The wording doesn’t make the question confusing, the wording is incorrect in the English language. The “remaining quarter” implies only a quarter (4) remains of the original total (16) after the described transactions. It should say she asks for “a quarter of the remaining”.
OK, start with 16 and she takes 4, so you have 12 left.
Now of that 12 she wants a quarter of them, 1/4 x 12 = 3.
Add that 3 to the 4 she took at the start and you have 7 total.
The wording makes the question confusing.
The wording doesn’t make the question confusing, the wording is incorrect in the English language. The “remaining quarter” implies only a quarter (4) remains of the original total (16) after the described transactions. It should say she asks for “a quarter of the remaining”.