A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)
Chapter 756 The Night Before

The doors to the old residence were tightly shut, and the steps leading into the house were bumpy. In the courtyard, a tall old ash tree stood erect.

Everything about the house gave off an aged and hefty feeling.

Of course, the most conspicuous thing about the house was the huge sign hanging over its doors.

It was written in a flamboyant and powerful Chinese script.

One could even sense an intense pressure radiating from it by standing at the door looking at it.

And it read: Chu Residence.

That's right. The huge estate before him was none other than the Chu family's old residence.

The middle aged man stood before the courtyard for a long time.

Then he bent his knees at knelt at the door and said, "Grandma, Zheng-Hong has brought his family home to pay our respects to our ancestors! Also, we are here to visit you. I wish you good health and longevity!"

The man's powerful voice reverberated through the air.

He knelt before the door, and everyone who came with him knelt one after another and paid their respects.

"Your great-grandson Chu Tian-Qi is here to visit you, Great Grandma! I wish you good health and longevity!"

"Grandma! I wish you good health and longevity!"

Countless people knelt in unison before the old residence.

Their reverent voices converged and swept through the air.

The townsfolk were shocked by the commotion, and all turned to look.

They couldn't help shivering in shock when they caught sight of the spectacle. Yet after they knelt for a long time, not a sound came from the residence.

Then the low voice of an elderly woman suddenly came from the house.

"Zheng-Hong? I remember you. You're the one who divorced your wife and threw your son out. Where's your father? Didn't that unfilial son come this year? Does he not have the audacity to face me? Or is he too ashamed to face his ancestors?" asked the old woman deeply. Her words were filled with anger and displeasure.

"Grandma, Dad is getting on his age and has difficulty walking, so he probably can't come this year. He told me to wish you a happy new year on his behalf and to ask after you before I left," replied the man respectfully as he knelt.

No one griped in their hearts when she

scolded them.

"Really? That's so filial of him! Go back and tell him that he can forget about coming back to the ancestral grave for the rest of his life. I won't allow him to be buried here even when he dies. I disowned that animal ten years ago when Fan was exiled from the Chu family! Also, you can't even protect your wife and son. How can you be the head of the Chu family? You can't even take care of your own family. How can you protect the Chus?"

"Fan was the Chu family's sole heir of the Tian generation. Our ancestors decided that he is the future head of the Chu family, but you unfilial bastards went against your ancestors' wishes and drove him away. I tell you, if you don't bring Fan back, you will never be allowed to enter the ancestral home and make offerings to your ancestors. Go back to where you came from!" said the old woman coldly. Her words were imposing and seething with anger.

Her voice sounded like rocks crushing as it echoed through the air.

Chu Zheng-Hong continued to kneel with his head lowered without uttering a word.

In his heart, a complicated emotion emerged.

Chu Zheng-Hong didn't expect his grandmother and the most senior ranking woman in the Chu family to still think about his son.

Instead, her feelings towards Chu Tian-Fan only became stronger.

But a man kneeling behind Chu Zheng-Hong raised his head and said respectfully, "Grandma, I'm Zheng-Liang. Me and my son, Chu Tian-Qi, are here to wish you a happy Chinese New Year. Even if you don't want to see us, can you open the door so your great-grandson, Tian-Qi, can kowtow to you? He just wants to pay his respects to you."

Chu Zheng-Liang looked at his son, Chu Tian-Qi, and hurried him to say something nice to the old lady.

But cold laughter suddenly came from inside the house.

"What? Tian-Qi? You sure have the audacity! Do you have the right to decide who the Tian generation leader is? The ancestors did not decree you as a Tian. How dare you proclaim to be Tian-Qi? Aren't you worried that your son might die young for going against the ancestors' wishes? This is nonsense!" The old lady suddenly exploded like an unexpected clap of thunder.

Her aggressive words left Chu Qi-Tian and his father ghastly pale.

In the end, Chu Zheng-Liang said sadly, "Grandma, Tian-Qi is the Chu family's leader of his generation. Dad and the other family members have made him the next Tian generation leader. He has been appointed as the next leader according to the wishes of everyone here."

"Enough!" roared the old lady angrily again. "The ancestors have decided who is truly a Tian generation descendant! Did you think changing his name would make him one? Leave now! The Chu family's glory days are over with unfilial offspring like you sitting around."

The old woman didn't want to speak to them further and stopped talking after that last sentence.

No matter how they called for her outside the door, no one replied.

They knelt for a long time before leaving in the evening.

They wanted to make offerings to their ancestors on Lunar New Year's eve but were unable to step into the Chu residence.

In the end, they left disappointedly like they did every year.

It was already evening, and the sun was setting in the background.

In Yeyang Town in Jingzhou.

Ye Fan and Lu Wen-Jing had already

gotten home.

Tonight was the Eve of Lunar New Year, so according to tradition, everyone in the Ye family turned up at Old Master Ye's place to dine with him.

In the past, not everyone could turn up.

But tonight was the one time with the best turn out.

Ye Fan was here, and even Old Master Ye's youngest daughter Ye Xi-Lan was present with her kids.

Other than Ye Yu-Yan, everyone was here.

The food was sent to the table while the New Year's Gala was being aired on television.

Of course, the New Year's Gala served more as background music in this time and age. No one really sat through the whole thing. Tonight, everyone in the country reunited with their families to wait for the last day of the year to pass and welcome a new year. Outside, the stars hung in the sky while fireworks shot into the air, leaving a trail of smoke behind as they propelled into the air. Families gathered together to release fireworks. Dumplings were placed into the pot to cook with the deafening fireworks going on outside. The steaming hot air soaring into the sky seemed to signify everyone's dreams to have a successful new year!

Lunar New Year had been an important festival for time immemorial. It left all those working away from home in tears!