The ancient war between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in a wealthy family

"Ms. Bai, I'm terribly sorry. I'm afraid we won't be able to provide the dinner supplies we agreed on as scheduled." Supplier Liu's voice sounded extremely guilty, but the firmness in his tone could not be concealed.

My heart sank, a chill running from my feet to my chest. "Boss Liu, what do you mean? Didn't we already sign the contract?" I tried to keep my tone calm, but my fingers were white from gripping the phone.

"Alas, Miss Bai, I have no choice. I have had some problems with cash flow recently, and I really can't supply the goods. I will pay the penalty for breach of contract, please bear with it!" On the other end of the phone, the voice of supplier Liu became smaller and smaller, and finally it was almost inaudible.

"Funding problem? Boss Liu, that's not what you said before! Is someone putting pressure on you? Just tell me, I can solve it..." I said almost in a pleading tone, this dinner is too important to me, I can't let it fail like this.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, followed by a clamor of voices, as if someone were talking nearby. Then, the supplier Liu's voice rang out again, his tone becoming evasive. "Miss Bai, I'm so sorry. Please find someone else!" Without waiting for me to say anything else, he hurriedly hung up.

I stood there, stunned, my phone slipping from my ear and hanging limply at my side. How could this happen? Could it be Zhou Jiaming? He'd resort to such despicable tactics to embarrass me!

No, I can't give up like this! I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. The most urgent thing is to find a new supplier. Time is running out, I have to race against time!

I began to frantically search through the address book on my phone and called one by one, but the responses I received were mostly apologies and rejections. Some suppliers said that they were running out of time, while others bluntly said that my budget was too low and they could not meet my requirements.

Despair and exhaustion washed over me like a tide, threatening to overwhelm me. Was I really going to watch this dinner party turn into a joke?

At this moment, I suddenly remembered Mr. Chen, whom I had met at a charity auction before. He runs a large banquet planning company, maybe he can help me!

I felt like I had grabbed a lifeline, and with trembling hands, I called him. "Hello, Mr. Chen, this is Bai..."

"Miss Bai? Why did you think of calling me?" Mr. Chen's voice sounded gentle, with a hint of surprise.

I quickly told him briefly about the dinner and the difficulties I encountered, and my tone was full of pleading: "Mr. Chen, I know the time is very short and the requirements are very high, but I really have no other choice. Can you help me?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment. Just when I was about to despair, Mr. Chen finally spoke: "Ms. Bai, I understand how you feel. How about this, please send me a copy of your specific needs..."

Mr. Chen's words were like a ray of hope. I quickly gathered my thoughts and sent him the theme, size, time, and list of items I needed. After doing all this, I waited anxiously, my palms sweating.

The long wait seemed like half a century. Finally, the phone rang and I answered it almost tremblingly.

"Ms. Bai, I've reviewed your request." Mr. Chen's voice was as gentle as ever, but it made me even more nervous. "To be honest, the timeline is really too tight, and our company's schedule is also very full recently..."

My heart sank little by little as he spoke. Could it be that even he couldn't help me?

As if seeing through my thoughts, Mr. Chen paused and spoke in a more relaxed tone. "However, I've asked my assistant to contact several suppliers for you. They should be able to meet some of your needs. You can discuss the details with them."

A glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in my heart, and I thanked him profusely. After hanging up, I immediately contacted the suppliers Mr. Chen had recommended. As he'd said, they could indeed provide some of the items I needed, but the prices were significantly higher than before, and some specialized custom orders were still unavailable.

What should I do? Do I really have to compromise and lower the standard of the dinner? No, I can't just give up! This dinner is not just a banquet, it is the key to the Zhan family's prestige in the industry. I absolutely cannot let it have any flaws!

I gritted my teeth, and a thought suddenly flashed through my mind. Mr. Chen's charity! They often hold various charity galas, and there must be a lot of ready-made supplies in the warehouse. If I could borrow some...

With this in mind, I immediately drove to Mr. Chen's charity office. He was a little surprised to see me arrive unexpectedly, but he still warmly invited me to sit down and asked with concern, "Ms. Bai, why did you come here in person? Is there anything else going on with the supplier?"

"Mr. Chen, this is what's going on..." I took a deep breath and laid out my predicament and thoughts, my tone sincere. "I know my request is a bit abrupt, but I'm really desperate. I hope you can help me! Charities have always upheld the spirit of charity, and I believe you will understand my difficulties!"

Mr. Chen listened attentively to my story, his brow furrowed slightly as he fell into deep thought. The office was completely silent, and my heart, with each passing second, felt as if it was about to leap out of my throat.

Finally, Mr. Chen raised his head, looked at me deeply, and said slowly: "Miss Bai, I understand your feelings, and I sympathize with your situation..."

"However, charities have their own rules. All our supplies have strict approval processes and usage scopes. I can't make an exception just because of personal relationships." Mr. Chen's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the hope that had just ignited in my heart.

I sat powerlessly on the sofa, despair washing over me like a tide. Was I really going to watch this dinner go to waste?

"What's wrong? You look so sad." Zhan Yu appeared at the door at some point. Seeing my distraught look, there was a hint of worry in his tone.

I forced a smile and said casually, "It's nothing. I just ran into a small problem with the dinner preparations. I'm trying to figure it out."

"Do you need my help?" Zhan Yu came over, gently held my hand, his eyes full of concern.

I shook my head, pulled my hand back, and fought back the tears in my eyes: "No, this is my responsibility, I want to solve it myself."

Zhan Yu wanted to say something else, but I avoided his gaze, stood up and said, "It's getting late, I'll go back first. I'll take care of the dinner as soon as possible."

After leaving Mr. Chen's office, I wandered aimlessly down the street, my mind a tangle of thoughts. The supplier's change of heart had caught me off guard, and Mr. Chen's refusal had plunged me into despair. Was I really going to give in and downgrade the dinner?

No! I can't give up like this! This dinner party means so much to the Zhan family, I absolutely cannot let it have any flaws!

I took a deep breath, calmed myself, and began to reassess my resources. Mr. Chen had rejected my request, but the supplier he recommended could still meet some of my needs. As for those special custom items that couldn't be met, perhaps I could try to find alternatives through other channels.

At this thought, my eyes lit up. I could go to some specialty markets or antique markets and maybe find some antiques or handicrafts that would fit the theme of the dinner. While these items wouldn't necessarily be expensive, they would be unique and would better reflect the cultural heritage of the Zhan family.

I immediately pulled myself together, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for an antique market on the outskirts of the city. The market was bustling with people, and the dazzling array of antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and porcelain dazzled me.

I went from store to store, hoping to find something that would fit the theme of the dinner. However, most of the vendors shook their heads when they heard my request, saying they didn't have any suitable items.

Just when I was about to give up, an inconspicuous shop caught my attention...