NOVEL NEXT Chapter 134: Dining Etiquette
Chapter 134: Dining Etiquette
“Sister, I’ll take my husband to meet my parents first,” Jiang Xianyu said to Jiang Yunyan before leading Xu Lian away from the crowd on the deck and into the cabin.
Considering the massive size of the warship, the cabin was not cramped, but rather spacious, resembling an underground palace.
Jiang Xianyu led Xu Lian directly into a room that looked like a living room.
Xu Lian saw a middle-aged man with a dignified expression sitting on the main seat, and a beautiful middle-aged woman sitting next to him. Jiang Xianyu’s features bore some resemblance to this woman, so it was clear that this couple was Jiang Xianyu’s parents.
Obviously, someone had already reported Jiang Xianyu’s return, so the couple had been waiting in the living room, knowing that Jiang Xianyu would surely bring Xu Lian here to pay his respects.
However, when they saw their daughter return, the couple didn’t show any smiles. Instead, their faces were stern, as if they were in a bad mood.
Jiang Xianyu held Xu Lian’s hand and stepped forward. “Father, Mother, I’ve found my husband and brought him to you.”
Xu Lian bowed slightly and saluted, “Your son-in-law pays his respects to my father-in-law and mother-in-law.”
Jiang Xianyu’s father looked at Xu Lian and said indifferently, “Let’s not rush to use such terms. You haven’t been recognized by the Jiang family yet. For now, I’ll just think of you as a friend that Xianyu brought home.”
Jiang Xianyu insisted, “He should be addressed this way. My husband and I are already together.”
When Jiang Xianyu’s father and mother heard this, their expressions changed and became very unpleasant.
With a “bang,” Jiang Xianyu’s father slammed his hand on the tea table. The table was fine, but the teacup broke.
It seemed like the tea table was made of better material than the teacup… Xu Lian thought silently.
Jiang Xianyu’s father scolded her, “Nonsense! This is reckless!”
Jiang Xianyu replied, “The destined marriage in Ghost Child Ridge cannot be wrong. I don’t think it’s nonsense.”
Jiang Xianyu’s father was furious. “What kind of place is Ghost Child Ridge? How can we trust a marriage arranged by such a strange creature? I think you’ve been with that little merchant caravan for too long, spending too much time with those dirty rogue cultivators. Your mind has become confused!”
Jiang Xianyu said, “I haven’t been influenced by the rogue cultivators in the caravan. Ever since I left the Jiang family and went there, I’ve believed in the Destiny Marriage after learning about Ghost Child Ridge.”
Wife, could you say less? Can’t you see that Father is already angry… Xu Lian was speechless. When Jiang Xianyu was stubborn, she was truly unmatched.
Jiang Xianyu’s father’s face turned livid, and the veins on his hand resting on the tea table bulged, clearly on the brink of an outburst.
Jiang Xianyu’s mother, who had remained silent until now, quickly placed her hand on her husband’s. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. During the dinner later, we’ll first see how his dining etiquette is.”
Dining etiquette?
Xu Lian was full of questions.
Could dining etiquette really determine whether or not he was suitable for Jiang Xianyu?
Was this how things worked in a big clan? So casual?
Jiang Xianyu’s father’s gaze was sharp as he looked at Xu Lian. “How old are you and what’s your cultivation level?”
Before Xu Lian could speak, Jiang Xianyu replied, “Seventeen, second stage of Dark Strength.”
Seventh stage of Dark Strength Rank… Xu Lian opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.
Back at the Laifu Inn, when Jiang Xianyu woke up from her severe injuries and asked how they had escaped back to the inn, he had said that in a moment of crisis, he had broken through two levels of cultivation, advancing from the ninth stage of the Bright Strength Rank to the second stage of the Dark Strength Rank, and had driven away the old man selling Nightbloom Flowers. He hadn’t mentioned he had reached the seventh stage of the Dark Strength Rank, as it would have been too shocking.
Xu Lian felt a little strange. Could Jiang Xianyu’s father not sense his level of cultivation?
The White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector had always been able to sense his cultivation progress, but Jiang Xianyu’s father couldn’t. Was his perception inferior to the White Fox Quarry Patrol Inspector’s?
Of course, it was also possible that his current strength was different from before, making it harder to perceive his cultivation level. This might be a good thing.
Jiang Xianyu’s mother’s eyes flickered slightly. “Seventeen years old, second stage of the Dark Strength rank. Although it’s slightly lower than the young geniuses of our Thirteen Clans, it’s still acceptable. It seems that Xianyu’s judgment isn’t too bad.”
Jiang Xianyu’s father’s expression softened slightly, but only slightly. He asked Xu Lian, “What is your family background?”
Jiang Xianyu’s mother said softly, “There is no need to ask about his family background. What kind of family background could someone from a remote place like Pingyang County or Yanfu County have? But this also shows that his talent is quite good. With limited cultivation resources, he reached the second stage of the Dark Strength rank at the age of seventeen. If he receives the support of our Jiang family’s cultivation resources, he might show even greater potential.”
Jiang Xianyu’s father thought for a moment before nodding. “Then let’s see his dining etiquette later before deciding his fate.”
Dining etiquette again… Xu Lian was stunned.
He was truly confused. Did great clans care so much about dining etiquette?
Jiang Xianyu’s parents didn’t say anything and left.
Xu Lian turned to Jiang Xianyu and asked. “What is your family’s dining etiquette like? Teach me. I’ll try to learn it quickly.”
Jiang Xianyu shook her head, still holding Xu Lian’s hand, and led him out of the living room. “No need to learn. You’ll find out soon.”
