“Your presence at my and Mulan’s wedding banquet brings great honor to our humble occasion. District Chief Shen, please come in.” Having dealt with many situations before, Xu En recovered in just a second.
He stepped aside to personally escort Shen Min inside.
“I’ve been wanting to visit, and finally found the opportunity today. I can also have a drink with the old man.” As he spoke, Shen Min was secretly observing Xu En.
Xu En was a major taxpayer in Mingfeng District and knew how to handle matters. Shen Min naturally knew him. A few months ago during the municipal bidding, he had leaked some information about Old Chen going to Xiangcheng.
Several private business owners from Mingfeng District were present at the time.
Afterward, Shen Min didn’t pay much attention, being busy with government affairs. Xiangcheng’s matters weren’t his concern, until Xu En returned to Jiangjing and had someone send him a generous gift. He knew Xu En had gone to Xiangcheng.
However, Shen Min just smiled about it without asking further. Now looking at this—
This Xu En was truly remarkable, managing to win over Old Chen with just one trip to Xiangcheng.
Thinking this, his smile became warmer as he spoke familiarly with Xu En: “During leisure time, calling me District Chief Shen is too formal. I’m a few years older than you, so you can just call me big brother.”
Through their exchange, Xu En understood why District Chief Shen had come. At the word “drink,” his heart tensed up… this meant…
Shen Min’s appearance was a major event for the Xu family, and someone immediately reported it to Old Madam Xu.
In the banquet hall, Old Madam Xu sat at the main table with her eyes closed, rotating her purple sandalwood prayer beads one by one. The Xu family butler nervously bent down to whisper something in her ear.
“District Chief Shen is here?” Old Madam Xu’s eyes suddenly opened wide, her prayer beads stopping.
Beside her, Uncle Xu hadn’t yet processed the name, “District Chief Shen? Which District Chief Shen?”
Madam Xu extended her right hand, and the butler quickly placed her cane in it. The old lady stood up supporting herself with the cane, walking out to welcome him while saying: “It’s District Chief Shen Min.”
She was also quite shocked internally. After Shen Min took office, he had little connection with the Xu family. Though the Xu family had sent gifts several times, only one out of ten was accepted.
The other nine times were returned. What good fortune had blessed their ancestral graves today to bring Shen Min here? Though her manner was dignified, her steps were light, showing her excellent mood.
Halfway there.
She saw Xu En bringing Shen Min in.
Madam Xu wore a black wool coat today without buttons, with handstitched fox fur from collar to hem. Her eyes were deeply set and sharp.
The District Chief’s face appeared frequently in local news. Those who didn’t follow such matters might not recognize him, but almost everyone in the Xu family’s upper circle had reviewed certain name lists to avoid offending people.
“District Chief Shen,” upon seeing him, Madam Xu and Uncle Xu were surprised but maintained proper etiquette, “What an honor to have such an esteemed guest.”
Shen Min didn’t know Madam Xu, so he politely nodded to her.
Without much talk.
Xu En led Shen Min to sit down, “Let’s go in and sit for a while.”
Madam Xu took the chance to fall back a step, looking at Xu Shujie who had followed. She first clasped her hands together, her heart almost jumping out of her chest, “Your brother even invited Shen Min?”
She naturally wouldn’t think it had anything to do with the Ji family.
Xu Shujie’s mind went blank for a moment, finally realizing. She looked at Madam Xu, somewhat hesitantly, “It wasn’t big brother… District Chief Shen seems to be… he seems to be the Ji family’s guest.”
The old lady thought she had misheard, tapping her cane once: “Wh-what?”
The Ji family’s guest? How could the Ji family know Shen Min? At this moment, the focus wasn’t even on this. The butler supporting Madam Xu’s other arm changed expression dramatically, “Old Madam, the seating!!”
“Quick- quick, follow them…” Madam Xu looked up to see Xu En leading Shen Min to the first table. She hurried forward.
Xu Shujie also followed, frowning. Seating, what seating?
**
The Yunxiao Hotel’s banquet hall occupied the middle three floors, 36-38, with the three floors connected and a special banquet elevator.
A white crystal ceremony aisle ran down the middle.
About 50 meters long, with 16 tables on each side, the second and third floors had almost the same table arrangement.
