172: Chapter 172: A three-day grand feast, inviting guests from all over the world! Commander Zhao has arrived!

The solemn aftertaste of the Ancestor Worship Ceremony had yet to fade, and the clansmen in the ancestral hall square had just straightened their robes when Su Bowen walked toward the broadcasting platform again.

He gently shook the bronze bell in his hand, and the crisp sound made the noisy crowd instantly quiet down—everyone knew that the patriarch still had important matters to announce.

The golden glow of the setting sun spilled onto Su Bowen's dark red brocade robe, and the golden threads of the kylin pattern shone with a warm luster.

He cleared his throat, and his aged but resonant voice traveled through the loudspeaker to every corner of Su Family Village, even drifting toward the congested traffic at the entrance of the village:

"Dear clansmen, dear friends who have traveled from afar!"

His gaze swept across the dense crowd in the square, from the Su Family descendants to the outside guests, from the reporters carrying cameras to the children standing on tiptoe, and finally landed on the bright red military flag in front of the ancestral hall, his tone suddenly rising:

"Today, the Su Family has double happiness—first, our clansman Su Han has earned military merit and brought glory to the country; second, the military and the people are of one heart, basking in the glory together!"

Warm applause erupted from the crowd, and the members of the War Eagle Squad clapped even harder, their palms turning red.

Su Bowen raised his hand to signal for silence and continued: "Just now, during the ancestor worship, the teachings of our ancestors were still ringing in our ears—'Descendants of the Su Family should keep an innocent heart and welcome guests from all over the world'!"

He paused, his voice carrying an unquestionable boldness: "Therefore, I, in my capacity as the patriarch of the Su Clan and the village chief of Su Family Village, announce—"

"Starting from today, for three days and three nights, the Su Family will host a grand flowing banquet!"

This sentence was like a stone thrown into a lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves in the crowd.

The people in the front were stunned at first, then burst into unbelievable cheers, and the people in the back stood on tiptoe and asked: "Village Chief! Is what you said true? Three days and three nights?"

Su Bowen nodded with a smile, his voice becoming even louder through the loudspeaker: "Absolutely true! Whether you are a fellow villager from a neighboring village or a friend from afar; whether you are a soldier holding a gun or a scholar holding a pen—as long as you step into the territory of Su Family Village, you are a guest of the Su Family!"

"There is wine on the tables, dishes in the plates, all are welcome, and there will be plenty to eat!"

"Wow—"

The square was completely boiling! Some people hugged each other excitedly, some immediately took out their mobile phones to call their relatives and friends, and some shouted towards the village entrance: "Stop blocking! Come in and eat! Three days and three nights!"

The barrage in the live broadcast room was like a pot exploding, and the server was on the verge of crashing again:

"Three days and three nights? Has the Su Family moved out their entire granary?"

"I just checked the population of Su Family Village! With the outsiders, there are at least ten thousand people! How much food is that?"

"As a foodie, I suddenly feel short of breath... Is it too late to leave from the neighboring city now?"

"This is the real 'happy event at home, celebrated by everyone'! It's much more meaningful than those celebrity weddings of the century!"

"Pay attention to the Village Chief's last sentence! 'As long as they are compatriots, they are all guests'! The perspective has opened up!"

In the crowd, several migrant workers in work clothes looked at each other. One dark-skinned man scratched his head and asked Su Wu beside him uncertainly: "Young man, can we... also go to eat?"

He had come to fix the roof of the Su Family ancestral hall in the morning and wanted to leave after finishing the work, but he didn't expect to catch such a big scene.

Su Wu patted his shoulder and smiled: "Of course you can! My father said, whoever comes is a guest, just sit down and eat! If it's not enough, we'll add more!"

The man was so excited that his eyes turned red, and he pulled his coworkers to run to the nearest table: "Quick! Let's share in Major Su's good fortune!"

Su Bowen looked at this lively scene and said to Su Han beside him: "Third Uncle, what do you think of this arrangement?"

Su Han looked at the crowd running to tell each other the news in the square, and a sincere smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Eldest Uncle has considered everything thoroughly. This banquet is about liveliness and gathering people's hearts."

Just as they were talking, a burst of urgent horn sounds suddenly came from the village entrance.

It turned out that the congested vehicles finally began to drive in slowly. The drivers rolled down the windows and poked their heads out to ask: "I heard there is a flowing banquet? Where is it?"

The Su Family descendants who had been waiting at the village entrance immediately stepped forward to guide them: "Please come this way! Turn forward, there are tables at the ancestral hall square and the back mountain!"

