Chapter 110
Zhang Fangyuan was determined to unite the clan, which was why he was willing to mend the rifts between himself, his eldest uncle, and his sixth uncle. Although he didn’t grant every request they made, he was always ready to offer advice and solutions when it came to important matters of livelihood.
Over the years, he hadn’t directly considered becoming the clan leader, but now that the family had brought it up, it seemed like a good opportunity.
His two cousins were delighted that he agreed. Although the three brothers were drinking and discussing business at the table, the main purpose of the gathering was to discuss the clan leader position. The uncles were all listening carefully. The reason they had the younger generation bring it up was to make it easier to discuss. If the elders had brought it up, it might have seemed like they were pressuring him.
Noticing the outcome, everyone smiled knowingly, preparing for the next day’s wedding banquet.
The next day, the house was bustling with activity as soon as the sun rose. Since it was a son-in-law joining the family rather than a daughter or little ge'er leaving, the banquet was larger than usual. Additionally, the Zhang family had many relatives, and the gathering was crowded with people.
It was rare for the village to have a live-in son-in-law, so everyone came to see the novelty.
By the afternoon, most of the guests had arrived. When the auspicious time came, a string of firecrackers crackled loudly, and Zhuang Qi’s wedding procession arrived in grand style. However, instead of a bride or ge'er being sent off, it was a tall, strong man.
Zhuang Qi, dressed in a red wedding robe, walked with his head held high, showing no shame about being a live-in son-in-law. His upright demeanor made it difficult for the villagers, who had come to watch the spectacle, to mock him.
Even the few who tried to make sarcastic comments were quickly silenced by the crowd.
Little Ruili had already taken a seat at the banquet table. When the firecrackers outside started going off, one after another without pause, the loud noise made his ears ring. He quickly buried himself in his brother’s arms.
Ruijin covered his brother’s ears until the firecrackers finally stopped.
Once the firecrackers ended, the wedding procession entered the house to perform the ceremonies. The process was similar to a bride entering her husband’s home, and everyone crowded around to watch. Ruili, sitting on his stool, couldn’t see anything, so he climbed onto the stool to get a better view. Ruijin, afraid he might fall, quickly grabbed his hand.
Ruili craned his neck to see his uncle dressed in a beautiful red wedding robe. Whether it was from makeup or shyness, his cheeks were flushed red as he and his groom stepped over the fire basin together.
Seeing everyone clapping and cheering, Ruili joined in enthusiastically. He turned to his brother with sparkling eyes and said, “I’m going to marry someone too when I grow up!”
Ruijin rolled his eyes. “Who would marry you?”
“Little Xing, of course!” Ruili said matter-of-factly, gesturing with his free hand. “His cheeks are so soft, and his hands are too.”
Ruijin pulled his brother down from the stool and stuffed a piece of fruit into his mouth. “Stop talking nonsense.”
With his mouth full, Ruili mumbled, “I’m not talking nonsense! Dad said everyone gets married when they grow up.”
“ Ge'er can’t marry ge'er.” Ruijin flicked his brother’s forehead. “Don’t say that again.”
“Hmph!” Ruili pouted, letting go of his brother’s hand. After eating the fruit, he leaned in again. “Then you marry Little Xing.”
“Dad!” Ruijin called out to the tall man standing under the eaves watching the ceremony. “Come take Ruili away.”
Hearing the call, Zhang Fangyuan walked over and scooped up the fidgety Ruili. “What are you doing? Are you bothering your brother again?”
“I’m not!”
“Alright, alright. Daddy will take you inside to watch the ceremony.”
Zhang Fangyuan carried Ruili inside, and the little ge'er clung to his father’s neck, glancing back at his brother, who was sitting quietly at the table, looking relieved to have some peace. Ruili pouted and muttered, “I’m not talking to you anymore.”
After the ceremony, the banquet began. Zhuang Qi came out to toast the guests, and a group of Zhang cousins surrounded him, drinking fiercely. Zhang Fangyuan drank a pot of wine before slipping away. Zhuang Qi could drink anyone under the table, and Zhang Fangyuan didn’t want to get too drunk and miss important matters.
After the banquet, the Zhang family members stayed behind to discuss clan matters, while the other guests dispersed, leaving only those who had stayed to help clean up.
The Zhang family, with Zhang Fangyuan at the center, included his father’s generation. Apart from his own father and third uncle, who had passed away, there were still four uncles and aunts. Above them was his grandfather’s generation, which had four brothers, but only two of them, Second Uncle and Fourth Uncle, were still alive. These two uncles had their own children, though not as many as Zhang Fangyuan’s grandfather. Together, they had three sons.
In Zhang Fangyuan’s generation, his eldest uncle had two sons, his second aunt had one daughter, his fourth uncle had one ge'er, his own father had only him, and his sixth uncle had one ge'er, one daughter, and a youngest son. Including his cousins and his second aunt’s daughter, there were eight in total.
The next generation was Ruijin and Ruili’s. Zhang Xiaotian and Zhang Xiaoxuan each had two children, and Zhang Fangyuan had two. The others were either married off or unmarried men without children yet.
Counting four generations, there were nearly fifty people alive. If everyone came, they could fill six or seven tables. However, with the old and the young, mostly the able-bodied adults attended, totaling about thirty people.
“The Zhang clan hasn’t had a clan leader for many years. In our ancestors’ time, the family wasn’t as prosperous as it is now, but we still had a clan leader to manage affairs. The success of our branch of the Zhang family today is undoubtedly due to the unity and efforts of our ancestors. The Zhang family has been scattered for many years, but now that our numbers have grown, it’s time to elect a new clan leader to guide us toward better development.”
“Since we’re all gathered here today, let’s elect a clan leader. The one with the most votes will be chosen.”
Zhang Shixin presided over the meeting. Although the matter of the clan leader was discussed openly, most of the relatives who stayed behind had already guessed what was coming. Zhang Shixin’s call for a vote was just a formality, everyone knew who the likely candidate was.
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