"Let the feast begin!"
Seeing that all the guests had arrived, Otto Jiang shouted with a robust voice.
In an instant, the sound of gongs and drums filled the air. Two rows of beautifully dressed maidservants, with smiles on their faces, carried exquisite dishes into the banquet hall.
The enticing aroma of the dishes quickly filled the entire hall, making everyone's mouths water.
Besides the dishes, jars of fine wine were also continuously brought in.
Soon, someone noticed something unusual.
"This wine seems to be the fine brew from the Drunk Immortal Residence!"
"Not just that, these dishes are also from the premium rooms of the Drunk Immortal Residence. Each table here must be worth at least five hundred taels of silver!"
"The Jiang Family's patriarch and Third Master are truly filial sons, willing to spend so lavishly for Madam Jiang's birthday banquet!"
At that moment, a man dressed in festive red walked out from the end of the two rows of maidservants. With a broad smile, he bowed to Madam Jiang at the head of the table and said, "I am Tom Qiu, the manager of the Drunk Immortal Residence. On behalf of the Drunk Immortal Residence, I wish Madam Jiang eternal longevity!"
This scene elicited even more admiration from the crowd.
Madam Jiang's vanity was thoroughly satisfied. She couldn't stop smiling as she looked at her two sons below, feeling immensely gratified.
Her greatest achievement in life was having these two filial sons, along with her obedient grandchildren, Stewart Jiang, Liz Jiang, and Timothy Jiang.
Her sons and grandchildren had all made her proud, allowing her to have such a grand seventieth birthday celebration.
In contrast, Sophia Xu, Rene Jiang, and others were neither her biological children nor in-laws, nor did they try to please her, which made her despise them greatly.
However, Emma Jiang was still somewhat useful, as she could provide her granddaughter Liz with a spot at Tianyue Academy, justifying the Jiang Family's years of support.
At this moment, Emma Jiang, who was on Madam Jiang's mind, sat silently at her seat, looking at the exquisite banquet before her but not eating a single bite.
Terra Su, sitting beside her, lazily smiled, "Why aren't you eating? This is all your Jiang Family's money. This banquet must have cost at least ten thousand taels of silver."
Emma Jiang shook her head, "I have no appetite."
Terra Su knew she was anxious about what was about to happen and said no more.
The clinking of glasses and cheerful laughter filled the hall.
After three rounds of drinks, Otto Jiang stood up and announced loudly, "The younger generation presents their gifts!"
The guests had already handed over their birthday gifts to the steward upon entering the banquet hall.
This segment was for the Jiang Family's younger generation to present their prepared birthday gifts to Madam Jiang in front of everyone.
The Jiang Family members stood up one by one and approached Madam Jiang's seat to present their gifts.
"My gift to my mother is a painting of 'Longevity of Pine and Crane'!" Otto Jiang took out a painting from his sleeve and unfurled it in front of everyone.
The painting immediately drew gasps of admiration. It was entirely woven with fine gold and silver threads, adorned with pearls, and even the scroll was made of the most luxurious gold-threaded purple sandalwood. The entire painting, measuring three meters, gleamed with grandeur and opulence.
A middle-aged man near Madam Jiang exclaimed, "This painting is perfect for hanging in the living room, complementing Madam Jiang's noble and elegant demeanor. Such a painting would be worth at least five thousand taels of silver at our Gui Bao Lou!"
His words caused an even greater stir, as this middle-aged man was Wan Shopkeeper, a well-known merchant in Clear River City. If he said the painting was worth five thousand taels, it certainly wouldn't be less.
"Master Jiang is truly filial, what a grand gesture."
"Hanging such a painting in the house really elevates the place."
Madam Jiang couldn't stop smiling and said to Otto Jiang, "You shouldn't have gone to such expense!"
Otto Jiang replied, "It's my duty as a son to show filial piety to my mother."
Next, Stewart Jiang and Liz Jiang stepped forward to present their gifts. As they were from the younger generation, they didn't present as extravagant gifts as Otto Jiang but each offered a Beauty Pill as a birthday gift.
The crowd praised them, "Beauty Pills can delay the signs of aging and keep one's appearance youthful. Each pill is worth at least a thousand taels of silver. Such filial children!"
Madam Jiang was very pleased and playfully scolded Otto Jiang, "These two children need resources for their cultivation, yet they still spent on me. You, as their father, should have stopped them."
Though she said this, her expression clearly showed her delight in receiving the Beauty Pills.
Following that, Robert Jiang and Timothy Jiang also presented their gifts.
Robert Jiang offered a Red Treasure Ginseng with longevity benefits, while Timothy Jiang presented a Night Pearl the size of a longan.
Both gifts were also highly valuable.
Madam Jiang was naturally very pleased and instructed her servants to carefully store these gifts.
Then, the eyes of everyone present turned to Sophia Xu and Emma Jiang.
The eldest son's family and the third son's family had already presented their gifts. Everyone was curious to see what the second daughter-in-law and second granddaughter had prepared for Madam Jiang.
Outsiders might not know, but the Jiang Family members were well aware that Madam Jiang had never been fond of this second daughter-in-law and second granddaughter, rarely showing them a kind face. They wondered if Sophia Xu and Emma Jiang would hold a grudge and be less thoughtful in their gift-giving.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Sophia Xu and Emma Jiang stood up and approached Madam Jiang.
Each of them held a box in their arms, clearly containing their prepared birthday gifts.
Robert Jiang, standing nearby, smirked and said, "Second Sister-in-law is a woman, more meticulous than us men. I believe she will present a gift that will please Mother even more."
His words drew even more attention to Sophia Xu.
Many Jiang Family members shook their heads secretly, knowing that Sophia Xu had little money. The Jiang Family's finances were controlled by Otto Jiang and Robert Jiang. Even though Sophia Xu was the Second Lady, she only received a monthly allowance from the family.
Thus, she couldn't compare to the wealth of Otto Jiang and Robert Jiang.
Yet, Robert Jiang chose this moment to make such a remark, clearly intending to embarrass Sophia Xu.
If her gift was too shabby compared to those of Otto Jiang and Robert Jiang, she would be ridiculed and possibly criticized for being unfilial.
Leave a Reply