Two days later, the Cheng family hosted a banquet, with the entire estate adorned in lanterns and decorations, freshly swept and cleaned.
Cheng Mu had finally awaited her moment to shine. Full of vigor, she rose early in the morning and devoured three bowls of wheat porridge with meat broth before setting down her chopsticks. She sat proudly at the head of the Hall of Compassionate Heart, waiting for guests to pay their respects. Cheng Shi led his brothers and sons to greet visitors at the main gate, while Madam Xiao and Sang Shi bustled about in the inner quarters.
Today, Shao Shang was dressed similarly to Cheng Yang—both wore Wrapped Robes of brocade in a deep red hue, woven with auspicious lingzhi patterns, paired with snow-white inner garments, looking exceptionally radiant. Madam Xiao’s taste in aesthetics was impeccable; the problem lay in her current mood.
Cheng Yang, with her large eyes, round face, and healthy complexion, could be considered dignified and pretty. Unfortunately, in identical attire, Shao Shang—though her figure had yet to fully mature—stood out with her fair, delicate beauty and bright, expressive eyes, making Cheng Yang appear rather plain in comparison.
Sang Shi smiled warmly, deliberately glancing at Madam Xiao, who shot her a glare before finding the situation amusing herself.
Today, Cheng Mu was dressed like a giant red lantern, draped in gold and silver from head to toe, glittering conspicuously. The thick golden hairpin, resembling a fire poker, had indeed made its grand reappearance. Shao Shang eyed the back of Cheng Mu’s head and noticed it seemed even thicker than before. She leaned toward Cheng Yang and whispered, "Did Grandmother have that golden hairpin reforged?"
Cheng Yang sighed. "You noticed? She added another two taels of pure gold to it."
Shao Shang teased her deliberately. "As her beloved granddaughter, didn’t you try to dissuade her? This is practically inviting ridicule."
Cheng Yang looked horrified. "How could I dare?!"
"You could’ve asked Mother to talk her out of it," Shao Shang said with a mischievous grin.
Cheng Yang had no retort. She might not be the quickest thinker, but she wasn’t stupid.
As the two sisters whispered to each other, guests began arriving in succession. The earliest to arrive were naturally General Wan and his wife.
General Wan, whose full name was Wan Songbai, was five or six years older than Cheng Shi and about five or six inches shorter. However, he cut a striking figure with his dignified bearing and spirited demeanor—and it seemed his foot ailment had healed. Shao Shang observed him wearing a gold-and-purple crown, a thick golden belt around his waist, and sporting a prominent "general’s belly." His movements were bold and unrestrained, exuding an air of authority so potent one could practically smell the scent of power from three meters away.
In contrast, Madam Wan lacked such a commanding presence. Her complexion appeared even more weathered than her husband’s, and after paying respects to Cheng Mu, she quietly took a seat and smiled without a word.
After the initial pleasantries, Cheng Mu eagerly inquired after General Wan’s elderly mother. The general replied, "A while ago, my mother caught a slight chill, and Qiqi fell ill as well. The Imperial Physician says they’ll both recover fully in a couple more days. In a few days, our household will host a banquet, and we humbly request your esteemed presence."
Cheng Mu nodded with dignified restraint.
According to Cheng Yong’s earlier explanation, the Wan family of Sui County was something of a legendary clan—one where the main lineage had always been plagued by single-line inheritance for generations. No matter how many concubines they took or how many deities they prayed to, they always teetered on the brink of extinction. The most baffling part was that even if a previously fertile branch of the family was adopted into the main line, within two generations, their descendants would dwindle until they, too, were left struggling to raise a sole heir.
Old Man Cheng had once offered his sworn brother some ill-advised counsel, suggesting that the Wan family’s ancestral graves had poor feng shui. Years ago, General Wan had the graves renovated, but to no avail. In fact, the steady stream of daughters—one every two years—had since dried up entirely. Enraged, the elder Wan brother had given his sworn younger brother a sound thrashing.Apart from the issue of heirs, the Wan family was otherwise quite stable. Though merely a prominent local clan, their wealth and estates grew with each generation, and their reputation never waned. By the time of Wan Songbai's father, they had wisely transitioned from civil to military pursuits, raising a capable private army and family generals. This not only ensured their survival during turbulent times but also elevated them beyond local prominence, gaining the Emperor's favor.
General Wan's current status was as follows: enfeoffed as Marquis Feng (a ranked marquis), with a stipend of two thousand dan, serving as the governor of Xu Commandery (soon to take office). He had wealth, power, a virtuous wife, beautiful concubines, and a wise and experienced mother—lacking only a son.
