Shipin Dalizheng

Rong Dahai is one of the few men in Rongjia Village who has some martial arts skills, but he believes that compared with these two men, he is just a nobody.

So I just watched cautiously from close range.

Fortunately, although the two men looked stern and solemn, they were holding plates in their hands, covered with red cloth, as if they were giving gifts.

Rong Tang stepped forward and clasped his fists, "Master Zheng, I'm sorry for not welcoming you in person. Please come in."

Without him entering the yard, no one in the village dared to eat or drink.

Gui Ergou then called out, "Everyone, it's time to eat and drink. Master Zheng has the young master to entertain you personally."

As Zheng Changning and the guards entered the courtyard, the gate closed. The villagers outside looked at each other in confusion. After a moment, Rong Dahai shouted, "Continue."

So continue.

After closing the door, Zheng Changning looked at Rong Tang suspiciously, his eyes examining him.

Rong Tang smiled warmly, "Don't worry, there's no dog at home. We closed the door because we didn't want the villagers to be curious and snoop. Master Zheng, please come. You've arrived just in time for dinner."

When Zheng Changning walked into the main room, he was shocked by the several large ceramic basins on the table. They didn't need such large quantities to feed pigs, right?

"Please take your seats. Third Master, Sixth Master, Eighth Master, Clan Leader Li, Clan Leader Wang, this is the Prime Minister's son, Zheng Changning, today's distinguished guest."

Several elders stood there in awe. The Prime Minister was a figure they could never hope to reach in their lifetimes. If he was truly a guest, that would be fine. But if he was here to cause trouble...

The old people were all frightened, and Zheng Changning sighed and decided not to scare the villagers anymore.

"Mr. Rong, don't misunderstand me. I'm here to make friends."

After a glance, the guard sternly handed over the tray. Rong Si and Rong Wu stepped forward to take it, their eyes meeting, sparks flying.

Originally, Rong Si and Rong Wu beat the servants of the Jin and Tang families on the mountain. Zheng Changning thought that these two were just ordinary guards with some skills. But when he saw them at this time, he suddenly felt that he had made a mistake. The momentum of these two alone was no less than that of the people he brought.

Not to mention that there was a big man with a low brow and a pleasant appearance who was always standing behind Rong Tang. He had bulging temples and looked like the legendary master of internal martial arts.

He glanced again and saw a lame man with crutches slowly walking out from the side room. When the lame man appeared, Zheng Changning's heart skipped a beat again.

It was because the murderous aura emanating from this cripple was stronger than that of the two men around him combined.

At this moment, an idea came to his mind: if Rong Tang killed him and buried him casually on the mountain, his prime minister father would never be able to find him in his lifetime.

The old men suddenly felt that the room was inexplicably cold.

Zheng Changning blinked, sat down, and said to his two guards, "Stand down."

Zheng Ping and Zheng De's expressions relaxed, and they slowly retreated and stood guard at the door of the main hall.

At the same time, Rong San and his companions also subsided. Rong San still stood there with his head lowered and his eyes submissive. Rong Si and Rong Wu became honest and dull again. Rong Qi, holding his crutches, went back to the inner room to massage his legs.

The elders felt that the house had become warmer again. This climate was really strange.

"Masters, please sit down. Chief Li, Chief Wang, Uncle Village Chief, Uncle Dashan, you guys accompany Master Zheng for dinner. I'll go to the other room."

Rong Dashan couldn't sit still any longer. "Sir, you are the host, how can you leave the table? I'll go eat outside!"

Rong Tang waved his hand, "You guys eat, I have to observe the mourning period."

According to custom, filial sons cannot eat meat for three years. This is okay with their family members, but in front of Zheng Changning, they have to observe this rule.

Zheng Changning suddenly wanted to laugh. The place where he was sitting at the moment was probably where Rong Tang had sat before. His appearance had affected the young man's normal meal.

Do I look like the kind of person who would find fault with someone in this kind of thing?

Well, he is.

If he was determined to go against Rong Tang, he would probably spread the news that Rong Tang ate a lot of meat during the mourning period to ruin his reputation.

But now, he had changed his mind. This boy, who looked only fifteen, possessed an energy that commanded more respect than the entire Jin family combined. It was the kind of confidence that made him fearless, even in the face of a mountain collapsing before him.

Rong Tang entered the inner hall through a small door, where Mrs. Rong's spirit tablet was placed, along with a small table and a cushion.

He sat down cross-legged, took off the Buddhist beads from his wrist and twirled them between his fingers, actually thinking about Zheng Changning's intention in his heart.

Madam Rong's memorial tablet was lonely and deserted. Rong Tang seemed to be looking at a silent, faceless middle-aged woman, thinking silently in his heart, "What else is there in the Jian'an Marquis' Mansion that I don't know? You asked someone to help you find a son. What exactly is your plan?"

It was so weird, he felt like he had fallen into a deep pit that was very difficult to climb out. He was afraid that from the moment he set foot on the territory of the Northern Dynasty, he had been labeled as a prince.

This label cannot be removed even if he wants to deny it.

Chuncao brought in a bowl of white rice, with two slices of tofu and two vegetable leaves on top. This was his lunch.

Rong Tang sighed and couldn't think of anything, so he put it aside for the time being. He was really hungry.

Chuncao felt distressed when she saw how quickly he ate his meal. The young master had grown taller and gained weight in recent days, and his appetite was big. But with the arrival of Master Zheng, even his eating was restricted.

Zheng Changning in the outer room was also feeling bad. He looked at the several large ceramic basins on the table, all of which were filled with greasy lard two fingers thick. How could he pick up his chopsticks to eat?

The elders of the tribe all watched closely, and would not dare to accompany the guests or eat with them if asked to do so.

Zheng Changning called out, "Old man, eat!"

The Third Master smiled and said, "Mr. Zheng, please go first."

Zheng Changning's chopsticks circled over the bowls, but couldn't move any further. He said, "I can't eat meat either. Do you have any vegetarian options?"

Chuncao responded immediately, "Yes. Please wait a moment, sir."

A bowl of brown rice was soon served, with a few pieces of tofu and cabbage on top. Well, it was very plain.

Zheng Changning took it and took a bite, narrowly avoiding choking. He must have been so upset that he had to eat a bowl of brown rice and sore throat.

"What's wrong, sir? Is it not to your liking? I'm so sorry, our young master can't even go back home and can only stay in this village to mourn for his mother. Even this meal is made by the villagers out of pity for the young master, so they bought it for him to eat. Please don't despise it, sir."

Zheng Changning swallowed the brown rice with great effort and asked with difficulty, "Is there anything else?"

Chuncao thought for a moment, then went out and brought back two pancakes. She said enthusiastically, "Mr. Zheng, eat them while they're hot. They're too hard to chew if they're cold. This is how the villagers eat. This is considered good, at least it has a little white flour mixed in. What we ate in the past was just coarse flour steamed bread and wild vegetable soup, and it still wasn't enough to fill us up."

Zheng Changning took it and bit into it, luckily his teeth didn't break. Is this what they call eating while it's hot? If it's not hot, wouldn't it be like a stone?

"I'd better eat some meat!"

Although those dishes were greasy, at least they were stewed until tender and not too hard to chew.

"Then please! Master Zheng, these ribs can't be picked up with chopsticks, you have to eat them with your hands. Uncle Dashan, can you show Master Zheng how to do it?"