Finest Servant - Chapter 187

Chapter 187 The Birthday Celebration

Lin Wanrong paused at the mention of the birthday celebration, then quickly remembered. Both Luo Yuan and his sister had told him about it, and he’d promised to attend. But he’d been so busy these days with his business in Hangzhou and fighting against Tao Dongcheng that he had simply forgotten.

He smiled, saying, “Rest assured, Miss Luo. I will definitely go and wish the birthday elder well. I didn’t see Luo Yuan today; is he busy with the preparations?”

Luo Ning nodded, “It’s our grandmother’s seventieth birthday. There’s a lot to prepare, and my father has assigned many tasks to my younger brother. He can’t get away. If it weren’t for a letter from a friend of mine today, I’d probably still be busy at home.”

Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, “Thanks to my presence, you have a legitimate excuse to be lazy. Shouldn’t you be thanking me, Miss Luo?”

Luo Ning smiled gently, replying, “Brother Lin, you really have a way with words.”

Noticing Luo Ning’s radiant appearance – rosy cheeks, beautiful face, and sparkling eyes – Lin Wanrong’s heart skipped a beat. He thought, ‘This girl knows I’m not interested in her, yet she insists on smiling at me every time we meet. Is she trying to tease me? Damn it, my self-control is getting worse. Seeing a beautiful woman makes me lose my senses. How sinful.’

After parting ways with Luo Ning, Lin Wanrong considered the situation. He had a good relationship with the Luo siblings, and old man Luo was very decent. He decided to prepare a generous gift – a small diamond that he had traded with Tavoni. He was sure the elderly lady would give the diamond to her beloved granddaughter, thus indirectly fulfilling Luo Ning’s wish to possess a diamond.

Early next morning, Lin Wanrong was still asleep when the Eldest Miss sent someone to find him.

When he arrived in the main hall, Young Master Guo and the Eldest Miss, both dressed in fresh new clothes, were already waiting for him. Seeing him still in his everyday outfit, the Eldest Miss frowned slightly and said, “Today is Governor Luo’s mother’s birthday, shouldn’t you be in a new set of clothes?”

Suddenly remembering that the Young Master Guo and Eldest Miss had also been invited, Lin Wanrong slapped his forehead and laughed, “I’m just a humble servant. It doesn’t matter what I wear. With the Eldest Miss here to represent our house and display our graceful image, it’s more than enough. If I dressed up too handsomely and stole your limelight, I would be embarrassed.”

“Stop it,” the Eldest Miss said shyly but happily.

Young Master Guo, who had been saved by Lin Wanrong yesterday, clapped him on the shoulder and said, “Lin San, well done. I’m glad I didn’t misjudge you.”

The Eldest Miss glanced at Lin Wanrong, thinking to herself, ‘His trick of playing dumb and cute could only fool my cousin.’

Young Master Guo and Lin Wanrong rode horses, while the Eldest Miss took a sedan. The three of them proceeded grandly towards the Governor’s mansion.

Though Lin Wanrong had a good relationship with the Luo siblings and was acquainted with Luo Min, this was his first time visiting the Governor’s mansion. Not far from the mansion, he saw a large gate painted red, with two majestic stone lions standing by its side. Above the gate hung a gold-inscribed plaque – Luo Mansion of Jinling.

Still some distance from the mansion, the Eldest Miss alighted from her sedan, urging the two men to dismount. Lin Wanrong, puzzled, asked, “Miss, we’re still a long way from the mansion. Why dismount so early?”

She gave him a look and said, “Can’t you read? Can’t you see for yourself?”

“See what?” Lin Wanrong was confused, and so was Young Master Guo.

The Eldest Miss sighed, “The plaque of Mr. Luo’s mansion was bestowed by the Emperor himself. It is extremely prestigious. It is customary for scholars to leave their sedans and warriors to dismount when they pass this place. How could you not know this?”

Lin Wanrong let out a long, understanding ‘oh.’ ‘Just because the Emperor inscribed the plaque, it even trumps traffic lights?’ He looked around and indeed, those who came to celebrate the birthday all dismounted from their sedans or horses from afar and walked forward.

The governor’s mother was celebrating a milestone birthday, a grand event indeed. Which officials in Jiangsu would dare to be negligent? They were all scrambling to present their generous gifts. As Lin Wanrong was talking with the Eldest Miss, several groups of officials passed by, each with their family members, carrying birthday gifts with great pomp.

The Eldest Miss whispered, “Lin San, you assaulted Young Master Hou. It was Mr. Luo who suppressed the matter. He has done our family a great favor, and we should not fail to repay it. The birthday gift cannot be light.”

The Eldest Miss took out a box of longevity peaches, longevity noodles, and a large, sealed package from her sedan and handed them to Lin Wanrong, saying, “You should take care of these. Give them to the steward at the entrance later.”

The package was quite heavy in his hand, yet compared to the large and small boxes carried by others, it seemed rather insignificant. Lin Wanrong didn’t know what was inside. He laughed and followed the Eldest Miss and her cousin toward the entrance.

When they reached the gate, the Eldest Miss respectfully handed over her name card. The ceremonial officer accepted it with a bow and announced, “From the Xiao family of Jinling, one pair of birthday peaches, a load of longevity noodles, ten bottles of perfume, and a hundred bars of soap. Wishing the esteemed elder fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea, and longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountain.”

