The Double-Chapter 488 - 152: Attending the Banquet_4

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In the two days leading up to the banquet at the Shen residence, the government office’s people still had not found Jiang Youyao’s whereabouts. Thanks to Jiang Yuanbai’s heads-up to the government office, Jiang Youyao’s name hadn’t been released; her reputation was preserved. For now, aside from the people inside the government office, no one knew that Jiang Youyao had disappeared.

Jiang Yuanbai’s complexion was becoming worse by the day, and Jiang Li knew that he was genuinely worried—after all, Youyao was his biological daughter. No matter how angry or disappointed he was, when it came to such a moment, he couldn’t help but be worried. However, this did not change anything for Jiang Li.

On the day of the banquet at the Shen residence, early in the morning, Madam Jiang the Elder had Zhenzhu deliver some jewelry.

She had made several new outfits for the New Year which hadn’t yet been worn, and now there was an opportunity to wear them. The jewelry sent by Madam Jiang the Elder was indeed generous, glittering and diverse. Tonger picked out accessories that matched the clothes for Jiang Li, then carefully combed her hair, applied a light touch of makeup, and everything surprisingly turned out well.

"Miss hasn’t attended a banquet for quite some time; this is a good opportunity to dazzle others," boasted Tonger, who seemed never to have learned the meaning of modesty, "Outshine the other young ladies and let them drop their jaws in astonishment!"

Jiang Li smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. She was going to the Shen family on this occasion to look for more evidence, even though any evidence there might be was incredibly slim—the Shen family must have cleaned up all traces after Xue Fangfei’s death. Shen Yurong was always cautious and careful, unwilling to leave any handle that could be used against her.

But she still wanted to have a look.

Once they left the courtyard, Madam Jiang the Elder and her party were already waiting. Lady Lu did not bring Jiang Jingrui and Jiang Jingyou—Jingyou had books to read, and Jingrui was too mischievous, making Lady Lu afraid he’d cause trouble at the banquet. Some young ladies from noble families were also present, and it wouldn’t look good if any mishap occurred. Lady Lu also came to the banquet with the intention of selecting a daughter-in-law for herself. As for the third branch of the family, Madam Jiang the Elder had sent someone to inquire, and Lady Yang politely declined due to her recent poor health. Madam Jiang the Elder felt she had done everything she could; if Lady Yang was ungrateful, there was no need for further persuasion.

And so, it was just Madam Jiang the Elder, Lady Lu, and Jiang Li who went to the banquet.

Luckily, Lady Lu and Jiang Li had a pretty good relationship. Along the way, they chatted amicably. However, with Jiang Li’s mind full of concerns, she was inevitably somewhat distracted. Lady Lu thought she might not have rested well the night before and suggested she lean on the carriage to rest for a while, saying they would wake her upon arrival.

Jiang Li leaned against the carriage and closed her eyes, but she couldn’t sleep. Her thoughts were in turmoil, filled with her past experiences at the Shen residence. Now, revisiting the site, the place that had taken her life, deceived her, hurt her, plotted against her, and buried her unborn child, she finally had to walk this path once more.

It wasn’t long before the carriage stopped, and Lady Lu shook Jiang Li, "Jiang Li, we’ve arrived."

Jiang Li opened her eyes and hopped off the carriage with Lady Lu.

The entrance of the Shen residence was just as it had been in the past. The glittering plaque that read "Imperial Scholar" was still new, as if it were cleansed carefully every day to keep any speck of dust at bay. Even the gatekeeper was familiar to Jiang Li, though the clothes he wore now were far more luxurious than before.

Jiang Li, supporting Madam Jiang the Elder’s hand, handed their card to the gatekeeper, who respectfully stepped aside and welcomed them in, oblivious to the fact that the young lady in front of him was once the lady of the house who had lived there for three years.

Who would have thought? No one could have.

Upon entering, they were greeted with an atmosphere of elegance and refinement. Lady Lu remarked, "It seems Lord Shen is a man of culture; his residence has a scholarly charm."

The Jiang family was also from a civil official family. Scholars had a mutual admiration for each other. Jiang Li’s eyes turned cold, the Shen residence might seem cultured and well-mannered, but the wolfish ambitions hiding beneath this gentlemanly façade were unknown to others.

When they reached the courtyard, they found many ladies and young misses had already arrived, as well as some young masters. Fewer young masters from official families were present, but Jiang Li saw Liu Xu. Liu Xu and Madam Liu had come to the banquet, and upon seeing Jiang Li, Liu Xu excitedly ran over, exclaiming, "I’ve finally seen you!"

Indeed, since Jiang Li’s return from Tongxiang to Yanjing City, she hadn’t seen much of Liu Xu. She no longer went to Guangwen Hall, and there had been one incident after another in the Jiang family. Other than visiting the Ye family occasionally to see Xue Huaiyuan, she stopped socializing elsewhere. Liu Xu took her hand and sat next to Madam Liu, and upon seeing her engaged in conversation with familiar young ladies, Madam Jiang the Elder left her to it.