What was even more amazing was that the cold chain trucks that had been parked outside the village became busy again.

Chefs wearing the uniforms of "Yuezhou Grand Restaurant" moved boxes of seafood, meat, and vegetables down from the trucks, and even vegetable farmers from nearby villages rushed over pushing tricycles, the vegetables in their baskets still covered with dew.

"Village Chief Su said, all ingredients will be purchased at market price!" A Su Family descendant who was bookkeeping shouted, "Everyone just keep sending them here, we guarantee we won't treat our fellow villagers unfairly!"

The members of the War Eagle Squad were dumbfounded. Monkey held up his mobile phone to record the rows of cold chain trucks and clicked his tongue: "This scale... I'm afraid they emptied the entire vegetable market in Yuezhou, right?"

Wang Yuanchao shook his head with a smile: "You don't understand, this isn't about scale, it's the Su Family's heart. Only when the common people are living well can they be so generous; and the fact that they are willing to give is a sign that they care about others."

The sunset gradually sank in the west, and lanterns were lit in Su Family Village.

The ancestral hall square, both sides of the village road, and the open space on the back mountain, hundreds of tables were set up again, even more spectacular than the banquet at noon.

The chefs were busy in front of the temporarily built stoves, and the steaming heat mixed with the aroma of food permeated the sky over the village.

Xiao Budian held a meat bun that had just come out of the pot, ran to Su Han's side, and held up the bun to show off: "Great-grandfather! Look! This bun is bigger than my face!"

Black Panther was circling at her feet, so Xiao Budian broke off half and threw it to it, giggling as she watched it wolf it down.

Xiao Nuan was holding a camera and taking pictures everywhere. In the lens, there were clansmen clinking glasses to celebrate, migrant workers eating with their heads down, members of the War Eagle Squad toasting each other, and reporters holding mobile phones for live broadcasts...

Everyone had a smile on their face, without the barriers of status, without the distance of region.

"Third Grandpa, look over there!" Su Wu pointed to the direction of the village entrance, where a group of students with school bags, probably from a nearby middle school, were being enthusiastically pulled to the tables by the Su Family descendants.

"They said they just finished their exams and rode their bikes over after seeing the live broadcast." Su Bowen smiled, "They even brought handmade greeting cards, saying they wanted to give them to you."

Su Han looked at those young, inexperienced faces and suddenly thought of when he had just joined the army in his previous life.

He took a greeting card with a fighter jet and a military flag drawn on it, on which it was written in crooked handwriting: "Major Su, we also want to be like you and be useful to the country!"

A warm current surged in his heart, and he gave a standard military salute to that group of students.

The students were stunned for a moment, then excitedly returned the salute, their movements although immature, were extremely serious.

The live broadcast lens recorded this scene, and the barrage was full of emotion:

"This is the best education... It's not the principles in textbooks, but the role model seen with one's own eyes."

"My son just asked me if he could ask for leave tomorrow to go to Su Family Village, he wants to salute Major Su."

"Suddenly feel that this three-day, three-night banquet is not just about eating food, but a heavy friendship—military-civilian friendship, compatriot friendship, and patriotism."

As the night grew darker, the banquet in Su Family Village became even livelier.

The halos of the lanterns shone on everyone's smiling faces, the laughter of children and the singing of the War Eagle Squad members came from afar, and the occasional "woof" of Black Panther also became a part of this lively movement.

Su Han held a glass of rice wine, stood at the door of the ancestral hall, and looked at the bustling scene before him.

Suddenly felt that, it seems... dying in the previous life wasn't so bad... wahahaha...

It wasn't until late at night that Su Family Village finally returned to calm.

Su Han was also half-drunk.

Just when he was a little dazed, Li Wanjiang brought an old man in his sixties wearing casual clothes, but with eyes as sharp as an eagle, and walked in slowly.

Behind them were Wang Yuanchao, the War Eagle Squad, and others, following step by step, respectfully, and with some tension and fear.

"Stinky brat, with so much good wine and food, you didn't know to invite me?" The old man spoke slowly, his tone carrying a touch of ridicule and displeasure.

Su Han poked his eyes hard, only then confirming that he wasn't drunk from drinking, and hurriedly stood at attention, saluted, and shouted loudly: "Hello, Commander Zhao!"

...

Wrote this overnight.

Today is Army Day, wishing all active and retired soldiers a happy holiday! Thank you for your dedication! May the country's national defense be as strong as a fortress! Thank you to all the revolutionary predecessors and heroes for their sacrifice and dedication. The prosperous age of China is as you wished!