Top Scholar

Chapter 398, Family Tree, on a separate page.

After leaving the academy, the group followed the route that Su Lu and his brother had taken to school years ago and returned to Erlangtan.

From afar, one could see a large crowd gathered under the big banyan tree at the village entrance, eagerly awaiting their arrival.

"They're here! They're finally back!" The young people from the Su and Cheng clans cheered as they announced the news. The crackling of firecrackers echoed through the sky, followed by the deafening sound of gongs and drums, instantly filling the valley with excitement.

Not only the Su and Cheng clans, but all the villagers of Erlangtan came out to welcome them. People of all ages lined the village entrance to welcome them, and young women and wives carried flower baskets, throwing freshly picked petals over the heads of the three newlywed couples.

The three Su brothers repeatedly bowed to the villagers, but were stopped by the old clan chief just as they were about to enter Erlangtan.

The old clan chief raised his hand, and the noise immediately subsided. He smiled at the three brothers and said, "Back when you passed the exam for Taiping Academy, the clansmen had to carry you in on sedan chairs. Now that you've become successful scholars, how could we possibly let you walk into the village?"

With that, he waved his hand, and twenty-four strong men carried three open sedan chairs wrapped in red silk and with tassels hanging low.

Moreover, the seats in the sedan chair are very spacious, enough for two people to sit comfortably.

"The couple should come together! Today we're not only welcoming the scholar, but also the bride!" the old clan chief urged with a smile.

Without further ado, the clansmen pushed the three young couples onto the sedan chairs, lifted them steadily, and carried them into Erlangtan with music and fanfare.

The villagers followed excitedly, crowding around the three large sedan chairs, and made their way to the entrance of the Su Clan Ancestral Hall.

Three large sedan chairs were placed in the open space outside the gate, and six golden nanmu flagpoles bearing the inscription "Achievement and Fame" came into view of the three brides.

Three of them had gilded and vermilion lacquered grain measures hanging from their tops, which were symbols of the scholar's degree and made the Su family appear as a distinguished and wealthy family with a profound cultural heritage.

Once everyone had arrived, the sounds of sheng and xiao (traditional Chinese wind instruments) filled the open space. Amidst the solemn music, the old clan chief slowly raised the three victory banners that the three brothers had brought back—

Two sides are bright apricot yellow, and the other side is bright red. The words "top scholar in the provincial examination", "martial top scholar in the military examination", and "successful candidate in the provincial examination" are particularly eye-catching!

The three banners of merit were raised to the top, fluttering in the mountain wind, making the Su clan members extremely proud.

The Cheng clan members who witnessed the ceremony were overjoyed and felt extremely fortunate, thinking that Minister Cheng was incredibly wise!

"How about that?" Cheng Xiucai glanced at his brother smugly. "He even got angry with me back then."

"You're amazing, you're amazing. Who told you to be our family's old scholar?" Old Master Cheng was completely convinced.

If it weren't for Cheng Xiucai's decisive action in turning the two clans into one family, given the Su family's current formidable power, they wouldn't have agreed to a 30/70 split between the two clans, let alone a 10/90 split.

Langquan Well? Give it to me, or you're dead!
~~
After raising the flag, we entered the ancestral hall.

The Su Clan Ancestral Hall has been renovated and is now quiet and orderly. In the main hall, the ancestral tablets of the Su family are enshrined, and in front of the tablets is a three-legged bronze incense burner, with offerings of chickens, ducks, pigs, sheep, and various other offerings.

Smoke curled around the plaques on the beams that read "Ancestral Virtue Endures" and "Literary Fortune Awaits Revival"... The one behind was newly hung, signed by Lu Zhaoye!
"The auspicious time has arrived, let's enter the ancestral hall!" Su Youpeng shouted loudly.

The three brothers then helped their wives step over the charcoal brazier at the entrance of the ancestral hall, and then stepped over the threshold by stepping on two bags of rice.

The former is for warding off evil and disaster, while the latter symbolizes carrying on the family line.

Three newlywed couples arrived at the offering table, and the master of ceremonies announced, "Offer incense..."

