Zhang Fan asked Butler Yu to buy him a set of men's clothing, otherwise he would really be embarrassed to get off the carriage now.
After putting on his new clothes, Zhang Fan felt like he was dressed like a knight-errant from a martial arts novel. Indeed, what you wear depends on the environment. Some Hanfu enthusiasts need courage to wear Hanfu on the street, but here, if you don't dress like this, people will think you're an oddball.
Upon entering the Qiu family's gate, Steward Yu led the way.
The Qiu family residence is located in the center of Xiliang City. It is an antique architectural complex covering an area of 100 acres and can be roughly divided into two parts: the mansion and the garden. The mansion consists of two-story buildings in the style of a multi-courtyard siheyuan (traditional courtyard house). Behind it is a two-story rear building with a continuous ridge, about 100 zhang long. Behind the building is the back garden, where the buildings are roughly arranged in three sections: east, central, and west. Scattered throughout the garden are rockeries, winding corridors, pavilions, ponds, and flowers and trees.
After entering the main hall and taking their seats, Steward Yu immediately instructed a servant to serve tea.
"Please sit for a while, young master. I will go and inform Master Qiu."
After finishing his speech, Butler Yu went into the back room. Zhang Fan sat down, drank tea, and looked around.
He had visited the Prince Gong's Mansion during his trip to China, and the Qiu family's home gave him a similar feeling to the Prince Gong's Mansion.
Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Butler Yu had already come out.
"Young master, the patriarch requests your presence."
Zhang Fan followed Butler Yu into the back hall. At this time, there were many people sitting or standing on both sides of the spacious and bright back hall, with different expressions, but they were all women.
In the center of the hall, a well-off woman of about 50 years old sat with a smile on her face as she watched Zhang Fan enter the back room. The other women on either side of her also scrutinized Zhang Fan from head to toe, whispering and gossiping among themselves...
Zhang Fan felt overwhelmed. Being stared at by so many aunties, uncles, and gossipy women, all with the same expression of a mother-in-law choosing a son-in-law, would make anyone uncomfortable.
"My name is Zhang Fan. I greet you, Mr. Qiu." Zhang Fan bowed to the plump old woman seated on the seat.
In Xiliang, men were considered inferior to women, so the Qiu family was naturally headed by a woman. "Mr." was a respectful title used by outsiders to address the head of the Qiu family, Old Madam Qiu Qingquan.
"Hehehe, Fan'er, come closer, let me see what the future grandson-in-law Wan Yan mentioned looks like..." Old Mr. Qiu smiled and reached out to call Zhang Fan forward.
Zhang Fan was completely confused. What did his grandson-in-law mean?
Madam Qiu didn't tell Zhang Fan any of this. She only told Mr. Qiu, and when Mr. Qiu saw Zhang Fan come to visit, he naturally assumed that Zhang Fan also accepted this identity.
But when an elder calls, Zhang Fan can only walk up to them without understanding why.
"Very good, very good." Mr. Qiu stood up from his seat, looked Zhang Fan up and down, then had Zhang Fan spin around a few times before nodding in satisfaction. "Not bad, not bad."
"From now on, we're all family. Come over here and get to know Fan'er."
How come we're family now? What does that mean?
With Mr. Qiu's nod, the group of aunts, uncles, and gossipy women surrounded Zhang Fan, pointing and whispering about him. Some even started touching him, pinching and stroking him with their fingers.
Zhang Fan felt this was even more terrifying than being in a female soldiers' camp. At least the female soldiers were sexy and cute young girls. How would it feel to be surrounded by a group of square-dancing aunties?
"Not bad, not bad. Although he's a bit stocky, he's muscular and has no excess fat."
"Men should find petite, delicate women with beautiful features, so they can stay at home and take care of their wives and daughters. What's the point of having someone so strong?"
"Oh dear, Third Sister-in-law, what do you know? It's better to be strong. You'll know once you use it."
"Yes, yes, what's so good about someone as skinny as Uncle San? Only you, Sister-in-law, treat him like a treasure."
"Yes, someone like Fan'er has a strong lower body and is good at giving birth."
Sweat was pouring down Zhang Fan's forehead.
I've always heard that women with big buttocks are good at giving birth, I've never heard anyone describe men like that.
In Xiliang, plumpness is considered beautiful. Tall, healthy, and well-off women are considered beautiful. Skinny women like Dilraba Dilmurat are unwanted and can only work as construction workers.
Men are considered beautiful when they are petite and delicate. Tall and handsome men like Zhang Fan are usually sold to brothels to become top courtesans. Every month, the local brothel will pull out several men who are exhausted and drained of their energy.
"What's all this noise and mockery about?"
A strong female voice rang out in the lobby, and the aunties, uncles, and other gossipy women who had been chattering just moments before immediately fell silent and returned to their seats. Zhang Fan was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief and couldn't help but turn around curiously to look at the entrance to the back hall.
At the entrance, a woman in a dark blue satin robe with black cloud patterns on the sleeves, a jade belt around her waist, and an ivory cloud fan in her hand, walked gracefully with her hair simply tied up with a bamboo hairpin.
Lady Qiu, Autumn Evening Smoke?
Why would she be here if she wasn't at the Marquis's mansion?
Zhang Fan rubbed his eyes, and only when the woman in green approached did he realize that it was not Madam Qiu.
