Chapter 102: Coming of Age
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
January 1229 of the Ziyun Era.
“Young Master.”
Zhou Donghuang, who was practicing in his room, was startled by Fu. Leaping off his bed, he walked out of his room and immediately saw the three figures standing in the courtyard.
Leading them was a scholarly middle-aged man in a brocaded mandarin gown, with a handsome face and a dignified demeanor. He had an air of superiority, but he was merely standing there, not daring even to take a deep breath.
Behind the scholarly middle-aged man were two old men.
From the posture of the two old men, they were not ordinary people. They wore long brocaded robes, and one of them had a jade ornamental ring on his right thumb, which was obviously valuable. The other old man had a jade plate hung at his waist, and the quality of the jade was obviously not the same as ordinary jade.
These three people were no strangers to Zhou Donghuang; they were the three men from the tycoon Tang family that he had met in the Lost Forest the day before.
At that time, the three men had been pursued by a grizzly bear, and since he had his eye on the gall bladder of the grizzly bear, he had killed the grizzly bear and saved the lives of the three men.
“Patriarch Tang Liunian of the Tang family acknowledges Young Master Donghuang.”
Seeing Zhou Donghuang walk out of his room, the scholarly middle-aged man took the lead in bowing in greeting. He had learned Zhou Donghuang’s name from the servants earlier.
“Head Elder Tang Yuxin of the Tang family acknowledges Young Master Donghuang.”
“Second Elder Tang Yong of the Tang family acknowledges Young Master Donghuang.”
Following as Patriarch Tang Liunian did, the two old men behind him both bowed respectfully in greeting to Zhou Donghuang with gratitude in their eyes, not daring to delay the slightest bit.
The day before, they would have been killed by the level-nine demon grizzly bear in the Lost Forest if not for the timely intervention of this youth before them.
They were sincerely grateful towards this youth.
The Tang family? Tang Liunian?
When Fu, who was standing to the side, heard the scholarly middle-aged man introduce himself, his eyes widened in surprise as he exhaled deeply.
Earlier, although he had heard the three men say they were from the Tang family, he had not been thinking of the tycoon Tang family. Now, hearing the scholarly middle-aged man introduce himself, he realized… actually, this middle-aged man was the patriarch of the tycoon Tang family, Tang Liunian.
Tang Liunian, the patriarch of the tycoon Tang family, was a level-nine adept of the Qi-gathering.
It was because of this that the Tang family could be considered a superior-level tycoon family amongst the tycoon families.
And now, such a person was bowing respectfully to his young master.
“Young Master…”
In that moment, Fu looked back at Zhou Donghuang with growing reverence in his gaze.
“Mm.”
Zhou Donghuang nodded in acknowledgment of the greetings of the three men as he walked to the stone table in the middle of the courtyard and sat down, looking at Tang Liunian as he asked casually, “Where’s the bear’s gall bladder?”
“Young Master Donghuang, this is the gall bladder of the grizzly bear.”
At a signal from Tang Liunian, the second elder of the Tang family, Tang Yong, stepped forward and placed a brocaded box on the table before Zhou Donghuang, together with a stack of silver notes beside it.
Zhou Donghuang opened the brocaded box and saw a whole gall bladder and nodded as he looked at the stack of silver notes on the table.
Zhou Donghuang placed his right hand on the table palm down and curled it into a loose fist. His curved index and middle fingers rapped lightly on the table as he looked at Tang Liunian and asked, “What do you mean by this?”
“Young Master Donghuang,” Tang Liunian said respectfully, “Other than the gall bladder of the grizzly bear, the value of the remaining parts of its body exceeded a million liang of silver… take this one million liang of silver as the price that the Tang family is paying Young Master Donghuang for the remaining parts of the grizzly bear’s body.
“I’ve already said that other than the gall bladder, the rest is yours to do with as you please,” Zhou Donghuang said as he looked deeply at Tang Liunian.
“Young Master Donghuang,” Tang Liunian said with a start, “Yesterday, your timely intervention saved our three lives, and that is already a great benefit… how could we take advantage of you?”
As soon as he finished and before Zhou Donghuang could reply, Tang Liunian took an invitation card from his pocket and placed it on the table before Zhou Donghuang.
Zhou Donghuang looked at the invitation with a flash of suspicion in his eyes, but Tang Liunian said, “Young Master Donghuang, the Tang family is hosting a banquet in ten days’ time. The patriarchs of all grand families and above in the Chu royal city are invited… the objective of the banquet is to thank you for saving my life as well as the lives of the two elders.”
“If the three of us had died in the Lost Forest yesterday, the Tang family would have been demoted from a tycoon family to the status of a grand family… so this banquet is to thank you for saving our lives, and also to thank you for the grace you have given the Tang family!”
As Tang Liunian finished, not just him but also the two elders of the Tang family all bowed low once again.
“I’ll take the one million liang of silver, but don’t bother about the rest,” Zhou Donghuang said as he shook his head.
“Young Master Donghuang, the Tang family has already sent out the invitations to the grand families and above of the Chu royal city early this morning… we still invite you to turn up in ten days’ time. Otherwise, this banquet thrown by the Tang family will be meaningless.”
