Chapter 35: A Game at the Banquet, A Grand Prize

Qin Xuan’s smile froze for a brief moment but quickly returned to normal.

Fang Yuean had just finished half a bowl of dou’er shaved ice and let out a small burp, not even sparing a glance at the snacks Meng Xiang brought over.

Er’er, as usual, hadn’t eaten much. She was never very interested in food and didn’t touch it either.

Meng Xiang kept her smile as she finally placed the plate of snacks in front of Fang Miaoyi. “They’ve had these before, so maybe they don’t feel like eating them now. But you didn’t get to try them last time. Aunt Meng prepared extra today, go ahead and have some.”

Fang Miaoyi’s little face scrunched up in a frown, and she leaned back in refusal.

Since the others weren’t eating, she certainly didn’t want to either.

Meng Xiang suddenly found herself in an awkward spot.

After a brief, tense silence, Qin Xuan finally spoke up, “Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Sister Meng. We actually have these same treats at our residence. Children sometimes just want things because they see others eating them, but it’s rarely out of genuine interest.”

Meng Xiang let out an embarrassed laugh. “Oh, I see. No matter, I was just worried that I hadn’t been a good host last time. Now I can rest easy.”

Qin Xuan replied with a smile, “What are you saying, Sister Meng? Last time, Sister Chen hosted us wonderfully.”

Upon hearing this, the other ladies instantly understood. It had been Chen’s family, not Meng’s, who hosted the last gathering. Meng Xiang’s gesture now seemed unnecessary, as if she were deliberately trying to undermine the Chen family.

The ladies exchanged knowing glances but said nothing.

“Well, you continue chatting. I’ll go check on things in the kitchen.” Meng Xiang turned to leave, her smile fading as she walked away.

A wave of bitterness and grievance surged in her heart.

It must have been Qin Xuan and her daughter Miaoyi who said something, causing her own daughter to treat her this way.

Meng Xiang clenched the handkerchief tightly in her fist.

When she met with Pan Lang later, she would definitely pour out all her grievances.

She soon spotted Chen Susu in the crowd. “Sister, I’m suddenly feeling a bit unwell. I’ll go rest for a while. I’ll leave the guests in your care.”

Chen Susu first asked with concern, and upon hearing that it wasn’t serious, she readily agreed:

“You’ve worked hard preparing everything these past few days. Go rest, I’ll handle things here.”

Chen Susu watched Meng Xiang’s retreating figure, her gaze dark and thoughtful.

These days, she and her parents took turns keeping the two of them occupied, not allowing them a single moment alone together.

They were bound to seize this opportunity to meet.

In contrast to the lively scene at Qin Xuan’s side, Zhou Huajin’s vicinity seemed quieter than usual.

She and Fang Zhenzhen both wore awkward smiles, sitting stiffly, with no one approaching them for a conversation for a long while.

She could vaguely feel some women glancing sideways at them, whispering quietly among themselves.

Zhou Huajin felt angry inside, gritting her teeth while maintaining a calm smile on her face.

She told herself to endure just a little longer. Once her daughter married into the royal family, these people would all come crawling to her, like lapdogs.

With this thought, she felt a little better. But when she saw Qin Xuan laughing and chatting with others, a surge of resentment rose within her.

After a while, Chen Susu received news from her father, informing her that Pan Bin had disappeared without a trace.

After replying to her father, she approached Old Madam Chen and whispered a few words.

Upon receiving a nod from Old Madam Chen, Chen Susu immediately walked to the center of the room and raised her voice, “Dear honored guests…”

At the sound of her voice, the chatting ladies and young misses immediately stopped talking, and the restless children also raised their heads to look.

“Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend my mother’s birthday celebration.”

“It has been many years since we’ve held such a gathering at the residence. The family seldom attends banquets, and we’re not sure what kind of entertainment is popular at banquets these days. We were worried we might not entertain you properly, so we’ve come up with a new game for today.”

