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

After Wenqin blurted it out, she regretted it a little, so she changed the subject, "Is Miss Biao getting used to living at your residence?"

The madam asks several times a day, but she's busy with household chores and can't get away. I'm fairly well-regarded in the household, so if Miss needs anything, just tell me.

Hua Sirong replied, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt. Everything is fine here. Thank you for making this trip, Miss Wenqin." After saying that, she looked at Wang Mama.

Madam Wang hurriedly went into the inner room and took out a pair of lilac earrings.

Hua Sirong took the earrings and placed them in front of Wenqin. "I live here, and I'm so grateful that Miss Wenqin keeps me in mind. These earrings are something I brought from Xishan. They are small and delicate in design and exquisite in workmanship. They are not worth much money, but I'm giving them to you to wear and enjoy."

Wenqin was the first-class maidservant by the Lady of the Marquis's side, so she naturally had no shortage of good things and had seen many good things.

These earrings weren't particularly expensive, but their exquisite design won Wenqin's favor immediately.

Wenqin stood up to thank them and was about to pick up the earrings when she accidentally knocked over the teacup beside her. The three of them were so focused on salvaging the earrings that they forgot about the copybook that Hua Sirong had casually put down on the table.

By the time it was discovered, the edges of the copy were already soaked with water. Hua Sirong carefully turned the pages and found that several words on the edges had begun to become blurred and indistinct.

Wenqin, no longer caring about the earrings, quickly apologized, "Miss, it's all my fault for ruining your book. Please punish me."

Hua Sirong didn't speak, but busied herself with wiping the book with a handkerchief. After a quick fix, she said, "Miss Wenqin, don't panic. You should blame me. I shouldn't have left such a valuable book by my side; it should have been on the bookshelf."

This is a copy that the second young lady just sent me. It is said to be a rare copy that the old Marquis of the manor found when he was alive.

The second young lady was so generous that she gifted me a copy of the book. However, I nearly destroyed it on the very first day. If she found out, she'd probably regret making me her friend and regret giving me such a valuable book.

"A rare copy? A manuscript copy?" Wenqin immediately recalled the scene when she, Granny Zhang, and the Madam were plotting together to find the second young lady's rare copy.

Unexpectedly, the matter was accomplished so easily. However, the rare copy is still in the hands of the Second Miss. She said she would study it for a while longer and then send it to the Marquis's study when the Young Master gets married, to add to the joy of the Young Master's wedding.

Wenqin thought that she had also contributed to this, and she was no longer as flustered as before. She even asked directly, "May I take a look?"

Although Hua Sirong had doubts, she still handed the book over.

Wenqin only flipped through two pages before noticing the smudged handwriting. She quickly put it down and apologized again, "Some words are hard to read, what a pity."

However, once that rare copy is delivered to the Marquis's study in a few days, I will ask the Heir Apparent to make a new copy, which I will then use to compensate Miss Biao.

Hua Sirong immediately noticed the difference.

Her mind was filled with countless thoughts, but she dared not reveal a single one.

Looking at Wenqin again, she seemed to disregard the book and was smilingly seeking Hua Sirong's opinion.

The head maidservant by Lady Hou's side should have some knowledge; she didn't see anything wrong with the book. Hua Sirong wondered to herself, "Could it be that I'm being too sensitive and overthinking things?"

He then smiled gently and said, "Miss Wenqin, you're exaggerating. It's just a few words that are hard to see; it doesn't affect your reading at all. But I know your heart."

"This is such a trivial matter, there's no need to bother my cousin, the young master. It wouldn't interfere with his important business, and my aunt would probably invite me for tea." As she spoke, she chuckled to herself.

Wenqin knew she was joking, but she didn't blame her.

When Hua Sirong personally escorted Wenqin out of the courtyard, she repeatedly begged her not to tell the Second Miss about the damaged book.

She rarely had such a compatible peer in the Marquis's mansion, and she didn't want to lose her because of such a mistake.

Wenqin was at fault in this matter, so she wouldn't spread rumors. She just told Hua Sirong to rest assured.

After Wenqin left Qingwu Courtyard, Chunyan returned from the main kitchen with dinner.

After closing the courtyard gate, the three of them ate in the dining room.

“Girl, that book…” Mrs. Wang remembered that the book shouldn’t be on the coffee table.

"What the second young lady meant was that she couldn't take that rare book with her when she got married. Just now, Qinlai inadvertently revealed that the rare book's final destination is the Marquis's study. So, Mother, guess who was in charge of this?"

Having listened to the whole story, Wang's mother stared into the girl's bright eyes and boldly uttered a name, "The girl's aunt?"

Hua Sirong did not nod, but continued to analyze, "The second young lady first came to Qingwu Courtyard when the eldest young lady asked her for a copy, and at that time the second young lady probably guessed who was behind it."

She glanced at Wang Mama and Chunyan, and said something that everyone knew: "And I am the Hou Madam's own niece."

The chopsticks in Madam Wang's hand clattered onto the table. "Then, the second young lady and the young lady should become friends..."

She felt a little apprehensive; she was truly not good at this kind of mentally taxing internal conflict. She was just an experienced old woman who had gained a little wisdom.

Only Chunyan, while eating, listened to the girl and Wang Mama talking, staring with her big, round eyes, but got nothing in return.

Hua Sirong comforted Wang's mother, "Mom, please eat. Don't ask about anything else."

Just now, I heard Miss Wenqin arrive, so I grabbed the book and put it on the coffee table while we were having tea. We were both careless while drinking tea, and that's how this good book got ruined.

Although Wang's mother didn't understand the intricacies of the situation, she was loyal and simply nodded in agreement, "Alas, it's such a pity that such a good book has been wasted."

"If I take you to my husband's family in the future, they'll look at you with more respect. I bet no one will dare say you come from a merchant family and have become tainted by money."

What Madam Wang always thought was that if her daughter married a scholar, she would have money in her hands, whether to support her future son-in-law or the children they would have, and she could eventually earn an official title for her daughter, thus shedding her image as a merchant's daughter.

"Mom, don't worry. If you can't bear to part with that book, I'll just write another one for you."

Madam Wang was overjoyed, "But some of the words in the book are illegible. How will the girl know which word it is?" If she misspells a word and someone notices it later, it will be a laughing stock.

"Don't worry, Mom. Your daughter is very smart. This little thing is no problem for me."

So, urged by Wang Mama, Hua Sirong quickly finished her meal. She even took out a luminous pearl from the bottom of a trunk and hung it in the west wing, so that her young lady could copy books all night long.