Chapter 21: The Banquet

As Ma Wenshan and Wen Yao were about to fight again, Dong Biling quickly summoned a maid, saying, “Escort Master Ma back to rest, and prepare four of the best guest rooms for these four esteemed guests. Treat them well and ensure they are not slighted in any way.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Thank you, Miss.”

Di Jiang and her group were settled in the western wing, with four connecting rooms. Wen Yao stayed next to Di Jiang in the second room.

After a day’s journey, Di Jiang was very tired and angered by the incident with Dong Yezhen, exhausting all her energy. She wanted to take a bath and rest for a while. However, just as she took off her coat, Wen Yao burst in holding a multi-colored golden basin.

“Boss! There’s a treasure in my room!” Wen Yao excitedly approached Di Jiang, presenting the object in her hands like a precious find.

At a glance, Di Jiang saw the vase embedded with haliotis, lapis lazuli, turquoise, yellow agate, lapis lazuli, red agate, and red coral—the so-called Seven Treasures in Buddhist tradition.

“A Seven Treasures chamber pot; you’ve found a treasure.” Di Jiang said indifferently.

“What is a chamber pot?” Upon hearing that this thing was a treasure, Wen Yao became even more fond of it. With great curiosity, she held the gem-encrusted pot, hugging it close and kissing and nibbling on it, trying to see if it was made of pure gold.

Di Jiang stood there dumbfounded, wanting to stop her but couldn’t bear to. In a moment of hesitation, she watched helplessly as Wen Yao rubbed it several times, almost licking it.

“It’s pure gold!” Wen Yao’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Di Jiang sighed, slowly saying, “No matter how expensive, it’s still just a chamber pot.”

“What exactly is a chamber pot?” Wen Yao asked, puzzled.

“A chamber pot... is a urinal, commonly known as the pot Mr. Dong uses for urinating at night.”

“What?!” Upon hearing this, Wen Yao immediately threw the chamber pot away.

With a ‘bang,’ the chamber pot fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

“Pah pah pah, Boss, why didn’t you tell me earlier!” Wen Yao looked unlucky, retching incessantly as if trying to vomit up dinner from several days ago.

“I was about to say something, but you already started biting it...” Di Jiang stared blankly at the scattered remains of the Seven Treasures chamber pot, sadly saying, “This will be deducted from your salary.”

“What?” Wen Yao looked stunned.

Di Jiang continued, “You damaged someone else’s property, don’t you need to compensate for it? I think this chamber pot is worth about thirty years of your salary. Time flies, so relax.” As she spoke, she patted Wen Yao’s shoulder affectionately, looking harmless and kind.

“...” Wen Yao’s face turned pale, unable to speak for a long time.

“Knock knock knock—” Three knocks sounded at the door, followed by a creak as it opened inward. Dong Biling gracefully walked in, asking, “What happened? I heard some commotion outside, did thieves break in?”

“No no, I just thought this thing was pretty, and accidentally broke it...” Wen Yao stammered, fearing she would reveal an astronomical price, which would lead to her boss skinning her alive.

To her surprise, Dong Biling didn’t even flinch, summoning the servants, “Clean this up and bring another one.”

“Yes.” The maids entered in succession and quickly cleaned up the debris.

“Do I... not need to compensate?” Wen Yao asked.

Dong Biling shook her head with a smile, “We have plenty of such things at home. If one breaks, I’ll send another one over. Don’t worry about it.”

“Miss Dong is generous and admirable!” Wen Yao beamed, nearly kneeling down to kowtow and call her grandmother.

After Dong Biling left, Wen Yao eagerly grabbed Di Jiang’s hand, exclaiming, “This family is extremely wealthy, incredibly rich!”

“...” Di Jiang looked helpless, a deep sense of shame permeating her mind. Sometimes she missed the once-arrogant dragon maiden—where had she gone?

In the evening, Dong Family Fortress was bustling with people. After waking up, Di Jiang had barely stepped out of her room when she heard many noisy voices from the front yard.

“Lady, my mistress instructed us to invite you to the banquet hall after you woke up.” The maid who had been waiting outside for a long time quickly approached Di Jiang upon seeing she had woken from her nap.

“What about my friends?” Di Jiang asked.

“They have already gone ahead.”

“Is that so? Then please lead the way.” Di Jiang smiled slightly, following the maid outside.

