The Chu family’s dinner with the Shang family was ultimately held at the old mansion. Neither Chu Zhang nor Chu Wang attended. Knowing from Shang Que that the Chu family had been involved in a landslide on Wuan Mountain, the Shangs were careful not to ask any questions. In fact, the elder Shangs secretly regretted the arrangement; had they known the situation, they would have preferred to book a private room elsewhere. That way, perhaps only Chu Teng and Chu Xu would have attended, rather than Chu Fu, who felt obliged to show up out of politeness. The only silver lining was that, despite his immense reluctance, Shang Que did not once lose the composure befitting a successor to the Shang family once he was seated at the table. Overall, thanks to both families’ commitment to cooperation, the dinner ended successfully.
After the meal, the elder Shangs and Chu Teng remained inside—the elder Mrs. Shang had specifically asked to visit Wen Lan—while the younger generation, Shang Que, Chu Xu, and Chu Fu, headed to the courtyard.
The three sat around a stone table in silence. Finally, Chu Xu glanced at Chu Fu, who was sitting quietly, and said, "Xiaofu, you should go back first. Mother needs someone to look after her."
Chapter 98