Chen Wenyi recounted the TV drama plots she had seen in her previous life, embellishing them as she spoke to Master Chen.
She told of a wealthy young lady whose family situation was similar to theirs. Ultimately, her father adopted a son from the clan. Unexpectedly, after the master met with an accident, the adopted son, aiming to seize all the family's assets for himself, got a servant drunk and placed him in his adoptive mother's bed, falsely accusing her of impropriety and intending to drown her.
Furthermore, he hired numerous thugs to bully the master's biological daughter, causing her to fall into disgrace and ultimately forcing her to jump off a cliff to her death.
Meanwhile, the clan relatives who had pledged to Master Chen beforehand, vowing to treat his family well, immediately turned their backs on them when faced with immense profit, joining the wolfish adopted son in bullying the widowed mother and orphaned daughter.
Initially, Master Chen found his daughter's thoughts somewhat rebellious. However, after hearing this story, he was truly frightened.
After all, Chen Wenyi's narration was too vivid, so lifelike as if she had witnessed the entire process herself. It was difficult not to believe it.
(Chen Wenyi's inner monologue: As if I didn't see it with my own eyes! There were so many such plots in those melodramatic eight o'clock dramas in my past life. If Father wants to hear, I can tell him different plot stories year-round without repetition, guaranteed to shock you into doubting your very existence!)
It was precisely because of Chen Wenyi's impassioned storytelling, her well-reasoned analysis, and her expression of infinite future dread and worry that Master Chen became utterly convinced of the story's authenticity.
His daughter, raised in seclusion, had never encountered the complexities of the outside world. If such a thing hadn't truly happened, she wouldn't have been able to fabricate it herself!
In the end, it's unknown how Master Chen communicated with the clan members. Although there were some dissenting voices mid-way, the matter of adoption was ultimately successfully shelved.
Master Chen made a decisive move, instructing that the betrothal gifts for the groom's side also be prepared, thus expressing his firm resolve not to proceed with the adoption!
It could be said that this battle concluded with Chen Wenyi's complete victory!
Here, Chen Wenyi, led by a clan matriarch responsible for the ancestral rites, walked step by step towards the ancestral hall. Leng Ren, leaving a step behind her, was guided by an elder of higher seniority within the Chen family.
As the Chen family members gradually followed behind them to observe the ceremony, Su Muqing and the others, as Leng Ren's family, were also invited to attend.
Initially, when Master Chen spoke of bowing and performing rites, Su Muqing had thought it would be like what she saw in TV dramas. However, after she went to witness it, she realized it was entirely different.
The Chen family's ancestral hall was built in a relatively open area, not far from the Chen mansion. The entire courtyard was vast, with a dedicated open space in front.
At this moment, a sacrificial altar several meters high had been erected on the open ground. In the center were piled items resembling ancient paper money and spirit money, and all around were small bundles of bound firewood.
The two began circling the altar from different directions. The circling required a pace that was neither too hurried nor too slow. It was best if their steps were synchronized, and they met at the finish line after three rounds.
After the circling came the kowtowing. This wasn't a simple matter of bowing a few times but involved kneeling at each step, rising, kneeling again, and then prostrating. A designated person followed beside them, chanting incantations, giving the entire ceremony a somewhat eerie feel.
The ceremony was elaborate, yet it elicited much envy and jealousy. While the onlookers maintained smiles, many of their smiles were strained, betraying their feigned pleasantries to anyone with discerning eyes.
Chen Wenyi, with her future husband, representing Master Chen's lineage in performing the ancestral rites, was effectively announcing to others that they were the future heads of the Chen family.
The vast fortune of the Chen family would ultimately not fall into the hands of someone named Chen. With Chen Wenyi in charge, it would ultimately benefit an outsider of unknown origin and identity!
After all the steps were completed, only the final step, the "Dian Ji" (lighting the offerings), remained. This involved Chen Wenyi and Leng Ren together igniting the mountains of gold and seas of silver, made from stacked yuanbao paper money, which were prepared for the ancestors. This was the final step.
The entire ancestral rite ceremony lasted nearly two hours, and by the time it concluded, it was already late at night. Su Muqing and the others had watched the entire event on empty stomachs.
Because of the sheer volume of offerings to be burned, the fire was estimated to burn throughout the night. Despite their hunger, Su Muqing found the event quite interesting, as it was her first time witnessing such a ritual.
After the "Dian Ji," the hosts could dine shortly thereafter and did not need to personally guard the offerings; a few servants were instructed to watch over them, primarily to prevent sparks from falling elsewhere and causing a fire.
After the ceremony was completed, a large group returned in procession to the Chen family compound. The brightly lit courtyard hosted a grand banquet, with over thirty tables reserved for clan members alone.
Su Muqing and her party were invited to sit at the main table. As this was not the formal wedding ceremony, the two newlyweds could also sit and dine with everyone. Furthermore, starting from the next day, Chen Wenyi would be groomed as the future matriarch of the Chen family.
Not long after everyone was seated, exquisite dishes were served consecutively. While they looked appealing, their taste was rather bland.
They were the same old steamed, boiled, and stewed dishes, complemented by each household's unique dipping sauces. If the dipping sauce was good, it was fine; but if the sauce was unappetizing, these exquisite dishes would be largely ruined.
Chen Wenyi took a couple of bites, and her adorable little face instantly creased. After the ancestral rites, she was utterly exhausted. Finally, when she could eat, the food was still so tasteless.
Thinking of the instant noodles, ham, and spicy strips Su Muqing had given her from her spatial realm, Chen Wenyi couldn't help but lick her lips, a smile gracing her face, making her look like a little glutton.
However, the moment she saw the guests mingling and toasting in the courtyard, her excited little face quickly fell.