Su Miaomiao smiled and greeted everyone warmly. She never gave anyone a cold shoulder.
Her manners were impeccable.
Afterward, she continued to admire the theater. It was truly gorgeously decorated.
It felt very interesting.
All the tables and chairs were made of rosewood, with beautiful carvings. In short, it looked very expensive.
The tables were also laid with exquisite tea and fruit platters.
Featuring nuts, dried fruits, and pastries.
There wasn't as much variety as in her own dessert shop and teahouse, but takeout was available here too.
Su Miaomiao scanned the room and noticed that some people were indeed holding milk tea from her own milk tea shop. The takeout bamboo containers from her shop were polished and even carved with the characters "yipin" (δΈε), making them very recognizable.
She had recently heard from Laifu that Xiao Wuzi and Xiao Liuzi had reported that many people were imitating their shop, but they were all failing.
They could make milk tea because the name clearly indicated it was made from milk and tea, but the taste was vastly different.
Moreover, they couldn't replicate the various toppings. So it was only natural that one shop after another failed. It wasn't that easy to imitate.
As the show was about to begin, Su Miaomiao saw more and more people bringing out pastries and drinks from her shop, which made her heart fill with joy.
She felt inexplicably exhilarated.
It was all money!
Money going into her pocket! So she felt happy seeing everyone enjoy it.
Each table here could seat four people.
So Madam Tao sat beside her, and Madam You joined them.
Another madam came to sit beside Su Miaomiao. She looked a few years older than Su Miaomiao and was introduced as Madam Yang. She had a kind face and, noticing Su Miaomiao looking around, subtly asked her maid to buy a few cups of milk tea.
Everyone at their table already had one.
Even the maids each received a cup, which showed the great appeal of this milk tea.
However, her childhood friend didn't allow her to drink too much, constantly reminding her that excessive consumption wasn't good for her health. It was too sweet and not great for the body.
Nothing was good in excess.
Madam Yang kindly urged her to drink, and Su Miaomiao didn't refuse her good intentions. She smiled and took a couple of sips. When asked if it tasted good, she nodded.
She appeared exceptionally obedient.
In reality, it was all an illusion.
She wasn't that obedient, and it was simply because no one had provoked her.
Then, Madam You, who couldn't stay idle, insisted on making her presence known. She said with a smile, "Has this young madam never had milk tea from our capital before? But I suppose that's true, milk tea is only available here in the capital."
It hadn't spread to further regions yet.
Madam You was convinced that her companion was from a small place, as Madam Tao hadn't contradicted her earlier guesses.
That meant she had tacitly agreed.
Madam You's sense of superiority surged, and she kept subtly showing off. Madam Tao didn't allow her to be too direct, but she treated the other woman as if she were foolish, making veiled sarcastic remarks.
Su Miaomiao smiled and took small sips of her milk tea, not engaging with Madam You's words.
Madam Yang promptly intervened, saying the show was about to begin and urging them to stop talking.
Indeed, there was movement on stage.
Everyone then hushed and began to watch the play. A good show should not be missed.
Yuanyuan beside them also sipped her milk tea. She and Xinghua were almost tired of drinking it. The Cheng family treated their servants well. When the house was being renovated, the master often ordered food from his own shops to be delivered.
The servants ate alongside the renovation workers.
So they had drunk plenty of it.
Xinghua and Yuanyuan both took small sips. Hearing Madam You's arrogant words, they wanted to laugh. They guessed that if Madam You knew that the Madam Cheng she was praising so highly was sitting right in front of her, she would probably be terrified.
It was too amusing.
The two maids shook their heads, smiling.
It was no wonder their own madam sat so calmly and paid no mind to what the other woman said.
That was having enough confidence.
People in the world always value what they lack and like to show off what they have.
Compared to Madam Tao, Madam You was clearly far inferior.
Madam Tao also sighed.
She had told Madam You not to act that way, but although Madam You restrained herself in public, she was still ostentatious in private.
Wasn't that self-humiliation?
Madam Tao thought that afterward, she would have to inquire about information in advance and avoid Madam You, so as not to end up in an awkward position.
The play ended.
Everyone was still enthralled, and some were discussing the performance in low voices.
Madam Tao also asked Su Miaomiao what she thought and if watching the play today was fun.
Su Miaomiao nodded with a smile and commented, "It's quite novel. I found it very interesting. I've never watched a play in such a large theater before. It's truly lively here."
Moreover, the singing was quite good, though she didn't quite understand the lyrics.
But the atmosphere was excellent.
She could roughly grasp the plot, and overall, it was quite enjoyable.
It was more fun than staying at home.
Madam Tao was relieved. She had brought her out to play and naturally wanted her to be happy. Then, she smilingly suggested taking her to other places.
Madam Yang also offered to join, saying it would be nice to have company. She felt a good connection with Su Miaomiao and thought it wouldn't hurt to get to know her; they could become friends in the future.
Su Miaomiao quite liked this Madam Yang. Although she wasn't entirely innocent, she knew her boundaries, and it wasn't unpleasant to be with her.
So, naturally, she had no objections.
Madam Tao felt a sense of unease seeing this, worried that Su Miaomiao might become closer to others. But then she thought that Su Miaomiao had only been in the capital for a few years and had no friends, so she didn't say anything. She smiled and agreed, saying, "Let's go together then."
Unexpectedly, Madam You, who was nearby, immediately also expressed her desire to join. Her husband's family was in the shipping business, and they were indeed quite wealthy.
She was often bored, with nowhere to show off her status.
Here was a new bride from a small place, perfect for her to flaunt her wealth and let her know how rich Madam You was. Therefore, she was very solicitous, suggesting they go shopping together. She specifically wanted to buy some rouge and powder.
Madam Tao also wanted to buy some recently. She initially wanted to refuse, but Madam You was too insistent, pulling at her and repeatedly asking for their opinions.
Su Miaomiao happened to be free and found Madam You's constant bustling about quite amusing. She decided to follow along and see the show unfold.
So she genuinely smiled and agreed.
Mischievous!
Yuanyuan and Xinghua exchanged glances, wondering if this was truly alright.
But they were just maids.
They were ordered to accompany their madam on an outing and had no authority to prevent her from going wherever she pleased.
Madam Tao thought Su Miaomiao was so naive and worried that something might happen later. Just as she was about to refuse, Madam You again said that not going would be disrespectful.
Madam Yang had even said let's go together.
Su Miaomiao had no objections.
Madam Tao could only nod, feeling very anxious. She thought she would have to keep a close eye on things and hope nothing went wrong.
If she displeased Madam Cheng, she would never be able to be friends with her again, and the master of the Cheng family wouldn't let her in the house anymore. That would be disastrous.