All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

When the later guests saw the three isolated individuals, they were all shrewd and understood the situation almost instantly, so they were even less likely to approach and chat with them.

There was even a guest who took the initiative to strike up a conversation, asking Xinqi next to Fa-zai if she had filmed a certain movie, with a lewd expression that made all three of them turn pale!

Bai Xiaolong was also somewhat taken aback by everyone's attitude. Looking around, he saw that the guest seats near the stage were almost all occupied. The reason why these people came early was for various reasons.

The three of them were surrounded, but no one came forward to talk to them. This awkward situation made Bai Xiaolong break down. Seeing Fa Zai's dark face, he patted Fa Zai on the shoulder. The two looked at each other and then got up.

The three squeezed through the crowd and slowly walked to the last guest area. They each found a seat at the very edge, where the area was now empty and the chattering noises around them were gone. The three of them felt a sense of relief and breathed a sigh of relief.

Bai Xiaolong looked guilty and said to Fa Zai.

"Fa-zai, I'm sorry about what happened just now. It was my fault. I didn't expect..."

Before Bai Xiaolong could finish speaking, Fa Zai interrupted him, and he smiled helplessly and said...

"It's alright, I know you mean well. Actors are just actors, after all. We're already very happy to be able to attend such a banquet. If it weren't for your help, we would never have seen such a scene in our entire lives!"

Fa Zai's sincere gaze instantly eased Bai Xiaolong's frustration, and he couldn't help but burst into laughter, speaking in a hearty tone.

"As expected, you understand me best, brother. Alright, I miscalculated this time. After the banquet, I'll take you on a proper tour of the Lion Kingdom!"

Fat grinned and nodded!

Just then, an elderly man with white hair, leaning on a cane and supported by a young woman, walked to the guest seats next to the group.

The old man's face was full of wrinkles and his hair was snow-white. Just by looking at him, you could tell that he was an ancient person.

Although they didn't know each other, Fa-zai and his two companions quickly stood up, moved a chair for the old man, and let him sit down!

The old man sat down contentedly, letting out a comfortable groan, and fiddled with his cane.

The old man glanced at the three of them, then smiled kindly and asked them in a booming voice.

"Why are three little kids sitting in the corner!"

Although Fa-zai didn't recognize the old man, every guest present was someone he looked up to, so he quickly and respectfully replied...

"Grandpa, this place is great! It's quiet and has a better view!"

Upon hearing Fa-zai's self-comforting words, the old man burst into laughter, leaning on his cane, and spoke in a firm and resolute tone.

"Young people should stand tall and not be afraid of difficulties. You must learn to face them, fight against them, and overcome them in order to welcome a brighter tomorrow!"

The old man spouted one profound truth after another, leaving the three of them completely bewildered!

The young woman who had just helped the old man chuckled at the three men's expressions and then said to the old man.

"Grandpa, stop trying to teach others with your own ideas. These days, who listens to your nonsense?" The woman's words resonated with Fa Zai and the other two, and Bai Xiaolong chimed in with a similar sentiment.

"Old man, your tone is just like my second grandfather's. When we were kids, every time he caught us, he'd lecture us younger generation with a long set of principles, and he'd use his past experiences to teach us a lesson. What era are we living in? He even nags us about leaving a little food!"

The old man was not angry when he heard Bai Xiaolong's words. Instead, he smiled and asked in a friendly manner.

"You little brat, you're getting impatient just because I said a few words to you? Who in the Bai family is your second grandfather?"

Bai Xiaolong didn't think much of it and replied casually.

"My second grandfather's name is Bai Xiaowu! He's the only one in the whole Bai family who loves to wander around and meddle in trivial matters. But these past few years, his health hasn't been so good, and he rarely goes out anymore. And you know what? Occasionally, when I think of my second grandfather, I really miss him!"

Bai Xiaolong's words caused the old man's expression to visibly tremble. The wrinkles around his eyes seemed to deepen at that moment, as if he were lost in some kind of memory.

After a long while, he finally let out a deep sigh!

Hearing the old man's sigh, Bai Xiaolong belatedly replied.

"Old man, why are you sighing? I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about my second grandfather!"

The old man found Bai Xiaolong's words amusing, raised his cane, and struck Bai Xiaolong on the shoulder.

