"That vixen really knows how to do things!"

Wang Xueru watched Aunt Qin leave her seat, her face unusually grim, and muttered a curse under her breath.

Seeing that she was angry, Sun Miao'er reached out and straightened the pearl hairpin in her hair. "What are you going to do, Aunt Qin?"

"Doing despicable things like sycophancy!"

Wang Xueru was the type who couldn't hold her tongue, and since it was just the two of them at the table, she couldn't help but speak her mind. "Miao'er, you don't know how formidable she is. Although she's just my father's concubine, she's as slippery as an eel and gets along well with all the other women."

"What do you mean?" Sun Miao'er asked, puzzled. All the women who came today were legitimate wives and daughters of the principal wife. If they were to befriend someone, it would be someone like Madam Wang. Why would they be willing to befriend a concubine who came from a maid's background?

Wang Xueru turned her head and saw that three or five female relatives had been stopped outside the courtyard by Aunt Qin. Before Wang Sushi could come over, Aunt Qin had already taken on the role of the mistress of the house.

Sun Miao'er followed Wang Xueru's gaze and saw a lively scene!

Aunt Qin was prepared in advance, and instructed her maid to prepare several wooden boxes to wait at the door.

Sun Miao'er immediately understood. It turned out that they had given her a lot of favors. Once they accepted Qin Yiniang's gifts, they would find it difficult to ignore her.

“These people are also wealthy women from Pingnan City. I’m afraid ordinary rare items wouldn’t catch their eye, right?” Sun Miao’er asked, seizing the opportunity to inquire.

Wang Xueru said, "That's for sure."

She suddenly remembered something and began to explain, “She wasn’t originally a maid I bought. That year, my father went to the Western Regions to do business, and he brought her back with him.”

As she recounted the past, Wang Xueru's expression gradually shifted from anger to solemnity.

“My father said she came from a pitiful background, born to a Han Chinese and a Western Regions man. In the Western Regions, she was considered the lowest of the low. My father couldn’t bear to see her die, so he brought her back.”

Sun Miao'er then realized why Aunt Qin was so charming; it turned out she was of mixed race.

Wang Xueru's gaze fell on the wooden box in the maid's hand. "She speaks the language of the Western Regions. Ever since my father brought her back, he has taken her with him on all business dealings with people from the Western Regions. They can communicate in the same language, and she is right in front of him. She has solved many problems in the past, and the people from the Western Regions have not been able to take advantage of us since."

"Look at that box, it contains agate from the Western Regions. Agate is extremely precious, and even if ordinary people have money, they may not be able to buy it. Only noble families in the capital can afford it, so in Pingnan City, this kind of stone is extremely valuable."

Sun Miao'er was far away and could only see the contents of the box from a distance. The maid delivered a box to each of the women outside and made sure everything was taken care of before leading them in to take their seats.

"There are many people today, and my mother has to handle many things in the mansion herself. If she arrives a little late, Qin will get there first. This has happened more than once or twice."

At Aunt Qin's invitation, the women took their seats one after another, and the area around them was filled with people.

After finishing her chores in the mansion, Madam Wang glanced from a distance and knew that Aunt Qin had gotten there first again, so she quickly went to her daughter's side.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am late and have failed to greet you properly. I wonder if Aunt Qin has been negligent?"

Wang Su's words were brilliant. First, she clearly stated that she was the mistress of the house, and second, she made others think that Aunt Qin was only going to greet the person on her orders.

That way, Aunt Qin wouldn't have any credit.

Sun Miao'er thought it made sense. If Wang Su didn't have some ability, she wouldn't have been able to withstand Qin Yiniang's scheming just by relying on her deep affection for Wang Yuanwai. That's why, despite her arrogance, Qin Yiniang had little real power over the years.

Sun Miao'er carefully observed the women at the table. One of them was dressed simply and had a resemblance to Wei Jingnian. She was probably his mother. This woman was also the one sitting closest to Wang Xueru and seemed to be closer to her than the others at the table.

The host of today's banquet is Magistrate Zhang. The lady seated at the table of women is naturally Magistrate Zhang's wife, who is over fifty years old and has gray hair at her temples. However, she is well-dressed, dignified, and has a good temperament.

"Madam Zhang, did that red agate suit your taste?"

Aunt Qin deliberately raised her voice during the meal, showing off.

Madam Zhang nodded with satisfaction, "Excellent! I've never seen such a clear agate before, even in the capital."

Translucent? Sun Miao'er was suspicious. Agate is not jade, so how could it be translucent?

A younger woman standing nearby chimed in, "Madam Zhang comes from a prominent family in the capital, so she's definitely different from us common folk. Sister Qin has such good taste."

Aunt Qin was even more pleased with the praise. She looked at Wang Su with such arrogance that she seemed to want to trample Wang Su underfoot. She boasted without restraint, "That's right. I went to great lengths to have someone find this red agate from the Western Regions. But don't worry, my sisters, yours are just as good. Next time, I'll find you all something similar. Today, let Sister Zhang enjoy this one first."

Sun Miao'er sensed something was amiss; the phrase "transparent" alone didn't add up. She pulled Wang Xueru aside and whispered a few words in her ear.

Wang Xueru turned back to her seat and smiled at Madam Zhang, saying, "Aunt Zhang, I am not very discerning. I wonder if I would be fortunate enough to see this rare red agate and broaden my horizons."

Aunt Qin's expression was strange. This girl usually disliked the things she prepared, so why was she interested now?

She said, "What's so interesting about it, Xue Ru? If you like it, your aunt will find you a piece another day."

A sly glint flashed across Wang Xueru's face as she giggled, "Didn't you just say, Aunt, that red agate is very hard to find? What if we can't find it in the future? Don't worry, Aunt, Xueru just wants to broaden her horizons."

Seeing this, Wei Jingnian's mother said gently, "Yes, Sister Zhang, why don't you take it out and let these younger generations see it?"

Seeing this, Madam Zhang did not refuse. She instructed her maid to bring the wooden box, placed it unopened on the table, and opened it.

Under the pale silver moonlight, the crimson agate gleamed, reflecting the bright moonlight and sparkling brilliantly.

This immediately drew everyone's attention.

Sun Miao'er examined the agate stone and realized it was indeed wrong. She had been fooled before when she was in this business because there were so many stones that could be used to impersonate agate, and very few people had ever seen genuine agate.

So this kind of fake agate is popular in modern times, and it's surprising that it was the same in this dynasty.

However, the people here probably can't even tell the difference between real and fake agate, otherwise why would they keep clapping and cheering?

Without saying a word, Sun Miao'er took the agate stone from the box, grabbed Wang Xueru's hand, and ran it across the white jade bracelet on her wrist.

Aunt Qin was shocked and suddenly stood up, exclaiming, "What are you doing?"

Suddenly realizing that there were more and more guests around, she lowered her voice slightly.