Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!

Chapter 1470: Chapter 1470: Joyful Sweetness

The day of the Zhou family’s banquet arrived in the blink of an eye, and guests streamed in continuously, even though the Zhou family had controlled the distribution of invitations.

The eldest Zhou, the Princely Heir of the Hou Residence, led Mingyun to receive the guests. Each guest brought gifts, and the gift register alone couldn’t fit into a single chest.

Today, even Prince Qi and others personally arrived, with the Crown Prince being the highlight. Although the Crown Prince didn’t stay long, his presence showcased the Royal family’s regard for the Zhou family.

However, ever since the Crown Prince was appointed, he had distanced himself from the Wen family significantly, let alone attended any banquets hosted by them.

Thinking of this, many at the banquet table gave subtle glances towards the eldest son of the Wen elder.

Wen Eldest naturally noticed the strange glances. He hadn’t wanted to come, but his father had insisted, saying that if they didn’t attend, it would look as though the Wen family feared the Zhou family. Not only did he come personally, but he also brought generous gifts.

Wen Eldest could only pretend not to notice, his gaze now directed toward Marquis Zhou seated inside the hall.

Zhou Shuren didn’t notice the glances. Though his health had improved somewhat, he still couldn’t endure drafts. With so many guests today, there wasn’t enough room in the house. A canopy had been set up outside to block the wind, along with multiple charcoal braziers, yet it was still chilly. Only those seated in the hall, like Prince Qi and officials of Sir Liu’s rank, enjoyed the limited indoor space.

Attending banquets in winter was quite a hardship. Thankfully, the Zhou family had thoughtfully accounted for the particularly cold weather this year, putting significant effort into windproofing. There were no cold dishes served—the entire menu featured hot dishes—and the Zhou Residence was filled with enticing aromas.

The front courtyard was bustling, while the back courtyard was relatively quieter. There weren’t many women in attendance, as the primary action of the day was in the front courtyard.

Most of the women were roughly Zhulan’s age, making the area less suitable for someone like Yu Die and the others. Zhulan let her granddaughters socialize for a bit and then allowed them to play on their own.

Yu Die fiddled with her pouch, occasionally glancing toward the front courtyard. Yu Jiao chuckled mischievously, ”Third Sister, are you curious whether Sir Liu’s second son has arrived?”

Yu Die’s cheeks blushed slightly. ”You little imp, you’re still so young, yet you already know so much.”

Yu Jiao hid behind her elder sister, making faces. ”I just know. Third Sister is thinking about Sir Liu’s second son.”

Yu Die looked at her fourth sister. ”Aren’t you going to say something to her?”

Yu Yi raised her hand, lightly tapping Yu Jiao’s head. ”The house is full, and gossip can spread easily. Where are your manners?”

Yu Jiao covered her head. ”This is the back courtyard; who would even barge in here?”

Yu Yi replied, ”Even if no one barges in, you still shouldn’t tease your elder sister.”

Yu Die stepped back, her expression unchanged. Yu Yi no longer paid her any attention. Meanwhile, Yu Yi’s smile made Yu Die feel slightly apprehensive, fearing she might be lectured.

Yu Wen shivered and huddled her neck down. ”Hey, why don’t we walk faster? After dinner, I just want to take a nap.”

Her thoughts were consumed by the idea of warm food and cozy blankets.

Yu Die and Yu Yi exchanged a glance; they knew Yu Wen’s disposition too well. Shortly after they began walking again, they passed through the garden—just as their eldest brother approached with a few young gentlemen.

With no place to hide, the sisters waited graciously for their elder brother.

Mingyun was surprised. Considering the cold weather and the need to host women in the main residence, he had assumed his sisters would remain in the main residence. However, his grandfather had instructed him to take the gentlemen out for a walk to sober up, so he had chosen the shortcut.

Though they claimed it was to sober up, in reality, these were allies of the Zhou family—a chance for the young men to talk and bond further.

Mingyun asked, ”Why aren’t you all in the main residence?”

Yu Die, being the elder sister, stepped forward. ”The main residence is reserved for elders. Grandmother directed us younger ones back to our own quarters.”

Mingyun advised, ”It’s unusually cold today. Don’t forget to drink some hot broth to ward off the chill when you return.”

The sisters nodded in unison. ”Yes.”

