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

At Qingwu Courtyard, Hua Sirong held the invitation in her hand, hesitating whether to decline it.

However, a rare guest arrived in the courtyard; it was Wenhua who had come to deliver something on behalf of Yuan Tiaotiao.

"Miss Hua, what brings you here? It's a bit cold outside, come inside and warm up."

Before speaking, Wen Hua smiled and said, "My wife has been suffering from severe morning sickness these days. Today, she finally felt a little better, so she busied herself opening the storeroom and picking out a lot of materials suitable for making winter clothes."

The young lady didn't like going out, so the young mistress sent her maid to visit her.

Hua Sirong knew that her eldest cousin-in-law was trying to please her in-laws, and she was just an afterthought.

However, if you don't take advantage of a good deal, wouldn't that be crazy?

Looking at the item delivered to my hands, although it was the leftovers, the material was indeed of good quality.

"Please thank your sister-in-law for me. I should have come to congratulate her on her good news. However, I have always been frail and fall ill every few days in the winter."

The exquisite decor of the Marquis's mansion takes on a special charm in winter, and I'm not afraid to go out. It's just that Granny Wang is very strict with me, and she's afraid that my illness might pass on to my cousin-in-law; that would be a terrible thing to do.

Wen Hua had known Hua Sirong for a long time and naturally understood her concerns. She was as considerate as ever.

"Don't worry, Miss, I will definitely explain this to my young mistress when we get back."

Hua Sirong held Wen Hua's hand, sincerely thanking her, and then gestured to Wang Mama to take a gold bracelet from the dressing case and give it to Wen Hua.

When asked to refuse the painting, Hua Sirong insisted, "Take it. Now that you're going to Mixiang Garden, you should have some good things with you."

Being a concubine may seem glamorous, but the real benefits are not necessarily as plentiful as working for the Shen family.

Wen Hua, knowing that her future depended on He Zhizhang and Yuan Tiaotiao, shamelessly accepted the gold bracelet.

Actually, the task of delivering materials to Qingwu Courtyard today wouldn't have fallen to her, since she was, after all, the young master's woman.

In the Fragrant Garden, you can always find a maid who can run errands.

Ke Wenhua did not want to stay in the Fragrant Garden, so he took the initiative to ask for this job.

"Thank you so much, Miss. I will remember your kindness for the rest of my life."

Hua Sirong smiled lightly, "From the first day I came to the Marquis's residence, Miss Hua has been full of kindness towards me. What I am doing now is simply giving roses to others, and having the fragrance linger on my hands."

“My cousin’s wife seems to be a kind and loving sister, and very easy to get along with. I noticed that Miss Hua has gained a bit of weight since she stayed at the Fragrant Garden for a while.”

Wen Hua naturally agreed, "Yes, the young mistress is generous to the servants and never beats or scolds us."

Hua Sirong remained noncommittal, thinking about the news that Wang Mama had heard from outside about Wenqin being beaten.

As Hua was leaving, as if suddenly remembering something, she asked Hua Sirong if she had any pretty flower patterns.

She found it very boring to stay in the house every day, so she decided to pick up embroidery again to pass the time.

Hua Sirong, mindful of the hardships faced by women in the inner quarters, generously allowed Wen Hua to select some flower patterns she had just drawn.

As Hua Sirong watched the lonely figure of the painting disappear into the distance, her resolve to never become a concubine grew even stronger.

She decided to attend the winter invitation sent by the Jiang family on time.

Granny Yan agreed, saying, "After all, the Jiang family is the late Empress's family. If the young lady goes to the banquet, it will make those gossipy people outside think twice before they dare to oppose the Jiang family."

This refers to the rumors that circulated widely inside and outside the mansion about Hua Sirong being a jinx, unlucky, and having a bad fate.

Now that even the Chiang family in Beijing has personally sent her an invitation, the rumors outside have naturally been dispelled.

Hua Sirong's treatment in the mansion will also improve accordingly.

In Fushou Hall, Madam Shen also mentioned to the old lady the plum blossom appreciation banquet held at the Jiang family residence.

Madam Shen: "...We received an invitation, but each invitation only allows three people to be brought. I was thinking of bringing our fourth, fifth, and seventh young ladies with this invitation."

The old lady nodded, "The three of them are all legitimate children of their respective branches of the family, so your arrangement is very good."

Madam Shen continued, "My niece, Rong'er, also received a separate invitation from the Jiang family. I was thinking she could bring three more with her. Mother, what do you think..."

The old lady looked astonished. "The Jiang family actually sent a separate invitation to Rong'er?"

Madam Shen then recounted how Master Jiang had come to the Marquis's residence to support Hua Sirong, saying, "I originally thought that Master Jiang was just showing off out of old friendship."

Unexpectedly, the Jiang family's banquet reminded them of Rong-jie.

The old lady didn't think that way at all. She only took her anger out on Hua Sirong because she saw that Hua Sirong had no backing and because of what happened at He Zhizhang's wedding banquet.

If she had known that the Jiang family still remembered Hua Sirong, this orphan, she would never have openly expressed her disgust.

The old lady was indeed shrewd and experienced. She looked at Madam Shen and said, "You have always been in charge of this household. Our family has always been hospitable and has never mistreated our guests. Don't you agree?"

Madam Shen tightened her grip on the handkerchief, but smiled broadly. "You're right, Rong'er has always been incredibly grateful to our Marquis's mansion. There's no way she's been mistreated."

The old lady liked Shen's tact. "Which maids from the household should Rong'er include in that invitation?"

Madam Shen tentatively asked, "Second daughter, third daughter, and eighth daughter?"

The old lady frowned. "Where is Sixth Girl?"

Sixth Sister is not what she used to be; she's now the princess's confidante, and she'll have a bright future ahead of her."

The implication was extremely clear. If it weren't for Zhuzhu's prophecy, Shen felt that she might not have been able to see through her mother-in-law's good intentions.

She couldn't bear to see Aunt Shui and the others ascend to heaven, but she couldn't directly give the old lady the cold shoulder.

"Each invitation can only bring three more people. If we bring one more person, and the gatekeeper of the Jiang residence doesn't let us through, then it will be our Hou residence that loses face."

The old lady also had her pride. Although the chances of the Jiang family kicking people out were slim, she was just afraid that something might happen.

The Marquis's mansion was ridiculed by people in the capital not long ago. If this were to become another topic of conversation, the old lady felt she would be so ashamed that she would die.

After much deliberation, she decided, "Then let's keep Er Yatou at home. Er Yatou is getting old and has reached marriageable age, so she can stay home and embroider her dowry."

The real reason was that the negotiations between the Meng and He families completely broke down, and He Zhihuan had to either marry the poor scholar Xin Yucheng or marry someone outside the capital.

Therefore, whether or not one attends the banquet at the Chiang family residence is not important.

Unlike He Zhisuo, the sixth daughter, who will become an imperial concubine in the future, it's better to establish relationships in the capital early on.

Madam Shen was unaware of the old lady's plans, but she also did not want her sixth daughter to show off at the Jiang residence again.

"When Er Ya fell into the water, rumors started circulating in the capital, and they were quite unpleasant."

It's a good opportunity to take advantage of the plum blossom appreciation banquet at the Jiang family mansion. Let's have our Huan-jie show her face and shut up those gossipy women.

As for the sixth daughter, she was often summoned to the palace to accompany the emperor.

"What if the princess needs to find Sixth Sister during the banquet at the Jiang residence that day? Wouldn't that be inconvenient?"