The arrival of Wang Qingchen and his party filled the Old Master and Old Madam with unrestrained joy.

“Quick, quick, Qingchen, come here so your Grandfather can get a good look at you. Ay, look at that, our family has a Juren now! Our Wang family finally has a Juren!” the Old Master exclaimed happily.

Wang Qingchen, hearing his grandfather’s words, smiled and stepped forward. “Grandfather, it has been so long since I was home, and I haven't been able to fulfill my filial duties before you. How is your health?”

The Old Master nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. “Good, good, good. My bones are strong; you don't need to worry. You just focus on your studies out there. The moment I heard you passed the Juren examination, all my aches and pains vanished.”

The Old Madam, hearing her husband, chuckled. “Isn’t that the truth? The moment you heard Qingchen passed, his spirit shot right up! He even insisted on burning incense for the ancestors. Qingchen, don’t you worry. With your grandfather so delighted by your success as a Juren, he’s surely destined to live to be a hundred years old.”

“You old woman, talking nonsense! Who lives that long?” the Old Master laughed, scolding her gently.

“Grandfather, what Grandma said is true. There are people who can live past one hundred. Grandfather and Grandmother are blessed people; you are both certainly going to live to a hundred years,” Wang Qingchen assured them.

When the Old Master and Old Madam heard this, they were instantly overjoyed. Never mind whether what their grandson said was factually true; the sentiment alone made them exceedingly happy.

The Old Master naturally placed immense importance on such a major event as Wang Qingchen passing the Juren examination. Before Wang Qingchen himself returned, the Old Master had already burned incense for the ancestors and given strict instructions to Wang Youfu. Now that the principal figure had arrived, the fanfare certainly wouldn’t be small.

“This matter of Qingchen becoming a Juren is significant. When Qingchen wasn’t here, perhaps inviting some relatives and friends over was enough. Now that Qingchen is back, Old Second, what plans do you have?” the Old Master inquired.

Wang Youfu, overwhelmed with happiness at Wang Qingchen’s return, hadn’t given any thought to planning. When the Old Master questioned him, he was momentarily stumped. Wang Youfu shook his head and replied, “Father, I haven’t thought that far ahead. Perhaps we could invite the family’s relatives and friends over again for a celebration?”

The Old Master felt his second son wasn't taking the gravity of Qingchen’s Juren achievement seriously. He immediately stated, “Qingchen passing the examination is no small thing! We must treat it as the greatest joyous occasion for our entire Wang family. Here is what I propose: tomorrow, we first go pay respects at the ancestral graves, and then we host a grand banquet for three full days. We’ll invite our close relatives and friends, as well as the respected families from town. Everyone will celebrate properly. What do you all think?”

Wang Youfu couldn't immediately judge whether this was good or bad, so he simply remained seated.

Seeing his second son silent, the Old Master suspected he disagreed, which made it harder for him to broach the next subject.

The Old Madam knew her husband well and sensed he still had more to say, so she smoothly interjected, “Old Second, your father is simply overjoyed about Qingchen becoming a Juren, that’s why he wants to make a big fuss!”

Wang Youfu immediately realized his hesitation might have made the Old Master think he was dissenting. He quickly added, “Father, I was just wondering if three days of feasting might be a bit excessive?”

Hearing this, the Old Master was pleased that Old Second wasn't disagreeing. “Hmph, how is that excessive? In our Qingshan Town, if any other family had such fortune, their celebration would be grander than ours, never smaller.”

Wang Youfu finally nodded. Fine, it’s just this once.

Seeing Wang Youfu agree, the Old Master then hesitantly moved on to the other matter. “Old Second, now that Qingchen is a Juren, this concerns the entire Wang family. So, Father thought, when the time comes, all three of your branches should jointly organize these matters. How about that? The banquet can be held here at the ancestral home. Is that settled?”

As soon as the Old Master finished speaking, the room fell silent. Wang Youfu was stunned, taking a moment to process his father's proposal. When he finally understood, his feelings became complicated.

