All Heavens Pension started from the fiery era

Chapter 714: Extravagant atmosphere and lively scene

Suddenly, the old lady was shocked to hear that her grandson and granddaughter were going to study abroad. She asked:
"How old are you two? One is eighteen and the other is sixteen. Even if you want to go abroad, you should wait a few years before considering it.

When was this decided? Why haven't you mentioned this before?"

Yue Wenxuan said: "It was just decided in the past few days. Don't worry too much. Although we are still young, we will definitely bring a few people with us when we go abroad. With these people to take care of us, you don't have to worry about your safety or your life."

Although the old lady was a little reluctant to let her eldest grandson go abroad, she still supported it from the bottom of her heart. But when her granddaughter wanted to go with him, the old lady was not very supportive.

"Boys have great ambitions. Wenxuan wants to go abroad to broaden his horizons, so go ahead. Although we old antiques are reluctant to let you go, we can't hold you back.

You are the first child in our family to study abroad. This is a big event for our family. During this period of time, I will ask your two uncles to prepare for it. Both travel expenses and daily necessities are indispensable."

At this point, the old lady looked at her eldest granddaughter and said carefully, "Suzhi is also going abroad with you. To be honest, I personally don't quite agree with it.

Suzhi is already eighteen years old, and will soon be at the age for marriage. She will be away for at least three to four years, or even longer. How old will she be when she comes back?

A girl's golden age is only a few years long. When she returns, she will be an old maid. It will be difficult for her to find a suitable marriage. "

What has been decided cannot be changed. Although Tan Bingzhen agrees with her mother's opinion, she can only say helplessly:
"Suzhi has studied for so many years, she has grown up and has her own ideas. Once she makes a decision, no one can change it.

We have advised her like this, but the child wouldn't listen and insisted on going with her brother.

As a mother, I can only hope that she will return home safely soon. As for her future marriage, I can only take it one step at a time."

When the old lady thought about not being able to see her eldest grandson and granddaughter for the next few years, her eyes became moist uncontrollably.

She took the album and looked through it carefully page by page. Every photo reminded her of the good times she spent with her children.

She looked up at Yue Suzhi, her eyes full of reluctance: "Good child, you are so thoughtful. This birthday gift is more precious than any gold, silver or jewelry."

After all, today is the old lady's birthday, so these heavy-hearted episodes need only be mentioned briefly and it is not appropriate to talk about them endlessly.

Yue Wenxuan quickly interrupted and said, "Grandma, please don't rush to praise my sister. I haven't brought out my birthday gift yet. Maybe you will like my birthday gift more."

"Then take it out. This is the first time you have prepared a birthday gift for grandma alone. Grandma is quite looking forward to it." The old lady's eyes were full of smiles, and her mood had recovered.

The old lady didn't want to make things difficult for the children below her, so she never allowed children under the age of sixteen to prepare birthday gifts for her birthday. Yue Wenxuan was sixteen years old this year, which just met this requirement, so this was the first time he prepared a birthday gift for his grandmother alone.

Yue Wenxuan slowly stood up, and a servant came over holding a brocade box and carefully handed the box to Yue Wenxuan.

Everyone's attention was involuntarily attracted to the brocade box, and they all looked at it with curiosity and expectation.

Yue Wenxuan gently opened the lid of the box, and a soft light instantly overflowed from the box, shining on his young and confident face.

Lying quietly in the box was a crystal clear, radiant treasure - a jade ruyi inlaid with various gemstones.

This jade ruyi is emerald green all over, just like a gem from the deep sea. Each gem inlaid on it shines with a different light, which complements each other and is extremely beautiful.

Yue Wenxuan originally planned to choose a suitable gift from the collection in his space for his grandmother, but after he roughly looked through the collections in his space, he gave up this plan.

Whether it is a rhino horn carving, agarwood bracelet, or a top-grade pearl necklace, they are indeed very precious, but he always feels that they are lacking in meaning.

He was not short of money now, so there was no need for him to choose gifts from the collection in his own space. The collection in the space was limited to the space production, and although most of them were very precious, they could not be compared with the outside world in terms of diversity.

In the end, he chose this gemstone-inlaid jade ruyi from a jade shop. It has a good meaning and is of a suitable value.

"Grandma, this is the jade ruyi that I picked especially for you. Jade has been a symbol of good fortune since ancient times. I hope it can bring you health, peace and happiness.

