Chapter 392 can also protect her

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

The air carried the coolness of spring, and the birdsong was crisp and clear, their chirping waking the morning.

The Shen family arranged for three carriages to come: Cheng Wanwan's family, Master Yu's family, and Old Mrs. Zhao, Old Mr. Zhao, and Village Head Zhao and his wife.

Because they were going to have a banquet, Dahe Banquet closed for a day. The whole family, including Zhao Yuezhu, got into a carriage and headed to the county government office in Ping'an County.

The little girl is four or five months old. She opens her big, round eyes and looks around. As soon as the carriage curtain is lifted, she seems to want to fly out, waving her arms and legs wildly.

"Little Zhuzhu, just calm down." Wu Huiniang said helplessly, "Your grandmother isn't feeling well. Be quiet and let her rest."

Cheng Wanwan waved her hand: "I'm used to it, so it's not so bad."

I've been riding in horse-drawn carriages quite often lately, and over time I've gradually gotten used to the bumpy ride, and my body's tolerance has improved.

Half an hour later, the carriage arrived at the entrance of Ping'an County. Every morning, the town is bustling with people at the market. The carriage slowly drove in and headed towards the county government office. There were quite a few carriages heading in that direction, indicating that the Shen family had invited many prominent figures to this banquet.

After the carriage stopped, Cheng Wanwan and her family got off. As soon as they got off, they ran into Grandpa Qian and Qian Hui.

Old Master Qian came over with a big smile and greeted her: "Greetings, Madam Sui!"

Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "Mr. Qian, let's go in together."

Two elders walked in front, followed by a group of children.

Qian Hui walked over to Shen Zheng and snorted, "In all my years, this is the first time I've seen someone make such a big fuss about passing the county-level exam. It's too ostentatious. If you become a provincial-level scholar in the future, are you planning to invite everyone in Huzhou to a banquet?"

"Haha, thank you for your kind words. I really hope I can pass the imperial examination and become a scholar!" Shen Zheng said with a grin. "Today is not only to celebrate passing the county-level examination, but I'm also going to recognize a godmother."

As he spoke, he looked at Cheng Wanwan's back.

Qian Hui was taken aback: "You want to recognize Madam Sui as your godmother? Madam Sui has four biological sons, why would she need to recognize you as her godson?"

"This shows that I am excellent and loved by everyone." Shen Zheng unfolded his paper fan and said proudly, "You still haven't mastered your cultivation. Otherwise, Lady Sui would definitely have adopted you as her godson... Hey, Brother Cheng is here. I won't argue with you anymore."

He strode towards Cheng Zhao.

Today, Cheng Zhao was dressed in a light blue long robe, which made him look tall and refined. If he were to also adopt a refined style and pick up a paper fan, he would probably attract the attention of countless people.

"Brother Cheng, look!" Shen Zheng said in a low voice, "Over there, it's Magistrate Fu's wife with Miss Fu. I've inquired, and this Miss Fu is fifteen years old, unmarried, and absolutely stunning. I'll find an opportunity for you to meet her from afar later..."

"Nonsense!" Cheng Zhao snatched the fan from his hand and tapped him on the head. "If you like it, go see him yourself. I'm going in first."

Standing at the entrance of the county government office were Clerk Yuan and two servants. Clerk Yuan greeted the guests with his hands clasped in respect, while the servants were responsible for registering the congratulatory gifts.

It was still early, but almost all the people who came to offer their congratulations had already arrived. The magistrates of several nearby counties had been invited, and if the magistrates were too busy, their wives would be invited. Many wealthy merchants had also arrived. Although men and women were seated separately, the banquet had not yet begun, so men and women were all mixed together in the banquet hall, chatting in small groups.

"Lady Sui has arrived!"

Suddenly, a servant at the door began to chant, and the banquet hall fell silent instantly.

All eyes turned to the doorway.

Grandpa Qian deliberately lagged behind by two steps, and Cheng Wanwan walked at the very front.

She dressed up specially today, wearing a dark purple gauze dress with gold thread embroidered on the hem, her hair was tied up and adorned with a gold and jade hairpin, jade earrings, and two emerald green bracelets on her wrists. These were all gifts from the court last time. She couldn't afford to lose face as a seventh-rank lady of the Sui family when going out to a banquet.

The clothes worn by her four sons were also made from materials bestowed by the imperial court, as were those worn by Wu Huiniang and Zhao Yuezhu. The family walked in through the door, attracting much attention.

The guests in the banquet hall came forward one after another.

"Greetings, Madam Sui!"

"Greetings to Lady Sui."

"Madam Sui, please take a seat."

Even the wife of a county magistrate had to bow to a seventh-rank lady, because they were officials' wives without official rank and were naturally inferior to the wives of court officials with titles.

Cheng Wanwan smiled gently: "Today, the Shen family is hosting a banquet, so please don't stand on ceremony. It's better to be more relaxed."

Some ladies were eager to build a relationship but didn't know how to start a conversation. Just then, Zhao Yuezhu started babbling and reached out to Cheng Wanwan for a hug.

Cheng Wanwan picked up her granddaughter and started playing with her.

The ladies had finally found a way to build rapport and immediately gathered around: "Oh, is this Madam Sui's granddaughter? She looks like a snow doll, so beautiful."

“I feel a connection with this girl, so I’ll give her this bracelet as a gift when we first meet.”

“The little girl is staring at my hair ornament. Since she likes it, I’ll give it to her as a belated full moon gift.”

"..."

A group of women began to rush to give gifts.

Cheng Wanwan: "..."

She made a mistake; she shouldn't have held the child.

With so many gifts, how am I supposed to return them?

Fortunately, at this moment, Old Madam Shen came out. She was dressed up in her finest clothes, no longer in plain clothes, and looked much more solemn and dignified.

"Wanwan, you've finally arrived. I've come to talk to you about something before the banquet starts." The old lady pulled Cheng Wanwan into the inner room. "Xiao Zheng has already told you, hasn't he? There's a family reunion banquet today. If you feel it's inappropriate, you can cancel it at any time."

Just as Cheng Wanwan was about to speak, she suddenly noticed that there was someone sitting by the window in the inner room.

The man's gaze fell on her, making her suddenly feel a little uneasy.

She looked up and saw Magistrate Shen, meeting his dark eyes.

Good heavens, she actually saw deep affection in those dark eyes...

She had always known that Magistrate Shen had romantic feelings for her, but she always felt that it was Xiao Zheng who had started it, and that Magistrate Shen was just going along with it... Who would have thought that Magistrate Shen would fall so deeply in love with her...

If I had known this would happen, I should have held the family reunion banquet as soon as possible.

She turned her gaze away and said, "I promised Xiaozheng a long time ago that I would be his godmother. As long as everything is ready, we can start the ceremony at any time."

"It's all prepared long ago." Old Madam Shen smiled. "Here's what I was thinking: since you've recognized Xiao Zheng as your godson, then even my godson is Dongming's godson sister, and your sons are my godson grandsons. Our two families will be close relatives from now on, how about that?"

Cheng Wanwan had no reason to refuse, so she nodded in agreement.

After discussing the details, Cheng Wanwan took the child and left. As soon as she left, Old Madam Shen sighed, "Dongming, Dongming, I'm doing this for your own good... Lady Sui is a person with a broad vision. She has clear eyes and is not someone who indulges in romantic feelings. Your feelings for Lady Sui will affect her career advancement... Change your identity and become Lady Sui's sworn brother, and you can protect her, right?"

Magistrate Shen sighed, "I understand."