Jiangnan and Yunlong followed the Pei family mbers inside, bypassing the side hall and entering the main hall.
One should know that not just anyone can enter the Pei Family's main hall; it is only used to entertain the most important guests.
Even high-ranking officials generally only visit the side hall.
"Everyone please take a seat, dinner will start soon," the Pei family patriarch said with a smile, before sitting down at the head of the table.
Upon hearing the elder's words, everyone took their seats.
By default, Su Chen occupied the first seat to the left, while Yunlong sat opposite him. Beside Su Chen, however, was not Pei Hua, the eldest son of the Pei patriarch, but Pei Man.
From this simple seating arrangent, one could clearly see Pei Man's status within the Pei Family.
In top-tier elite families like the Pei Family, everything follows a set of rules, even the ti for starting als.
Six o'clock in winter, six-thirty in spring and fall, seven o'clock in the sumr, varying with the seasons, and it is not about being approximately on ti.
Now being late autumn, not yet truly winter, the feast would begin at six thirty, and there were still about twenty minutes left until that ti.
"Mr. Su, we have always wanted to invite you over for a simple al to express our thanks. We were just worried it might be too abrupt," said the Pei family patriarch, looking at Su Chen.
"It just so happened that a few days ago, Little Man and Little Yun were on the phone, and we found out you had co to Yandu, so we thought we should extend our hospitality."
Su Chen had been wondering how Pei Man knew he had co to Yandu; it turned out Tang Yun had told her. He had indeed ntioned this during his last visit to Tang Yun's ho.
"You're too polite. Last ti it was nothing, really, just out of respect for Auntie Pei," Su Chen replied indifferently.
"What may seem like a small effort to Mr. Su is regarded as a great kindness by our Pei family," Pei Man earnestly said beside him.
"Indeed, Mr. Su, this old man's life was saved by you, so I must make a point of properly toasting you later," the elderly Pei patriarch said, though he intended mainly to win over Su Chen, there was also so sincerity in his words.
He then changed the subject with a trace of confusion, "However, last ti Mr. Su seed to bear a deep hostility towards our Pei family. I couldn't figure out why. I have thought it over for a long ti and it seems we didn't have any previous dealings."
As soon as he spoke, the others also looked at Su Chen with the sa confusion.
Knowing he had no place to speak in such a setting, Yunlong only needed to watch with his eyes and listen with his ears.
"It's nothing serious, perhaps I'm just a bit of a cynic who disapproves of the way you great families conduct yourselves with such a sense of superiority," replied Su Chen nonchalantly.
At the end of his words, the others suddenly had an epiphany—it turned out he was sothing of a young angry idealist!
However, there was nothing too surprising about this. After all, it's not strange for young people to feel hot-blooded and disapprove of these great families.
Yet, the Pei patriarch and Pei Man saw right through Su Chen's lie, but they chose not to expose it.
Pei Man, even going along with his statent, laughed and said, "Surely Mr. Su doesn't think all of us from the great families are arrogant and overbearing, even to the point of wrongdoing?"
"So are you?" asked Su Chen.
Su Chen tilted his head and glanced at Pei Man, then counter-questioned.
His gaze then swept over the faces of the other mbers of the Pei Family before finally settling on the old master of the Pei Family.
As soon as these words ca out, the crowd was imdiately embarrassed to the extre, and even the looks they gave Su Chen were unfriendly.
When Pei Man had just said those words, it could be considered self-deprecating, but Su Chen's counter-question imdiately carried a different connotation.
Because it was a question that was fundantally difficult to answer; if they said no, even they wouldn't believe it, but saying yes seed to disgrace the Pei Family.
The old master of the Pei Family also began to beco displeased, but his composure was high, or one might say his sches were deep, and his face still wore a faint smile:
"Mr. Su, whether among the offspring of gentry or in other circles, wherever there are people, there are those who are good and those who are bad, the arrogant and overbearing as well as the low-profile and modest, the courteous and polite."
"What about you, old master? Have you done evil in this life to the point that, when dreams take you back at midnight, you're awakened by your past deeds?"
Su Chen's eyes were intently fixed on the old master's eyes as he asked with a smile on his face.
No sooner had his words fallen than the Pei family mbers were greatly shocked, their faces filled with astonishnt!
Even the usually composed Pei Man gasped slightly with a flicker of surprise in her beautiful eyes!
He actually dared to ask the old master to his face if he had done evil deeds in his life; how could he dare?
Let alone him, not a single person in Huaxia would dare to question the old master of the Pei Family like that; wasn't that akin to courting death?
Yunlong was even more terrified, his face turning ghastly pale. Su Chen's counter-question had already made him feel that this elder brother was too fierce, after all, it had already embarrassed the Pei Family.
To think, the more fierce part was yet to co; he actually dared to ask such a question in front of the old master?!
He couldn't help but cry out in his heart: Big brother, do you know where you are? This is the Pei Family!
At this mont, the old master was also infuriated, his face iron-blue and his body beginning to tremble, his turbid eyes shining with a sharp light!
After the shock, Pei Man couldn't help but turn her gaze again towards the man who had taken her first kiss not long ago, only to see him still smiling faintly and eting the angry grandfather's eyes without showing any intention of flinching!
Just as the old master was about to chastise sternly or even take further action, Pei Man asked softly:
"Mr. Su, why do you ask such a thing out of the blue? If you're implying sothing, feel free to speak directly; I believe my grandfather will be forthcoming."
At the sa ti, she sent a look towards the old master, who was taken aback and imdiately understood.
Indeed, he did not seem like a mindless person; why would he ask such a question for no reason?
Taking into account his attitude towards the Pei Family all this ti, a huge doubt suddenly surged in the old master's heart.
"Indeed, if Mr. Su has anything to say, do not hesitate to speak; this old man will try to answer as much as possible," the old master said, suppressing his anger and asking in an effort to remain calm.
"What can there be to talk about? It was just a casual question. Why, old master, are you taking it seriously?" Su Chen replied with a aningful smile.
"Master, is it ti to dine?" asked a butler who ca over at that mont.
"Then let's have dinner," the old master said with a smile. "Mr. Su, Mr. Yun, let's have a good drink in a while."
Soon, dozens of exquisite dishes were brought to the table, such as roasted deer tendon, Wanshou at, braised shark fins, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and so on, many of which were forr imperial dishes!
Yunlong fancied himself a gourt, but looking at these dishes he had never seen before, he felt like a country bumpkin.
He had once again witnessed the vast gap between the Four Great Families of Jiangnan and the top families of Yandu!
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