Changbai was so favored by middle-aged women that letters with increasing hospitality came one after another from Madam Hai. At first, the letters sounded a bit condescending, but later they got more intimate with addressing terms "her mother/father-in-law". Learning that Changbai lived alone in the Sheng Mansion in the capital, they even wanted to invite him home. Considering that his tenure was about to expire, Sheng Hong asked servants to clean the mansion up so that they could move in when they returned back to the capital.

More than half a month later, Changbai finally came back home, passion from mother-in-law replaced with that from mother. Wang shi rubbed her son's head, feeling that her ten-month pregnancy and emotional investment for a dozen of years wasn't wasted, and tears of excitement swelled up in her eyes. In fact, she had prepared a white steed and bouquet made of red silk for Changbai to stroll around showing the honor, but he rejected the idea. Naturally, Wang shi was a bit depressed. Minglan actually understood Wang shi's feeling. With such a boss-like husband and a father-like son, anyone would be depressed.

Sheng Hong chose a cool and sunny day to throw a banquet as a compensation. It happened to be an off-day, so he invited a batch of colleagues and seniors to share the joy.

In late spring and early summer, the scenery in the garden was dotted with green trees and red flowers. Mountains rocks piled up one on another. The good sighting was most suitable to receive guests. Wang shi had planned to call in a troupe of opera singers, but Sheng Hong wanted to keep a low-profile. Therefore, the banquet only set a few tables with male guests drinking in the front hall while female guests in another place in the backyard. Sheng family was in good terms with many families in Deng Prefecture. Some close friends arrived much earlier but to everyone's surprise, the one arrived earliest was Junzhu Pingning.... You may read the left chapter on Flying Lines (click the link below) :D