Chapter 1639 — Yu Ning Writes a Letter
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"That's good!" Tang Zhi was none the wiser. "Why else would I be here? It's because of my mother. She asked me to tell you that you're to accompany our family to attend some birthday banquet for the old patriarch of the Hidden Tang family on his eightieth birthday!"
"Hidden Tang family?" Wei Zhao was mildly stunned. "The Hidden Tang family? What relation do they have to your family?"
Tang Zhi's words shocked Wei Zhao. Though he didn't know which house the Hidden Tang family was, anything that could be called 'hidden' was at least on the same level as the Hidden Yu family or the Hidden Zhao family. And to think Tang Zhi was actually from the Hidden Tang family! Why had he never heard of this before?
"Our family is just a collateral branch of the Hidden Tang family. We haven't been in contact for eight hundred years. This time, for some unknown reason, they sent an invitation to our home, asking the whole family to attend the old patriarch's eightieth birthday feast!" Tang Zhi said with some helplessness and distaste. "I don't approve of going. When father was sick, mother wrote to them for help, and they didn't even bother to reply. Now they suddenly invite us—I feel something is definitely off here."
"So that's how it is!" Wei Zhao understood after hearing Tang Zhi's explanation. A collateral branch of a great family was a completely different concept from the main line. The simplest example was the Kang family of Divine Doctor Kang and the Kang family of Kang So-and-So. Though they were from the same lineage, one lived in silk and plenty, while the other ran a small business and feared harassment from petty thugs. He then asked, "So what is your intention? Do you want to go?"
"I certainly don't want to go, but mother... she told me to bring you along to show off, something about returning home in silken robes..." Tang Zhi frowned. "I brushed her off and came to stay here. If you don't want to go, I'll just keep living here and drag things out!"
"Heh heh..." Wei Zhao knew Tang's mother well. He guessed she had suffered plenty of snubs and cold shoulders from the Hidden Tang family in the past. Now that her son-in-law had become formidable, she wanted to show off. But she probably didn't understand the concept of hidden aristocratic families! Having a few companies didn't mean they would look up to you; what they valued was strength. Still, this was Mother Tang's wish. Wei Zhao figured that if he didn't go, she would hold a grudge. And since his days of condensing energy orbs had yielded nothing, he might as well go and clear his head—who knew, he might stumble upon an opportunity for recovery.
Wei Zhao, for his part, planned to attend the birthday feast with Tang Zhi as an ordinary person, keeping a low profile and drawing no attention. So he said, "Going is no problem, but returning home in silken robes... heh, I'm afraid they won't take a second look at such modest strength."
"I know! I even told mother that hidden aristocratic families are primarily cultivators, not like us at all, but she wouldn't listen!" Tang Zhi said helplessly. "How about we just don't go? I'll stall and brush it off."