I'm asking for recommendation votes. Something came up today, so this is a little late. A banquet of such exceptionally high standing had its own rules and procedures.
Only after the hosts had served all the carefully prepared hot dishes of the main course, and the guests had begun to savor the feast, would the elders at the main table leave their seats to toast the guests on the hosts' behalf and express their thanks. Only then could the guests begin mingling and exchanging toasts among themselves.
The banquet had now reached precisely that stage.
Led by Chen Zhang, those at the main table rose one after another and began making their rounds through the hall, toasting the guests in each section and expressing their gratitude.
Among them, Lian Changzhi carried his wineglass toward a corner of the courtyard banquet hall.
There, the Chen Clan had deliberately seated together the dozen or so former Canghui students now spread across the four academies-Chang'an, Five Mountains, Qing Lin, and Yellow Emperor.
Before Lian Changzhi arrived, these former teammates had naturally already been chatting for quite some time.
They shared their experiences since joining their respective teams, their conversation rising and falling, with a sense of disparity between their fortunes.
Lian Shouzhong, Shi Fei'ang, and Zhu Taihong, who had joined Chang'an Academy, along with Ye Fei, Luo Qianxue, and Bian Jianhong, who had joined Five Mountains Academy, had been fortunate enough to reach this year's Continental Finals with their teams. Their other classmates had not enjoyed the same luck of making it to the end.
Seeing Lian Changzhi, Lian Shouzhong hurriedly stood and called respectfully, "Grandpa!"
All the Canghui students at the table rose after him. "Vice Dean!"
Looking at these spirited young people, Lian Changzhi smiled with warmth and gratification. "I've