Seeing that Su Hele just stood there motionless, Nanny Wang's eyes flashed with a hint of contempt. She knew Su Hele was just throwing a tantrum like all those servants.
If it weren't for Concubine Li's order, who would want this job? Anyway, she didn't want to serve this person.
Su Hele stood at the west market intersection for quite a while. Finally, she moved, but stopped in front of a chrysanthemum stall.
Nanny Wang took a deep breath and said coldly,
"Second Young Mistress, we're here to buy Chinese flowering crabapples and hibiscus this time."
Previously, when discussing how to decorate the courtyard, Su Hele immediately suggested buying more chrysanthemums, which made Concubine Li so angry that she skipped dinner.
Did it mean there were no other flowers in the world except chrysanthemums?
Fortunately, Concubine Li was farsighted. Everything had to be approved by her. Otherwise, God knows what a mess this banquet would turn out to be.
Su Hele gave Nanny Wang a cold look.
"Neither well - behaved nor tasteful."
Hibiscus flowers were gaudy and vulgar. How could they compare to the elegance of chrysanthemums?
So, Su Hele still bought a few pots of chrysanthemums and ordered them to be delivered to the Marquis Mansion. Then she continued walking forward.
Nanny Wang had no choice but to grit her teeth and follow.
After wandering around for most of the day, they finally bought everything they needed.
On the way back, Nanny Wang asked Sumo, who was walking beside her,
"What did the Second Young Mistress say to the flower shopkeeper when I went to pay the deposit?"
She always felt that the shopkeeper's smile was a bit strange when Su Hele came back.
There was no expression on Sumo's numb face.
"She just said that there would be a banquet in the mansion in a few days and many noble ladies would be invited."
Nanny Wang frowned. There was no need to make such a big deal out of it. But it didn't matter. It was none of her business.
Her task was to keep an eye on Su Hele and make sure everything was done according to Concubine Li's plan.
...
After getting everything ready, Su Hele, just like Su Nansheng, personally wrote the invitations.
For this purpose, she specially went to the study and had a long discussion with He Jin.
He Jin was a bit more favorable towards her when he saw how much effort she had put in.
But when he looked at the long list of guests, he hesitated.
"Inviting so many people for the first time. Can we take good care of them all? If we neglect any lady, it might not be good."
There were probably over a hundred people on this list!
Su Hele just smiled faintly and said,
"They're all good friends. They won't mind. It's just a good opportunity for them to get to know each other. It'll also show them that our Second Branch has a wide network of connections."
Since she was hosting a banquet, it had to surpass Su Nansheng's, both in scale and reputation.
Seeing that He Jin still frowned and said nothing, Su Hele added,
"Then why don't you, my husband, choose a few ladies of officials. I'll focus on accompanying them. The rest can be handled by the concubines."
Only then did He Jin relax his frown and picked up a pen to mark on the list.
The next day, when Su Hele presented the list to Concubine Li, Concubine Li also frowned.
"Why invite so many guests? Small and refined is more beautiful."
In her opinion, they only needed to win over those ladies whose status was higher than that of the Anshun Marquis Mansion. The others were simply insignificant.
Moreover, how much silver would it cost to prepare a banquet for so many people? It wasn't Su Hele who had to pay after all.
Su Hele raised her chin slightly and said calmly,
"Since this banquet is after Su Nansheng's, there's no way we can have fewer guests than hers. Besides, some of these people were specifically named by my husband to be invited. He said that their husbands have some connections with him. It would be best if we could get in touch with them."
Hearing this, Concubine Li frowned and thought for a while, then said,
"In that case, let's follow the list drawn up by A Jin. But you must pay more attention to your words and deeds at that time."
For a large banquet with so many people, if you said one wrong word, it would spread throughout the city that very night, not even waiting until the next day.
So, Concubine Li turned her gaze to Nanny Wang beside her. She must keep a good eye on Su Hele.
...
On the day of the banquet, the Anshun Marquis Mansion was in full bloom. Even the servants in the mansion had changed into brand - new clothes. It was a bustling scene.
Su Nansheng walked all the way to the mansion gate. The servants preparing for the banquet in the mansion never stopped, which made people dizzy.
Bitao whispered,
"Concubine Li has really spared no effort this time. She even opened up two usually unused yards for this banquet. Not to mention the cooks and servants in the mansion. I heard they were busy until midnight last night. People who don't know might think our Marquis Mansion is going to hold another wedding."
Just as she was speaking, the two of them arrived at the gate. Coincidentally, they saw Concubine Li and Su Hele coming together. It seemed they were here specifically to welcome the guests.
Looking at the light - pink silk dress on Su Hele, Su Nansheng's lips curled up slightly. They really had spared no effort.
"Nansheng, you don't need to greet the guests here. It's too tiring. We'll do it."
Concubine Li smiled brightly and said considerately.
They had prepared for so long. At this crucial moment, they couldn't let Su Nansheng steal the limelight.
Su Hele gave Su Nansheng a contemptuous look. She was really trying to curry favor all the time. What a despicable act!
"Auntie misunderstood. I have an appointment today, so I'm afraid I can't attend the banquet."
Su Nansheng looked calm, as if she didn't notice Concubine Li's thoughts at all.
"That's really a pity. In that case, go quickly for your appointment. It's not good to be late."
Concubine Li's smile became even more radiant. She even wished she could send Su Nansheng onto the carriage herself.
Just now, Chen Wanrong had also left the mansion. If Su Nansheng left too, the Marquis Mansion would be theirs.
Su Nansheng smiled faintly and stepped forward.
Seeing this, the gatekeeper immediately opened the gate. There was a lively scene outside.
Peddlers, vendors, maidservants from the neighboring houses peeping out, and even little beggars hiding in the corner not far away.
Su Nansheng paused. What was going on?
Concubine Li also saw the scene outside. First, she was confused, then her face darkened. She asked the gatekeeper in a hushed voice,
"Why is it so chaotic outside? What are you guys doing? Go and drive them all away."
This was the Anshun Marquis Mansion. How could these peddlers and commoners come here?
Moreover, the guests for the banquet would arrive soon. What if they bumped into any noble guests?
The gatekeeper was also confused. It wasn't like this when they sent the mistress out just now. How could so many people come in such a short time?
The key was, what were they here for?
Full of doubts, the gatekeeper started to drive them away.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way. Don't you know where this is?"
Seeing this, the vendors just giggled and dodged a bit further, but they didn't leave. The little beggars were even harder to drive away.
Just as there was chaos in front of the mansion gate, two carriages came from afar. It was obvious that the guests for the banquet were coming.
Concubine Li immediately stopped the gatekeeper's actions, gave the people in front of the gate a warning look, and then put on a smile again, ready to welcome the guests.
Su Nansheng got into the carriage. Seeing Bitao still lying on the car window looking out, she asked,
"Why are there so many people at the mansion gate?"
Hearing this, Bitao quickly turned around, her eyes shining.
"Miss also wants to know, right? Why don't you let this servant go down? I guarantee I can find out right away."
How could she miss the excitement in front of her own house!