As they walked, they saw exquisite lotus carvings on the window frames. Both the front hall and the backyard were luxuriously decorated. Through the windows, they could see a stage in the front hall where the popular opera “Dream in the Garden” was being performed.

“Boss, you’re awake! I thought you’d sleep until noon tomorrow, so I didn’t wake you.” Wen Yao greeted Di Jiang and immediately invited her to sit beside her.

After taking her seat, Di Jiang noticed that the front hall of Dong Family Fortress was filled with scarlet dining tables, accommodating about a hundred people. Everything at the banquet was red, from large items like chairs and tables to small ones like every pair of chopsticks. Even the dishes served were radiant red.

“Do they all like uniform colors?” Di Jiang asked curiously, “They wore black during the funeral procession this afternoon, and now they’ve all changed to red?”

“You don’t know,” Wen Yao whispered, leaning close. “Master Dong listened to that fake Daoist and believed this could ward off evil spirits. But in my opinion, it’s all that fake Daoist’s trickery!”

“Exactly.” Di Jiang nodded and began eating. She then realized that the chopsticks were very heavy, likely solid gold with a layer of red lacquer to conceal their original brilliance.

Before Di Jiang could express her amazement, she saw a famous dish from southern China placed in the center of the feast—it was called fish slices. The fish slices were sliced as thin as cicada wings, melting in the mouth with just a dip in seasoning.

“They actually know how to make fish slices!” Di Jiang exclaimed.

“What’s so special about fish slices?”

“This is a delicacy of the mortal world!” Di Jiang said excitedly. “In the past, Zhang Han from Jiangsu province went to Luoyang to become an official but constantly yearned for the taste of his hometown’s fish slices. After much contemplation, he decided to resign and return home. It was all because the fish slices were so delicious that they could make an official act so impulsively. Fish slices were highly cherished by the nobility, though back then they were called ‘Crystal Slices,’ probably because of their crystal-clear appearance.”

“Are they really that delicious?” Wen Yao frowned.

“Absolutely!” Di Jiang nodded, picked up a piece, put it in her mouth, and looked deeply satisfied.

A grand banquet emphasizes every detail. Whether the food is delicious or not is sometimes unimportant; enjoying the luxury itself is the essence of the feast.

By the time Di Jiang finished her dinner, she was the only one left at the table. As the servants were clearing the dishes, she noticed them carrying several pairs of red lacquered chopsticks, about to throw them into the trash. She quickly stopped them, asking, “Are these chopsticks made of gold?”

“Yes, they are gold.” The servant nodded.

“Are you throwing away gold chopsticks? These could still be used countless generations later!”

The servant shook his head, saying, “Master Ma said these chopsticks are unlucky. After the meal, they must all be collected, and he will perform a ritual to bury them.”

“Again, Master Ma?” Wen Yao interjected.

Di Jiang also shook her head repeatedly, saying, “What a pity, how much money does this meal cost?”

“Hah, what’s this?” The servant seemed to look at them as if they were country bumpkins. “Our master has over twenty thousand pairs of chopsticks alone, made of high-quality materials and in various types—ivory, tortoiseshell, ebony, agarwood, and countless others. Who cares about a few hundred gold chopsticks?”

The servant continued, “Our Master Dong lives a very refined life, not something you folks can understand.”

“Oh? How refined?” Di Jiang became interested.

The servant cleared his throat proudly, “Our master applies fragrant ointment morning and evening. Wherever he goes, the air is filled with fragrance. He changes clothes every day. Once, during a guest reception period, he changed four sets of clothes. But what fascinates people most is his mode of transportation. His sedan chair is carried by thirty-two men, with a reception room in the front, a bedroom in the back, and a corridor in between. Inside, two young attendants stand ready to burn incense and fan him.”

These words from the servant caused Di Jiang and her companions to gasp repeatedly.

Even Di Jiang couldn’t help but want to applaud, secretly thinking, “This Dong household is truly wealthy and extravagant! So extravagant!”

“What if these chopsticks are thrown in the countryside, won’t they be stolen?” Di Jiang asked doubtfully.

“Who dares to steal the utensils used in Lady Yezhen’s grand burial?” The servant rolled his eyes. “They carry resentment!”

“Was it Master Ma who told you that?”

“Yes.”

Di Jiang swallowed hard and quietly told Wen Yao, “Later, go collect those chopsticks. They’re afraid to keep them; I’m not.”

“I’ll go right away!” Wen Yao nodded vigorously, clearly feeling that money was far more important than life—and much more significant.