CHAPTER 420: CHAPTER 420: FAMILY BANQUET

Although Xie Jingchen had reminded her.

Yet Su Jin still could not accept such hypocrisy.

She just couldn’t understand why the Old Madam, who was after all the eldest in the Duke Mansion and who had shared hard times with the Old Duke, had to put on such a show?

With doubts in her heart, Su Jin and Xie Jingchen knelt on the cushions to offer tea to Duke Zhen.

Xie Jingchen offered the tea first, then Su Jin.

Duke Zhen gave them rewards and then helped Su Jin up.

Looking at Su Jin, Duke Zhen laughed and said, "Why do you seem like you don’t recognize me?"

Su Jin was a bit confused.

Could it be that she knew Duke Zhen before?

Soon, Xingxing provided an explanation.

"My young lady hurt her head while trying to seize the young lord, and she doesn’t remember things from before. I still remember the Duke, who brought many tasty and fun things for my young lady," Xingxing said with joy.

Poor young lady, she got the Duke punished with a salary cut.

The young lady is worried that the Duke and the Old Madam don’t like her, like before.

She prepared an ointment for the Marquis to take to the border.

Unexpectedly, the Duke is an acquaintance.

He liked the young lady before, and now that she has become his granddaughter-in-law, he must like her even more.

But Xingxing was so happy to reveal how Su Jin seized Xie Jingchen——

Su Jin wanted to roar.

Couldn’t they just say she had amnesia?!

Why say it in such detail, wasn’t it embarrassing enough to say she seized someone’s grandson?

Su Jin didn’t know how much effort she had to expend to keep her face from flushing, her breath steady, while smiling with a phrase she didn’t know whether to say or not.

"How did she end up with amnesia?" Duke Zhen sighed.

"With this amnesia, who knows when she might remember again, if at all with..."

The sentence wasn’t finished before it was interrupted by a cough from the Old Madam.

Duke Zhen then said no more.

Next, Su Jin and Xie Jingchen offered tea to Old Master Xie.

Handed over the tea.

Received gifts.

Stood up.

Xie Jingchen and Su Jin sat down, and everyone chatted.

Soon, maids started bringing food into the room.

The aroma wafted all around.

It wasn’t Su Jin’s first time attending a family banquet at the Duke Mansion, and compared to before, except for a few more people, nothing was different.

She was still sitting at the same table with Xie Jinyu and Xie Jinxiu.

Duke Zhen, Old Master Xie, and the Old Madam sat at another table.

Lady Chi, who wasn’t there last time, was present this time as well.

Sitting with the other concubines of the Duke Mansion, their table was in a corner, not conspicuous.

After Su Jin sat down, the first person to speak to her was Xie Jinhuan.

With a smile, she called her "Sister-in-law," only to be cut off by Xie Jinyu.

Raising a wine glass at Su Jin, Xie Jinyu said, "Congratulations, Sister-in-law, for shedding the bandit status."

Although she was smiling, the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

Xie Jinyu held her tea, and although her words had a sting, Su Jin had no reason to ignore her.

Picking up the fruit wine in front of her, Su Jin smiled and said, "Now that there’s one less reason for people to attack, it’s indeed worth celebrating."

Xie Jinyu gritted her teeth.

She had transformed from a bandit to something else.

The County Princess title she had slipped away!

"It’s not enough to shed the bandit status, Sister-in-law, you should also shed the bandit nature," Xie Jinyu smiled.

"I’m just afraid that if I shed it, some people who can’t figure it out will force me to pick it up again," Su Jin smirked with raised brows.

"For those who have nothing better to do and come to my door, I really can’t find a reason to let them go, what do you think, Miss?" Su Jin asked with a smile.

Xie Jinhuan silently glanced at Xie Jinyu.

What Sister-in-law meant about those who have nothing to do and come to seek trouble were none other than Big Sister and Princess Nanzhang, wasn’t it?

To be fair, Sister-in-law never initiated trouble with anyone unless provoked.

Others provoked her, brushed the tiger’s whiskers, and got caught.

Lost money, lost face, building up Sister-in-law’s undefeatable reputation.

