The cousin's family is extremely wealthy; she deserves to be a concubine.

During the break, when Wang Mama saw that the other servants waiting at the girls' school were serving the young mistress tea and snacks that had been prepared in advance, she also instructed Chunyan to arrange the same for her young lady.

Hua Sirong also shared some local delicacies from Xishan with her classmates.

Although there were a few who disdained to eat it, it was generally acceptable.

He San was initially indignant and looked down on Hua Sirong's skill in winning people over. While complaining to He Si, he unintentionally took the pastry and took a bite.

She thought to herself, "Wow, she likes savory snacks!"

With her cheeks bulging from eating, she said to He Si the same thing as before, "Don't think you can win me over with these little favors."

Of course, there are also those who openly nitpick.

That was Jin Yaoyao, Jin's niece from her maternal family. She had been staying at the Marquis's residence and naturally had been attending the Marquis's girls' school there.

"Pah." She took a bite and spat it out. "What kind of disgusting thing is this, daring to send it to the noble ladies of the Marquis's mansion? Even dogs wouldn't eat this." She then knocked over the plate.

Hua Sirong looked at Miss Jin with an expression as if she were looking at an idiot.

They're both young ladies living under someone else's roof, why are they so eager to fight each other?

Hua Sirong was still hesitating whether to speak up when He San, with his dog-like temper, couldn't hold back any longer. "Who are you calling a dog?" She had not only eaten it, but also snatched He Si's and ate it.

So, who are you calling a dog?

The third daughter was the Marquis's illegitimate daughter, and Jin Yaoyao was still a bit timid.

At this moment, He Zhiluo, the fifth daughter of the third branch of the family, had no choice but to stand up and apologize to her cousin.

She was always sensible and did not learn Jin's mercenary scheming. On the contrary, she was extremely polite to people and never looked down on them. Otherwise, how could Jin's impoverished family members have earned the respect of a young lady from a marquis's family?

He San couldn't stand seeing He Wu being so subservient to her for the sake of an outsider. "Whoever said the wrong thing should apologize! Fifth Sister, just mind your own business. Why are you meddling in other people's affairs?"

He San was clearly worried about his younger sister, but what he said was so unpleasant that it almost made He Wu burst into tears.

Seeing that his fifth sister was about to cry, He San immediately turned the blame on the culprit, Hua Sirong, saying, "It's all your fault. If you hadn't shared the food with us, none of this would have happened."

Hua Sirong, who was innocently caught in the crossfire: ...Are you being polite? I only did this out of politeness.

Jin Yaoyao thought she had escaped this ordeal, but Hua Sirong refused to let her go.

"Miss Jin may not know, but the snack I'm holding has a nice name, 'Gold and Silver Can't Be Exchanged.' It's famous not only in our Xishan area but also in the palace."

The moment the name 'priceless' was uttered, not only did Jin Yaoyao turn pale, but the other young ladies in the Marquis's mansion also dared not sit idly by any longer.

The reason is simple: this snack is very popular among nobles in the palace, and it is the favorite of the current favorite, the widowed concubine who remarried.

Jin Yaoyao was so anxious that she broke out in a cold sweat. Suddenly, she remembered what He San had said about it being salty. She instantly felt that she had found a flaw in the argument. "You're talking nonsense! 'Gold and silver cannot be exchanged' is not salty at all."

When the other girls heard this, they realized, "Oh right," and were almost fooled by Hua Sirong.

If you know what's popular in the palace, the common people will naturally follow suit.

"Priceless" was highly favored in the palace, so how could these young ladies from the capital not have tasted it!

Although they sell in limited quantities each day, they still managed to get a taste.

Everyone looked at Hua Sirong with disdain, thinking that she was indeed the daughter of a merchant, and loved to do things that were meant to attract attention.

He Er also looked at Hua Sirong and explained to her, "Baiweizhai in the capital also sells 'gold and silver invaluable' in limited quantities every day, but the ones we've tried are all sweet."

This is why, after initially trying it, they didn't consider it as something "priceless."

Hua Sirong's eyes widened, revealing an expression of disbelief. She rarely showed such an uncontrollable expression in front of outsiders.

She stared at He Er to confirm, "Have you really only ever eaten sweet food?"

Seeing that He Er wasn't the only one nodding in agreement, she knew this was probably genuine.

This truly overturned her understanding, and Hua Sirong could only helplessly explain, "Then it was a misunderstanding."

In our Xishan area, "priceless dumplings" not only come in sweet and savory varieties, but also have all sorts of fillings—the variety is incredible!

"I know that Xishan's 'gold and silver are not worth it' is favored by nobles in the palace, but I think that what is sold in the capital is not as authentic as what we Xishan locals make."

"I've just arrived at the Marquis's residence for the first time today, and I thought I'd bring this wonderful thing to share with you all. Little did I know, the 'priceless treasure' of the capital is only available in sweet form!"

After saying that, she looked at He San and said, "Because my mother loved salty food when she was alive, my old servant learned this skill."

I usually prefer salty flavors, so my old servant made all salty dishes today.

If you prefer sweet flavors, I'll ask my mother, Mrs. Wang, to make some more for you when she has time. However, her sweet-flavored cooking skills are probably not as good as her savory-flavored ones, so please don't be offended.

Let's take precautions first, so that later on, no one will compare Wang Mama's cooking skills with Baiweizhai in the capital.

He San didn't know if it was because of Hua Sirong, but he glanced at her more than once in the crowd. At this moment, she acted very insolently, "I thought that after Jin Yaoyao's commotion just now, you would no longer be willing to share this delicacy with us."

You should ask your mom to make the savory kind. We can buy the sweet kind in Beijing; the savory kind is much rarer.

Seeing the atmosphere lighten up again, Jin Yaoyao thought she had gotten away with what happened today.

But the new nanny, Granny Yan, was not someone to be trifled with. The moment she stepped forward, the school fell silent, no one knowing what this impartial and incorruptible woman had been secretly listening to.

With a stern face, she looked around at the distinguished guests one by one. "Miss Gold Watch, your words were disrespectful to the noble ladies of the palace. You are to be punished by copying the 'Admonitions for Women' one hundred times. I will check on you in three days."

Jin Yaoyao was almost in tears, but dared not refuse.

Granny Yan then looked at He San and said, “Miss He San, as the daughter of a marquis, your speech and behavior are rude. You may need to relearn the rules and etiquette.”

He San was never one to have a good temper. If it weren't for the fact that the other party came from the palace, she would have jumped out on the spot. But considering that she wasn't particularly favored in the household, she could only endure it.

If these words reach the ears of the old lady and the stepmother, he might be punished. What a bad day!

Next, it was He Er's turn. "Miss He Er is the most outstanding among the young ladies of the Marquis's family in the school. She should take the lead and correct the inappropriate behavior of the sisters below."

He Er, who is getting married next year, suddenly felt ashamed.