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

"The eldest sister also said that she took a copy with her when she got married. It doesn't make sense that the younger sister got married right after her and took a unique original. If this gets back to her husband's family, wouldn't it be a disgrace to her, saying that she, the eldest daughter of a marquis, is not as good as a concubine's daughter from the second wife?"

Hua Sirong looked very annoyed, as if she had swallowed a fly's dropping.

"The fact that my sister has a rare book must have spread among some families in the capital."

He Zhihuan nodded in agreement.

"If that's the case, isn't it only right and proper for this rare copy to be in your possession?"

She gave a sneer, "Your cousin probably finds it unbelievable too, but it's the truth."

Actually, if your household wanted to keep this unique copy of the book I possess, as a member of the Marquis's family, I shouldn't have refused. However, the Meng family, with whom I was betrothed, valued this very copy when they arranged the engagement.

Your residence? Could it be...?

Hua Sirong suddenly felt a headache coming on; things she couldn't understand before were now clear.

It's best to stay away from things from those wealthy families.

They thought it was just a competition between the girls, but they never expected that He Zhihuan's unintentional revelation would reveal that it was probably orchestrated by the elders of the Marquis's mansion.

But why would He Zhihuan say these things to a cousin like her?

Her good mood from receiving the book was instantly dampened, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, leaving her hands and feet icy cold.

She managed to maintain her composure and comforted him, saying, "This rare book was bestowed upon us by the late Marquis. As the saying goes, one cannot refuse a gift from an elder. A few words from my elder cousin cannot make decisions for the late Marquis."

He Zhihuan's brows furrowed with bitterness. "If my grandfather were still alive, I wouldn't have these worries."

Furthermore, my grandfather was on good terms with Meng Silang's grandfather, and the engagement between the two families was arranged by my grandfather when he was alive. It was only because I love reading that this rare book and this marriage fell to me.

If Grandfather wants to keep this rare copy, the Meng family has no other objections.

However, my grandfather has passed away, and this rare book was to be taken to the Meng family as part of my dowry, which was tacitly agreed upon by both families.

Now, however, I can no longer produce this rare copy.

"Miss, please stop talking." Xiangcao was anxious as she listened from the side. She wanted to step in and stop them, but she was afraid of overstepping her bounds and embarrassing her young lady in front of her cousin.

"I didn't want to say it, but it's so hard to keep it inside. Cousin Rong, tell me, if I don't bring this rare book with me when I get married, will my husband's family treat me badly?"

That day, I saw my eldest sister returning home after her wedding. She didn't look as well as she used to at the manor. She's still a newlywed; how could she be so unhappy? What will become of her in the future?

As she spoke, she stroked her unremarkable face, which showed that she took good care of herself, but in the capital city where beauties abounded, and in the inner quarters where women gathered, it was not noticeable.

"The other day, my eldest sister brought back a maid, saying that she was seducing her brother-in-law because of her looks. My aunt advised my eldest sister to be magnanimous."

He Zhihuan snorted coldly, "Generous? Men can have three wives and four concubines, but women can only live in one corner and be virtuous and gentle?"

I don't think my brother-in-law is a good person either. Just three days into the marriage, he was already flirting with his wife's maid. No wonder my sister had so much makeup on her face when she returned home to visit her parents.

Xiangcao was behind He Zhihuan, tugging hard at her clothes. She didn't dare to make a sound. This was something an unmarried woman should talk about.

Hua Sirong should have been excited to hear the gossip, but the person complaining to her was one of the main characters in the Marquis's mansion. She really didn't know whether she should cover her ears or not.

Seeing how much He Zhihuan trusted her, she couldn't help but chime in, "My mother died young, but my father only ever had her. This is probably what they mean by mutual affection and deep love." So the older sister and brother-in-law you're talking about are just living together.

If a woman takes things too seriously, she's likely to face endless suffering ahead of her.

“Throughout history, it has been extremely rare for a man to marry only one wife. But I’ve been fortunate enough to be one. Aren’t you envious?” Hua Sirong looked up at He Zhihuan with a smile.

"No need to be envious. Actually, sometimes I'd rather my dad were a little more promiscuous and fickle. Can't believe it, right?"

But this is my honest thought. When I was a child, my father didn't have much time to spend with me. He had countless things to do, and the energy he could spare for me, the daughter born to his beloved wife, was very limited.

Others might think I'm being pretentious, after all, if it weren't for my dad working hard outside, I wouldn't have such a comfortable life.

I've worn gold and silver since I was a child, I don't deny that. But there's one thing: if my father had given me a younger brother after my mother passed away, I wouldn't be living under someone else's roof now, and I wouldn't feel guilty or remorseful for not being able to protect the family fortune my father left behind.

But who can I blame? My father? He was just trying to give me a better life. Did he want to die young? No. My mother? She lost her life to give birth to me. I owe her so much.

So who can I blame? I can only blame myself; I'm just unlucky.

Hua Sirong covered her face with a handkerchief, not wanting anyone to see her worthless tears.

She paused for a moment before saying, "So, Huan'er, why think so much? In this life, you never know what kind of suffering you might endure, so it's better to live well in the present."

You haven't even married into the Meng family yet, how can you know you won't have a good life? With your talent and your indifferent nature, I think you'll be able to live a good life wherever you are.”

"Really? My cousin thinks of me that way? Then I can't let her down." He Zhihuan was well-read and insightful; she wasn't the type to easily get stuck in a dead end.

"Enough. I am not saddened by the difficulty of the path, but saddened by the burden on my cultivation. I thought I had read many books and understood many things in this world. I never thought that I would be influenced by that worthless fame today, and almost went astray and ruined my original intention."

"In fact, I should thank my cousin. If it weren't for her pointing out my mistake, I would have made a terrible error. Now I know that my appearance, everything about me, is me."

If Meng Silang truly dislikes me because of a book, then I will simply stay in my corner and live my life well.

For girls from families like ours, marriage is merely icing on the cake. Do you really expect to find true love in an arranged marriage? I almost lost my mind and made a foolish mistake.

After saying that, she looked at Hua Sirong as if admiring a beauty, "To be honest, if I had a face as beautiful as yours, I would definitely be like a young girl in love, full of expectations for marriage. I would not only think about being respectful to my future husband, but also about growing old together hand in hand."

But I was born ordinary. Even my older sister, with her looks, wasn't satisfied with me, so I was even less worth mentioning. Seeing myself clearly and having self-awareness early on is actually a good thing for me.