Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 878: Chapter 874: Dowry

The Old Granny smiled and shook her head. ”When I first got married and came here, this mansion used to be part of our family’s property. But now, it has been registered as a cultural relic. The small two-story building at the back, that’s where my husband and I lived.”

As she spoke, the Old Granny pointed to an entrance of the mansion.

The group followed the direction of the elder’s finger and indeed saw a small door beside the main gate. Entering from there, they immediately spotted an old, small house.

Li Quan and Huo Sining exchanged glances, eyes filled with doubt. Li Quan couldn’t help but ask, ”Ma’am, who is Yan Tielin to you?”

The Old Granny had a good impression of Li Quan and wasn’t offended by the blunt question. She explained directly, ”Yan Tielin was my father-in-law, who served in the Beiyang warlord faction with Yuan Shikai in the Imperial Capital back in the day.”

Qiao Zhenhuan, despite studying abroad for many years, was well-versed in Chinese history. ”A warlord family? That’s surprising... How is it that this mansion is still preserved and not confiscated?”

The Old Granny seemed to understand what they were thinking, and she smiled, ”My father-in-law was from a warlord background, but his three sons were all honorable members of the Red First Generation. The two eldest sons participated in the Red Fourth Army, following the first commander on the front lines. Even my husband gave up his pen for the sword, experiencing combat and life-and-death firsthand, and wrote many morale-boosting articles and reports. Unfortunately, the two elder brothers fell in battle, leaving only my husband as the sole survivor.”

No wonder the mansion was still retained; with the sons sacrificed on the battlefield, the authorities must have shown leniency.

Huo Sining nodded secretly while unobtrusively surveying the Governor’s Mansion.

This mansion was the rear courtyard of the Governor’s Mansion. The front courtyard had been taken over by the cultural relic department, while the rear courtyard became Lady Yan’s residence.

Once a part of the old Governor’s Mansion, being listed as a cultural relic meant it could no longer be altered privately. The rear courtyard appeared somewhat dilapidated; the Old Granny hadn’t sought to repair it, as any maintenance required a cumbersome application process for approval.

While Old Master Yan was alive, he had considered renovating the house, but always found the procedures too troublesome, and never followed through.

Now that Old Master Yan had passed, Madam Yan had lost interest in the idea. Seeing the group looking around the courtyard, she warmly introduced various items and their histories.

”My husband came from a poor family and was uneducated when he was young, but his ruthlessness made him feared among warlords. Nevertheless, he treated his sons exceptionally well, emphasizing their education and even spending a fortune to send my husband abroad for studies.”

”I met my husband while studying abroad; we fell in love and got married after returning to China. Not long after, war broke out, and he went to the front lines.”

”This bonsai was made from bullet casings collected by my husband on the battlefield.”

Touching the bonsai in the courtyard, the Old Granny began to reminisce, her gaze softened considerably.

After some time, she seemed to remember the original reason for bringing the group here, blushing as she led them into the house.

Upon entering the living room, they were struck by the antique decor. Yet a glance around showed many empty places on the curio shelf and TV cabinet, spaces that surely once held objects.

”My husband was well-versed in the Twenty-Four Histories and an expert on antiques. He enjoyed studying these things and eventually worked at the Cultural Relics Bureau, where he amassed quite a collection.”

Working at the Cultural Relics Bureau? No wonder this house had so many treasures. Huo Sining thought it a pity; with the Governor’s Mansion, there must have been many cultural relics and antiques. Unfortunately, the Old Granny’s descendants had been too unscrupulous, taking most of the items and leaving her without even a chance to see them.

But there was no use dwelling on it now. Huo Sining just wanted to see what items the Old Granny had mentioned, hoping they were neither counterfeits nor damaged, or else this would have been a wasted trip.

”Please, have a seat. I’ll go get the things for you,” Old Granny suggested, indicating for the group to sit on the sofa. She then turned and walked out, heading to the east wing bedroom. Shortly after, she returned holding two boxes, one large and one small.

The larger box was about a foot square, while the smaller one was a rectangular brocade box, approximately book-sized. Both boxes were wooden, and judging by their material and varnish, they appeared to be quite old.

Setting the boxes on the coffee table, Huo Sining casually glanced at the larger box, noting its ironwood construction. Probably due to frequent polishing, the wood had a greasy luster, complemented by dark brown ironwood grains, making it quite beautiful.

This was certainly a classic antique. Without handling it, it was hard to estimate its precise age, but at a rough guess, these boxes must be at least a hundred years old.

Noticing Huo Sining’s gaze, the Old Granny smiled and explained, ”This wooden box was part of my dowry. When my husband came to my home to propose, my father initially disapproved. But once in the study, he immediately identified this object on the curio shelf, accurately recounting its history in impressive detail. My father’s impression of him changed entirely, and the more he tested him, the more he admired him. Knowing my husband had a passion for collecting antiques, my father added this object to my dowry.”

As she spoke, the Old Granny removed the thin wooden lid from the box’s edge. Revealing the object wrapped in yellow silk inside.

When the silk was lifted, the true appearance of the item was revealed.