Chapter 65: Family Recognition Banquet

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Family Recognition Banquet

But Shen Shuangshuang was long gone; the doorframe was still swaying slightly.

She stopped dead and whirled around to glare at Song Yao, grinding her teeth.

"If anything happens to Shuangshuang..."

"Ha? I just told a few home truths. She couldn’t handle it and ran off, and now you’re going to blame me if something happens to her?"

The corner of Song Yao’s mouth lifted in a mocking smile as she slowly raised her eyes.

"Comrade Yao Yuzhen, what exactly is your relationship with Shen Shuangshuang? The more I think about it, the more I feel like you two are hiding something from me—some trump card I haven’t exposed yet."

Yao Yuzhen’s heart sank. She swallowed hard but didn’t say a word.

Song Yao caught the flicker of panic the moment it appeared. The corner of her eye twitched, her gaze pinning Yao Yuzhen in place.

’Did I actually guess right?’

Song Yao’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing.

"I’ve raised Shuangshuang for over a decade. No one can tear us apart."

Yao Yuzhen lowered her voice, her eyes growing red at the rims.

"Song Yao, I’m begging you, please stop hounding Shuangshuang. Like you, she’s just another unfortunate soul dragged into this mess! I swear to you, the hardships you endured with the Song Family had nothing to do with her!"

Song Yao paused. ’How can she be so certain?’

But that very certainty made a thought stir in Song Yao’s mind. ’I’ll bet... it has something to do with that "trump card," doesn’t it?’

"Fine. Then let me ask you directly: why are you so dead set on protecting Shen Shuangshuang? Tell me the truth."

Song Yao was pressing her to speak, leaning forward slightly with an unwavering gaze.

But it was no use. The emotion on Yao Yuzhen’s face vanished, and she pressed her lips into a thin line.

She let out a soft sigh. "Everything I’ve said comes from the heart. You don’t know what it’s like to feel trapped in a marriage with no way out, so you could never understand how crucial Shuangshuang is to me."

Song Yao snorted. "From what I understand, you were the one who adamantly refused to join him at his post, weren’t you? You claimed you had to stay behind to care for your mother-in-law, but she passed away just a few days later. And you, well, you ended up putting down roots right here."

The moment she finished speaking, the color drained from Yao Yuzhen’s face.

She didn’t take the bait. Instead, she completely masked her earlier distress and replied flatly, "Since you don’t understand, there’s no point in me wasting my breath."

She had probably realized that Song Yao wasn’t someone who could be placated with just a few words.

Yao Yuzhen simply fell silent and turned to leave.

Song Yao watched her retreating figure, thinking, ’I have to dig up that secret, no matter what!’

She had a gut feeling that when that day came, all the tangled mysteries from her past life would finally be unraveled.

After that day’s confrontation, Yao Yuzhen and Shen Shuangshuang completely gave up on trying to take advantage of Song Yao.

They never placed another morsel of food in her bowl again.

But Shen Shuangshuang couldn’t swallow her anger.

She barely touched her dinner before slamming down her chopsticks and storming into Yao Yuzhen’s room.

The two of them spoke in hushed tones inside for nearly half an hour, the door remaining firmly shut.

She then convinced Yao Yuzhen to lock up all the kitchen staples—rice, flour, oil, and salt—in a cabinet, to be taken out only when needed.

Yao Yuzhen kept one key on her at all times, while Shen Shuangshuang tucked the other into her own pocket.

’So, Song Yao wants to cook?’

’Not a chance!’

’Let her starve. Or she can lower her head and beg us for a scrap.’

Shen Shuangshuang was just waiting for that day.

To her surprise, Song Yao simply opened the kitchen door, saw that the supplies were gone, and immediately turned and left the house with Xiao Li.

When they returned, Xiao Li had a large burlap sack slung over his shoulder and a small cloth bag in his hand, while Song Yao carried two cuts of meat.

Shen Shuangshuang, who was peeking from her doorway, stared so hard it looked like her eyes might pop out of her head.

"Ma! Exactly how much money did Shen Zhenwu give Song Yao? How many ration tickets?!"

