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

Look at her second aunt, she arranged a marriage for her own daughter through her maternal family's connections, without letting the Lady of the Marquis get involved.

Of course, when it comes to arranging marriages, it's inevitable to borrow some of the Marquis's influence. But look at how Third Aunt, by borrowing the Marquis's influence, was able to find such a good family for Fifth Sister.

"Don't worry, Fourth Sister, I know what I'm doing. I wonder what kind of good young man Second Aunt is going to introduce to you. I'm so envious." She couldn't help but ask a few questions.

He Si's expression visibly changed. "Third sister, are you perhaps anxious because eldest sister got married? Have you forgotten the rules of marriage and the words of matchmakers? You're actually asking a young lady like me about these things."

"Fourth sister, why are you in such a hurry? We are sisters. We're just having a private chat. Why are you getting angry with me?"

"Don't you want to know what kind of person you'll marry in the future?" He San's incredulous expression made He Si's previously angry expression subside.

"Oh, my eldest and second eldest sisters are both married into scholarly families, and my eldest brother has also taken the path of a civil official. I reckon I'll probably be matched with a civil official's family too." She spoke with such certainty that it piqued He Si's interest. The sisters chatted privately, and even if their own mother came, she couldn't interfere.

"How did you know? Aren't you ashamed? Our family rose to prominence through military achievements. Even if our generation abandons military service for civil service, are we just going to abandon our connections with military officers like that?"

"We have more than a dozen brothers and sisters in our family. We can't all choose to pursue literary pursuits and abandon martial arts," He Si retorted. As for herself, her mother had married into a noble family.

Actually, she didn't understand either. Although their Muqing Marquis's mansion was showing signs of decline, one of the girls in the mansion had married into the family of an imperial censor, which was indeed a bit low in social standing.

Similarly, her eldest brother's fiancé was from the Duke of Li's mansion, which seemed like a good match, but the other party clearly had this or that shortcoming. However, her arrogant aunt actually agreed to the marriage, which really puzzled her.

“Don’t think I’m just making things up. I have inside information too.” He San gave He Si a look that said, “Who do you think you are?” “The information my aunt got from my father, the Marquis, is naturally true.”

He Si was skeptical, because her own father never revealed anything about the outside world to her mother, and would only say discouraging things like "women have long hair but short wits".

Thinking about it this way, she was actually a little envious of He San, who, despite being born out of wedlock, was still valued by his biological father.

“Aren’t civil officials good enough? Do you prefer those generals who fight and kill?” He Si teased He San.

"Oh~ So, it seems my sister prefers families of civil officials. Tell me quickly, which family did your second aunt recommend? That way, we can ask our brothers in the family to find out their reputation in private."

He Si was in high spirits and almost blurted it out, but then changed his mind and said, "What family do I have any preference for? My mother never taught me to be so rude. Once my mother has found someone for me, Third Sister will naturally know."

After saying that, without paying attention to He San's expression, she decisively got up and called the maid who was serving in the distance, preparing to go back.

He San was left there, seething with anger. "You're usually so unruly, but when it really matters, your mouth is as tight as a clam's. Fine, I won't say it then, but I don't believe there's a secret that stays hidden forever." She was sure she could find out.

Qingwuyuan

"My cousin is here, please have a seat. If you've finished reading, just have a maid bring it over." Hua Sirong smiled as she looked at this rare guest.

"You're not even allowed to miss me? I'm making up all sorts of excuses to come see you." He Er said playfully, holding Hua Sirong's hand.

"If you miss me, just come. There's no need to make up any excuses."

He pulled the man into the house, personally brewed some fine tea, and handed it to He Er.

"Hmm? This isn't the tea the family usually drinks."

"You have a good palate. I added two kinds of dried flower petals to the tea, and it tastes pretty good. I'll call it flower tea in private."

He Er took another sip and carefully savored it, "It truly lives up to its name; I am indeed fortunate to have such a delicious meal today."

"I really like drinking it. I'll pack some when I get back. It's nothing fancy or expensive, just a lucky break."

"Cousin Rong really knows how to enjoy life." After saying that, she couldn't help but slap herself in the face. "I misspoke, it was Cousin Rong who had the brilliant idea."

Hua Sirong shook her head, "It's alright. If my parents knew in the afterlife, they wouldn't blame me for drinking such good tea." Only those who can't stand seeing others do well think that mourning means enduring all kinds of suffering in order to fulfill their filial duty to their elders.

She had already betrayed her clan and left, and her reputation was already ruined, so why would she care about another sip of tea?

"My cousin has a very clear understanding of life."

"If I don't understand things more clearly, I'll only have one path left: death," Hua Sirong said self-deprecatingly.

He Er didn't know how to respond to this, so he changed the subject, "Cousin, have you thought about your future marriage? What kind of ideal husband do you want to marry?" She had been feeling down lately and wanted to find someone to talk to.

Hua Sirong raised an eyebrow; something was amiss. "Although I'm of age, I'm not in a hurry because of the mourning period." Besides, as an orphan, this was a matter that was really difficult to discuss openly.

Especially since the person opposite is a relative of a relative whose good or evil is hard to discern.

She casually passed the ball back, saying, "My cousin is getting married next year, right? I guess she's reluctant to leave home, which is why she's envying me. I'll be getting married several years later than you." After saying that, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled with pursed lips.

He Er thought about it and realized that it made sense. Although Hua Sirong was getting old and it would be difficult for her to get married, she would definitely have to wait a few years before going to live with her husband's family.

"It's not that. I just feel that if we women could be like men and marry a male wife, we wouldn't have to suffer the hardship of serving our in-laws."

He Er's shocking remarks stunned Hua Sirong; wasn't this the path her father had chosen for her?

It was good, but it almost came together.

Unfortunately, she was probably just unlucky and missed out on such a great opportunity.

However, life is both so short and so long, so we always have to find ways to make our lives better.

She jokingly teased He Zhihuan, "I always thought you were a well-behaved young lady from a respectable family. Forgive my poor eyesight; I misunderstood you in the past."

“My cousin is joking. Sometimes I feel different from my sisters. Sometimes I envy them so much, thinking they just want to marry a good husband, be a virtuous wife and mother, and raise their children. But when I feel a little biased, I feel a sense of resentment.”

"People say that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent, and we believe it after hearing half of it. By chance, I read a few more books, which made me fall into them. My thoughts and ideas became out of step with the world, and I ended up living in a daze."