Lin Yan, the banquet that evening was a gathering of all government officials.
Although Lin Yan was very reluctant to attend, as the only daughter of Father Lin, she was still invited.
Lin Yan found such banquets very boring, but she had no choice but to refuse. After all, Father Lin was still an official.
Although Lin Yan looked down on this government, they were still the actual leaders of Shanghai. Lin Yan had to give them some face when working under them.
So, after Lin Yan returned home, changed into her evening gown, and applied her makeup, she went to the banquet venue. Lin Yan arrived right on time, neither too early nor too late.
After all, most of the guests at this banquet were her father's colleagues, and she, as a junior, couldn't be too late.
However, she did not expect to almost become the protagonist of this banquet. She had always thought that since she started her factory, she would be blacklisted for marriage alliances by these official families in Shanghai.
Moreover, she had been mingling with people from the Chamber of Commerce and had a very close relationship with Boss Du. Therefore, she had always thought that the wives of these officials would look down on her.
But she did not expect that her wealth would instead arouse their covetousness. Listening to the flattering yet disdainful words of those ladies, it seemed as if their sons taking a fancy to her was a bestowed favor.
This banquet made Lin Yan extremely uncomfortable. Fortunately, Father Lin did not agree to any of his colleagues' proposals for marriage alliances.
After all, Lin Yan had just returned from abroad, and Father Lin wanted to keep her for a few more years. Besides, he knew his colleagues' sons very well and did not think these dissolute second-generation officials were worthy of his daughter.
Without Lin Yan's knowledge, Father Lin had already rejected many blind dates for her. It was just this banquet today that he could not avoid, otherwise, he would not have let his daughter attend.
Lin Yan responded to the officials' wives with a fake smile, and some of them were not even wives, but concubines of officials.
She truly could not accept the current marriage system. Although it was said that marriage was free and arranged marriages were opposed, parental orders and go-betweens were still the norm in society.
Even though monogamy was beginning to be advocated, it did not seem to have stopped the custom of powerful families keeping concubines.
Lin Yan did not think these ladies would agree to let their sons marry only her.
Moreover, these ladies kept saying that as a woman, one didn't need to work so hard. If she married their sons, she could enjoy a life of comfort.
There were also those who said that women shouldn't be so public, exposed to the wind and sun, and should stay at home, shopping and drinking tea.
There were also those who said that her father only had one daughter, so if she married into their family, she could have a child with the Lin surname in the future.
Listening to these words, Lin Yan couldn't help but sneer inwardly. These people didn't look good, but they had quite beautiful fantasies. They wanted her to marry her industries as dowry into their family and let them handle them.
To claim the appropriation of a daughter-in-law's dowry so righteously was quite a feat. Under the guise of considering Lin Yan and the Lin family, they uttered such words as if to seize all their assets.
Lin Yan truly didn't know how to describe these ladies. Did they consider her a fool? Looking at those second-generation officials and young masters who reluctantly flattered her, Lin Yan found it incredibly ironic.
It was no wonder her father looked down on these people, and she felt the same. However, it was rumored that there were a few who were quite capable, but their families looked down upon Lin Yan's pervasive mercantile scent and her excessive ambition.
They wanted someone who could be a good wife to their sons, not someone who could overshadow them.
In fact, when Lin Yan first returned, she was pursued by many people. After all, Lin Yan was beautiful, came from a good family, and had the experience of studying abroad, which made many people's hearts flutter.
But when Lin Yan began to display her capabilities, many suitors retreated. After all, they were looking for a beautiful and talented wife, not a successful female entrepreneur.
Especially after Lin Yan connected with Mr. Du, fewer people dared to pursue her. After all, their usual methods of courtship were no match for Lin Yan.
Later, Lin Yan even directly conversed with their fathers, which made them even more hesitant to act rashly.
This banquet left Lin Yan fuming, but she didn't know whom to vent her anger on. Father Lin was also very angry, but he couldn't directly lose his temper.
Not to mention that they were colleagues, he couldn't directly offend these people. Even if they didn't deliberately obstruct his work, he couldn't afford to offend the wives of these officials.
Although he knew his daughter was upright and proper, sometimes rumors could ruin a person. Even if Yan Yan didn't care, he didn't want those rumors to tarnish his daughter.
"Yan Yan, do you want to visit our old home?" Father Lin said hesitantly. His daughter was only twenty years old, and he wasn't anxious about her marriage.
But it seemed outsiders didn't think so. In this era of early marriage, his daughter was already considered an old maid. Of course, many girls who received new-style education also married late.
Just like he didn't think his daughter Yan Yan was old yet. But it seemed all his colleagues thought his daughter's marriage was a difficult problem.
Within a month, his colleagues and even his former superior had inquired about his daughter's marital status, subtly trying to introduce the "young talents" they spoke of to his daughter.
If he hadn't returned to his daughter and thoroughly investigated the true nature of these so-called young talents, he might have been easily deceived.
From then on, he no longer trusted their words.
"Go back to the old home? Did something happen there?" Lin Yan asked curiously. She didn't believe her father just wanted her to avoid blind dates by sending her back to the old home.
"Your second uncle's son, Tong Ge, is getting married. I can't go back, so go and deliver my congratulatory gift for me."
Father Lin did not just want Lin Yan to escape blind dates. His nephew from his brother's family was indeed getting married soon, but that was not the main reason.
The last time he helped Brother Qinglin leave, some clues seemed to have been discovered, so he was in some danger. The Special Affairs Department seemed to have been watching him, so he wanted to send Lin Yan away.
If nothing happened to him, Lin Yan could come back. But if something happened to him, Lin Yan could escape the danger.
He had already arranged for people he trusted to accompany Lin Yan back. These people were sufficient to ensure Lin Yan's safety.