The Wang family had everything prepared for the feast they were hosting, including arranging for the cooks they needed on that specific day; all they awaited was the arrival of the feast day itself.

When the day of the Wang family’s banquet finally arrived, nearly everyone in the town who had received an invitation was present. Regardless of whether these families had been close with the Wangs before, they certainly came to show support for Wang Qingchen’s success in the provincial examination.

Wang Youfu, accompanied by his two sons, stood outside greeting the arriving guests, while Madam Yang was anything but idle. She had a great many tasks to manage that day—ensuring things were settled here and nothing was neglected over there. Ordinarily, she could have enlisted her daughter-in-law, Luo Qing, to help with some of the work, but Luo Qing was currently pregnant. Yang was wary of any mishaps occurring, especially since so many people were attending today; one couldn't be sure if someone might inadvertently cause trouble.

Finally, Madam Zhang could not bear to watch any longer. Seeing Yang so busy that she couldn't even attend to the guests, Zhang felt it was improper. After all, Yang was the mistress of the house; if she didn't go out to receive the female guests, it would appear discourteous. If the prominent families in town were to seize upon such a lapse in etiquette, how could the Wang family ever maintain their standing in town afterward?

With Zhang stepping in to assist, Yang found her burden significantly lighter. Once the most crucial arrangements were delegated, Zhang firmly ushered her toward the door. "There, you must hurry out and greet the guests now. There are quite a few ladies attending today! The Old Madam alone cannot manage everyone, and what about the younger gentlewomen? You should bring Qing’er out with you now, too. Sitting together and chatting should be fine; nothing untoward should happen."

Hearing Zhang’s words, Yang paused to consider the situation. It was true; simply sitting and conversing with the guests should pose no issue. Without further demurral, Yang entrusted the remaining tasks to Zhang, then went to call for Luo Qing. Soon after, the two of them went out together to tend to the female guests.

The Old Madam breathed a sigh of relief when Yang and Luo Qing finally entered the room. Honestly, at first, while Yang was scrambling about, the Old Madam had felt a secret flicker of happiness. After all, the duty of entertaining the female guests had entirely fallen upon her shoulders. With the successful scholar’s mother absent, she, the scholar’s grandmother, would naturally hold the most prestige. And when people saw her as the scholar’s grandmother, they would naturally regard her with greater respect. Having spent her life toiling in the fields, the Old Madam, at this late stage, finally had the chance to savor the role of the successful scholar’s grandmother. How could she not feel a touch of vanity? She was so anxious that others might not notice her, wishing every single guest knew she was the scholar’s grandmother.

However, the Old Madam had clearly overestimated her own capabilities. If the female guests had been from farming families, it would have been manageable; she could have found common ground for conversation. But these guests were almost exclusively from the established, respectable families of the town, or even if from farming stock, they were families with considerable wealth or significant influence—people whose words carried weight. Engaging in a brief exchange or two with such people was one thing, but being expected to host them all proved overwhelming. Before long, the Old Madam had no idea what topics to bring up next.

Fortunately, just as the Old Madam was wondering what to do, Yang arrived with Luo Qing.

Yang noticed the Old Madam’s look of hopeful anticipation but was slow to react for a moment. Thankfully, the room was crowded, preventing Yang from dwelling on her momentary blankness. Recovering quickly, she immediately began to engage the assembled women.

Truthfully, Yang also lacked much common ground with these families. Fortunately, Wang Qingchen had anticipated such a scenario and had given Yang several topics to discuss when he spoke with her earlier. Drawing upon the memories from his previous life, Wang Qingchen was quite adept at steering conversations, which meant Yang felt far less apprehensive now. Yang’s poised demeanor not only impressed the female guests that day but also astonished the Old Madam and her daughter-in-law, Luo Qing, who knew her well. They struggled to comprehend such a dramatic transformation in Yang, with whom they lived day in and day out. Had Yang always possessed this capability, merely choosing not to display her talents early on?

Regardless of how puzzled or surprised the Old Madam and Luo Qing felt, Yang’s situation continued to improve. Once the floodgates of conversation were opened, the words flowed inexhaustibly.

Just as the Old Madam was contemplating whether to interject a few words, she saw her daughter, Wang Guifang, enter. This caused the Old Madam to lose her composure. "Oh dear, Fang’er! Your belly is quite large now; why are you still coming in here?"

Wang Guifang smiled, unconcerned. "Mother, I am fine. The doctor said I need to move around more to ensure an easier labor."

"But that’s not the same! Your second brother’s family has many people attending today, so many guests have arrived. You are so heavily pregnant; what if someone bumps into you? What would happen then?" the Old Madam worried aloud.

