Inside the shed, Hua Jing sat dozing by the fire wrapped in two quilts, her head nodding intermittently. When her body tilted sideways, she would quickly straighten up again, all without ever opening her eyes—clearly already accustomed to this state.
Hua Zhi stood silently nearby, watching coldly. She desperately wanted to rush over, remove the brazier, throw off the quilts, and drag Hua Jing to kneel in the snow to beg forgiveness from their grandmother. But these remained merely thoughts—she had no intention of doing anything that might earn Hua Jing sympathy.
"Young Miss, shall I wake her?"
Hua Zhi shook her head and turned to leave. There were seven nights ahead—this was only the beginning.
The mourning hall couldn't be left unattended. Hua Zhi sent everyone else to sleep while she herself knelt on the prayer cushion, hugging her knees as she kept watch over the Eternal Flame Lamp. Unbeknownst to her, on a rooftop not far away, Gu Yanxi braved the bitter wind to keep her company for half the night.
Everyone awaited the dawn.
In the main courtyard of the Zhu residence, Old Madam Zhu helped her husband into his court robes. "I wonder how the Hua family is faring," she said softly. "I intended to go yesterday, but thought they must be overwhelmed with arrangements. My visit would only distract them, so I held back. Today I must go early no matter what."
Zhu Bowen nodded in agreement. "You go first. With the grand court assembly today, I cannot get away. Tomorrow I'll take half a day's leave to pay my respects. Bring more capable servants with you—lend help wherever possible."
"I know." The old madam dabbed the corner of her eye. "How could she leave us so suddenly? When the Hua family fell, she collapsed with them. How cruel to let go just like that. Without her steadying presence, who knows how those young ones will be bullied."
Zhu Bowen sighed. "Others can help temporarily, but not forever. The Hua family must learn to stand on their own. I just wonder who the old madam entrusted with household authority."
"Naturally it should be the Hua daughters-in-law. It couldn't possibly be..." The old madam paused. "Are you suggesting she might have put Zhi Er in charge?"
"See for yourself when you visit. If she indeed entrusted Zhi Er with leadership, our family should offer substantial support."
"Even if she isn't in charge, I'll still help. I don't have the heart to watch my daughter and grandchildren suffer."
Zhu Bowen didn't explain that his meaning of "support" differed from hers, simply nodding as if agreeing.
The old madam calculated that the Hua family probably needed to purchase everything from outside now. She gathered numerous supplies from their warehouses, filling two large carts, and brought along two capable stewardesses she usually relied on.
"Mother."
Just as the old madam was about to board the carriage, she turned at the voice—it was her second son, Zhu Haodong.
"I'll go with you."
Madam Hua naturally wouldn't refuse. While she didn't expect her sons and daughters-in-law to support their married sister, she was pleased when they showed initiative.
The Hua residence remained illuminated throughout the night.
Servants continuously swept the entrance, keeping the path clean. The coming and going servants maintained restrained grief, their every movement preserving the family's dignity despite its downfall.
Hua Jing stood outside the shed, looking haggard with a quilt draped over her shoulders, her expression vacant as her thoughts drifted to distant memories.She remembered the pampered life she had in her maternal home, how even when her younger brothers went out for a spring outing they would bring back a bouquet of flowers for her, the ten-mile bridal procession when she married, and how every time she returned home her family would take meticulous care of her—her sisters-in-law wouldn’t dare say a word that might upset her. She remembered it all…
How could she not resent it? If her mother had stopped her father, if her father had remained a high-ranking official of the second grade, she would still be the revered eldest legitimate daughter of the Hua family. The Song family would still be fawning over her and yielding to her. With the backing of her maternal family, her daughter could have married into a higher station, and her son would have received far more support than any other member of the Song family.
But now, all of that was gone. She was like a drowned dog, and everyone in the Song family wanted to kick her while she was down. How could she not resent it?
Her mother should have understood her! She had thought her mother would surely help her. It was just a maid—the family had hundreds of servants. One more or one less wouldn’t make a difference, but having her by her side could be of great help. Why couldn’t she be given to her?
Hua Jing grew even more convinced that she was not in the wrong. If you show no kindness, I’ll show no loyalty—it’s as simple as that.
When she returned to the shed, the charcoal in the brazier was nearly burnt out. Early morning was the coldest time of day, and even clutching two thin, lightweight quilts, Hua Jing still shivered uncontrollably.
She would not admit defeat like this. Her eyes were filled with venom. As long as the Hua family still wanted to marry off their daughters, they wouldn’t dare speak recklessly. When the time came, she would make them understand what it meant to lift a stone only to drop it on their own feet.
Hua Jing’s actions were reported to Hua Zhi by a servant, but Hua Zhi couldn’t be bothered to waste any energy on Hua Jing. In fact, she was looking forward to Hua Jing causing a major stir.
Wu Shi, however, was somewhat worried. “I’ve dealt with her for several years. She’s not one to take a loss lightly. Since you’ve made things so difficult for her, she’s bound to hold a grudge against you. You need to be careful. I heard from your Fourth Uncle that she wasn’t like this before. I don’t know when she became so unreasonable.”
“When life is too smooth, one starts to think they’re the center of the universe. Once she falls into the mud, she’ll realize her true place,” Hua Zhi said, dismissing the topic. “Today, there will likely be people coming to offer condolences. I’ve asked the elder aunts to help receive the older generation. If it’s the wives of various families, I’ll have to trouble you, Fourth Aunt, to make the arrangements. Second Aunt’s status is too low, and my mother can probably only receive the Zhu family. The rest will have to rely on you and Third Aunt.”
“Don’t worry, we can handle this much,” Wu Shi replied. Then she asked, “What if the visitors are male guests?”
“Leave it to Berlin.”
Wu Shi was shocked. “Berlin is still so young. How can he manage? If it’s someone from your father-in-law’s generation and we send a junior to receive them, won’t that make us a laughingstock?”
“Berlin is currently the oldest male in the Hua family. It has to be him.”
Wu Shi fell silent. It was true—if not Berlin, then who? Such a large family, the Hua family, and now…
Her nose tingled with emotion, and she lowered her head to wipe the corners of her eyes. When she looked up again, only the rims of her eyes were slightly red. “Alright, then you must instruct Berlin carefully so he doesn’t make a fool of himself.”
“He knows what to do. People are forced to grow. When faced with something they don’t know how to do, they learn. No one is born knowing everything.”
“You, on the other hand, seem to have been born knowing everything. No one knows more than you.”Hua Zhi's lips curled slightly. That was because she had already lived a lifetime of learning—from age three to twenty-eight, she had been studying a new language even until her dying breath. Anyone with such experience would naturally know more.
Nian Qiu hurried in, "Miss, your mother-in-law has arrived, along with your second maternal uncle."
No one had expected the Zhu Family to arrive so early. Wu Shi quickly rose to her feet, "Go greet them quickly. They are truly thoughtful."
Hua Zhi's eyes brightened, her spirits lifting as she strode swiftly outside.
Wu Shi walked to the doorway, watching her retreating figure, and let out a long sigh. She didn't know what the Hua family would face in the future—she only hoped this world would be kinder to Zhi Er, and not grind her down too harshly.
PS: I noticed some readers commented that writing about one person's death took too long. But dear readers, this section isn't just about one death—it also marks Hua Zhi truly beginning to take charge of the household. Dealing with Hua Jing isn't merely about hatred for causing their grandmother's death; Hua Zhi also needs to use her to establish authority and intimidate the collateral branches of the Hua family. This segment actually needs to cover many, many elements, so it naturally requires greater length. The next update will be later.
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