The row along the ceremony aisle on the left had eight tables. Xu En led Shen Min forward, coming to the front two tables. The seating had been arranged by the Xu family’s side and approved by Xu En.
The main table seated Ji Heng and Old Madam Xu’s group.
He had specifically put Bai Lian and Ji Shaojun at the second table nearby.
Now coming over, he found the main table and second table gone, replaced by “groom’s side table” and “bride’s side table”?
And Ji Heng sitting at the second table?
Seeing Xu En suddenly fall silent while speaking, and looking at these tables, Shen Min also understood the issue. “Groom’s side table” “Bride’s side table” – Shen Min had attended many weddings big and small, but this was his first time seeing such ridiculous seating.
He kept his hands behind his back, not involving himself in their family matters.
“Why are you coming in now?” Ji Shaojun saw Xu En and stood up smiling to speak with him, “Have you finished greeting all the guests? Do you need my help with anything?”
“No need, just keep them company.” Xu En held back his anger, looking back at Uncle Xu who had hurried over, “How did you arrange these seats?!”
Uncle Xu was also startled.
Madam Xu came forward leaning on her cane, scolding Xu En: “You’re confused with all the wedding preparations, not managing your people properly. Look at how these seats are arranged, what kind of appearance is this? Find out who was in charge of today’s setup, such people shouldn’t stay at Xu Corporation.”
Then she smiled at Shen Min, “District Chief Shen, please take your seat first.”
She gestured for Shen Min to sit at the first table, then indicated for Uncle Xu to change the seating arrangements, finally speaking gently to Ji Heng: “Mr. Ji, how can you sit here? Quickly help the old sir to the main table.”
The last sentence was directed at the Xu family butler.
The butler hurried forward, but Ji Heng tapped his pipe and looked up at Xu En once, waving his hand, “No need, sitting here is fine. Go ahead with your busy work, no need to attend to us.”
He slowly blew out a smoke ring.
He could leave, but returning to the previous seating was impossible.
Shen Min looked at the pipe in Ji Heng’s hand, thinking of the various tobaccos Director Chen had been asking him to find, and almost instantly understood.
He also smiled, sitting down leaving one seat empty between himself and Ji Heng, telling Xu En: “I’m also a guest of the bride’s side, I’ll sit at this table. Go ahead with your work, I’ll chat with everyone here first.”
In his mind, he wondered who exactly “Ah Lian” was.
The “bride’s side table” sign was very conspicuous.
Madam Xu stiffly looked at Shen Min, wanting to say something but not knowing how, because with that “bride’s side table” sign, she didn’t even have an excuse to sit at the same table.
Finally she sat uncomfortably at the position at the first table in front. She had no mood to fiddle with her prayer beads. Uncle Xu initially had the leisure to sit, but now standing beside Madam Xu, he didn’t dare to sit either, “Old Madam, what should we do now…”
He looked at the Ji family’s table, also bewildered – who exactly was this Ji family?
“These are Ah Lian’s guests…” Xu En bent down to quietly introduce Shen Min to Ji Heng.
Xu En took a deep breath. Ji Heng clearly hadn’t taken this matter seriously, and looking at the seat Shen Min had left empty…
He probably knew who else would be coming.
“Are they all idiots?” Xu En walked out while berating Xu Shujie and the reception management, “Not to mention District Chief Shen coming today, even if he wasn’t coming, how can you change a main table into a groom’s side table? Is this appropriate?”
Groom’s side table – this groom’s side table was simply embarrassing.
Xu En’s face was terrifyingly dark.
Xu Shujie had no idea why Madam Xu suddenly created a groom’s side table. She quickly followed Xu En – people really do become confused when they get old, “How would I know about this?”
“Go keep an eye on her.” Xu En told Xu Shujie to go in, “You’re not needed for greeting guests outside anymore.”
**
At Ji Heng’s table.
He himself didn’t talk much, but Ji Shaojun and Shen Qing were more talkative. In just a few exchanges, Shen Min had gotten most of the story from Shen Qing’s mouth.
Ji Heng took out his phone to call Bai Lian.
“Grandfather, we’re leaving at six tomorrow morning,” on the other end of the phone, Bai Lian held the phone to her ear with a review paper on her knee. Sunlight shone through the slightly opened car window onto her paper. She leaned back casually against the seat, her posture very relaxed: “We should reach Danping City around nine.”