...Or perhaps several sons.
Shao Shang thought: Buddha, have mercy on us.
After Wan Songbai finished chatting with Cheng Mu, he turned to look at the youngest daughter his sworn brother had boasted about 108 times. Since Shao Shang remained seated with her head bowed, he hadn’t even seen her face clearly before generously offering the dazzling dagger hanging at his waist.
Shao Shang raised both hands above her shoulders and respectfully accepted the gift. Upon seeing it, she nearly exclaimed, "Holy cow!"
The blade was forged from fine steel, gleaming like a mirror. The hilt and sheath were intricately carved from solid gold, studded with all manner of precious gems and jade—literally studded ! So much so that Shao Shang could barely find a place to grip the hilt, especially with the thumb-sized rubies and emeralds embedded prominently on both sides of the sheath. Clearly, though General Wan was a proper scion of nobility, his taste leaned toward the nouveau riche. But she loved it!
Her smile stretched from ear to ear. Not only did she loudly express her thanks, but she also looked up and gave Old Man Wan a radiant grin, nearly blinding his titanium-alloy aristocratic eyes. He thought to himself that the dagger was well worth giving—especially when he caught sight of Madam Xiao’s darkening expression, making it absolutely worth it!
The Wan and Cheng families had been close for decades. Though General Wan and Madam Xiao acknowledged each other’s merits, their personalities clashed, and they simply couldn’t stand one another. Madam Xiao disliked Wan Songbai’s extravagance, indulgence in wine, and fondness for women. Wan Songbai, in turn, resented Madam Xiao for being stricter and more domineering than her husband, forbidding him for decades from taking Cheng Shi out for "fun"—utterly undermining the husband’s authority (though Cheng Shi never admitted it)!
While Madam Xiao could still restrain herself, General Wan would leap out of bed in the middle of the night just to annoy her if given the chance—and if no opportunity arose, he’d create one! In short, seeing her unhappy made him happy.
Wan Songbai and Cheng Shi were so close they might as well share a pair of pants. He was well aware of the Cheng family’s affairs, and now that he’d found a sore spot for Madam Xiao, he wasn’t about to hold back!
"Niao Niao, our families are as close as kin, and your father and I are sworn brothers who’d die for each other. If you ever face injustice, come to me! Your uncle will always stand up for you!"
General Wan’s eyes sparkled with mischief, each twinkle dripping with malice, his words dripping with implication.
Fortunately, Old Man Cheng knew full well that whenever his sworn brother and Madam Xiao crossed paths, trouble was inevitable. He quickly called Cheng Yong over to drag Wan Songbai away under the pretense of helping entertain guests. Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief, and Madam Wan hurried off to chat and laugh with Xiao Sang and the other ladies.Afterwards, the arriving guests mostly followed the same routine—the women stayed to chat while the men went to the outer hall. If there were elderly women, they would sit beside Cheng Mu. Cheng Yang and Shao Shang knelt to the side, serving as mascots throughout, smiling at everyone, prostrating in greeting, and feigning shy expressions as they endured the elders’ comments. Even someone as good-natured as Cheng Yang couldn’t keep up the act by the end.
Guests came in droves, and Shao Shang quickly lost track of most faces and names. However, one Madam Yin left a deep impression on her.
Accompanied by numerous maids, dressed in luxurious attire, and bearing especially lavish gifts, Madam Yin delighted Cheng Mu to no end. After some light conversation, Shao Shang realized this was a guest invited on behalf of Madam Wan—there had been no prior connection between the Cheng and Yin families.
It turned out that Madam Yin and Madam Wan, despite their apparent age difference, had been close friends since childhood. After marriage, they were separated for years due to the chaos of the times and hadn’t seen each other since. Madam Xiao, ever the socialite, and the witty Sang Shi made deliberate efforts to befriend them, and soon the ladies were chatting merrily together.
A full hour passed like this, with Shao Shang and Cheng Yang bowing so much they could barely straighten their backs. Fortunately, Sang Shi noticed the growing number of young girls among the guests and mercifully allowed the two to lead them to a side hall for clotted milk and pastries. This left the older, middle-aged, and younger women free to discuss more adult topics.
Once in the side hall, Shao Shang unceremoniously handed the hostess duties to Cheng Yang, letting her entertain the guests with polite small talk—and incidentally showcase the results of Madam Xiao’s recent training. She herself dragged a lacquer wood stool to a corner and sat down. Lian Fang, quick-witted as ever, brought over food and drink before kneeling nearby with two other maids, partially shielding Shao Shang. The girl smiled and nodded in approval.