Although the woman in green looked very similar to Qiu Wanyan, she lacked the gentle and dignified air of Madam Qiu and had a sharper edge in her eyes. Her overall demeanor was completely different from that of Madam Qiu Wanyan.
"Wanlan, come and meet your future niece's husband." Old Mr. Qiu smiled and beckoned to the woman in blue.
It turns out that the woman in green is Qiu Wanlan, the younger sister of Madam Qiu Wanyan.
As one of the two daughters of Mr. Qiu, Qiu Wanlan has another identity: the next head of the Qiu family. That's why the older women and gossipy relatives in the Qiu family treat her with such reverence.
However, the fact that Qiu Wanlan commands such awe and fear from the elders in the family also reflects that she must have extraordinary abilities and is not someone who is easy to get along with.
Qiu Wanlan walked up to the old man, bowed and greeted him, then turned to look at Zhang Fan, who also looked at her curiously.
She really looks so much like Madam Qiu. If you don't look at her eyes, she looks exactly like Madam Qiu. Are they really not twins?
"Fan'er, this is your second aunt," Mr. Qiu introduced with a smile.
"Nephew, nephew greets Second...Second Aunt."
Zhang Fan felt awkward no matter how he tried to explain. The people of Xiliang took seniority very seriously. One of them was Qiu Wanyan's younger sister, and the other was Qiu Wanyan's chosen future son-in-law. According to seniority, shouldn't he call her Second Aunt? Although it seemed more appropriate to call her Sister Wanlan.
"Hmm." Qiu Wanlan seemed to have no problem with Zhang Fan calling her Second Aunt, and nodded, "He looks alright, at least he doesn't look as frail as other men."
"Wanlan, you should spend more time with Fan'er," Old Master Qiu said to Zhang Fan with a smile. "Your grandfather is waiting in the backyard. Wanlan, take Fan'er to meet him."
"Come with me." Qiu Wanlan said nothing more, her expression cold and aloof, and then she left on her own.
Zhang Fan quickly followed, but surrounded by a bunch of middle-aged women and aunts, he actually felt more comfortable being with this cold and aloof Aunt Qiu.
Passing through the connecting corridor of the two-story rear building, you arrive at the back garden, where several rows of buildings are nestled. The back garden is where the Qiu family's main residence is located, while the aunts, uncles, and other relatives live in the front garden.
As they approached the gate to the middle courtyard, a burly, middle-aged man with a full beard, as tall as Li Kui (the Black Whirlwind), approached with graceful steps, his strong yet supple hands grasping Zhang Fan's hands. He said softly:
"Fan'er, I've missed you so much."
Zhang Fan immediately got goosebumps all over his body.
"Big, big, big brother, who are you?"
"Heh." Black Whirlwind Li Kui spat, covering his sausage-like mouth with his fan-like hand, and said reproachfully:
"Fan'er, you're joking. I'm Alice's maternal grandfather, your maternal grandfather."
Zhang Fan pulled his hand away from Black Whirlwind Li Kui's large hand, his whole body covered in goosebumps.
Mr. Qiu's first wife had already passed away, so "Black Whirlwind Li Kui" was actually a concubine, or what is commonly known as a secondary wife.
"You should spend more time with your uncle," Qiu Wanlan said, cupping her hands in greeting. "I'll be going now."
"Don't!"
Zhang Fan grabbed Qiu Wanlan's hand as she tried to leave, suppressing the urge to beat up the Black Whirlwind Li Kui in front of him, and said with a trembling voice:
"Don't go, let me catch my breath."
Zhang Fan closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and opened them again. He saw that Grandpa Qiu's face lit up with joy, and he said:
"Fan'er, you have no idea. I'm just a weak man in the backyard, and I don't even have anyone to talk to. I look forward to your visit every day. When you come, you can keep your grandfather company and help him relieve his boredom."
Grandpa Qiu spoke with tears streaming down his face, then took out a handkerchief to wipe away a single tear from the corner of his eye.
From Zhang Fan's perspective, it looked like a chimpanzee wiping its eye boogers with a stamp.
I'm fucking pissed!
No, no, the other person is my elder, and respecting the elderly and caring for the young is a traditional Chinese virtue. I can't beat him up in public.
"Second Aunt, could you show me around?" Zhang Fan gritted his teeth and looked at Grandpa Qiu, the veins on his arms bulging, he was really struggling to hold back.
"Alright, I've already prepared Fan'er's room. It's in the west wing. Wanlan, take Fan'er there and let him get familiar with the surroundings."
"Yes, Uncle."
Qiu Wanlan cupped her hands in greeting and strode away, with Zhang Fan quickly chasing after her.
Grandpa Qiu stood alone in front of the back gate, waving the stamps in his hand with his strong, bear-paw-like arms.
That's terrifying! That's terrifying!
Zhang Fan followed closely behind Wan Lan, his whole body trembling.
"This is it." Qiu Wanlan stopped in front of a two-story attic. "This is where you live. I won't go in."
"If you want to go out, you can come to the east wing to find me. If you don't know the way, just ask the servants at home."
After Qiu Wanlan finished speaking, she left with her usual cold expression.
Inside the small building in the west wing, two effeminate young men with double buns came out to greet us, immediately asking about our well-being:
"Please come in, young master."
“We’re Xiaoqing, and you’re Xiaohong. From now on, we’ll be the young master’s maids, hee hee…” the two effeminate young men covered their mouths and chuckled.
The veins on Zhang Fan's arm bulged again...
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