Lin Wanrong was taken aback at the list of items, surprised that the large package contained all these things. Ten bottles of perfume and a hundred bars of soap, worth nearly two thousand taels of silver. All were priceless items in the market. ‘Wow, Old Luo is making a fortune this time,’ he thought. ‘Just by selling these gifts, he can easily make three thousand taels.’

The Eldest Miss lightly tugged at Lin Wanrong, pulling him out of his astonishment. ‘Fine,’ he thought, ‘Old Luo may be a bit cunning, but he is a good official and has been kind to me. I’ll let him profit from this.’

The Eldest Miss asked softly, “Lin San, what’s the matter?” Lin Wanrong gave her a thumbs-up, “Miss, you are truly sharp and generous. A true merchant at heart.”

“Stop it!” The Eldest Miss blushed and huffed, then took the lead into the mansion.

Offering perfume and soap as birthday gifts was an idea unique to the Eldest Miss. Indeed, these gifts were carefully selected. Many offered jade and antiques, but the Xiao family’s exclusive recipe for the perfume and soap, famous throughout Jiangsu, was priceless and unique. It served not only as a unique gift but also as a brilliant advertisement for the Xiao family. The Eldest Miss was indeed shrewd.

Upon their entrance, Luo Min, his face glowing, greeted them, “Miss Xiao, I apologize for my tardiness.”

As a governor, Luo Min held an esteemed position, yet he had personally come out to welcome the Xiao family, a significant show of respect. The Eldest Miss was both flattered and surprised, “I am just a humble girl. I’m unworthy of such a grand welcome.”

Luo Yuan, standing next to Luo Min, grinned at Lin Wanrong, “Big brother, you’ve arrived.” He turned to Guo Wuchang, “Young Master Guo, it’s been a while. Please, come inside.”

As the three were escorted into the mansion, Lin Wanrong noticed the mansion’s spaciousness, the courtyard was filled with tables and many local officials. They were surprised to see a merchant family being personally received by the governor and his son.

What was even more surprising was when Luo Min personally escorted the three into the main hall. This hall had only about ten tables, each occupied by the most prominent figures in Jiangsu. How could a merchant family sit alongside them? The Eldest Miss, though she had seen many things in business, had limited interactions with officials. Now, suddenly surrounded by so many high-ranking figures, she felt a bit anxious.

Lin Wanrong, noticing her unease, leaned in and whispered, “Don’t worry, they can’t eat us.” The Eldest Miss cracked a small smile, her heart settling somewhat, and she took her seat.

Luo Yuan approached him, “Big brother, your status is not ordinary, please have a seat.”

Lin Wanrong shook his head and chuckled, “I’m just a small servant of the Xiao family. My place is beside the Eldest Miss.” He knew better than to draw attention to himself. Pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger, that was his best option.

In the grand hall, he recognized several familiar faces, one of whom was Tao Yu, a high-ranking official he had met just the day before. Tao Yu occasionally glanced at the Eldest Miss with anger in his eyes.

Another familiar face was the beaten Young Master Hou. In just a few days, the bruises on his face had faded, restoring his handsome, debonair appearance. He glared at Lin Wanrong, his teeth gritted and eyes spitting fire. But he was a weak scholar and dared not make a scene here. Moreover, he still felt some fear towards Lin Wanrong’s ferocity.

Seeing Young Master Hou’s constant glare, Lin Wanrong became impatient. He glared back fiercely, causing Young Master Hou to quickly lower his head. Seeing his cowardly reaction, Lin Wanrong snorted disdainfully, ‘He’s less of a man than a woman.’

Speaking of women, Lin Wanrong suddenly thought of Tao Wanying, who had repeatedly stood up for Hou Yuebai. Despite being a woman, she had far more spirit than this monkey. On his way back to Hangzhou, he had teased the girl so much, he wondered how she was doing now. Surely she hadn’t been so distressed as to take her own life? ‘Guilty, guilty,’ he thought to himself, he had done nothing, it wasn’t his fault.

At the head of the table in the center of the hall sat a man with a dark face and thick eyebrows, his presence intimidating. Cheng Ruinian, whom Lin Wanrong had encountered a few times before, stood beside him. Could this man be Cheng De? A chill ran through Lin Wanrong. In the territory of Jiangsu, the one who could sit at the head of the governor’s banquet must be none other than Cheng De.

In secret, Cheng De and Luo Min had been battling each other relentlessly. However, in public, he was still controlled by Luo Min, and both men appeared harmonious. No one knew that these two men were like fire and water in private, utterly incompatible.

Just as Lin Wanrong was getting bored, the sound of drums and music filled the air. The master of ceremonies loudly proclaimed, “The auspicious time has arrived. Please welcome the birthday star.”

Amid the drum and music, Luo Ning, dressed in a red shirt and with a blush on her face, slowly walked in, supporting an elderly woman with a radiant face and kind eyes. Luo Min and Luo Yuan followed them, revealing three generations of the Luo family to the onlookers.

“May the birthday star’s blessings be as vast as the East Sea, and her life as enduring as the South Mountain.” Everyone in the hall stood up and sang in unison.