Danping City was next to Xiangcheng, an hour’s drive away.
They could reach home before noon.
But Ji Heng was surprised, “Danping City has an airport now?”
“…Maybe.” Bai Lian turned her head to look at Jiang Fuli beside her.
There was a moment of silence.
In the end, she didn’t say anything.
Ji Heng didn’t ask further and hung up, continuing to smoke his pipe. He spoke little, and Shen Min couldn’t quite gauge his temperament, so he kept talking with Ji Shaojun.
By after ten o’clock, many guests had arrived, including some senior executives from Xu Corporation.
Hearing that District Chief Shen was here, many people came to greet them at this table first before returning to their seats.
As for Madam Xu’s main table, no one went there at all.
Shen Qing sat beside Ji Shaojun, learning from these people that Shen Min was a district chief. She whispered to Ji Shaojun in shock, “So this Shen Min is a district chief…”
Another group of people arrived, led by a woman in her early forties. She smiled and shook hands with Shen Min: “District Chief Shen, I’m from the Ma family. We met during the last bidding. I didn’t expect to see you here…”
The Ma family hadn’t bothered to send anyone this time except for her, but unexpectedly she had lucked out.
As she spoke, the woman’s smile grew wider.
She continued greeting others at the table, “Mr. Ji, congratulations! You’ve come from so far away, you must eat and drink well today, don’t let Mr. Xu save money…”
She didn’t even miss Shen Qing.
The table wasn’t yet full but was very lively.
Just then, there was some commotion at the entrance. The woman and Ji Heng’s table looked toward the entrance—
Xu En was bringing in a middle-aged man.
When Xu En saw the seat Shen Min had left empty, he knew Director Chen would come. Sure enough, within ten minutes, Director Chen came up, finally letting Xu En’s anxious heart rest.
“When did you return? Ah Lian didn’t tell me you were coming.” Xu En had gone fishing with Director Chen twice, and they were quite familiar.
“Came home temporarily,” Director Chen’s gaze swept around as he strode toward Ji Heng’s direction, “Don’t mind me, I’m here to drink with Uncle Ji.”
Though he said not to mind him, how could Xu En really not pay attention?
As they walked in, many people’s gazes turned toward them.
The man beside Xu En had bronze-colored skin and brush-stroke eyebrows, neither smiling nor speaking much. He rarely appeared in public, and most people present didn’t recognize him, but some did.
Like the middle-aged woman still standing by Ji Heng’s table.
And Madam Xu at the table behind, who had just settled down but stood up again supporting herself with her cane, turning her head to look at Uncle Xu beside her, “That… that is…”
Compared to Shen Min, this person now made her even more incredulous.
Xu Shujie also stood up, squinting at the man beside Xu En, momentarily not daring to speak.
Not many people had met Director Chen, and Xu Shujie wasn’t sure either.
Xu En brought Director Chen closer.
At Ji Heng’s table, Shen Min finally put down his teacup. He stood up, his expression no longer relaxed, his body straight as a board, nodding slightly to Director Chen, “Old Chen.”
His voice was deep.
Though not loud, most people heard clearly.
The group including Xu Shujie and Old Madam Xu quietly watched the person Shen Min called “Old Chen.” The people gathered around Ji Heng’s table immediately parted “whoosh” to both sides, creating a path.
“Long time no see.” That Old Chen merely nodded slightly to Shen Min in greeting, then walked to the table, looked at Ji Heng, his tense face breaking into a smile, “Uncle Ji, sorry to keep you waiting.”
As he spoke, he pulled out the empty seat beside Ji Heng and sat down.
Ji Heng put down his pipe and turned his head to look at Director Chen, also smiling: “Little Chen, you’re quite early, Ah Lian and the others haven’t arrived yet.”
“Was worried you’d be anxious, so I came first.” Director Chen absolutely didn’t mention not daring to wait for Bai Lian with Jiang Fuli, and greeted Ji Shaojun and Shen Qing as well.
Everything quieted down centered on Ji Heng’s table. Not just Madam Xu and others who wanted to give greetings, even Shen Min was shocked by Ji Heng’s “Little Chen.”
For a moment, no one except those at this table dared to speak.
Leave a Reply