The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 211 - 210 Zhong Qing Turns Against

Chapter 211: Chapter 210 Zhong Qing Turns Against

"Who is it?"

"Yan Yi."

Pei Yang sat up abruptly from the bed, "Who? Yan Yi? The same Yan Yi who attended our wedding banquet?"

"Yep."

Pei Yang looked at her for a few seconds then slowly broke into a grin that reached all the way to his ears.

Shen Mingzhu glanced at him, "What are you grinning about like an idiot?"

Of course, he was delighted, so thrilled he wished he could set off firecrackers.

Yan Yi was getting engaged, which meant he would no longer be competing with Pei Yang for his wife!

...

The engagement party was set at the Yan Family’s.

Although Shen Mingzhu had speculated about Yan Yi’s family background beforehand, standing at the entrance of the Yan Family’s mansion still left her somewhat staggered by their evident wealth.

Flanking the entrance were large artificial rockeries and ponds, with crystal clear water where one could see the stones and aquatic plants on the bottom, as well as schools of koi fish.

The architecture of the Yan Family was predominantly Chinese in style, with the central main building having four stories and irregularly shaped wings on both sides.

The engagement banquet was spread out on the open area and lawn surrounding the Yan Family’s main building, with a rough estimate of forty to fifty tables. Each round table was covered with an off-white tablecloth and from a distance, they looked like a cluster of white mushrooms blooming in the night.

The usher led the family of three into the banquet area then left. Shen Mingzhu held onto Pei Ziheng’s hand, exchanging blank stares with Pei Yang.

The surrounding guests were numerous, mingling and toasting, but it seemed as if none of it had anything to do with them.

"Let’s find somewhere to sit first," suggested Pei Yang.

Shen Mingzhu nodded, leading her husband and son to a more secluded spot.

From her experience, the front rows and the center seats were generally reserved for VIPs or relatives and friends of both parties; unimportant folks like them were better off tucked away in a corner.

The family of three settled at a table to the far left, near the courtyard wall.

The flowerbed by the wall was filled with various chrysanthemums competing to outshine each other. Enjoying the chrysanthemums while dining was a pleasant experience.

It was still early for the main course, but the table was set with various pastries, fruits, and snacks, and waiters bearing drinks flitted back and forth.

Shen Mingzhu got a glass of juice for herself and her son and husband.

"Mom, these spicy strips taste exactly like the ones you make," said Ziheng.

Shen Mingzhu had already noticed spicy strips and dried bean curd on the table and found it strange—such high-end banquet usually wouldn’t serve such common snacks. But tasting one after her son’s comment, she confirmed it carried her flavor indeed.

However, the spicy strips and dried bean curd had been unwrapped and served on round porcelain plates with golden edges, accompanied by a freshly picked camellia flower. Suddenly, the ordinary spicy strips and dried bean curd seemed elevated several grades.

Shen Mingzhu glanced at other tables and saw that spicy strips and dried bean curd were also placed on them.

So, when Yan Su came to the factory to order dried bean curd and spicy strips, it was to entertain guests at the engagement banquet?

But the quantity didn’t quite add up...

Before she could ponder further, Zhong Qing’s driver approached their table with a smile, "Mrs. Pei, Mr. Pei, young master Pei, welcome to the young lady’s engagement banquet. If there’s anything lacking in our hospitality, please excuse us."

Shen Mingzhu handed the gift she was holding to the driver, "You’ve come at the right time. Could you please give this to your miss—it’s my engagement gift for her."

"Mrs. Pei, you should give the gift to the young lady yourself," said the driver.

"Isn’t she quite busy at the moment? Would it be inconvenient?" she asked.

"Not at all."

Since the driver said so, Shen Mingzhu had no choice but to get up and go see Zhong Qing herself.

Considering Zhong Qing would likely be surrounded by female guests, she thought it improper to bring Pei Yang along, so she asked the two to wait there until she returned.

...

"Young Miss, Mrs. Pei has arrived."

Looking at the opulent yet nearly empty room before her, Shen Mingzhu experienced a moment of bafflement.

In her imagination, Zhong Qing’s side should have been bustling with beautiful ladies.

Yet in such a large lounge, only Zhong Qing was sitting alone on a sofa, engrossed in a book.

