The backdrop can also be propped up.

Lu Renkui carried the box back to the Fourth Madam's territory. As soon as he entered, he saw the Fourth Madam's head maid, Shuiqiu, walking towards him.

Upon seeing the newcomer return, Shuiqiu immediately began to nag, "You're finally back! You've been delayed for so long. Did you deliver the things? Did you find anything useful?"

“Sister Shuiqiu, the young lady took those three boxes and asked me to give this box to Fourth Madam.” Lu Renkui said as she handed the wooden box in her hand to Shuiqiu.

"Alright, does Miss have anything else to say?" Shui Qiu asked Gui Xi in front of her.

"The young lady said she has two or three good friends at school, and her grades are quite good. She said that if she can keep up the good work, she might get the opportunity to study abroad." Lu Renkui briefly relayed Huang Muyan's words.

Shuiqiu then asked, "So, did you ask the questions I taught you to ask?"

"I asked, and the young lady said she has no one in mind." Actually, he didn't ask. Based on Huang Muyan's answer and Huang Muyan's personality in the original text, Lu Renkui deduced Huang Muyan's true thoughts: "The young lady said she wants to study first, make a name for herself, and then talk about marriage."

"Alright, go water the flowers and feed the sparrows." Shuiqiu said, carrying the wooden box into the Fourth Madam's room.

Seeing that Shui Qiu had left, Lu Renkui went to water the flowers, wiped some dirt on his face to make it look just right, and messed up his hair a little before continuing to work diligently.

Shui Qiu carried the wooden box into the Fourth Madam's room. After seeing the Fourth Madam dressing in front of the dressing mirror, Shui Qiu lowered her head and handed the wooden box to the Fourth Madam, saying, "Madam, this was sent by Miss."

"Alright, Caoxi, open that wooden box and let me see what the young lady gave me." The Fourth Madam looked at herself in the mirror, displeased with the gold hairpin her maid had chosen for her, and frowned.

The maidservant beside him understood immediately and replaced it with a silver one.

When Cao Xi heard what the Fourth Madam said, she took the wooden box from Shui Qiu, opened it, and found that it contained some ornaments.

After inspecting the items, Cao Xi lowered her head and bent slightly, saying, "Reporting to Madam, here are two jade bracelets, a gold hairpin, and a pair of gold earrings."

As Cao Xi spoke, the Fourth Madam felt that the words sounded somewhat familiar. She frowned slightly and said, "Bring me the contents of the box, let me take a look."

"Yes." As Cao Xi spoke, she respectfully opened the box to its maximum extent, exposing the contents to the Fourth Madam's view.

The fourth wife looked at the things in the box, thought for a moment, and her brows furrowed even more.

Standing next to the Fourth Madam, Shuiqiu also saw what the ornaments inside the wooden box looked like. As she helped the Fourth Madam pack the gifts for the young lady into the box, she said with slight surprise, "Isn't this what we gave to the young lady? The young lady packed it in a box and sent it back."

"Alright, we can discuss the gift later." Fourth Madam looked at her own reflection in the mirror, her brows furrowed, and then relaxed her expression. She asked Shuiqiu, "Since Miss didn't accept my gift, did she say anything?"

"The person who delivered the things told me that the young lady described her life at school," Shui Qiu replied.

"She's seventeen now, well past the age of marriageable age. Has she thought about what kind of husband she'd like to find in the future?" The fourth wife pondered that many of the men in her family were of marriageable age. Choosing an obedient and easy-to-control man for Huang Muyan would not only strengthen their kinship but also further solidify her position with Master Huang.

"Reporting to Madam, the young lady said she has no intention of finding a husband and wants to continue her studies," Shuiqiu replied, relaying the information she had received from Guixi.

"Continue your studies?" Fourth Madam repeated these four words.

"What is she thinking?" In the First Madam's territory, the First Madam slammed the lid of her teacup down, making a crisp sound as the porcelain clashed. "When I was her age, I had already given birth to Jun'er for the Master, and she still refuses to get married. What will she do when she gets old and no one wants her? She even argued with me about this."

“Madam, Miss is still young,” said Wuchou, the First Madam’s personal maid. “After Miss suffers a loss, she will surely remember your kindness.”

“I don’t really want her to suffer a loss,” the First Madam said, gently tracing the teacup with the lid. “This child was originally quite easy to take care of. We should have stopped the Master from agreeing to let Yan’er go to school. Look at her, she’s even ruined her brain from studying.”

The First Madam sighed, took a sip of the fine tea leaves in her cup, and asked Wuchou, "Did Yan'er send those servants back after all?"

“Yes, madam,” Wuchou answered truthfully, “She said she’s not used to being waited on.”

"Sigh, look at how hard she's suffered these past few years since she left home. She won't even enjoy life anymore, what a stubborn child." The First Madam took another sip of tea and asked Wuchou again, "You've been in her room for so long, haven't you seen Yan'er satisfied with any of the servants?"

“Madam, now that you mention it, I do remember one,” Wuchou said after a moment of recollection. “A little maidservant was carrying three wooden boxes and said she was from the Fourth Madam’s side, delivering something to the young lady. She was the only one the young lady didn’t stop at the door.”

"Fourth Concubine's person?" The First Madam stopped drinking her tea, thought for a moment, and asked, "What does she look like?"

"I guess she hasn't reached marriageable age yet. I haven't seen her in the Fourth Madam's room before, so she must have been recently transferred there," Wu Chou recalled. "Her face was quite dirty."

"Your face is dirty? How did Zhang manage you? Can't even the servants be clean and tidy?" The First Madam said with a hint of disdain. She took another sip of tea and instructed Wuchou, "Go and talk to the Fourth Madam. Tell her to send that maid who delivered the things to Yan'er so she can take care of Yan'er's daily life."

"Yes." Wuchou curtsied slightly and accepted the task.

"Oh, right, give that little maid a thorough makeover and teach her some manners. She's so slovenly; if she doesn't change, she'll embarrass Yan'er if she takes her out." Madam Wang added a few more instructions.

“Yes,” Wuchou replied.