Unknown Intrusion

Chapter 109 Medal
On the gentle hillside, between neatly trimmed lawns, lies a wide avenue wide enough for four horse-drawn carriages to pass side by side, the ground paved with fine, flat bricks.

The manor is surrounded by red brick walls, and the main gate, a gilded brass gate, is currently open.

A steady stream of carriages slowly entered the manor and, guided by male servants, stopped under the constructed canopy.

As she bent down and jumped off the car, the girl in black skillfully held down her skirt and landed lightly.

"Young Miss." A maid was waiting there, handing her a towel. "Please wipe your sweat."

"Thank you for your trouble, Sister Liu." Song Qiongyao took the hot towel without changing her expression, quickly wiped the fine sweat from her temples, and then, as if suddenly remembering something, casually asked, "Is he here?"

"If you're asking about the young master from the Su family, he's in the living room right now. Would you like to go see him?"

Song Qiongyao looked hesitant and indecisive.

Despite having been prepared, is it really necessary to do this?
She placed her hand on her chest, silently asking herself the same question.

What exactly are my feelings?

All of this was observed by the maid, who was about the same age as her, and a smile quietly appeared on her lips.

"Young Miss, Madam has returned."

"Ah, Mother is back!" Song Qiongyao was interrupted from her thoughts and turned her attention back, immediately appearing preoccupied.

"Madam has instructed you to receive the guests on her behalf!"

"After you finish receiving the guests, hurry up and see the lady. The local specialties brought back from Beihai can't be kept for too long."

Song Qiongyao wore a complicated expression.

It's easy to understand why the mother is rarely seen; it's a family history of illness.

Mother loves her too. The so-called special products brought back from Beihai are very valuable, and they are the only ones that mother can bring back.

However, the meaning of her mother's birth to her became the source of her own suffering.

Should I end up like my mother?

Thinking of this, she subconsciously glanced around.

"Qiaoqiao?! You're here too!"

She didn't see the young man, but she saw a familiar friend standing on the second-floor windowsill, waving gently at her. Song Qiongyao's originally light steps suddenly became heavy and slow.

"Let me greet the guests first!" She wanted to escape for a moment, even if only temporarily.

……

"Song Qiongyao is greeting the guests who are arriving one after another!" After a long while, Su Yu, who had just finished drinking a cup of coffee, looked over and noticed that the girl who was greeting the guests had a much fainter smile.

"Did something unpleasant happen?"

"You must be tired from your journey. I am deeply grateful to you for coming all this way at my father's invitation." The young woman gracefully lifted her skirt and bowed to the elderly gentleman.

“The former Sir Song was an old friend of mine, and I was very saddened by his passing. However, I was ill at home at the time and was unable to come in person… Now that you have something to do at home, how could you not come?”

The elderly gentleman who came to visit was the owner of a grand hotel. According to his servants, he claimed that he had come by train.

"It is a pleasure to have such a distinguished guest as you at our banquet. Please relax and enjoy your dinner tonight."

Song Qiongyao used respectful language and spoke clearly and without error, but she seemed a little too nervous.

Not far behind her, Su Yu could see the weariness on her forehead.

"You call me a distinguished guest... but I'm really just an ordinary rich man!"

The old gentleman gently corrected her, straightened his posture, and gave her a kind smile.

"You look tired too, don't you?"

"You don't really need to greet me. I haven't been to your house in the last few years."

"I'm so sorry, I've never had so many guests before, I'm sorry you had to see this funny."

Shortly afterward, the old gentleman entered the banquet hall with his servants.

The girl's face looked even more tired, visibly reminiscent of rose petals after being exposed to the sun, having lost much of their luster.

She spoke in a voice only Su Yu could hear, "I'm sorry, there are more guests than expected today... I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." "Too many! Isn't the venue you prepared a bit too conservative?"

Su Yu looked toward the venue.

New carriages continued to pull up outside, while guests arrived with invitations standing on the back porch...

"Half of the new guests are not from this county. There couldn't possibly have been that many when the invitations were sent out... I've looked at most of the guest list, and it wasn't there three days ago."

"...Someone forged an invitation?" Noble etiquette dictates that one cannot suddenly show up at someone's door; that would be extremely impolite.

"No, no, it must have been Mother who made it." She frowned in annoyance.

"My mother married into the family from another county. The Earl of Lenor's family is a very famous winemaking family."

Have you heard of Château Riviera wines?

"I seem to have heard of her, but I've never seen her before." Su Yu nodded and then shook her head. She had seen her aunt, Li Ningzhuang, though.

"Château Reveille, its Grand Cru class, produces only about 1100 bottles per year. It has a rich aroma and a very unique flavor. 11.73 per bottle of Château Reveille."

"The regular grade isn't that expensive, and it sells quite well. If you pair it with wild game meat, it's a great choice. My family used it for this banquet."

"This was also a gift from my mother."

"As for my mother's ways... well..." She sighed helplessly, choosing her words carefully, "She could bring relatively generous gifts, or she could suddenly invite guests—that's just her style."

"She's actually quite willful!"

After sighing, Song Qiongyao said, "Go inside. Most of the guests have arrived, and your father is waiting for you in the lobby!"

"I understand." Su Yu checked the time and saw that it was almost time, so he went into the hall.

In the hall that served as a banquet hall, there were silver candlesticks decorated with the family crest and a table with silver tableware.

Wealthy landlords and capitalists chatted happily throughout the venue.

Among the elegantly dressed guests, a simply dressed black-haired boy entered and immediately became the focus of everyone's attention.

A number of curious glances were directed at him, and some even raised their glasses to him.

"A salute to our young teacher!"

"Haha, you're right!"

The crowd was full of friendly smiles, and when Su Yu stepped forward, they made way for the carpet that had already been laid out, with the Blackshire flag embroidered on it hanging behind him.

Song Shuying watched with a smile as the attendant in the silver-buttoned uniform lifted up the brass medal box.

Su Yu stepped forward, stood on the steps, and slightly bent his knees.

Song Shuying unfolded the parchment scroll and read aloud: "According to the council's approval and City Hall Order No. 1275, in recognition of Su Yu's merit in rescuing more than 30 people, he is hereby awarded the City Glory Medal."

As Su Yu lowered his head slightly to let Song Shuying pin the medal on him, the band suddenly played a short movement of "Glory, Citizens," and the men and women around him applauded.

The medal awarded by the city hall is made of iron and is at the lowest level of the medal hierarchy. Strictly speaking, this medal is not very valuable, but it grants early access to citizenship rights and various conveniences. Moreover, it is a starting point for qualification.

Moreover, most of the people here are either investors in the fleet or participants in the pioneering efforts.

Su Yu personally participated in the rescue and provided crucial assistance.

It's fair to say that the level of friendliness here has reached the point of being friendly.

Wearing his medals, Su Yu walked around once, and was greeted by crowds of people. He clinked glasses countless times, and the milk in his glass was changed again and again...

"How many people's fates will change after this?" Thinking of this, Su Yu's heart began to pound.

The deviation caused by changing their predetermined fate is the energy source of the system.

However, there was no time to worry about that at the moment.

A steady stream of people crowded forward, followed by another round of thanks and invitations.

...The smile on his face almost froze.

(End of this chapter)