No need to learn? Xu Lian became even more curious.
Jiang Xianyu took him on a tour of the vast cabin, letting him familiarize himself with the environment.
Finally, she brought him to her private chamber. “Husband, don’t worry. No matter what decision the Jiang family makes, I won’t let you down. If the Jiang family can’t accept you, I’ll go with you.”
Xianyu is so good… Xu Lian was deeply moved. So, he closed the door to fully appreciate Jiang Xianyu’s kindness.
[Name: Xu Lian]
[Rank: Dark Strength Rank 7 Stage]
[Skills: Breaking Wind Sword Technique (Volumes 1-23), Seven Styles of Primal Gang (Complete), Short Fist – Shadow Pursuit]
[Item: 3-Star Longsword (Not Equipped)]
[Note: Jiang Xianyu’s favorability toward you has increased from 80/100 to 90/100. You have gained 1 progression point, which can be allocated to Rank, Skills, or Items.]
Xu Lian was overjoyed. The destined marriage was indeed different-his favorability was skyrocketing.
There was a gentle knock at the door. “Miss, it’s time for dinner.”
“Understood,” Jiang Xianyu replied.
Xu Lian got up, took a bath, and changed into clean clothes.
Jiang Xianyu held his hand and led him to the dining hall.
When they arrived, Xu Lian was stunned. The dining hall was ridiculously large, capable of easily accommodating thousands of people, yet there were no tables-just an empty space.
There were only four piles of red-hot charcoal with grills placed on top. It seemed like they were having a barbecue tonight?
Soon after, Jiang Xianyu’s father and mother arrived and sat down on chairs next to one of the charcoal piles.
Jiang Xianyu held Xu Lian’s hand and led him over to sit on a chair.
“…” Xu Lian was confused. What about the dining etiquette?
After a while, Jiang Yunyan arrived with a middle-aged couple. They walked over to another pile of charcoal and sat down around it.
Jiang Yunyan was Jiang Xianyu’s cousin, so Xu Lian guessed that the couple must be Jiang Xianyu’s aunt and uncle.
He noticed that Jiang Xianyu hadn’t introduced him, so he didn’t know how to greet them. He just sat there.
A little later…
A young man and a middle-aged couple arrived and sat down by another pile of charcoal.
The young man smiled at Xu Lian and said to Jiang Xianyu, “Sister, is this the brother-in-law you brought back? He looks about the same age as me. Seems like you prefer younger men, huh?”
Jiang Xianyu ignored him. She picked up an iron rod and stirred the charcoal, making the fire burn brighter.
The young man teased, “The meat hasn’t even arrived yet. Why are you stirring the fire so much?”
Jiang Yunyan couldn’t stand it anymore. “Jiang Yiming, shut up! No one will think you’re mute if you stop talking!”
The young man chuckled and didn’t say anything.
Xu Lian thought that this Jiang Yiming was probably Jiang Xianyu’s cousin, and the middle-aged couple with him was probably Jiang Xianyu’s uncle and aunt.
He looked at the empty pile of charcoal and wondered who else would come.
After a while, an old man arrived, followed by a large group of teenagers and children.
The three middle-aged couples, Jiang Yunyan, Jiang Xianyu, and Jiang Yiming, who were already sitting by the three piles of charcoal, all stood up and bowed their heads in greeting.
Seeing this, Xu Lian had no choice but to stand up and bow as well.
The old man gestured for everyone to sit down.
Everyone took their seats.
The old man sat down by the empty charcoal pile and had the teenagers and children sit around him.
The old man said, “The main line of our Jiang family has only three branches, and each branch has only one heir. Our numbers are dwindling, so I have no choice but to take care of these children from the side branches. Perhaps we can find a few good cultivation seeds among them.”
Jiang Feiyu smiled and said, “Grandpa is right. If there are good cultivation seeds among the collateral lines, our Jiang family won’t suppress them. We’ll provide them with enough cultivation resources,”
The old man looked at Xu Lian. “Since the guest has arrived, let’s start the dinner. Let’s not keep the guest waiting.”
“I will announce the start of dinner!” Jiang Feiyu stood up with a smile on his face and clapped his hands twice.
With a loud rumble, a gate in the dining hall opened.
One after another, exotic beasts surged out of the gate like a tidal wave.
These beasts varied in strength, with the strongest few standing out. The other beasts didn’t dare to get close to them.
There was a black eagle with a wingspan of several zhang. Its pure black feathers looked like thick iron armor, and its talons were as sharp as anchors. It flew around the huge dining hall, creating gusts of wind.
There was also a white deer wrapped in flames, radiating heat far more intense than the four piles of charcoal.
Another beast was a goat covered not with wool but with sharp spikes, as if it were bristling with spears.
There were several other exotic beasts whose names Xu Lian couldn’t even guess.
It seemed that the beasts knew that the people sitting around the four charcoal piles were not to be trifled with. They didn’t dare to approach, and their ferocious roars were merely attempts to find an escape route… Unfortunately, the doors to the dining hall were firmly locked.
The teenagers and children sitting around the old man weren’t frightened by the sight of so many beasts. Instead, they were excited, rubbing their hands and eager to do something.
The old man looked at Xu Lian and said indifferently, “According to dining etiquette, the guest should serve himself first.”
Suddenly, Xu Lian understood the dining etiquette of the Jiang family… No wonder Jiang Xianyu had said that there was no need to learn it. There really wasn’t much to learn – it was all about testing one’s strength.
If you’re not strong enough… you don’t get to eat!