Liu Yutong didn’t immediately return to the VIP section. Instead, she sat down right next to Lin Yi.
She still didn’t enjoy sitting with a bunch of older men and women—there was too much distance. She felt more comfortable at a table with young people.
By now, the people around them were looking at Liu Yutong and the Lin family members with noticeably different attitudes than before.
There was curiosity, surprise, and even a hint of awe.
After all, someone who dared to slap the eldest daughter of the Zhou family in front of everyone at the Jiang family’s birthday banquet and walk away unscathed was a rare sight in the capital.
And judging by how Lin Yi and the others were calling each other “sis” and “bro,” people seemed to be realizing something belatedly.
This Lin family didn’t seem as useless as the rumors suggested.
Lin Yi didn’t need much explanation. Though she grew up in the Shen family, she still had Lin blood in her veins.
As for Gao Min, someone had already found out that she was the daughter of the Lin family matriarch and also a first-level police inspector.
No wonder she showed no fear in front of the Zhou family.
And Liu Yutong was even more impressive—young as she was, she was already the chairman of a major corporation. On top of that, it seemed she had countless ties to the Lin family.
Looking at it that way, the Lin family was nothing to sneeze at.
Every single one of them was no pushover—they were all ruthless in their own way.
The only thing was, there were far more strong women than strong men.
Just look at Lin Feng and Lin Mian—those two were nowhere near the same level as the three female powerhouses.
Of course, Lin Feng and Lin Mian didn’t feel embarrassed at all. In fact, they felt proud.
So this was what it felt like to have powerful backers!
These sisters were awesome! Too cool!
Not long after the commotion had died down, a stir suddenly arose at the entrance of the banquet hall.
“Old Madam Jiang is here!”
“Old Madam Jiang has arrived!”
Everyone turned to look. An elderly woman with silver-white hair, wearing a dark red embroidered gown with floral patterns, walked in slowly, supported by several younger family members.
Though advanced in years, the old lady was in good spirits and exuded an air of nobility.
Flanking her were a young man and woman—one handsome and refined, the other elegant and graceful. They were Jiang Chao and Jiang Lan, the two most outstanding members of the Jiang family’s younger generation.
As soon as Old Madam Jiang appeared, all the guests rose to pay their respects.
“Wishing Old Madam Jiang boundless happiness and longevity!”
“May you stay healthy and vivacious, Old Madam!”
“…”
Old Madam Jiang smiled warmly and nodded to the crowd, taking her seat at the head table.
Only then did everyone else sit down, and the birthday banquet officially began.
Soon, the various families had their younger members present their gifts.
The Zhou family brought a jade artifact.
“Grandma Jiang, this is a small token from the Zhou family. Please accept it,” Zhou Yun said, handing over a gift box.
When the box was opened, inside lay a jade Buddha statue, smooth and lustrous, about the size of a palm. Its intricate craftsmanship made it clearly a rare treasure.
“This is a Hetian jade Buddha statue from the Qing imperial collection. My grandfather acquired it by chance years ago and treasured it ever since. Today, I offer it to you, Old Madam. May you enjoy good fortune, health, and the Buddha’s blessings.”
The crowd let out a wave of admiration.
That was no small gesture—it had to be worth at least seven figures.
Old Madam Jiang smiled and nodded. “Your grandfather is very thoughtful. Thank him for me.”
After presenting her gift, Zhou Yun deliberately rolled her eyes at Lin Yi’s table as she passed by, trying to provoke her.
Next came gifts from the other prominent families.
Some gave famous calligraphy and paintings, others antique porcelain, and a few presented jade and jewelry—every item was extremely valuable.
Old Madam Jiang accepted each one with a smile, though her expression didn’t reveal any particular reaction to any of them.
When it was the Lin family’s turn, Zhou Yun spoke up again.
“Lin Yi, what gift has your family prepared? Don’t tell me it’s some cheap junk picked up from a street stall? After all, everyone knows about the Lin family’s situation these days.”
At her words, the people around couldn’t help but roll their eyes inwardly.