"Mother, I really am alright," Wang Guifang said with a sigh of resignation, then called out to Yang and the others, "Second Sister-in-law, Qing’er."

Although Yang knew the reason Wang Guifang insisted on coming, seeing her belly still made her heart clench with worry. She looked ready to deliver at any moment; heaven forbid anything should happen!

"Little Aunt, come sit near me; I’ve added extra cushions here," Luo Qing offered kindly.

"Yes, yes, go sit by Qing’er’s side; it’s much more comfortable there," the Old Madam agreed.

After Wang Guifang carefully sat down, Yang introduced her to the assembled guests. Wang Guifang politely greeted each person in turn.

Seeing that her second daughter-in-law was so thoughtful—remembering to include her own daughter—the Old Madam was quite pleased. She stopped interrupting as much, content to listen as her daughter-in-law and daughter chatted with everyone.

Yet, Wang Guifang wasn’t entirely focused on engaging the crowd. While speaking with the women, her gaze kept drifting toward the doorway.

Yang naturally noticed Wang Guifang’s preoccupation and understood her feelings well. After all, Yang had previously told Wang Guifang that her daughter, Liu Qian’er, would also be attending today, though she hadn't revealed the news of Liu Qian’er's official elevation in status; that was something Liu Qian’er herself was meant to announce.

As for Wang Guifang, having grown up entirely among farming folk, she certainly wouldn't conceive of the possibility that a gentleman would bring along a concubine to offer congratulations. She simply assumed that Master Shen, out of affection for his daughter, was treating her exceptionally well!

Fortunately, it wasn't long before Liu Qian’er arrived alongside Master Shen. After exchanging initial pleasantries with Wang Youfu and the others outside, Master Shen stayed out to continue networking with the men. Liu Qian’er, however, came directly to the area where the female guests were gathered.

Wang Guifang, who had been waiting inside, stood up excitedly upon seeing her daughter arrive, involuntarily crying out, "Qian’er!"

Liu Qian’er immediately spotted her mother and called back, "Mother!"

This was Liu Qian’er’s first time returning home since entering the Shen household. Wang Guifang felt such an overwhelming emotion that she almost wept.

Seeing the reunion, Yang quickly offered an explanation to the assembled guests. Then, supporting Wang Guifang, she guided her, along with Liu Qian’er, out of the main room and into another, separately prepared room, allowing the mother and daughter a private space to catch up.

The other ladies in the room, thankfully, were not overly concerned. If a mother and daughter needed a private moment, it wasn't their place to interfere, especially given that they were guests whose courtesy demanded deference to the host family.

The situation among the female guests appeared to be progressing smoothly. As for the male guests, Wang Youfu and his two sons were entertaining them, joined later by Wang Youliang, Wang Youtian, Wang Qingshan, Wang Qingyun, and Wang Qingtong.

Wang Qingchen and Wang Qinghua observed the incoming guests; virtually everyone who had been sent an invitation had arrived. Some of these guests were familiar faces, and they were now grouped in twos and threes, or small clusters, laughing and chatting congenially. The Wang family men naturally stayed nearby, engaging them in conversation.

Just as Wang Qingchen assumed that all expected guests had arrived, an unexpected person appeared at the entrance: Boss Xue.

Wang Qingchen was quite surprised to see Boss Xue. He recalled that Boss Xue had been in the county town when he returned. He hadn't expected that so little time had passed before Boss Xue also returned to Qingshan Town. Without hesitation, Wang Qingchen assumed that Boss Xue’s return from the county was solely because of his success in the examination.

Indeed, before Wang Qingchen could speak, he heard Boss Xue’s booming laugh: "Ah, Qingchen! Such a grand occasion as your examination success—how could you fail to send me an invitation?"

Wang Qingchen quickly offered an apology with a smile. "Boss Xue, I sincerely apologize; that was an oversight on my part. I originally thought you were still in the county town and didn't want to trouble you to travel all the way back here. I had intended to host you separately once I returned to the county myself! I simply didn't know you had also come back to Qingshan Town from the county."

"Hahahaha, don’t blame yourself for that. I hadn't publicized my return to Qingshan Town, so it’s natural you didn't know. Luckily, my subordinates often travel around town; they heard about your family hosting a banquet and came to report it to me, so I didn't miss it," Boss Xue chuckled.

"It’s wonderful that you could make it. Please, come inside and be seated!" Wang Qingchen urged him forward.

Because the Wang family had previously benefited greatly from Boss Xue’s kindness, both Wang Youfu and Wang Qinghua treated him with exceptional warmth, escorting him inside while continuing their conversation.