Two days later, the Cheng family entertained guests. The entire manor was decorated with lanterns and colored streamers, swept and cleaned anew.

Cheng Mother finally looked forward to her day of great glory. In high spirits, she rose very early, ate three bowls of wheat rice with meat broth before putting down her chopsticks, and sat grandly in the seat of honor at Cixin Hall waiting for guests to come pay their respects. Cheng Shi led his brothers and sons to the main gate to welcome guests, while Madam Xiao and Sang Shi busied themselves in the inner quarters.

Today Shaoshang was actually dressed the same as Cheng Yang—madder-red brocade with woven lingzhi fungus patterns in a triple-wrapped cross-collar curved hem, paired with snow-white lining, quite brilliant and beautiful—Madam Xiao had absolutely no problems with aesthetics. The problem was her current mood.

Cheng Yang had large eyes, a round face, and healthy skin tone, which could be considered dignified and beautiful. Unfortunately, in the same outfit, though Shaoshang’s figure hadn’t yet developed, her complexion was fair and youthfully beautiful, with bright eyes and beautiful glances, making Cheng Yang look like a country bumpkin by comparison.

Sang Shi smiled like spring wind brushing her face, deliberately glancing at Madam Xiao. Madam Xiao glared at her, then thought about it and found it amusing.

Today Cheng Mother was dressed like a big red lantern, covered head to toe in gold and silver, glittering and gleaming. That thick pure gold fire-poker hairpin had indeed reemerged in the world. Shaoshang estimated visually at the back of Cheng Mother’s head and discovered it seemed even thicker.

She leaned close to Cheng Yang’s ear and said softly: “Did Grandmother have that gold hairpin reforged?”

Cheng Yang smiled bitterly: “You noticed? Grandmother added a full two taels of pure gold.”

Shaoshang deliberately teased her: “You’re Grandmother’s good granddaughter, didn’t you try to dissuade her? Won’t this invite ridicule?”

Cheng Yang said fearfully: “How would I dare!”

“You could ask Mother to persuade Grandmother.” Shaoshang smiled very wickedly.

Cheng Yang was speechless. She just reacted slowly—she wasn’t stupid, alright?

The two cousins were whispering in each other’s ears when guests began arriving in succession. Naturally the earliest arrivals were General Wan and his wife.

General Wan’s full name was Wan Songbai. He was five or six years older than Cheng Shi, about five or six inches shorter, but had dignified features and spirited bearing, and apparently his foot ailment had healed. Shaoshang observed he wore a gold-purple crown on his head, a pure gold belt at his waist, sported a general’s belly, and his manner was bold and expansive with domineering authority leaking out—one could practically smell the aura of power and nobility on him from three meters away.

In comparison, Madam Wan didn’t have such a strong presence. Her appearance was several years older than her husband’s. After paying respects to Cheng Mother, she quietly sat to one side smiling.

After exchanging pleasantries, Cheng Mother joyfully inquired after General Wan’s old mother. General Wan replied: “Some time ago my mother caught a slight cold, and Qiqi also contracted it. The physician said after resting two more days they’ll both be well. In a few days my family will host a banquet—we earnestly hope you will grace us with your presence.”

Cheng Mother nodded in agreement with a dignified and restrained expression.

According to eldest brother Cheng Yong’s educational explanation, the Wan family of Sui County was also a legendary noble clan—namely, the family head’s line was eternally single-heir for N generations. No matter how many concubines they took, no matter how many deities they worshipped, with one slip they could easily become extinct. Most miraculous was that even collateral branches that once had flourishing offspring, once they inherited the main line, within two generations their branches and leaves would wither, ultimately able only to struggle bitterly raising a single son.

Father Cheng had once given his sworn elder brother a terrible idea, suggesting the Wan family ancestral grave’s feng shui was improper. So several years ago General Wan had the ancestral graves renovated, but to date there were no results. On the contrary, even the previously endless supply of one daughter every two years had stopped. Big Brother Wan hated it so much he severely beat younger brother Cheng.

But aside from the offspring problem, the Wan clan was very stable in all other respects. Though only a local prominent family, their wealth and estates could grow generation after generation, their reputation and fame never fell, and by Wan Songbai’s father’s generation, they had even very timely transitioned from civil to military service, cultivating a group of capable military units and household generals. Thus not only did they not perish in the chaotic times, they even jumped out of the local framework and fought their way before the Emperor.

General Wan’s current situation was: enfeoffed as Marquis Feng (a ranked marquis), with a stipend of two thousand bushels of grain, holding the office of Prefect of Xu Commandery (would assume the post soon)—he had money, power, a worthy wife, beautiful concubines, and one practiced and wise old mother, only lacking one son.

…Or several sons.

Shaoshang said: Buddha have mercy.

After Wan Songbai finished chatting with Cheng Mother, he turned to look at the young daughter his sworn younger brother had boasted about one hundred and eight times. Because Shaoshang kept her head lowered sitting on her knees, he actually didn’t even see her face clearly before generously removing a dazzling dagger hanging at his waist and passing it over.