The three brothers took the incense sticks, lit them, raised them above their heads, bowed three times to the ancestral tablets, and then inserted the incense sticks into the bronze cauldron one by one.

The three brides followed suit and offered incense to the Su family ancestors.

Then, the three couples performed the four-bow ceremony on the red carpet.

The four bows are different for men and women. Men bow once and rise once, which is called diligent bowing. Women bow repeatedly while prostrating themselves, which is called lazy bowing.

As the six people solemnly bowed, the old clan chief stood to one side, holding a yellow paper inscription, and read aloud:

"On the first day of the tenth month of the second year of Zhengde, the sixteenth generation descendants of the Su family, Man, Tai, and Lu, along with their wives Zhu, She, and Huang, respectfully offer this simple libation and food to the spirits of our ancestors—that Lu has achieved the highest rank in the provincial examination, Tai has achieved the highest rank in the military examination, and Man has also passed the provincial examination, bringing glory to our family and following in the footsteps of our ancestors. They have all established their own families and careers, continuing the family line. May our ancestors bless us, may our husbands and wives live in harmony, our descendants prosper, and our generations enjoy glory! May you accept this offering!"

After the prayer was read, everyone responded in unison, "May you enjoy this feast!"

After paying respects to the Su family ancestors, genealogist Su Daqiang respectfully took out the family genealogy, turned to a new page, and began to transcribe:

"In the autumn of the second year of the Zhengde reign, Su Lu passed the provincial examination in Sichuan with the highest score. In September, he married a woman surnamed Huang, named E, who was born on the day of Dinghai in the month of Jiyou in the year of Renzi. She was the daughter of Jueshan, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Shanxi. She was virtuous, kind, and talented, and was the most outstanding woman in Sichuan..."

Then, on separate pages, the achievements of Su Tai and Su Man, as well as the surnames, birth dates, and family backgrounds of their wives, were recorded.

A separate page is the highest honor in genealogy compilation, also known as a separate biography or a separate volume. It is specially set up for those who are highly respected, have made outstanding contributions or made special contributions to the clan, and is different from the brief records of ordinary clan members.

But the fact that the three of them can each have their own page is truly unparalleled!

The old master was terrified as he recorded the story. What kind of extraordinary people were these? They were all so outrageous that even She Saihua's only daughter had married into the family.

It's so unreal! He had to pinch himself several times to see if he was having a fit.
But it really happened; one can only say that the ancestral graves of the Su family were blessed with auspicious purple clouds. Truly, "The ancestral hall's beams and pillars are adorned with fragrant orchids, and the family genealogy's pages reflect the glow of the setting sun!"

After the old genealogist finished writing the family genealogy, he placed it on the altar, and the three daughters-in-law officially became members of the Su family.

Next came the family recognition ceremony, where relatives from all eighteen households paid their respects in turn. By the time the ceremony was over, it was already dark. The bride's arms were so sore from serving tea and performing the rituals. However, she had a very fruitful time; she collected over a hundred gold bracelets alone—enough to make a suit of golden armor…

Erlang Winery has brought wealth to the entire Su family. We should not forget those who helped us, especially since everyone will be relying on the Sixth Branch in the future. Of course, we should prepare generous gifts for them.

~~
As the three couples walked out of the ancestral hall, bright red lanterns lit up the large open space and long streets outside, and the double happiness character was pasted on the doors of every household, indicating that a feast had been prepared.

Although it's still a large-scale banquet, the dishes are completely different now. There are three kinds of soup, five kinds of meat, eight kinds of delicacies from land and sea, and nine big bowls. You can drink as much of the top scholar's wine as you want. There's plenty in the warehouse if you don't have enough!
Three newlywed couples carried wine from one end of the village to the other, toasting each other until they were all flushed and their eyes were blurry with drunkenness... This was only because the villagers had been exceptionally lenient with them.

The old clan chief also took good care of them, saying that the family must be tired from their journey, so let them go back and rest first.

The villagers naturally obeyed and released the person, and they all stood up to see them off.

"It's just a couple of steps, everyone, no need to see us off, please continue drinking." The three Su brothers quickly stopped the villagers.