Each of the gemstones on the Ruyi represents a different meaning: ruby ​​symbolizes passion and vitality, sapphire symbolizes wisdom and tranquility, and emerald symbolizes hope and vitality..."

Following Yue Wenxuan's explanation, everyone came closer to take a closer look, and all were amazed at the exquisiteness and ingenuity of this jade ruyi.

The old lady's eyes lit up. She stretched out her hand and gently stroked the warm jade, feeling the deep affection from her grandchildren. The smile on her face became brighter.

"Wenxuan, you are such a thoughtful kid."

The old lady smiled and said, "This jade ruyi is not only valuable, but also has a profound meaning. Grandma, if you accept it, you will definitely treasure it well.

But this won’t happen again!
This birthday gift is good in every way except that it is too expensive.

As an unmarried girl, if you just write a couple of words or draw a picture for me as a gift, grandma will be very happy. There is no need to spend so much money on the gift.

This jade ruyi is made of very fine jade and the gems inlaid on it are also very precious. It would probably cost three or four thousand dollars to buy it.

When you get married and earn money, you can give grandma such a precious birthday gift, then I will be truly happy. "

Everyone present was moved by it.

Although other people were standing nearby, they were still a bit far away and could not clearly judge the value of this jade ruyi.

Everyone was quite surprised when the old lady said that this birthday gift was worth three or four thousand dollars. The main reason was that Yue Wenxuan was not married yet, and it was a sincere gesture for a child like him to give such an expensive birthday gift.

Yue Wenxuan's two uncles looked at each other in surprise. Although they knew that Yue Wenxuan was always smart and capable, they had never expected that he would be so generous as to prepare such a precious birthday gift for their grandmother.

Including the birthday gifts prepared by Yue Wenxuan's parents, the cost of the two birthday gifts reached eight or nine thousand dollars, which was really a bit high. "Wenxuan, your birthday gift really makes us elders feel inferior." The uncle smiled and shook his head, with both admiration and emotion in his tone, "However, this also shows that your Yue family has successors and the family is expected to prosper."

Upon hearing this, Yue Wenxuan quickly said humbly: "It is because of the good teachings of my elders that I have achieved this little success. This jade ruyi is just a small token of my filial piety. I hope grandma likes it."

The old lady smiled and nodded, her eyes full of relief and love: "Wenxuan, of course grandma likes it. From now on, this jade ruyi will be kept as a family heirloom. Grandma knows that you are a filial child. When you go abroad in the future, you must take care of your health and pay attention to your own safety. Don't worry about your family."

At this point, the old lady turned to look at Tan Bingzhen, with a trace of worry in her eyes, "Bingzhen, Wenxuan and Suzhi will be gone for a few years, you have to take good care of yourself. Don't worry too much about the family affairs."

Hearing this, Tan Bingzhen's eyes slightly reddened, and she quickly nodded and agreed: "Don't worry, mother, I will take good care of myself. Wenxuan and Suzhi are both sensible children, they will take good care of themselves when they go out. However, this trip is so far away, and I am still worried."

The old lady was also a mother, so she naturally understood her daughter's intentions. She patted the back of her hand and comforted her:
"Don't worry, the children will grow up and go out to explore the world. As elders, we can only support them as much as possible and not become a burden to them."

After the whole family presented birthday gifts, the old lady called Yue Suzhi and Yue Wenxuan to her side. Thinking that they would be going abroad to study in a while, she had countless things to say to them.

In the following time, Yue Wenxuan and his sister Yue Suzhi chatted with their grandmother about many family matters, from childhood fun to future plans. The old lady listened with great interest and laughed heartily from time to time, as if she had returned to those carefree days.

There were other guests arriving today. Yue Wenxuan chatted with the old lady for a while, and then was dragged by his grandfather to the reception room in the front yard.

It is still early, so it is fine for the family to stay together, but when other guests arrive, male and female guests will have to be entertained separately.

As it was almost noon, guests who came to celebrate the birthday arrived one after another. The whole yard was bustling with people moving around everywhere.

At this time, the birthday banquet at the Tan Mansion also reached its climax.

In the courtyard, flowers are in clusters and colorful silks are fluttering, creating a festive and peaceful scene. The guests are dressed in various costumes of the Republic of China, men in long gowns and jackets, and women in cheongsams, surrounded by pearls and jade, walking around, and their words and deeds fully reflect the elegance of the times.

At noon, the guests took their seats and the Tan family’s birthday banquet officially began.

