"My grandfather married seven concubines in total, and four of them are still alive today: the second concubine, the third concubine, the fifth concubine, and the eighth concubine."

Wei Jingnian feared that if the two young girls went into that courtyard, they would be like rabbits entering a wolf's den, about to be devoured.

Sun Miao'er listened half-heartedly, then interrupted him, "Why does Young Master Wei treat his young mistresses like a monstrous flood?"

You'll find out soon enough.

Wei Jingnian was afraid that the two of them would be too scared to go, so he deliberately kept them in suspense, which would give him more courage.

Passing through the long corridor, you'll find another mansion hidden behind the huge house.

Sun Miao'er sighed inwardly. It was true that the Wei family's foundation was in the countryside, but their financial strength and resources were incomparable to those merchants in Pingnan City who had become rich by chance.

It is said that it is easy to acquire wealth but difficult to keep it. To maintain a prosperous family business, one must work tirelessly for generations. If one is not careful, the hard work of several generations may be destroyed in an instant.

The inner and outer quarters were managed by two stewards. When the steward at the gate saw Wei Jingnian coming from afar, he excitedly called out inside, "Young Master is here!"

Suddenly, a noisy, clamorous female voice burst out from inside.

What happened next left Sun Miao'er speechless.

Several women, each dressed in their finest attire, trotted from the courtyard to the gate, carrying their skirts.

Some people were holding half-finished eyebrow pencils, but they couldn't wait to stand at the door and look around.

Sun Miao'er couldn't help but marvel at this display, which was in no way inferior to the girls at Duhuanlou attracting customers.

As they drew closer, they suddenly heard several women say in unison, "Young Master!"

Wei Jingnian felt a sense of panic and took two steps back, calling out in a low voice, "Greetings, ladies."

Upon hearing this, the women beamed with joy, and the eldest one spoke up first, "Hey, young master, the old master is waiting for you inside!"

"Young Master, let me lead you there!" The other one wasn't going to be outdone, and he shoved the first one to the back, squeezing his way forward.

Wang Xueru quietly tugged at Sun Miao'er's sleeve and kept giving her meaningful glances.

Sun Miao'er was confused and, to be on the safe side, decided to remain silent for the time being.

Finally, someone noticed their presence. "Oh, two young ladies, how rare!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a group of women's eyes all fell on the two of them.

Sun Miao'er sensed the undisguised greed in those eyes.

What, they don't even spare women?

But she didn't understand why these women, who weren't the old master's concubines, were all so enthusiastic about Wei Jingnian.

"Miss, eyebrow makeup is a rare find. If you don't mind, consider it a small gift."

Before Sun Miao'er could react, a concubine stepped forward and handed her the eyebrow pencil.

The woman behind her pulled the hairpin from her hair and approached Wang Xueru, saying, "Miss, this is just a small token of my appreciation. Please don't find it offensive."

The concubines were also unsure which one was the young master's sweetheart. One was simply dressed, but her temperament was outstanding. The other was dressed in gorgeous clothes, with bright eyes and white teeth, and was very beautiful.

"She looks like a young lady from a wealthy family, who would want your rubbish?"

The tall one made sarcastic remarks with ill intentions.

Holding the hairpin, he glared back at her fiercely, "It's better than you not even having anything worth selling!"

Before Sun Miao'er could figure out the situation, the women were already arguing and about to fight.

"Alright, ladies, please stop arguing. I'm here to see Fifth Grandma!"

Wei Jingnian shouted loudly, stopping the farce in front of him.

The women suddenly fell silent. The fifth concubine was the one they had nothing to offer.

But at this moment, having been singled out by the young master, he couldn't be more proud.

Fifth Aunt proudly raised her chin, like a peacock that had won a fight, snorted coldly, and said, "See? The young master came to see me!"

The remaining few seemed to deflate and wilted in an instant, waving their hands listlessly as they dispersed.

"Speak, young master, what made you decide to come to me?"

Fifth Aunt thought that usually, as long as she fawned over the young master, he would want to get as far away from them as possible. Why did he change his mind today?

Wei Jingnian said frankly, "Isn't it because I need something from Fifth Grandmother?"

The way the Fifth Aunt was addressed as "Fifth Grandma" made her feel incredibly happy; she could finally hold her head high in front of those women.

In terms of wealth, she was inferior to the older women; in terms of looks, she was outshone by the younger women.

Only by currying favor with the young master could they enjoy some happiness after the old man passed away.

You should know that Master Wei deeply despised these concubines. If it weren't for the old man, he probably would have sold them off long ago.

Fifth Concubine Jiao was not young, but her voice was still as sweet and coquettish as a young girl's. She said, "Speak, what is it? Since the young master has come to the door, I will certainly grant his request."

"I have some questions about weaving that I would like to ask Fifth Grandmother for advice," Wei Jingnian said slowly. Fifth Aunt, who was not favored by her grandfather back then, was once the most skilled weaver in the entire Dahuai Village.

No matter how complex the material, she can replicate it exactly with just one glance.

Fifth Aunt was taken aback, then quickly recovered, her voice suddenly losing its previous coquettishness, "Let me see it."

Sun Miao'er stepped forward and handed over the manuscript.

Fifth Aunt took the manuscript, glanced through it briefly, and whispered, "Let's talk in my room."

Upon entering Fifth Concubine's room, a maidservant served tea. Fifth Concubine leaned back on the soft couch and casually said, "Sit down."

"Has Fifth Grandmother made any progress?" Wei Jingnian asked tentatively.

To everyone's surprise, Fifth Aunt just held the stack of manuscripts in her hand and fanned them twice like a fan.

Sun Miao'er felt that this woman was not simple. When she was mingling with those concubines, she couldn't help but feel a little vulgar. But the moment she got the manuscript, the expression on the woman's face showed the demeanor of a master craftsman.

"Where did you find this?" She placed the manuscript on the table, yawned, and lazily slumped her left shoulder.

Sun Miao'er replied, "It was given to me by an old woman. However, we are indeed looking for a way to weave white raw yarn, but the manuscript is incomplete. We would appreciate Fifth Grandmother's help."

"You know about white cotton yarn?" Fifth Aunt moved gracefully and walked up to Sun Miao'er.

She circled around Sun Miao'er, taking the opportunity to look her over.

Sun Miao'er sniffed around and smelled the sweet, cloying scent of Fifth Aunt's cosmetics.

Sun Miao'er replied, "I've heard a little about it. Fifth Grandmother, could you please give me some pointers?"

"How rare!" Fifth Aunt laughed suddenly. "I never thought that after so many years, white cotton yarn would have disappeared from the world long ago."

She went back and patted the manuscript a few times in her palm. "I can teach you the technique of making white yarn, but you have to agree to one condition."

Those almond-shaped eyes suddenly turned cold, their gaze fixed, lost in thought.