If there was a theme to the Cheng family’s banquet, it would undoubtedly be “Farewell to the Past, Welcome the Future.” Aside from exceptions like the Wan and Yin families, most of today’s guests… how to put it? Their families, official ranks, and social standings weren’t particularly high.
To put it numerically: The Chengs, of humble origins and latecomers to the imperial court, originally ranked as a fourth-tier family in the capital. But after a decade of hard work by Cheng Shi and his wife, they had ostensibly risen to third-tier. Once Cheng Shi completed his upcoming mission and returned with a new official rank and position, they would likely ascend to 2.5-tier. Whether they could climb to second-tier or fall back remained to be seen.
Yet these current guests were still those who had been “well-matched” with the Chengs of old—some even less so.
Had they befriended Cheng Shi and his wife earlier, they might have been able to reminisce about old times. Unfortunately, over the past decade, their regular interactions had been with Cheng Mu and Ge Shi. Thus, Cheng Shi and Madam Xiao’s hospitality today was noticeably lacking in intimacy—appropriately warm but subtly laced with a superior’s mix of favor and authority.
For instance, the dozen or so brightly dressed young girls before them, though forcing smiles, clearly harbored resentment toward Cheng Shaoshang. Seeing her elegantly dressed in fine attire today, surrounded by maids, composed and poised—a far cry from her former self, either cowering or arrogant under Ge Shi’s watch—they couldn’t help but feel indignant. Yet mindful of their families’ instructions, they bit back any discourteous words toward her.
—Shao Shang was delighted. She loved nothing more than seeing them seethe helplessly at her.However, they were still teenage girls after all. After Cheng Yang's warm hospitality and some shared laughter, someone finally couldn't hold back. A girl with a diamond-shaped face deliberately remarked, "...Today I hardly recognized Shao Shang. She's truly different now."
Shao Shang didn't even bat an eyelid: "Naturally. I've grown four inches taller these past months."
Another girl in green bit her lip: "Not that! It's your manner of speaking and conduct that's changed!"
Shao Shang replied calmly, "My past improper behavior has already been reprimanded by Father and Mother. Naturally, I've mended my ways now."
—Several subsequent attempts to provoke her were all deftly deflected by Shao Shang.
Her responses were polite yet distant, leaving the girls unable to find any fault—like needles poking wet leather, slippery and soft, impervious to fire or water. Their displeasure grew until finally, the diamond-faced girl mustered her courage and declared loudly, "Cheng Shaoshang, stop pretending! We know exactly what kind of person you are. Before, you begged for our friendship with utmost deference, and now you put on airs! Do you remember not long ago in the plum grove when you spewed venom and even struck—"
Her voice trailed off as she dared not continue, for Shao Shang was glaring at her coldly.
Straightening her back, Shao Shang said icily, "Cousin, bear witness for me. Today I've committed no discourtesy nor spoken any improper words—I came with sincere intentions to start anew. Yet some insist on clinging to the past." Times had changed; the Cheng Shaoshang of today was not the same as before, but these foolish girls still didn't grasp the situation.
Cheng Yang was also seething inwardly and said coldly, "If you sisters are so fond of discussing the past, perhaps we should talk about my mother, since my younger sister was raised under her care all this time."
A daughter should bear her mother's debts—if anyone were to atone for Ge Shi's wrongdoings, it should be her, not her innocent cousin. After the incident with the writing desk, she had realized she could no longer hide under her aunt's sleeve like a child; it was time to stand tall and take responsibility.
At these words, the girls fell silent, and the provoking girl turned pale. Shao Shang, however, viewed Cheng Yang in a new light.
An awkward silence filled the room.
Suddenly, a commotion of women's exclamations came from the main hall next door. A young girl sitting near the doorway seemed to hear something and cried out joyfully, "...Ah! It sounds like—it sounds like Young Master Shanjian has arrived!"
The girls' faces lit up with delight, seizing the chance to break the awkward atmosphere as they crowded by the doorway to peek.
Shao Shang, growing impatient, forced a faint smile at Cheng Yang and the few girls who hadn't rushed over. "I'm feeling slightly unwell and must take my leave. Please forgive me, sisters. Cousin, I leave the rest to you."
With that, she bowed courteously to all and turned to leave, Lian Fang quickly following.
—Cheng Yang, kind and gentle by nature and without past grievances with the others, would surely restore harmony once Shao Shang was gone.
As long as she wasn't there, all would be well.
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