Just as he stepped out of the courtyard, he ran into Shen Ci who was walking towards him. Shen Chang was holding back his anger and said coldly, "Come with me to the Marquis's residence for a banquet the day after tomorrow."
If he can't control Madam Shen, can't he at least control his son?
Shen Ci raised an eyebrow and refused decisively: "No, I'm going to visit my elder sister."
"You!" Shen Chang was furious, his chest heaving with anger. "Now you won't even listen to me?"
Shen Ci's eyes turned cold without him noticing, and his tone was playful: "Father, don't drag me into your own feud with Chi Yan! I can tell the difference between close and distant relatives. I only know that wherever my sister is, that's where I'll be. Chi Jingyu once did the disgraceful thing of a forced marriage, trampling my sister's dignity to the ground. Why should I give him that face?"
He can distinguish between close and distant relatives, so it goes without saying who those people cannot.
Shen Ci ignored the other man's ashen face and saw him off with a grin, saying, "Father must have other things to attend to. I won't keep you any longer. I'm going to pay my respects to Mother."
Seeing him leave with light steps, Shen Chang's face alternated between pale and flushed, a truly fascinating sight. He suddenly realized that, without knowing when it started, Shen Ci had stopped obeying his discipline!
He was furious, but there was nothing he could do. He only had this one son, and he would not have any more children in the future. The future of the Shen family would still have to be handed over to Shen Ci. It would not be good for him to have a strained relationship with his son.
Thinking of this, Shen Chang clenched his fists so tightly they cracked, and he could only swallow back his anger.
*
The sixth day of the eighth lunar month.
Chi Yan and his father still had to be on duty today, so Shen Tangning and Chi's mother, who stayed at the mansion, had a much heavier burden on their shoulders. As a result, the entire Chi mansion was already busy in an orderly manner early in the morning.
Unlike previous housewarming banquets, this one is much larger and will have more guests. Mother Chi has never been stingy when it comes to necessary expenses, and the banquet will be set up to the highest standards.
Her exact words were: "This is a joyous occasion, so we must celebrate it in a grand and glorious way, and not let people laugh at us!"
Shen Tangning, who knew some of the inside story, was not so optimistic. However, seeing Chi's mother's happy appearance, she ultimately did not say what was on the tip of her tongue.
She accompanied Chi's mother to the kitchen to confirm that there were no mistakes in the preparation of ingredients and dishes. She left Chi's mother there to keep an eye on things while she went to the front of the house.
Xueqing knew that most of the replies the young lady received were ambiguous, with excuses such as being busy or feeling unwell and needing to wait and see. The number of people who confirmed they would come could be counted on one hand.
She couldn't help but worry: "Miss, what if not many people come? Wouldn't that make Madam's hopes dashed?"
Since Chi's mother was so enthusiastic about this matter, it wouldn't be good to disappoint her.
Shen Tangning's reaction was calm: "In my opinion, this may not be a bad thing."
Seeing a hint of confusion in Xueqing's eyes, she explained softly, "Your son-in-law has been promoted too quickly, and there are quite a few people who are envious. This is a good opportunity to see who is worth associating with and who is not."
She paused slightly, a hint of a smile in her voice, "Make sure you remember which family didn't come tonight. We don't need to get too close to those families in the future."
Xueqing's eyes lit up, and she nodded emphatically, promising, "This servant will definitely look carefully!"
"If not many people come, we can send the extra food to Yishantang, which will satisfy our wishes and avoid waste."
The area was mostly inhabited by homeless people who relied entirely on the government and benevolent families for sustenance and were always grateful.
...
Time flew by and it was already afternoon.
After the end of the Yin hour, people should start arriving one after another. Shen Tangning and Chi's mother came to the main gate to prepare to welcome the guests.
I stood there for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but no one came to the door.
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