Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 578 Family Banquet

At night, the lights of Dongshan Villa are as bright as day.

Three large round tables were set up in the main hall, with dishes piled up from the edge of the table to the center, plates and bowls side by side, stacked like small mountains.

There were seven or eight jars of wine on the small table next to them, the mud seals of which had been broken more than halfway open. The aroma of the wine mixed with the smell of food and drink, and the smell alone made one's legs weak.

The old lady sat to Lin Chen's left, constantly muttering "good, good, good," her eyes sweeping over the faces of her children and grandchildren.

I laughed every time I scanned it; I was delighted no matter how I looked at it.

Su Wanqing sat to Lin Chen's right, and the smile on her lips hadn't changed since the start of the banquet, as if it were welded on.

Liu Ruyan sat next to Su Wanqing, wearing a casual lotus-colored shirt, her hair tied up with a plain hairpin.

She raised her wine glass and clinked it against Zhao Mingyue's glass with a crisp sound. The two smiled at each other and took a sip.

Qin Shuyan was especially happy today, and she chattered away while talking to Chu Yueyao.

Xiao Yulou couldn't sit still, so he paced back and forth between the tables with his wine cup in hand.

After walking around the area, I had drunk half a pot of wine, and my steps were already unsteady.

When she moved to Zhao Mingyue's side, Zhao Mingyue was slowly sipping her wine. She glanced at her and said, "Drink less."

Xiao Yulou tilted her head: "I'm happy!"

Zhao Mingyue smiled and didn't stop her anymore.

The others also raised their glasses and drank heartily, enjoying the rare reunion.

Dozens of children sat at a table, with Lin Nianjun in the seat closest to the head of the table. He had taken off his silver armor and put on a black robe, his back straight.

He held his wine glass but didn't drink much, his gaze occasionally glancing at Lin Chen before returning to his own.

Lin Nianbei sat next to him, and the two occasionally whispered a few words to each other before taking a sip from their cups.

Lin Nianying was exceptionally active, just like her mother, carrying a small pot of wine and clinking glasses with each person.

He walked up to Lin Nianjun, patted Lin Nianjun on the shoulder, and acted as forthright as a chivalrous hero.

"Bro, let's have a drink!"

Lin Nianjun nudged her helplessly: "Drink less."

"How much did I drink!" Lin Nianying tilted her head back and downed the glass in one gulp. She turned the glass upside down and shook it; not a drop was left.

Lin Nianjun's lips twitched, but he ignored her.

The main hall was noisy, filled with the sounds of talking, clinking glasses, and shouting.

Lin Chen sat in the main seat, holding a glass of wine, his gaze sweeping from left to right and from right to left.

The house was full of children; some looked like him, some looked like their mother, and some had half of each mother's features in their eyes and expressions.

The more he looked at it, the happier he felt, and his smile almost stretched to the back of his ears.

But as I looked at it, I felt a little uncomfortable.

These brats are all grown up, yet not one of them has brought anyone home for him.

Lin Chen put down his wine glass, cleared his throat, and the smile on his face faded, replaced by the calm expression unique to an old father.

"Nian'er," he called out to Lin Nian'er first.

Lin Nian'er was drinking tea when she heard this and paused, looking at Lin Chen.

"Father, what's wrong?"

She is twenty-five years old now, sitting among her younger sisters, wearing a plain white shirt, her long hair loosely tied behind her head, and her expression is very composed.

The moment she sits there, she exudes an aura of "I am the boss".

Lin Chen held his cup, carefully considering his words, and asked, "Do you have someone you like?"

Lin Nian'er shook her head: "No."

Lin Chen's voice softened slightly: "Then... is there someone you like?"

Lin Nian'er shook her head again: "No."

Lin Chen's brows visibly relaxed, he leaned back in his chair, and the corners of his mouth turned up again.

He picked up his glass, took a satisfying sip, and spoke in a lighthearted tone:

"That's good. Marriage is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly; better to have none than a bad one!"