They politely nodded toward the gentlemen before Yu Die led the way, steering the group past them.

When Yu Die passed by Liu Yuanbo, her ears turned even redder. Why was he staring at her so intently and foolishly?

Next came Yu Yi. Some of the gentlemen were familiar to her, while others she was seeing for the first time. She was accustomed to interactions with those she knew well, so she gave extra attention to those unfamiliar. Her observations ended in silence—this one smiled stupidly.

Yu Wen didn’t even raise her eyelids. If not for maintaining proper decorum, she would’ve shrunk her neck into her cloak. Not a single gentleman earned a glance from her.

Yu Jiao, being the youngest, was curious yet cautious, fearing reprimands from her elder sisters.

The sisters carried on their way. Meanwhile, Mingyun guided the gentlemen toward the newly constructed greenhouse in the garden. Most of it had been built using glass, with tasteful decor designed for enjoying the winter scenery.

Sobering up in this setting wasn’t about enduring the cold; the quiet atmosphere and views of the garden made it an ideal spot for conversations.

They had only walked a short distance when Mingyun noticed someone missing. He looked back. ”Sir Liu, the second son?”

Liu Yuanbo finally snapped out of his thoughts. All he could think of was how stunning Yu Die looked in red, completely unaware of how flushed his own face had become.

Ning Zhao couldn’t help but laugh out loud, ”Is this the joy of seeing one’s fiancée?”

Liu Yuanbo wished he could bury himself in the snow. ”No, I just wasn’t paying attention for a moment.”

Ming Rui rolled his eyes internally; he had seen how Liu Yuanbo’s gaze locked onto his sister earlier. As her future brother-in-law, Ming Rui commented dryly, ”It’s too cold to stand around chatting. Let’s keep moving.”

Mingyun continued leading the group forward, and they arrived at the greenhouse, quickly turning their attention to its unique elements.

Ming Rui gestured for Yu Yueyang, the second son of Sir Yu, to sit. Yu Yueyang responded with yet another smile—his deep dimples were remarkably striking.

Ming Rui thought to himself, ”...”

He quickly realized that Yu Yueyang genuinely loved to smile. Anyone else with dimples would probably refrain from overdoing it, aiming for a more serious demeanor.

But not Yu Yueyang. Ming Rui sighed inwardly; the endless smiling made Yueyang appear youthful and inviting, making others instinctively want to care for him. Ming Rui pointed toward the tray of desserts before them. ”Try the snow pear treat.”

Yu Yueyang smiled again, ”Thank you.”

Taking a bite, Yu Yueyang’s eyes lit up. He devoured several treats in rapid succession before abruptly stopping himself. Noticing no one else seemed to be watching, he finally relaxed. His father had lectured him countless times, saying a love for sweets wasn’t becoming for gentlemen. Yueyang’s dimples already made him appear less mature, and indulging in sweets would only worsen the impression.

Ming Rui thought to himself again, ”...”

Does he genuinely enjoy sweets? Look at how reluctant he is to stop. Is he really fifteen?

Ming Rui split his attention between listening to his elder brother’s conversation with Ning Zhao and quietly observing the group. It was no coincidence that each prominent guest had brought their eldest son or grandson. Liu Yuanbo was here only because of the Zhou family’s engagement, prompting Sir Liu to bring along two sons.

Meanwhile, Sir Yu’s situation was rather intriguing. He had brought two sons as well, though Sir Yu’s eldest had remained in the front courtyard.

In the front courtyard, Zhou Shuren shared a table with Prince Qi and others. Prince Chu asked, ”Second Brother, has Xu Chen’s marriage already been arranged?”

Prince Qi replied, ”It’s been settled. You of all people should know that.”

The brothers were always well-informed about each other’s affairs—not out of distrust, but to avoid any delays in communication.

Zhou Shuren glanced at Prince Qi, whose frown deepened. Arranging the marriage had clearly been challenging. Understandably so—Prince Qi had more potential pitfalls to avoid when establishing a suitable match for his son.

Prince Chu took a sip of his wine before changing topics, ”I heard that among the Grassland Tribe arriving in the capital, many girls are of marriageable age.”

Prince Qi squinted slightly. ”Why bring this up?”

Prince Chu chuckled but offered no explanation. ”I thought yesterday was lively, so it crossed my mind.”