After waiting a short while, all the guests arrived, and Madam Su invited everyone to take their seats.
Upon reaching the women's section, they all praised the elegant and dignified eight-immortal table and chairs made by Shanshan Furniture, which were gleaming with a glossy finish.
"The Duke's Mansion is indeed very generous. It's not easy for ordinary nobles to get two or three sets of furniture to display in the flower hall for receiving guests. These dozen or so sets are all made of top-quality purple sandalwood. They are truly rare!"
"Isn't that right? I know about this fir furniture. We just ordered six sets last month, which cost a total of nine thousand taels of silver!"
"You're just jealous? It's no use being jealous! Who told your family not to have a capable matriarch like Duchess Su Yiren?!"
"Who can disagree? It's not just Su Yiren, but also Princess Youran. This mother and daughter are practically the Duke's mansion's cash cow!"
"Tsk tsk, the old lady's birthday banquet is really grand. Last month, when the Duke's son got married, there wasn't even this round table!"
Hearing this, Shi Wenxia gritted her teeth. Su Shi hadn't prepared this round table for her wedding, and insisted on changing it for Madam Yun's birthday banquet. Wasn't this a slap in her face?
Moreover, these people kept mentioning Su Shi and Su Youran in their conversations, and no one noticed that she was the one who arranged these tables and chairs.
Madam Su only paid the deposit with public funds, and the remaining public funds were far from enough. She had to scrape together what she could and even took out the little bit of her husband's and her own private savings to fill the gap.
She glared at Pei'er.
While leading a lady to her seat, Pei'er whispered, "To be honest, these tables and chairs are so expensive, and the Duke's mansion ordered so many at once. These vacancies were all filled by our Heir's wife."
Upon hearing this, the lady praised, "I see. The young master's wife is a filial daughter."
A noblewoman standing nearby curled her lip upon hearing this, "The young master has only been married for a month, and he hasn't even requested a title for the bride yet, what kind of young master's wife is she!"
Upon hearing this, Shi Wenxia looked over and was surprised to find that it was an old acquaintance.
She was Wu Yilian, the second legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Anning.
She remembered that six years ago, during the grand housewarming banquet at the Yun residence, she had overheard her and her two daughters discussing replacing her as the heir apparent's wife. Now, however, she was dressed as a married woman.
Could it be that she got married?
Indeed, Wu Yilian is three years older than Wu Xinxin, and is probably eighteen this year. She should already be married.
Now that she's married, why is she speaking coldly to her, the wife of the heir apparent?
When Lady Anning saw Shi Wenxia standing nearby, she quickly smoothed things over, saying, "It must have been quite an effort for the young master's wife to arrange these tables and chairs; it's truly commendable."
The conversation should have ended there, but Wu Yilian insisted, "She's an orphan living in the Duke's mansion, her food, clothing, and daily necessities all come from the Duke's mansion. It's not easy for her to still be able to save up some money. This time, she's just using it to subsidize the Duke's mansion, which is just returning the monthly allowance the Duke's mansion has given her over the years. What kind of filial piety is that?"
Shi Wenxia was furious upon hearing this and stepped forward, "Wu Yilian, we have no grudges against each other, why are you targeting me like this?"
Wu Yilian sneered, "I'm just stating the facts, how is that targeting me? Am I wrong? Haven't you been eating and living in the Duke's mansion all these years? Haven't you saved your money from your monthly allowance? Do you think an orphan like you would own a farm or a shop?"
Shi Wenxia choked, then angrily said, "Wu Yilian, do you think I don't know? You despise your husband's low official rank and meager salary. You're oppressed by your mother-in-law above you and ostracized by the first and second wives below. Your third wife has to rely on the first wife's every whim every day. You've long been living a life worse than death! So what if you're jealous that I married into the Duke of Pingguo's mansion? Do you want to remarry? If you want to remarry, you'll have to see if my young master wants to marry you!"
Upon hearing this, Wu Yilian was instantly enraged, "You...you daughter of a traitor! How dare you spout nonsense here!" Her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and second sister-in-law were also present today, sitting nearby. How could they possibly tolerate hearing this?!
Shi Wenxia, having regained the upper hand, ignored her and gave a snort. She then bowed to the ladies and said, "Please take your seats, everyone! The banquet will begin soon."
Wu Yilian dared not be presumptuous any longer, and slowly sat down, not daring to look at the ugly faces of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law beside her.
Wu Yilian was the second daughter of the Marquis of Anning, and she married the third son of the Duke of Yingguo.
The group seated at this table consisted of the Duke of Yingguo's four female relatives, the Lady of Anning Marquis and one of her daughters-in-law, and a lady from another prominent family who were on good terms with both of their families. None of them were outsiders.
The Duchess of England then said coldly, "I had no idea that my Duke of England's mansion had caused you such an injustice."
Wu Yilian's face was deathly pale. "Mother, she's talking nonsense. Your daughter-in-law has not been wronged."
Lady Anning smoothed things over, saying, "Lady of the Duke, don't listen to that young master's wife's nonsense. Our Yilian is already doing well to marry into the Duke's family. The Duke of Pingguo's family is just a newly promoted noble family; how can it be compared to the Duke of Yingguo's family, which has a history of hereditary succession for centuries?"
Madam Yao, the First Lady of the Duke of Ying's Mansion, smiled and said, "But the eldest son of the Yun family is, after all, the heir apparent!"
She emphasized the words "Prince".
Wu Yilian's face paled even more. A few years ago, she had indeed harbored feelings for the Yun family's heir. However, despite her mother's subtle and overt messages, the Pingguo Duke's mansion had not responded. Soon after, she heard that the heir was engaged, and no matter how she tried to subtly inquire, the Pingguo Duke's mansion made no attempt to break off the engagement with the daughter of a traitor.
She had no choice but to give up and marry into the Duke of England's household.
She had thought that the Duke of Yingguo's family was a century-old family, naturally a level above the Duke of Pingguo's family, but she never expected that only she herself would know the joys and sorrows of married life.
Su Youran helped her mother sit down at the main table and glanced at Wu Yilian.
No wonder Wu Yilian and her half-sister Wu Xinxin were always finding fault with her in her previous life; it turns out they were eyeing the position of the wife of the Duke of Pingguo's heir.
It's not fair to always blame Wu Xinxin for being on good terms with Shi Wenxia; Wu Yilian's relationship with Shi Wenxia is also quite good.
They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
However, watching them fight like dogs in this life is quite amusing.
At this moment, the maids filed in and began to place the dishes one by one on the round table. At first, the dishes were covered with bowl lids.
Although the dishes couldn't be seen, one of the ladies could smell the aroma. "It smells so good! It smells like lotus leaves?"
"Yes, could it be... the 'Golden Jade Abundance' restaurant from Fuxi Restaurant?" one of the ladies guessed.
Shi Wenxia was somewhat confused. This was clearly a banquet of lotus flowers, so what did it have to do with a hall full of gold and jade?
However, they will soon know the wonders of the All-Nether Banquet.
She confidently directed the maids to arrange the dishes one by one.
The entire flower hall was filled with fragrance, and the ladies praised the dishes, all eagerly anticipating their presentation.
One advantage of this round table is that it only requires one maid to take care of it.
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