Lin Nianjun, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it anymore and put down his wine glass:

"Father, why don't you ask us? We've already come of age."

Lin Chen glanced at him and snorted coldly, "You guys are men, I don't need to worry about anything. You're useless if you can't find wives!"

Lin Nianjun: "...Then what are you worried about?"

Lin Chen slowly sipped his wine, his gaze returning to his daughters, Lin Nian'er and the others, his tone utterly matter-of-fact:

"I'm worried about your older and younger sisters."

Lin Nianjun opened his mouth, only to find himself choked.

He lowered his head, took a swig from his glass, and swallowed the breath.

Lin Nianying was laughing so hard her chopsticks were shaking. She even dropped food back onto her plate halfway through picking it up, but she didn't care. She put down her chopsticks and said seriously:

"Father, you don't need to worry about me. I have my own plans."

Lin Chen turned to her, intrigued: "What are your plans?"

"I plan to travel to Zhongzhou," Lin Nianying said seriously, her eyes clear and bright, without a trace of joking.

"I've heard that many new lineages have emerged in Zhongzhou in recent years, and I'd like to try my luck there. Also, there are always people discussing the Dao at the Tower of Babel, and I'd like to go and listen."

Lin Chen thought about it and realized that Zhongzhou was indeed at peace at the moment.

With Lu Bu overseeing the Tower of Babel, all the forces around him behaved themselves.

She's a celestial being on land; she's more than capable of protecting herself.

"Okay, go ahead, be careful."

"Thank you, Father!" Lin Nianying's eyes lit up like two stars, and she wished she could get up and pack her bags right then and there.

Lin Nianruo hesitated for a moment, then spoke softly:

"Father, I also want to go out and gain experience."

Lin Chen looked at her: "Where are you going?"

"Southern Wilderness." Lin Nianruo's voice wasn't loud, but she sat up straight.

"I heard that several ancient cave dwellings have recently been discovered in the Southern Wilderness. I'd like to try my luck there."

Lin Chen frowned. The Southern Wilderness was full of monsters and had a complex terrain, making it less stable than the Central Plains.

"Things aren't peaceful in the Southern Wilderness."

"I'm not afraid." Lin Nianruo straightened her chest and raised her chin slightly.

She looks like her mother, with gentle features, but a stubborn streak burns in her eyes.

Lin Chen looked at her for a few seconds. His daughter had grown up and had her own ideas.

"Alright, have Yuan Tiangang arrange for a few men to follow you."

"Thank you, Father!" Lin Nianruo smiled broadly instantly.

Seeing this, Lin Nianze also stood up.

"Father, I want to go to the Northern Desert."

Lin Chen turned to him: "The Northern Desert? The Flame Empire?"

"Yes." Lin Nianze nodded. "The fire spiritual energy over there is abundant, which is suitable for my current cultivation path. I've been stuck at a bottleneck for a while, and I want to try a change of environment."

Lin Chen scanned him with his divine sense and could indeed see that the fire-attribute spiritual power in his body was somewhat sluggish.

Perhaps if we move to a place where the fire element is naturally abundant, we can really have a chance to counteract it.

"Okay, go ahead."

"Thank you, Father!" Lin Nianze patted the back of the chair with joy, then quickly stopped, unable to suppress the smile on his face as he sat back down.

With these few taking the lead, the other children also mustered up their courage and spoke up one after another.

Some wanted to see Buddhist relics, while others wanted to search for the ancient sword tomb.

Some said they wanted to go to the Southern Wilderness to find a rare spiritual herb, while others said they wanted to go to the Central Plains to see the Ten Thousand Mountains.

The reasons varied, some were loud and some were soft, but their eyes were all bright and sparkling.

Lin Chen listened to each answer, nodding in agreement.

The kids are all grown up; it's time for them to go out and explore the world.

Moreover, he knows all the big shots in this world, so his children won't suffer any losses no matter where they go.

Lin Nianjun was the last to speak.

"Father, I want to go to the Tower of Babel."