Chapter 53: A Daughter Desperate to Wed, a Narcissistic Father

If Cui Shi could read minds and knew what was going through Chu Jiaojiao’s head at this moment, he would undoubtedly be dumbfounded by her shameless thoughts.

Regaining her senses, Chu Jiaojiao retreated to her seat with bitter reluctance. Beside her, Madam Sun immediately grabbed her hand and whispered urgently into her ear.

"You mustn't be impatient. You cannot simply claim the identity of the eldest young miss just like that. What if the Fang family decides to make a scene? How do you expect your mother to help you then?"

Chu Jiaojiao nodded secretly, though her heart remained anxious. From time to time, she cast sidelong glances at Cui Shi, as if looking at him enough times could somehow make the man her own.

"Mother, I have a strong intuition. This young master of the Cui family might just be the finest match I can ever hope to find in Rongcheng. You simply must help me."

Good men had to be fought for—this was a notion Madam Sun had instilled in Chu Jiaojiao since childhood. Thus, she had already made up her mind to secure this match at all costs.

Madam Sun patted the back of Chu Jiaojiao's hand and offered comforting reassurance.

"My precious daughter, Mother will definitely help you."

Standing just behind them, Chu Yan'er heard every single word of their private conversation. She clenched her fists tightly, enduring the humiliation as she secretly vowed to herself that whatever her elder sister fancied and desired, she too could fight and contend for.

It was what her mother always said: sometimes a woman had to use any means necessary. As long as one was bold enough and uninhibited in her methods, any man could be won!

Cui Shi was well aware that everyone in the Chu family assumed the eldest young miss of the Chu household he had mentioned was Chu Jiaojiao.

However, publicly, the Chu family had always regarded their adopted daughter, Chu Meng, as their eldest, even recording her as legitimate in the family genealogy. This matter had caused quite a stir back in the day, and ignorant commoners had praised the Chu family for being so benevolent as to treat an adopted waif from the streets with such kindness, even granting her the status of legitimate eldest daughter—a feat few families could accomplish.

Yet, as time passed, people gradually began to notice anomalies.

While the other young masters and misses of the Chu family frequently made public appearances and the female relatives were sent to private academies, Chu Meng was never seen again.

That status of eldest young miss had likely become a hollow title long ago.

The reason Cui Shi insisted on recognizing Miss Chu's proper status was that he felt the Chu family had gone too far. Since they had bestowed that identity upon her, they ought to have seen it through to the end.

Normally, they failed to treat her as the eldest daughter, but the moment the Chu family had a need, she suddenly became the eldest young miss once more. This was utterly unfair to Miss Chu.

As for that Fang Shihuai, there was no need for excessive worry. Cui Shi believed that with Miss Chu's capabilities, she would certainly never allow herself to be married off to an unaccomplished profligate.

His decision to bring all the goods listed on the inventory and present himself at their door today was intended to bolster Miss Chu's standing and elevate her prestige, just to see if the Chu family still dared to look down their noses at people.

"It seems there is still one young miss from the Chu family who has yet to arrive. This young master shall wait a little longer for her."

Cui Shi spoke up. Although he had not named Chu Meng outright, every single young miss of the Chu family was present except for her. Who else could it possibly be?

At this, the members of the Chu family who had moments before been waiting to watch a good show turned looks of mockery toward Chu Jiaojiao and her mother. Although the second and third branches could not fathom why the young master of the Cui family would want to see that good-for-nothing, they were more than happy to watch the primary branch suffer a humiliating setback.

Chu Zhonghe's face darkened as he waved a hand to summon Chu Meng, his expression far from pleasant.

Yet, upon careful reflection, he concluded that the Chu family had not lost out.

Aside from the fact that his own daughter had just made a fool of herself and become the laughingstock of the second and third branches, nothing catastrophic had occurred.

Ultimately, the servants were to blame for getting the wires crossed, and Young Master Cui himself had failed to clarify precisely whom he wished to see. Jiaojiao could not be faulted for that.

As for Chu Meng, Chu Zhonghe had already resolved in his mind to placate this adopted daughter properly and keep her steady.

Since Young Master Cui was very likely to develop a romantic prospect with Chu Meng, he had all the more reason to safeguard that paternal relationship.

