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

"Regardless of whether my aunt will carry out her plan in the end, we must first know ourselves and our enemy."

Since we were born into the inner quarters of the household, we can no longer turn a blind eye to the affairs of the Marquis's mansion.

As for the outside affairs, the managers of our two shops were found by my father when he was alive. I have looked at the account books, and they are reliable.

Therefore, we asked the shopkeeper to inquire about news from outside. Mother can also leave the manor each month and pay money to buy information.

Hua Sirong raised her eyebrows, "Mom, don't be stingy with money if it can be solved with money."

“I understand what you mean, Miss. Spending money like this only in the manor might alert the masters of the Marquis’s residence, and I’m afraid it will bring trouble upon you.” After all, possessing a treasure can be a crime.

"Mother's concerns are valid, so I only gave Chunyan copper coins. When you use the gold and silver beans here, Mother, be careful."

"Okay, Mom will be the sucker more often, the unlucky one who loses at cards, and the big sucker who pays for every drink."

"If anyone asks about the origin of this gold and silver, I just tell them it was accumulated when the master was still alive." Back then, the Hua family was extremely wealthy, so it was perfectly plausible that she, as the close mother, had hidden a huge sum of money.

After saying that, both master and servant laughed.

This is a good idea. Others will only think that Wang's mother is loose-fisted and careless, and will not suspect anything else.

Every day, Wang Mama would return with any information she gathered and tell Hua Sirong everything. The two of them would analyze it one by one, and through this complex information, they would find out what might be detrimental to their livelihood.

Yimei Garden

"Madam, Wang Mama from Miss Cousin's courtyard got into some trouble while drinking with some people," Zhang Mama said casually as she served Madam Hou.

Madam Shen raised an eyebrow. "Drinking? The master is dead, and this old maid is drinking?"

If it were a secret affair, we wouldn't know, but if it's made public, won't we become a laughingstock for our young lady?

The cousin is also her own niece, so in the end, this joke is all because of her, the head of the household.

Shen's good mood vanished instantly.

Granny Zhang: ...I wish I could slap myself.

With a forced smile, he quickly explained, "Madam, please don't upset yourself. That Granny Wang has some sense of propriety; she didn't drink any alcohol."

Upon hearing this, Madam Shen's expression softened. However, she had just vented her frustrations for no reason, which had caused her to lose face. She was also somewhat dissatisfied with Zhang Mama's lack of rigor in speaking, and this dissatisfaction was reflected on her face.

Granny Zhang pretended not to see and continued to tell the story as a joke to please her master: "It turns out that Granny Wang was bored staying in Qingwu Courtyard, so she occasionally went out to play with the gatekeepers in the mansion."

"You know how the lady manages the household; those old women may seem respectful on the surface, but they're the ones who most often abuse their age and status."

"My cousin has only been in our household for a short time. She comes from a merchant family and is here to stay with relatives. They treat her like a servant, and they look down on someone like her who is only half a master."

"During the day, out of respect for your dignity, Master, we treat Miss Biao with utmost respect."

But in private, when Wang Mama chatted with them, she was only bullied by those old women. Yet, Wang Mama wasn't one to read between the lines; she would always try to please them.

Shen found it amusing; what good would it do to please a lowly old woman?

It would be better to use that good steel where it counts and curry favor with the steward in the mansion; that would be the proper thing to do.

It is clear that even Rong-jie, as the mistress, has limited abilities.

However, this is for the best. If she excels in everything and then gets into that place, kicks out their Marquis's mansion and enjoys that wealth and luxury herself, she, the matchmaker, would be disgusted.

Seeing her mistress's mood brighten, Granny Zhang became even more animated in telling jokes. "That Granny Wang is actually quite good. Because of her former mistress, she doesn't want to drink. But when she's hanging out with those old women, she can refuse to drink, but she can't skimp on the cost of the alcohol."

"When Wang Mama was in the Hua family, she was probably used to spending money lavishly. Now that the master's family is in decline and she is living under someone else's roof, she hasn't changed her bad habits in a short time. She actually thinks that a few copper coins are enough to make her recognize sisters in our mansion."

Finally, he boasted that he would treat those old women to a drink, but when it came time to pay the bill, he didn't have a few coins in his pocket.

Those old women had no intention of helping her pay for the drinks. Instead, their words provoked Wang Mama, who, being rather dim-witted, searched her entire body. They even stripped off her silver bracelet, ripped off her nearly new coat, and finally used her handkerchief as collateral. It was truly a spectacle for the entire household.

Madam Shen smiled and said, "I vaguely remember that Rong-jie said that she paid the monthly wages of the two servants she brought into the mansion."

"Madam has a good memory. Wang Mama and that gluttonous Chunyan girl don't receive their monthly allowances from our household."

One of our maids, a lowly servant, was there at the time and witnessed the whole farce. She also learned about the affairs of the young lady's courtyard from the old women. "There's no way that she would spread rumors behind our Lady Hou's back that she mistreated the young lady and her servants."

Madam Shen nodded, "Give that clever girl a reward of five hundred coins. When there are any gaps in my maids, remember to promote her. Also, Madam, you told a good joke today, so give her five hundred coins as well."

"Yes, thank you for the reward, Madam." Granny Zhang happily agreed. Madam's rewards and punishments were fair, so she, as a servant, could do her best.

"Don't bother two people with one matter. You should go to Qingwu Courtyard yourself and ask if Miss is short of money. If she is short of anything, please let me, her aunt, know."

"Yes, this old servant will go right away."

In Qingwu Courtyard, Wang Mama stood in front of Hua Sirong with a face full of shame.

"Miss, this old servant has disgraced you." She had some money, but she was managing her mistress's personal funds and knew that she would need it for a lifetime, so she naturally tried to save as much as possible.

It was her first time going out to make friends, and she thought they were all low-class people from the mansion, so she figured a few copper coins would be enough. Little did she know that those old women were looking down on her and ordered such good wine that she didn't have enough money in her pocket.

He was also filled with resentment; how come those few ounces of horse urine didn't kill those crazy women?

Hua Sirong pulled Wang Mama to her feet, saying, "Every cloud has a silver lining. It's taboo for prisoners to make friends so openly in the mansion."

We've made a fool of ourselves now, and although we've lost face, upon closer reflection, it might not be such a bad thing for us.

Mrs. Wang: ...?

"Mom, don't panic. What's the point of saving face? The important thing is to live a good life until the mourning period ends and to get married while still alive." Everything else is secondary.

As for reputation, she doesn't plan to marry into a wealthy or powerful family. In a humble family, the daily struggles of cooking and cleaning are enough; she has no extra energy to worry about things that can't be eaten or drunk.