If it weren’t for Zhong Qing’s extravagant attire, you wouldn’t be able to tell that she was a bride about to get engaged.

"You’re here?"

When she saw her, Zhong Qing put down the book in her hand, got up with a beaming smile, and walked towards her.

Shen Mingzhu suppressed her complex emotions and smiled as she handed over the gift she had brought, "Happy engagement."

"Thank you."

Zhong Qing pulled her to sit down on the couch, her light brown eyes curiously inspecting the gift in her hands, "May I open it now?"

After receiving Shen Mingzhu’s approval, Zhong Qing happily unwrapped the gift, and upon seeing a shimmering gold bar inside the velvet box, she burst out laughing.

"These past few days, I’ve been guessing what gift you would bring me. I made so many guesses, I even wondered if you would bring me something to eat. I never expected you to actually give me a gold bar," Zhong Qing said, playfully weighing the gold bar, smiling with her eyes beaming, "Mingzhu, you always manage to surprise me."

"Gold retains its value; it’s practical."

"Thank you, I really like it."

Zhong Qing put the gold bar back into the box and sat down to chat with her.

After sitting for quite a while without anyone else coming in, Shen Mingzhu couldn’t contain her curiosity and asked the question on her mind, "Qingqing, didn’t you invite any other friends to your engagement banquet?"

Zhong Qing smiled casually, "I don’t have many friends, Mingzhu. Thank you for coming to my engagement banquet."

Shen Mingzhu did not know what to say.

It was inconceivable that a well-known lady from a prominent family like her, didn’t have a single friend to congratulate her on such an important occasion as her engagement.

Zhong Qing didn’t seem to mind the chill atmosphere and gently lifted Shen Mingzhu’s wrist with a smiling face, "I knew I was right; this bracelet really suits you. Both the circumference and the texture complement your hand."

Today Shen Mingzhu came to the engagement party wearing a cheongsam from Junlin.

The cheongsam itself was pearl white, and she wore a ginger-yellow shawl over it, adorned with only the Qingyu Bracelet as jewelry from head to toe.

While they were discussing the bracelet, a noble and elegant middle-aged woman entered from outside the door, bearing a slight resemblance to Zhong Qing around her eyes and eyebrows.

Shen Mingzhu was wondering about the relation of this beautiful woman to Zhong Qing when she heard Zhong Qing call out, "Mom."

"Qingqing, is this your friend?"

The mother of Zhong looked Shen Mingzhu up and down with a warm and pleasant demeanor, without the typical arrogance of wealthy matrons.

"Not really, we’re not very close."

Shen Mingzhu was surprised by Zhong Qing’s suddenly indifferent tone and looked at her in astonishment.

Zhong Qing remained calm as she locked eyes with Shen Mingzhu for a moment, then turned to explain to her mother, "We’ve only met a couple of times. I didn’t expect her to be so courteous as to come specifically to congratulate me."

After saying that, Zhong Qing looked at her with a distant tone, "Mrs. Pei, thank you for your congratulations, but I have things to attend to, so I won’t see you out."

And just like that, Shen Mingzhu was "rushed" out of the room, completely bewildered.

The whole thing was utterly baffling.

Zhong Qing’s resting area was a subsidiary building designed for guests’ leisure, with three floors. Shen Mingzhu was on the third floor, with corridors stretching in all directions and rooms on both sides, like a labyrinth.

The driver who had led her upstairs was nowhere to be found, and there were no attendants around, so Shen Mingzhu had to rely on her not so good sense of direction to find her way downstairs.

Inside the resting room.

Zhong Qing’s mother, while helping her with makeup and adjusting her dress, softly whispered, "Why didn’t you invite more friends to your engagement today?"

With self-mockery, Zhong Qing replied while looking at her mother, "What friends do I have?"

Zhong’s mother smiled, "You’re the Miss of the Zhong family, and soon to be the mistress of the Yan family. There are many who would like to be your friend. Like Mrs. Pei just now, I think she’s quite nice. You could invite her over sometime."

"That’s something you should ask Yan Yi."

Zhong’s mother frowned, "Her and Yan Yi?"

"She’s a friend that Yan Yi appreciates quite a lot."

"I see..."

Watching her mother look contemplative, Zhong Qing’s eyes filled with cold mockery.