Before, Sister-in-law was hard to deal with; now, with the Flying Tiger Army and Jibei Marquis Mansion as backing, she’s even harder to handle.

The Emperor used to favor her for no reason; now that Sister-in-law is somehow related to Consort Yun, the Emperor is likely to be even fonder of her.

Xie Jinyu wished she could spill the wine on Su Jin’s face.

She resisted and said yes.

Xie Jinhuan steered the conversation, "Sister-in-law, you should try this dish named ’Camel Palm in Step Greenery,’ it’s Grandfather’s favorite. Camel’s palm is rare and hard to buy, and it’s very time-consuming to make, so it’s not commonly tasted."

Camel’s palm, known alongside bear’s paw, swallow’s nest, and monkey’s head.

You can imagine how rare it is.

Su Jin picked up a piece to taste.

The meat was tender and elastic, like tendon but softer.

"Indeed, it’s not bad," Su Jin nodded.

While Su Jin was enjoying the food, over there the Old Madam praised Princess Nanzhang for her thoughtfulness.

After all, it hadn’t been long since the Peony Garden caught fire; she was still recovering from her injuries but took the trouble for the family banquet, which was worth praising.

Moreover, after the Peony Garden was burnt down, it had been refurbished and was a brand new place.

A few days ago, Princess Nanzhang had moved back from Qihao Hall.

"How did the Peony Garden catch fire?" Old Master Xie frowned.

"Just as the Duke and you have just returned, mentioning such unpleasant matters is rather inappropriate. I’ll tell you after the family banquet is over," said Princess Nanzhang.

Su Jin glanced several times at the Old Madam.

Truly.

All she saw was benevolence and kind eyes, and care and devotion for the Old Duke.

The Old Duke was also full of respect and affection for his wife who had shared hardships with him.

Su Jin secretly rolled her eyes again.

She thought her acting was good, but it seemed she had been showing off before an expert all along.

It wasn’t long until the Old Madam’s birthday, should she fashion a small Oscar statuette as a birthday gift for her?

This idea of hers was marvelous.

Su Jin couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

"What’s Sister-in-law laughing at?" Xie Jinhuan asked curiously.

"...."

Su Jin silently reined in her smile and used Su Chong as her shield, "I’m laughing at how my eldest brother no longer has to worry about finding a wife."

Xie Jinhuan, "...."

In the past, Su Chong was a bandit, and no one dared to marry their daughter into the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, which was a lair of bandits.

But now Su Chong is the Eldest Young Master of Duke Chong Mansion and Young Master of the Flying Tiger Army.

Whether he was gambling with the Princely Heir of Duke Chong or shining at Prince Yu Mansion’s lotus-viewing banquet, he rose to prominence by stepping on the Princely Heir of Duke Chong.

Used to be overlooked, now it’s a reach too high.

Many people’s intestines were green with regret, such a good son-in-law slipped right out of their hands.

If Marquis Dongxiang had revealed his identity earlier, would Su Jin have needed to go on the street to seize someone? The thresholds would have been trodden down.

On one side, the Duke Mansion was holding a family banquet, while on the other, Jibei Marquis Mansion was also having a family banquet.

The happiest were the Jibei Marquis Mansion.

Second was... Prince NanAn and his folks.

Though they returned to the mansion with a face tanned black, and the maids and servants in the mansion were so shocked that their mouths were wide open, almost enough to fit a salted duck egg inside.

But it didn’t affect Prince NanAn and them being in a good mood at all.

Just ask if anyone in the Capital City had better foresight than them?

When everyone despised and disliked the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion, they became great friends with Su Chong and even lived in the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion.

Terms like unique insight were made just to describe them, weren’t they!

Su Chong proudly returned to the Capital.

They returned to their mansion full of spirit.

Only their words were too cheeky, their expressions too irritable.

Prince NanAn couldn’t bear it.

Finally——

He picked up a feather duster and swung it.

Prince NanAn, "...."

Princess Consort NanAn didn’t have time to pull Prince NanAn away to plead for her son.

The feather duster was broken.

Prince NanAn was astonished.

Threw the half feather duster onto the ground, glared at Prince NanAn, and said, "Indeed, your skin has gotten thicker."

Prince NanAn, "...."

Was this praise or scolding?