She gritted her teeth, forcing the words out one by one.

Her throat worked as she swallowed, her voice dropping to a hoarse whisper. "Has he already set up a separate household for her? Did he even get her her own grain ration book?"

Yao Yuzhen, sitting by the window, saw it all too.

She didn’t get up or even shift in her seat. Her expression was perfectly calm.

"Shen Zhenwu dotes on her like she’s the apple of his eye; he’s given her everything he possibly could. It’s a good thing I still have a small nest egg, or the two of us would really have nothing to live on."

As soon as Yao Yuzhen spoke, a burning frustration clogged Shen Shuangshuang’s chest.

Her lips quivered, but for a moment, no words came out.

"Ma! How is that fair?! You’re his lawfully wedded wife! Why is the money going to Song Yao to spend instead of you? Is he treating you, his own wife, as nothing more than a decoration?"

Yao Yuzhen raised a hand to rub her temples, looking utterly exhausted.

She kept her eyes downcast, her voice so low it was almost a whisper. "Whatever he says goes now. If I try to say anything, he won’t even bat an eye. In his eyes, Song Yao is the only one who matters. Me? I’m not even a shadow to him."

Shen Shuangshuang gritted her molars, spitting out each word. "How can she be so damned lucky? She can’t be starved, she can’t be frozen!"

Shen Zhenwu would throw a mountain of money at Song Yao without batting an eye.

"But her good fortune is about to run out."

The thought of the family reunion banquet in two days made her unclench her fists and smooth her brow.

A faint smile touched her lips.

Seeing her daughter’s expression, Yao Yuzhen’s heart gave an uneasy lurch.

She stared at her daughter’s face for two seconds and said nothing.

She took half a step closer. "Shuangshuang, you didn’t come home at all last night. Where did you go? I have a bad feeling about this. Tell me the truth, did you do something behind my back?"

「In the blink of an eye, the day of the reunion banquet arrived.」

Shen Zhenwu was bustling about early in the morning.

He was up at the crack of dawn, first heading to the military headquarters to sign three sets of registration papers, then making a detour to the East City District police station to get them stamped.

Although the regulations on officials hosting banquets weren’t as strict as they used to be, he had always preferred to keep a low profile.

Today, however, was an exception.

"Have you heard? The usually taciturn Mr. Shen booked more than ten tables at Fortune Feast to welcome back his biological daughter!"

"Isn’t that a bit too bold?"

"He already reported it to his superiors. He waited nineteen years for his daughter, only for her to get bullied the moment she returned to the capital. When the leadership heard that, how could they possibly stand in his way?"

"Besides, Mr. Shen is paying out of his own pocket. He didn’t even book the whole restaurant, just reserved a few tables. What rule is he breaking?"

"Shh, here she comes! The guest of honor has arrived!"

Song Yao was wearing a newly tailored blue cotton tunic. The fine cotton fabric had been brought up from the south for her.

One would think that for such a momentous day in her life, she would wear something brighter and more eye-catching.

Yet she had chosen the plainest outfit she owned, her hair tied back simply with a black elastic.

The luncheon was set for noon, so by all rights, Shen Zhenwu should have been home by now.

Song Yao tilted her head and asked Xiao Li, who was waiting nearby, "What time is it?"

Xiao Li glanced down at his watch. "Young Miss, it’s ten o’clock sharp."

Song Yao scanned the courtyard. It was full of unfamiliar faces, though upon closer inspection, she recognized a few people—some of the ladies and their daughters she had met at Shen Shuangshuang’s birthday tea party.

They were standing under the covered walkway, chatting in small groups, but their eyes kept drifting toward the main gate.

When those people saw her, they first looked startled, then quickly pasted on smiles.

Song Yao didn’t keep a stern face either. She maintained a faint smile, nodding and replying politely whenever someone greeted her.

Most people asked the same question: "Oh, where is Mr. Shen? How is it we haven’t seen him yet?"

Song Yao’s answer was smooth. "My father was called away on an urgent assignment by the military. When he gets back, he’ll be sure to bring me to pay you all a proper visit."