Just as Bai Xiaolong was about to dodge, he heard the old man's reprimanding voice.

"You brat, I, your great-grandfather, am going to hit you, and you dare to dodge?"

Chapter 73: The Bai Family Past

Bai Xiaolong was tapped firmly on the shoulder by the cane. He didn't feel any pain, but was still pondering the old man's words!

"Great-grandfather? What great-grandfather? I don't have any great-grandfather."

The old man was so angry at Bai Xiaolong's bewildered answer that he wanted to raise his cane, but after thinking for a moment, he remembered that he had never been to the Bai family and it was normal that the little guy didn't know him. So he sat up straight, coughed twice, and then said seriously.

"Little one, what's your name? Which branch of the Bai family are you from?"

Bai Xiaolong was still pondering the old man's words, vaguely sensing that this old man was no ordinary person.

He had never heard of having a great-grandfather since he was a child, but he was not stupid. He called Bai Xiaowu his second grandfather, and his own grandfather, Bai Xiaoan, was said to be the third son. So, was his great-grandfather the one from the mainland?

Upon hearing the old man's question again, Bai Xiaolong immediately sat up straight respectfully, his previous leisurely demeanor gone, and answered respectfully.

"Um... um, oh... my name is Bai Xiaolong, my father's name is Bai Enci, and my grandfather's name is Bai Xiaoan. I... I don't know your name, sir?"

The old man did not answer Bai Xiaolong's question, but instead muttered something to himself.

"Bai Xiaoan, Bai Xiaoan, that must be the third brother!"

He had never met Bai Xiaoan, but he naturally knew who Bai Xiaoan was!

The white-haired old man in front of me is Bai Jiaxuan's eldest son, Bai Xiaowen. He was the one who did not leave the mainland with Bai Jiaxuan back then.

He had great ambitions back then, and after so many years of hard work, he was finally ready to enjoy the fruits of his labor, so naturally he was unwilling to leave the mainland.

He had been away from home for thirty years, and had not returned home until the moment his father took the whole family away. It could be said that he didn't really have much attachment to his family and relatives back then.

In his youth, he was obsessed with power and struggle. He once rose to a high position and was almost thrown into hell. His life was dramatic for decades, but he finally came to his senses in his old age.

Perhaps the older people get, the more they like to reminisce about the past. Although many things become worse as the brain degenerates and memory declines, each recollection makes them feel lonely and moved. Occasionally, they can even become unable to control themselves when recalling the past.

Bai Xiaowen's lineage has multiplied and expanded on the mainland, and now it has reached the fourth generation. Bai Xiaowen has two sons and one daughter, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Although it is not a very large and prosperous family, it can still be considered a wealthy and influential family.

Bai Xiaowen was originally ashamed to come and see his father. Years ago, his father took the whole family away. In order not to let his family members be a burden to him, Bai Xiaowen later even said that his whole family had perished in the war and that he was the only one who survived.

The Bai family descendants on the mainland never imagined that in a distant country, there was a branch of relatives who were even more powerful than they had ever thought.

As time went by and domestic policies were relaxed, Bai Xiaowen missed the past more and more, missing not only his father but also his mother.

Later, he learned that his mother, Xiangcao, had passed away several years ago, and even his stepmother, Tian Xiao'e, had been dead for many years. His father had been traveling the world and had long since disappeared. Now, perhaps no one in the Bai family even knew him.

It was because of the information he had learned that Bai Xiaowen also gave up the idea of ​​acknowledging his ancestors.

Moreover, his position did not allow him to make decisions arbitrarily.

As Bai Xiaowen grew older, certain thoughts and ideas in his heart became stronger and stronger. Even his family often felt that the older he got, the more irritable he became. He would often get angry for no reason and would often shed tears in the middle of the night.

This was clearly a heartache for him. After some discussion among his children, who learned some family secrets from their father, the family decided to fulfill his dream.

After all, Bai Xiaowen has now retired, and his identity is no longer so sensitive. It's not a big deal for him to go out for a walk if he wants to.

This time, some departments in China learned about Bai Jiaxuan's 100th birthday celebration and eventually contacted the Bai family to obtain an invitation card. Only then did Bai Xiaowen bring his granddaughter to the celebration.

