The next day.
Xu Lian rode his horse and came to Peijiazhuang.
They saw the head of the Pei family, Pei Heng, Pei Zhaoxi and several illegitimate boys and girls riding horses and carrying bows and arrows, followed by two teams of guards.
Seeing Xu Lian, Pei Heng was startled for a moment, then he bowed and smiled, "Brother Xu, are you here to play with me? We are planning to go out."
The head of the Pei family also bowed and greeted him.
Pei Zhaoxi looked away, pretending not to be familiar with him.
This acting is too bad... Xu Lian understood that it seemed that Pei Zhaoxi was not convenient to invite him, so he could only say it himself. He smiled and asked knowingly, "Where are you going? I was thinking of looking for you for a drink."
Pei Heng explained, "We have a tradition among the three major families. We have four collective hunts every year, one each in spring, summer, autumn and winter. This is the winter hunt."
Good fellow, hunting all year round, not giving the animals time to rest and recuperate... Xu Lian hesitated for a moment, "Is it convenient for me to join?"
Before Pei Heng could answer, the head of the Pei family smiled and said, "Of course it's convenient. I had originally planned to invite Manager Xu to attend, but I heard that Manager Xu was on a business trip a few days ago and was busy with official duties. He just returned home. I was worried about disturbing Manager Xu, so I didn't send him an invitation."
Xu Lian said, "Uncle Pei is too polite. As long as Uncle Pei says the word, how dare I, a junior, not come?"
Pei Zhaoxi felt complicated when she saw Xu Lian saying these polite and false words to his father and brother. He was really good at pretending. He was not so polite to her in the carriage yesterday evening.
Pei Heng waved his hand and asked someone to bring a good bow and a pot of good arrows to Xu Lian.
Xu Lian took the bow and arrow, put it on his back, and galloped on horseback with the Pei family.
Along the way.
All the passers-by they met retreated to the side of the road and waited for the Pei family's troops to arrive before they dared to continue on their way.
After running for twenty or thirty miles, the Pei family and Xu Lian arrived at a mountain area.
This is the gathering place for collective hunting of the three major families. They can leave their horses here and hike into the mountains to hunt, as it is not easy to ride horses in the mountains.
After waiting for a while, I saw a group of people galloping towards me, raising a long cloud of dust.
When Xu Lian saw Han Du among the group of people, he knew that it was the old mayor, Su Qing, the head of the Su family, one of the three largest families in Lvzhu Town.
When the team approached, the leader was a spirited old man who looked strong and healthy, with an air of having been in a high position for a long time. Xu Lian knew that this man must be the old mayor, Su Qing.
Su Qing got off the horse and threw the reins to Handu. "Take my Uroma to the shed in the mountain field. Make sure it's in a separate room and feed it some fine grass."
Uroma... Xu Lian looked at him strangely, he had seen people who showed off, but he had never seen anyone who showed off so directly.
Moreover, the tone of the old mayor Su Qing speaking to Han Du was like ordering a servant. He brought so many guards with him, but instead of asking the guards to lead the horses, he ordered Han Du around. I really don't know if he was being friendly to Han Du or was he mistreating Han Du
"Okay, brother-in-law."
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Han Du's face was a little stiff, and he led Su Qing's horse to the stable.
Xu Lian's eyes flashed. Judging from Han Du's reaction, it was not friendly, but seemed a bit humiliating.
He remembered Han Du saying that ever since Han Du's sister had grown old and ugly, she had fallen out of favor, and the old mayor Su Qing had become cold towards Han Du.
"Brother Su is really as strong as a dragon and a tiger, even at old age."
The head of the Pei family took the initiative to step forward, bowed and greeted with a smile.
Su Qing touched the ring on his thumb, then bowed slightly, "Brother Pei is still as charming as ever."
The two of them exchanged pleasantries, saying some meaningless words.
The head of the Pei family remembered that he couldn't neglect Xu Lian, so he extended his hand to invite him, and said with a smile, "There is no need to say more about the children of my Pei family. Brother Su knows that the person next to me is Xu Lian, the steward. He came with us to hunt this time."
"Butler?"
Su Qing couldn't help but look at the young Xu Lian and asked with some doubt, "What are you in charge of?"
Xu Lian said modestly, "I'm in charge of the new mine that was recently opened. It's not worth mentioning."
"He turned out to be the manager of a mine."
Su Qing suddenly realized something, and then his attitude became calm. "My useless brother-in-law has been in the same position as you for more than ten or twenty years, but he still hasn't made it. It's really a waste of my years of training."
These words are disgusting... Xu Lian frowned slightly. It was hard to imagine a mayor saying such words, but the world is like this, and it doesn't seem surprising that the mayor said this.
The Pei family head's eyes flickered a few times.
Judging from Su Qing's contemptuous attitude towards Xu Lian, it was obvious that he didn't know that Xu Lian knew the Mining Inspector.
In other words, Han Du did not tell Su Qing about this relationship.
Come to think of it, Su Qing was not nice to Han Du, so Han Du certainly wouldn't tell this to Su Qing.
This is good news.
Although the three major families appear to be harmonious on the surface, they are actually in competition with each other. If Su Qing and Xu Lian become enemies, it will be a loss for the Su family. If one gains while the other loses, the Pei family will also gain.
Immediately, Patriarch Pei smiled and said, "Manager Xu is a capable person. He shouldn't be the manager of a mine for his whole life."
Su Qing said disapprovingly, "If the mine manager wants to be promoted, he has to produce five earth meats. As long as the blood sacrifice is completed on time, when the earth meat will be produced depends on luck. It has nothing to do with ability. It all depends on fate."
The head of the Pei family stopped at the right time and did not continue to lead the topic, so as to avoid Xu Lian thinking that he was provoking and causing unnecessary misunderstandings.
Xu Lian knew in his heart that the old mayor Su Qing obviously looked down on a small manager of a mine like him. He certainly would not curry favor with such a cold butt. He said "excuse me" and left this "family head circle" to chat with Pei Heng and Pei Zhaoxi.
Han Du fed the horse and came out, reported to Su Qing first, and then came over to join the circle of Xu Lian, Pei Heng and Pei Zhaoxi.
After waiting for nearly half an hour, the Su and Pei families had become a little impatient. Finally, another group of people came to the mountain field. Xu Lian knew without thinking that it must be the Fang family.
What’s strange is that the person leading the team doesn’t look like the head of the Fang family, but a young man dressed in gorgeous clothes. He looks very noble. The head of the Fang family shouldn’t be that young, right
Behind this man in gorgeous clothes are a middle-aged man and a handsome young man. Are these two the head and young master of the Fang family
So, who is this man in gorgeous clothes? He was actually walking in front of the head of the Fang family and the young master Fang.
You know, wealthy families care a lot about this kind of etiquette, and there are rules for who walks in front and who walks behind.
The team came closer.
After some pleasantries.
Only then did Xu Lian realize that the young man in gorgeous clothes leading the group was actually the son of a family from Pingyang County, while the middle-aged man and the handsome young master were the head and young master of the Fang family.
Su Qing and Patriarch Pei were both a little moved. They didn't expect that the Fang family had established a relationship with the families in Pingyang County and even invited them to participate in this winter hunting. Was there any deep meaning behind this