Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 366 - 348: Breaking In!

Chapter 366: Chapter 348: Breaking In!

After everyone was seated, Zhang San took the seat of honor at the upper end, while Hu Xingxiang promptly took the seat beside him.

Since all the guests invited today were Zhang San’s important friends, there was no separation of seats by gender, and everyone sat together.

Seeing Hu Xingxiang directly sitting next to Zhang San, Lady Yu furrowed her brows, casting a glance at Ximen Jinxing beside her.

At that moment, Ximen Jinxing also finally realized that a crisis had arrived.

Zhang San raised his glass to toast everyone, expressing his thanks.

As soon as everyone had set down their glasses, Aunt Nine raised hers again.

"Zhang San, thank you for taking in my niece. You also know the situation at Hundred Flowers Fang and Jingshan Fang, monitored by the Town Demon Office, yet still somewhat chaotic. She’s young, and I’m actually less at ease with her on my side. With you looking after her, I, as an aunt, can rest assured. This cup, I toast to you!"

With these words, Aunt Nine picked up her glass and drained it in one gulp.

Zhang San barely had time to fill his cup to join her.

"This time we’ve come bearing a modest gift, hoping you won’t disdain it."

Zhang San smiled and said, "What are you talking about? Aunt, your visit alone quite gratifies us juniors."

After all, she was Little Fox’s elder, who, although she looked like a woman in her thirties, might actually have lived for hundreds of years.

So Zhang San spoke very politely.

"I recently moved to Hundred Flowers Fang and just encountered an issue that I wish to consult you about."

Zhang San quickly gestured with a smile, "I dare not take credit for any consultation. Aunt, please feel free to speak your mind. With so many of us here, we can put our heads together to help."

Aunt Nine sighed, starting off somewhat sadly.

"Uniting two families through marriage is originally a joyful occasion. However, a situation has recently arisen at Hundred Flowers Fang. A couple in love wishing to be together, and since both families found the match respectable, neither objected. Normally, the couple could have been happy together for a long time."

"However, after the marriage, the bride’s family produced several strong figures, strengthening their family considerably, which naturally emboldened them. They started thinking that any children born should bear the mother’s surname."

"But the groom’s family was unwilling. After all, he was marrying into his family, and they were his children, so why should they bear someone else’s surname?"

"The couple themselves were loving, and the man didn’t mind; he felt that if adopting his wife’s surname made her family treat her well, it was acceptable."

"However, the woman felt that since her husband was being considerate of her, she must not make things difficult for him, so she thought it best for the children to bear the father’s surname."

"But the families’ views on this matter were starkly different; each wanted the child to bear their own surname."

"Although this wasn’t a major conflict of interest, the more such trivial family matters arise, the harder they are to elucidate."

"Moreover, we are from the Demon Clan; Zhang San, you might not know this, but we demons are not like your human race, who abide by all sorts of rituals and relationships. In situations where undeveloped demons struggle to survive, infanticide and fratricide are not unheard of. Even though they now look human, they can’t simply revert to beasts, nor can they learn to be like humans."

"Now, because of the child’s surname, both family sides are troubled, and the young couple even more so. Everyone, do you have any good solutions?"

Everyone looked at each other.

In fact, to many, this issue seemed manageable.

It’s just difficult to broach the topic.

After all, the moral standards of the Demon Clan naturally differ from those of the human race.

Then, Lady Yu, smiling, spoke up, "Although this lady is Hu Xingxiang’s aunt, she looks so young that I take the liberty of calling her sister."

Aunt Nine immediately reciprocated with a smile, "It’s fine. Sister, please speak your mind."

"I know that both Hundred Flowers Fang and Jingshan Fang are inhabited by demons willing to become citizens of the Great Sui in recent years. Great Sui has neither harmed you nor used you. We consider you as citizens of the Great Sui. Therefore, my words are not directed at you specifically. No matter who comes to inquire, I will respond the same. First, please forgive my forwardness."

