The banquet officially began, with dozens of long tables joined together. Servants orderly placed exquisite dishes on the tables. At the old lady’s invitation, guests gathered in groups of three to five from the courtyard to the dining tables.
The old lady sat at the head of the dining tables, while the rest were seated in order of seniority within the Di family. In the end, Jiang Wenbin and Xu Jingya were seated at the very back of the dining table.
Beside them sat the younger generation of the Di family, not even enough people to strike up a conversation.
Xu Jingya was displeased with her current seating arrangement. She tugged at Jiang Wenbin’s arm, trying to prompt him to stand up and converse with the old lady.
After all, they were distinguished guests of the Di family. How could their seating be less important than that of the Di family’s children?
Jiang Wenbin fidgeted in his chair, trying to attract the attention of others.
However, among everyone present, only Jiang Ziyu paid constant attention to the couple; no one else focused on them.
“The reason for organizing this family banquet today is that Ming Jue has recovered his eyesight. He has been plagued by illness all these years, and now that everything is well, I can finally say I have made it through,” the old lady said emotionally to everyone.
Approaching seventy, she should have been enjoying her life surrounded by great-grandchildren. However, due to the accidental death of her cherished son and the misfortune of her most capable grandson, she, an old woman, had no choice but to continue managing all the affairs of the Di residence.
Now that everything was improving, she was preparing to relinquish her authority.
Those present understood the implication of her words, and Zhao Yanxia was the first to express her dissatisfaction.
“It’s too soon to say that. Cousin has only just recovered his eyesight, and it’s uncertain whether his vision will deteriorate again. Moreover, Cousin’s legs are also inconvenient. Whether it’s household matters or company affairs, none of it is as important as good health,” Zhao Yanxia stated.
Zhao Yanxia’s words caused many in attendance to nod in agreement, especially those who disliked Di Ming Jue.
They all had ulterior motives. Di Ming Jue had always been cold and ruthless in his dealings. Even as members of the Di family, they could not escape his strict adherence to rules when they made mistakes.
“My dear sister, with so many grandsons, it’s too early to say such things,” Tao Meihong, one of the eldest members of the Di family, chimed in playfully.
She was a sister-in-law to the old lady, and Di Minghao, who had been sent to the police station by Di Ming Jue, was her most beloved grandson.
Even if this incident hadn’t occurred, she disliked Di Ming Jue.
The old lady heard their words but paid them no mind. She picked up her chopsticks and enthusiastically invited everyone, “Let’s begin!”
The dining table appeared calm on the surface, but beneath it lay hidden thoughts. Especially for Di Ruihe and Di Dongsheng, the couple found the food tasteless.
Towards the end of the meal, the old lady finally remembered the Jiang couple at the very back.
“In-laws.”
Jiang Wenbin’s head snapped up.
The old lady, holding her wine glass beside her plate, offered an apologetic toast, “I apologize for the oversight tonight. I hope you won’t take it to heart, my in-laws.”
Was it genuine oversight, or intentional? Xu Jingya felt a pang of displeasure.
After all, they were living people. Even if blind, one wouldn’t fail to see them.
Xu Jingya tugged at Jiang Wenbin’s arm, making faces at him and urging him to express his dissatisfaction.
“Grandma, we are all family, so there’s no need to talk about oversight. Besides, if there were any real oversight, they would definitely speak up,” Jiang Ziyu suddenly interjected.
Jiang Wenbin, about to speak, was silenced by her words. Biting his tongue, he reluctantly agreed, “Yes.”
The old lady’s tense expression relaxed, and a smile appeared on her face, “That’s good. After the banquet, I’ll arrange for a driver to take you home.”
“There’s no need to trouble yourselves. I’ll drive them back myself later,” Jiang Ziyu said dutifully, looking at Jiang Wenbin.