Chapter 83: The Evening Banquet

As night fell, the Ren family courtyard was illuminated by bright oil lamps placed everywhere, casting light into every corner.

Tonight’s dinner was extraordinarily lavish. The quality of the ingredients and the sheer number of dishes were astonishing.

There were nine vegetarian dishes, eighteen meat dishes, and individual servings of rich soup for everyone. The large nanmu wood table was completely filled.

Gu Ning’an couldn’t help but marvel at the extravagance. For ordinary families, such a feast might be unattainable even in a lifetime. Yet for the Ren family, this was merely a “simple meal.”

At the table, laughter and toasts flowed freely. Patriarch Ren proved to be a gracious host, often getting up to pour wine for Gu Ning’an and the others.

Gu Ning’an could sense that this was not an act; Patriarch Ren genuinely seemed to have such a warm and hospitable nature.

This only deepened Gu Ning’an’s confusion—how could such a kind and wealthy man be the type to scheme and disrupt his daughter’s love for financial gain?

Gu Ning’an, the old beggar, and Wei Hai ate heartily, showing no restraint. In contrast, Li Xunshan was much more reserved. Throughout the meal, he barely touched the food, and if not for Ren Yue sitting beside him and constantly placing dishes on his plate, he might have only eaten a few bamboo shoots in front of him.

“Come, all of you are straightforward and genuine people. I, Ren, toast you all again!” Patriarch Ren raised his cup for another toast.

Gu Ning’an and the others naturally reciprocated, raising their cups in response and expressing their gratitude for his hospitality.

With another round of drinks consumed, the room was filled with cheerful smiles.

Patriarch Ren exchanged a glance with his wife, who immediately understood. She took Ren Yue along to personally prepare sobering soup for the guests. Before they left, the servants quietly withdrew as well.

In an instant, the dining hall was left with only Gu Ning’an’s group of four and Patriarch Ren.

Tap, tap.

The old beggar tapped the table with his knuckles, his slightly drunken eyes narrowing as he glanced at Gu Ning’an.

Noticing this, Gu Ning’an nodded subtly, indicating he was aware, and returned a faintly amused look to the old beggar.

Just what kind of person is this Mr. Gu?

The old beggar lowered his gaze and leaned back in his chair, no longer paying attention to the unusual atmosphere around him.

“Xunshan,” Patriarch Ren said, letting out a satisfied belch as he walked over to Li Xunshan and patted him on the shoulder.

Li Xunshan, visibly tense, immediately nodded and said, “Yes?” He started to stand up but was pressed back into his seat by Patriarch Ren.

“Sit, no need to be so formal.”

Li Xunshan smiled awkwardly. “Uncle, is there something you’d like to say?”

“It must have been a tough journey getting here,” Patriarch Ren said with a smile.

Li Xunshan waved his hand. “Not at all, not at all. Being able to see Yue’er makes any distance insignificant.”

Hearing this, Patriarch Ren paused briefly before smiling again. “Not tough? You nearly lost your life on the way, didn’t you?”

Clang!

Li Xunshan jolted, accidentally knocking into the table and sending dishes crashing to the floor.

Shards of broken porcelain scattered across the ground, but no one looked down at the mess. Instead, every gaze was fixed on Patriarch Ren’s face.

Likewise, Patriarch Ren scrutinized each of them in turn, observing their reactions carefully.

At his words, the old beggar’s expression shifted slightly in surprise. His brows furrowed faintly, though he showed no signs of fear.

Wei Hai reacted similarly to the old beggar—surprised but composed. However, unlike the beggar, he silently gripped the chopsticks in his hand.

Both of them displayed an unusual calmness, which caught Patriarch Ren off guard.

But what surprised him most was the demeanor of the man in the green robe.

The man sipped his soup with an air of ease, so nonchalant that Patriarch Ren briefly wondered if his earlier statement had been too quiet to hear.

“Uncle Ren, what do you mean by that?” Li Xunshan swallowed nervously, his voice trembling slightly.

Patriarch Ren clapped a hand on Li Xunshan’s shoulder with a loud smack. “Don’t panic! I never said those people were sent by me.”

Li Xunshan didn’t relax at these words.

After all, the water bandits they encountered that night were in an isolated area—no other boats in sight. Every one of those bandits had drowned in the river.

This meant that, aside from the four of them present, no one else could have known what happened there!

Unless… those bandits weren’t after money at all but were instead directed by someone in the shadows to kill everyone traveling on the shared boat that night.

Patriarch Ren leaned back in his chair, adjusting to a more comfortable position, and continued, “I already said there’s no need to be afraid. Brother Wei Hai, we’ve known each other for years—put those chopsticks down. If I really intended to harm you, wouldn’t it have been easier to poison the soup you just drank?”

“Haha…” Wei Hai adjusted his chopsticks slightly and picked up a piece of Dongpo pork, casually eating it before speaking. “Never thought Patriarch Ren would remember me. What a surprise…”

“I can forget anyone, but not your Eternal Vintage,” Patriarch Ren said with a smirk.

“That was indeed fine wine. A pity I only managed to buy two jars back then.”

“But who would’ve guessed you’d suddenly shut down your business?”

Patriarch Ren clicked his tongue slightly, as if savoring the taste of the memory.

Wei Hai merely continued eating without responding, showing no inclination to reminisce further.

Li Xunshan’s expression grew increasingly serious. He had met Patriarch Ren several times but had never seen him behave in such a manner.

“Uncle Ren, you know who wanted to harm us, don’t you?”

In response to Li Xunshan’s question, Patriarch Ren nodded without hesitation. “I know. In fact, you even met them today.”

Today?

After pondering for a moment, Li Xunshan’s eyes widened. “Sun Xuan?”

“Not bad,” Patriarch Ren chuckled. “Believe it or not, I need to tell you something: I only learned about the plan to ambush you on the river shortly after the poetry gathering began. Otherwise, I would’ve stopped it. After all, I don’t want Yue’er to be heartbroken, and I do quite like you, kid.”

At this moment, the old beggar interjected, “Patriarch Ren, do you have any evidence?”

“Evidence?” Patriarch Ren sighed. “That’s long since sunk to the bottom of the river.”

He cast a meaningful glance at the old beggar and added with a smirk, “Even if there were evidence, so what? Are you planning to report it to the authorities?”

The old beggar frowned. “And why not report it?”

“Ha!” Patriarch Ren stifled a laugh. “Old Wen, such thinking might work elsewhere… but this is Jiangling Prefecture.”

The old beggar’s expression turned serious. “What of Jiangling Prefecture?”

“This Jiangling Prefecture…” Patriarch Ren waved dismissively. “Never mind, let’s not talk about that. Instead, let’s discuss those two letters.”