The sun shines through the carved wooden windows, onto the round table covered with red silk, reflecting the joyful faces. The band quietly plays in a corner of the courtyard, and the melodious sound of stringed instruments interweaves with the laughter of the guests, forming a warm and harmonious picture of urban life in the early years of the Republic of China.

As a local prominent family, the Tan family’s birthday banquet was extremely luxurious.

On the table, there are a wide variety of delicacies, including traditional Chinese dishes such as braised lion head and steamed sea bass, which symbolize abundance, wealth and good fortune every year; there are also new dim sum introduced from overseas, such as cream cake and jam bread, which demonstrate the open-mindedness of the Tan family and the fusion of Chinese and Western cultures.

Servants shuttled around, respectfully serving wine and food to the guests. The whole scene was lively yet orderly.

Today's guests are all relatives and friends of the Tan family. Although it is not a big event, there are also business celebrities and political dignitaries.

They either sat around a table, talking about current affairs, or gathered in groups of two or three, reminiscing about the past. The older generation recounted the ups and downs of the past, while the younger generation was full of curiosity about new things overseas, and their occasional remarks always drew laughter from the crowd.

Amidst the laughter and joy, the women of the Tan family were also busy. They either carefully decorated the banquet venue, making every flower and lantern perfectly set off the festive atmosphere; or they shuttled among the guests, taking care of the feelings of each guest with their unique gentleness and delicacy.

Yue Suzhi also participated in the banquet. Although she was about to travel across the ocean, she was wearing an exquisite cheongsam and pearl hair accessories, and she became a beautiful scenery at the banquet. Her decent dress, exquisite face, and her age when she was about to get married attracted many middle-aged women's attention.

After lunch, the Tan family specially arranged a tea party for the male guests and Pingtan and acrobatics for the female guests.

At the tea party, the male guests sat together, drinking tea and discussing things, enjoying their rare leisure time.

The female guests were mostly attracted by Pingtan and acrobatics.

Pingtan and juggling, as indispensable cultural and entertainment activities in the early years of the Republic of China, were performed to the fullest at the Tan family's birthday banquet, adding a touch of elegance and fun to the feast.

The ladies of the Tan family led the guests to the stage in the backyard, which had already been decorated in an antique style, with graceful dances in light gauze, as if they had stepped into a dreamland returning to the south of the Yangtze River.

The Pingtan artist sits in front of the stage, stroking the pipa and striking the sanxian. The clear and melodious sounds are like the sound of a spring or the breeze on your face, instantly bringing everyone into a gentle and delicate world.

The female artist on the stage opened her red lips and sang the lingering and sad story in "The West Chamber" and expressed the deep love in "The Peony Pavilion".

The voice is sometimes clear as an oriole, and sometimes deep as an ancient bell. Every syllable is captivating and makes people involuntarily intoxicated by it.

The juggling performances, on the other hand, were another lively scene.

On one side of the stage, several artists in colorful costumes took turns to perform, some soaring into the air, performing thrilling wall-climbing moves; others holding long whips and dancing with vigor, showing the perfect combination of strength and beauty.

The most eye-catching one was the magician who was about 40 years old. He held an empty hat in his hand and with a slight wave of his hand, countless ribbons and flowers appeared from it, which attracted the amazement and applause of the crowd.

The children were deeply attracted by these magical performances. They opened their eyes wide, afraid of missing any details, and cheered from time to time.

As night fell, the birthday banquet at the Tan Mansion gradually drew to a close, but the excitement and joy caused by the Pingtan and acrobatics lingered for a long time.

Many guests were still discussing today's wonderful performances when they left, and felt sorry that they could not stay to watch the next show.

After dinner, Yue Wenxuan and his family were the last group of guests to leave.

Three cars drove out of the Tan Mansion. Tan Bingzhen said to Yue Wenxuan with a little regret, but also very proudly:
"This year's birthday celebration is not very lively. When your grandmother's birthday comes, it will definitely be much more lively than today's.

I still remember vividly the scene of your great-grandmother’s 60th birthday celebration.

On that day, all the important people in Wuzhou came. We set up three stages at home, and performed for three days. We also had a buffet for three days. It was really lively. "

Today's birthday banquet had left a deep impression on Yue Wenxuan. He felt that it was extravagant enough. An ordinary birthday celebration had to be so lively and cost so much. If the family was not wealthy enough, after a few such birthday banquets, they would probably have to sell off their ancestral property.

If this extravagant lifestyle continues, all the aristocratic families with slightly weaker background will gradually decline.