Xia Wanwan sat in the seat of honor, watching dish after dish arrive. Her big eyes shone, and she wished she could taste every last one.
When the final dish, hot-and-sour pig's trotters, arrived, the little girl bounced forward in her chair, thrusting her round little face toward it.
But Mother had taught her manners from an early age. Having absorbed those lessons day after day, she managed to restrain herself a little.
She waited for someone to set out her chopsticks and place the dish before her.
The Qiao elders sat beside her, all smiles.
Old Master Qiao asked a servant, "Where is His Honor? At such a formal family banquet, with the Princess visiting, where has he gone as the Hezhou Magistrate?"
A faint note of dissatisfaction colored his voice.
Had Steward Qiao arranged this banquet, everything would have been properly handled. No important guest would have been absent.
All those years of schooling for Zhishu had been wasted.
Old Master Qiao sighed inwardly.
If they had sent Steward Qiao to school back then, would his own biological son be the magistrate now?
Unfortunately, they had had no choice at the time.
At that thought, the displeasure in Old Master Qiao's eyes grew even more obvious.
"Father, Mother, my husband took the gentleman accompanying the Princess to look for someone. He'll be here shortly."
Zhong Youling sat farthest from the seat of honor.
Even her younger sister sat closer to it.
Still, she did not hope for a closer seat.
Before Youyan arrived, her parents-in-law had not even allowed her to sit at the table. Supposedly, that was the custom in Hezhou City, and every household did the same.
At family banquets, she was allowed to sit at the table only if her husband was present too.
For