Chapter 340 The Madam's Tea Party
That morning, after getting up, Su Wantang accompanied her mother-in-law, Meng Wan, to trim the flowers and plants in the yard.
Meng Wan put down the scissors and looked at Su Wantang's obviously protruding belly with gentle eyes.
"Wantang, your status is different now, and you're pregnant. It's not good for you to stay cooped up at home all the time."
Su Wantang, supporting her back, replied with a smile, "Mom, I'll listen to you."
"I was thinking of hosting a small tea party this afternoon and inviting a few ladies I know from the compound over for a chat."
Meng Wan patted the dirt off her hands. "On one hand, it's to let you get to know them, and on the other hand, it's to show some people that the Lu family isn't someone anyone can scheme against."
Meng Wan's words were tactful, but Su Wantang immediately understood what she meant.
This is to support her and, incidentally, give Joanna a warning.
"I'll do whatever Mom says." Su Wantang nodded obediently.
......
At 2 p.m., the living room of Courtyard No. 1 became lively.
A clean tablecloth was laid out on the long coffee table, along with exquisite tea sets and various pastries carefully prepared by Wang Ma.
Commander Zhang's wife, Mrs. Li, Political Commissar Wang's wife, Sister Sun, and several other senior military dependents' wives were all present.
Today, Su Wantang wore a light blue loose dress, her long hair loosely tied back, revealing her smooth forehead and slender swan neck.
Although she was pregnant, she still had a slender figure, but her girlish beauty was now enhanced by a touch of maternal gentleness.
She followed behind Meng Wan, greeting each of the ladies with graceful manners and a gentle voice, which made her very likable.
"This must be Jingyan's lover? What a beautiful young lady." Madam Li held Su Wantang's hand, beaming from ear to ear.
"Yes, standing next to Jingyan, they are a match made in heaven," Sister Sun added in praise.
Su Wantang was a little embarrassed by the praise, and just smiled with her lips pursed, a blush rising on her cheeks.
Just then, a clear voice came from the doorway.
"Aunt Meng, am I not late?"
Everyone turned around and saw Joanna walk in.
Today she wore a fashionable fitted dress that perfectly accentuated her full breasts and slender waist, and her round, pert buttocks drew an alluring curve as she walked.
She was holding a painting tube in her hands, and had a polite smile on her face, looking like a beautiful exotic rose.
"It's not late, it's not late, please have a seat." Meng Wan greeted her with a smile.
Joanna handed the painting tube to Su Wantang, "Bai Shu, I heard you like traditional Chinese painting. This is a painting I did at the park a few days ago. I'm giving it to you as a gift for your unborn baby."
Su Wantang accepted it and thanked her with a smile.
The tea party began, and the ladies chatted about everyday things, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.
Joanna was good at finding topics to talk about. She talked about foreign customs and various interesting stories, which quickly attracted the attention of several younger military wives.
As they chatted, she changed the subject, looked at Su Wantang, and asked with concern, "Sister Bai Shu, I heard that Brother Jingyan went to the Northwest on a mission? The environment there is very harsh. You must be very worried about being home alone."
The atmosphere in the living room paused slightly.
The specifics of the men's missions outside the compound have always been a taboo topic among the women.
Su Wantang's smile remained unchanged as she gently stroked her belly.
"Men are duty-bound to protect their country. All I can do is safeguard this family and ensure he has no worries."
As she spoke, she looked at the older ladies and said, "Speaking of which, I still need to ask you ladies for advice. I've been feeling lower back pain lately, and Master He from Derentang prescribed some dietary supplements for me. I don't know if they'll work."
“Oh dear, back pain during pregnancy is normal.” Mrs. Li was immediately drawn in. “I had the same thing when I was pregnant with my son.”
“Derentang’s prescriptions must be good, Mr. Bai, that’s your business!” Sister Sun chimed in.
The conversation quickly shifted from the sensitive military mission to the topics women care about most: pregnancy and health.
Joanna's several attempts to interrupt were subtly deflected by Su Wantang. Like a skilled helmsman, she firmly controlled the direction of the conversation, rendering Joanna's carefully prepared probing attempts futile.
Meng Wan held her teacup, watching her daughter-in-law defuse the situation with ease, and her eyes showed even greater approval.
She put down her teacup, suddenly looked at Joanna, and spoke gently like an elder.
"Xiao Qiao, you just came back from abroad, so you may not know much about some things in the compound."
"The most important thing for women here is to keep their mouths shut. Don't ask what you shouldn't ask, and don't inquire about what you shouldn't inquire about. Too much talk leads to mistakes, and sometimes a careless remark can bring huge trouble to the men out there."
Meng Wan's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
The living room fell silent instantly, and everyone's gaze seemed to fall subtly on Joanna.
Joanna's smile froze for a moment.
She hadn't expected Meng Wan to say that in public; it was practically accusing her of having ulterior motives.
Just as the tea party was in full swing, near an abandoned art studio dozens of kilometers away from Beijing.
Qin Zheng, along with two capable subordinates, was lying in ambush in the bushes.
"Boss, there's no one at the art studio. The security guards all went to the compound with Joanna," a subordinate reported in a low voice.
"Proceed according to plan, and act quickly. You must evacuate within five minutes," Qin Zheng said coldly.
The two henchmen, as stealthy as cats, crept into the studio, skillfully bypassing several simple traps, and climbed in through an inconspicuous window.
A few minutes later, the two quietly withdrew and gave Qin Zheng a "done" gesture.
Qin Zheng nodded and quickly disappeared into the night with his men.
The atmosphere in the living room of Courtyard No. 1 had become lively again.
Su Wantang took out several exquisite small porcelain bottles from the inner room and distributed them to the ladies present.
"Aunties and sisters-in-law, this is a face cream I just made myself. I added some of the secret medicinal herbs from Derentang. It's not very effective; I just use it for fun. Please don't mind."
"Oh, Bai Shu, you're too kind."
"That's right, this is made by a divine doctor, it's definitely not an ordinary product!"
Mrs. Li immediately opened the bottle cap, scooped out a little, and applied it to the back of her hand.
"Wow!" she exclaimed, "This ointment is so fine, it melts into water as soon as you apply it!"
The other ladies also tried it out, and their praises rose and fell.
"It really is! It feels so smooth when you apply it, not greasy at all!"
"Look, aren't my hands a bit whiter? The fine lines seem to have faded!"
This face cream was specially made by Su Wantang using water from her spatial spring, diluted with nourishing medicinal herbs, so its effects were immediately noticeable.
Women's pursuit of beauty is endless, and these few bottles of face cream instantly brought their favorability towards Su Wantang to its peak. Everyone surrounded Su Wantang, enthusiastically discussing skincare and health, completely leaving Joanna aside.
Joanna held her teacup, looking at Su Wantang who was being fawned over, and the smile on her face could hardly be maintained.
Her carefully prepared paintings and overseas experiences seemed so pale and powerless under this simple and brutal "beauty attack".
She tried to interject and regain control of the conversation, but found that no one paid any attention to her.
In the end, she could only awkwardly stand up, reluctantly bid farewell, and leave. Her straight back looked utterly disheveled and resentful.
After the guests left, Meng Wan took Su Wantang's hand and sat back down on the sofa.
"Wantang, you did a good job today."
Su Wantang leaned on her mother-in-law's shoulder and whispered, "It's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Mom, that I had the opportunity."
Meng Wan patted her hand affectionately, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law smiled at each other, everything understood without words.
This tea party not only helped Su Wantang establish a firm foothold in the ladies' circle, but it was also a silent declaration of war, successfully isolating Joanna from their circle.
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