Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Lu Maomao returned to the residence, first going to his own courtyard to wash up. He then found the silk clothes the Yu family had made for him earlier, fastened the jade hairpin for his hair—the one the big white cat had just fetched for Big Brother-in-law—and quietly applied a layer of baby-soft seaweed face balm. Only then did he swagger, chest puffed out, to the guest reception area.

Lu Maomao usually disliked dressing up; he thought accessories were pointless, and fancy clothes didn't do anything for him yet. However, most people in the world judge a book by its cover. The Yu clan leader, in particular, saw him as a stumbling block and harbored great hostility toward him. In Maomao's eyes, they were in an adversarial relationship, and one must never lose face before an enemy. Unfortunately, he didn't have a big gold chain or a gold watch; otherwise, wearing them for a stroll and adding a gold tooth, who would dare provoke him?

Yu Sui saw Lu Maomao's tense face, as if he were about to go into battle. On edge, he quietly led the way for Lu Maomao, not daring to make a sound, afraid that any movement might cause the imposing aura his brother-in-law had painstakingly mustered to dissipate, revealing timidity when meeting the clan elders later.

However, Yu Sui noticed the hairpin on his brother-in-law's head several times and felt he had seen it somewhere before. This hairpin looked very much like the one his young master had used for five years. Had the young master given it to him?

Yu Sui went in and announced, "Old Master, Clan Leader, the brother-in-law has arrived."

Old Master Yu took stock of everyone without a change in expression. "Feifan is here. Let him in quickly."

The moment Lu Maomao stepped into the room, four scrutinizing gazes instantly focused on him. Lu Maomao acted completely oblivious, calmly stepping forward to pay his respects to the old master.

He had learned this after Big Brother-in-law, seeing him fail to salute the old master back when they lived in the county town, taught him how. Since he often had to pay respects to the old master, Lu Maomao was now quite proficient.

"Old Master, you have guests today," Lu Maomao said after paying his respects, surveying the room with confidence.

"They are elders accompanying the clan leader, who came specifically to visit me upon my return to the village. Knowing you are Xiaoyu's future husband, they wanted to meet you. It's a good opportunity for you to be introduced to your elders as well."

"Yes."

Yu Changan then walked to Lu Maomao's side, guiding him to an elderly man with graying hair, a ruddy complexion, and a portly build seated to the left of the old master. "Feifan, this is the clan leader of our Yu Village."

So this was the clan leader—fat and bloated, weak in body and character, clearly not a good person. Lu Maomao cursed inwardly, reluctant to bow to the clan leader. But under the watchful eyes of everyone, to avoid embarrassing the old master and the others, he reluctantly bowed as a junior should.

"Greetings, Clan Leader."

The clan leader examined the lean, dark-skinned youth before him, who was trying hard to appear composed. With a jade hairpin, fine silk clothes, full of vitality, and bright eyes, it was clear he was living well in the Yu residence, and both the old master and Yu Changan held him in high regard. Clothes make the man. Dressed in finery, if one didn't know his background, one might think at first glance that this young man came from a decent family.

You can buy the trappings, but not the substance.

The clan leader chuckled and told Lu Maomao not to stand on ceremony. "My boy, we're all family, no need for such formality. Your name is Feifan, right? A fine name. Was it given to you by your father? He must have had great expectations for you."

"Guess I was just born special, and only this name suits me." Compared to Mimi or Miaomiao, Feifan and Cat King were a better match.

Yu Changan, who had actually given Lu Maomao his name, couldn't help but glance at him. What a shameless creature, actually thinking he was born extraordinary? Good at nothing, mediocre at everything—where was the extraordinariness?

"Feifan, you certainly have a sense of humor."

The clan leader couldn't help but chuckle, and the others followed with amused smiles. A foundling who'd been a non-person for over a decade—where was the extraordinariness? Did he think entering the Yu family could change his fate?

This kid was either a naive fool or an arrogant fool.

"I'm not joking," Lu Maomao said with a serious, solemn expression. If he hadn't decided to stay with the Yu family and if the name didn't suit him, he would never have accepted the name Big Brother-in-law gave him.

Names are connected to fate and fortune; changing a name isn't easy. But there was no choice; one needs a designation to move about in the human world. He couldn't keep using the name Mao'er.

"This child is a bit stubborn, Clan Leader, please don't mind him," Yu Changan smoothed things over. "The name was left to Feifan by his father. He's straightforward and can't bear to hear anyone speak ill of it."

"Not at all, not at all. It was my fault for teasing him about his name." The clan leader felt he had probed enough into Lu Maomao's character and decided to stop while ahead. "Now that you're with our Yu family, the hard days are behind you. I hope Feifan can truly live up to his father's expectations and lead an extraordinary life."

Lu Maomao lowered his eyes, anger boiling inside. *Your father, your father—you old dog, don't presume to assign a father to this Cat King.*

At this point, further explanation would only make things worse. Yu Changan could only silently play the role of Lu Maomao's invisible father. After the exchange with the clan leader, Yu Changan led Lu Maomao to the right side of the old master, to an elderly man similar in age and appearance to Old Master Yu. "This is our granduncle. Granduncle is the old master's cousin, holds the title of Xiucai, and currently oversees our clan school."

