Chapter 655 - 435: Family Banquet
Chen Yuan cleared his throat and said politely, "There have been quite a few upheavals in Mingzhu City recently, and I’m truly grateful for everyone’s help. If you all hadn’t given it your absolute best, this matter wouldn’t have been resolved so quickly. You must all be exhausted after working around the clock for the past few days. We’ve prepared a dinner party tonight. It might not be a lavish feast, but Ningning has poured her heart into the cooking, so we sincerely hope you will all take your seats."
"Thank you, everyone. This is the first time I’ve experienced the power of friendship. You’ve made me feel like I have people to rely on, too."
At some point, Jiangg Ning had moved to stand beside Chen Yuan, giving everyone a deep bow.
Seeing how sincere her sister was, Yaoyao quickly followed her lead and bowed as well.
"Ningning, you’re being too polite. Friends are meant to help each other, and besides, we’ve known each other for so many years. We all wanted this to be over quickly so your mother could come home," Lawyer Gu said, rushing over to help Jiangg Ning up. She added softly, "You’re always so formal."
Teacher Qiu, his temples graying, also rose from the sofa.
"I was the one who suggested Jiangg study abroad. In the blink of an eye, ten years have gone by. It’s rare for all of us to be together, so let’s take this as an opportunity for a reunion. Now, let’s all take our seats and talk over dinner."
Seeing him rise, Ji Hai hurried to Teacher Qiu’s side to support him.
"Here, let me help you over, Elder Qiu."
"Oh, enough with the formalities! I’ve been smelling the delicious food from the kitchen for a while now, and I’m starving!" Mo Nana also rose, showing her social grace, and took Jiangg Ning’s hand. "This time, I’m going to really savor Secretary Jiangg’s cooking."
"So, should we have red wine or spirits?" Yaoyao asked, scurrying over to the liquor cabinet beside the kitchen.
"Just grab both," Chen Yuan said, walking up beside her, worried she couldn’t reach. "People can drink whatever they like."
"You get this one. When I was little, my mommy wouldn’t even let me touch it. I heard it’s super expensive."
Yaoyao showed no hesitation about the family’s expensive collection, pointing to the highest bottle on the shelf.
"Whatever you say."
Everyone had just taken their seats when the nannies brought out one fragrant dish after another and placed them on the table.
Most of them were delicious dishes common at family banquets in Mingzhu City, but Jiangg Ning had also specially made a few local Lanjing dishes, worried that Mo Nana and the others might not be used to the food.
You could say that from the moment she got home, she had buried herself in the kitchen without a moment’s rest.
Only after everyone was seated did Jiangg Ning take off her apron.
Her hair tied in a low ponytail, she walked over to the seat beside the head of the table, pulled out the chair, and sat down.
Her action immediately piqued the curiosity of Lawyer Gu, who was sitting near her.
"Ningning, you’re the host today. Aren’t you going to sit at the head of the table?" Lawyer Gu asked in confusion from two seats away.
"Shh... You’ll see in a minute."
Mo Nana quickly tugged on Lawyer Gu’s sleeve, whispering quietly.
Lawyer Gu was completely bewildered, but no one else had noticed this small detail.
Teacher Qiu had already been helped into his seat by Ji Hai and was telling him about the rare teas he had collected at home, inviting him to come and try them another day.
It was clear that Ji Hai and Mo Nana already knew about Chen Yuan’s plan; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been guiding everyone to their seats so systematically.
"Why did you break the box? We can put it back later, and it’ll look the same as before. It can still be for show."
"Fine, fine. It’s just that I couldn’t get it open. I didn’t expect this old box to be so hard to open."
"But you still shouldn’t have used a kitchen knife to pry it open. How dangerous is that?"
Nearby, Chen Yuan and Yaoyao walked over, bickering affectionately as they always did, stuck close to each other.
"Stop nagging me. It’s so annoying..."
"You have zero safety awareness, and you’re blaming me for nagging you?"
Chen Yuan glared, habitually reaching out to put her in a playful headlock.
But in the next moment, he realized everyone was looking at them.
He immediately gave an awkward laugh.
"We got the good stuff but can’t get it open. How embarrassing. Director Ji, you open it."
In truth, anyone with eyes could see that the relationship between Yaoyao and Chen Yuan was far from ordinary.
From their affectionate actions to their tone of voice, only a couple could be so unrestrained. They were clearly used to their dynamic; just a moment ago, Lawyer Gu had even seen Yaoyao pinch Chen Yuan’s waist by the liquor cabinet.
