20 Tea Party Invitations

The pastry before her, with its translucent appearance, resembled a plain sobering ice, yet the taste was vastly different. Lu Lantang rarely drank and was certainly not one to get intoxicated. Ordinary sobering ice was typically prepared with shredded orange peel and ginger, and while aesthetically pleasing, it was not something she usually favored.

"Such a tiny spoon." She pinched the small bamboo scoop between her fingertips. "Was this crafted specifically for this dish?" She chuckled softly. "You are very thoughtful."

The sobering ice was drizzled with mulberry juice. If one were to eat it by hand like the pastries from the first two days, it would surely be sticky. Even with bamboo picks provided, most people preferred using their fingers. After all, holding two or three pieces of pastry while sipping tea for an entire afternoon was part of the daily life of the people in Pingjiang Prefecture.

Without the pungent heat of ginger, the sobering ice—infused with mulberry and jasmine—offered a rich, full sweetness that slowly melted on the tongue, mingled with a subtle tartness that felt fresher than orange peel. It lacked the pretension of a tavern; instead, it felt like chewing on freshly picked mulberries with cold water, sliding coolly down the throat—a true remedy for the summer heat.

"This has quite whetted my appetite." Lu Lantang ordered one jasmine cake and one mint sandwich cake, saying with satisfaction, "This dish is perfect as a cold appetizer before a banquet, or as a palate cleanser after a full meal."

"I am glad you like it, Big Sister." Wei Fuling sat nearby, observing the very first customer to try the day's sobering ice. She watched every expression on her face, only letting out a sigh of relief once the praise was voiced. "My sister and I love it too."

Compared to pastries, the sobering ice felt more like a snack; it slipped down the throat after only a few chews, leaving one feeling as if they hadn't eaten anything at all, yet eager for more. Whatever Wei Jinyun had left in the molds, the two sisters had mixed with milk and mulberry and devoured.

As the day grew warmer, Lu Lantang, who could have retreated into the academy to cool off, remained leaning against the camphor tree behind Wei Jinyun. The sobering ice had not been made in large quantities, and most of the portions sold had been bought by passing travelers for their children. Wei Jinyun sold pastries for a while, glancing over to see Lu Lantang still leisurely sipping tea under the camphor tree, her gaze fixed upon her.

A quarter of an hour passed. She was watching her.
Half an hour passed. She was still watching her.
Why did she keep staring at her!

Wei Jinyun was not typically a social butterfly, except when she was haggling for goods. Conversing with Lu Lantang felt less natural to her than chatting with Lady Qian. However, her two younger sisters were not shy, and Wei Fuqu had even begun asking Lu Lantang questions about the books she was reading.

"Have Wei’s two younger sisters attended a primary school?" Lu Lantang asked, sitting on the small stool Wei Fuqu had specifically yielded to her.

"No... previously, our father and mother just taught them a little when they had free time." Wei Jinyun refilled her tea. "Once I save up enough money, I plan to inquire about good private schools in Pingjiang Prefecture and send them to one."

"To be so clever without having attended school—they have great talent." Lu Lantang coughed lightly, looking thoughtful. "I happen to know of an excellent private school. If Young Lady Wei is interested..."

"Interested, I am very interested!" Wei Jinyun swooshed over to Lu Lantang’s side, her smile bright as a peony. "Look at this turn of events... might I ask which school it is?"

Lu Lantang laughed until her stomach ached. "There are few such private schools that divide their studies this way. The headmaster of that school was originally hired by a family to teach their own children, but the children grew bored of seeing each other’s faces every day, so they began recruiting other students from the outside."

"Could it be... the Suyuxuan Academy?" Wei Jinyun hesitated for a moment. "I have heard of it; it is very difficult to get into."

She had inquired early on; it was said to be run by the Zhou family of Pingjiang Prefecture. The Zhou family’s ancestors had been civil and military officials, and they only accepted children from elite families. It was notoriously hard to enter.

"With Fuling and Fuqu being so clever, are you afraid they won't get in?" Lu Lantang continued to smile. "Besides, I have a tea party in two days, and I have invited their granddaughter..." She glanced at Wei Jinyun, seeing the flicker of anticipation in her eyes.

"Young Lady Wei’s pastries are delicious."
"Yes!"
"My tea party needs pastries."
"Yes, yes!"
"If my tea party turns out better than the one hosted by Zhou Zhuqing, she will be furious, and if she is furious, I will be happy."
"Yes, yes... wait, what?"

Lu Lantang rested her chin on her hand, staring at Wei Jinyun. "You help me make the pastries, and I will recommend Fuling and Fuqu. As for whether they get in, that will depend on them."

"If she is angry... can you still make recommendations?"
"It doesn't matter; a little coaxing will fix it." Lu Lantang pinched Wei Fuling’s cheek. "Let's wait until she's angry first."

After all, she and Zhou Zhuqing had been competing since childhood—comparing clothes, jewelry, books, and even physical strength—competing all the way to adulthood. Yet, they remained good friends.

"Does Young Lady Lu trust me that much?" Suddenly, with the problem of her sisters' education looking up, Wei Jinyun felt a bit embarrassed. "You have only tasted three types of my pastries."

