On the 15th day of September, Li Qingzhi held a banquet in Miaoqian Village.
He had held a banquet when he passed the imperial examination, so he would definitely hold one now.
The banquets Li Qingzhi had hosted before were all quite rustic, with tables, chairs, bowls and chopsticks all borrowed from neighbors, but this time was different.
A few days in advance, Zhu Qian arranged for people to renovate Li Qingzhi's old house. On the same day, Zhu Qian even closed his restaurant, loaded the tables and chairs in the restaurant by boat, and sent them all to Miaoqian Village.
The chef of Zhuqian Restaurant also came to the village with the kitchen utensils they were used to using.
The original mud house of the Li family had bricks on the floor and bamboo mats hung on the walls. It was elegantly and beautifully decorated, with several octagonal tables in the middle, which was where the guests had their meals.
Next to the house, a temporary large kitchen was built with bamboo and bamboo curtains. The original vegetable garden of the Li family in front of the house and even the vegetable garden of the Yao family next door were flattened. Some eight-immortal tables sent from the restaurant were also placed here, which was a place for ordinary guests to eat.
Outside on the roadside, a low "long table" was built using seven or eight door panels and benches.
In Miaoqian Village, if there are few guests at a banquet, people will borrow tables from villagers for everyone to sit and eat. If there are many people, they will use door panels and benches to make a "long table". When relatives come, they will be given a bowl of rice, pick up the dishes themselves, and eat while squatting or standing.
The Li family has few relatives and has always borrowed tables to hold banquets. Today, they set up this "long table" to hold a buffet.
At that time, dishes in large ceramic pots will be placed here. No matter whether you are related to the Li family or not, people who come here to congratulate can just take a bowl and say a few auspicious words, and then they can line up to get the dishes and share in the glory of Li Qingzhi, the top scholar in Jiang'an Province.
That day, Li Qingzhi came to Miaoqian Village early in the morning.
He saw Chang Zhan and his two apprentices preparing dishes for the banquet with the two chefs from Zhu's Restaurant.
These people all showed off their talents. After Li Qingzhi looked at the menu they prepared, he couldn't wait to eat it.
In addition, a temporary stove was built outside with bricks and mud. The kitchen helpers and waiters of Zhu's Restaurant were using the stove to cook simple big pot dishes, which would be served at the buffet later.
Before noon, people coming to the banquet started arriving one after another.
People like Magistrate Wang and Zhu Qian could come in and sit down to eat. Relatives like Jin's father and mother, Li Laogen, and Jin Xiaoshu could also eat in the house.
Uncle Jin's family, Qian Changsheng and Madam Qian, as well as Sister Wang and Madam Xu, etc., could only eat at the eight-immortals table outside.
This time, distant relatives like the neighboring Yao Yugong family, Jin Xiaogu's family, and Jin Dagu's family were not even invited and could only eat at the buffet.
"Once Li Qingzhi became successful, he looked down on us and didn't even invite us!" Yao Zhenfu was indignant.
Yao Chengong glared at him and said, "Behave yourself and stop talking nonsense!" Their family and the Li family had no relatives at all, except that Jin Moli and Jin Xiaoye were cousins.
But this kind of relationship... Even if the Jin family hadn't split up, they would have mostly stopped interacting with each other, and now the Jin family has split up!
In fact, it didn't matter if Li Qingzhi invited Uncle Jin's family or not. According to the custom in the village, married women usually only interact with their parents and biological brothers and sisters.