Upon hearing this, the guests grew interested. The young men who had been bored outside started trickling into the hall, eager to see what this new game was.

Chen Susu clapped her hands, and four maidservants entered, each carrying something covered in red silk, making it impossible to see what was underneath.

Chen Susu smiled and explained, “At this moment, we’ve released four roosters, each with a different colored ribbon tied to their wings. The person who catches a rooster will win the prize corresponding to the color of the ribbon.”

She pointed to the items beside her, “These four items are the prizes for today’s game.”

As soon as she finished speaking, murmurs of discussion filled the air. Some guests found the idea interesting, while others, who were used to frequenting entertainment spots, pulled back in disinterest.

Chen Susu smiled faintly and walked over to the maidservant closest to the door, removing the red silk covering.

A scroll appeared.

She picked it up, unrolled it, and displayed it for everyone to see.

The words “Longevity and Blessings”) were written in bold, forceful characters, reminiscent of tall pines and bamboo, yet also flowing like a gentle spring.

An older man stepped forward, brushing aside the people beside him, and asked, “This must be a masterpiece of Old Master Chen, right?”

Old Master Chen had once been a renowned calligrapher in the capital.

In other families, officials who were upright and just might not accumulate much wealth, but the Chen family’s collection of Old Master Chen’s calligraphy was a vast treasure.

Chen Susu answered, “Exactly.” She picked up a red ribbon from the tray and pointed to the rooster’s wing, “If you catch the rooster with the red ribbon, this prize will be yours.”

Upon hearing this, the guests were both surprised and impressed by the Chen family’s thoughtfulness. They became more excited, and some urged Chen Susu to show them the other prizes.

Chen Susu carefully removed the cover and red silk from the second item, revealing a pot of orchids.

Madam Chen smiled and said, “These orchids have been in my care for many years. They may not be the rarest, but they are somewhat unique.”

Madam Chen was known for her skill with flowers, and everyone in the social circles knew that any plant she cared for thrived.

Many of the ladies had come today not just to celebrate the birthday but also to visit Madam Chen’s famous garden.

While these orchids might be a rare sight to many, to Madam Chen, they were just a modest part of her collection. However, to the guests, they were indeed a precious item.

Several young men and ladies couldn’t hide their admiration.

Fang Yuean noticed her mother’s keen interest in the orchids and immediately sent a message to Huai Ze: “Go catch the rooster. I want to win this pot of orchids for Mother.”

She rolled up her sleeves.

Her mother surely wouldn’t dare catch the rooster herself—she would do it instead.

Huai Ze: “This is cheating!”

Fang Yuean: “Are you still talking?”

Huai Ze, sensing the threatening look in her eyes, snorted and turned to fly off.

Once Huai Ze was out of the way, Fang Yuean closed her eyes, concentrating.

Her spiritual energy had slightly increased from the merit she had gained in the past, allowing her to occasionally investigate things without needing Huai Ze. But it was still far less than when she could once learn anything from the world around her before entering the cycle of reincarnation.

The third item was an embroidered tapestry, intricately designed with clusters of flowers, while the fourth item was a wooden dog with a hidden mechanism that allowed it to walk a short distance by wagging its tail.

When the walking wooden dog was revealed, all the children became restless, eagerly begging their elders for one.

Chen Susu exchanged a glance with her mother before saying, “There are few people in the house at the moment, and the hosts are all busy entertaining guests, so there’s no need to worry about privacy. Feel free to walk around the house to search for the roosters.”

“But the roosters are a bit skittish, so please be quiet when you search, or they might jump over the walls, and then it would be hard to catch them.”

“Also, if you happen to meet a maidservant wearing clothes with the blessing embroidery, you can ask her for a hint.”

Chen Susu smiled at the guests and announced, “Now you may begin.”

She glanced toward the door and exchanged a subtle look with a trusted maidservant standing by.

The maidservant, understanding the signal, hesitated for a moment before quickly leaving, blending into the crowd as the guests began to move out.