Chapter 156 The Madam's Tea Party
Chu Yunfei suffered a major setback at the shooting range, and the news spread like wildfire throughout the entire compound in less than a day.
Some say that Brigade Commander Lu's Hong Kong businessman wife is a formidable character, hiding her true abilities. Others say it was just pure luck, a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.
Of all the versions of the rumors, the latter version clearly prevailed.
After all, who is Chu Yunfei? The only daughter of Deputy Chief of Staff Chu of the military region, and a beauty in the army who rose to the rank of captain through her own merit. In the military wives' circle in the compound, she is the undisputed leader.
That day, Liu Sisi ran into the courtyard carrying a net bag containing two bottles of orange soda. Su Wantang was pruning a clivia plant.
"Miss Bai!"
She caught her breath, lowered her voice, and said angrily, "Chu Yunfei and her gang are talking badly about you everywhere! They say you're just lucky, that you only got the target by chance, and that you, this capitalist's daughter, are just all show and no substance!"
Su Wantang trimmed a withered yellow leaf, her movements unhurried and deliberate.
Without even looking up, she said calmly, "They got tired of talking, so they naturally shut up."
"That won't do!" Liu Sisi exclaimed anxiously.
"Spit can be deadly! Now those fence-sitters in the compound are all following suit because Chu Yunfei's side has more people and more influence. We can't just stand by and watch!"
Su Wantang put down the scissors. She knew very well that in a place like the compound, force could only provide temporary intimidation. To truly gain a foothold, one needed not marksmanship, but connections and soft power.
Chu Yunfei's advantage lies in her family background and her military status, which she earned through her own abilities. This gives her a natural and influential appeal among military wives.
The stupidest thing to do is to confront her head-on.
“You’re right,” Su Wanwan looked up at Liu Sisi, “It’s time to let them change the subject.”
Liu Sisi's eyes lit up: "Miss Bai, do you have a solution?"
"Instead of passively listening to their gossip, I'd rather set up a stage and invite them over to sing in front of me."
Su Wantang smiled faintly, but that smile carried a sharp edge that only those in the business world possess.
She looked at Qin Zheng, who had been standing quietly to the side.
"Qin Zheng, in my name, hold a tea tasting event at Tangdixuan."
"Take out the batch of Wuyi Snow Top pastries we brought from Shanghai. The pastries must be the most exquisite, and the fruits must be the best. Also, contact the master chefs in Shanghai to have a silk scarf made as a gift for each lady attending the event."
Qin Zheng nodded without uttering a single unnecessary word: "Yes, Miss."
Liu Sisi was stunned.
My goodness, that's an incredible amount of money!
She'd heard her father mention the snow-capped peaks of Wuyi Mountain once; they were tribute items that money couldn't buy. And then there were the silk scarves custom-made by master tailors in Shanghai—these days, an ordinary silk scarf could last an average family half a month.
"Sister Bai... how much will this cost?"
“Problems that can be solved with money aren’t really problems,” Su Wantang said calmly. “I want them to know what dignity and class are.”
She paused, then added, "Send the invitations to the families of all officers at the regimental level or above in the compound. Don't miss a single one."
Liu Sisi gasped; she finally understood.
Bai Shu wasn't planning on getting along with Chu Yunfei; she wanted to start from scratch and cut off their supply lines from a higher level!
The invitations were sent out quickly.
To Liu Sisi's astonishment, the response came incredibly quickly. Within two days, all the ladies who received invitations indicated they would be there on time.
Among them was Chu Yunfei's mother, Zhou Peiyun, the wife of Chu's deputy chief of staff.
"They...how did they all agree?" Liu Sisi held the list of receipts, feeling a little unreal.
Su Wantang was reading a book when she heard this. She turned a page and said without looking up, "They didn't come to my tea party; they came to watch the show. To see what kind of woman Lu Jingyan chose after giving up the Ye family's daughter. Curiosity is sometimes the best bait."
Liu Sisi suddenly realized, then became somewhat worried: "Then...then isn't that a trap?"
Su Wantang finally raised her head and smiled: "Whether it's a trap or not depends on who is Xiang Yu and who is Liu Bang."
That evening, when Lu Jingyan returned, Su Wantang was sitting under the lamp, referring to the list given to her by Liu Sisi, writing and drawing on a piece of paper, sorting out the complicated relationships between the people.
After washing up, Lu Jingyan didn't say anything, but simply took a thin brown paper bag from the study and placed it on her desk.
Su Wantang opened it with a puzzled look.
It wasn't a document, but rather a dozen pages of handwritten information.
The document details the composition, kinship, personality and preferences of the core families in various compounds in Beijing, and even clearly marks who had conflicts with whom, whose child was doing well in school, and whose husband was seeking a promotion.
The level of detail and accuracy of the information far surpasses that of Liu Sisi's hearsay notes.
Next to the name of Chu Yunfei's mother, Zhou Peiyun, there was a circle drawn in red pen, and next to it was a line of small words: "Concerned about face, fond of refined things, and has old grudges with the previous generation of the Ye family."
Su Wantang's heart warmed slightly.
This man is always like this. He doesn't say it, but he always thinks of everything for her.
She looked up at Lu Jingyan, who was already lying in bed reading a military newspaper, and said softly, "Jingyan, thank you."
Lu Jingyan turned a page of the newspaper and let out a low "hmm" in response.
...
On the day of the tea party, Tangdixuan was unusually quiet.
In the courtyard, several crabapple trees were in full bloom, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere. Qin Zheng led several capable veterans to be in charge of perimeter security, while Yi Yue led several quick-witted female waitresses as they moved about inside.
Su Wantang wore an elegant, moon-white cheongsam, without any jewelry except for two lustrous pearls adorning her earlobes. She stood quietly at the door, personally greeting each arriving guest.
The ladies arrived one after another at 2 p.m.
Most of them were around forty years old, well-maintained, dressed appropriately, and wore just the right amount of polite smiles. But behind those smiles, pairs of eyes were subtly sizing up this legendary "Miss Bai Shu".
The air was thick with the unseen smell of gunpowder.
At 2:15, a black sedan stopped at the entrance.
Chu Yunfei helped a woman with an elegant demeanor out of the car.
The woman was about fifty years old, dressed in a dark suit, with a dignified demeanor and sharp eyes. She was Chu Yunfei's mother, Zhou Peiyun.
Today, Chu Yunfei took off her military uniform and put on a light blue dress, her long hair carefully styled. Yet, her inherent heroic spirit was undeniable.
When she saw Bai Shu, her eyes held an undisguised scrutiny and challenge, as if to say: This is your home turf, and I'd like to see what tricks you can pull.
Bai Shu still had a faint smile on her face.
She stepped forward and nodded slightly to Zhou Peiyun with neither servility nor arrogance: "Madam Chu, welcome. Your presence truly brings honor to Tangdi Pavilion."
Her posture was elegant and poised, and her tone was calm and composed, as if she had not sensed the hostility emanating from the mother and daughter at all.
Zhou Peiyun's sharp gaze lingered on her for a few seconds before she slowly spoke, her voice flat: "Miss Bai, you're too kind. Our Yunfei has caused you no shortage of trouble, hasn't she?"
The words were polite, but the phrase "our Yunfei" subtly drew a line between them and elevated her own status.
Bai Shu smiled and stepped aside to lead the way: "Captain Chu is straightforward, which I admire. Madam Chu, please come in."
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