"I grew up in Pingjiang Prefecture; I know perfectly well whether a pastry is good or not." Lu Lantang picked up her brush. "Good taste is one thing, but creativity is another... I think Young Lady Wei is a person with vision, and I look forward to the future of 'Yun Lai Xiang.' As for your pay, would six strings of cash be enough?"

This was the standard rate for hiring a cook to cater a banquet in Bianliang. She would not let her earn less. Lu Lantang’s calligraphy was bold and free-flowing, though the content read: *June Goal: Annoy Zhou Zhuqing into fainting.*

She squinted and personally pasted it next to a sheet of paper, tilting her head to inspect it carefully. *Pastries that could make Lu Lan jump around would surely work on Zhou Zhuqing as well. Perfect.*

Wei Jinyun had caught on—the pastries naturally had to be delicious, but Lu Lantang was also betting on her innovation. She wanted a tea party that would give her face and make her best friend faint. She looked at her chattering sisters.

"Enough!"

When the bell inside the academy rang twice, students began to slip out as if racing.

"Brother Wu, are you part rabbit?" A student panted, opening his folding fan to cool himself. "I didn't realize you had become such a runner."

"I'm hungry; I want to eat my mother’s egg pancakes." Wu Sheng reached the stall but slowed down, smoothing his disheveled hair.

"Ha." The student sipped some tea. "I almost believed you."

Although they ran fast, they were all very well-mannered and did not crowd. The remaining sobering ice was bought up by the first few people in line, leading those behind to repeatedly ask, "What flavor is it? What flavor?"

Wei Fuling stood to the side, very helpfully answering, "Sweet and sour, sweet and sour, sweet and sour."

When Wei Jinyun packed up her stall and pushed the cart away, her pouch contained not only the day’s earnings but also a piece of silver from Lu Lantang.

"Tangtang, what exactly was that flavor?" Master Lu was dragged along by Lu Lantang, still looking back at Wei Jinyun’s cart.

When the three sisters returned home, they saw that the door to the Li Deli shop was already open. Zhang Dazui was holding a bowl of tea, stretching his neck to look around, then turned to Zhao Xiangping. "Sister-in-law, set your heart at ease. In your situation, with your husband having gambled his way away, just write a separation letter and submit it; it’s guaranteed to pass! I helped the Chen family’s daughter-in-law on Shantang Street just the other day, and it was approved in three to five days. With two taels of silver to grease the wheels, what is there to fear?"

Wei Jinyun grabbed the cart handles, slowly maneuvering it into the shop. She looked up lazily. "The Chen family’s daughter-in-law, is that the one married to Chen Dajia who sells tofu?"

Zhang Dazui pulled up his sleeves. "That’s the one!"

"Oh..." Wei Jinyun drew out the word, pondered for a moment, and continued, "Then why have I heard others say that her husband was dragged off to prison by the officials because he owed money to a gambling den and got into a fight? The government granted the separation directly; she didn't have to submit any documents at all."

Zhang Dazui’s face stiffened, and he tucked his hand into his robe. "That... that must be my mistake. It was the Li family’s daughter-in-law."

"The Li family?" Zhang Renbai, who was watching the spectacle from the side, choked on his tea. "Didn't her husband die last month?"

Several pedestrians cooling themselves nearby chimed in, "That’s right. I went to the Li family’s place for a tofu meal last month, and the coffin was sitting right in the front hall."

Sweat beaded on Zhang Dazui’s forehead, though his voice grew louder. "Perhaps I remembered wrong again! What do you people know? The government has many ways of doing things!"

"There are many ways, indeed." Wei Jinyun stared at him while pushing the cart all the way inside. "A separation letter must clearly state the names of three generations of both the husband and wife, and it requires two guarantors to sign and seal it. You haven't even asked for the name of Auntie Zhao’s husband, so what kind of separation letter are you writing? The money you calculated for Auntie Zhao, besides the fee for the document, includes two taels of silver to be submitted. Tell me, then, which clerk in the household registry office is this for? Our Prefect of Pingjiang, hmm... I recall he is famous for his integrity."

Zhang Dazui kept muttering "I remember, I remember," while sweat dripped down his face. How could a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl know more about the law and its loopholes than he did?

Wei Jinyun suddenly grabbed Zhang Dazui’s sleeve and shouted, "Young Master Zhang, hold him! This man took Auntie Zhao’s money but is doing nothing but deceiving her. He is a fraud!"

"I am not! I didn't!" With that shout, Zhang Dazui immediately panicked. Zhang Renbai was already standing before him. He tried to shake off Wei Jinyun’s hand and turned to run, only to see several figures in crimson robes approaching from the arched bridge.

"My lord, that grandson seems to be right there! Good lad, he really knows how to hide!"

Lu Lan’s gaze followed his subordinate’s finger. This gang of fake lawyers operated in a group, specifically targeting the money of women and children who did not understand the law. They had already caught most of them, leaving only the cunning Zhang Dazui. He hadn't expected him to hide for only two days before coming out to swindle people again.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Zhang Dazui had no other choice. Gritting his teeth, he took a leap of faith and jumped into the river beside him with a "thud."

Zhang Renbai felt as if that monkey-like Young Lady Wei had appeared again. When Lu Lan arrived, he saw a familiar, graceful silhouette leap down after him.