Within the Meng Family manor, Meng Bai’s return stirred a ripple of activity. Upon hearing of his arrival, the family held a banquet in his honor. Meng Cangshan, the eldest patriarch, sat in the main hall, looking at Meng Bai with a gratified expression.
"My second brother’s child has truly amounted to something," he remarked.
Meng Bai scanned the room. At the banquet, beyond the familiar faces of the eldest patriarch, Meng Yanshan, and several clan elders, there were many young, unfamiliar faces in the First Branch. The Second and Third Branches, however, were still represented by the same few people he remembered. Meng Bai sighed inwardly: nothing had changed; the First Branch still held absolute power.
Chapter 27