Shaoshang raised both hands above her shoulders and respectfully received the gift. At one look, she immediately thought “good heavens!”

The blade was cast from refined steel, bright enough to reflect one’s image. Both the handle and sheath were made of intricately carved beaten gold, encrusted all over with various gemstones and beautiful jade—truly “encrusted all over”! So full that Shaoshang almost had no place to grip the handle, especially the finger-sized rubies and emeralds—several were embedded at intervals in the center of both sides of the sheath! Clearly, though General Wan was a legitimate noble family scion, his aesthetics were very nouveau riche. However, she really really really loved it so much!

Shaoshang smiled with teeth showing but eyes hidden, not only loudly expressing thanks, but also raising her head to give Old Uncle Wan a sunshine-bright smile, almost dazzling Old Uncle Wan’s titanium-alloy eyes of power and nobility. He thought at that moment this dagger was quite worth giving. Then glimpsing Madam Xiao’s darkened face, he suddenly felt this dagger was so damn worth giving!

The Wan and Cheng families had associated for decades. General Wan and Madam Xiao actually acknowledged each other’s merits, but their temperaments just didn’t match—they mutually found each other displeasing to the eye. Madam Xiao didn’t like Wan Songbai’s extravagant luxury, greed for wine and lust for women. Wan Songbai was dissatisfied that Madam Xiao put on airs and propriety even greater than her husband’s, and for decades had never permitted him to take Cheng Shi out to “play”—simply undermining the husband’s authority (though Cheng Shi never acknowledged this)!

Madam Xiao could at least exercise restraint. General Wan, however, would get up in the middle of the night if there was an opportunity to vex Madam Xiao, and if there was no opportunity to vex Madam Xiao, he would create opportunities to vex her! In summary, one sentence: seeing you unhappy makes me happy.

Wan Songbai and Cheng Shi were so close they practically wanted to wear the same pants. He had long known about the Cheng family’s household matters. Rarely catching such a sore spot of Madam Xiao’s, how could he not vigorously twist the knife!

“Niaoniao, our two families have close friendship, and your father and I are brothers who would die for each other. In the future if you suffer any grievance, come find me! Uncle will definitely stand up for you!”

General Wan’s eyes were full of twinkling stars, each little star brimming with wicked intent. The meaning in his words couldn’t be more explicit.

Fortunately Father Cheng deeply knew that when this sworn elder brother and Madam Xiao collided, nothing good would come of it. He quickly had Cheng Yong come drag the person away, using the pretext of helping receive guests. Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. Madam Wan hastily went to chat and laugh with the Xiao and Sang wives.

The guests who arrived afterward basically all followed this procedure—female guests remained to chat idly, male guests ran to the outer hall, and if there were elderly matrons they sat beside Cheng Mother. Cheng Yang and Shaoshang knelt to one side, always serving as good luck charms, smiling at everyone, bowing down in courtesy, putting on shy expressions to accept the elders’ evaluations. Even someone with Cheng Yang’s good-natured thick skin couldn’t keep up the pretense by the end.

Guests came like clouds. Most of the faces and names Shaoshang was confused about, but one Madam Yin left quite a deep impression on her.

She had numerous attending maids, wore luxurious clothing, and her congratulatory gift was especially valuable, making Cheng Mother’s heart bloom with joy. After brief conversation, Shaoshang understood this was a guest invited on behalf by Madam Wan—the Cheng and Yin families originally had no prior relationship.

It turned out this Madam Yin and Madam Wan, though they appeared many years apart in age, were little sisters who had been close since childhood. After marrying, they encountered the great chaos under heaven and had been separated for many years without meeting. Madam Xiao was skilled at social maneuvering, Sang Shi’s words were interesting, and the sisters-in-law intentionally befriended them. Several madams quickly talked together harmoniously, conversing with great pleasure.

After a full hour had passed like this, Shaoshang and Cheng Yang had bowed in courtesy until they could hardly straighten their backs. Finally Sang Shi, seeing the young ladies coming as guests were gradually increasing, mercifully told the two of them to lead everyone to the side hall for sweet cheese drinks and refreshments. The remaining old, middle-aged, and young women could also better discuss adult topics.

Arriving at the side hall, Shaoshang unceremoniously handed the host’s responsibilities to Cheng Yang, letting her go receive guests and speak pleasantries, and also conveniently display the results of Madam Xiao’s many days of training. She herself dragged over a lacquered wooden stool to sit in the corner. Lian Fang very cleverly brought over food and drink, then led the other two maids to kneel beside her, half-blocking the front. Shaoshang smiled and nodded, indicating praise and reward.

Actually, if this Cheng family banquet had a theme, it would definitely be “farewell to yesterday, welcome the future.” Because today, aside from exceptions like the Wan and Yin families, most of the guests who came… how to put it, their clans, official positions, and ranks were all not very high.

