Chapter 30 Dimensional Reduction Attack
No sooner had Lu Wenbo left than Ye Manrou received the news.
"My second uncle came to the door in person, and that little bitch shut him down with just a few words?" Ye Manrou gripped the phone receiver, her knuckles turning white, her voice filled with disbelief.
"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"
Ye Manrou smashed a crystal vase she had just brought back from Hong Kong Island onto the ground, shattering it into pieces. The shards scattered everywhere, startling Zhao Linlin and Liu Sisi, who both shrank back.
"You can't even handle a small conflict at the supply and marketing cooperative, and you were exposed on the spot. Zhao Linlin, have you lost all face?" Ye Manrou's chest heaved violently as she pointed at Zhao Linlin's nose and cursed.
Zhao Linlin's face flushed red, feeling wronged but not daring to argue: "I... I had no idea she was so cunning! One sentence shut me down, and... and she even pointed it out to you..."
"Alright, Manrou, what's the point of saying all this now?" Liu Sisi spoke slowly, always remaining calm at the most crucial moments.
"Rumors and gossip are like a soft knife; they might work on ordinary people, but they're completely useless against someone as shameless as Su Wantang. Her father's already in jail, what face does she have left to care about?"
Ye Manrou, panting heavily, plopped down on the sofa: "Then what do you suggest we do? Are we just going to watch her swagger around right under my nose?"
A calculating sneer curled at the corner of Liu Sisi's lips: "Don't rush. Didn't she use her seductive skills to climb up to Lu Jingyan? Then let's tear her face off completely right where she's most proud."
She paused, then lowered her voice: "This weekend, have Grandma Lu arrange a banquet and invite all the prominent young people in the compound. Then, make her look incredibly foolish in front of everyone!"
Zhao Linlin's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! A cooking competition? What can a capitalist's daughter who's never lifted a finger do? When the time comes, Sister Manrou, you can show off your skills and make her look like she's been utterly outdone!"
Ye Manrou's expression finally improved. She had been learning Western-style pastry since she was a child, and her cake-baking skills were renowned throughout the compound.
Liu Sisi smiled confidently: "This is just the first step. We need to let her know that this compound isn't Shanghai, and she can't do whatever she wants here. This is our territory!"
Soon, a guard in military uniform delivered a gold-embossed invitation to Su Wantang's small building.
“Miss Su, Madam Lu has instructed that a banquet will be held at the main residence this weekend. We would be honored if you could attend.”
Qin Zheng accepted the invitation, his brow furrowed. Although he was retired, he knew the ins and outs of the compound very well. This was no private family dinner; it was clearly a trap.
“Young Miss, this banquet is no fun.” Qin Zheng said in a deep voice.
Su Wantang accepted the invitation, her fingertips lightly tracing the delicate patterns on it, a sweet yet cold smile playing on her lips: "I know."
She looked up at Qin Zheng and said, "Go and buy me some things."
She handed him a note.
Qin Zheng took it and was stunned.
The list above contained only the most ordinary ingredients: pork belly, cabbage, potatoes, glass noodles...
"Young Miss, this..."
"Do as I say." Su Wantang didn't explain further, but the smile in her eyes deepened.
Want to see me make a fool of myself? Fine, I'll show you what a dimensional reduction attack looks like.
The weekend arrived quickly, and so did the banquet.
Almost all the young people in the military compound came out. Everyone was eager to see what would happen and witness firsthand how the Shanghai capitalist's daughter, who had stirred up a storm in Beijing, would be humiliated beyond recognition in Ye Manrou's carefully orchestrated scheme.
However, when everyone arrived at the Lu family's main residence with great excitement, they found it empty.
Grandma Lu sat in the main seat, her face already looking rather pale. Ye Manrou paced anxiously beside her.
Just as everyone was discussing and thinking that Su Wantang had deserted her post, a guard ran over to deliver a message.
"Reporting to the leader, Miss Su said that the kitchen in the main house of the Lu family is for the grandmother's exclusive use, and she, as a junior, dares not overstep her bounds. Her small house with Leader Lu has a large courtyard with ample space, and tables and chairs have been prepared. Please move over there for a meal."
These words caused an uproar in the audience.
What a brilliant move – retreating to advance!
Not only did they absolve themselves completely, but they also made a show of their power, leaving Grandma Lu speechless and unable to retaliate.
Ye Manrou's face immediately turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Her meticulously arranged venue was changed so easily by Su Wantang's single sentence!
The group had no choice but to move on to Lu Jingyan's small building.
Upon entering the courtyard, everyone was stunned.
