CHAPTER 215: CHAPTER 214: GRAND BANQUET WITH FLOWING GUESTS

At this moment, the light of dawn appeared over the sea, and the clan began to bustle with activity.

Lin Wanwan followed the Lin Clan Leader and headed towards the ancestral hall again. Next, they were to worship their ancestors and inform them of the news that a Secondary Fifth Rank Village Lady had emerged from their clan. The faces of the clansmen they encountered along the way were beaming with joy, congratulating her all the way.

The Lin clan now had a noble of Secondary Fifth Rank, and even they could bask in the reflected glory.

Ever since the news of Lin Wanwan being granted the title of Village Lady reached the countryside, about twenty vigorous young lords in the clan began stirring conversations about marriage.

During the early Tang Dynasty, the legal marriage age was fifteen for women and twenty for men, but in the countryside, it tended to be even earlier, around sixteen or seventeen for both. However, because the Lin Family Manor was poor, many young lords of this generation had been delayed until they were twenty, only this year showing signs of activity.

Even though the young lords of the Lin Family Manor still had no land and relied on fishing to make a living, having a Village Lady of Fifth Rank in their clan was greatly attractive to the average countryside folk.

Today, Lin Wanwan held an extravagant feast, with the main venue being the large playground in front of the school, and the secondary venues being the front and back main houses of Lin Wanwan’s home.

The area around the playground was open for everyone to eat; once the dishes were finished, more would be served continuously throughout the day. Meanwhile, at Lin Wanwan’s home, it was mainly the clan elders and the rising generation’s core members.

By noon, having received the news brought by Lin Wanwan’s ship, the Qiantang Xiao Mansion naturally sent people over to celebrate.

The ones who came were Lin Wanwan’s eldest cousin, Xiao Jingfeng, and eldest cousin sister, Xiao Xianghua. Both were legitimate and the eldest, naturally able to represent the mansion in extending congratulations.

When they arrived, the clansmen in Lin Wanwan’s courtyard had long finished the feast and were sitting around singing, dancing, and enjoying themselves. Seeing guests arrive, they naturally took the hint and left graciously.

A group of servants had already reset the banquet table, but just as Lin Wanwan welcomed her cousins to their seats, news came again from outside announcing the arrival of more guests, this time the local noble ladies of Mao County.

Just two days ago, when Lin Wanwan returned home, many noble ladies from various towns in Mao County, whom Lin Wanwan had never met, had sent their calling cards, expressing their desire to visit.

Receiving calling cards from noble ladies signaled Lin Wanwan’s formal acceptance into Mao County’s high society. Whether this was good or bad for Lin Wanwan was unclear, but she certainly couldn’t refuse their goodwill, as that would be too discourteous, undoubtedly harming the Lin clan’s reputation.

If Lin Wanwan had intentions of marrying into the Great Tang, entering high society would indeed be beneficial. However, she currently only wished to create her own Peach Blossom Spring by the sea, and thus wasn’t very interested in socializing with the high-society ladies circle.

However, since they had sent their cards, she couldn’t slight them. So, she had a few exquisite invitations custom-made modernly and sent them out, inviting them to today’s banquet.

It was rather coincidental, arriving right after the people from the Xiao Mansion.

Lin Wanwan gave the Xiao family members an apologetic smile and said, "We are all family here, so let’s not stand on ceremony. Cousin brother and cousin sister, please make yourselves comfortable, while I go greet the guests."

Eldest cousin Xiao Jingfeng, who was rather upright in demeanor, immediately said, "Cousin, go ahead with your duties. Although the newcomers are not from the Jiangnan’s eight great families, they are new aristocrats, so do not be discourteous."

Lin Wanwan nodded, indicating her understanding.

This group of young ladies arriving now did not come by horseback but by boat.

The Lin Family Manor was near the sea, and it was also connected to the Dajia River, making it possible to travel to and from Xiaoxi Town by water. However, the water route was much slower than horseback, not the best choice for those in a hurry.

Yet, the noble ladies coming to congratulate today were burdened with social tasks and came with lavish gifts. Riding horseback made it inconvenient to carry items, and the Great Tang’s carriages lacked rubber tires and shock absorbers, so the comfort level was clear.

Thus, opting for the waterway was more convenient, allowing them to carry goods while being stable and comfortable.

When the noble young ladies disembarked with the support of their maids, their hairstyles and attire remained impeccable, full of radiance and spirit. This was not achievable by horseback or in carriages.

Lin Wanwan had laid modern-bought red carpets from the dock to the entrance of her house today.

When they were first laid out in the morning, the Lin clan members were heartbroken, unwilling to walk on it, preferring to step along the narrow ridges of the field paths.

Now, seeing Lin Wanwan leading people along the red carpet, their eyes seemed almost ready to bleed.

Despite such extravagance, not even the Lin Clan Leader, who always disdained Lin Wanwan’s wastefulness, said a word, merely smacking his lips, sighing quietly to himself.

Their beloved Wanwan may live in the countryside and be easily looked down upon, but on such a joyous day, showing off a bit was indeed appropriate.

After all, she was a Village Lady of Secondary Fifth Rank, ranking even higher than Xiao Mingfu, so the splendor had to match!

Everyone was filled with envy and pride.

The noble ladies from town were astonished as soon as they set foot on land by Lin Wanwan’s extravagance.

It had long been rumored that this young lady of the Lin family, hailing from the mountains, possessed wealth rivaling that of a nation, and meeting her today, it indeed seemed so, leaving them unable to underestimate her.

As they followed Lin Wanwan into the courtyard exchanging pleasantries, they were nearly stunned by the breathtaking Glazed House, and if not for their composure, they might have lost decorum on the spot.

The servant boys and maids who accompanied the young ladies were already gaping in amazement; such luxury in a remote rural area was inconceivable.

Despite the relatively small size of the entire courtyard, it did not feel cramped, instead exuding a warmth likened to a hidden paradise.

Living in such a Glazed House, even in the countryside, they’d be willing. Beauty coupled with glass, a perfect match indeed.

Visiting for the first time, the noble ladies were supposed to be cautious and restrained, but what they saw was so unexpected their curiosity overcame their adherence to proper etiquette.

At the guests’ request, Lin Wanwan led them to tour the Glazed House first.

Inside, the air was filled with the fragrance of rare flowers and enchanting plants. Lin Wanwan had bought many precious potted plants from modern times, including orchids with a gentlemanly air and peonies of national beauty.

While these flowers were indeed rare, wealthy families could still manage to produce a few pots for comparison, but those rows of mushroom packages on the wooden shelves were truly surprising.

"Miss Wan, did you grow these mushrooms?" Miss Wang asked.

Before Lin Wanwan could answer, little Qingyu proudly piped up, "Yes! My mother and I grew them with our own hands!"

Lin Wanwan patted little Qingyu’s head, smiling, "Our little Qingyu deserves the most credit; he waters them every day."

After the shocking tour of the Glazed House, everyone sat down at the table, their appetites whetted by the sight of fresh fruits from all over the place. Whether it was lychees that absolutely should not appear this season or cherries tempting in red, they were indeed considered extravagant.

This Village Lady’s unfathomable wealth—how on earth did it come to be? Could it be that when she was with her master, they were living on top of a gold mine?

Everyone couldn’t help but have such thoughts arise in their minds.