Chapter 33: Attending the Birthday Banquet

The buzzing in Nanny Zhang’s ears drowned out the baby’s cries and the noise of the street. She felt waves of darkness before her eyes and had to stop walking.

She fumbled her way to the side of the road, leaned against a wall, and slowly sat down.

If what those two men said was true, she didn’t need to think hard to know who was behind it all.

Her mind went blank, sweat trickling down her temples as the color drained from her face.

After the time it took to drink two cups of tea, Nanny Zhang finally regained her senses. She struggled to her feet, bought a coarse linen outfit and a veiled hat, and headed to Xinglong Gambling House.

She had never been here before; even when paying debts, it was always at locations arranged by the debt collectors.

Lowering her voice, she explained her business to the attendant at the entrance. The young man led her inside to meet the manager.

The gambling house was thick with smoke and filled with the constant noise of shouting and clamoring.

Upstairs, she followed the attendant into a hall where she met a middle-aged manager with a goatee.

Forcing herself to stay calm, she waited until the attendant left and then, still keeping her voice low, asked:

“My master is about to handle an important matter and sent me to check on Qu Dayong’s recent situation.”

The manager stroked his beard and glanced at her with amusement. “We’ve worked together for years, and your master still doesn’t trust us? Just look at that Qu He guy, and you’ll see what we can do. And Qu Dayong has been gambling for years—he’s hooked to the bone.”

For a moment, Nanny Zhang felt dizzy.

If not for the veil covering her face, her pale complexion would have surely raised suspicion.

To keep the man from noticing anything odd, she slowly nodded, bit down hard to suppress the metallic taste rising in her throat, and said, “That’s good to hear.”

It took all her strength to keep her voice from trembling.

Leaving Xinglong Gambling House, Nanny Zhang wandered the streets in a daze.

The sound of a baby crying nearby finally cracked open the anger she had been trying to suppress.

She ran into an empty alley and, breaking down into sobs, began pounding the walls in frustration.

How could Old Madam Meng be so cruel?

Not only had she ruined the lives of their whole family, but she had also left Nanny Zhang in constant fear, hounded by debt collectors every day.

She never wanted to commit so many evil deeds, but for the sake of her husband and son, she had no choice.

Her husband had promised he would change, and if he hadn’t died young, she believed she would’ve seen that day.

The constant wailing in her ears pulled her back to reality.

Old Madam Meng hadn’t just destroyed her life—she had also left her haunted by the spirits of those wronged by her actions.

How could she let Old Madam Meng get away with this?

---

Fang Yuean had planned to visit Xinglong Gambling House, but several days passed and she still couldn’t find a chance to sneak out of the estate.

Lately, her mother insisted on bringing both her and her sister along wherever she went, no matter what she was doing.

Her mother seemed unusually clingy.

She’d have to wait a little longer or come up with another plan.

Oh well, what could she do? That was her sweet, beloved mother, after all—she just had to spoil her.

But as it turned out, she waited all the way until the day of the birthday banquet without finding a good chance to leave the estate.

She would just have to figure out another way to let Nanny Zhang know afterward—there was still time to make sure she bit back at Old Madam Meng.

---

Early in the morning, the masters of each courtyard dressed in their finest clothes and jewelry, preparing to leave for the banquet.

Qin Xuan was ready early, standing in the corridor by the second gate with her son and four daughters.

Whether by coincidence or design, today happened to be a rest day for the students at the local academy.

There would likely be more guests at the banquet than usual.

Fang Miaoyi stood far from the others, her face gloomy as she stood in the sunlight.

Qin Xuan called her several times, but she still refused to step into the corridor, occasionally shooting side glances at Fang Yuean.

Qin Xuan sighed inwardly.

So be it. After today, their fates would be completely severed. Let her do as she pleases.

Moments later, Zhou Huajin approached, head held high, accompanied by her two sons and two daughters.

It had been nearly a month since the incident with Fang Xuze, and this was Zhou Huajin’s first time taking her children out since then.

After the incident, both Fang Xuze and Fang Haochen had stayed home for a few days, but they couldn’t neglect their studies forever. After the matter at the Song family’s, they returned to their classes.

Though people talked about them for a few days, things soon went back to normal.

After the incident with the Lin family, everyone quickly forgot about Fang Xuze’s troubles.

Zhou Huajin strolled down the corridor, fanning herself, and called out with a smile from afar:

“What scorching weather! Sister-in-law, why are you here so early?”

Her mood seemed lighter, and she raised her fan slightly, covering her lips with a mocking smile.

Last time, when Qin Xuan visited the Chen family, Zhou Huajin wondered if she had run into Madam Meng.

Today, she would get to witness Madam Meng and Qin Xuan meeting face-to-face.

If Qin Xuan found out she had been raising someone else’s child all this time, she might just drop dead from anger on the spot.

Luckily, at the last family recognition banquet, Qin Xuan had grown closer to the Chen family, and the two households had more interactions. Otherwise, Zhou Huajin might not have gotten the chance to witness such a delightful scene.

Thinking of that banquet, Zhou Huajin’s smile faded slightly.

Qin Xuan glanced at Zhou Huajin, taking note of her light blue dress.

Zhou Huajin no longer wore bright colors like she did before the recognition banquet. It seemed that even she felt uneasy about stepping out today, afraid of people gossiping behind her back.

Qin Xuan smiled faintly. “Once I was ready, I came out. It’s no big difference being early or late.”

When Zhou Huajin got closer, she noticed Fang Miaoyi standing in the sunlight, partially hidden by a low tree.

She exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my, Miaoyi, there’s no shade over there. Why are you standing like that?”

Zhou Huajin walked into the sun, pulled Fang Miaoyi into the corridor, and touched her slightly flushed cheeks.

“Look at you, all sunburned. Your grandmother will be heartbroken when she sees this.”

She vigorously fanned Fang Miaoyi to cool her down.

Fang Miaoyi pouted but didn’t say a word.

Qin Xuan added, “It seems your aunt holds a special place in her heart. I tried to persuade her earlier, but she wouldn’t come over.”

Zhou Huajin pulled Qin Xuan aside slightly, covering her mouth with a round fan to whisper:

“Mother Xuan, what’s going on between you and your daughter lately?”

She gave Qin Xuan a gentle push. “She’s young and doesn’t understand things. You mustn’t lose your senses. She’s your daughter, after all.”

Zhou Huajin’s gaze drifted toward Fang Yuean.

She had initially wanted to probe whether this child was a bit off, but after hearing from Nanny Zhang that the girl couldn’t even tell if someone was alive or dead, she figured the child must’ve had her head knocked in during her begging days—just a dull fool with no sense.

With that, she dismissed her suspicions.

Qin Xuan’s lips curled slightly. “I know.”

Seeing that Qin Xuan wasn’t willing to open up further, Zhou Huajin let the matter drop.

“Grandmother!” Fang Miaoyi suddenly shouted, dashing toward the end of the corridor.

Everyone looked up, bowing and greeting Old Madam Madam Meng as she approached.

From a distance, Old Madam Madam Meng squatted down, arms wide open, waiting for Fang Miaoyi to leap into her embrace.

She laughed aloud, her mood clearly joyful.

After suffering for days, she had finally recovered completely over the past two days.

With no more illness, everything in the world seemed beautiful again, and she couldn’t hide her affection for Fang Miaoyi.

Watching the warm, happy scene between the two, Qin Xuan’s lips curled ever so slightly.