We would leave aside the bustle and stir in Sheng's Mansion tonight first. The early next morning, all the people ranking below Old Madam Ming, including Sheng Lanxin who came back for a visit with her whole family, had dressed up and went outside of the gate in order to receive Senior Master and Young Lord Xu.

Senior Master Sheng had got married twice, and he had three sons and two daughters in total. Among them, the oldest son Sheng Lanci's birth mother was Madam Ai, his first wife. When giving birth, she suffered from dystocia, but Senior Master had happened to be absent, so the midwife had followed Madam Ai's orders and had sacrificed the mother to save the son. Because of this, Sheng Lanci was born but Madam Ai died, which was why Old Senior thought he owed Madam Ai a lot and he had been partial to the eldest branch all the time.

Fortunately, his second wife Old Madam Ming wasn't a narrow-minded person. Even if she had given birth to two sons and two daughters for Sheng Family, she had never held any pretentiousness of being a stepmother in front of Sheng Lanci. So, Sheng Family lived a relatively harmonious life.

Sure, many people were speculating that it was also because that the two sons born of Old Madame Ming, Second Master Sheng Lansi and Third Master Sheng Lanzi were both too mediocre. Even if the two made an alliance, they wouldn't be as competent as Sheng Lanci. And it was mostly for their oldest brother's sake that the two daughters Sheng Lanxin and Sheng Lanling could marry the sons of bureaucracies. So, if Old Madam Ming had any sulks against the first wife's son, she would see Sheng Lanci give his brothers and sisters a hard time after taking charge of the family.

At the time, people had some small talks while looking forward to the visitors' arrival. Almost all of them affiliated themselves to Sheng Lanci and his daughter with bald flattering and ingratiation. No wonder the speculations above would arise.

"Baomo, see?" All the family members waited at the gate, and presently, a troop was approaching on horses. They reached them like a swift wind and the head rider beamed proudly, jumping down from the horse, and said, "I'm the first, anyway!"

The person's beard and hair were greyish. Telling from the look, he was already in his sixties. But with a reddish face and bright eyesight, he was in a black-green robe with a round collar. On his waist-belt hanged a short sword. He walked like the wind and his eyesight manifested openness and expansiveness. He was exactly Senior Master of Sheng Family, Sheng s.h.i.+xiong.

Old Madam Ming was about to step forward and scold him that he was already aged and still bounced here and there like a child. What if he slipped down or twisted somewhere?

Before she opened her mouth, she saw the one chasing Senior Master Sheng closely behind had also stopped in front of the mansion. The rider rolled to get down as well, but different from Senior Master Sheng's natural straightforwardness, he was light and nimble like a swallow, manifesting a sense of freedom and unrestraint.

After he landed on the ground, he smiled leisurely, which amazed the surrounding people. It looked like he was of a similar age to Sheng Shuihe. His cheeks looked like having been brushed with powders, and eyes were as beautiful as the peach blossom. Upon that brows, all the grace and refinement were heaped. In a red embroidered gown, he fastened a belt decorated with jade on the waist and had a black-sheathed seven-star sword. He seemed really a good man accomplished in both literary and martial skills.

"Senior Master's skill hasn't regressed while he is aging. I felt ashamed for my own level. Still, Senior Master won the race!" He had not only good features but also a well-cultivated manner. After admitting defeat, he stepped out to the bottom of the stairs, made a bow with hands clasped and said respectfully, "As a junior, I am honored to meet you, Old Madam!"

"You're Ningwei Marquis' Young Lord?" Old Madam Ming was born in a squire's family, so she hadn't seen many officers in her life, let alone Marquis' Young Lord. This time, because Xu Baomo was coming to stay for a few days, she feared that if Sheng Family wasn't considerate enough in their reception, and it would affect the friends.h.i.+p between the two families, she hadn't slept well these days.

She hadn't expected that Xu Baomo was so polite and humble, and he just regarded himself as an ordinary junior.