If that wasn’t mutual affection, what else could it be?
Moreover, Chen Yuan had never revealed his identity, yet he commanded the respect of the Jiangg Family staff and acted as comfortably as if he were the master of the house. That spoke volumes.
"Still messing with Chen... uh, Mr. Chen," Jiangg Ning frowned and said to Yaoyao, "Come over here and sit down properly."
"Oh..."
After being scolded by Chen Yuan and then seeing her sister’s beautiful eyes glaring at her, Yaoyao immediately behaved, scurrying over to her seat and sitting down.
It wasn’t that she had to stick to Chen Yuan.
But sometimes she just couldn’t help it...
’I know perfectly well that if I go near him, I’ll get teased. He gets annoyed when I mess around, and after we bicker for a bit, I’ll get ’beaten up’ again. But I just can’t stop myself from shamelessly drifting over to him.’
At the banquet table, only one seat was now empty: the host’s seat at the head of the table.
Chen Yuan sighed inwardly. Under everyone’s gaze, he pulled out the chair and sat down.
"Elder Qiu, please eat first. Once you’ve started, we juniors can begin serving ourselves. Since the food is all ready, we should just dig in," he said, a little awkwardly taking charge.
"I’ll pour the red wine then!"
Yaoyao was quite skilled at pouring red wine. In the past, Jiangg Ruxue had often ordered her around the house to do such tasks.
She held the decanter with both hands, leaned forward slightly, and the deep red liquid flowed down the clear side of the glass, releasing a unique, fragrant aroma.
"Mo, are you having red wine?"
"Sure."
"What about you, Gu?"
"I’ll have just a little... You know I can’t hold my liquor."
"You can’t say that today. I was planning on properly toasting Lawyer Gu a few times."
Mo Nana truly was Chen Yuan’s right-hand woman. Seeing Lawyer Gu staring at him with a probing gaze, she quickly changed the subject to ease the situation.
"This is a fine aged spirit," Elder Qiu said, adjusting his glasses and swirling the liquid in his hand. "For an old codger like me to drink it is something of a waste."
"You mustn’t say that, Teacher Qiu. No vintage, no matter how expensive, could fully express my respect for you."
Jiangg Ning took the bottle of spirits from Elder Qiu’s hand, unscrewed the cap, and filled his glass.
She had deeply respected this teacher back in high school. Elder Qiu had taught her a great deal, not just about her studies, but also about how to be a good person.
She still remembered being called into his office many years ago, when she was still a high school student.
At the time, Elder Qiu, her Chinese classics teacher, explained to her the full story behind an allusion she had used in an essay.
"You’re a student with a lot of spirit. If you get the chance, you should consider studying abroad. I hope it might broaden your horizons and clear away some of the melancholy in your heart. Go see the wider world out there..."
His words of guidance as she left the office that day still rang in her ears.
In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.
As the atmosphere grew more lively and the room filled with rising laughter, everyone followed Elder Qiu’s lead and picked up their chopsticks.
Immediately after, everyone raised their glasses for a celebratory toast.
Averting this disaster had been fraught with difficulties.
For the first time, the proud Jiangg Ning understood just how difficult it was to swallow her pride and ask for help.
Misfortune is impartial; it grants no special favors to anyone. People who are complacent in their success never consider the consequences of falling into the abyss.
Life is full of countless trials, and Jiangg Ning had personally weathered her family’s first great rise and fall.
In the main hall, she looked at the clear liquid in her glass.
In the past, Jiangg Ning had never been one to drink spirits willingly—at most, she would have red wine. But today, she decisively tilted her pale neck back and downed the drink in one go.
She swallowed the liquor.
The burning sensation and the sharp, bitter taste instantly spread through her chest and stomach. But the feeling in her heart was even more complex than this unfamiliar flavor.
As the saying goes, one can only understand life after they have experienced enough of it.
Jiangg Ning had learned a great deal this time.
’In the end, no matter what kind of life you lead, as long as it’s peaceful and happy, you should be content.’
’But everyone’s definition of happiness is different.’
’She once believed that you couldn’t truly rely on anyone, so you had to be self-reliant. She had worked harder and harder, thinking that was the way to live a happy life on her own terms.’
’She wouldn’t let others interfere in her business or disrupt her life’s plans.’
’But when she found herself powerless, she suddenly discovered that having someone to rely on... was such a comforting and warm feeling.’
With that thought, she glanced at Chen Yuan, who was sitting quietly beside her.