NCCnovel Chapter 259: Night Visit to the He Family
Chapter 259: Night Visit to the He Family
Chifeng frowned, feeling a strong sense of unease in his heart. He felt that this matter was by no means as simple as it seemed. You know, Longmen City and Donghai Island have been divided by sea and governed for many years, checking and balancing each other to maintain a delicate balance.
But once the He family takes control of Donghai Island, their power will surely expand rapidly, and it will probably only be a matter of time before they dominate this sea area.
At this moment, the waiter, with a smile on his face, shouted in a loud voice: "Sir, the food is served!"
In the blink of an eye, the table was filled with pots of steaming dishes, including tender and plump steamed grouper, fragrant spicy crab, soft and delicious steamed scallops with garlic vermicelli, and the smooth and chewy octopus balls.
Baozi's eyes widened, and he didn't care whether he recognized the dishes or not. Just smelling the aroma made his saliva flow uncontrollably.
"Let's eat first!" Murong Ling'er picked up the chopsticks first, picked up a spicy crab that was roasted bright red and exuded an enticing aroma, and took a light bite. The tender crab meat and the spicy and fragrant sauce collided on the tip of her tongue, and her taste buds were instantly ignited.
Seeing this, everyone didn't think any more and picked up their chopsticks, taking turns to eat, and devoured the food like whirlwind.
After eating and drinking, Murong Ling'er used all her skills to chat and laugh with the waiter for a long time, and got a lot of secrets of Longmen City from him.
"Let's go! Let's find an inn to stay in first."
After leaving the restaurant, Murong Ling'er looked up at the sky. She had no plans to leave the city immediately. Instead, she took Chifeng and the other two to find a medium-sized inn in the city that looked clean and tidy.
After checking into the room, the three of them went back to their rooms to rest.
During the day, Murong Ling'er was like a cheerful little bird, shuttling through the streets and alleys of Longmen City, visiting every bustling place in the city, and even going to the most prosperous market, where there were all kinds of rare treasures, and there were also many people performing acrobatics and performing arts, which made her dazzled.
As night falls, the entire Longmen City is shrouded in darkness, with only the lanterns in the streets and alleys emitting a faint yellow light.
Murong Ling'er was not sleepy at all. She took advantage of the night and quietly came to the outside of the He family mansion.
My goodness, the He family is indeed the overlord of Longmen City. The mansion is extraordinary, the vermilion gate is tall and majestic, and the copper nails on it are shining with cold light. The whole house covers a very large area, with carved beams and painted rafters, flying eaves and brackets. Looking from the outside, the magnificent momentum is comparable to that of the imperial palace.
Looking around again, there were guards like a forest, each of them standing tall, holding a spear, with sharp eyes, patrolling back and forth, and the security was so tight that it made people's scalp tingle.
At this time, the He family was having dinner.
Murong Ling'er quietly climbed over the courtyard wall, hid behind a rockery, and observed carefully.
Maids and servants were seen coming and going in a hurry, and delicious dishes were brought to the table one after another.
A table was filled with abalone, shark's fin, bird's nest, and other delicacies from land and sea. A rough count showed that there were at least seventy or eighty dishes. It was really extravagant!
Murong Ling'er secretly marveled at the He family's luxury, and at the same time, she was also wondering what unspeakable secrets the He family was hiding regarding the affairs of Donghai Island.
The He family has many descendants, and this dinner is to celebrate the birthday of the old lady of the He family. The whole mansion is decorated with lights and is very lively. The banquet is winding from the main house where the old lady lives all the way to the spacious courtyard. Red lacquered carved tables and chairs are arranged in order, with a total of more than a dozen tables of various sizes, and each table is filled with delicacies.
On the table, the tempting roast suckling pig has crispy skin and tender meat, exuding an alluring aroma; the steamed hairy crabs are fat and roe-filled, and the crab meat shines with a crystal luster under the light; and there is also the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. All kinds of delicacies from land and sea are gathered in one bowl, and the mellow fragrance fills the air, making people salivate.
Everyone was toasting each other and laughing.
The younger generations of the He family toasted the old lady and wished her a happy birthday. The old lady sat in the main seat, wearing gorgeous birthday clothes, with her silver hair neatly combed, a kind smile on her face, and her eyes full of satisfaction with the prosperity of the family.
Murong Ling'er was dressed in black, hiding in the shadows of the roof like a ghost.
Her gaze was like that of a sharp hawk, piercing through the bustling crowd and firmly locked on the head of the He family of this generation - He Weifeng.
He Weifeng was over forty-five or forty-six years old, and dressed in a brocade robe, he looked elegant and extraordinary. But Murong Ling'er knew very well that although he seemed kind, he was actually cruel and ruthless.
Rumor has it that he gained his current position as the head of the family by stepping on the blood of his brother.
In He Weifeng's generation, there are four brothers and sisters in the He family's direct lineage. The original head of the family was his eldest brother He Weifeng. He Weifeng had a son and a daughter, who should have been the hope for the family's stable inheritance.
However, fate brought cruel disasters to this branch. First, He Weifeng died inexplicably, and then his two children also met with accidents and were announced to have passed away by the He family.
In this way, the position of head of the family fell into the hands of He Weifeng.
He Weifeng's backyard was extremely lively and he had many concubines.
For many years, he had only one legitimate son, but many illegitimate sons and daughters. In order to compete for status and resources in the family, the fighting in the backyard never stopped. Various forces were undercurrents, fighting each other openly and secretly, and using endless means.
Murong Ling'er looked around the table, but could not find the figure of He Weifeng's legitimate son.
Thinking of the news she had heard in the city during the day that the He family had sent troops to Donghai Island, she secretly thought that the He family's eldest son must have gone with the army.
The dinner passed slowly amidst the hustle and bustle, taking nearly half an hour.
Finally, Madam He gently put down the jade chopsticks in her hand. This subtle movement was like a silent command. Seeing this, the others put down their bowls and chopsticks, and the originally noisy banquet instantly became quiet.
"Weifeng stays, the rest of you leave."
Old Madam He raised her head slightly and signaled the maid beside her to rinse her mouth and wash her face. Then, with a calm look but with unquestionable majesty, she waved to several daughters-in-law, leaving only He Weifeng.
He Weifeng had a respectful smile on his face. He took a step forward, gently held my mother's arm, and helped her slowly into the inner room.
In the inner room, the soft couch covered with gold threads looked particularly luxurious. Old Madam He sat down slowly. Her well-maintained face, as rich as a silver plate, did not show any joy at this moment.
She looked solemnly at her second son in front of her.
"Mom, do you have something to say?"
He Weifeng behaved extremely well-behaved and docile in front of the old lady. But when he saw the old lady looking at him so seriously, he couldn't help but feel a little doubtful, but he remained calm on the surface.
"Second brother, why did you let Jinyan go to that island?" Old Madam He stared at He Weifeng's eyes with a burning gaze. Although her voice was not loud, it revealed a pressure that could not be ignored.
The He family has been running the business for generations, and their position in Longmen City is deeply rooted, like a local tyrant. For many years, they have maintained a delicate balance of peace with Donghai Island. This time, Donghai Island suddenly changed, and Mrs. He did not believe that her second son had no conspiracy behind it.
Hearing this, He Weifeng's heart suddenly tightened and his face turned pale in an instant.
He had been carefully keeping the matter of sending his son He Jinyan to Donghai Island a secret from his mother. He thought he had done it perfectly, but unexpectedly the news leaked out.
He cursed in his heart, wondering which talkative maid was so bold as to leak this matter.
When he finds out the truth, he will make the maid suffer a fate worse than death to relieve his hatred.