Su Xiaoqi had embarrassed Madam Qian in front of so many people, making her so angry that she blurted out a scolding, accusing Su Xiaoqi of not treating her as an elder at all.
Su Xiaoqi spread her hands, appearing both gentle and calm in front of everyone.
She said, "My eldest aunt truly misunderstands me.
I am merely speaking the truth. My younger sister has finally won the favor of the owner of Chen Jin Ji, and has been taught the art of pastry making by her. Of course, we cannot lose this opportunity easily.
Do you believe my younger sister should listen to you and break her promise?"
Madam Qian was speechless.
She realized once again that this young girl, who appeared gentle and approachable, was actually cunning and sly.
She had no way to deal with her.
As she was thinking of a retort, Zhao Xiaoju, who was beside her, spoke up, "My cousin-in-law is a bit too overbearing. No wonder her maternal family doesn't like her.
My eldest cousin is having such a joyous occasion, yet I haven't seen any of his maternal family..."
These words were like a needle pricking a beautiful bubble, bursting open among the crowd, startling everyone into looking at Su Xiaoqi.
This question was actually something many people had wanted to ask from the beginning.
Su Xiaoqi was the eldest daughter of the Su family.
Yet, for such a significant event as Shen Yun passing the imperial examinations, not a single member of the Su family was invited. This naturally sparked immense curiosity.
Su Xiaoqi remained silent, contemplating how to answer this question.
Although she had initially considered that in front of outsiders, she was still a daughter of the Su family.
If they weren't invited, it would surely raise questions.
However, she did not wish to expend much effort on matters concerning the Su family.
So, she had deliberately omitted them.
She hadn't expected someone to be so pointed, bringing up the one thing she didn't want discussed.
As Su Xiaoqi was still pondering her response, she suddenly heard Li Zhuangtou, the gatekeeper, running over to speak:
"Madam, young master, young madam, there is a Miss Su outside, claiming to be your sister, here to congratulate the young master on passing the examination."
Su Xiaoqi's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately knew the identity of the visitor.
It was undoubtedly Su Yurou.
She just didn't know her intention in coming.
They had already fallen out previously.
It could be imagined that her arrival this time was certainly not with good intentions.
Su Xiaoqi had already determined the nature of Su Yurou's arrival, but she couldn't possibly drive her away in front of so many guests, as that would put her at a disadvantage.
She glanced over the table at Shen Yun.
"Please invite her in," Shen Yun instructed Li Zhuangtou after receiving her questioning gaze.
Soon, Su Yurou entered.
She was dressed in a fiery red outfit, her hair adorned with a matching set of pearl ornaments and gold and jade hairpins.
Seeing her dressed so elaborately, one might think it was her own special day.
Whether intentionally or not, she was accompanied by her personal maid, who had been renamed Ye Cao.
She held a red lacquered tray in her hands.
Su Yurou walked past Su Xiaoqi and went directly to Shen Yun, smiling charmingly at him, her voice sweet:
"Congratulations, brother-in-law, on topping the imperial examinations." With that, she lifted the red lacquered tray, revealing its contents.
A complete set of scholarly stationery.
The famous Huizhou ink, Hubei brushes, Xuan paper, and She inkstone, all of which were worth hundreds of taels.
Su Xiaoqi secretly nodded. It was unusual for the notoriously stingy Su family to be so generous.
However, Shen Yun did not accept it. He merely said, "All the relatives attending the banquet today are close family. There is no need for gifts."
Su Yurou was somewhat surprised and also a little dejected.
She looked at Shen Yun, dressed in a green robe embroidered with bamboo, sitting upright. Standing out amidst the crowd, he was like a crane among chickens.
She spotted him at a glance, and then her eyes could no longer accommodate anyone else.
Su Yurou's heart tightened, and her breathing became somewhat difficult. She began to regret her actions.
Why did she push away such a good husband? A thousand or ten thousand times of regret could not alleviate the pain of him already being someone else's husband.
Shen Yun showed her no affection, his expression cold and his eyes indifferent. After refusing her gift, he turned his gaze to Su Xiaoqi.
