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

Hua Sirong had wanted to ask this question for a long time, but since they weren't very familiar with each other and didn't know the other person's temperament, she was afraid that asking it would offend them.

The atmosphere was awkward, so she simply asked the question.

“Our second branch of the family has always relied on the first branch for a living. My aunt fell out of favor early on. If it weren’t for my dedication to studying and my ability to make a name for myself in books, which earned me the appreciation of the elders, I doubt anyone in this Marquis’s mansion would have noticed me, the second daughter.”

"I might not even be doing as well as you, a cousin living under someone else's roof. Just because you're my aunt's niece, my aunt is happy to see me befriend you."

Upon hearing this, Hua Sirong found herself at a loss for words.

"Your aunt is mistaken. I, as her niece, have no say in front of my own aunt. If you're hoping that I'll put in a good word for Huan'er in the future, I'm afraid there's no hope."

Huan-jie slapped Hua Si-rong on the shoulder in a seemingly affectionate manner, saying, "My aunt has such high hopes for me, but I don't expect you to do anything for me. We get along so well, why bother with those trivial matters and ruin the fun of all your good books?"

"Oh, how kind and understanding Huan'er is, not wanting to put me in a difficult position."

At this moment, another person entered the courtyard; it was He Zhihuan's personal maid, named Xiangcao.

"Xiangcao, you've brought the things?" He Zhihuan waved happily as Xiangcao rushed over.

"Greetings to Miss Biao." Then he presented the box he was holding to He Zhihuan.

"What is it?" Hua Sirong asked curiously.

"Oh, I just came directly from the waterside pavilion. I sent Xiangcao back to the second room to get me a book." With that, she pushed the box in her hand over.

"What book?" Hua Sirong opened the box. Just by looking at the title, she could tell it was a famous rare book on the market. She never expected it to be in the Muqing Marquis's residence. "Sister, you truly deserve to be called a famous talented woman in the capital. Such a good book is priceless, yet you have it in your collection."

"Why don't you take it out and let us see?" He Zhihuan raised an eyebrow and urged.

Hua Sirong hesitated for a long time, but still shook her head. "Although I haven't read many books, I have heard of this book's great reputation. There is only one copy in the world, and I never expected that my sister would put it on the shelf."

"To have the privilege of seeing the original today is an unparalleled honor. I have neither burned incense nor bathed; how dare I lightly touch it?"

'Pfft,' He Zhihuan covered her mouth with a handkerchief. 'Take it. It's just a copy. Every young lady in the manor has one. One more won't make a difference. It's yours.'

Seeing that He Zhihuan's words were true, Hua Sirong recalled what He Zhihuan had said earlier and had a guess in her heart, but on her face she seemed somewhat tempted, "Really?"

"Well, if you don't believe me, ask Chunyan to inquire around, and you'll see that what I say is truer than pearls."

At this moment, Xiangcao chimed in, "Everything my young lady said is true. Before her marriage, the eldest daughter asked my young lady for the rare handwritten copy that the old Marquis left to her."

When she returned to her parents' home, she brought up the matter again, and the other girls in the family immediately asked my daughter for the book as well. These days, my daughter has been locked in her room copying books, and after she finished copying them, she sent me to deliver the books to various places.

My cousin's place is very secluded; my daughter said she would deliver it herself. I hope she won't mind my slow pace, as I only just brought the book now.”

Xiangcao was filled with trepidation and recounted the whole story in great detail, which shows that what she said was true.

Hua Sirong suppressed the myriad thoughts in her heart and placed her hands reverently on the box. "It's no wonder, no wonder. This book is so precious that even a copy is hard to come by. Sister Huan'er, you have given me such a great gift. I feel unworthy of it, but I really can't refuse."

Hua Sirong pondered what kind of return gift she should give He Zhihuan.

It can't be too cheap, nor too vulgar. After all, the second daughter loves books, and the book given to her is a good one, so she naturally can't be tacky.

He Zhihuan could tell what she was thinking from her expression. "Speaking of which, I have given away so many books, but the one I gave to you is the one I truly wanted to give you."

"Why do you say that, sister?" Hua Sirong was somewhat flattered, after all, she and the second young lady had no blood ties, and their friendship was rather shallow.

The friendship between Bo Ya and Zi Qi is not quite on the same level as that between these two.

She said somewhat embarrassedly, "All the young ladies in the manor are talented, and my sister is even more so."

As for me, I'm just a merchant's daughter; how could I compare to you all who are well-educated? I'm just passing the time in my spare time, putting on an act to fool my father.

My sister values ​​me so much, which makes me a little worried that I might disappoint her.

He Zhihuan gently shook her head and began to tell the inside story, "This book was obtained by my grandfather by chance. He left a will that this book should be left to the most studious girl in the family."

Incidentally, there was also a marriage arrangement with the Meng family, so this book was naturally included as part of the dowry for the marriage between the two families.

Hua Sirong was shocked; this was the inside story!

With such a rare book as her dowry, even if the second daughter wasn't particularly beautiful, she would still have many suitors from educated families. She would certainly be treated well in her husband's family after marriage.

Of course, the Meng family in the capital was no less impressive. Their ancestors were two brothers who rose to prominence. One was skilled in literature and became a high-ranking official, while the other was skilled in medicine and became the head of the imperial physicians. In this way, the family business was passed down from generation to generation for one or two hundred years.

With such a rare and unique book in her possession, He Zhihuan's marriage into the Meng family is an even greater advantage.

She quickly closed the book box and pushed it in front of He Zhihuan, saying, "Since it's part of my dowry, I can't accept it. Even if it's a copy, I can't accept it."

A gentleman loves books, but he acquires them through proper means.

She now seems to be stealing what others want.

He Zhihuan waved his hand and said calmly, "When my eldest sister was about to get married, she suddenly asked me for a rare handwritten copy."

"Although I was surprised, I couldn't refuse. We're all family, and this book was found by my grandfather. It wouldn't be right for me to keep it all to myself."

But Hua Sirong frowned repeatedly upon hearing this. What kind of logic was this? How utterly shameless!

They wanted to unite against a common enemy, but the so-called enemy turned out to be He Zhihuan's own sister. Some things were just hard to understand.

"Since you're here to speak up for me, this book isn't a complete waste." She felt a pang of bitterness, but she rallied her spirits and continued, "It's not that I'm stingy, it's just a copy, and we're all sisters from the same family, so it's fine to give it away."

Moreover, my brother-in-law is also an accomplished scholar with a bright future ahead of him; such a good book should naturally be shared with more people.

Hua Sirong could tell from He Zhihuan's seemingly genuine yet also bitter demeanor that there must be more to the story. "But is there something else going on?"

“My elder sister not only asked me for the copy, but also said that the rare copy was originally found by my grandfather and should be kept in the Marquis’s mansion to be passed down as a family heirloom. How could she let a married woman like me take such a precious thing to her husband’s family?”

"That's a bit of a sophistry. You've already generously given her a copy, so why would you want your own unique copy? If you ask me, even if you refuse her unreasonable request, no one can say a word against you."