "With so many people, it's still a small banquet? How many seats should be held for a big banquet?"
"Forty or fifty seats. Anyway, one meal for the clan festival at the end of the year requires two dolphins and a hundred chickens and ducks." Shen Jue answered.
He Taizhi's eyes widened when he heard this: "You have so many Shen family members" and he was a little annoyed: "It's a pity that I will leave Songjiang with my aunt the day after tomorrow, and I won't be able to see such a lively scene."
Shen Bao reluctantly said: "You will leave the day after tomorrow? Can't you stay for a few more days?"
He Taizhi glanced at Shen Bao curiously and said, "Why do you ask, cousin Bao? Aren't you going to Suzhou with us?"
"Ah?" Shen Bao said in surprise, "Cousin He, wasn't he joking this morning? Suzhou is not close to Songjiang, so how can we just go there?"
When He Taizhi heard this, he couldn't help but laugh out loud. He turned his eyes around the young men of the Shen family and said with a smile: "Cousins, don't you know yet? My aunt said that I will bring you to Beijing as a guest. Today I should go with all the adults. I've said it." After that, he flexed his fingers and said: "The four of you, plus my cousin Quan, and two more people, there are seven people in total."
This time, even Shen Rui was surprised. He glanced at Shen Jue, then at Shen Qin and Shen Bao. He didn't expect that the second room would make such a big noise. He thought that the Xu family was really here to explore the candidates for heir this time. , the final candidate will not be decided for a while. The final candidate will not be finalized until Mrs. Xu has come to the conclusion and returns to the capital to discuss with the second house owner.
As for this candidate, the most likely candidate is Shen Jue. In addition to the distant relationship, He Taizhi has been very close to Shen Jue in the past few days, and his words indicate that he is looking forward to playing together in the future.
Shen Qin and Shen Bao were both dumbfounded and did not react for a moment.
However, Shen Jue expressed joy, hugged Shen Rui's shoulders, and said with a "haha" smile: "It's great that I can go to the capital with Brother Rui."
He was half a head smaller than Shen Rui, and Shen Rui stumbled under him.
Shen Qin and Shen Bao were awakened by his movements. Shen Bao immediately laughed heartily and his eyes became slits. Shen Qin asked doubtfully: "If there are children from every house who follow them to Beijing, what will happen to my family?" Why is it not my eldest brother, but me?"
Shen Jue pointed at himself, then at the other young men named Shen, and said proudly: "How old are we, how old is your eldest brother? Elderly brothers, you have to be busy talking about marriage, busy taking exams, or helping the elders We take care of the common affairs and can easily get away from home. Only half-grown men like us can travel far away."
Shen Qin thought about it and laughed twice in a drake voice: "I haven't been far away yet. Songjiang is more than a thousand miles away from the capital. This time you are going to see the world."
For a moment, the atmosphere was just right. Shen Rui looked at these innocent teenagers with a smile on his face...