Old Madam, though feeling astounded for his great respect, got some true affection for him in heart and hastened to say, "Rise up! How can I afford such solemn etiquette of yours?"

"Why can't you afford it?" Unexpectedly, before Xu Baomo uttered, Senior Master Sheng who had stepped into the gate turned back impatiently and said, "What's the bother of sticking here and blocking the gate? Come in and we'll talk more!"

Xu Baomo hurried to say, "It's my fault to keep Old Madam, all the uncles, aunts, sisters and brothers waiting here for so long. Let me give you my arm and accompany you to enter, Old Madam!" Saying this, he moved forward and held Old Madam Ming's arm gently.

He was in an age similar to Old Madam Ming's grandchildren, so his comportment wasn't deemed offensive, but considerate, which even helped to alleviate Old Madam's embarra.s.sment of being scolded by her husband in public.

At the moment, people all thought highly of Xu Baomo: dignified, handsome, polite, gentle and considerate. Who would dislike a person like this?

Sheng Weiqiao was still considering coping with Sheng Shuihe. Whichever distinguished guest was coming, she wouldn't be interested. Having taken a glimpse of him, she was done.

While Shen Jiuniang who was two years older than her, had already experienced her coming-of-age ceremony and was exactly in her age of dreaming for love, got blushed cheeks. But she was conscious of the large gap of social status between Shen Family and Xu family. So, no matter how nice the Young Lord was, all she could do was have a look. At that thought, her eyes and her brows were all tinged with worries.

Senior Master Sheng who was in front didn't care about those details and strode forward without considering if the women could catch up with him.

After arriving at the back hall, the maids served the tea contained by bowls. He took it, drained and wiped his mouth after finis.h.i.+ng. Seeing that all the people below were gasping and only Sheng Shuihe and Xu Baomo's air stayed as usual, he uttered, "Well," combing his beard, pointed at Sheng Shuihe and asked, "Whose child is this?"

"Surely he's a child of our family." Sheng Lanci had practiced Kungfu under the surveillance of his father when he was young, but after he'd risen by literary works, he had diverged from it. Having walked all the way, though he wasn't as breathless as the women, he had gotten a sweat on the forehead. He said as wiping it, "This is Shuihe. Before you set off, I had told you about him."

Senior Master Sheng finally realized it and was to show him a loving smile, but catching Sheng Weiqiao stood aside with a gloomy face, he suppressed the smile and said flatly, "Alright."

Then no attention was paid to Sheng Shuihe, and he introduced Xu Baomo formally to everyone, "This is the oldest grandson of Mr. Xu. Because he held the ink block tight in his one-year-old catch, he was named Baomo."

"I can tell from the look that this child will make achievements in the literature study. No wonder he picked ink block at that time." Old Madam Ming held a great first impression about Xu Baomo, so she didn't hold back her praises.

Xu Baomo said some humble words and rose to make another formal salute to Old Madam. Then he greeted everyone belonging to Sheng Lanci's generation as a nephew.

Until facing the third generation of Sheng Family, the Ningwei Marquis' Young Lord knelt, including Sheng Shuihe who came back not long ago. None of the members of the third generation was older than him, so they had to come forward one by one to greet their Brother Xu.

After greeting and exchanging the gifts, Senior Master Sheng, aged physically, felt tired and said, "Time to go back, and someone has to bring Baomo to clean up. Is the guest room prepared?"

"Yes." Sheng Lanci, hearing his words, rose and said, "How about I accompany our nephew?"

"How dare I bother you?" Xu Baomo said respectfully, "Sending a servant to guide me is enough!"

They said some humble words of declining, and Senior Master Sheng who'd risen got impatient, "Shui... Shuihe, I've got your name correctly? You're of a similar age, why don't you show him the way?"

After settling down the thing, Senior Master didn't linger. He turned back and entered the inner room.

Old Madam Ming sent away all the people, followed him in and helped him get changed, inquiring cautiously, "Why's the Young Lord coming, and what's he up to?"