Chapter Fifty-Six: Do You Think It Tastes Good?

Yue scooped up a small spoonful of steamed egg custard and fed it to Shen Xingyu. The little girl ate with such relish that everyone at the table finally relaxed and resumed their enjoyment of the feast. Watching Shen Xingyu eat so heartily, Shen Fuyu could not help but ask a palace maid to bring her a bowl as well. The custard was topped with minced meat and a dash of fragrant sesame oil. It was steamed to a velvety tenderness, savory and salty, perfectly suited to Shen Fuyu’s taste. She recalled how, centuries before her arrival in this world, she would sometimes steam herself an egg custard late at night—it had been such a treat!

“Seeing Fourteenth Sister eat so well, I find myself hungry too. Grandmother, why not have some custard as well? I’ve tried it—it’s truly delicious,” Shen Fuyu suddenly suggested.

“Grandmother just had fried pastries. I fear custard now would be too rich. Perhaps some soup instead?” Shen Moyu hastily stood up, looking almost flustered as she tried to serve the Old Madam some soup, as if terrified of letting Shen Fuyu steal the spotlight.

This, in fact, was precisely what the Old Madam found most disagreeable about her: she was overly calculating, taking offense at the slightest imbalance between sisters.

“Your fourth sister is being thoughtful, and yet you speak as though you’re afraid of being overshadowed,” the Old Madam said, casting her a look. At once, a servant reached out to gently press down the soup ladle, stopping Shen Moyu in her tracks, and presented a serving of egg custard instead.

Shen Moyu’s face paled. “I only meant well, Grandmother… Why is it that only Fourth Sister’s kindness is ever seen?”

“How can you speak to your grandmother in such a manner? Have you no sense of decorum?” Yue frowned. The younger one was being soothed in her arms while the older one fretted at her side. They were both such a trial!

Shen Moyu opened her mouth to retort, but was silenced by a stern glance from Yue. After pursing her lips twice, she finally sat down. Suddenly, a pair of hands appeared before her, setting a steaming bowl of custard down.

The aroma drifted into Shen Moyu’s nose, but instead of feeling comforted, her stomach churned. Her heart raced as she glanced at Yue, then to Shen Fuyu and the Old Madam. At last, gritting her teeth, she forced herself to eat a spoonful.

If anyone was to make a scene, it would be them, not her. So long as she achieved her aims, what harm could a little eating do?

“How do you find it, Sixth Sister?” Shen Fuyu asked, watching her shifting expression with an amused curl of her lips. She could barely suppress her laughter. Truly, Shen Moyu was the embodiment of “more harm than help.” “Is it tasty?”

“It’s… good…” After a few mouthfuls, Shen Moyu’s complexion started to change. What began as a rosy glow faded quickly to an ashen pallor. At first, she managed to endure the pain, forehead beaded with sweat, but with every passing moment, her abdomen twisted with agony as though cut by knives.

The Old Madam seemed to sense something amiss and frowned. “Sixth girl, what’s wrong? Your face is dreadful.”

All eyes turned to Shen Moyu. Unable to hold on any longer, she let out a series of embarrassing noises, then shrieked, covered her face, squeezed her legs together, and bolted from the room.

An unspeakable odor wafted through the air. Before anyone could voice their surprise, they instantly understood what had befallen Shen Moyu.

Shen Fuyu calmly covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief, moved aside, and looked over the now-chaotic birthday banquet. She couldn’t help but shake her head with a wry smile. After this, Shen Moyu would surely hate her to the bone.

But it didn’t matter—all that hatred would only nourish her own power. She didn’t mind if Shen Moyu despised her a little more.

“Mother, forgive us. The child must have eaten something that upset her stomach!” Yue said, her heart pounding as she saw the Old Madam’s darkened face. How could this girl have made such a spectacle at the banquet? “She surely didn’t mean it!”

The guests all began to whisper. For a young lady of the Shen family to suffer such an episode in public—the entire room had heard those sounds, and those at nearby tables no doubt caught the scent as well. Many promptly set down their chopsticks; had they not been raised with restraint, some might have retched on the spot.

The banquet, though fraught with incident, was at least not utterly ruined. Still, what reputation could be salvaged, they would salvage.

Madam Gu wore a perfect smile, though inwardly she seethed at both the third branch and Shen Fuyu. First, that brazen and ill-mannered Shen Fuyu, and then the third branch’s daughter making such a disgrace. Either incident alone would have been enough to cost the Shen family face, and now she was forced to smooth things over. The thought nearly made her cough blood. Her gaze turned frosty as she looked at Shen Fuyu. Compared to Shen Moyu’s humiliation—which, after all, reflected poorly only on the girl herself and would not wound the family too deeply—it was Shen Fuyu who truly infuriated her.

The Prime Minister of the Left had never been close to the Lin or Sun families, yet he had deigned to attend their banquet, signaling a willingness to form ties. The eldest daughter of the Prime Minister’s household was still unmarried, as was her own eldest son. Such a promising match, and it had all been ruined by that wretched Shen Fuyu!

It was enough to drive her mad with rage.

Shen Fuyu did not look up, but she knew full well that Madam Gu likely wished to tear her apart then and there. But what could Gu do? For now, she could do nothing but seethe in silence.

Stepping forward to smooth the awkwardness, Madam Gu said, “Children do not always know their place, and as their aunt, I must accept the blame. Please forgive us for the spectacle. I will have the dishes replaced at once.”

She then ordered servants to bring in flowers cultivated in the Shen family’s greenhouse. Watching her precious blossoms being carried out, Madam Gu’s heart bled, but she forced herself to smile. “This is a small token of my regard—new varieties grown this year. I hope the ladies will enjoy them and not find them wanting.”

Though the earlier scandal lingered, Madam Gu was adept at mediation—quickly refreshing the table and offering gifts to the guests. No one could complain further. Yet after all that had happened, and with the lingering scent in the air, most found themselves with little appetite.

The banquet, though fraught with mishap, had reached its end with dignity mostly intact. Reputations could only be patched as best as possible.

Outwardly, Madam Gu smiled graciously; inwardly, her loathing for the third branch and Shen Fuyu grew ever fiercer.