The flower-viewing banquet

Meanwhile, Second Master Su stormed home and summoned Physician Wang, the household doctor, to determine whether he was infertile.

After examining him, Physician Wang was inwardly aghast. Second Master Su really was infertile! If he could not father children, then surely none of the four children under his name were his? What a juicy scandal.

"Physician Wang, how is my health?" Second Master Su asked, his face stern.

Physician Wang looked at him, hesitating to speak as he tried to think of a tactful way to deliver this cruel truth.

For a man, being unable to father children was a devastating blow. And Second Master Su's infertility was not even the worst of it-his wives had borne him children. Clearly, they had been sneaking around with other men behind his back.

Seeing Physician Wang hesitate, Second Master Su's heart gave a lurch. He had already guessed the result and snapped angrily at him:

"Spit it out! Stop hemming and hawing!"

His shout terrified Physician Wang, who said shakily, "Second Master, you are unable to father children."

At those words, Second Master Su's expression turned utterly dark. He could not father children. None of his four children were his own flesh and blood. He had spent over a decade raising other men's children. A whole meadow of cuckold's green grass sprouted atop his head...

Bang.

Second Master Su slammed his hand on the table in fury.

Physician Wang shuddered involuntarily, his heart trembling with fear as he tried his hardest to make himself invisible.

Second Master Su sat at the table with a thunderous expression, flames of rage burning in his eyes.

Just as his fury was about to erupt, Duke Su entered from outside. Seeing him come in, Physician Wang could not help breathing a sigh of relief.

The moment Duke Su saw the grim-faced Second Master Su and the trembling Physician Wang, he understood what had happened. He looked at Physician Wang and warned in a stern voice, "You must not tell anyone what happened just now!"

"Rest assured, Your Grace. I will not tell a soul," Physician Wang hurriedly promised, his voice nervous.

Duke Su waved a hand. "You may leave."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Physician Wang answered respectfully, then hastily withdrew, his steps so quick that he looked as though a vicious wolf were chasing him.

Only after Physician Wang had left and the two brothers were alone did Duke Su sit down opposite Second Master Su. He wanted to comfort him but did not know what to say. Under the circumstances, he felt silence was best.

After a long silence, Second Master Su spoke. "Elder Brother, Physician Wang said I cannot father children. None of my four children are mine."

His voice held indescribable grief and the fury of betrayal.

"Second Brother, don't grieve. From now on, my children will be your children," Duke Su comforted him.

Second Master Su could not help burying his face in his hands and sobbing, unable to accept this cruel truth.

Duke Su quietly kept him company, his thoughts turning to Ning Sang-sang. How did that girl know so much?

Three days later, Princess Yongle held a flower-viewing banquet at the Chancellor's Residence, inviting officials throughout the capital to attend with their families. The Duke of Ning's Residence was also among those invited.

Wanting everyone to know that they had found their long-lost daughter, Ning Xiaotian and Madam Jiang took Ning Sang-sang to the Chancellor's Residence for the banquet. The brothers Ning Chengxiao and Ning Hui went along as well.

"Big Sister, don't be afraid. Once we reach the Chancellor's Residence, I'll stay by your side the whole time," Ning Hui assured Ning Sang-sang earnestly in the carriage. He thought that, having grown up in the countryside, his sister had seen little of the world. She might be frightened when she attended the flower-viewing banquet and met the capital's noble ladies and young misses. Those haughty young ladies from aristocratic families might even bully her. He had to stay beside his sister at all times to keep her from being mistreated.

Ning Sang-sang smiled and nodded in agreement.

This little brother really is such a thoughtful sweetheart.

Hearing Ning Sang-sang praise him in her thoughts, Ning Hui could not stop the corners of his mouth from lifting again. He cast Ning Chengxiao a smug glance, his expression practically saying, Look, Second Brother! Big Sister praised me again!

At his childish behavior, Ning Chengxiao's mouth could not help twitching.

Ning Xiaotian was very pleased to see his youngest son dote on his sister. He smiled at Ning Hui and praised him. "Good. Keep protecting your sister just like that."

Then he turned to his silent second son. "Second Son, you must look after your younger sister at the flower-viewing banquet too. You must not let anyone bully her."

Ning Chengxiao nodded. "I know, Father."

His sister had been lost to them since childhood and had suffered so much. Now that they had found her, he would certainly protect her and let no one bully her.

After giving his second son these instructions, Ning Xiaotian looked at Ning Sang-sang with a face full of fatherly affection and said gently, "Sang-sang, if anyone bullies you at the flower-viewing banquet, tell me. I'll stand up for you."

Having finally found his daughter, he was determined to cherish her. He would never let anyone bully her.

Madam Jiang also said gently, "Sang-sang, you are no less worthy than anyone else. Be bold and confident at the flower-viewing banquet. No matter how you conduct yourself, you will always be the best in your mother's eyes."

Ning Sang-sang smiled and nodded, marveling inwardly:

My family really is the best in the world. They're nothing like the family at Duke Su's residence, who despise their own daughter at every turn just because she grew up in the countryside and has no accomplishments. They think their own daughter has disgraced them completely.

Duke Su's five sons also despise their own younger sister at every turn. None of them like the biological sister they found. Instead, they prefer the false sister who has no blood ties to them.

Hearing this, Ning Chengxiao and Ning Hui both thought, Do Duke Su's five sons have lumps in their brains? They scorn their own sister and prefer a false sister who isn't related to them by blood. We would never act like that.

After hearing Ning Sang-sang's thoughts, Ning Xiaotian and Madam Jiang both felt that there was something wrong with Duke Su and his wife's heads.

Those adults had been so negligent and foolish that they had let someone switch their own child at birth. Now that they had finally found her, they despised her at every turn because she had grown up in the countryside and had no accomplishments. People like that truly did not deserve to be parents.

After finding their daughter, they did not care whether she had any accomplishments. They only ached for everything she had endured over the years and wished they could give her all their love to make up for what they owed her.