The Old Master had, of course, anticipated the effect of his words. He continued, “Father is thinking that since Qingchen has made something of himself, he might even become a high official someday. At that point, your branch will be the family of officials, while your elder brother’s and third brother’s families will still be toiling in the fields. If people talk, they will certainly say your branch prospered and forgot your own flesh-and-blood brothers. That is why Father thinks that all matters concerning Qingchen in the future—the organizing, the hosting—should fall to all three branches together. That way, outsiders will see the three brothers united as one. It will also cause others to hold those other two branches in higher regard, and even your own branch will be praised for its benevolence.”

Wang Qingchen was also somewhat surprised by the Old Master’s words, yet he understood the intention behind the old man’s actions. No one wishes to see some descendants thriving while others struggle, especially given the gap between being an official and being a commoner. Thus, the Old Master sought to narrow that gap through his own method. However, the Old Master might be disappointed; Wang Qingchen had no current intentions of seeking office. Of course, he wouldn't voice that now.

“Grandfather, is this your decision, or a decision made with Elder Uncle and Third Uncle? Perhaps we should ask for their opinion, lest my father agrees, but they disagree,” Wang Qingchen suggested.

“Don’t worry about that. Your willingness to let them participate in the organization is already showing them respect; how could they possibly refuse?” the Old Master was supremely confident.

Wang Qingchen was less optimistic. After all, the Old Master was aiming for a three-day banquet, which would surely involve many people. The cost of the banquet alone would be substantial! The Old Master suggesting all three branches organize implied they would all need to contribute financially. Given the nature of his Eldest Aunt, would she be willing to part with money?

Seeing no one in the room agreeing to his proposal, the Old Master became slightly displeased and said testily, “In that case, let’s call them over right now and ask them if they are willing.”

And so, shortly after, the members of the First and Third branches mostly arrived. Once most people were present, the Old Master laid out his plan.

Originally, the Old Master expected the First and Third branches to immediately agree upon hearing the news. He never anticipated that after he finished speaking, both branches would hesitate, with not a single person offering an initial endorsement.

Seeing this situation, the Old Master grew angry in his heart. For whom had he devised this solution? For whom had he risked alienating the Second branch by stating his idea? And now, the very beneficiaries remained silent. Was he expected to spell out the benefits for them?

The Old Master glared at the people from the First and Third branches. “Say something!”

For a moment, those from the First and Third branches were at a loss for how to respond. They were not fools and naturally grasped the Old Master’s intent. However, they each held their own reservations.

Take the First Branch: Wang Youliang had long since withdrawn from managing family affairs, so this matter was negligible to him—he was indifferent. But Tian Shi was different. Tian Shi was certainly not unintelligent; she knew the Old Master’s action was intended to allow the Second Branch to lift up the other two. Yet, she also understood that this hinged entirely upon Wang Qingchen actually becoming an official. Currently, Wang Qingchen was only a Juren, which was significantly different from holding office. Who knew if Wang Qingchen would remain a Juren his entire life and never secure an official post? If that happened, wouldn't the money her side put down now be wasted? Those three days of feasting would cost a considerable amount! If Wang Qingchen were already an official, she would certainly offer the money. But he wasn't an official yet! Furthermore, even if Wang Qingchen did become an official later, if something happened to her own family, he wouldn't dare ignore them, as officials prioritized their reputations. If Wang Qingchen refused to help her family then, she could make a public spectacle of it, challenging him to dare ignore her then!

The Third Branch, however, was thinking along different lines. They understood the Old Master’s good intentions, but his proposed arrangement clearly meant forcing the other two branches to take advantage of the Second Branch’s generosity. Truthfully, the Third Branch already received significant support from the Second Branch and felt too embarrassed to ask for further concessions. Moreover, even without the Old Master’s intervention today, they believed the Second Branch, no matter how successful, would never forget their siblings. Therefore, they felt the Old Master had no need to create this situation, which could easily hurt the Second Branch’s feelings and put the other two branches in a difficult position.

Although the First and Third branches each had their own concerns, the Old Master was currently glaring at them, waiting for a reply, making it difficult for them to remain silent.

Zhang Shi restrained Wang Youtian, who was about to speak first, and glanced toward Tian Shi. She trusted that, given Tian Shi’s temperament, if money needed to be discussed upfront, she would be the first to step forward. (To be continued.)

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