Bai Xiaowen's appearance obviously did not attract the attention of anyone else in the square, let alone the Bai family members except for Bai Xiaolong.

Perhaps the Bai family already knew that the old man Bai Xiaowen had arrived, but no one gave him a special introduction or made any special arrangements.

After all, Bai Xiaowen and the Bai family of the Lion Kingdom have no connection whatsoever anymore.

Of the entire Bai family, besides Bai Jiaxuan, only the second grandfather Bai Xiaowu, whom Bai Xiaolong had just mentioned, knew about this elder brother.

Even Bai Xiaolong's own grandfather, Bai Xiaoan, had never met this older brother in front of him, let alone been close to him.

For the Bai family, the person in front of them must be a very, very distant relative!

The old man reminisced for a long time until the girl patted his back and woke him up. He then remembered that the little girl had just asked him his name. He smiled and spoke in a relaxed manner.

"I told you I'm your great-grandfather, so how can you, as his grandson, not know my name?"

Bai Xiaolong became increasingly reserved and restless. Could this person in front of him really be the great-grandfather that his second grandfather had mentioned back then?

Bai Xiaowen's presence in the Bai family is almost nonexistent. Apart from his seniority, only some observant younger members realize that the Bai family should have a great-grandfather, but he is rarely mentioned within the Bai family.

Bai Jiaxuan never puts on a show when it comes to family ties. He has never brought up Bai Xiaowen's existence. Besides, with so many children and younger generations, who would bother to think about a son who would abandon family ties for Ge Ming?

However, not mentioning it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Bai Xiaowen is, after all, the eldest son of the Bai family, and younger generations who know a little about their family history also know about him.

Although Bai Xiaolong was uneducated and incompetent, he was once proud of his family when he was young and was often spurred on by his second grandfather, Bai Xiaowu. Naturally, he had heard of the man in front of him.

Seeing the old man's appearance, he naturally guessed the identity of the person in front of him.

He rubbed his hands, looking somewhat uneasy. He glanced cautiously at the old man before finally speaking cautiously.

"You must be my great-grandfather, Bai Xiaowen!"

Bai Xiaowen was greatly pleased to hear his grand-nephew, whom he had never met before, call out his name. He nodded and said with satisfaction.

"Yes, I am Bai Xiaowen. I have come here to wish your great-grandfather a happy birthday. How is he doing these days?"

Bai Xiaolong breathed a sigh of relief after receiving confirmation from the other party. However, he still couldn't answer the question his great-grandfather had asked him, so he could only tell the truth.

Bai Xiaowen shook his head helplessly when he learned that his father, Bai Jiaxuan, had not returned home for several years.

He didn't really know much about this father.

His memories of his father are still from his childhood.

In his memory, his father was a very lazy man who never worked in the fields every day like other villagers. Occasionally, he would stroll around the fields with his hands behind his back, chewing on a blade of grass, swaying his body, and standing on the edge of the field, pointing out the landscape!

His father was a powerful man. In his memory, even the tax collectors in Zishui County didn't dare to offend his father!

My father was a man of great prestige. Within a radius of twenty miles of Bailu Plain, who wouldn't give him face?

Even the powerful bandits of Wuzhi Mountain treated my father with utmost respect. In the surrounding villages and towns, if anyone encountered a problem that they couldn't solve, my father would step in and surely resolve it, and everyone respected him!

Under his father's leadership, there was never a famine in the entire Bailu Plain in his memory. In fact, during the chaotic period, the population of Bailu Plain tripled.

At the time, he didn't understand what this meant. Later, when he held a high position of power, he carefully investigated his experiences in Bailuyuan over the years and discovered that there was something strange about it all.

Because none of this could possibly be accomplished by a small-time landlord!

Even his father gave him an impression of being somewhat mysterious!

Yet, for the first half of his life, he always thought his father was just an ignorant country landlord. It was because of his father's ignorance that he took the whole family and fled overseas in 1949!

Later, it was proven once again that he was a father who was far more complex than he appeared on the surface.

One of the founders of the Lion Kingdom, a military strategist, educator, philanthropist, inventor—his list of titles is overwhelming. His image even appears on the currency of the Lion Kingdom.

Furthermore, the Bai family has become a world-class family in just a few decades. How could a small-time nouveau riche have accomplished that?