Seriously? Didn’t you learn your lesson? You just got slapped, and now you’re provoking her again? Aren’t you afraid of getting another smack?
Lin Yi replied, “Miss Zhou, rest assured. No matter how down-and-out the Lin family may be, we wouldn’t embarrass ourselves with street stall junk.”
With that, she stood up, took a silk brocade box from Lin Feng, and walked over to Old Madam Jiang.
“Grandma Jiang, this is a piece of calligraphy my third uncle obtained from Master Qingyu. In celebration of your eightieth birthday, I present it on behalf of the Lin family. May you enjoy good fortune, good health, and a peaceful life.”
Once again, the crowd buzzed with amazement.
Master Qingyu’s calligraphy.
He was the undisputed master of contemporary calligraphy—a single piece from him was incredibly hard to come by.
Most importantly, this wasn’t an antique, nor did it have any quantifiable monetary value. The Jiang family could accept it without any awkwardness.
Old Madam Jiang’s smile became noticeably warmer. “You’re very thoughtful. I really like this gift.”
Lin Yi stepped back with a smile. As she passed Zhou Yun, she paused slightly and curled the corner of her mouth. “Miss Zhou, sorry to disappoint you.”
Zhou Yun’s face stiffened, and she gritted her teeth in fury.
Time passed, one moment after another, until it was finally Liu Yutong’s turn to present her gift.
She held a slender wooden box in her hands and walked toward Old Madam Jiang.
Everyone watched her, eager to see what treasure this woman—who had dared to slap the Zhou family’s face—could possibly offer.
Zhou Yun couldn’t resist sneering again. “Oh, so Miss Liu is finally presenting her gift? Let’s take a guess—what’s in the box? Another piece of calligraphy? If it’s another one by Master Qingyu, isn’t that a bit lazy?”
Several other Zhou family members chimed in with laughter.
“Maybe it’s a painting by Tang Bohu? Hahaha…”
“If it really turns out to be by Tang Bohu, I’ll eat this cup on the spot.”
“Come on, Miss Liu is from out of town. Maybe she brought some local specialty—like a basket of free-range eggs? Hahaha…”
Liu Yutong ignored their mockery and walked straight up to Old Madam Jiang.
“Grandma Jiang, I’m Liu Yutong, from Mingzhu City. This is my birthday gift for you. Please accept it.”
With that, she opened the wooden box.
Inside was neither a famous painting, nor an antique, nor any local specialty.
Instead, it was a framed piece of calligraphy.
The characters were written with a brush in a very childish hand—crooked and uneven, clearly the work of a beginner or a child.
It read: “Wishing Grandma Jiang good health and a long, long life.”
The signature consisted of a long list of names, densely packed—over a thousand of them, like a guestbook of signatures.
The banquet hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in laughter.
“Hahaha… That’s it? A basket of free-range eggs would be worth more!”
“Which kindergarten kid wrote that? Miss Liu, this is way too careless!”
The younger members of the Zhou family laughed the loudest.
“That gift might just be the weirdest I’ve ever seen!”
“Isn’t she just trying to brush off the old lady?”
“…”
Even some neutral onlookers couldn’t hide their odd expressions and shook their heads.
This gift really was… hard to justify.
Although giving something too valuable to Old Madam Jiang might have been inappropriate, as she might return it all later, surely one couldn’t be this dismissive.
At the very least, she should have shown some sincerity.
Just as Zhou Yun was about to speak again with a sarcastic tone, a gentle yet piercing voice came from the doorway.
"What gift has made you all laugh so much? I'd like to see it too."
Then they saw a particularly dignified middle-aged woman, surrounded by a group of core members of the Jiang family, walk in.
The woman appeared to be in her fifties, exceptionally well-preserved, with a gentle and graceful demeanor, yet radiating an authoritative air that inspired respect without anger.
Everyone present froze at the sight of her.
After a moment of realization, they all stood up abruptly, their expressions turning extremely respectful.
"Madam, good to see you!"