With that, Tang Liunian and the two Tang family elders bade Zhou Donghuang farewell and took their leave, leaving Zhou Donghuang with no choice.
Of course, Tang Liunian’s actions would not have offended anyone.
After all, his intentions were good and were sufficient to show that he was a man who knew how to show gratitude and repay kindness, even if he had some small intention of getting on Zhou Donghuang’s good side.
This Tang Liunian really conducts himself properly.
After the three Tang family members had left, Zhou Donghuang shook his head with a smile and opened the invitation. His name was not on the invitation, and there was only the mention of a “benefactor.”
Obviously, the Tang family members had not known his name at the time when they prepared the invitation.
“Fu.”
After letting Fu put away the gall bladder, invitation, and silver notes, Zhou Donghuang rose and returned to his room and practiced till the afternoon. It was lunchtime when Fu next called him out of his room.
Leaving his room, he immediately saw that a large round table had been added to the front courtyard, and the table was laden with steaming hot dishes. Although they looked unremarkable, they smelled heavenly and whetted one’s appetite.
Before the round table, Fu and Aunt Mei were standing to the side.
The slender young lady was standing before the table, smiling slightly as she looked at Zhou Donghuang as he walked out of his room. “Big Brother Zhou, do you remember what day it is today?”
“What day is it?”
Zhou Donghuang was momentarily stunned.
“Young Master, today is the day you come of age.”
Fu could not resist reminding him.
“Young Master Donghuang.”
At that moment, Aunt Mei looked tenderly at the young lady before the table before looking back at Zhou Donghuang with a smile. “The dishes on the table were all prepared personally by my young mistress.”
“Three months ago, she asked me to teach her to cook. It was in preparation for this day, to cook a meal for you to celebrate your coming of age.
At Aunt Mei’s words, the still waters of Zhou Donghuang’s heart could not help but be moved, and when he next looked at the young lady, his gaze had become much warmer.
“Zixi, I appreciate your effort… however, actually, I’m not really particular about it.”
Zhou Donghuang sighed.
“Big Brother Zhou, I’ve wanted to learn to cook long ago, and this just happens to be the right time, it’s just good fortune.”
The young lady smiled slightly as she replied, but a look of dejection flashed across the depths of her gaze.
“Big Brother Zhou, let’s sit down and eat.”
The young lady stepped forward and pulled the chair out from under the table for Zhou Donghuang. Only when Zhou Donghuang walked over and sat down did she take a seat beside him and began dishing the food out onto his plate.
“Fu, Aunt Mei, please be seated too.”
The young lady did not forget to invite Fu and Aunt Mei over, and they both took the next seats.
Sometimes, it seems that fate designs to make fun of people.
If not for what had happened the previous day, Zhou Donghuang might have been sufficiently moved by the scene before him for his feelings to change from thankfulness to something else…
However, the incident the previous day had installed another woman in Zhou Donghuang’s heart.
Now, although he was grateful, he did not dare be moved.
What was done was done between him and Luo Qinghan, even without considering that he had already fallen for Luo Qinghan, as a man, he had to bear responsibility for taking her virginity.
With Yang Zixi, he could only choose restraint.
After all, he was no longer considered alone, and to take the expression commonly used on Earth, he was no longer “single.”
Throughout the meal, Zhou Donghuang was on edge, and after eating, he immediately excused himself and returned to his room, making the excuse that he needed to practice.
Seeing this, the young lady sighed, disappointment written all over her lovely face.
“Young Mistress, don’t be discouraged… I can tell that throughout the whole meal, Young Master Donghuang was very touched. I believe Young Master Donghuang will come to appreciate you sooner or later and accept you.”
Aunt Mei looked tenderly at the young lady as she consoled her.
Standing off to the side, Fu also could not help shaking his head. He felt all along that this Young Mistress Zixi was a good match for his young master, but he could only watch helplessly and anxiously at this unrequited love.
“Brother Fu, Big Brother Zhou… does he have his eye on someone else?” the young lady asked softly, looking at Fu.
Immediately, Aunt Mei was also looking at Fu suspiciously.
In her opinion, her young mistress had given so much, and a man who was still not moved was either emotionally unavailable or did not like women.
“No.”
Fu shook his head with great certainty.
“Fu, could it be that Young Master Donghuang… is not interested in women?”
Aunt Mei asked with a strange look in her eyes.
“This…”
Fu was momentarily stunned, and after sifting through his memories from the time he began following his young master, he realized that he indeed had not seen his young master having any inclination towards women.
“Aunt Mei, I’ve never seen my young master have feelings for any woman, but I have also never seen my young master have feelings for… any man.”
Fu originally intended only to explain things on behalf of his young master, but he regretted it as soon as he had spoken.
As he finished, not only did Aunt Mei’s gaze grew more and more peculiar, even the young lady’s gaze grew strange.
It was just as well that Zhou Donghuang had already returned to his room and was completely immersed in practicing, and did not hear what Fu had said… otherwise, he would surely not be able to stop himself from giving Fu a kick that would lay him flat out on the ground.
