162: Chapter 162: A Grand Feast for the Entire Village, Making Netizens' Mouths Water

The noon sun scorched the bluestone paths of the Su Family Village. The open space in front of the Ancestral Hall was teeming with people; the gratitude ceremony for those rescued had just ended, and the smell of gunpowder from firecrackers still hung in the air.

Su Bowen stood on the steps of the Ancestral Hall, looking at the dense crowd before him—there were reporters from afar, citizens who had come of their own accord, and clansmen who had rushed back from all over. He estimated there were no fewer than ten thousand people.

He stroked his beard, turned to Su Wu beside him, and said, "Wu'er, go and turn on the village's loudspeaker."

Su Wu was taken aback. "Dad, what are you planning to do?"

"What am I doing?" Su Bowen glared. "So many people have come from so far away. Are we supposed to let them wait for this afternoon's ceremony on an empty stomach?"

He patted his son's shoulder. "According to the old traditions, we're holding a Flowing Water Banquet!"

"I had the food and drinks prepared early this morning!"

"We can start the feast immediately!"

Su Wu's eyes lit up, and he immediately jogged off to make the arrangements.

Before long, Su Bowen's resonant voice came through the village's large loudspeakers:

"Guests and friends! Thank you for coming all this way to attend my Third Uncle's Commemoration Ceremony! It is now noon, and the Su Family has prepared some simple refreshments. Please, everyone, take a seat! Regardless of how close or distant we are, all who come are guests. Please eat and drink to your heart's content!"

The voice echoed over the village, causing a stir among the crowd.

"A Flowing Water Banquet? The Su Family is hosting a Flowing Water Banquet?"

"My god, with so many people, how many tables will they need?"

"I heard that the Su Family Village's Flowing Water Banquets are extremely sophisticated, even better than five-star hotel food! A friend of mine was lucky enough to eat at one before, and it was absolutely delicious!"

The bullet comments in the livestream exploded instantly:

"What? Free food? I want to go too!"

"Forget about it, person above. I just checked the navigation; the road to Su Family Village is already jammed for five kilometers!"

"Argh! Why am I not in Yuezhou! I heard the Su Family Village's banquets have secret ancestral recipes!"

"Please livestream the meal! I want to see the dishes!"

Just as the netizens were discussing it, a shocking scene appeared—the young men of the Su Family Village were seen carrying out Eight Immortals Tables from the Ancestral Hall and warehouses. They moved nimbly, setting them up on both sides of the village roads, the Ancestral Hall square, and even the open spaces on the back mountain. In just ten-odd minutes, hundreds of tables appeared before everyone's eyes like a magic trick.

Even more exaggerated was the speed of the service.

Dozens of cold-chain trucks printed with 'Yuezhou Grand Restaurant' and 'Dihao Seafood' drove into the village. Chefs and servers in uniform filed out, carrying exquisite food boxes to start setting the dishes.

"Oh my god!" A local reporter's eyes widened. "That's Dihao's signature lobster! One portion costs 888! They're just serving it like that?"

"Look over there!" his colleague pointed to another table. "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall! One pot per person!"

As the livestream camera panned over the tables, the netizens went completely crazy:

"Am I seeing this right? King Crab? Leopard Coral Grouper? And they call this 'simple refreshments'?"

"Poverty has limited my imagination. A table like this wouldn't cost less than three thousand, right?"

"How rich is the Su Family exactly? Wouldn't these hundreds of tables cost one or two million?"

"The person above doesn't understand. The Su Clan's industries are all over Yuezhou; this amount of money is just pocket change to them!"

Xiao Budian pulled Chengzi's hand, weaving between the tables. Every time she saw a good dish, she cheered, "Chengzi! I want to eat that crab!"

Su Qingcheng smiled and pinched her cheek. "You little glutton, the feast can't start until Great-grandfather arrives."

Just as she spoke, Su Han and Wang Yuanchao walked over, accompanied by the clan elders.

Seeing the scale of this, Su Han's brow twitched. "Eldest Uncle, isn't this display a bit too much?"

Su Bowen said with a chuckle, "Third Uncle, don't worry, it didn't cost much. These restaurants are all partly owned by our clan, so it's at cost price. Besides, you've achieved such great merit; if the clan didn't show its appreciation, it wouldn't be right!"

Wang Yuanchao looked at the table full of delicacies and marveled, "Village Chief Su, your 'simple refreshments' are not simple at all. Even when I host foreign guests at the Military Region, it's not even a third as lavish as this."

"Captain Wang, you're joking," Su Bowen quickly waved his hand. "It's mainly because there are so many people today; I was afraid of neglecting our guests."

The aroma of the Flowing Water Banquet drifted over the Su Family Village. Hundreds of Eight Immortals Tables were filled with guests, and laughter rang out amidst the clinking of glasses.

However, in the open space directly in front of the Ancestral Hall, over a hundred round tables covered in red cloth were completely empty—those were seats specifically reserved for the Su Clan.

The livestream camera panned over these empty seats, and the bullet comments immediately erupted:

"Eh? Why is no one sitting there? The dishes are all served!"

"Look over there! The Su Family people are all standing. It looks like they're waiting for something?"

"My grandmother said this is an old tradition. If the elders don't take their seats, the juniors can't pick up their chopsticks!"

The camera turned toward the entrance of the Ancestral Hall, where Su Han was being surrounded by several clan elders who were talking to him, with Su Bowen waiting respectfully by his side.

Over a thousand members of the Su Family, from white-haired elders to school children with backpacks, all stood quietly by their seats. Not a single person took a seat without permission.

"Isn't this a bit too much detail?" an out-of-town reporter whispered. "What era is this that they're still so old-fashioned?"

The local guide beside him immediately shook his head. "You don't understand. For a clan like the Su Family that has been passed down for centuries, rules are more important than life itself. Look at those young people in suits and ties—they might be CEOs outside, but when they return to the clan, they can't skip a single rule they're supposed to follow."

At that moment, a streamer wearing a hanfu approached with a selfie stick, pointing the camera at Su Wu, who was standing straight. "Family, look! This is Su Wu, the eldest grandson of the Su Clan's patriarch. I heard he owns a martial arts hall and a security group in the provincial capital, with a net worth of over a hundred million! But now? He's standing obediently waiting for his grandfather to take his seat!"

The bullet comments boiled over instantly:

"Holy crap! Even with a net worth of over a hundred million, he has to stand and wait?"

"This is what you call a true prestigious family! Rich but never forgetting their roots!"

"I suddenly understand why Su Han is so outstanding. Could a child raised by this kind of family be anything but excellent?"

"Wait, Xiao Budian is also standing obediently! So cute I could cry!"

In the camera, Xiao Budian was indeed standing straight, her small hands pressed against the seams of her pants, looking serious as she mimicked the adults.

Only her darting large eyes and the occasional licking of her lips betrayed her longing for the table full of delicious food.

Heibao crouched by her feet, also looking longingly at the roasted whole lamb in the center of the table, his tail sweeping back and forth on the ground.