The Xia family sent people to guard the city gate. When they saw the emblem of the Bai family's carriage, they immediately came forward to inquire, and then enthusiastically invited the people back to Hongtian Village.
Zhou Man declined, thinking it was most convenient to stay at the inn in Shangzhou City, and then go to Hongtian Village the next day.
Most of the contacts with Shangzhou are with Xia Rui's family, and Hongtian Village only has sporadic contact with the Xia clan leader, and the relationship is not deep.
The family stayed at the inn, and then sent someone to Xia Rui's shop to inform them.
Xia Rui quickly brought his eldest son over, "When did you arrive? Why didn't you mention sending a letter to your home? We can pick you up..."
Zhou Man smiled and said: "It's the same as contacting you when we arrive. We have discussed this matter with the clan leader."
Xia Rui rubbed his hands awkwardly, "Did you bring the child this time?"
Zhou Man agreed with a smile and asked Wu Yuan to bring Wu Yuan over.
Wu Yuan now looked like his mother, with a round head and a round face. He shook off Wu Yue's hand, stumbled over and threw himself into his mother's arms. Then he raised his red face and looked at Xia Rui.
.
Xia Rui was very happy when she saw it, "She looks really like sister Xin."
Bai Shan: ...When people from the Bai family saw him, they said he looked like his father. When people from the Zhou family saw him, they said he looked like Man Bao, his mother. Now that's good. When the Xia family saw him, they said he looked like him.
She must be like my little mother-in-law.
Zhou Man held his youngest son's face and looked at it, "Really?"
"Really, your mother has a round face." Xia Rui stared at the child with sharp eyes and asked, "What is his nickname?"
"Wuyuan."
"This name has an image, good!"
Zhou Man smiled slightly and said, "My name is Xia Mu."
"This name is also nice." When Xia Rui saw Mrs. Liu and Mrs. Zheng, he quickly stood up and saluted, "Thank you for your support."
When Mrs. Liu saw him bowing to the end, she quickly stretched out her hand to stop him and said with a smile: "This is a covenant we made with our in-laws early in the morning. We are just keeping our word. We should not be so grateful to Mr. Xia."
Zhou Man said: "I came back this time for the purpose of dividing the sect."
Xia Rui was startled, "You want to separate your branch?"
Zhou Man nodded, "Yes, let's start with my grandfather's lineage. After all, Wuyuan won't be in Shangzhou often in the future, so he can just connect with the sect here."
Xia Rui pondered, "I'm afraid the clan won't agree easily."
Zhou Man said nonchalantly: "As long as the clan leader agrees, this matter will be considered a success, right?"
Xia Rui nodded, "That's right, but how do you get the clan leader to agree?"
That's not easy, just throw money at it.
Although the Xia family of Shangzhou successfully recognized Zhou Man over the years, they never benefited from Zhou Man.
It is also a coincidence that after so many years, the magistrate of Zhai County was gradually promoted, and he is still in Shangzhou, and now he is Sima of Shangzhou.
With him as someone who knows the details of the Xia family, everyone inside and outside Shangzhou City knows that although the Xia family is nominally Zhou Man's natal family, she has no relationship at all with the Xia family, and even has some conflicts in private.
Therefore, even if someone wants to use Zhou Man's name to do things, it will not work. In addition, Zhou Lang has to go to Shangzhou at least twice every year. With him keeping an eye on it, it will be even more difficult for the Xia family to do things.
It couldn't be easier to choose between a clansman who can't benefit and a sum of ready money.
Zhou Man has been keeping in touch with the Xia family these years. Except for the time when she was getting married, she invited the Xia family once, and she never invited them again, just for today.
Xia Rui was not his father, and would not force Zhou Man to stay. In his opinion, it would be good for Zhou Man to branch into a clan, so that she would be the one to make the decision for their clan, and they could do whatever they wanted.
"Then...when will you return to Hongtian Village? Do you want me to follow you?"
Zhou Man smiled and said, "I was about to ask Uncle Xia for help."
Zhou Man and Bai Shan prepared a box of silver ingots, which they used to bribe Chief Xia.
The next day, the couple left the child with Mrs. Liu and Mrs. Zheng. They picked up Xia Rui and went to Hongtian Village with the money.
Patriarch Xia had been waiting for a long time. He welcomed the people in and looked back, "You didn't bring the children?"
Zhou Man said with a smile: "The child is young, and bringing him up is a burden. We mainly talk about things today, and we will bring him over after we have settled the matter."
"That's right," Chief Xia said with a smile: "Ancestor worship and genealogy are important matters. We can agree on the matter first and then bring him to worship the ancestors."
Zhou Man sat upright and said, "Chief, since we want to open an ancestral hall, I want to separate my branch and build another ancestral hall. How about we do it together this time?"
Patriarch Xia was shocked, "What, you want to separate clans?"
Zhou Man nodded and said: "Yes, you also know that we are mainly in the capital now and have no property in Shangzhou, so we plan to build the ancestral hall in Chang'an and join the ancestral hall in Shangzhou in the future."
"No, how can you separate clans when your tribe is withering?"
Zhou Man said: "This is just now. When this child grows up, he will naturally be able to spread the branches and leaves of the Xia family. I didn't mention the branching of the clan before because I took my father's surname, but now we have a boy in this lineage.
It is only natural that we should branch out into different sects.”
Chief Xia didn't agree. He said: "The capital is not far from Shangzhou. The graves of your grandparents are here. If you don't go back to your hometown, the clan can help with the memorial service. If you divide the clan, it will take ten years."
If you don't come back for eight years, will the grass on your grandparents' graves grow wildly?"
It’s not like it’s never happened before.
Zhou Man thought to himself, before she came back that year, Xia Xia only remembered to sweep the graves of her grandparents. Who in the clan would burn a stick of incense for him?
Zhou Man looked at Xia Rui.
Xia Rui waved to them and said: "You go out first, I will talk to the clan leader."
After they left, Xia Rui took Chief Xia's hand and said, "Clan Chief, what's the use of forcing her to stay? Look how big an official she has become now. Who outside would know that she is a descendant of our Xia family?"
?”
Xia Rui said: "It's okay if you don't know. If you know, you don't know how to make fun of us. Their lineage is like this now, who doesn't laugh at us behind their backs for bullying the weak, so they push the direct bloodline so far away that they don't even look after us.
The clan refused."
Chief Xia's face turned red.
The Xia clan is not a very big clan in Shangzhou, but it is just because there are many clan members gathered together, but most of them are poor and their influence is limited.
I don't care much about reputation.
But no matter how much I don't take it seriously, being looked at like this still makes me feel sick, especially when talking about kissing.
Xia Rui also said: "Look at these young people in the Nian clan, how many of them can say a particularly good thing about marriage?"
"It's okay if we don't use Zhou Man's name. We all know each other and marry her quietly. But if we use her name, people will inquire about her and find out what kind of people they attract." Xia Rui
He said: "They are all snobs who seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. There are not many good people."
Patriarch Xia's face became increasingly ugly.
"So instead of keeping her, it's better to let her split up and leave, so that everyone can get together and relax, and at least there is still a relationship, right?"