His implication was that as a woman, she should be the one to attend to her.
Su Xiaoqi, however, remained seated, simply giving him a look, meaning: this is the romantic entanglement you've attracted, you deal with it yourself.
The couple looked at each other.
Su Yurou's dazzling appearance, which had initially caused infinite admiration,
was now being blatantly ignored by the couple. She stood there, unsure of what to do.
Fortunately, Su Yurou was prepared, and moreover, she had long been accustomed to Shen Yun's indifference.
Ever since she learned that Shen Yun had passed the imperial examinations, and after seeing his appearance, she had developed feelings for him and instinctively wanted to get closer to him and please him.
However, whether in private or in public, Shen Yun had never paid her any attention.
She had almost gotten used to it.
But this time, in front of so many of Shen Yun's relatives, Su Yurou still felt a pang of embarrassment.
"Brother-in-law..." Su Yurou lowered her head, biting her lip, displaying an air of being wronged.
The Zhao family members nearby felt sympathetic. Zhao Erhu pushed Shen Yun past his elder brother, saying,
"Yun Ge'er, she is, after all, your wife's younger sister. How can you leave her standing there? Quickly ask her to sit down."
Shen Yun's gaze had been fixed on Su Xiaoqi and had not wavered.
Xiaoqi had remained silent, but her expression clearly told him that she did not like Su Yurou.
Furthermore, she did not wish to have her stay for the banquet at their home.
He stood up and said, "Miss Su, this is a family banquet today, and it is not convenient to entertain outsiders." He knew Xiaoqi's background; the Su family had never had any connection with her.
In fact, judging by their recent actions, they seemed to be plotting against Xiaoqi, so he had no need to be polite to them.
Su Yurou was rendered speechless by Shen Yun's blunt words.
With teary eyes, she looked at Shen Yun in disbelief.
Soon, as if she had thought of something, she looked at Su Xiaoqi.
Had she already revealed her identity to him?
Impossible. She refused to believe that Su Xiaoqi would admit to her husband, who had passed the imperial examinations, that she was not a daughter of the Su family, but merely a little beggar from the marketplace.
But what if that were the case?
Su Yurou fell silent.
She knew that the Su family was hosting a banquet for Shen Yun's success in the imperial examinations today. She had been waiting for the Shen family to send them an invitation.
After all, regardless of their private relationship,
they were still in-laws in the eyes of the public.
As long as Su Xiaoqi wanted to continue leveraging the identity of the Su family, she had to maintain this relationship.
Therefore, her father was certain that no matter what, they just had to wait for Su Xiaoqi to come to them for help.
However, her father and daughter waited and waited at home, only to find that the Shen family's banquet had already begun, and the main feast in the hall was nearing its end.
Su Yurou was stunned. Without a second thought, she grabbed the scholarly stationery she had procured in the prefectural city and rushed out by carriage.
She had managed to arrive just in time.
But the turn of events seemed to have completely exceeded her expectations.
The gift worth three hundred taels that she had given was refused by Shen Yun without even a glance, citing it as a family banquet.
She wanted to stay for the banquet, but was refused again.
Su Yurou's feelings of grievance were almost enough to form a long river. She was the eldest daughter of the Su family, her father's cherished jewel.
She had always been doted on by Su Baiwan like his own eyeball. She was arrogant and considered herself a pearl.
Now, was she going to lose to Su Xiaoqi, a piece of worthless glass of unknown origin?
Su Yurou was not convinced. Everything she had wanted since childhood, she had always obtained.
This time would be no exception.
She quickly adjusted her emotions and said to Shen Yun, "Brother-in-law, you jest. Today is your auspicious day, and as the elder sister's maternal family, I naturally have to come and celebrate.
If I leave, won't my sister have no maternal family?" Su Yurou's words carried a hint of threat.
At the same time, it was a test. She wanted to know if Su Xiaoqi was afraid of her revealing her identity.
As soon as her words fell, Su Xiaoqi stood up, "Wait..."
Su Yurou's smile deepened.
Great, she was afraid. Then she could finally relax.