"Great Sui has its own rituals and teachings. Not to mention that it’s normal for children to bear their father’s surname, just the process of marriage itself signifies the woman’s transition from her father’s family to her husband’s. Once a woman is part of her husband’s family, how could a child born possibly carry a different surname?"

The six Great Demons exchanged glances, feeling the argument was logical yet also sensing the bind in it.

Zhang San, having witnessed the scene, finally understood.

Indeed, how could the Demon Clan possibly not know that this was just how things were among the human race?

Unlike the human race, which values propriety, the Demon Clan usually revered strength; if one was strong, they had the final say.

This led to the female’s family wanting to break the existing rules once they became powerful.

However, these rules were not easy to break.

Zhang San thought for a moment and then said, "I have a method. It might work."

Upon hearing this, everyone was curious about Zhang San’s method.

Slowly, Zhang San uttered two words: "Grace names."

Hearing these two words, everyone was startled and did not understand what he meant.

Zhang San said with a smile, "A child’s life comes from its parents. Thus, a child’s surname is proof that they are born of their parents and belong to a certain family, right?"

The crowd nodded, and the six Great Demons also nodded slightly.

"However, whether we’re talking about a person or a Demon Clan member, it’s difficult to simultaneously belong to two families. After all, if you belong to two families today, your children might belong to four families tomorrow. If this continues, what’s the difference between having a family and not having one?"

The crowd nodded again.

"Therefore, a child can only choose one surname. According to the situation at the time of the marriage, if the woman gets married and the man is the groom, then follow the man’s surname. Conversely, if the man marries into the woman’s family, naturally the child would take the woman’s surname."

Hearing this, Aunt Nine nodded and said, "So by that token, the child should take the father’s surname."

Zhang San shook his head and said, "I haven’t finished yet. I mentioned the grace names just now. This ’grace name’ is derived from a character in the child’s mother’s name, signifying the child’s remembrance of the mother’s difficulties in pregnancy and childbirth. Whether human or Demon Clan, everyone has feelings and should know gratitude. If one forgets the kindness of one’s own mother who gave birth to them, there’s no point talking about the future."

"Thus, the child will have two surnames, one is the father’s surname, representing the continuation of the family line; the other is the grace name, representing a heart of gratitude. In this way, the mother’s family can also be at ease. After all, their desire for the child to take their maternal surname is also because they feel strong enough to protect the child. As long as the child doesn’t forget their mother, why wouldn’t the maternal family care for the child?"

Hearing this, everyone pondered deeply, feeling more and more that this solution might indeed work.

Still, as Zhang San saw many people still thinking, thinking they might not have understood the concept of grace names, he added a few more words.

"Let me give you an example to clarify. If the father’s name is Hong Xiguan, and the mother’s name is Liu Hongshao, the child could be named Hong Shaorou."

"Or if the father’s name is Ji Wuli, and the mother’s name is Shui Nihui, the child could be named Jini Taimei."

Moments ago everyone thought the concept of grace names was quite good, but for some reason, after Zhang San’s examples, everyone began to wonder if this naming system could really be implemented.

Could it be too strange?

However, after further thought, it seemed that Zhang San was uniquely gifted when it came to naming, and the system of grace names was still a good one.

So, everyone raised their glasses.

Aunt Nine and the other six Great Demons repeatedly thanked Zhang San.

Just as everyone raised their glasses and was about to drink heartily, they suddenly heard a roar full of anger and hatred coming from outside the door.

"Scoundrel Zhang San, come out and face your death!"

Boom—

The next moment, someone kicked the door down and burst in.

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[Note 94]Special Statement

Neither in history nor in modern times has there been a system of grace names. This system was my own idea, where the child follows the father’s surname, and the second grace name is a character from the mother’s name, which is meant to foster a sense of gratitude from a young age. This system is my own invention, and even my own children are named this way (although I don’t have children yet).

I’m clarifying this to prevent any misunderstanding that this was a specific tradition during some historical period or in a particular area.