Xiaoya glanced at Hanzi and asked, "What about Hanzi, will you come up with us too?"
Xiahou Shengyuan said: "Dad said that Brother Hanzi has a special status and is considered a distinguished guest. However, I don't have that honor. After I take you up, you have to come down. You are not allowed to stay up there to eat fast."
Xiaoya said angrily: "If you are making such sarcastic remarks, then go up. You would rather be down there with your brothers and sisters than up there."
Xiahou Shengyuan said: "Yes, yes, my eldest lady, hurry up, otherwise you will really get scolded." He pushed her and walked towards the second floor.
When they got here, Hanzi couldn't speak easily. Seeing the solemn scene here, he didn't know what other taboos his family had. It would be bad if he said the wrong thing.
This Zhaitang is a building with one and a half floors. The lobby on the first floor is a whole, and the second floor has a semicircular staircase in the middle. However, the second floor is clearly a platform, that is, on the
A platform was erected in the center of the lobby of the building, which is about one third of the lobby on the first floor. The platform only reaches more than half of the height of the entire lobby. The design is somewhat similar to the layout of a city hall. There is a half-person height on the side of the platform.
There is a guardrail. Standing next to the guardrail, you can see all the tribesmen in Yongzhai below.
When we went up to the second floor, we saw a shelf similar to the one in the dining hall below, which was also lit with candles. There was a rectangular table in the middle, and at the head of the square table was a young man about 10 years old.
The sixty-year-old man with a black beard and a square face had piercing eyes and twinkling eyes. As soon as Hanzi came up, his eyes fell on Hanzi.
Hanzi had already been mentally prepared, smiling and indifferent to the old man's gaze.
There were four people sitting on one side of the old man and five people sitting on the other side. Seven of them were middle-aged or above. Among them, Xiahou Dongrong was on his left. There were two young people in their thirties sitting on the right, looking at
When Hanzi and Xiaoya came up, everyone's eyes fell on them.
When he reached the top, Hanzi felt that Xiahou Shengyuan didn't even dare to take a breath. The entire dining hall felt dull, as if there was an invisible air pressure surging in from all directions, almost giving people a feeling of suffocation.
Xiahou Shengyuan bowed to the old man sitting in the main seat and said respectfully: "Uncle, Xiaoya and Young Master Lu Mohan are already here."
The old man nodded, and Hanzi saw Xiahou Dongrong wave his hand lightly, and Xiahou Shengyuan turned around and walked away, not daring to stay for a moment. When he walked past Hanzi, he glanced at him, with a look of worry in his eyes.
color.
Xiahou Dongrong stood up and asked Hanzi and Xiaoya to sit under him. After Hanzi was seated, he introduced everyone present to him.
The person sitting in the chair is Xiahou Hongfeng, the head of the Xiahou family. The other six elders are brothers of the same generation as Xiahou Dongrong in the Xiahou family. The two young people are Xiahou Mengran and Xiahou Liansong from the third generation.
.
Hanzi greeted him one by one without any sense of restraint.
Xiahou Hongfeng glanced at him and said calmly: "Welcome Mr. Lu to our castle as a guest. Today is a fasting day. Please don't be offended if we don't treat you well."
Hanzi cupped his fists and saluted, "I don't dare. It's because the junior came so abruptly and caused trouble. Senior, don't blame me."
Instructing Hanzi to sit down, Xiahou Hongfeng said to Xiahou Mengran: "Meng Ran, you can tell everyone to start."
Xiahou Mengran responded respectfully, then walked to the front of the guardrail and said loudly to the bottom: "The master of the house has ordered you to use the meal."
It was very simple. There was no red tape as Hanzi had imagined. As soon as Xiahou Mengran made the announcement, everyone began to eat their fasting meals in silence.
Xiahou Hongfeng said calmly: "Everyone should also eat." He picked up the bowl and started eating.
The atmosphere at the vegetarian meal was extremely dull, and no one said a word during the meal.
This is not so much a family fasting banquet as it is an embarrassing banquet that is extremely dull. The dull atmosphere makes Hanzi feel like he can't breathe.
Hanzi secretly looked at Xiaoya next to him, who was also eating carefully, while the two third-generation Xiahou family members at the same table were also cautious, walking on thin ice. He thought to himself: "What kind of family is this?
If you are like this, isn’t this suffering?”
But he was really right. It turns out that the Xiahou family's fast is to mourn those who sacrificed their lives for the family curse. However, except for a few elders in the family, no one knows how they perform the ax ceremony.
, and using a virgin under the age of eighteen.
Therefore, I don’t know which generation of family head made the rule that no one is allowed to speak at the table after each fasting meal. Therefore, the fasting day of the Xiahou family has always been like this.
Soon, those who had eaten on the first floor quietly walked out.
Eating vegetarian food in such a dreary environment, even the most delicious vegetarian food in the world, became incomprehensible. Hanzi did not know what the taste of the vegetarian food he ate was.
When he put down the bowls and chopsticks, he saw that the third-generation disciples had all eaten, put down the bowls and chopsticks, and sat there in silence.
After a while, Xia Hou Hongfeng was also full. He picked up the tablecloth and wiped his mouth. He glanced at everyone and said slowly: "Meng Ran, Lian Song, you go back first."
Xiahou Mengran and Xiahou Liansong stood up respectfully, bowed to each of their elders, then bowed to Hanzi as an equal, and quietly left.
Xiahou Hongfeng glanced at Hanzi and said slowly: "Master Lu, you are a guest from afar, so I should have a few more words with you. However, as I, Xiahou Bao, have important matters to discuss today, you
Let's go down first. Shengyuan will be responsible for receiving you. If nothing happens, Shengyuan will take you to C City tomorrow. C City belongs to our Xiahou family. You can play whatever you want. Just tell Shengyuan.
Already."
Hanzi thought to himself: "Wow, this is an eviction order. Look at this formation, I guess I won't even be able to see Xiaoya's face after we get down." He glanced at Xiahou Dongrong and saw that his eyes were deep and his head was soft.
His body didn't move, but he winked at him. Then he felt relieved and said calmly: "Senior asked me to come down, but I want to discuss the matter of sacrificing the axe." He didn't have to "move me away", which was already very polite.
.
As soon as he said this, except for Xiaoya who looked worried and Xiahou Dongrong who looked pleased that "Confucianism can be taught", everyone else's expressions changed drastically.
Especially Xiahou Hongfeng, whose face was originally light, suddenly darkened at this moment. He suddenly looked at Xiahou Dongrong and said coldly: "Sixth brother, did you tell this matter?"
When Xiaoya saw her uncle's cold face, she couldn't help but shuddered and her body trembled a little.
Suddenly, a generous and warm hand stretched out from under the table and gently held her little hand. A warm current slowly spread from the big hand.