Lu Maomao looked up at this granduncle. His face bore only a thirty percent resemblance to the old master, and his demeanor was twenty percent similar. Old Master Yu, having served in the court for many years and immersed in power for so long, possessed more of a superior's dignity and bearing compared to this schoolmaster-like Elder Tang. Granduncle was closely related by blood to the old master, and Big Brother-in-law spoke of him with considerable respect. Lu Maomao bowed more sincerely. "Granduncle."

Elder Tang was very warm toward Lu Maomao. "Ah, Feifan has learned his manners well. Cousin, you certainly know how to teach people."

"That's all Chang An's doing," Old Master Yu said.

"Chang An's abilities are evident to all, and our Feifan is also good—sturdy and looks capable. I heard you just came back from the fields. Good, a solid, hardworking young man. I like children like you."

Elder Tang's praise was so sincere that even the praise-loving Cat King felt embarrassed. "Granduncle flatters me too much. I've never farmed before and am currently learning from Big Brother Youqian."

As soon as Lu Maomao finished speaking, two contemptuous gazes fell upon him. Unaware, Elder Tang continued to encourage him. "You mean Yu Youqian? His whole family is exceptionally capable and hardworking, just unfortunate with timing. Learn well from him. Farming isn't difficult; with some strength, you can learn."

The Yu family tradition combined farming and scholarship. Before Old Master Yu rose to prominence, they were an undivided extended family. Though they had some savings, because the family had to support him and Old Master Yu as scholars, their ancestors and parents lived frugally all their lives, not even daring to hire long-term laborers. Both he and Old Master Yu, besides studying, would work in the fields alongside hired short-term laborers during busy seasons.

Old Master Yu having Lu Maomao work the land didn't seem odd to Elder Tang. The hardships of his own youth should be experienced by the younger generation as well. Moreover, this child came from a hunter's background with limited prospects; there weren't many things he could do. If he understood farming and learned some land management skills, giving him a few hundred mu of land in the future for him and Xiaoyu to live as wealthy landowners wouldn't be impossible. Elder Tang's thoughts were pure, but the clan leader and the two other clan elders who hadn't been introduced yet revealed dismissive looks in their eyes.

"When your grandfather and I were your age, one person could hoe a *mu* of land in a day," Elder Tang continued.

"Grandfather was that capable?"

Lu Maomao couldn't help but look at Old Master Yu. The old master really kept his talents hidden—studying and farming in his youth, and skilled at farming too. Thinking of his own recent struggles in the fields, not even matching a fraction of the old master's youthful ability, no wonder Big Brother-in-law never thought much of him. Lu Maomao felt like biting a handkerchief in frustration.

Wait, what about Big Brother-in-law? By the time Big Brother-in-law was born, the Yu family must have been extremely wealthy. Had he ever worked the fields?

Just as Lu Maomao was about to ask, Elder Tang was already reminiscing about his and Old Master Yu's youth. "Not just that. Your grandfather learned to build irrigation channels after reading a few books. The small channels in our village were also built under his direction. Feifan, you should visit the village sometime."

"I will. Grandfather could build irrigation channels so young, no wonder he could manage the Yellow River."

Mentioning this, Elder Tang couldn't help but chuckle. "Your grandfather wanted to build them early on, but the villagers and clansmen didn't believe him. It wasn't until he passed the provincial examination and brought it up again that no one opposed."

The clan leader and the other two, recalling the past, chimed in agreement. The stiff atmosphere that had prevailed since Lu Maomao's arrival finally eased.

As the teasing turned to him, Old Master Yu, thinking of his youthful audacity, felt somewhat embarrassed. "Alright, Cousin Chou, that's ancient history. Mentioning it will make the young people laugh."

Seeing Old Master Yu's embarrassment, Elder Tang changed the subject, urging Yu Changan to introduce Lu Maomao to the next person. "Cousin is feeling shy. Let's not talk about that anymore. Your granduncle and uncle must be getting impatient."

Yu Changan brought Lu Maomao before the senior representative from the Yao Fang branch. This granduncle of Yu Changan's was two years older than Elder Yao Fang. Decades ago, their family was the wealthiest in the clan, owning large tracts of land in the surrounding villages, as well as many shops and properties in the county town. When the family divided its assets, each branch received a considerable share. As the eldest son and grandson, he had managed the family lands with his father in middle age, grew accustomed to village life, and, being older, chose to retire in the village instead of living in the county town like Elder Yao Fang. Born into wealth, he had managed the family lands. This often meant dealing with those he saw as "troublesome peasants." Someone as lowly as Lu Maomao was beneath his notice. His attitude toward Lu Maomao was cold and disdainful.

Lu Maomao naturally wasn't about to suck up to him. There was nothing to say between them. Yu Changan then brought Lu Maomao to the last person. This was the father of the clan's Xiucai. His eldest son had passed the prefectural exam at twenty-five and earned his xiucai degree, and Old Master Yu had recommended his son to study at an academy in the prefectural city. This xiucai's father, whom Yu Changan addressed as Uncle due to his seniority in the clan, had never been a gifted scholar but had cultivated a lofty, 'dust-under-his-feet' arrogance. He cared little about anything except himself; even his son's enrollment in the academy was something he had personally begged Old Master Yu for. He looked down on Lu Maomao and hadn't wanted to come today, only being dragged along by the clan leader as filler. When Lu Maomao greeted him, he replied politely but had nothing further to say.

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