If Young Master Cui were to marry Chu Meng, compounded by a successful alliance with the Fang family, the Chu family would undoubtedly go much further under his leadership in the future!

As for that Prince You, Chu Zhonghe felt a lingering sense of apprehension upon deeper thought. Rumor had it that Prince You was cold, bloodthirsty, and rather difficult to deal with. If the Chu family genuinely sought to latch onto Prince You, the risks would likely be immense.

It would be far better to ally first with the Cui family, and then with the Fang family. Under this dual reinforcement, the status of the Chu family would rise significantly.

With his bargaining chips multiplied, if he truly managed to sit at the same table with Prince You in the future, he would possess a certain capital, and that formidable lord would surely weigh both sides before acting.

Chu Zhonghe considered himself exceptionally strategic and profound, feeling it was truly a pity that he was merely the head of a merchant family.

With his shrewd calculations, had he entered an official career, he would undoubtedly have risen rapidly to prominence.

Naturally, Chu璃 remained completely unaware of Chu Zhonghe's misplaced sense of self-assurance. Having finished drawing her talismans, she stepped out of her bedchamber just in time to hear someone shouting outside her courtyard.

"Chu... Eldest Young Miss, Master summons you to the front parlor for questioning."

To this day, the steward simply refused to believe that the person Young Master Cui sought could possibly be this disgraced adopted daughter of the Chu family.

In the Chu household, who was unaware of the true standing of this good-for-nothing?

Never mind that the family head and the others currently appeared polite to her; it was all an act, a pretense, orchestrated solely to make her marry into the Fang family in place of the real eldest daughter!

Once the matter was settled, who in the Chu family would give a single thought to whether she lived or died?

She was nothing more than a discarded pawns, dirty water splashed outside—even after marriage, she would have no clan to back her.

Chu璃 stretched her limbs in the courtyard and, upon hearing the summons, completely ignored it.

What was that old lamp of a steward anyway? Just because he told her to go, she had to obey?

After shouting for a long time without receiving any response, the steward grew furious and bellowed several more times. Growing impatient, Chu璃 casually replied:

"Go tell that old thing that if he wants to ask something, he can come here himself. I am busy."

The steward was utterly shocked. This good-for-nothing had returned abruptly after an absence of three years, and she truly seemed different. Just listen to what she had said—it was simply unfilial and rebellious!

"The family head is your father! If Eldest Young Miss speaks in this manner, this old servant will have no choice but to report this directly to the family head and the mistress. At that time, we can even let Young Master Cui hear precisely what kind of uncultured wretch the Chu family's Miss Chu Meng truly is."

"Culture?" Suddenly, Chu璃 swung the courtyard door open and stepped outside. Though her face retained a slightly pale, sickly complexion, her imposing aura was akin to that of a ferocious beast, instantly making it difficult for the steward to draw breath.

"You speak to me of culture? You are nothing more than a dog belonging to the Chu family—how dare you lecture your master?"

Though this steward appeared to be around forty years of age, he had served in the Chu household for over a decade. When Chu Meng was first brought back to the estate, he had just been promoted to steward and had been immensely proud of himself. After Chu Meng lost her backing, this canine scoundrel had bullied her on countless occasions.

"Qiuyi, teach this dog some manners so he remembers how a lapdog ought to behave."

The moment Chu璃 finished speaking, Qiuyi stepped forward wielding a broom, bringing it down squarely across the steward's face with a fierce smack.

"You wretched dog, committing offenses against your superiors! How dare you show disrespect to my young miss? I'll beat you to death!"

Qiuyi held nothing back. Following several miserable shrieks from the steward, his face was a bloody mess, and he doubled over in agony, curling up like a roasted prawn.

Without even glancing at the steward, Chu璃 strode toward the front parlor.

Since Young Master Cui had come, he had presumably uncovered her true identity.

During her time at the Seven Treasures Residence, although she had worn a veil, she had not concealed her surname. With just a minimal amount of investigation, Cui Shi should easily have deduced that she was none other than Chu Meng, the adopted daughter of the Chu family who had returned to Rongcheng after a three-year absence.

Every single member of the Chu family was utterly snobbish; she wondered what their reactions would be once they realized Cui Shi had come specifically for her.