147: The Heritage of a Millennium Family (II)
Not far from the plane, a massive and luxurious motorcade was quietly parked, with hundreds of bodyguards silently guarding it.
"Good day, Young Clan Leader!"
"Welcome home, Young Clan Leader."
As Li Youqian and the others approached, the bodyguards collectively bowed in salute.
"Good day, comrades, you’ve worked hard."
Li Youqian had never seen such a scene before, so he could only nod and wave, mimicking what he had seen on television.
"Let's go, we're returning to the Ancestral Land."
...
The motorcade slowly moved forward, and along the way, no signs of human habitation or passing vehicles were seen.
"Old man, this area is quite developed and prosperous, so why haven't I seen any other residents?"
Although it was already winter, the scenery outside the window was still pleasant, and the roads were all brand new asphalt, so there should have been people coming and going.
"Centered around the Ancestral Land, an area spanning dozens of miles is the Li Family's territory. Those who appear here are all members of the Li Family or guests."
"Today is the day of your return to the Li Family, and other clan members are waiting inside the clan territory."
"So, it's normal that you don't see anyone."
Oh my goodness, dozens of miles of land belong to the Li Family?
It is well known that one li equals 0.5 kilometers, so dozens of li...
Isn't that bigger than a county town?
Poverty, after all, had limited his imagination.
After about ten minutes, the long motorcade finally slowly drove into a grand and magnificent manor.
This manor covered an extremely vast area, almost stretching as far as the eye could see.
As soon as they entered the manor, a strong festive atmosphere enveloped them.
Colorful lanterns and ribbons hung on both sides of the road, gently swaying in the breeze.
Even though it was winter, various vibrant flowers bloomed in the flowerbeds, exuding a charming fragrance.
The entire manor was adorned to be as beautiful and captivating as a fairyland.
The architectural style of the entire manor was distinctly reminiscent of ancient royal gardens.
Pavilions and towers were scattered in an orderly fashion, with exquisitely carved beams and painted rafters, showcasing luxury and nobility.
Sitting in the car and admiring the picturesque scenery, Li Youqian felt refreshed and delighted.
Moreover, the manor also had a series of modern facilities.
Such as a gymnasium, cinema, and shopping mall.
There were even luxury buses on the roadside!
Compared to this place, Jiujian Tang seemed a bit "shabby."
"This is our Ancestral Land, covering an area of about 10,000 mu."
"The permanent population within the manor is around 8,000 people."
8,000 people?
Li Youqian learned from chatting with Li Weiguo that their branch, the so-called main branch, only had 173 people.
The true direct relatives numbered only 27.
This included his paternal uncles, paternal aunts, and his grandparents.
As for the collateral branches... there were too many, mostly scattered around the world, silently contributing to the Li Family.
As for his own family, he also had an older sister and a younger sister.
His older sister was currently the CEO of a well-known company, and his younger sister was a top student at Tsinghua University and Peking University.
And his cousins were also elites in various fields.
It could be said that among the entire Li Family, he was the only good-for-nothing...
"I'll take you to meet the family members first, and then you'll be free to do as you please."
"There will be a formal ancestral recognition ceremony in two days, so prepare yourself."
The return of the Li Family Young Clan Leader was a momentous event that would shake the entire world.
Many domestic and international nobles and dignitaries received invitations and came to China to offer their congratulations.
"Alright."
...
When the car reached a building similar to a hotel, Li Weiguo said to Li Youqian:
"This is the Li Family's banquet hall. Most of the Li Family's events are held here."
Looking at the lavishly decorated 10-story building in front of him, Li Youqian swallowed hard. He called this a banquet hall?
Before coming, Li Youqian thought that a family of this caliber would still adhere to the old ways.
For instance, like the three-hall trial in TV dramas, and old wooden buildings.
He didn't expect it to be so modern!
"To maintain a low profile, the buildings in the Li Family were not built particularly high."
Li Weiguo saw Li Youqian staring intently at the banquet hall in front of him, assuming he thought it was too short, so he explained.
Are you listening to yourself?
Occupying hundreds of square kilometers of land, living in a manor spanning tens of thousands of mu, and even a banquet hall has ten stories. You call this low-key?
Looking across the entire country, and even the world, there's nothing this high-profile!
"By the way, old man, how did such a large piece of land get approved?"
No matter how powerful or influential, such a large piece of land would still have to go through procedures, right?
Li Weiguo looked at Li Youqian as if he were an idiot and walked directly into the banquet hall.
"Son... you... sigh, never mind, you'll get used to it slowly."
Xie Zixi looked at Li Youqian with a wry smile, finding it both amusing and heartbreaking, wondering how much hardship her son had endured.
"You... never mind, I suggest you watch a TV series."
"What series?"
"In the Name of the People."
...
"Good day, Patriarch, good day, Madam."
"Welcome home, Young Clan Leader."
Entering the banquet hall, the service staff, without exception, all stopped and bowed in greeting upon seeing them.
Li Youqian could only nod repeatedly in acknowledgment.
"Mom, what era is this? How can anyone accept this kind of work?"
Looking at their respectful demeanor, this was no longer just housekeeping; this already fell into the category of servants.
In the new era, could anyone still accept this kind of work? How much salary would they have to pay?
"No, these people are all collateral descendants of the Li Family or highly educated individuals with doctorates from outside."
"Monthly salary of 100,000, 9 AM to 5 PM or 5 PM to 9 AM, fifteen months' pay, no weekends, but one month of annual leave."
"As long as they complete three years of service, even if they quit later, there's a million-dollar hush money."
Damn...
Only an idiot wouldn't take this job, right?
If it were the old Li Youqian, he would have long since knelt down and begged for the job.
Although a man's knees are worth gold, he was kneeling for gold!
"Patriarch, Madam, the First Master and Second Master are already waiting."
Walking to a large door on the first floor, a butler who looked to be sixty or seventy years old was standing at the door, waiting.
"Thank you for your hard work, Uncle Fu."
"Let me introduce you, this is my son, Li Youqian."
"Li Youqian, this is Uncle Fu, the Li Family's Grand Steward."
Li Weiguo stopped and introduced him to Li Youqian.
His father called him uncle, so he should call him... grandfather?
"Good day, Grandfather Fu."
"Young Clan Leader, no, no, you should call me Uncle Fu, just like the Patriarch."
Uncle Fu looked flattered. Although he was the Grand Steward, he was not worthy of being called Grandfather Fu.
"It's fine. Given his age, calling you grandfather is perfectly acceptable."
It was clear that Uncle Fu was Li Weiguo's confidant; otherwise, Li Weiguo would not have treated him this way.
"Open the door. Let them meet the future decision-maker of the Li Family."