However, the old clan chief Su Daji and other beloved relatives and friends insisted on escorting them to their doorstep.

The Su family's old house remains unchanged. The dilapidated stilted building is still intact, and even the previously raised lintel has been lowered back to its original height.

"Originally, the clan's plan was to demolish this old house, and then have the neighbors vacate their houses so that we could rebuild a grand and imposing mansion, befitting your family's current status," the old clan chief explained amidst the creaking sound of the stairs.

"But your old man is adamant about not agreeing. Didn't you see? He even changed the lintel back to its original state."

"This old house must not be touched!" the old man said in a deep voice. "This is the root of our family. The daughters-in-law who come into the family and the children who will be born in the future must all come here to live and remember the former glory of the Su family."

"Remember, no one is born noble and needs to be served to live." He paused, then continued, "Don't take yourself too seriously, but don't underestimate others either!"

The old man's words were meant for all the younger generation. He was reminding his new granddaughter-in-law not to be too spoiled, and also warning the existing family members not to become arrogant!

He had been all smiles and gentleness since the wedding, but it was only after returning to the old house that he uttered these resounding words.

The three granddaughters-in-law hurriedly and respectfully replied, "Yes, granddaughters-in-law will keep in mind Grandpa's teachings, never forget their duties, and be frugal with their loved ones."

"Hehe, good boy, Grandpa wasn't talking about you, I was talking about the three rascals." The old man said with a kind smile, "They've been getting too much praise lately, and they've gotten so arrogant."

The three granddaughters-in-law wondered if there was any difference. Only then did they realize who the real kingpin of the Su family was.

The old man gave the order that the old house should remain as it was, but the number of people had increased so much that the eldest aunt couldn't accommodate them all at once.

"That's easy. You two sons-in-law, just come back and stay with us. Let her and her sister go back to their parents' home too," said Mr. Cheng and the eldest son of the Cheng family, extending a warm invitation.

Fearing that her son-in-law might not agree, Master Cheng said to Su Youcai, "Your mother-in-law has already prepared the main room, and all the bedding and utensils have been replaced with new ones. If she doesn't stay there for the night, she'll be very uncomfortable."

"Yes, yes, yes," Su Youcai hurriedly agreed, "Then I'll be troubling my parents-in-law."

"Why are you speaking so formally among family? If you keep being so polite, my dear son-in-law, I'll get upset," Cheng Xiucai said, feigning anger.

"Okay, okay, I won't say anymore," Su Youcai hurriedly said.

So the talented couple, along with their unmarried children, followed the overjoyed Cheng brothers.

Su Man and his wife continued to live in his room, while Su Tai and his wife lived in the room with the three of them.

Su Lu and his wife stayed in his younger brother's room. His younger brother's room used to be Su Lu's small study, so this arrangement was perfectly appropriate.

As for the maids, they were originally intended to stay and serve, but they were all driven away by the brides. The clan will naturally arrange accommodations for them.

~~
In October, the nights at Erlangtan were already quite chilly. Su Lu and his wife were wrapped in thick quilts, with only their heads sticking out.

Su Lu sighed, "Back then, I would study until the wee hours of the morning with the pine oil lamp my second brother made. The smoke was thick, and I didn't feel cold even though I couldn't close the window. How come now, even with the doors and windows closed and thick blankets covering me, I still feel chilly?"

"This is what they mean by 'it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality,'" Huang E nestled in his arms, feeling his warmth, and finally felt comfortable.

"How about we do some exercise to warm up?" With a soft, fragrant body in his arms, Xiao Su Lu suggested.

"How do you exercise?" Huang E asked, puzzled.

"How else can we exercise?" Da Su Lu blurted out uncivilly.

"Stop messing around, it's not soundproof..." Huang E exclaimed in a low voice, pressing down his restless hands.

"It's alright, I can't tell who's who." Su Lu chuckled and gestured for her to listen outside.

Huang E focused his mind for a moment and heard a female duet coming from the east wing.

Wine is a matchmaker for lust, especially for newlyweds.

She then gave up resisting, and spring filled the room.

P.S.: I'll read the next chapter tomorrow morning...

(End of this chapter)