In the center of the courtyard, several tables were pushed together and covered with clean tablecloths. But at one end of the tables were several exquisite pastries and cold dishes that looked like they were ordered from a high-end restaurant, clearly the work of Ye Manrou.
Meanwhile...
A basket of fresh, crisp Chinese cabbages, a basket of potatoes still fragrant with the scent of earth, and a large piece of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat were simply placed on a small table.
The contrast is so stark, it's practically a public execution.
"Pfft!" Zhao Linlin was the first to burst out laughing, and said sarcastically, "Oh my, what is this? Miss Su, is this the 'feast' you prepared? If you didn't know better, you'd think the canteen in our compound was improving the food."
A suppressed chuckle immediately rose from the surrounding area.
"After all, they come from a small town and can't be presented to the world."
"That's right, her father is in jail, he probably doesn't even remember what the good stuff looks like."
"You're really embarrassing Brother Jingyan..."
Su Wantang seemed oblivious to the mockery from the crowd.
She wore simple cloth clothes, an apron tied around her waist, and neatly tied her long hair up, revealing a section of her fair and graceful neck. She ignored everyone, simply picking up a round potato and rinsing it under running water.
That water was something she secretly mixed with spiritual spring water from her spatial storage.
Clear water flowed through her fingertips, over the potato, as if infusing it with a soul; the ordinary potato now had a subtle sheen on its skin.
With a flick of her wrist, a small peeler seemed to come alive in her hand, peeling the potato skin into a continuous long line, revealing the golden, delicate, jade-like interior.
The laughter in the courtyard gradually subsided.
Everyone's attention was drawn to her fluid movements, which possessed a unique beauty.
She started cutting the meat.
Under her hands, that ordinary piece of pork belly was cut into squares of exactly the same size and thickness, and arranged neatly.
Throughout the entire process, she was unhurried and focused, as if she were not cooking, but performing a sacred ritual.
As Ye Manrou watched this scene, her unease grew stronger.
"Pretentious!" she muttered under her breath, gaining even more confidence in the delicate pastries she had brought. Even if someone is a great actress, can they really make potatoes and cabbage look fancy?
Su Wantang lit the fire in the stove.
As the first spoonful of lard slid into the sizzling iron pot, it made an enticing sizzling sound, and a rich aroma of oil instantly burst forth.
She poured the chopped meat into the pot, stir-fried it, and added rock sugar. The sugar gradually melted, coating each piece of meat with a glossy amber color.
Next, she added soy sauce and a few star anise-shaped fruits that she had casually picked from the space spice tree.
At that very moment.
boom!
An indescribable, domineering, and unique fragrance instantly enveloped the entire courtyard!
The aroma was incredibly complex and layered. It contained the richness of meat, the caramel sweetness of sugar, the savory aroma of sauce, and an exotic fragrance unlike anything I'd ever heard before, yet capable of instantly stimulating one's most primal appetite!
"Gulp."
Someone swallowed hard.
The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the pot in disbelief, their nostrils flaring wildly.
The delicate pastries that Ye Manrou brought suddenly became bland and tasteless in the face of this flavor, like chewing wax.
Lu Jingyan's comrades, who had originally come to watch the spectacle, were now all wide-eyed with astonishment.
One of them, a burly, dark-skinned man, was named Gao Jianjun, Lu Jingyan's best friend. He sniffed hard, almost drooling from the corner of his mouth.
Su Wantang poured the cooked braised pork into a large bowl. The pork was bright red and glistening, and just looking at it made one's mouth water.
She quickly stir-fried a plate of cabbage and a plate of shredded potatoes using water mixed with spiritual spring water and vegetables grown in her space.
The simplest home-style dishes.
But when these three dishes were served, everyone in the courtyard nearly had their eyes pop out.
That aroma was absolutely irresistible!
Ye Manrou's face had turned completely pale. She stared intently at the dishes, utterly baffled as to how the most ordinary ingredients could possibly produce such a taste. It was illogical!
Gao Jianjun was the first to lose his temper.
He strode over, disregarding all manners, grabbed his chopsticks, picked up the largest piece of braised pork, and stuffed it into his mouth amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd.
The moment the meat entered his mouth, Gao Jianjun froze.
Immediately, his eyes widened, and his face showed an expression that was a mixture of ecstasy, shock, and disbelief.
In the courtyard, everyone held their breath, staring intently at him.
After a while.
Gao Jianjun was so excited that his face turned red. He slapped his thigh and swore, his voice echoing through the sky:
"My God! What the hell is this taste like?!"
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