The funeral was exceptionally grand and magnificent, a spectacle that left the entire city of Beiping in awe. It was easy to imagine that even decades from now, people would still speak of the Su family’s funeral arrangements.
At this moment, the buzz was at an all-time high.
Despite the biting cold, people refused to stay huddled indoors for the winter. Tea houses, restaurants, and even the roadsides were packed with crowds eager to witness the spectacle. Every tongue wagged with stories about the Su family, the funeral, and the daughter, Su Ning.
One moment, they were debating exactly how many silver dollars had been spent on the ceremony.
The conversation would then drift to which lucky merchant had seen their entire year's inventory bought out, making a sudden fortune overnight.
The next instant, they would whisper mysteriously about what exactly that Mr. Su Huaishan had been doing abroad to amass such wealth in just a few decades.
Then came the speculation regarding the inheritance he had left his only daughter, Su Ning.
Some guessed a million dollars.
They were quickly shushed by others. Any fool in the east city could see that the funeral preparations alone must have cost at least several hundred thousand silver dollars. Miss Su wasn't an idiot; she wouldn't bankrupt herself just to stage a funeral.
Others guessed two million, or three million, each offering their own logic. The boldest among them suggested a fortune of ten million, though even he shook his head and laughed after saying it.
Such a vast sum? How could that be possible?
...
While the commoners on the street obsessed over these rumors, the various dignitaries and officials standing before Su Ning kept their faces composed, though they were actually even more concerned with the truth.
Faced with these scrutinizing gazes and the subtle probes hidden in their words, Su Ning felt only one thing—exhaustion. She was weary in both heart and body.
As the daughter of "Su Huaishan," she was required to stand before the coffin to receive the condolences of the guests, even if only the most prestigious were permitted to approach her directly. The rest were handled by other members of the Su family.
But the sheer volume of people was overwhelming. There were simply too many dignitaries in Beiping, and the funeral customs of the Republican era were truly a torment for the children of the deceased.
By midday, Su Ning had lost count of how many times she had bowed or how many powerful figures she had spoken to. She felt as if her waist was about to snap, her throat was parched, and her head was ready to explode.
Worse yet, the occasion did not allow her to rest or even take a sip of water!
In desperation, she switched to "power-saving mode," maintaining a cold and solemn expression—commonly known as a poker face. No matter what people said or what hidden meanings lay behind their words, she acted as if she were oblivious.
She offered nothing but a bow in return, remaining silent.
It must be said that the Su family members were quite helpful. They offered profuse apologies to the guests: "We thank you for gracing us with your presence. Our niece/cousin is so overwhelmed by grief that she finds it difficult to speak. I shall return the courtesy on her behalf."
With things framed that way, even those who were dissatisfied found it hard to complain.
After all, this era placed a high premium on filial piety. It seemed only natural that a daughter, bound by deep paternal affection, would be too heartbroken to attend to social niceties at a funeral...
Natural, my foot.
These powerful figures were accustomed to being flattered daily; they had rarely been treated with such coldness.
Some were broad-minded enough to understand, but those who weren't kept their grievances quiet in public while whispering behind her back once they were among acquaintances.
Most complained that Su Ning was too arrogant and looked down on them. They muttered that a "mighty dragon cannot crush a local snake," and that she would surely suffer for it in the future.
However, there were those who countered these views.
For instance, a middle-aged man in a hat standing on the left side of the hall shook his head at a friend who had just criticized Su Ning.
"Setting aside the fact that this is her own father's funeral—and who is supposed to be cheerful at a funeral? That would be unfilial—even if she is arrogant, she has the capital to be so."
"Hmph, so she has some money. These days, money alone doesn't get you everywhere."
"Who said she just has money..." He paused for effect. "She is incredibly wealthy."
After his little quip, he explained, "You're right that money alone isn't enough, and it makes it easy to be targeted by the authorities. But the brilliance here is that not only does Miss Su have money, but her funds and her connections are all abroad!"