If using numbers to indicate: The Cheng family started from humble origins and followed the dragon relatively late, originally belonging to fourth-tier families in this capital. But after ten years of struggle by the Cheng Shi couple, they had now overtly risen to third-tier family status. Once Cheng Shi soon completed his mission and returned to receive new official rank and position, they should rise to 2.5 tier. As for whether they could climb to second-tier family status in the future or fall back, that remained unknown.

Moreover, these present guests were still “well-matched” with the previous Cheng family, and some were even inferior.

If they had previously been on good terms with the Cheng Shi couple, perhaps now they could still invoke old friendship. Unfortunately, during the past ten years their daily interactions had been with Cheng Mother and Ge Shi. So today Cheng Shi and Madam Xiao’s attitude toward guests was clearly insufficient in intimacy, appropriately warm, and even faintly carried a kind of wielding both kindness and authority from superior to inferior.

For example, these dozen or so young ladies before her dressed in red and green—though each one tried hard to put on a smiling face, they clearly harbored resentment toward Miss Cheng Shao. They saw Shaoshang today dressed elegantly and expensively, surrounded by attending maids, and moreover with a calm demeanor and magnanimous bearing, completely different from her previous appearance before Ge Shi of either cowering or arrogant. They were all inwardly dissatisfied. But they remembered their families’ instructions—no matter what, they must endure and could not speak disrespectfully to Shaoshang.

—Shaoshang was very happy. She just loved this look of them finding her distasteful yet helpless to do anything about her.

However, they were ultimately teenage girls. After Cheng Yang’s enthusiastic reception and everyone chatting and laughing for a while, finally someone couldn’t hold back. Among them, a girl with a diamond-shaped face deliberately said: “…Today I hardly dared recognize Shaoshang, you’re truly different now.”

Shaoshang didn’t even move an eyebrow: “That’s natural. These days I’ve grown four inches taller.”

Another green-clothed girl bit her lip: “I’m not talking about that! I’m saying your words and actions are all different!”

Shaoshang said indifferently: “My previous behavior was improper and I’ve been scolded by Father and Mother. Naturally now I’ve reformed.”

—Afterward several people tried to provoke with words, but Shaoshang deflected them all with minimal effort.

Her responses were polite yet distant. The girls couldn’t pick out a single fault, as if stabbing wet cowhide—slippery and soft, impervious to water and fire. The girls grew increasingly displeased. Finally, the girl with the diamond-shaped face from the beginning mustered her courage and said loudly: “Cheng Shaoshang, stop putting on airs! What kind of person you are, don’t we know? Previously when you begged us to befriend you, you were so respectful. Now you know how to put on airs! Do you still remember not long ago at the plum grove you spoke viciously and even struck…”

Her voice grew lower and lower. She didn’t dare continue, because Shaoshang was looking at her coldly.

Shaoshang straightened her back and said coldly: “Elder Cousin, you must bear witness for me. Today I haven’t shown a single bit of impropriety, haven’t said a single inappropriate word, and am sincerely starting fresh with good intentions, but some people cling to the past and won’t let go.” Times had changed and circumstances transformed. Today’s Cheng Shaoshang was no longer the Cheng Shaoshang of the past. These brain-dead sisters still couldn’t figure out the situation.

Cheng Yang was also furious inside and said coldly: “You elder sisters love talking about the past so much, why not talk about my mother? My family’s younger sister was always raised before my mother.”

Mother’s debt paid by daughter—the wrongs Ge Shi committed, even if they had to be shouldered, should be shouldered by her, not by the innocent younger cousin. After that writing desk incident she knew she could no longer hide under her maternal aunt’s sleeves as a child. She had to straighten her chest and shoulder responsibility.

As soon as these words came out, the girls fell silent as cicadas, and that fault-finding girl’s face turned even paler. Shaoshang looked at Cheng Yang with new respect.

Everyone faced each other awkwardly. For a moment the room was silent.

Suddenly from the adjacent main hall came a burst of women’s surprised and noisy exclamations. A young lady sitting near the door curtain seemed to hear something and said in delighted surprise: “…Ah, it seems, it seems Young Master Shangjian has arrived!”

The girls all showed joy on their faces. This was also a good opportunity to break the current awkward atmosphere, so they all crowded to the door curtain to peek.

Shaoshang felt impatient inside. She forced a smile toward Cheng Yang and the few young ladies who hadn’t squeezed over to look, and said indifferently: “I feel slightly unwell and will take my leave first. Please forgive me, elder sisters. Elder Cousin, you’ve worked hard.”

After speaking, she made a complete bow all around, then turned and left. Lian Fang hurriedly followed.

—Cheng Yang was naturally kind and gentle in temperament and had no old grievances with everyone. After she left, everyone could take a step back and get along harmoniously again.

As long as she wasn’t there, it would be fine.