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

Wuchen grew up in a temple and had no shortage of food, but he was still young and in the process of growing up, so he was missing that one bite.

In recent days, he had become familiar with Hua Sirong and the others, and was often fed by them. He was only thinking that after he had sent the pilgrims to their rooms, he would go to find Wang Mama.

"Thank you, Madam Wang. I'll go again in a bit." Wuchen murmured 'Amitabha,' probably admitting in front of others that he had been greedy and broken the precept, and felt somewhat embarrassed.

"Please don't blame the young master, he's still just a child. What child doesn't have a gluttonous appetite?" Wang Mama seemed afraid that the old nanny would blame Wuchen, so she spoke up to explain.

The old nanny had long since seen through Wang Mama from head to toe; she came from a humble family and even had to curry favor with a young monk from a temple. However, she didn't care about other people's business.

“Wang Mama, this is Zhang Mama, the head maidservant of the Lady of the Muqing Marquis’s residence.” Wuchen was quick-witted and took the initiative to introduce her. He probably remembered that Hua Sirong and the others had inquired about these distinguished guests before. He also knew a bit about social etiquette and was happy to curry favor.

"Greetings, Granny Zhang." Granny Zhang accepted the greeting, which made Granny Wang feel uncomfortable. Even servants from noble families had a bit of an official air about them.

"Is Granny from the Marquis of Muqing's mansion?" Granny Wang hesitated, which made Granny Zhang frown. She wondered where this lowly commoner had come from, trying to curry favor with the Marquis's mansion.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, Granny Wang called out to her, "Granny Zhang, speaking of which, my young lady is related to your family in some way. Our young lady should call your Lady Hou 'Aunt.' I wonder if any elders from your family are visiting the temple today? So that my young lady can pay her respects to her relatives."

"Aunt? I've met my mistress's niece before. I wonder which one your daughter is?" Not just any impoverished family can come to the Marquis's mansion to claim kinship. Granny Zhang's blatant contempt made Wang Mama almost cover her face and run away.

Madam Wang swallowed hard. "She was born to the third sister of the Lady of the Marquis's family, the one surnamed Hua."

Then, recalling the snacks from Xishan, Granny Zhang said, "Could it be the cousin of the Hua family from Xishan? I've never met her, but our Madam often mentions her, she seems to miss her dearly." Indeed, the annual gifts from her make up for the Marquis's household's deficit. As the Marquis's personal attendant, how could she not be familiar with her!

As Granny Zhang thought of the Hua family's merchants, a smile appeared on her serious expression, but the disdain in her eyes was undisguised.

Thinking of his wife's third younger sister, who was clearly from an official family, and although she was unlucky enough to be born into a concubine's womb, she was still of noble birth. Yet she chose to debase herself and become a merchant. If she were his wife, she would be ashamed to even mention having such an unworthy younger sister. Fortunately, she died young and didn't get in anyone's way.

“It is indeed the Hua family of Xishan.” Mama Wang gave Wuchen some snacks and told him to take them aside to eat, indicating that she wanted him to catch up with Granny Zhang.

"What a coincidence! It should be me, the servant, who should pay my respects to your young lady," said Granny Zhang, but she showed no intention of going immediately.

"The masters in the manor have been very busy recently. I was serving them when I overheard someone mention that our mistress has a poor niece whose mother died early and whose father has passed away just as she was about to get married. It's pitiful. I wonder what her life is like now."

He was practically uttering the words "cursing one's family" from his mouth.

"It is indeed my young lady." Madam Wang was almost in tears; the people in this Marquis's mansion were truly formidable.

"What?" Granny Zhang's voice rose. "Your daughter! If she were your daughter, shouldn't she be at home observing mourning? How could she have come to the foot of the capital?" Granny Zhang had already guessed that this orphan must have come to seek refuge with relatives, but she deliberately ignored the question.

Madam Wang had also lived in the grand mansion, and had no choice but to swallow her pride and play the victim. "My daughter was young and lost both her parents. She longed to go with them. She barely survived and only wanted to mourn her father. But the second wife in the family saw that she was an orphan and wanted to steal my daughter's little bit of family wealth."

If that were all, even if the girl lost her money, she would only live a poor life, doing some embroidery to earn a few copper coins, which would be enough to get by. But the uncle and aunt of the second wife don't treat my girl as family; they actually want to give her to an old man with gray hair as his second wife. Their intentions are despicable.

Our girl escaped, she was on medication the whole way, and had nightmares. She finally arrived in Huaqiao Town, right under the emperor's nose, but then fell seriously ill and was unconscious for two days before she barely recovered.

She heard that incense at Baiyun Temple was very effective, so she came to the temple to make a wish and request a religious ceremony for my parents. She never forgets the kindness of her parents.

The more Wang's mother thought about it, the sadder she became, and she cried so sincerely. How had the three of them, master and servant, survived these past few days?

If a woman were to run away from home instead of observing the mourning period, most people would immediately condemn her. But Mother Wang absolutely could not allow anyone to label her daughter as unfilial; there was no one in the world as filial as her daughter.

“When we, master and servant, had nowhere to turn for help, I kept telling the young lady to seek refuge with her aunt in the Marquis’s mansion and with her maternal family in the Shen family.”

But the young lady said that she was in mourning and it was not appropriate to bother the two families. Fortunately, there was a nunnery not far from Baiyun Temple, and our young lady planned to go there to practice for three years, so as to fulfill her filial duty to her parents.

This place is close to the capital, right under the emperor's nose, and with the Marquis's and Shen's mansions backing up the young lady, I imagine the Hua family wouldn't dare to cause trouble here. My young lady will definitely be able to observe mourning for my master in peace and quiet.

"Granny Zhang, don't you think this makes sense?" This was a plan devised by the master and servant.

In fact, if Hua Sirong herself were to say, she would be willing to spend three years in a nunnery, even if it meant spending her days in solitary meditation and Buddhist practice.

But reality wouldn't allow it. Even if she was penniless, as long as there were still people in her father's and mother's families, they wouldn't abandon her.

After all, both sides are prominent families. Although the Hua family cannot compare with the Shen family and the Marquis family, the Hua family of Xishan still has a certain reputation.

It's impossible to let a girl like her ruin the family's reputation or do anything that would hinder the marriages of the other children in the family.

“What are you saying, Sister Wang? The girl has lost her father and mother, but she still has relatives on her maternal side. Her aunt is still a Lady of the Marquis. There is no reason to leave a little girl in a nunnery.”

"I'll go with you to pay my respects to your young lady." Granny Zhang didn't know how her mistress treated the Hua family's niece, but as a servant, she had to do her duty when faced with this hot potato.