"She dares to be this bold, to throw money around like this, and most importantly, she even has HSBC cooperating and helping her. Who knows how much power she wields overseas?"
Those listening nodded.
They felt a bitter tang of envy. Indeed, in this day and age, who didn't fear foreigners? They feared them, and those in power feared them even more.
They were both afraid and reliant, everyone scrambling to establish a connection with foreign powers.
Su Ning held a vast amount of foreign currency and could command the haughty HSBC. Most of the guests were aware of this, and many had come specifically for that reason.
For profit, for benefits.
What did a few cold looks matter in comparison?
The man in the hat spoke again: "Of course, no one has managed to establish a solid connection with Miss Su yet. Whether one can actually borrow that foreign influence is still an unknown."
"That’s why she’s clever. She’s clever because she hasn't been in Beiping long, her seat isn't even warm yet, and she’s already used her money to make Director Jian Ren utterly devoted to her."
At the mention of this, everyone shared a knowing look.
Everyone knew how pathetic Jian Ren had been recently. They knew he was a miserable scapegoat, with the noose practically tightening around his neck, until he happened upon Su Ning.
Suddenly, his fortunes had reversed.
Not only did he avoid death, but with Miss Su’s vast wealth clearing the path, his future was looking bright.
Of course, Su Ning didn't lose out either.
Without the deterrent of a police director like Jian Ren, it wouldn't have been long after she revealed her wealth before the city’s petty thieves and desperate criminals started coming for her in droves.
"A police director isn't that high of an official. Being a newcomer, she should be more amiable if she wants to build more connections."
The words sounded a bit sour.
Hearing this, the man in the hat grew more animated:
"Who says Miss Su doesn't have other connections? Her family has been in Beiping for generations. Decades ago, the Su family was quite famous. Some of their old family friends and distant relatives are still around."
He pointed toward the Su family members standing behind Su Ning.
"Look, those are the branch of the Su family that stayed in Beiping."
"They were destitute before, so naturally, those old connections ignored them. I heard even the Fang family, the family of the girl’s fiancé, was being cold and indifferent..."
It wasn't his fault for getting sidetracked; he was simply struck by the irony.
To be honest, he didn't envy the Su family—lineage was a matter of birth, and there was no point envying that. But the Fang family was supposed to be on the verge of ruin, yet their luck was incredible!
Rarity increases value.
Miss Su had only this one cousin; for her sake, she would surely pull the Fang family up with her.
Damn it, think of the benefits involved.
The others thought of this as well. Anyone who could get in here was well-informed, or at least knew of the Fang family’s good fortune, and their comments turned envious.
"The Fang family business is failing. I heard the young master of the Fang family is a talented student who studied abroad; I suppose he’s a barely acceptable match for Miss Su’s cousin."
"Hmph, what kind of 'talent' is he?"
Another man, who seemed to know more, divulged: "It’s not like he was a government-sponsored student. I heard he used foreign connections and backdoors just to get into a university. Even then, he had to spend two years in preparatory courses just to keep up."
"Is that true? How would you know?"
"My great-aunt’s grandson was a government-sponsored student at the same school. How could I not know?"
They were all acquaintances and remembered that he did indeed have a relative studying abroad. They nodded, accepting the truth of his words, but then another person raised a doubt:
“The Fang family is on its last legs. If they really had the high-level international connections needed to recommend someone for study abroad, would they still be scrambling and jumping through hoops over a few tens of thousands in foreign currency?”
“I agree. There’s something fishy going on there!”
The onlookers paused, finding the logic sound.
At that moment, the man in the hat decisively steered the conversation back on track.
“Alright, forget about the Fangs. It has nothing to do with us, so why overthink it?” If something really did happen, they could always wait and kick them while they were down. “Let’s get back to Miss Su. Just you wait and see—all those old family friends and connections the Su family used to have will start crawling back of their own accord.”
As if to prove his point, the situation over on Su Ning’s side suddenly shifted.
